The forest was plunged into chaos, the air thick with the acrid stench of burning wood and choking darkness. The moonlight was swallowed by the oppressive black veil that emanated from Hathrakka, whose grotesque, centipede-like body writhed and twisted as it skittered through the ruins of the forest. The blank human face on its head sneered, its expression an eerie mockery of humanity, while the Delleren family faces embedded across its body twisted and screamed in agony, their mouths gaping wide as they spilled distorted, guttural chants into the air.
Hathrakka’s voice boomed, a deep, guttural rasp that seemed to come from the void itself. "Do you feel it now, mortals? The weight of inevitability? The light you cling to will falter, just as it always has. You are nothing but echoes of a dying flame!" The demon’s massive body halted suddenly, its many legs digging into the charred earth as intricate hellish crests began to glow across its segmented carapace. The crests were twisted symbols, pulsing with an otherworldly crimson light that seemed to bleed into the air around them.
Four massive crests burned to life on Hathrakka’s body, each one radiating a malevolent energy that warped the surrounding space. The first crest, near the demon’s head, was a jagged spiral that spun unnaturally, creating a horrific vortex that pulled the air, sound, and even light itself into it. The second crest, etched into the demon’s midsection, resembled a cracked hourglass, spilling glowing black sand that hissed and corroded everything it touched. The third crest, near its tail, was a pulsating symbol of concentric circles that seemed to distort reality itself, warping the very fabric of the forest. And the fourth crest, glowing faintly across its entire body, manifested as chains of black light that lashed out randomly into the air, screaming as if alive.
Klem and Vektor stood at the edge of the destruction, their armor battered and their bodies dripping with sweat and blood. Klem, however, wore a massive grin, his amber eyes gleaming with excitement. "Now this... is what I’m talking about!" he roared, planting his eight-sided axe into the ground with a thunderous crash. He turned to Vektor, who was catching his breath, his eyes fixed on the nightmarish demon ahead. "Don’t tell me you’re scared of a fucking fancy light shows!"
Vektor wiped the blood from his lip, glaring up at the towering lion-man. "Scared? No. Just trying to figure out how you’re still smiling when it feels like the world’s about to collapse on top of us."
‘He’s a different breed..literally.’
"Easy!" Klem barked, reaching down and grabbing Vektor by the arm. "You don’t think about it! Now stop sulking, *we’ve got a demon to kill!*" With that, Klem heaved Vektor into the air like a sack of potatoes, holding him by the arm as he charged headlong toward Hathrakka.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Vektor shouted, his legs flailing as Klem carried him like a weapon. “Put me down! Bastard!”
"Improvising!" Klem bellowed, laughing as he spun Vektor like a battering ram.
Hathrakka’s twisted face contorted into a sneer, and the first crest near its head flared with power. The spiral crest spun faster, creating a massive vortex that pulled the forest into its grasp. Trees were uprooted, their splintered remains sucked into the void, while the very ground cracked and crumbled beneath its pull. Klem dug his claws into the earth, holding himself and Vektor steady as the winds howled around them.
"Hold on tight, Vektor!" Klem roared as he leapt into the vortex, his chains lashing out to anchor him to one of Hathrakka’s massive legs. The demon’s spiral crest screamed as it tried to pull them in, but Klem swung Vektor forward with reckless abandon.
"Do something useful!" Klem barked as he hurled Vektor at the demon’s face.
“Don’t forget I run the orphanage! I’m your leader!”
“Gross you sound like Sugred.”
Vektor, mid-air, gritted his teeth and unfurled his blanket of light, the radiant fabric glowing with a brilliant golden hue. He twisted his body, snapping the blanket taut as he wrapped it around Hathrakka’s blank human face. The light burned against the demon’s flesh, and the Delleren faces screamed in unison, their distorted cries echoing through the forest.
"You insolent worms!" Hathrakka roared, its second crest—the cracked hourglass—activating with a deafening clang. From the hourglass spilled a torrent of black sand, which surged forward like a living tide, consuming everything in its path. The sand hissed and sizzled as it devoured trees, rocks, and even the air itself, leaving only an empty void in its wake.
"Vektor!" Faera’s voice rang out from above, her silver hair glowing in the dimming light of her lantern. She raised the lantern high, chanting:
“Runes of Lancelot, runes of light, declare your servants soldiers of the knight..
