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Sparks of orange topped with flying limbs signify the ever-struggling journey that is still being left on.
Commander: "Keep At Your Station, Men! I'll cast us a Fire Dome!". With his deep voice muffled like all the others, the towering commandant gives his order with his hands up high while cutting away these foul beasts limb by limb using his elongated greatsword.
Infantry:"(unison) Wilco!". With his command, they keep on holding their station, until the moment comes for them to break out of their cage.
Commander: "Shield us from these beasts with your Fiery Blaze, Oh Mannar!". A gargantuan firewall circles the men in arms just as he chanted his spell.
*Fwoosh*
The beast strays from the fire, as they walk around it and glares at their supposed prey-to-be, even if they're herbivores or plants, to begin with.
Undeads who have their flesh melted, Treants with their floating projected spheres in the ready, giant Reptiles that have their front just dangling on about with no use.
*Click-clack-clack!*. They all interact with some invisible interface, with their weapons being sucked in and out of the void for another session of battle, loading in the next mag for their firearms and projectile-powered melee.
Medic: "This is the last time I can omit the Healing Field". The ones embedded with red cross motives on their suits inject some of the last straw of hope using some blue-colored stim-pack. "Mana's replenished, and I know this is a Suicide Mission, I just hope we all make it through this. Tannur, Aid us in these battling times, and Heal our weakened bodies with your grace on the battlefield!". Flickering lights surround all of them inside the wall of fire, and seep in through their armor, easing the pain they've endured for a while.
Amidst the tension, the leader breathes in a deep one.
Commander: "Men, the situation is as dire as that a hundred years ago". He stares at the deepest part of the plains they've ventured, and there is a living 'thing' that is the root of all this chaos.
"For the sake of our planet Altaris: Do Not Falter, Do Not Be Left Behind, and Do Not Succumb to the Enblightened's wailing like all these Enraptured ones". With him finishing his speech, the Magicasters have replenished their Mana with blue-colored stim-pack and are now preparing for the final run.
"I hope you all remember what's at stake with our Suicide Mission.
If One Breaks, Then All Is Waste!". With the fire fizzling out, they all plan to send the void back to where it's supposed to be.
*Fizzle*. As the fire dies, both sides start to ram at each other's throats like there's no tomorrow.
Commander: "CROWN'S AIDES, RUSH 'EM OUT!!!". And they all keep on holding until their last breath, not expecting rescue for rescue to come, ever.
Eventually, one by one they are skewered by the beasts, writhing in pain and begging for mercy killing is heard in the middle of the battle. Unfortunately for them, they enjoy torturing their prey for all they care and to top it off, are very aware of it even under the Enblightened's shackle. But all things must end, Good and Bad.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
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Through Perseverance, there will be power and hope to put a temporary end to this nightmare shall be put on the action, with the leader's team guarding his back, as he is now facing the Blight that is coming out of its shadows.
Enblightened:"~… So… you've come… ~". Its 'voice' is bewitchingly comforting as if the devil's whispered to both his ears. "… ~Figure it'll… come to this… ~". The figure spawns a pair of red and black short-swords and is taking a defensive stance.
The commandant is on the ready with his other pulverizing great sword custom-made for this occasion.
Commander: "Whoever you are, I'm sorry. But for the world's peace, this chaos you've caused must end once more". He takes upon an offensive stance, with the Voidmages waiting for its falling.
*Crackle*
And with the thunder striking down the trees near them, they two risk the chance of being downed first by rushing in.
Enblightened:"… ~Likewise… Commander … Shaarik… ~". He does not have the time to figure out why this knowledge of his name and thus, a battle of attrition between an immovable and an invincible, begins.
*CRACKLE!*
The ground shatters with the commandant's great sword, and the flying dust does nothing to the Enblightened with its ability to see everything in the vicinity at present. It feels no fear, no anger, no self-conservation. It feels nothing, even when its neck almost met the edge of the opposing blade.
Commander:"*panting* Slithery bastard, just who are you supposed to be!?"
Enblightened:~A former… Truth-seeker… running on borrowed, time… ~
Projectiles covered by a black mist that hits the commandant make sure that he gets to writhe in pain, yet he kept standing and rejects failure as an option. Despite how he looks, bigger does not equally mean slower, add on top of that the thrusters on his body and inscribed runes on his suit that enhances his mobility, in and out.
Enblightened:~…It fills me with joy… your willpower to drop me at… that other place… ~
But like any other living being, their limits are met.
Commander: "Then let's give it our all on this one, shall we?"
And the moment of truth comes when they are at their last stand, and is at an equal standing. All it takes for this moment is just one Move.
Enblightened: "All the way, 'till the end… Marlowe!… "
*CRACKLE!*
The Commander's Thundering Strike against the Enblightened Lightning Cut.
*Swish!*
… And so, the dark figure tumbles down on its knees.
The commandant gives his mark for the last finishing move.
Commander: "Voidmages! Go and Cast the Void-calling Spells!"
Just as he commanded, a group of four surrounds it while holding their staffs upwards.
Voidmages:"(unison) We plead upon ourselves for you to send this wretched being to its kind at the other side of your prison, Mareek. To the realm of the Void!"
*Whoom*. With that, a little black dot widens itself as the Voidmages wills until it sucks upon everything near the Enblightened, even the ground and themselves.
Commander: "VOIDMAGES! CLOSE OFF THE VOIDS GATE, NOW!!!"
They all enclose the vortex, before the Enblightened blurts out a word to them, no, for all of Altaris.
Enblightened:"~… I'm… sorry for all this.
Please, find a way… a way to end all this nightmare, once… and for all…~ ". Finally, it belongs to where he is now, the Void, where it'll be alongside its kind, doing whatever they're doing in there.
Time passes by, and once it was swallowed by the gulping void, the Enraptured all stops simultaneously like they're frozen in time. And it'll be days before they wake once more, and that's if they are what they are before being Enraptured.
Infantry:"… Is it over?". One said, but everyone's exhausted as is, and it is evident from the skies that were once clouded with terror, are now giving way for the light of the sun to shine upon the world yet again.
They grieved their fallen ones and buried them as best as they can, after all this fight.
*Beep*. The commander's intercom bracelet is opened to all channels across the world.
Commander:"*Cough*. To whoever may hear of this, I announce to you all… *Gasp* that the Enblightened… is no more"
The whole world fall in silence, as they realized that it is over… only temporarily, that is.
Infantry: "So, what now?"
Commander: "Now? Now… we all go our ways". Just as he said that one by one leaves the scene of annihilation, each faring a different path to wherever they may go.
Infantry: "Do you think we get to survive until next century, Commander?". Some uttered a question many had while on the way to some place of their own.
They all know that it is just a matter of time until the annex of the next century, the 1.500s, is met until it all starts over again.
Commander: "Depends… ". Uncovering the helmet, he lets the air freshen him up, with the sun silhouetting his body upon his units.
Infantry: "Will there be the time when this all is ended for good?". Once more, a member talked way at the back of the group walking down the barren lands that used to thrive.
Commander: "There'll be another one, and we can only wonder our minds when it does". He looks at the sun and reminisces of the days way back before this all emerged again.
Condescending thoughts start to enter the Commander's mind, as he ponders about the only one who knows of his former name.
Commander:`Marlowe… think it's time for me to go back and check things out with Mark`. And they all set sail, with their withered body in need of restoration.
Tiring…
Redundant…
Hopeless…
…That all may be, but thing is … All thing ends, both Good …and Bad…
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