Frostbound Flame: Legacy of the Forbidden Clans

The jungle screamed.

Trees twisted into monstrous shapes, roots lashed like whips, and thorns shot from the canopy with deadly speed. At the center of the chaos stood Thorn-Kin Tyrael, his armor now pulsing with green-black energy, vines fusing into his flesh.

The third portal, still active, glowed behind him like a cursed eye.

"Let the jungle bury your light," he growled.

The Battle: Flamebearer vs. Forest Tyrant

Kaien stood with the Flamebond Spear in one hand, golden fire flickering like a living soul. Around him, his team split into formation:

Yuki stood back-to-back with him, frost aura sharp and cold.

Toru gritted his teeth, eyes locked on Tyrael. "He's wearing the skin of the jungle that killed my brothers."

Saejin vanished into shadows, aiming for Tyrael's blind spots.

Akari charged first, flames coiling into a phoenix. "Try burying me, tree-boy!"

She clashed with the first wave of thorn-beasts, exploding them mid-air.

Kaien lunged toward Tyrael.

"Dragon Fang Style – Flame Arc Reaver!"

But Tyrael countered with a whip of thorned wood that coiled around Kaien's spear and hurled him into a wall of vines.

Yuki was beside him instantly, freezing the roots before they could crush him.

"You alright?"

He nodded. "This guy isn't just a cultist… he's bonded with a portal seed."

Toru's Truth: The Jungle Trial

As they fought, Tyrael's voice echoed through the battlefield.

"Do you remember, hammer-wielder? You begged for mercy in this jungle. I granted it. You were spared for a reason."

Toru froze.

"What…?"

Suddenly, memories surged—hidden behind fog for years.

The slaughter. His comrades torn by vines. His screams. A hand reaching through the mist. Tyrael's hand.

"I let you live to carry the trauma. You were meant to spread fear of the Hollow Flame."

Toru dropped to his knees.

Baran rushed to his side. "Get up, brother! That's not who you are!"

But Toru's aura flickered.

The jungle had branded him.

Betrayal in the Ranks

As Kaien prepared to strike again, a sudden burst of wind knocked him back.

He turned—eyes widening.

Saejin stood with a dagger at Yuki's throat.

Her hands were frozen in mid-spell, eyes narrowed.

"…You?"

Saejin's face was unreadable.

"I was planted in your ranks. The Hollow Flame knew your group would reach the third portal. They want you to reach the seventh—so they can unleash the Void Dragon through you."

Kaien's flames surged. "Let her go."

Saejin hesitated.

Yuki spoke coldly. "Do it, Kaien. Don't hesitate. If he kills me, he loses his only chance."

Kaien locked eyes with Saejin.

"…You're not completely gone."

For a moment, Saejin's hand trembled.

Then, with a sharp exhale, he turned—and slashed through one of the jungle roots charging toward them.

"Don't mistake me for a hero," he muttered. "I changed my mind. That's all."

Yuki dropped her blade, slightly dazed. "…Traitor turned ally?"

Kaien cracked a grin. "I'll take it."

The Portal Sealed — For Now

Together, the group focused on Tyrael.

Toru rose again, roaring.

"Stormgarde Secret Style – Thunderfall Judgment!"

His hammer struck the earth—lightning surged upward into Tyrael's vines, stunning him long enough for Kaien to leap.

Flamebond Spear – Fourth Form: Root Severance!

A golden spiral tore through the corrupted seed in Tyrael's chest.

The general screamed—his mask cracking, face glowing from within. The jungle collapsed into stillness.

But instead of dying, Tyrael fell into the portal, which sealed shut behind him with a hiss of steam.

Aftermath – A Fractured Flame

The group stood among broken roots and scorched bark.

Lira healed the wounded. Akari gathered remains of the corrupted seed.

Kaien sat on a broken root, panting. The Flamebond Spear pulsed in his hand—but now, it whispered not only in flame, but in vines.

It had absorbed Verdanox's power.

"I'm changing," he whispered. "Too fast."

Yuki placed a hand on his.

"And yet… still you."

They didn't speak more—but in that silence, something warm passed between them.

A fragile, growing bond.

A Treasure Hidden in the Hollow

Before they left, Baran stumbled upon a strange tree, still glowing with faint green runes.

Kaien approached—and pressed his hand to it.

The bark opened, revealing a sealed scroll wrapped in dragon-hide.

Yuki unrolled it.

"It's… a cultivation method. 'Sevenfold Breath of Unity.'"

Lira read the old script aloud. "A method to merge opposing elements into harmony."

Kaien smiled.

"A way to stop the seventh portal… without burning everything down."