The Hollow Pass seethed like a wound torn open.

Mist and smoke curled together, weaving through broken pines and churned earth as thousands of men bled into the mud. The cries of the dying and the clash of steel were a ceaseless tide, rolling through the narrow gorge. Yet in the heart of that chaos, the world contracted, shrinking until it seemed only two figures existed: Ryon and the scarred northern commander.

The commander was a towering figure, broad-shouldered and armored in plates darkened by war's soot. The scars carved across his face gleamed pale beneath the shadow of his helm—marks not of defeat but of survival, each one a tale of carnage endured. His eyes, sharp and hungry, locked on Ryon with something more than hatred. Recognition.

"You," the commander spat, voice gravel dragged across stone. "The Southern phantom. The warlock-child." He tilted his head, studying Ryon as if measuring prey. "I thought you'd be taller."

Ryon said nothing. His blade, steady as a drawn breath, lifted in silent defiance.

The system stirred.

"Witness. Two vessels meet where the hollow breathes deepest. One will break. One will feed. The cycle does not care which."

The commander's lip curled into a grin that stretched the pale scar across his cheek. Then he charged.

The earth shook under his boots. His blade, a northern longsword forged to shatter armor, came down in a brutal arc meant to split man and ground alike. Ryon surged forward to meet it, his own sword rising in a parry that cracked the air like thunder. Sparks burst between them, showering their faces.

The force rattled Ryon's bones, numbing his arms, but he held. He pushed back, sliding the strike aside and countering with a thrust aimed at the commander's throat.

Steel flashed. The commander twisted, deflecting the strike with his gauntlet before bringing his blade down again, harder, faster.

The duel ignited.

Each clash rang like a bell tolling doom. The commander's strikes came heavy, ruthless, each swing designed to break defenses by sheer weight. Ryon moved like water, shifting, turning, letting the blows roll off his blade before darting in with precise counters.

Around them, the armies faltered in rhythm. Men paused mid-strike to glance toward the duel. Southern soldiers, bloodied and weary, saw hope in Ryon's defiance. Northern warriors, fierce and loyal, roared encouragement as their commander pressed forward.

Neither side dared interrupt. Instinct told them: this fight was larger than the war itself.

Ryon exhaled sharply, sweat dripping into his eyes. The commander's grin widened, teeth bared like a beast.

"Good," he rasped, driving Ryon back with a storm of blows. "I want you to make me work for it."

"Step. Yield. Then strike the hip. Let him think you are bending."

The system's whisper slithered through Ryon's skull. He obeyed half, letting his guard slip, staggering back as though faltering. The commander lunged, sword sweeping low to gut him. In that instant, Ryon pivoted, blade darting forward to slash across the man's gauntlet.

Blood sprayed, bright against the steel. The commander looked at the wound, then laughed, a raw, savage sound that rose above the din of war.

"Yes," he hissed, scar pulling into something monstrous. "Finally, someone who cuts back."

He surged again, faster now. His blade blurred, arcs of deadly steel forcing Ryon to give ground. Each impact jarred his bones, forced him closer to the edge of collapse. Still, he held, sword dancing in ripostes that kissed the commander's armor, biting deeper each time.

One strike opened the shoulder plate. Blood gushed down the commander's arm.

The northern soldiers gasped. Southern voices rose in hope.

The commander's eyes flared with madness. He swung wide, smashing into Ryon's guard with such force it nearly ripped the sword from his hands. Pain seared Ryon's arm, but he clung on, turning the recoil into a spin. His blade slashed upward, catching the commander beneath the arm. Flesh tore.

The man roared.

But he did not fall. He drove his boot into Ryon's chest, sending him staggering back, ribs screaming. The commander staggered too, blood flowing from shoulder and side, yet his grin had not faded.

"You bleed me well," he growled. "Better than any southern dog. But you are not one of them. You fight wrong." His eyes narrowed. "What are you?"

Ryon's chest heaved, his voice rough but steady. "Maybe I'm not what you think."

The commander tilted his head, scar gleaming. "Then you're mine."

They lunged together, blades screaming in unison.

The fight slowed, almost ritualistic. Each strike was met with steel, each parry twisting into a new test of will. Sweat dripped into Ryon's wounds, mixing with mud and blood. Every movement cost him more, yet every exchange deepened his focus.

The system pulsed again, more insistent:

"He thrives on hurt. Break him where the scars do not smile. Break him inside."

Ryon's eyes sharpened.

He feinted high, forcing the commander's guard up, then slashed low across the knee. The blade bit deep. The man buckled, snarling, swinging blindly. Ryon ducked under, cutting another line across his ribs.

The commander staggered, blood soaking his armor. Yet his grin only widened. His teeth gleamed red.

"Yes," he croaked. "More. Give me more."

The battlefield roared around them—southern lines faltering at one end, northern ranks crumbling at the other. Men bled, screamed, and died, yet the duel carved its own world inside the chaos. The outcome here was a tide that would sweep both armies.

Ryon pressed harder, each strike now a hammer blow. The commander met him, their swords colliding again and again, sparks casting their faces in bursts of fire.

They fought like twin storms.

The system whispered, almost with glee: "Not yet. Not yet. This duel is not to end here. One must break—but not tonight."

And so it stretched on.

Neither man yielded. Neither man fell. Their blades wove a pattern of fury and defiance, each stroke carving deeper into the myth that the Hollow itself was watching.

And as the mists thickened, as the cries of armies dimmed to background thunder, Ryon and the scarred commander fought on, locked in a storm without end.