The oppressive air in the dungeon seemed to grow thicker, as though reality itself was being distorted by a force that defied the natural laws of the world. Kaelus, leading the heroes' party through the seemingly endless labyrinth, could feel the weight of the immense power radiating from deep within. It was suffocating, dark, and cold, like the breath of a long-forgotten deity whose very presence altered the fabric of existence.
Ahead, they could sense it. The source of the corruption—the warlord, Dagon.
As they reached the final chamber, the dungeon walls gave way to a vast, ominous expanse. The space was immense, impossibly large for any natural structure, with black, jagged pillars stretching toward a ceiling lost in a sea of darkness. In the centre of the chamber, an ancient throne carved from what seemed to be bone and stone hovered above a swirling void of nothingness.
Seated upon that throne, Dagon loomed—a towering figure, his form clad in dark, spiked armour that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. His eyes, glowing with a sickly crimson light, regarded the heroes with a cold, almost amused gaze. Behind him, an aura—no, a presence—enveloped the room, an oppressive force that caused the very air to vibrate and the ground to tremble. It was not just power; it was the manifestation of fear, despair, and death itself.
The moment the heroes stepped foot into the chamber, they felt it—the weight of his aura. It crashed down on them like a tidal wave, an overwhelming force that tore at their souls and minds, threatening to unravel their very existence. Each member of the party could feel the pressure inside their skulls, as if their souls were being slowly crushed, and an immense terror gripped their hearts.
Kaelus gripped his sword tighter, his knuckles turning white as he fought to maintain his composure. The others, too, struggled—selena's magic flickered erratically, while Elias’s usually stoic face twisted in a grimace of pain. Even Gabriel, with his divine aura, seemed to falter for a brief moment under the sheer weight of Dagon’s presence.
“It’s… it’s too much…” Selena muttered through clenched teeth, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she fought to resist the crushing fear that gnawed at her.
Kaelus took a deep breath, pushing the fear down, willing himself to stand tall. “We’ve come too far to fall here,” he said, his voice low but firm. “Remember why we’re here. We can do this.”
As they struggled to withstand the aura, a deep, rumbling chuckle echoed through the chamber. Dagon stood from his throne, his towering form casting a shadow over the heroes. His very presence seemed to bend the space around him, distorting the air as if the laws of the world were nothing more than suggestions to him.
“You dare approach me?” Dagon’s voice was deep and resonant, like the tolling of a great bell. It reverberated through the chamber, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble. “You, mere mortals, stand before a warlord of the void, thinking yourselves capable of stopping the inevitable?”
The heroes said nothing at first, their eyes locked on the towering figure before them. There was no denying Dagon’s power. His very presence was suffocating, and the skills he possessed were beyond anything they had encountered before. The warlord’s aura was like a storm of pure malice, a swirling vortex of power that could tear apart the minds and souls of the unworthy.
“Your fear is delicious,” Dagon continued, taking a slow step toward them. “I can smell it—your terror, your doubt. It’s been a long time since I’ve tasted such sweet despair. But I must admit, you are impressive. Most would have had their minds shattered by now.”
Kaelus raised his sword, the blade glowing faintly with divine energy. “We didn’t come here to listen to your taunts, Dagon. We came to end you.”
Dagon’s laugh echoed once again, louder this time. “End me? Oh, little hero, you do not understand. I am beyond your reach. Your pitiful powers are nothing in the face of the void.” He raised one gauntleted hand, and the air around him shimmered as countless void creatures materialised from the darkness, their twisted forms hovering in the air, ready to strike.
Selena's eyes widened in shock as the creatures appeared, their grotesque forms defying the very laws of nature. “These creatures… they’re not bound by the rules of our world…”
“Indeed,” Dagon said, his smile widening. “They are manifestations of the void—creatures beyond your comprehension, beyond the limitations of your world. Your magic, your weapons, they will do nothing against them.”
As if to prove his point, one of the creatures—a shadowy, formless thing with writhing tendrils—lunged at Kaelus, its body phasing in and out of existence as it moved. Kaelus swung his sword, the blade slicing through the creature—but the moment the blade touched it, the creature seemed to dissipate into a cloud of smoke, only to reform moments later, completely unscathed.
