“Hehe, guess I lost myself there a little…” Said Accadeas scratching his head and giving Rajal a toothy grin.

Rajal rolled his eyes at him.

“We have a fortress to conquer, stop wasting time! The gate is still closed, we need to hurry before more reinforcements arrive!”

Accadeas scratched his head with slight embarrassment, “Alright, alright! You know I can’t control my berserk state fully without my sister.. Anyway, let’s hurry.”

The two powerful warriors made their way towards the gatehouse as quickly as they could. When they arrived, they saw their warriors engaged in stiff resistance by an elite unit of Human soldiers led by a large and brawny heavily armored man.

Rikkard was breathing heavily while holding his spear and had many cuts and bruises throughout his body. While none of his injuries looked life threatening, the number of injuries sustained was definitely an issue. He didn’t look like he could carry on a fight any longer.

“Rikkard!” Accadeas called out while storming towards him.

“Accadeas, I’m sorry. This Human is very strong, I couldn’t defeat him.”

Rikkard was almost out of breath and it was difficult for him to speak. Accadeas patted him on his shoulder and said, “Relax, I’ll take it from here.”

Rajal noticed many of the Demihuman warriors had been injured but there were equally as many Human soldiers injured as well.

“Looks like we ran into an unexpected variable. Well, this is why we brought that big lug along. Accadeas, go wild. I will lead our warriors to open the gate!”

Rajal quickly moved after shouting out some orders to the surrounding warriors. He rushed towards the Human soldiers sweeping many of them away with his powerful abilities. While there were many Demihuman tribes who weren’t proficient in the use of magic, their special bloodline abilities were equally as powerful and contained the force of magic within them.

Or perhaps a better way to understand it would be that the elements of the void that existed within them gave them this power.

Rajal spun his spear and struck outwards like a whip, his spear moving so fast that it created after images. These after images soon appeared real forming into coiling serpent like dragons that immediately struck the Human soldiers flinging them back. He then charged into the soldiers with the Demihuman warriors in tow.

The Human knight in heavy armor could only watch on in frustration. Due to the heavy armor there was no way he could move quick enough to intercept Rajal who was moving at an extreme speed. Also, he could feel the aura of power contained within the immense Demihuman standing before him. The knight had never felt fear, but this Demihuman caused him to feel a healthy amount of concern.

“What is the name of my opponent?” The knight asked in a calm deep voice.

“Hah, is it necessary to give my name to one about to die?” retorted Accadeas.

The knight was silent and due to the helmet covering his entire head, there was no way to know what his expression was. His answer to Accadeas’s comment was to simply ready his large double bladed battleaxe.

“Now that’s more I like it.” chortled Accadeas.

The two began their clash ferociously with Accadeas charging straight at the knight while swinging his enormous halberd down. The Human knight was quite large for a Human, but compared to Accadeas he was still lacking and Accadeas’s halberd was created to fit his height and strength.

The two weapons clashed against each other and it was clear that the Human was outclassed by Accadeas’s strength but nonetheless he put up a good struggle.

“Not bad.. I haven’t met many Humans with your strength.” Said Accadeas while pushing his weapon down on the knight’s battleaxe.

It was clear he had the upper hand given he had the luxury of admiring the Human’s strength while forcefully pushing down with his halberd. The knight could only grunt in response while struggling against Accadeas’s overwhelming strength.

Accadeas gave a swift kick to the knight’s abdomen pushing the knight back several feet but he remained standing. Even through the armor he could feel the force behind the kick. He did not back down though and rushed towards Accadeas with a powerful blow.

The two exchanged several fierce blows before Accadeas sent the knight tumbling backwards. The knight struggled to rise to one knee while pushing against the ground with the haft of his battleaxe.

Accadeas could hear him breathing heavily from underneath his helmet, and his once shiny armor was now dirtied and dented from Accadeas’s powerful blows.

“Hmph, well.. Still not much of a match for me though, but I do have to admire your strength. For that I will let you die on your feet. Stand!”

The Human knight took a moment to catch his breath while on his knees. He looked around him and saw many of his men wounded, but there were still dozens who were able to fight remaining. The Demihuman warriors had broken through their encirclement with Rajal’s aid and while Accadeas had the knight distracted.

However, the other Demihumans had already made their way towards the inner gatehouse and only Accadeas remained outside the entrance. There were still a great number of Human soldiers remaining and while some had run off chasing after the Demihuman warriors, the others had slowly surrounded Accadeas hoping to use their numbers to overwhelm him.

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Of course, what they didn’t know was that this was exactly what Accadeas wanted. There was no fear in him as he glanced around while holding his halberd firmly in one hand. It was slightly leaning on his shoulder and he gripped his chin with his free hand, rubbing it slowly while he thought to himself silently.

He wasn’t worried in the least that so many had surrounded him and he could already see the victory which was soon to come. He had full confidence that Rajal would be able to open the large gate and once it was open, the Demihuman warriors approaching the fortress swiftly in the dark of night would surge through like a hurricane.

There would be fierce fighting to come, but he knew that it would ultimately end in their victory. His thoughts swirled like a whirlwind in his mind and the Humans surrounding him readied themselves, some awkwardly holding their weapons in fear of the giant warrior before them. They were confident in their numbers, but were fearful of his prowess which had allowed Accadeas to easily toy with their commander who they considered to be powerful.