"By the light of the eternal brightness,
Through strength, clarity, unity, and resolve,
I invoke the sigils of divine might.
Let the diamond’s edge carve the path,
Let the circle’s calm banish doubt,
Let the twins entwine in perfect harmony,
Let the star blaze beyond all pain.
Grant us the power to stand unbroken.
In the name of the radiant light, so it shall be."
From her lantern, bright white runes appeared in the air, their intricate designs glowing as they descended toward Klem and Vektor. The runes latched onto their bodies, embedding themselves into their armor and flesh like living tattoos.
ᛦ ᛍ ᛡ ᛯ
Rune of Valiance: A jagged diamond-shaped rune that glowed faintly on Klem’s chest, increasing his raw strength tenfold. His muscles bulged as his chains glowed brighter, their movements faster and more precise.
Rune of Clarity: A circular rune carved into Vektor’s temple, clearing his mind of fear and doubt as his movements became sharper, more deliberate.
Rune of Unity: A twin set of interlocking triangles etched across their shoulders, allowing their movements to synchronize perfectly as if they were of one mind.
Rune of Resolve: A blazing star-shaped rune that pulsed on their backs, only slightly dulling their pain and pushing their bodies beyond their limits.
Klem grinned as the runes flared to life. "Now we’re talking! We should get some ale after this, Faera.”
“You know we do not indulge in consuming alcohol.”
“Ohhh I forgot you were a super cleric.”
With a roar, he yanked on his chains, pulling himself up onto Hathrakka’s massive body. The chains lashed out, wrapping around the demon’s segmented legs as he began tearing into them with his axe, each swing brutal and unrelenting. Black ichor sprayed in every direction, burning against his skin, but Klem only laughed harder.
Vektor, now perched on the demon’s head, used his blanket of light like a constricting net, wrapping it around Hathrakka’s face and pulling it tight. The radiant fabric burned against the demon’s flesh, forcing it to thrash violently.
"You think your runes will save you?" Hathrakka snarled, activating its third crest—the concentric circles—which distorted reality around it. The forest twisted and warped, the ground rising and falling as gravity itself shifted. Klem was thrown off-balance, his chains snapping as he was hurled into the air.
"Catch me, you bastard!" he shouted, hurling his axe toward Vektor.
Vektor caught the chains of the axe mid-air, using them to anchor himself as he swung back toward Hathrakka. "You’re insane, you know that?" he muttered, landing beside Klem as they regrouped.
"Of course I am!" Klem barked, slamming his fist into Vektor’s shoulder. "Now let’s finish this.”
The two launched themselves at Hathrakka in perfect unison, their rune-empowered bodies moving like a single entity. Klem’s chains lashed out, wrapping around the demon’s limbs and holding it in place as Vektor’s blanket of light constricted tighter around its face, cutting off its screams.
"You’re nothing but insects!" Hathrakka roared, activating its final crest—the chains of black light—which lashed out wildly in all directions. The chains tore through the forest, ripping apart the ground and sky as they sought to destroy everything in their path.
"End this now…” Faera shouted, her voice strained as the light of her lantern dimmed further. The golden barrier around her flickered dangerously, on the verge of collapse.
Klem and Vektor exchanged a glance, nodding in silent agreement. With a roar, Klem hurled Vektor forward, his glowing chains propelling him like a missile. Vektor’s blanket of light unfurled one last time, wrapping around Hathrakka’s face and pulling it taut as he slammed into the demon with the force of a falling star. At the same time, Klem leapt onto Hathrakka’s back, driving his eight-sided axe into its exposed flesh with a deafening crack.
The combined force of their attacks tore through Hathrakka’s body, splitting it apart as black ichor exploded in every direction. The demon’s screams were drowned out by the sound of its body collapsing, its crests shattering into nothingness as it crumbled to the ground in a heap of gore and twisted flesh.
Klem stood amidst the carnage, his armor dripping with blood as he wiped his face with one massive hand. "Now that’s how you kill a demon, haha!" he bellowed, laughing as he turned to Vektor. "You’re welcome, by the way. I did all the work.”
Vektor groaned, pulling himself out of the wreckage. "Next time, warn me before you use me as a weapon. And I DID!”