“Damn it…” Kaelus muttered, stepping back as the creature loomed over him once more. “These things… they’re not even real, are they?”
“No,” Gabriel said, his eyes narrowing as he observed the creatures. “They’re illusions—projections of the void, given form by Dagon’s power. But that doesn’t make them any less dangerous.”
Dagon’s smile widened, his eyes gleaming with malevolent glee. “Oh, they are quite real, I assure you. Real enough to kill.”
He raised his hand once more, and a surge of power rippled through the chamber. The void creatures, now numbering in the dozens, surged forward, their forms twisting and shifting as they closed in on the heroes. The battle had begun.
---
Kaelus moved swiftly, his sword flashing as he cut through the first wave of creatures. His movements were precise, fluid, each strike carrying with it the weight of his divine power. But no matter how many creatures he struck down, they always reformed, their bodies shifting and merging back together as if they were made of smoke.
“These things are endless!” Selena shouted, her voice strained as she unleashed a torrent of fire toward a group of void creatures. The flames engulfed them, burning with intense heat—but the creatures merely absorbed the fire, their forms flickering for a moment before they lashed out with tendrils of darkness, forcing Seraphina to retreat.
Elias gritted his teeth, his shield raised as he blocked a barrage of energy blasts from another group of creatures. “We can’t keep this up forever! We need a plan!”
“Then allow me,” Gabriel said, stepping forward. with a single, powerful beat, he rose into the air. His sword glowed with a brilliant light, and with a sweeping motion, he unleashed a wave of divine energy that cut through the void creatures, disintegrating them in an instant.
But even as Gabriel’s attack struck them down, more creatures emerged from the shadows, their forms growing larger, more grotesque with each passing moment.
Dagon watched the battle with a cruel smile, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “You cannot win,” he said, his voice a low, rumbling growl. “You fight against forces you cannot hope to understand. My power is limitless—my existence eternal. I will erase you, just as I have erased countless others before you.”
The heroes struggled to hold their ground, their attacks barely slowing the relentless tide of void creatures. Each time they struck one down, two more took its place, their forms growing more and more twisted as the battle raged on.
Kaelus, his breath coming in ragged gasps, glanced at his comrades. “We can’t keep this up. We need to find a way to break through.”
Selena, her face pale and strained from the constant use of her magic, nodded. “I’ve been trying to analyse the creatures—they seem to be tied directly to Dagon’s power. As long as he’s standing, they’ll keep coming.”
“Then we take him down,” Kaelus said, his grip tightening on his sword.
Elias raised his shield, deflecting another barrage of energy blasts. “Easier said than done. Look at him—he’s barely lifting a finger, and we’re already on the ropes.”
Gabriel landed beside them, his expression grim. “Dagon’s power is beyond anything I’ve ever encountered. His presence alone is warping reality around him. We need to be careful—if we’re not, he could erase us with a thought.”
Despite the dire situation, Kaelus felt a surge of determination. “We didn’t come this far to back down now. We take the fight to him—together.”
With a nod, the heroes regrouped, their eyes fixed on Dagon. The warlord stood in the centre of the chamber, his aura of fear and death radiating outwards, distorting the very air around him.
“Come, then,” Dagon said, his voice a low, mocking growl. “Show me the strength of your resolve. Show me the power that you believe will save your world.”
And with that, the final battle began.
---
The void creatures disintegrated once more, fading into the air like dust as Kaelus unleashed a final wave of light-infused energy. Their forms were twisted beyond reason, their very existence defying the laws of physics. Each time they struck, it felt as if they were breaking through the boundaries of time and space, flickering between states of matter and non-matter, becoming intangible and reforming like echoes of nightmares.
But this time, something was different. Kaelus had tapped into the essence of his new-found ability—*Life Nullification*. A complex technique he had only just begun to grasp, it didn’t merely negate physical forms but severed the link that bound their life force to the material plane. This was no mere destruction of matter—it was the obliteration of existence itself.
