The battlefield reformed.
Riven exhaled, his breath steady, his muscles thrumming with tension as the weight of divine energy pressed down on him once more. The air between him and Cassiel crackled with opposing forces—golden light radiating from the Paladin like a sun, abyssal darkness coiling around Riven like living shadows.
This time, he wasn't here to endure.
This time, he wasn't here to learn.
This time, he was here to win.
Cassiel met his gaze, his stance unshaken. There was no arrogance in his expression, no mockery—only unwavering confidence, the kind that came from absolute certainty in his own strength. "You're persistent," he mused. "But persistence alone won't close the gap between us."
Riven smirked. "I'm not here to close the gap." His abyssal flames flared, devouring the ground beneath him. "I'm here to erase it."
Cassiel's eyes narrowed.
And then they moved.
The battlefield exploded.