"Where’s the fun in that?" Klem replied, grinning. “And I definearly did all of the work. Also, it’s a good thing Yuuna gave us the ability to understand the demons now.”
“When we asked her for it, she literally shoved her clawed hand through our chests and Illyana and Faera had to hurry and heal us. We were almost done for!”
“Haha! You act like it’s my fault!”
“Tch. I wasn’t even gonna ask her. But it’s good she’s around to help us anyway.”
‘We stopped a demon. We may have hope in being able to stop Sugred, and the demons that might come along with his goal of opening Hell. The hope that I needed, it’s slowly coming back to me.’
Klem asked, “Hey, where’s Faera?”
“Huh? Probably gonna go help the kid.”
“Does he even need help? I can tell that boy is strong. And he killed the Sun-Drake with Yuuna? He’s got potential as a Jotyin.”
“He came just in time. Though he’s still a brat. And the rest of the Tyrants, I can tolerate them. But Yuuna is a nightmare.”
“Ha! You’re scared of her!” Klem shoved Vektor and laughed.
“So?! Who knows what she’ll do?! She looks at me and glints her sharp teeth and claws at me with a smile!”
“I’m pretty sure she does it to everyone. Just to mess with them.”
….
The air grew heavier, suffocating and dense, as the swirling darkness around Xyenn seemed to pulse with life. The oppressive silence was broken by a low, guttural rumble that reverberated through the void, shaking the ground beneath him. Nacht’s form, previously merged with the shadows, began to shift and writhe, his massive presence condensing into something tangible. The shadows churned like a storm around him, coalescing into a single, towering figure.
Xyenn stood below, gripping his Dark Sun Blade, the flames of black, yellow, and dark pink swirling violently around its jagged edge. His one glowing pink eye narrowed, his shark-like teeth bared in a grimace as he adjusted his stance, his black-scaled tail swaying behind him like a coiled serpent. His left side was heavier now—his body had already begun to shift. A single black horn had erupted from the side of his head, curving upward like a jagged crown, and dark, gleaming dragon scales had spread across half his body, glinting in the faint light of his flames. His sharp, claw-like fingers flexed around the hilt of the blade, ready for what was to come.
Nacht’s transformation was unlike anything Xyenn had ever seen. The shadows peeled away from him like a cocoon, revealing a humanoid figure fused with a draconic monstrosity. His body was massive, towering over Xyenn like a living mountain. His skin was midnight black, shimmering faintly with a dark purple sheen, as if his entire form was crafted from living shadow. His chest was broad and armored with jagged scales that pulsed with veins of glowing amethyst light, and his arms were unnaturally long, ending in talons that crackled with purple static energy.
Two enormous dragon wings extended from his back, their membranes translucent and glowing faintly with streaks of dark purple lightning that arced through the veins. His legs were draconic, with powerful, clawed feet that dug into the ground, cracking the stone beneath him. His tail, long and whip-like, lashed behind him, its end tipped with a jagged, scythe-like blade.
But it was Nacht’s head that was the most horrifying. His face was elongated, a perfect fusion of a dragon’s snout and a humanoid visage. His mouth was filled with rows of jagged, shark-like teeth, each one glinting with a faint purple hue. His eyes were massive, glowing violet orbs, piercing and otherworldly, but they carried a strange sadness beneath their malice. At the center of his forehead, a third eye glowed faintly, pulsing with shadow magic.
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In his hands, Nacht wielded two jagged-edged staffs, each one made entirely of shadow, their surfaces constantly shifting and rippling like liquid darkness. At the top of each staff was a crackling purple orb, pulsating with raw, destructive energy, arcs of shadowy lightning shooting outward like tendrils. The orbs seemed to hum with power, casting faint, eerie light across the void.
When Nacht spoke, his voice was deeper now, layered with an unnatural echo that resonated in Xyenn’s bones. “Do you see me now, Xyenn? This is what I truly am. The dragon god of shadows, the weakest among my kind… but even I can end you.”
Xyenn smirked, his sharp teeth glinting in the pink light of his flame. “Weakest dragon god, huh? That explains a lot. But if you think you’re taking my body, you’re dumb. I’m not falling for your crap.”
