20

Yet, in a masterful stroke of timing and finesse, just as victory seemed assured for Zelari, a sudden rustling of chains heralded a miraculous turn of events. Larion's kusarigama, unfurling like a shadowy wraith, ensnared Zelari in its grip, rendering him immobile.

Bound by chains that coiled around his form, Zelari found himself at the mercy of the relentless wind, his wings and body restrained. "No! No! No! Why won't you yield and accept defeat?!" Zelari's cries reverberated through the tumult, drowned out by the howling winds.

The arena reverberated with the shrill whistle of the wind, the storm mirroring Zelari's impending fate as he was ensnared within his own magic.

Soon, he was lifted aloft, suspended in midair by the cyclone's relentless pull.

As Larion, battered and wounded, drew near, his form obscured by debris and injury, the chains holding Zelari taut, it became evident that the tide of battle had shifted.

Victory, it seemed, was a capricious mistress, favoring the resili