“My Master. The fell army has been risen, and the army we massed has fallen. Shall I send the fell army upon the city whilst we deal with their leaders?” Vallum queried.

“Send the fell armies. I want that city torn apart as a lesson to those who stand before us.” Rancour responded.

“Tûrnakkun.” Vallum’s voice echoed, as an army of horrid half-wraith half-human hybrids descended toward Poclinton.

Looking out upon the field of the victors, Edward noticed a horrid sight, the fell army was descending upon the city.

“Bring me the men. We are about to come under siege again.” Edward ordered his lieutenant.

As his men began forming ranks before him, rumours had already begun swirling through their minds of beasts about to decimate the city.

“Men. Calm yourselves.” Edward ordered.

“How can you say that? There are countless beasts coming to kill us!” One of the men yelled.

“They may be many. This I can acknowledge, I know they are superhuman, they are running toward us far faster than any solider. However, they are not us. They are not men! These are soulless, heartless beings who have nothing to fight for! My men, think of your families, your women, your children, your parents. All of them rely upon us to protect them for the whims of evil! This is the purpose for which we have entered this world! Our lives are those which we must be willing to sacrifice every second, for those who rely upon our strength as men. What men can any of you claim to be if you will not face death with a smile knowing those who you love are safe? The next generation of men, women, scholars and soldiers, builders and farmers rely upon us, individual people deemed to be put into this world rely upon our sacrifice to be born! When I tell you that we will bear down this army, despite the overwhelming odds, we will bare it down with a smile, knowing we are the martyrs! We are the men who have stared death in the eyes with no fear! Who will join me?” Edward posed to the crowd.

“I will.” A voice called.

“As will I!” Another called

“Let’s send them to the gates of hell!” Another soldier called jubilantly.

The soldiers roared in the cries of battle, as the gates swung open, Edward raised his sword, the sunlight reflecting off it as the men cried in support.

“Charge!” Edward shouted, as the army follow him into the field, clashing with the fell army in the fields, the immediate sounds of battle sprung into the air, as Edwrd traversed the battlefield, two fell beast engaged him, despite their superior strength, their movements were sloppy, weaving under the blades, Edward stabbed one through the head, as black blood leaked from it, causing it to fall onto the ground, as Edward clashed with the other fell beast, gritting his teeth in determination as his face became angrier. Breaking the deadlock, Edward weaved out of the way of a sword swing, stabbing the beast through its midsection and armour, cleaving it in half swiftly.

“What do we do now?” Momo asked Marzen as they joined Hjalmarr.

“This is going to be incredibly hard. The only one who could fight those two at their full power was Raúl, but the Void Realm sealed him. Without him, we stand little chance against them.” Marzen replied, the anxiety and tension being visible in his face, as his muscles convulsed slightly.

“I’d rather die than grovel at their feet.” Momo declared, drawing his sword.

“Now that’s the Momo I remember!” Hjalmarr yelled, raising his axe.

The three charged down at Vallum and Rancour, with Hjalmarr slamming into Vallum and separating him from Rancour as Momo and Marzen closed the gap with Rancour, preparing for round two.

Rancour’s eyes gleamed in the moonlight, chaos reflecting upon his opponents once more. Momo clashed with Rancour, as Marzen’s blade came into the palm of Rancour’s hand, as he pointed his finger at him, blasting him away with thousands of slashes, rendering him unconscious.

Momo swept Rancour from the legs, slamming his sword into his midsection, blood drenching his blade as he retracted it, attempting to stab him again. Rancour weaved out of the way, cutting Momo’s arm off and grabbing his face, stabbing him as he smiled wickedly in his face.

Rancour coated his hand in Spectral Energy, slamming his fist into Momo and sending him flying away, as Marzen jumped at him, stabbing him through his neck with his knife. The two separated, sporadically breathing as their wounds began closing.

Hjalmarr grabbed Vallum by his face, slamming him into a small hill and dragging him through it whilst laughing maniacally. Hjalmarr dropped Vallum, shoulder bashing him into an electrified fist across his jaw and into his stomach. Vallum recovered, drawing the hand sign to his Dominion, to which Hjalmarr replied in kind.

“Spectral Dominion: Abyss of the Soulforge.”

“Spectral Dominion: Tempest Surge.”

As the Dominions clashed upon opening, the unrefined nature of Hjalmarr’s technique became apparent as his Dominion began being torn apart. Hjalmarr instantaneously began teleporting around his Dominion, punching Vallum from every direction, as the latter stood still, his aura defending him effortlessly.

Hjalmarr’s Dominion shattered as he was instantaneously slashed by the guaranteed hit of the shadows, their blades wearing him down as he was brought to one knee before Vallum, who closed his Dominion, standing before Hjalmarr.

“You have been a most enjoyable combatant, Hjalmarr. Despite how short lived this fight was, do you wish to know why I won, and why you are now kneeling before me?” Lord Vallum asked.

