Inertia: Beneath The Starlit Veil Chapter 53: Chapter 53

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Chapter 53 (Ezra's POV) "What do you mean you fought my brother?" I lashed out at Kael. "Just as I said, my dear old emperor. You both had the same look on your faces once you realized that there was something in this world that could stand up against your attacks. Honestly, it's too funny. I can definitely tell you grew up privileged. That's how all privileged people look when things don't go their way." "Where is he? Is he alive?" I demanded. "Oh, dear Ezra, do you really think I'm just going to hand over that information? You're going to have to force it out of me. But judging by the state of your cosmic energy signature, I'm not entirely sure you even have what it takes to finish that task." Furious, I precisely channeled cosmic energy into my legs and dashed toward Kael. Standing before him in an instant, I swung my solar mace at his head, forcing him to block one of the few places on his body unprotected by his incredible armor. He caught my downward strike with his forearms, absorbing the blow but sinking slightly into the soft terrain of the astral realm. Without hesitation, I charged a ball of solar energy in my free hand and thrust it into his chest. The impact sent Kael sliding backward, but his armor only bore a slight dent. "Oh, are we upping the ante? Nice attempt. But like I said earlier, you're going to need a lot more than that to defeat me. If you keep holding back that power of yours, you'll never learn your brother's fate. And you may very well lose your son after this battle. Unless, of course, you'd prefer we finish the job we started a couple of years ago," Kael taunted, trying to provoke me further. The most frustrating part of this fight was my restraint—I was trying to preserve the area. I didn't want the bodies of the miners to be harmed. Their families deserved the chance to bury them. If I activated my second or third rune, they would be destroyed instantly. Focusing solar energy into my feet, I launched into the air, flying away from the battlefield. "Is the great Ezra Solaris a coward now? Running with his tail between his legs like the fawn he is?" Kael shouted, blasting geysers of lava from the ground in an attempt to knock me off course. The eruptions were slow enough for me to dodge, but I knew this wasn't just a basic attack. He was using the excess lava to mask his presence as well. What is it about this lava that makes him seem like he disappears off the face of the earth? I can't even track him with my infrared sight—he just blends in, I thought as I approached a safer space to continue the battle. As soon as I landed, far from the corpses of the slain miners, a deep rumble shook the ground. Suddenly, molten rock burst upward as the hulking man emerged, lunging for my throat. I barely managed to dodge, channeling cosmic energy into my legs for a quick burst of speed. With Kael now fully surfaced, I noticed something different—his hands were no longer bare. Massive obsidian gauntlets had manifested, inscribed with glowing volcanic runes. As I observed them more closely, I noticed another peculiarity—the gauntlets shifted between solid rock and molten metal. "You know, Ezra, very few have seen these and lived to tell the story. You should feel honored that you've pushed me this far, forcing me to reveal my soul weapon," Kael declared, releasing more of his cosmic energy into the gauntlets. In a swift motion, he shot several jabs in my direction. At first, I was confused—why was he throwing punches from such a distance? Then, before I could react, I was struck by several localized volcanic eruptions in my midsection. The heat wasn't the problem—it was the sheer force. My current cosmic energy reserves weren't enough to keep a constant layer of defense around myself, and as a result, I felt several ribs crack, one of them puncturing a lung. Forcing my breathing to become labored. The worst part? Kael had incredible stamina, so he threw jabs relentlessly. By tracking the cosmic energy flowing