Nacht tilted his massive head, his glowing eyes narrowing. “You’re confident, I’ll give you that. But you’re not merged with Yuuna. Without her, you’re vulnerable. You may have killed the sun god, but that doesn’t mean you’ll survive me.”
Xyenn responded with a mocking laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Bring it on. You’re not taking my body, Nacht. And you sure as hell aren’t touching Yuuna. I’ve already dealt with one bastard who wanted her.”
‘A moment I hate thinking about…fucking Haldrek.’
Nacht’s massive wings flared outward, the force of their movement sending a shockwave through the void. “Foolish boy,” he growled, lifting one of his staffs and slamming its base into the ground. The purple orb at its top flared with light, and the shadows around them seemed to ripple and deepen. “Do you understand what you’re fighting against? Do you even comprehend the Cycle of Rebirth?”
Xyenn didn’t answer, his focus unbroken as he prepared for Nacht’s inevitable strike.
‘Of course I do. This shit started off with me fighting a dragon god of Death because of it.’
Nacht continued, his voice tinged with bitterness. “Humans… you disgust me. You live such fleeting lives, but you cherish every moment. You create memories, fall in love, build relationships, and when you die, those memories remain with you in the afterlife.” He paused, his glowing eyes narrowing further. “But for us, the dragon gods, it’s different. We die, and we are reborn. Hollow. Empty. Every memory, every bond, every piece of who we were is erased. I didn’t believe it at first. I thought it was a lie. But the elder dragon gods—they confirmed it. They told me the truth.”
Xyenn’s grip on his blade tightened, his jaw clenched, but he remained silent. Nacht’s voice grew softer, almost mournful. “Do you know what it’s like to create a family, only to lose it? To build relationships, knowing they mean nothing in the end? That is why I created my assassins. They are my family now. A broken, twisted family, but a family nonetheless.”
Nacht’s massive form shifted, his wings curling slightly around him. “Each of my assassins comes from a shattered home, from lives filled with suffering. I trained them, gave them purpose, and in return, they gave me meaning. Together, we rid the world of those who take life for granted. We kill those who don’t deserve to live.”
Xyenn finally spoke, his voice low and steady. “I don’t pity any of you. But I understand your pain. But you gods have put a bad taste in my mouth the day I was born. I’m not letting you kill me, though.”
Nacht’s glowing eyes flared with anger, but as he opened his mouth to retort, his voice cracked. “Please… Xyenn, just give up. Kill yourself. Hand over your body. Let me end this. Let me take what I need to escape this nightmare.”
Xyenn’s pupils narrowed into slits, his teeth grinding together as rage boiled inside him. “Shut up.”
Nacht’s massive hands trembled as he clutched his staffs. “Please! Do it! End it for me… end it all!”
Xyenn’s grip on his blade tightened further, the swirling flames around it growing more intense. His voice was low, a growl rumbling in his throat. “I said… shut up.”
The memories of King Haldrek’s words surfaced in his mind, unbidden. “Embrace the monster within you, Xyenn. To succeed, to be feared, to survive—you must become what they fear most.”
The thought clawed at him, tempting him, pulling at the edges of his mind. He could feel the rage building, his blood boiling as his body began to tremble. His pupils became sharper, more animalistic, and his breathing grew heavier.
Nacht noticed the shift, and a sinister grin spread across his monstrous face. “Yes… yes, that’s it. Let it out, Xyenn. Embrace the monster. Show me what you’re truly capable of.”
‘Yes…fight recklessly. You won’t be able to think, and you’ll be really vulnerable.’
Xyenn’s flames roared higher, the typhoon of black, yellow, and dark pink fire swirling violently around him. “You want a monster?” he growled, his voice low and menacing. “Fine. I’ll show you one.”
The battlefield was a swirling storm of light and shadow, a nightmare of chaos and destruction. The moment Nacht’s massive, draconic form fully emerged, the void around them seemed to bow to his presence. His jagged-edged staffs crackled with dark purple energy, the orbs atop them glowing like amethyst stars that pulsed with destructive intent. His wings, vast and terrible, stretched wide, blotting out even Faera’s comforting light. The third eye on his forehead glowed faintly, a harbinger of the overwhelming power he wielded.
“Xyenn!”
