Chapter 10: Clash of the Gods
The air around Jareth was thick with tension, the heat radiating from his blackened, fiery form as he faced Fujin—the wind God. His body, glowing with the divine power of Bahamut, stood firm as his wings unfurled behind him, crackling with energy like a storm waiting to break. His claws, sharp as obsidian and glowing with molten fire, flexed in anticipation.
Across from him, Fujin stood unyielding, her lithe form radiating an ethereal grace. The wind around her was chaotic, a violent whirlpool of gusts and storms, but there was something unnerving about the way she moved—like a calm before an even greater tempest. Her eyes met Jareth's, the smirk that twisted her lips a silent challenge.
"You still think you can match me, young mortal?" she said, her voice smooth as the winds she commanded. "You might have Bahamut's fire, but it's nothing compared to the fury I control."
Jareth's golden eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that, Fujin."
Without warning, Fujin's form blurred, and the winds around her howled to life, her hands slicing through the air with devastating precision. In an instant, massive wind blades erupted from her fingertips, their edges as sharp as any weapon forged by gods. The first gust sliced through a nearby building with ease, cleaving it in two as if it were a sheet of paper. Debris rained down around them, crashing to the ground in a fiery heap.
Jareth's wings flared wide, his fiery form blazing as he dashed into motion, narrowly avoiding the slicing wind blades that cut through the remnants of the building. "Impressive," he muttered, teeth gritted. "But it'll take more than that to break me."
Fujin didn't give him a moment to catch his breath. She lifted her arms, and the winds obeyed, swarming around her like an army of sharpened knives. With a flick of her wrist, another blade of air shot out, this time cutting through a whole block of buildings, sending glass and concrete flying in every direction. The devastation was swift, brutal, and precise—nothing could withstand the force of her godlike winds.
Jareth's claws shot out, deflecting the winds with Bahamut's fire, but the sheer force of Fujin's blades sent him reeling. The ground beneath his feet cracked as the gusts clawed at his body, their cutting edge feeling like knives scraping against his skin. Despite the heat that radiated from him, the wind around Fujin seemed to slice through his defenses with eerie ease.
"You're nothing more than a flame in the wind, Boy," Fujin taunted, her voice almost lyrical as she stood atop the ruins of the city she had torn asunder. Her hands were poised, her wind blades cutting through the world with effortless grace. "I will show you why the winds are the true masters of this world."
Jareth's golden eyes flared with anger. "I'm no flame to be snuffed out by the wind. You think you're the only one with godly power? You're just hiding behind your storms, Fujin. Face me."
The ground beneath them trembled as Jareth pushed forward, his wings slicing through the air with blazing speed. He launched himself at Fujin, his claws glowing as he prepared to strike. But Fujin was already one step ahead. She raised her hand, and a torrent of wind blades shot out, carving through the air with lethal precision.
Jareth twisted in mid-air, narrowly dodging the blades as they sliced through buildings with ease, cutting them in half like paper. The destruction was relentless. The city, once a symbol of power and civilization, was now nothing more than rubble in Fujin's wake.
"Is this all you can do, young Jareth?" Fujin's voice floated on the wind, mocking and serene. "You've only got fire and claws. How quaint."
Jareth growled, the flames around him roaring louder as he fought back the storm. He could feel his power shifting within him, the strength of Bahamut surging through his veins. But Fujin was no mere mortal. She wasn't just using the wind as a weapon; she was the wind itself. Every movement she made was a command of the very air that surrounded them.
"Bahamut, guide me!" Jareth roared, his voice filled with raw determination.
In response, the ground beneath him cracked, and Bahamut's presence surged through his body, his form becoming an even more formidable force. His claws ignited with divine flame, burning hotter than before as his wings flared, ready to strike.
Fujin saw him coming, but this time, she didn't retreat. She welcomed him. With a flick of her wrist, the wind around her grew sharper, faster, and more deadly. Her wind blades cut through the air like lightning, creating a shield of swirling wind that sliced through anything in its path.
Jareth pushed forward, his flames clashing with the wind, the two forces colliding with an explosion that shook the very foundations of the city. Fujin's wind shield cracked under the force of his strike, but she didn't back down. Her form shimmered as she spun, the winds around her becoming more violent, more erratic, as she prepared for her next assault.
"You're still holding back, Jareth," Fujin's voice rang out, her tone dark with malice. "Your flames will never reach me. You cannot defeat the wind."
Jareth's eyes burned with determination. "Then let me show you what happens when fire meets the storm."
He lunged forward, his claws extended as he tore through the wind with a single swipe. The blast of flame collided with Fujin's wind shield, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze. The winds faltered, just for a moment, and Jareth saw his chance. He pushed forward, his claws carving through the air with the fury of Bahamut himself.
Fujin's eyes widened in shock as Jareth's strike connected, not with the shield, but with her. The wind blades that had once cut through buildings were now failing, their power waning against the might of Bahamut's flame.
Fujin staggered back, her divine form flickering as the wind around her dissipated. For the first time in their battle, she looked vulnerable, her confidence cracking.
"You think you've won?" Fujin sneered, but there was a tremor in her voice. "This is just the beginning."
With a sudden movement, her form began to unravel, the winds that had once made her a god beginning to falter. She dropped from the sky like a falling star, her divine aura dissipating as her transformation reversed. Her body hit the ground with a heavy thud, her breathing shallow, but she didn't immediately rise.
Jareth stood tall, watching her carefully. His fiery form glowed with victory, but he didn't lower his guard. Not yet.
From above, Fujin fell, her body hurtling toward the ground with a sharp, painful thud, and when she hit the earth, she collapsed near Jareth's sword. The ground trembled beneath her as the echoes of the battle faded into silence.
Jareth's gaze shifted to his sword, its blade still gleaming in the moonlight. He could sense Fujin's weakening state, but he wasn't sure if the battle was truly over. Not yet.
Fujin's eyes met his briefly, a flicker of defiance still in them. Her body, weakened and battered, was no longer the godly form that had once controlled the wind with effortless power. But there was still something in her—a determination that refused to fade.
Jareth's gaze hardened as he stepped towards her