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THE MONSTER WITHIN
The world blurred as Ardyn lunged.
Billy barely had time to react before the twisted man was upon him, moving like a shadow given form. His once-human face was now marred with black veins pulsing under his skin, chaos energy swirling through his limbs in sickening patterns.
Billy’s chaos blade met Ardyn’s strike in a shower of sparks, the force sending him skidding back. A split second later, Ardyn twisted unnaturally, his grin widening as if he was enjoying this.
"Fast," Billy muttered, adjusting his stance.
Kaela and Aelric flanked him, weapons drawn. Behind them, Crimson Vanguard mercenaries rushed forward, forming a loose perimeter, uncertain whether they were witnessing a battle or a nightmare.
Soria’s voice crackled over the comms. "Billy, whatever’s happening to him—it’s not just chaos energy. Erebus left something inside him. You need to end this quickly."
Billy’s grip tightened. "Noted."
Ardyn tilted his head. "Come on, Knight. You always were the best fighter in the room. Show me how much you’ve grown."
And then he vanished.
A blur of motion—then a mercenary’s body twisted unnaturally as Ardyn tore through him, his movements inhumanly precise. Another scream. Another body dropped.
Billy moved.
Chaos energy surged through his blade as he intercepted Ardyn mid-strike, forcing him back in a violent clash of power. The force sent dust and blood spraying into the air, but Billy didn’t falter. He pushed forward, driving his knee into Ardyn’s ribs before slashing upward.
The blade connected.
Ardyn staggered, black ichor dripping from the wound. But instead of pain, his grin widened. "Now that was a proper hit."
The wound closed before Billy’s eyes.
His heart pounded. Regeneration.
Kaela cursed. "That’s not normal."
Aelric fired a concussive round from his gauntlet. Ardyn barely flinched as it exploded against his shoulder, his body absorbing the impact like it was nothing.
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Then, with terrifying speed, he was on Aelric.
Billy reacted on instinct, intercepting Ardyn’s blade just inches from Aelric’s throat. The force of the strike sent a shockwave rippling through the air.
Ardyn’s hollow eyes flicked toward Billy. "Still protecting your people. But who’s protecting you, Billy?"
Billy shoved him back, breathing hard. His mind raced. He needed a plan.
Then the chaos blade whispered.
Unleash me. Tear him apart. No mercy.
Billy’s fingers tightened around the hilt. The temptation was there—like fire licking at the edges of his thoughts.
He ignored it.
"Fall back!" he ordered. "We regroup and hit him with everything we’ve got."
Kaela hesitated but nodded. Aelric cursed but followed.
Ardyn’s laughter echoed through the night. "Run all you like. Erebus already won."
Billy gritted his teeth. Not yet, he didn’t.
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THE HUNTER’S TRAP
Minutes later, Billy and his team regrouped in a fortified position near the command tent. Soria was already waiting, fingers flying across the holographic interface.
"We need to restrain him," she said. "My scans show his body is rejecting the transformation. If we can overload his corrupted energy, we might be able to shut him down—at least temporarily."
Billy nodded. "How?"
Soria pointed to a set of experimental suppression devices—small metallic orbs pulsing with blue light. "Plant these on him. The more, the better. When they activate, they’ll create a feedback loop, disrupting his energy flow."
"Side effects?" Kaela asked.
"Best case? He’s knocked out. Worst case? His body tears itself apart."
Billy exhaled. It wasn’t much of a choice.
"Alright," he said. "Let’s end this."
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THE FALL OF ARDYN
The final battle was short—but brutal.
Ardyn fought like a force of nature, his strikes nearly overwhelming. But Billy’s team worked together, using every ounce of skill and strategy they had.
Blades clashed. Blood sprayed. The night echoed with the sound of war.
And then, at the perfect moment, Billy slammed the final suppression device onto Ardyn’s chest.
A pulse of blue energy erupted outward.
Ardyn’s body spasmed, his form flickering between human and something... monstrous. His scream was raw, filled with something beyond rage—something almost like relief.
Then, with one last convulsion, he collapsed.
Silence followed.
Billy stood over him, breathing hard. His fingers twitched over the hilt of his chaos blade. One more strike—one more cut, and Ardyn would be gone forever.
But something in Ardyn’s expression stopped him.
For the first time, the madness was gone. The empty, hollow eyes flickered with something real.
"Billy..." he rasped, barely audible. "Erebus... he's already... here."
Billy’s blood ran cold.
Then Ardyn’s body went still.
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SHADOWS WATCHING
As dawn broke over the war camp, Billy stood over Ardyn’s unconscious form, mind racing.
Erebus was here.
Not just watching from the shadows. Not just pulling strings.
He was already inside Billy’s world.
Kaela approached, voice tight. "What do we do with him?"
Billy stared at the broken man on the ground, then at the chaos blade still humming in his grip.
For the first time, he wasn’t sure of the answer.
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END OF CHAPTER 74
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