Descending with an awe-inspiring presence, The Pillar of the North surveyed the chaotic scene below. The battlefield bore scars of immense power—a massive sphere marked where the Pillar of the West met his end, and the aftermath of the cataclysmic explosion lingered in the air. Valicar, adorned with the transformed Red Noon, and Mike, intoxicated by dark empowerment, stood poised for the impending confrontation. Sophia endured flashbacks from her past, reliving her death at the hands of this man.
Gracefully landing, The Pillar of the North's imposing figure radiated divine energy. His golden eyes focused on Valicar. "You go by Valicar now... even though it seems you are not alone in there," he spoke, his voice carrying the weight of eons. "Your actions have unleashed forces that defy the natural order. Necromancy, the manipulation of souls—these are powers reserved for the divine, not to be wielded by mortals."
His gaze lingered on Valicar. "I thought I made it clear in our previous encounter. The threat you posed then and the one you pose now are but echoes of the same peril. The use of necromancy stains the very fabric of existence. You risk plunging the world into darkness, and for what? Power? Vengeance?"
Bellic, still reeling from his wounds, managed a wry smile at the unfolding drama. The Pillar of the North continued, "Humanity's penchant for self-destruction is evident. I stopped you once, Sophia when you dared to threaten the world. Now, it seems the lessons were lost on you, and I have sacrificed for not."
He turned his attention to Mike, still looking at Valicar but seemingly staring into their souls, his expression stern. "And you from that other world, known as Mike, fueled by demonic pacts and the thirst for vengeance, have become a harbinger of chaos. The path you tread is perilous, and the consequences of your actions ripple through the very foundations of reality as you empower beings beyond your comprehension."
The Pillar's golden wings spread wide as he continued, "I have long believed in the potential for redemption, but witnessing this perpetual descent into darkness, I question whether this world is worth saving. The world has become vile, with more than just non-human filth, a shadow of its former self from when I first arrived. While the Alliance you command now was once led by me, now these beasts stand against humanity's rightful place as the champions of this world. Merik and his children will ascend to fight in the creation war once again."
A solemn silence hung in the air as the Pillar contemplated the fate of the world. "I shall return to the heavens," he declared, his voice resonating with finality. "The creation war must begin anew. It is time to cleanse this world and start afresh."
With those words, The Pillar of the North approached Valicar. The entire battlefield had grown silent at his arrival, and now the Alliance was left to tremble—a daunting realization that the fate of the world teetered on the precipice of an impending divine war if he was not stopped.
"You self-righteous cu—" Mike's words were abruptly silenced. The Pillar of the North moved with blinding speed, his fist colliding with Valicar's gut. The force of the impact knocked the wind out of her, and an explosion of blood erupted from Valicar's lips.
"Insolence will not be tolerated, from one so weak," The Pillar of the North hissed, his voice dripping with menace. "Now, surrender the keys from within your bag of holding, or you shall witness a swift descent into pain and misery."
Undeterred by the ominous threat, Mike swung Red Noon at the Pillar. However, the Pillar of the North effortlessly caught the demonic blade with his bare hand, a sinister smirk playing on his lips. At this moment, he showcased the vast chasm of power between them, rendering Mike, despite his demonic pact and Anna Sha's empowerment, utterly helpless. All eyes from both armies were fixed on this staggering display of dominance, leaving Mike at the mercy of his own devices, and Sophia, still in shock, unable to intervene.
"Strength couldn't save your daughter," Mike sneered, his words slicing through the tension like a blade. The brutal retort was met with a visceral response as Valicar received a merciless smack, the impact sending teeth and a spray of blood erupting from her mouth. She crumpled to the floor, a lifeless heap of pain and humiliation. Only Sophia's magical reinforcement prevented this brutal assault from inflicting more than a shattered jaw, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood.
As the Pillar of the North advanced towards Valicar, a palpable tension gripped the battlefield. Mike, feeling the weight of the impending threat, internally implored, "Come on, Soph, I need you here." However, his calls were met with an unsettling silence.
Just as the Pillar was about to reach Valicar, a sudden glimmer of hope emerged. Altheack and Spellweaver, in a synchronized effort, leaped into action. Their combined attack, a fusion of Altheack's colossal limbs and Spellweaver's potent elemental spells created a fleeting moment of resistance. The Pillar's golden barrier, though formidable, faced an unexpected challenge as their assault briefly disrupted his advance.
Spellweaver, in desperation, unleashed his mightiest elemental spells, carefully avoiding harming Valicar, while Altheack extended her limbs to shield Valicar from any impending danger. The battlefield became a spectacle of magical clashes and colossal movements, offering a brief respite for the twins. However, the Pillar of the North, displaying an aura of disdain, swiftly swatted their attacks aside with contemptuous ease.
Even the mighty Archmage, with all his magical prowess, was treated as no more than an insignificant ant before the overwhelming power of the Pillar, the small moment of hope, born from Altheack and Spellweaver's intervention, dimmed as the Pillar continued his relentless advance, highlighting the seemingly insurmountable challenge faced by the Alliance against this formidable foe.
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Altheack, driven by a desperate instinct to protect her friend, attempted to drag Valicar away to safety. The Pillar of the North, witnessing this act of defiance, unleashed his wrath with a powerful swing of his sword. In an instant, half of Altheack's chimera body vanished, the sheer force of the blow causing her immense pain.
A guttural cry escaped Mike's lips, "Altheack!!!" Through Valicar's broken jaw, his desperate plea echoed on the chaotic battlefield. Internally, he screamed at Sophia, "WAKE THE FUCK UP, SOPH! HE IS GOING TO KILL HER!" The urgency in his mental voice reverberated through the silent corridors of their telepathic connection, resonating deeply with Sophia.