“*They won't come back this time*,” he muttered, breathing heavily as the creatures faded into nonexistence.
As the void creatures dissolved into nothingness, the oppressive atmosphere in the dungeon shifted, but only slightly. The dread that clung to the air didn’t disappear—it simply condensed, coiling tighter around the chamber like a living entity. Dagon stood in the centre of the room, watching the heroes, his crimson eyes gleaming with dark amusement.
The warlord hadn't moved during the fight, and yet his presence was a constant. His massive form radiated power, and the weight of his aura was suffocating. Despite the destruction of his summoned creatures, Dagon seemed unaffected—almost indifferent.
“You truly are a fascinating group,” Dagon said, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. “To think that mere mortals could grasp the concept of *Life Nullification*. But that is merely a fraction of what you will face.”
His lips curled into a cruel smile as he hefted his weapon—a massive Warhammer that pulsed with a malevolent energy. The weapon itself seemed to warp the space around it, bending light and sound, as if its very presence rejected reality. It was adorned with jagged edges and dark runes, the metal surface shimmering with an unnatural glow, reminiscent of the void creatures they had just fought. The hammer was an extension of Dagon’s own twisted existence, a weapon forged from the abyss itself.
Kaelus’s eyes narrowed as he adjusted his grip on his sword. He could feel the power radiating from the Warhammer, like a tangible force pressing against his skin. Whatever that weapon was, it was more than just a tool—it was an embodiment of Dagon’s will, his connection to the void. Its mere presence threatened to erase everything it touched.
Dagon took a step forward, his armoured boots echoing in the vast chamber. His voice was a slow, deliberate growl as he spoke. “You’ve done well to survive this far, but let me show you the true nature of despair.”
He swung the Warhammer with terrifying speed, the weapon cleaving through the air with a force that distorted the very fabric of reality. The heroes scattered just as the hammer crashed into the ground, sending a shockwave through the dungeon. The ground beneath them cracked and split, fragments of reality itself tearing apart under the force of the blow. Where the hammer struck, reality shimmered, folding in on itself before snapping back with a sickening distortion.
Selena let out a gasp as she felt the shockwave ripple through her body, her magic faltering for a moment as she struggled to stay on her feet. “What… what is that weapon? It’s distorting everything around it!”
“It’s not just a physical force,” Gabriel said, his voice strained as he deflected the residual energy with his sword. “That Warhammer is warping reality itself—it’s bypassing physical laws entirely.”
Kaelus clenched his jaw, his mind racing as he analysed the situation. Dagon was not merely attacking with brute force; he was manipulating the very threads of existence with every swing. The Warhammer tore through causality itself, creating rifts in the laws of the universe that bent time and space. It was not something they could block or counter with normal abilities.
“His power…” Elias muttered, his shield glowing as he absorbed another wave of dark energy. “It’s like he’s outside the rules of the world. Nothing we do seems to matter.”
“No,” Kaelus said, his voice steady despite the chaos around them. “We can still fight this.”
Dagon smiled, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. “Oh, can you? You stand before the Warlord of the Abyss, wielding pitiful powers that mean nothing in the grand scheme of existence. Your world, your gods, your very lives… all of it is meaningless in the face of the void.”
As he spoke, Dagon raised his hand, and the air around him began to shimmer once more. From the void, new creatures began to emerge—larger and more grotesque than the ones before. These beings were different, their forms more defined, more solid. They were no longer mere illusions or projections. They were fully realised manifestations of the abyss, creatures that existed outside of the world’s logic.
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Their bodies were twisted and elongated, their limbs ending in jagged, obsidian claws. Eyes—far too many eyes—glowed from their dark forms, each one radiating a different type of energy. They were not bound by physical laws. Some hovered in the air, while others walked on the walls or even upside down, defying gravity. Their very presence seemed to erode the space around them, and every step they took left behind cracks in reality itself.
“They’re not just void creatures,” selena said, her voice trembling as she conjured a protective barrier around the party. “They’re tearing apart the fabric of the world… This isn’t something we can't deal with using normal means.”
