The silver-blue flames from the Lady of the Crescent Moon danced wildly along Jack’s blade as he advanced, each step a declaration of war. The Overlord loomed ahead, its molten eyes fixed on him with a mix of fury and primal fear. Jack gritted his teeth, his machete humming with power. Each strike he landed sent shocks of energy rippling through the Arachnae’s thick exoskeleton, amplifying his attacks with an intensity that bordered on savage.
The battlefield was chaos. Around him, soldiers scrambled to hold the line, their makeshift stinger-spears proving effective but fragile against the relentless onslaught of Arachnae warriors. Jack didn’t have time to worry about them. He had a bigger problem to deal with - a towering, multi-limbed Overlord whose every movement seemed to command the swarm.
Jack lunged forward, his blade carving a path of destruction as the Overlord lashed out with a claw the size of a wrecking ball. He ducked under the sweeping arc, feeling the rush of displaced air as it narrowly missed him, and retaliated with a powerful upward slash. The machete bit deep into one of the Overlord’s legs, ichor spraying in thick jets as the limb buckled under the blow. The silver-blue flames licked greedily at the wound, sizzling and popping as they fed off the ichor.
"That’s right," Jack muttered, his voice low and feral. "Bleed for me."
The Overlord reeled, its defenses faltering. Its mandibles clacked furiously, spewing a hissing spray of venom that Jack barely avoided, rolling to the side just as the acidic fluid scorched the ground where he’d stood. He came up swinging, his blade slamming into another limb, cracking through the hardened armor with a force that sent a jolt up his arm.
The flames intensified with each strike, their glow reflecting in Jack’s eyes as he drove the Overlord back. Its once-imposing stance was crumbling, the weight of his relentless assault shattering its defenses. Cracks spread like spiderwebs across its exoskeleton, each one a testament to Jack’s sheer determination.
With a final, ferocious swing, Jack brought the blade down on the Overlord’s head. The strike cleaved through its chitinous armor, splitting it cleanly as the creature’s molten eyes dimmed. Its massive body crumpled to the ground, the impact shaking the battlefield. For a moment, everything was still.
A ragged cheer rose from the soldiers. The sight of the Overlord’s lifeless form seemed to rekindle their spirits, and they surged forward, driving the remaining Arachnae warriors back with renewed vigor. Flames and steel clashed against the scorpion-like creatures as the tide of battle shifted in the humans’ favor.
But Jack’s victory was short-lived.
A shrieking howl tore through the battlefield, freezing the soldiers in their tracks. The oppressive energy that followed was like a physical weight, pressing down on everyone present. Jack stumbled, his knees threatening to buckle under the sheer force of it, but the protective aura of the Crescent Moon shielded him, keeping him upright.
Emerging from the shadows was the Champion of Tiamat. Its massive, adamantine frame glistened with dark crimson markings, each one pulsing with ominous light. Eight glowing eyes locked onto Jack with a calculating malice, and its mandibles clicked in eerie calm.
“Well, aren’t you a sight,” Jack muttered, straightening as he gripped his machete tighter. "Guess you’re here to file a complaint about my handling of your boss?"
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The Champion lunged, its claw tearing through the air with terrifying speed. Jack sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the strike, and countered with a sweeping arc of his blade. The machete sparked against the Champion’s armor but failed to penetrate. He cursed under his breath, dancing back as the creature pressed its advantage.
“You will pay for your transgressions, huuuman,” the Champion hissed, its voice layered and alien, like a choir of voices speaking in discordant unison.
Jack arched an eyebrow. “Talking now, are we? Great. Let me guess - something about vengeance, eternal suffering, yadda yadda yadda?”
The Champion’s stinger flashed toward him, glowing with a sinister energy. Jack ducked, rolling away just in time. He rose to his feet, panting as he reassessed his strategy. His strikes weren’t landing the way they had against the Overlord, and the Champion’s movements were faster, more precise.
“Gotta hand it to you,” he said, circling the creature warily. “You’re tougher than you look. But tough doesn’t mean unbeatable.”
The memory of his Prismata deck flickered in his mind. If the Lady of the Crescent Moon had answered his call, maybe another card could turn the tide. He dodged another blow, flipping through his mental inventory, searching for the one card that could give him an edge.
“Where are you, you slippery little…” he muttered, deflecting a strike with his machete before darting out of reach. His heart leapt as he found what he was looking for - the Fractured Cloak. It had been his lifeline in the Otherworld, a tool that had saved his life more times than he could count.
Dodging the Champion’s next strike, Jack activated the card.
System Notification: Prismata Link Detected – Fractured Cloak of the Shifting Shadows. Infuse with energy? Yes / No
He didn’t hesitate, selecting "Yes." The experience he’d gained from the Overlord surged into the card, and a crackling energy enveloped him. Shadows coiled around his shoulders, materializing into a cloak that shimmered with an almost sentient life.
Jack grinned as the familiar weight of the cloak settled around him. “Missed you, old friend,” he murmured, feeling the surge of power it granted. The Champion paused, its head tilting as if assessing the change in Jack’s aura. But Jack didn’t give it time to adapt.
He darted forward, the cloak enhancing his speed and agility. Shadows rippled around him as he slipped through the Champion’s defenses, weaving past its claws and stinger with an almost supernatural grace. He reached into one of the cloak’s dimensional pockets, pulling out an adamantine garrote.
“Let’s see how you like this,” he muttered, leaping onto the Champion’s back. He looped the garrote around its thick neck, planting his feet against its armored plating for leverage. The Champion roared, thrashing wildly as Jack pulled the wire taut, the unbreakable metal biting into its exoskeleton.
The creature bucked and spun, slamming into trees and the ground in an effort to dislodge him. Jack held on, his grip like iron, his muscles screaming with effort. Each movement of the Champion sent shockwaves through his body, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to let go.
“Hold still, you overgrown bug!” he growled, tightening the garrote with every ounce of strength he had. The wire bit deeper, ichor spraying as cracks spread across the Champion’s neck.
The soldiers watched in stunned silence, their battle temporarily forgotten as they witnessed the desperate struggle. Jack’s cloak flared, absorbing the brunt of the Champion’s thrashing, allowing him to maintain his position.
“Come on… you… stubborn… bastard!” Jack roared, pouring everything he had into one final pull. The garrote sliced through, severing the Champion’s head. The creature’s massive body convulsed before collapsing, lifeless, to the ground.
Jack staggered back, his legs threatening to give out. The adrenaline still coursing through him made his heart hammer in his chest. He wiped a hand across his face, smearing ichor and sweat as he surveyed the battlefield. The soldiers erupted into cheers, their voices rising in a victorious chorus.
“Right,” Jack said, his voice hoarse but steady. “Let’s mop up the rest of these freaks, shall we?”
The soldiers rallied, their morale soaring as they surged forward to finish off the remaining Arachnae. Jack sheathed his machete, his hand lingering on the hilt as he felt the comforting weight of the cloak around his shoulders. It wasn’t just a piece of gear - it was a reminder of who he was, of everything he’d fought for and everything he’d lost.
For the first time in a long while, Jack felt like himself again.