Xyenn heard her, but didn’t look up to see her in the air, and Faera continued, “Don’t give in to it. He wants you to be like this. Clear your head..please.”
Xyenn stood there, and thought, ‘The same tranquil voice as Illyana. But it’s not Illyana. It’s soothing, honestly. I’m already giving into it.’
Nacht saw her, saying, “Damn..I thought the demon would’ve devoured you all already!”
Xyenn stood below, his body tense and ready, his mismatched eyes locked on Nacht’s towering figure. The light runes Faera had summoned swirled slowly around him, their faint glow offering subtle enhancements to his movements and senses. The single black horn on his head gleamed in the faint light, the dark scales covering his left side shimmering faintly with his every breath. His Dark Sun Blade burned with black, yellow, and dark pink flames, its jagged edge pulsing with the unstable energy of his power. Above him, Yuuna’s dark pink flame floated steadily, a reminder of the bond that anchored him in the storm. His clawed fingers tightened around his blade, his teeth clenched as he prepared for Nacht’s first move.
Nacht’s wings beat once, propelling him forward with terrifying speed. His right staff came crashing down toward Xyenn, the crackling orb at its tip aimed directly for his skull. Xyenn stepped to the side at the last possible second, the staff slamming into the ground with a deafening crash that sent cracks spidering through the stone. Without wasting a moment, Xyenn stepped into Nacht’s space, his blade arcing upward in a deadly slash aimed for Nacht’s chest.
‘As a dragon god of shadows, Nacht will be tricky to fight! I have to watch out for anything.’
Nacht twisted his massive body with inhuman agility, the blade grazing his armored scales but failing to pierce them. His tail whipped around from the side, the scythe-like blade at its tip slicing through the air with a deadly whistle. Xyenn ducked low, the tail passing inches above his head, and retaliated with a low swipe of his sword aimed to sever the tail. The blade connected, slicing deep into the shadowy flesh, and dark blood sprayed across the ground. Nacht snarled, pulling his tail back with a violent snap, but Xyenn was already moving, using the momentum to launch himself upward.
The Dark Sun Blade flared brightly as Xyenn swung it in a brutal overhead strike, aiming for Nacht’s neck. Nacht’s third eye glowed faintly, and in an instant, his body dissolved into a cloud of shadows, the blade passing harmlessly through the void. Xyenn landed hard, his boots skidding on the cracked ground as he spun around, his eyes scanning for Nacht’s reappearance.
From above, Nacht reformed, descending with both staffs spinning in wide arcs. Xyenn’s instincts screamed as he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the dual strikes that smashed into the ground with bone-shattering force. Nacht’s wings beat once, sending him into the air again, his massive form circling Xyenn like a predator stalking its prey.
Xyenn’s mind raced as he watched Nacht’s movements, the light runes swirling faster around him as Faera’s chanting grew louder. He could feel the subtle enhancements the runes provided—a slight increase in his speed, a faint sharpness to his reflexes—but Nacht’s agility and power were decent. Every movement of the shadow god was calculated, his attacks precise and relentless.
Nacht landed with a thunderous crash, his claws raking across the ground as he lunged at Xyenn. The young warrior raised his blade just in time, the claws slamming into the weapon with enough force to send him sliding backward. Sparks flew as the claws scraped against the flaming edge of the blade, and Xyenn growled low in his throat as he pushed back, his muscles straining against Nacht’s immense strength.
Nacht grinned, his third eye flaring again as he stepped back, one of his staffs spinning toward Xyenn in a wide slash. Xyenn leaned back fast, the staff missing him by mere inches, and retaliated with a quick thrust of his blade aimed for Nacht’s gut. The shadow god twisted his body, the blade barely slicing through the scales, and swung his other staff downward in a brutal overhead strike.
Xyenn sidestepped, the staff slamming into the ground beside him, and used the opening to slash at Nacht’s arm. The blade connected, cutting deep into the shadowy flesh, and Nacht roared in pain, his massive wings flaring as he leaped back. Xyenn didn’t waste a second, charging forward with his blade raised high, but Nacht was ready.