Kaelus nodded grimly. “Then we won’t use normal means.”
He raised his sword, the blade glowing with a brilliant light that cut through the oppressive darkness. The power he had unlocked—the ability to nullify life itself—began to surge through him once more. But this time, it wasn’t enough ---
Kaelus stood, his breath steady, eyes locked on Dagon’s towering form. The oppressive weight of the abyss warlord's presence crushed down on him, but he remained unmoved. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, a weapon that gleamed faintly with an ethereal light, forged from a power far older than the world they fought in. It was no ordinary sword, and now, its true name resonated in his mind, revealing itself in a moment of clarity: *Gramr*, the sword of fate and retribution, forged in the fires of divine judgment, wielded by those destined to cut through the threads of destiny itself.
Dagon's Warhammer, too, was no mere weapon. It radiated an ancient, malevolent energy, a force that had no place in the mortal realm. The Warhammer was called *Ancalagon*, named after the first beast of the void, a being whose existence predated the very gods themselves. The weapon embodied destruction at its purest form—capable of shattering not only physical forms but the very concept of existence, erasing the past, present, and future with a single swing.
The two warriors stood apart, their auras clashing in the space between them like titans of old. Around them, the air warped and twisted as their powers began to rise. Time and space folded in on itself as reality struggled to contain the sheer magnitude of their abilities.
Dagon’s eyes gleamed with dark amusement, his grin widening as he hefted *Ancalagon* with ease, despite its immense size. “You have a name for your sword now, little mortal. But it won’t save you.”
Kaelus said nothing. He knew words meant nothing in this moment. The void creatures around them had dissolved into nothingness, erased by the sheer presence of their duel. It was just him and Dagon now, the warlord’s malicious laughter echoing through the shattered remnants of reality.
With a sudden movement, Dagon swung *Ancalagon*, the hammer cutting through the air with a force that seemed to bend space itself. Kaelus barely had time to react, bringing up *Gramr* in a desperate attempt to block. The two weapons clashed, and the resulting shockwave ripped through the dungeon, tearing apart the ground beneath them and sending cracks through the walls.
Kaelus grit his teeth, feeling the raw power behind the strike. Dagon wasn’t holding back—not even in the slightest. *Ancalagon* pulsed with the energy of the void, and for a moment, Kaelus felt as if his very soul was being pulled into its abyssal depths. But *Gramr* held firm, its divine light pushing back against the darkness.
Dagon sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “Do you feel it, mortal? The void does not care for your gods or your world’s laws. All of existence bends to its will. You are nothing but a fleeting moment in time, destined to be erased.”
With another powerful swing, Dagon brought *Ancalagon* down once more, aiming directly for Kaelus. This time, Kaelus didn’t block. Instead, he sidestepped the attack, moving with a speed that defied human limitations. The hammer smashed into the ground, sending a shockwave of dark energy rippling through the space around them.
Kaelus seized the opening, lunging forward with *Gramr* aimed at Dagon’s chest. The blade, glowing with a blinding light, seemed to cut through the air itself, leaving a trail of shimmering energy in its wake. But Dagon was no simple opponent. With a flick of his wrist, he redirected *Ancalagon*, using the hammer’s absurd weight to deflect the blow with a deafening clang.
Kaelus staggered back, but he didn’t let up. He pressed forward, launching a barrage of strikes with *Gramr*, each one infused with the divine power of fate. Every swing was precise, calculated—aimed not at Dagon’s physical form, but at the very threads of his existence. *Gramr* was more than just a weapon; it was a tool of destiny, capable of severing the bonds that tied beings to the mortal plane.
Dagon, however, was far from helpless. Each strike Kaelus made was met with equal ferocity, the Warhammer *Ancalagon* moving with an unnatural speed that belied its massive size. Dagon’s laughter echoed through the chamber as he blocked each blow with ease, his dark energy surging around him like a living entity.
“Is that all you have, mortal?” Dagon taunted, his voice booming. “You think you can defy the void with a sword of light? Foolish.”
