Chronicles of Multiverse

Aric's eyes widened briefly before his expression returned to its usual calm. 'What is she planning?' he wondered, his mind racing. The Fire Lord's voice cut through the tension. "What is the meaning of this, Azula?"

Azula smiled dangerously. "He wouldn't surrender to us, even if we offered him the position of duke. But if the bet is his idea, he'll have no choice but to honor it. I'm sure of it." Her gaze locked on Aric, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light.

'There's a trick here' Aric thought. 'Azula wouldn't risk her freedom unless she were sure she'd win. ' He met her gaze evenly. "Let's not do this. It would be a shame for you to become a servant to a traitor."

Azula's smirk deepened. "Aren't you underestimating me a little too much?"

Aric's eyes narrowed. "Last time I checked, you and the prince were handled by me. If not for your uncle, I would've finished the job." He leaned forward slightly, one eye half-lidded. "So what's the catch? You wouldn't make a bet like this unless you were sure of victory."

"You know me well." Azula's smile sharpened. "The duel will be fought using only blue fire."

'I knew it,' Aric thought. 'She assumes that because I can use multiple forms of fire, I haven't mastered any single one.'

"I accept," he said, his tone calm. "If the Fire Lord agrees, of course. I wouldn't want to clean up the mess when you lose."

Azula's eyes flashed. "You're quite arrogant. I can't wait to see the despair in your eyes when I burn you down."

The Fire Lord leaned back on his throne, his face resting in his hand. "Since both fighters agree, I will allow it."

They stared at each other, the tension between them like a drawn blade. A single leaf drifted down between them and instantly burst into flames as Azula fired a punch. A wave of blue fire roared toward Aric, hotter and more intense than any strike he'd taken from her before.

'She's stronger than a month ago. A monster at fire manipulation,' Aric thought. With a flick of his wrist, he redirected the fire, causing the front wave to collide with the back, both evaporating into shimmering embers. Azula's eyes narrowed as the embers faded. A flicker of irritation crossed her face, but it was gone just as quickly.

"Not bad," she said, her tone smooth. "But let's see if you can keep up." Without warning, she shot forward, her foot slamming into the ground as a thin stream of blue fire erupted from her palm. Aric's eyes sharpened. He sidestepped the attack with fluid ease, the heat of the flames singing the air where he had just stood.

'She's faster too.' He was keeping mental notes about her improvement to predict her strength in the future. 'Azula in the show never reached her full potential; she underestimated Zuko and Katara, causing her to lose, but if given another chance, she could win,' Aric thought.

Aric raised his hand, forming a thin blade of blue fire between his fingers. With a sharp flick, it sliced through the air toward Azula. She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the strike, but a strand of her hair sizzled and fell to the floor. Her eyes flashed dangerously. Azula shot out another wave of fire, a spiraling stream of concentrated blue flame aimed directly at his chest. Aric caught it with his bare hand, twisting his wrist as the fire coiled harmlessly around his arm before dissipating.

Azula's smirk widened. "So you're serious this time?"

Aric's expression darkened. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

In an instant, they both lunged forward. Blue flames clashed in a blinding storm of heat and light, the shockwave blasting out across the chamber. The Fire Lord's guards stumbled back as the polished floor beneath them began to glow red-hot. While their fire was burning around them, they both engaged in a martial arts fistfight. Aric twisted his head to the side to dodge a punch and contented with his own at her chest, which was easily avoided, he didn't let this stop him as he pushed forward with a kick Azula caught and threw him back before charging at him.

Aric ducked under a high kick from Azula, countering with a palm strike wreathed in fire. Azula blocked it, twisting his arm as her blue fire licked toward his face. He flicked his wrist, bending the flame away before sweeping her legs out from under her. Azula flipped midair, landing gracefully as her foot skidded across the burning floor. She crouched low, a gleam of madness in her eyes. "Not bad. But you're holding back."

'As I thought, my chances at winning in physical combat are close to zero. I was only able to last that long because of this body and training I had in the cage; otherwise, I would have been beaten blue.' Aric thought. 

"I'm not going to waste my energy just to entertain you," he said.

Azula's smile curled wider. "Oh? Then stop holding back." A wave of heat swept through the room as Azula's flames surged higher. The fire wrapped around her body like a serpent, twisting and flaring with an unnatural intensity. Her pupils narrowed to slits. Aric braced himself as Azula raised both hands above her head. A massive ball of blue fire formed between her palms, the light from it casting long, jagged shadows across the walls.

"Let's see how long you last!" Azula screamed as she hurled the fireball toward him.

Aric's eyes widened. He planted his feet, raising his arms as a bright blue circle of flame spiraled into existence in front of him. These flames were more than normal as the bright blue flames were reaching near invisibility due to being so high in the electromagnetic light spectrum. The fireball collided with the barrier in a deafening explosion. Heat surged through the room, forcing the guards to shield their faces.

Azula's eyes narrowed. "Impressive."