The orbs atop Nacht’s staff flared brightly, and dark purple energy erupted from them in jagged crescents. Xyenn skidded to a halt, raising his blade just in time to deflect the first arc, the impact sending a jolt up his left arm, which made Xyenn grunt in heavy amounts of pain. The second arc followed immediately, and Xyenn dodged to the side, the energy scorching the ground where he had been standing.
Nacht roared, the sound shaking the battlefield, and spread his wings wide. The sky above twisted, the faint light of Faera’s lantern dimming as the Sovereign Eclipse consumed the heavens. The battlefield was plunged into a deeper darkness, the only light coming from the swirling amethyst stars and shattered celestial bodies that hung ominously above.
Xyenn’s eyes narrowed as he adjusted his stance, his blade burning brighter in defiance of the darkness. Nacht’s massive form disappeared into the shadows, leaving Xyenn alone in the void.
‘He’s running?! No..he’s definitely brewing up for something else. I have to go after him. Darkness is his ultimate weapon against me. But the same goes for me as well.’
The ground beneath Xyenn’s feet trembled, and he leaped to the side just as a massive shard of a shattered constellation crashed down where he had been standing. The jagged fragment exploded on impact, sending chunks of shadowy stone flying in every direction. Xyenn rolled to his feet, his eyes scanning the void as more fragments rained down around him. The stones had exploded mid air, releasing large shadow skulls that screamed outwar with burning energy. Xyenn dodged them all, flipping and twisting over them.
As he moved, he could feel the subtle pull of Nacht’s power—the void zones left behind by the falling shards sapped his energy and slowed his movements, but Xyenn gritted his teeth and pressed on. His mind raced as he calculated his next move, his pink eye flicking toward the faint glow of Nacht’s third eye in the distance.
‘He’s trying to wear me down,’ Xyenn thought, his breathing heavy. ‘But if I can get close enough, I can end this.’
He darted forward, his blade spinning in a wide arc as he slashed through one of the void zones, the dark sun flames burning away the lingering shadow magic. Nacht reappeared suddenly, his massive form emerging from the shadows with both staffs spinning toward Xyenn in a deadly flurry of strikes.
Xyenn raised his blade, the flames clashing against the crackling energy of the staffs as he blocked the first strike and ducked under the second. Nacht’s tail whipped around from the side, the scythe-like blade at its tip aiming for Xyenn’s head. Xyenn dropped to the ground, the tail passing inches above him, and rolled to the side, slashing at Nacht’s leg as he moved.
“AGH!” Nacht exclaimed as his leg burned heavily.
The blade connected, slicing deep into the shadowy flesh, and Nacht roared in pain, his wings flaring as he jumped into the air. Xyenn followed, leaping after him with his blade raised high, but Nacht twisted mid-air, slamming one of his staffs into Xyenn’s side.
The impact sent Xyenn crashing to the ground, blood spraying from his mouth as he rolled to a stop. His breathing was ragged, his body trembling from the force of the blow, but he forced himself to his feet, his blade still burning brightly in his hands.
Nacht landed across from him, his glowing eyes narrowing as he watched Xyenn wipe the blood from his mouth. The two stood in silence for a moment, the battlefield around them a shattered wasteland of stone and shadow.
“I must say, you without your goddess…being able to fight toe to toe with me, is incredible. You could’ve been a great assassin for me if not under these circumstances.”
Xyenn’s heart thundered in his chest as he adjusted his grip on his blade, the light runes still swirling around him. The faint glow of Yuuna’s pink flame above his head gave him strength as he extended his other hand, summoning a dark pink and black flaming scythe. The weapon burned fiercely in his grasp, its jagged edge flickering with unstable energy.
He grinned, his sharp teeth glinting in the darkness as he locked eyes with Nacht. “Yuuna is always with me, bitch. Come at me.”
Nacht gritted his teeth in anger, seeing how much Xyenn was devoted to Yuuna. A relationship he yearned for. Sure he had assassins as worshippers, but something about this made him want more than just someone worshipping him for power.
“Give me your body, brat!” He roared loudly.
The battlefield was a fractured abyss of light and shadow, an ethereal void torn apart by the sheer destructive force of the ongoing battle. Xyenn and Nacht stood at its epicenter, two titanic forces colliding in a relentless contest of will, power, and survival. The pitch-black arena, held together only by Nacht's shadow magic, was splintering under the intensity of their clash, jagged cracks forming in the darkness itself. Faint beams of light cut through the fractures, illuminating patches of the void in a surreal, otherworldly glow.