Kaelus ignored the taunts, focusing on his movements. He knew that brute force alone wouldn’t be enough to defeat Dagon. The warlord’s powers were too vast, too deeply rooted in the abyss. He needed a different approach.
As the two clashed, the air around them grew thicker with dark energy, distorting reality even further. Dagon’s presence was overwhelming, his aura suffocating. It wasn’t just fear—it was something far deeper. His very existence radiated a primal force that seemed to bypass all forms of resistance. Even Kaelus’s mind, trained and hardened, felt the weight of Dagon’s aura pressing down on him, threatening to break him from within.
Dagon’s aura of fear wasn’t merely psychological—it was metaphysical, a force that reached into the core of one’s being and shattered the soul itself. Kaelus could feel his thoughts fraying at the edges, reality slipping away as Dagon’s presence grew stronger.
“Your strength is admirable,” Dagon said, his voice a deep, rumbling growl. “But you are fighting against a force that transcends your comprehension. I am the abyss. I am the void. And you… are nothing.”
Kaelus staggered back, his mind racing. He could feel the pressure building, threatening to overwhelm him. But he wasn’t done yet.
With a surge of energy, Kaelus channelled his power into *Gramr*, the blade glowing with an intense light that cut through the darkness. He raised the sword high, and with a single swing, he unleashed a wave of divine energy that ripped through the air, slicing through the fabric of reality itself.
The energy hit Dagon full force, sending him crashing back into the far wall. For a moment, the warlord was still, his form obscured by the swirling darkness. But then, slowly, he rose, his eyes burning with fury.
“You dare… challenge the abyss?”
With a roar, Dagon unleashed his full power. Dark energy surged around him, warping reality itself as he raised *Ancalagon* high. The hammer crackled with abyssal energy, the very air around it distorting as if reality was being torn apart.
Kaelus could feel the immense power radiating from Dagon, but he stood firm. He gripped *Gramr* tightly, preparing for the next assault. This wasn’t just a battle of strength—it was a battle of wills. And Kaelus refused to back down.
Dagon charged, his Warhammer crashing down with the force of a collapsing star. But Kaelus was ready. With a swift motion, he raised *Gramr*, the blade glowing with divine light as it met *Ancalagon* head-on.
The impact was cataclysmic. The ground beneath them shattered, and the very air around them seemed to implode as the two forces collided. Time itself seemed to slow as the two warriors stood locked in place, their weapons grinding against each other, each one trying to overpower the other.
Kaelus could feel the immense pressure building, the weight of Dagon’s power pressing down on him. But he didn’t falter. He pushed back with everything he had, drawing on the full power of *Gramr*.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. And then, with a final surge of energy, Kaelus pushed forward, *Gramr* slicing through *Ancalagon* and driving deep into Dagon’s chest.
The warlord let out a roar of fury as he staggered back, dark energy spilling from the wound. But even as he bled, he smiled.
“Well done, mortal,” Dagon said, his voice weak but filled with malice. “But this is far from over. The void… will consume you.”
Kaelus, sword in hand, showed ?_0 signs of exhaustion. He had gone head-on with Dagon, a force beyond comprehension, and had survived. But the war wasn’t over yet. Not by far.
Suddenly, a fierce roar cut through the silence. Gabriel, having held himself back from the initial confrontation, charged into the fray. His eyes burned with righteous fury ,The sword in his hand, known as *Zerachiel*, shimmered with divine fire, its edge sharpened by the flames of the Seraphim themselves. It was said that *Zerachiel* was the very weapon used by the archangels to cast the fallen from Heaven, imbued with the power to sever even the darkest of souls from their essence.
Without a word, Gabriel swung his sword with a power that seemed to shake the very fabric of reality. The holy flame erupted from *Zerachiel*, casting a blinding light that burned away the darkness around Dagon. But the warlord only smiled, his form barely flinching as the divine energy struck him.
“Foolish,” Dagon’s voice echoed, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. “Do you truly believe that the light of Heaven holds sway over the void? *Ancalagon* has shattered countless worlds, endless weaves above weaves, when I was free to roam the hyperdimensional structures. You cannot fathom the scale of destruction it has wrought.”