Altheack, despite the grievous blow, began to regenerate and transform back into her half-elf form. Sophia hesitated momentarily, witnessing the unfolding tragedy. The gravity of Mike's desperate plea struck a chord within her. With determination welling up, she caught a snap, calling out to Spellweaver telepathically, "Same as before!" "Javas!" she enchanted, teleporting herself and Altheack into the sky in desperation.
Following the plan they had used before, she left a magical nuke behind—a pulsating sphere of destructive energy with the ominous incantation, "Xurax." With a deliberate chant, she unleashed the detonation, triggering a cataclysmic explosion that tore through the battlefield. The nuke's energies surged into a colossal mushroom cloud, painting the sky in ominous hues of red and black. The shockwave reverberated, and an ear-splitting roar drowned out all other sounds.
The Pillar of the North stood resolute, his golden wings forming an impenetrable shield against the devastation. The mushroom cloud expanded, but the Pillar's shield barely flickered. In contrast, thousands of Alliance soldiers, unprotected by divine intervention, faced instant annihilation. The shockwave tore through their ranks, leaving behind a trail of devastation.
Simultaneously, Spellweaver summoned a black hole to contain the aftermath. The gravitational forces clashed with the mushroom cloud, creating a struggle between magical void and destructive energies. The remnants of the explosion collided with the black hole, unleashing chaotic winds that battered the battlefield.
The Pillar of the North remained steadfast. The golden shield stood unyielding, unaffected by the havoc. Undeterred by the nuclear fire, the Pillar marched through the remnants of the explosion, his form a silhouette against the fiery horizon. With his golden blade drawn, he cut through the very fabric of reality itself. The incandescent glow of his blade cleaved through the lingering magical energies, marking the Pillar's advance as a force that transcended mortal comprehension. The surviving Alliance members stood in awe as the Pillar, untouched by the devastation, became an embodiment of divine wrath, and the once-vibrant landscape transformed into a desolate wasteland. The echoes of the explosion lingered as a haunting reminder of Sophia's unparalleled magical might and the devastating toll it exacted.
"Fuck, how the hell did he survive that?" Mike exclaimed in awe, witnessing the seemingly invincible defense.
"We have no choice now," Sophia said solemnly. Although the Alliance had been spared the brunt of the attack due to their high-ground advantage, thousands of their own had also perished.
In a desperate bid, Sophia harnessed the souls of the million dead with the power of the shadow orb. Reaching into their bag, she pulled Easton's lifeless body into the chaos. With a solemn incantation and the collective energy of the fallen, "Vax Muraz Bas!" they brought Easton back to life. However, intertwined with him, something else was dragged through the veil, materializing amid the battlefield. The air crackled with an otherworldly presence as the revived Easton faced an uncertain destiny.
Easton now revived and imbued with newfound strength, uttered in confusion, "Where, what... father." He said as he looked down on the Pillar of the North. "Good to have you back, old man," Mike smirked, but something seemed to have followed Easton from beyond. An entity as dark as night appeared—a small blob of darkness that began to grow. "He followed me," Easton said as they fell through the sky before Valicar opened her wings, grabbing Easton as they flew toward the high ground of the Alliance. "Who?" Sophia questioned as they caught the unconscious Altheack with their other hand. "It is Rox, the demon who owns my soul and life." He said coldly as he watched the ebony horror fought its way through a tear in reality. Sophia, still reeling from her past, pressed on with newfound strength. "Not for long... I have an idea," Sophia admitted as she dropped Altheack and Easton off before flying back toward the demon at full speed.
She pulled another nuke from the bag of holding, throwing it at the forming demon that had ripped its way through the veil at the massive use of life and the power they had used to pull Easton back from death with the shadow orb. "Xurax!" she enchanted with the low-yield nuke, forming a shield around herself. "Dumhavs," she enchanted as the shield formed, and the explosion erupted, sending the demon plummeting to the ground toward the Pillar of the North. The demon formed quickly into a humanoid figure enraged at this atomic attack.
"You... dare to bring this beast into my realm," boomed the Pillar of the North. His golden wings spread wide as he confronted his mortal enemy—a creature of demonkind. In a breathtaking display of divine power, he launched himself towards the looming threat, determination etched across his face.
The Pillar of the North and Rox engaged in a relentless dance of blades. The templar's golden light surged with each swing, a radiant torrent that aimed to pierce the heart of the demonic entity. Shadows twisted and writhed around Rox's blade, a malevolent force seeking to extinguish the golden brilliance.
Their blades met in a clash that resonated through the battlefield—a collision of divine purity against demonic corruption. Each strike created a dazzling display, a golden bite against a cutting black flash.
Dodging each other's strikes became an intricate dance of the divine. The Pillar, with a swift sidestep, avoided a sweeping arc of darkness, while Rox, with supernatural agility, evaded a radiant thrust aimed at the core of its being.
"We have to flee!" Spellweaver called. "I don't have time or a magical circle so I will teleport the army to a different place on the continent, they may be separated but it's better than being wiped out!" he continued as he summoned his strength.
"We'll meet at the Vault!" Mike called as he flew to return to Easton and Altheack's side.
"I'll teleport the three of us, so we stay close," Sophia declared as the Pillar of the North began to make quick work of the formidable demon. This otherworldly distraction would only buy them time, but there was no hope even a demon could challenge him in this realm.
Sophia placed a hand on Easton and Altheack, chanting. "Javas," sending them north. The magical energies surged, enveloping the trio as they vanished from the cosmic battlefield. The echoes of the dead and the great cost resonated in the air, leaving behind a world teetering on the brink of an ancient conflict's resurgence.