Above, Faera was trapped in her own desperate struggle.
‘Just a little longer, I can endure. It’s been awhile since I really engaged in combat. I’m always at the orphanage, tending to the children to show them the light. Am I too devoted to Lancelot…?’
Encased in her shimmering barrier of light, she floated high above the battlefield, her lantern glowing with divine power. Below her, shadow assassins swarmed like a living tide, leaping and twisting with horrifying agility. They climbed over one another, each trying to reach her barrier, their weapons striking with rapid, precise movements. The sound of their attacks was a relentless, eerie cacophony of slashes, shadow magic, and the hum of light magic resisting their assault.
The assassins moved like a single entity, their swirling formation resembling a snake coiling upward. They hurled shadow spells at the barrier, the dark energy crackling and burning against the radiant light. Faera’s hands trembled as she clutched her lantern tightly, her voice steady but strained as she chanted a mantra to fortify the barrier. She dared not falter—if the shield fell, the assassins would overwhelm her in seconds.
Below her, the battle between Xyenn and Nacht raged on with ferocious intensity. Xyenn stood firm, his eye glowing with focus and determination. The runes of light surrounding him pulsed faintly, their energy flowing through his body, sharpening his reflexes and bolstering his stamina. But they were fading slowly. His Dark Sun Blade burned in his hand, the unstable flames of black, yellow, and dark pink licking at the air with raw, destructive power. Above him, Yuuna’s pink flame hovered steadily, an anchor in the storm of chaos.
And Xyenn was smiling. He understood Nacht’s abilities now. His patterns, even his strategy.
Nacht loomed before him, his massive form radiating an aura of godly shadow magic. His wings were outstretched, their translucent membranes glowing faintly with veins of dark purple light. His towering body was a fusion of shadow and amethyst energy, his colossal presence bending the battlefield around him. The orbs atop his jagged-edged staffs pulsed with divine power, their glow intensifying as he prepared his next attack.
“Give me your body!”
The air between them crackled with tension. Nacht’s third eye glowed faintly, its presence a constant reminder of his omniscient awareness. Xyenn knew better than to make the first move—Nacht’s power demanded patience, strategy, and precision.
“Fine. I’ll show you true terror.”
And yet, Nacht wasted no time. Raising his left staff high, he channeled the full weight of his godly shadow magic into the heavens. The swirling void above trembled, and with an ear-splitting roar, Nacht unleashed Sovereign Eclipse: The World’s Last Night.
The sky twisted into a nightmare of shattered star bodies, amethyst stars, and blackened constellations. The light of Faera’s lantern dimmed as the heavens themselves seemed to collapse.
Without warning, fragments of the shattered stars began to rain down upon the battlefield. Each piece was massive, jagged, and glowing with amethyst shadow energy, their descent accompanied by a high-pitched hum that grew louder with every second.
Xyenn’s instincts screamed at him to move, and he did so without hesitation. He darted to the side just as the first fragment crashed into the ground where he had been standing. The impact was catastrophic, a blinding explosion of amethyst light ripping through the void. The force of the blast sent chunks of the battlefield flying, and Xyenn barely had time to roll out of the way as another fragment came hurtling toward him.
But Xyenn still smiled.
This time, though so much was happening, Xyenn kept smiling to keep his head leveled. Though he was overwhelmed—
‘I won’t let my head overwhelm me either.’
The ground beneath his feet shifted and cracked, the void zones left by the fragments draining his stamina with every step. Xyenn gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he dodged and weaved through the onslaught.
‘He’s trying to force me into a corner,’ Xyenn thought, his pink eye flicking toward Nacht, who hovered above the chaos, his staffs glowing with power.
Raising his sword high, Xyenn channeled Oblivion Engine: Blade of the Devouring Sun. The blade flared brightly, its flames intensifying as it channeled the unstable energy of the Dark Sun. With a powerful swing, Xyenn unleashed a fiery rift that tore through the battlefield, cutting a path straight toward Nacht.
The rift burned everything in its path, the flames consuming the void zones and destabilizing the fragments of shattered stars. Nacht’s third eye flared in response, and with a wave of his staff, he redirected the energy of the rift upward, shattering it into harmless embers.