He raised his Warhammer once more, the weapon humming with a resonance that seemed to warp the very dimensions around it. As Dagon swung *Ancalagon* toward Gabriel, the hammer’s weight carried with it the force of countless realms collapsed under its power, a void of shattered realities compressed into a single blow.
Gabriel gritted his teeth, raising *Zerachiel* in defence. The clash sent a shockwave of divine and void energy spiralling outwards, causing the ground beneath them to crack and shift. For a moment, Gabriel’s face contorted with strain as he held back the full force of Dagon’s assault.
“*Ancalagon* has broken the threads of fate, shattered destiny itself!” Dagon’s voice boomed, his strength unrelenting. “What hope do you have against the void? You are but fleeting moments in the chaos of eternity.”
But Gabriel wasn’t alone. Kain, the party’s cleric, quickly stepped forward, his hands glowing with divine light as he chanted a prayer under his breath. A radiant barrier of protection formed around Gabriel, bolstering his strength. At the same time, selena, the huntress, moved with swift precision, unleashing a flurry of arrows that shimmered with elemental energy—wind, fire, ice, and lightning, each imbued with the magic of nature itself.
The arrows struck true, each one exploding upon impact with Dagon’s dark armour, but they barely made a dent. Still, selena didn’t relent. Her eyes narrowed with determination as she continued her barrage, weaving between the shadows cast by Dagon’s overwhelming presence.
Elias, the mage, , voice rising in a complex incantation that caused the very air to ripple with raw arcane power. he called forth the primal elements, pulling from the fundamental forces of the universe—time, space, and matter. With a flick of her wrist, she tore a rift in the air, sending tendrils of pure energy cascading toward Dagon, each one imbued with the power to disassemble the very molecules of his being.
But Dagon, despite the relentless assault, remained unshaken. He chuckled, raising *Ancalagon* high. “Is this it? Is this the power of the so-called heroes? Pathetic.”
He slammed his hammer into the ground, and the resulting force sent a wave of void energy surging toward the party. Kaelus, quick to react, swung *Gramr* in a wide arc, releasing a wave of radiant energy that met the void head-on. The two forces collided, sending ripples through the battlefield as reality itself seemed to buckle under the pressure.
Dagon’s expression grew dark, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto Kaelus. “You… you wield *Gramr*, a blade forged in defiance of the threads of fate. But even that will not save you from the abyss.”
The warlord lunged forward, swinging *Ancalagon* with terrifying speed and force. Kaelus met the strike with *Gramr*, the two weapons clashing in a display of raw, unbridled power. Sparks of void and divine energy danced between them, lighting up the battlefield as the two warriors pushed against each other.
“Now!” Kaelus shouted to his comrades, his voice filled with urgency.
Taking his cue, the rest of the party sprang into action. With Gabriel leading the charge, they began to synchronise their movements, their attacks becoming more fluid, more coordinated. Each of them played their part, their abilities combining in a seamless display of teamwork.
Selena”s arrows became infused with Amara’s arcane magic, each shot exploding with elemental force. Gabriel’s divine flames were bolstered by kain's prayers, his strikes cutting deeper into Dagon’s void-infused form. Even as Dagon lashed out with his warhammer, the party moved as one, evading and countering with precision.
For a moment, it seemed as though they were holding their own. But Dagon, ever the monstrous force, simply grinned. “You cannot win. The void is eternal. Your resistance is futile.”
He raised *Ancalagon* once more, ready to deliver a killing blow. But before he could swing, Kaelus stepped forward, his eyes blazing with determination.
“Enough,” Kaelus growled, his voice low but filled with authority. “We end this now.”
With a sudden surge of power, Kaelus infused *Gramr* with the full extent of his magic. The sword, now glowing with an intense, blinding light, seemed to hum with the very essence of fate. He raised it high, and with a single, powerful strike, he aimed for Dagon’s heart.
At the same time, the rest of the party followed suit, their abilities converging in a final, synchronised assault. Selena arrows, elias's magic, kain's divine prayers, and Gabriel’s holy flames—all of it combined into a single, devastating blow.