In the mere seconds that it took for the Human soldiers to work up enough nerve to charge towards Accadeas, it was more than enough time for Accadeas to reflect on the many lamentable and unforgettable memories that had twisted and turned his life upside down. It was a lifetime of war and of sorrow, but in this moment where his thoughts flooded his mind his blood began to boil with excitement.

It was a feeling that he could only remember in the earliest of his memories, when he fought side by side with his father amidst the raging tide and furious roars of glorious battle. In those days, there was great hope and endless expectation for the future. The quagmire of his life that came tumbling afterwards had sent him and his sister into a spiraling abyss of hopelessness only be to met with failure.

But, it all led him to this very moment. A moment where his ambition, his unbridled passion, was finally within reach. He could finally taste that dream which he had once held so deeply within his heart.

Freedom from the oppression of species and race. Freedom from the neverending shadow eclipsing the hearts of his people. But most of all, an end to the mysterious and ever lurking presence manipulating their lives, never allowing them to live in peace.

That being known as the Void.

“No… this is only the beginning. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Accadeas mumbled to himself before taking his halberd firmly in his grip and roaring a deep resounding battle cry that finally began the momentous battle that might change his people’s fate.

In reality, those deep and convoluted thoughts had only lasted a moment and no more. They were fleeting and gone as quickly as they had come.

The dozens of Human soldiers surrounding him charged forward. His eyes once again turned bloody and cruel as they became filled with madness and rage. He swung his halberd like a tornado, the power and reach of its blade cutting through the soldiers with no resistance. It was no different as if he were slicing through air.

A mist of blood just beyond Accadeas’s reach spread all around him in a circle, almost bathing him in its warm haze. But not a single drop landed on him and his blade was spotless. Several soldiers had been cut down with ease just like that. This sent terror throughout those others who hadn’t been as quick to charge forward. They hesitated, but the knight who had already taken Accadeas’s blow and lived urged them on.

They charged together causing Accadeas to feel some pressure, but he moved nimbly which was a contrast belying his large frame. Accadeas had never been one to wear heavy armor, instead favoring much lighter tight fitting leather. He had never truly ever needed any more protection than that. From a relatively young age, he had always been physically superior to everyone else.

This allowed him to move with little restraint. His body was large but his strength and speed was formidable. He had fought against Fayde and only truly lost slightly, not being much below his strength. He too had power that had been bestowed upon him by the Void due to his bloodline and heritage.

As he swung his halberd, he moved almost as if in a dance. His weapon spun around his body, striking at unpredictable locations. The Humans tried their best to surround him, attacking from all angles but his weapon spun to meet their blades without hesitation. They could gain no obvious advantage against his steady defense.

Accadeas moved strangely, occasionally dragging his feet against the earth creating a strange pattern that the Humans could not recognize. As the pattern became clearer, a strange power began to emanate from within his body causing hair raising alarm among the Humans who were unfamiliar with the strange power coming from Accadeas’s body.

This was the power of his spiritual energy, something which was inherent in those Demihumans who lacked magic in the sense that Humankind understood it. In reality, the spiritual energy of the Demihumans who could not use more traditional magic was a type of magic in and of itself. It was an energy that built up within the body and allowed them to explode with great power, even causing strange spiritual phenomenon that could take shape and form.

This was the same energy which had allowed Rajal Khan to manifest dragons in his attack and the same power that allowed Accadeas to burst forth with magnificent strength.

The build up of energy within Accadeas’s body became visible to the naked eye, growing in strength and letting off a dark twisted glow. The pressure emitted from this caused the Humans to pale in fear. They struggled to lift their swords, unable to attack and unable to run. It felt as if the force of gravity around them had exploded in strength.

Only the Human knight could continue to move albeit with great effort, but it no longer mattered. Accadeas burst forth with undeniable strength and speed, first crushing those Human soldiers who had gotten close and then those who had yet to come within reach of his halberd. None escaped his wrath and even the Human knight was crushed helplessly beneath his mighty blade.

The energy soon ran its course. Accadeas breathed deeply, feeling a sudden bout of fatigue and his eyes returned to their normal color. Not a single Human remained alive, nothing but corpses surrounded him. He had unleashed his fury which showed no mercy.

It was a bloodbath, a messy affair with not a single one of the soldier’s bodies remaining whole.

Accadeas leaned on his halberd and regained his composure. His thoughts were no longer muddled and his full consciousness had returned from the bloodrage from only a moment before. The gate before his eyes began to open, rumbling as it slowly moved upwards.

The Human soldiers within the fortress had finally begun to organize themselves and were no longer in a state of confusion despite Nes’s repeated attacked from above. They couldn’t do anything about Nes, but they finally realized what was going on as the commanders regained control and began to organize the defenses.

However, it was too late.

The gate had now opened and Accadeas was met with a dark and foreboding maw leading into the open night air. In that moment, there was a strange quiet. The only sound was the sound of Accadeas breathing deeply to catch his breath.

Soon an endless stream of silhouettes became visible and a violent stream of warriors came pouring out of the night. They didn’t stop as they ran past Accadeas on each side and it wasn’t long before the sounds of battle and the clang of steel filled every inch of the fortress.

Accadeas lifted his halberd and placed it gently over his shoulder. He didn’t turn, instead looking out into the night as Demihumans continued to stream past him. He no longer noticed them, instead his eyes were fixed on that distant horizon.

“Father.. Mother.. I may be able to keep that promise after all.”