But Xyenn was already moving. Using the distraction, he closed the distance between them, his blade aimed for Nacht’s core. Nacht’s third eye caught the movement, and with a flick of his right staff, he summoned Shadow Fracture.
The air around Xyenn distorted, and suddenly, his movements felt sluggish and heavy. Nacht descended upon him with terrifying speed, his massive form moving like a phantom through the fractured time. Xyenn’s mind raced as he fought against the distortion, his body straining with every step.
‘He’s distorting the air around us to become heavy..! No, the shadows. Of course..he can manipulate shadows. We’re in an entire shadow domain right now, I have to break out of it!’
Xyenn slammed his blade into the ground, activating Singularity Vein: The Heart of Despair. Crimson-black veins spread outward in a pulsating web, converging into a singular point that collapsed into a swirling black hole. The distortion of time around Xyenn shattered as the singularity pulled at everything within its radius, including Nacht.
Nacht roared, his wings flaring wide as he resisted the pull of the black hole. His third eye glowed brighter, and with a burst of shadow magic, he dispelled the singularity, the battlefield quaking under the force of his power.
But Xyenn was ready. As the singularity collapsed, he summoned Bloodlit Elegy: Choir of the Forsaken. Five spectral warriors materialized around him, their ghostly forms flickering with dark sun energy. They moved in perfect synchronization with Xyenn, their delayed attacks creating an unpredictable rhythm that Nacht struggled to counter.
Xyenn surged forward, his blade slashing in tandem with the spectral warriors. Nacht raised his staffs, channeling divine shadowy energy to deflect the strikes, but the sound bursts from the warriors’ attacks made his defenses fragile. One spectral blade pierced Nacht’s shoulder, another slicing across his chest, and black blood sprayed across the battlefield.
Nacht’s roar shook the heavens. His third eye flared with unrestrained power as he unleashed Reality Collapse. The battlefield shattered into floating islands made of nothing but shadows, the fragments of the void drifting in a sea of shadowlight. Xyenn leaped from platform to platform, his blade blazing as he closed in on Nacht once more.
“Haha! Trying to drown me, you bastard?!”
“Give me your body! If you understand me, why not be a hero! If I can take Yuuna’s heart and redeem myself and the other dragon gods from this damned Cycle, then I’d be deemed a hero myself. I won’t be known as the weakest anymore.”
Xyenn replied, “I can’t let you take my body. But I know exactly where he’s coming from. Growing up as a person who was neglected by everyone, even the gods, I wanted to truly live, make connections with people and even find a wife or something. But that day that I almost offed myself, Yuuna was there with me. And that’s when everything had changed. I got friends now, and people who are with me all the time who fight and defend each other. Though the Tyrants have their own issues within themselves and each other, we’re still together at the end of the day. I realized after all of that, I’m not lonely anymore. I’m not a hero. At all. This world has no room for heroes or saintly men and women with hero dreams. Nor monsters. But reinforcements.”
‘I wanted to be a hero as a child. But after everything I’ve gone through, this world doesn’t need a goody goody hero. But someone who’s gonna clean it the hell up.’
As both combatants landed on the same platform, their clash became a flurry of close-range strikes. Xyenn’s blade met Nacht’s staffs, the ground beneath them crumbling with each impact. The light runes around Xyenn pulsed faster, their energy flowing through him as he matched Nacht’s godly power with raw determination.
In a sudden shift, Xyenn feigned an overhead slash. Nacht raised his staff to block, but Xyenn let go of the blade mid-swing, his free hand igniting with black and pink flames. He drove his fist into Nacht’s face with all his strength, the impact sending the shadow god hurtling through the collapsing void.
Nacht’s body tore through the darkness, crashing into the bright sky outside. He smashed through the golden trees of the Delleren estate, each collision brutal and devastating. Noble family members who tried to flee were caught in the chaos, their bodies crushed in gory explosions as Nacht’s massive form plowed through them.
Finally, Nacht crashed into the ground, leaving a massive crater in his wake. Blood oozed from his wounds as he lay motionless among the carnage.
Above him, Xyenn descended like a falling star, his Dark Sun Blade burning brightly in his grasp.
Still smiling.