For the briefest of moments, time seemed to stand still. The battlefield was bathed in a radiant light as the combined force of the party’s attacks struck Dagon head-on. The warlord’s eyes widened in shock as the power of their synchronised blow tore through his defences, piercing the very core of his being.
Dagon let out a roar of pain and fury as the light consumed him. His form began to unravel, the dark energy that had sustained him for so long dissipating into the void. *Ancalagon* fell from his grasp, the once-mighty warhammer clattering to the ground as Dagon’s body disintegrated into nothingness.
As the light faded, the party stood in silence, breathing heavily from the effort. The battlefield was still, the oppressive aura of Dagon’s presence now gone.
Kaelus sheathed *Gramr*, his expression grim. “It’s over.”
But kain, ever the cleric, stepped forward. He knelt before the spot where Dagon had fallen, his hands clasped in prayer. “May your soul find peace, even in the void,” he murmured, his voice soft.
The others watched in silence as kain finished his prayer, offering a moment of reverence for the fallen warlord. Though Dagon had been a monstrous force of destruction, there was still a sense of respect for the sheer power he had wielded.
As the party prepared to continue their journey, the weight of the battle still lingered in their minds. They had faced a foe of unimaginable strength and had come out victorious, but they knew this was only the beginning. The abyss was vast, and there were still many battles ahead.
Dagon drifted in the void, not in the present where he had been vanquished, but in the memories of a time long past—when he was still free, before the chains of allegiance to Yami Saito had bound him. The overwhelming strength of Kaelus and his party, the brilliance of their synchronised blow, had shattered his mortal form, but the core of his being remained untouched. His essence—the conception that had existed before the dawn of time—remained, swirling in the abyss of memory and thought.
His mind, now unshackled by the temporal confines of the present, floated back through the endless weaves of worlds he had once roamed. He was *Dagon*, a force of pure destruction, born from the primal chaos that predated even the gods themselves. His existence wasn’t tied to a single dimension, or even a single reality. No, he had transcended such trivialities long ago.
In those days, he was a wandering being of unimaginable power, a concept that held no form yet could manifest as anything, anytime, anywhere. He was a traveller between weaves—realities that ebbed and flowed like threads in an infinite cosmic tapestry. Each world he passed through was like a fleeting whisper, dissolving into oblivion the moment his presence touched it. For Dagon, the destruction was not borne out of malice. It was simply his nature. He was a force, not a being—pure annihilation personified.
But this power came with a price. Loneliness.
In each world, he was met with terror, with reverence, and with fear. Civilisations crumbled before him, armies broke, and kings bowed. No one, nothing, could match him. And that was the core of his existence: *the strongest*. In all his wandering across the weaves, Dagon had never found an equal. The loneliness that came from being the strongest festered in his soul, an abyss deeper than the void from which he was born.
He often stared into *Ancalagon*, his warhammer—his one true companion in the vast emptiness. *Ancalagon* was not just a weapon, but an extension of his will, forged from the raw chaos of pre-existence itself. It had shattered countless worlds, collapsed entire dimensions, and unmade realities with a single swing. The hammer resonated with the very essence of void, singing to him in ways words could never express. Through *Ancalagon*, he communicated with the chaos of the universe, but it wasn’t the same as companionship. *Ancalagon* was bound to him, not out of choice but because it was an intrinsic part of his own essence.
Still, Dagon had grown fond of the hammer, treating it as his only companion in his endless wandering. He spoke to it, not expecting a reply, but out of a desperate need to express his loneliness. He would often say, “Look, another world falls. Another weave breaks. We are the strongest, aren’t we, old friend?”
But the silence that followed was unbearable. *Ancalagon* never answered. It couldn’t. And so, Dagon continued his journey, drifting through worlds, breaking weaves, and searching for something—anything—that could challenge him, that could fill the void within his soul.
---
It was during one of these journeys, while Dagon was destroying yet another world, that he encountered *Yami Saito*, the Demon Lord. The moment Yami appeared before him, Dagon knew something was different. Yami wasn’t like the others. His aura was unlike anything Dagon had encountered before—a swirling vortex of darkness, not born of chaos like Dagon, but of control, manipulation, and an intricate understanding of the very threads of fate.