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“Enlighten me.” Hjalmarr replied.

Vallum raised an identical ring to Momo’s in the face of Hjalmarr, as he looked back in a state of intrigue, the ring’s immaculate beauty seemingly numbing his mind to a point of total obedience to it.

“It’s quite potent, the rings are a perfect extension of one’s power, by increasing one’s potential, growth and overall power, the rings could give a regular sorcerer the highest echelons of power overnight, that, alongside the ability to extend the user’s will to another by interacting with one’s raw past, present and future, the rings can entirely take one’s being and subjugate it. This ring is one of three, two minor rings and the major ring which my master shall soon wear once more. The other ring, as you know, is possessed by the vessel. His resistance to it, to the point of purifying it, is quite a setback, and one that was entirely unexpected, as the rings contain the essence of my master’s will. However, the girl will make a good replacement for him once we remove it from his dead corpse.” Vallum explained, an undertone of anger in his voice.

“Heh. Knew the kid was special, I didn’t expect you to be so invested in him.” Hjalmarr replied jokingly.

“That is what you chose to understand of that entire conversation?” Vallum asked.

“You brought the kid up and got angry when explaining his resistance to Rancour’s rings. He’s obviously got an immense willpower and that makes you enraged.” Hjalmarr laughed, small shockwaves spreading outward as he began to uncontrollably laugh.

“I don’t see what’s so funny.” Vallum inquired.

“Your pride is so immense that when someone comes with the ability to truly challenge you, you whine to his friends!” Hjalmarr bellowed, pointing at Vallum as he continued cackling to himself.

“I’ve had enough of this. My respect for you has gone dry, and my blade has been longing for the taste of your blood far too long.” Vallum stated, raising his sword to finish Hjalmarr.

Vallum saw a glimmer in the corner of his eye, as a man came crashing into him with a fist imbued with Spectral Energy. Vallum was thrown a few metres away, as the man helped Hjalmarr up, placing him away from Vallum and himself.

“Afternoon stranger, I hear you’re the right-hand man to big scary over there, right?” The man asked.

“I am.” Vallum responded emotionlessly, looking at the man in front of him in annoyance.

“Allow me to introduce myself then ‘Lord Vallum.’” He exclaimed mockingly.

“I am Richard, the Lion! Many confuse me for the former king, I however held the title before him, and I’ll hold it after him. Allow me to introduce you to true power!” Richard roared, launching after Vallum with his sword.

Richard’s sword pierced Vallum’s aura, impaling him upon it and draining his black blood from it as the large man headbutted him, disorienting him and shattering his mask. Richard picked Vallum up, slamming his back into his leg as he snapped his spine in half, launching him into space and he crashed into Mars.

As Vallum stood up, he saw a familiar sight to his right side. Amirah touched down onto the planet next to him.

“Any bright ideas, child?” Vallum asked as his mask closed, his wounds sealing themselves.

“Stand still and quit your whining.” Amirah scoffed.

Amirah grabbed Vallum’s essence, bringing out its truest form. Vallum felt his power increase an unquantifiable amount over. With this, Vallum’s truest form had been reached, The Lord of Destruction had been reborn. Richard landed on Mars, to see a sight of near perfection in Vallum, the truest and most pure embodiment of destruction stood before him. Richard was unphased, beginning to power up.

“You may destruction, but I am superior to you, I am The Lion! Pride embodied! You are but one in a long line of those I will triumph over!” Richard roared, as his power shone light to every corner of the universe.

“See to my master. This pest will die by my hands alone.” Vallum instructed, as Amirah coyly smiled back at him before rolling her eyes and flying away to Earth.

The pair ran towards one another, as Richard and Vallum slammed their fists into one another, they were launched to the Andromeda Galaxy in a second. The two crashed into a planet as they got up, staring at one another from a few metres away

“Time to end the great Lord Vallum once and for all!” Richard yelled.

“You will die here. I have no time for the games of some nobody.” Vallum replied briskly, pointing his sword at The Lion.

Charging toward one another, the two clashed swords, the loud metallic sound of evenly matched sword strikes filling the brisk air upon the rogue planet. Vallum fired a Void Beam into Richard’s left shoulder, as he reflected it back into Vallum as his eyes widened, being thrown away.

“Let’s kick it up a notch!” Richard roared as the planet and multiple star systems were engulfed by light for hundreds of light years across, a beautiful sight of destruction befalling them as many supernovae joined the light, as all the star systems were entirely destroyed wherever the light went. Vallum remained unscathed, but he was genuinely impressed by the power Richard held, a simple outburst of pride allowed him to nearly decimate his aura, for once, Vallum felt the same thrill he felt fighting his master, for once, he knew he could enjoy the fight.

“You’re right! Let’s kick it up a notch!” Vallum yelled in response, as his power engulfed the very edges of the Andromeda Galaxy, shaking it to its core, sowing destruction across the galaxy on unprecedented levels. The greatest battle since the rise of Rancour, had begun.