Yami did not fear Dagon. In fact, he smiled, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement as he observed the warlord. For the first time in his eternal existence, Dagon felt a twinge of uncertainty.
“You are a relic,” Yami had said, his voice dripping with condescension. “A being that predates the very concepts you destroy. But tell me, Dagon, what have you accomplished? Have you ever found anything worthy of your power?”
Dagon had stared at Yami, his mind swirling with confusion and anger. Who was this being to question him? He had broken countless realities, destroyed worlds beyond measure. What more could there be?
Yami had chuckled softly, reading the confusion in Dagon’s eyes. “You are strong, yes. But strength without purpose is nothing more than a curse. A lonely existence, isn’t it?”
Dagon had said nothing. For the first time in his life, he had no retort.
“Join me,” Yami had offered, his hand extended. “With your power and my knowledge, we can reshape worlds, not just destroy them. I can give you purpose, Dagon. I can give you something greater than this endless, meaningless destruction.”
Dagon had hesitated. In all his existence, no one had ever spoken to him like this. No one had ever offered him anything other than fear or reverence. He had longed for something more, though he didn’t know what that ‘more’ was. And so, for the first time in his existence, Dagon had accepted.
From that moment on, Dagon had become Yami’s most loyal underling. The Demon Lord had given him purpose, a cause greater than himself. He had become the sword of Yami Saito, wielding *Ancalagon* not just to destroy but to conquer, to reshape the weaves of reality to Yami’s will.
Though Dagon never understood the full scope of Yami’s ambitions, he didn’t care. For the first time, he wasn’t alone. He had found a master who did not cower before him, who treated him as more than just a mindless force of destruction. Yami had given him companionship, albeit in the form of loyalty and servitude.
And yet, despite the loyalty, the loneliness never truly left him. Even under Yami’s command, even as the strongest of the Demon Lord’s generals, Dagon remained isolated in his own existence. He was still the strongest, still a force beyond comprehension, but now he wielded that strength for someone else’s cause. The companionship he sought eluded him, always just out of reach.
In his quiet moments, when Yami’s orders were far from his mind, Dagon would still speak to *Ancalagon*, his ever-silent companion.
“We’ve come far, haven’t we?” Dagon would murmur, running his hand along the dark surface of the hammer. “But still, no one truly understands us. Not even Yami.”
The hammer would hum in response, but it was not a voice. It was simply the void resonating with his own despair.
---
As Dagon’s memories continued to unfurl, he recalled the nature of the worlds he had encountered. The weaves were not just layers of reality—they were interconnected, hyperdimensional structures that spanned across infinite planes of existence. Each world, each reality, was bound by its own set of rules and laws, but Dagon existed outside of these. He was a pure concept, an entity that transcended time, space, and even the fabric of reality itself.
The weaves were fragile things, delicate and easily broken when one wielded the kind of power that Dagon did. In his prime, he had roamed these weaves, unmaking the laws of existence with a mere thought. The threads of fate that bound worlds together were like cobwebs to him, easily swept aside as he moved through the cosmos.
But it was this very nature that left him so profoundly isolated. He was too powerful, too far removed from the structures that governed the universe. He didn’t belong in any of the worlds he destroyed, nor did he belong in the reality that Yami had created. He was an outsider, a being without a place to call home.
And yet, he had chosen loyalty to Yami Saito. It was not out of fear or obligation, but because Yami had given him something no one else had—*a reason to exist*. Even if that reason was to serve as Yami’s weapon, it was still a purpose, a tether in the endless void of his existence.
As the memories faded, Dagon’s thoughts drifted back to the present. His form had been destroyed, his essence scattered, but his soul remained. And as he floated in the void, he realised that, despite everything, he had still been alone. Even Yami’s purpose had not filled the emptiness within him.
He would return. Somehow, someway, he would find a way to exist once more. And perhaps, when that time came, he would finally find the companionship he had sought for so long.
Or, perhaps, he would simply return to the void.