Samael's hands dug deep in the earth, his eyes narrowed down as a blinding light devoured the southern forest.

Wrathful winds swept the land, the dust bellowed, and the trees swayed. The radiant light devouring the towering trees ascended to the heavens, laid bare for everyone to see.

The villagers watched in awe as the towering light casted shadows and lit the dimming sky.

Some kneeled in reverence, singing praises as they prayed, thinking as though this light was a miracle brought forth by the God of Light himself.

They couldn't be more wrong.

Samael and Ajax stood steadfast against the harrowing winds. Whatever Ella did sent a shockwave that nearly swept them off their feet.

As the glaring light flickered, leaving nothing but a spark as it faded, a bone-chilling atmosphere seized the southern forest in its grasp.

Samael felt a shiver run down his spine, his blood freezing cold as he shifted his gaze ahead.

Ella's frail figure stood in front of a collosal rift. A tear in reality that serves as a gateway for beings of ancient horror to pass through.

The rift stood nearly 10 feet tall, dwarfing Samael and Ajax as it peeked through the towering trees. The tear was stained crimson, its malevolent glow resonating through the forest.

It embedded itself in the bark of the tree, consuming it as it grew larger by the second.

[https://i.ibb.co/vYKszDS/collosal-portal-rift-red-ominous-eerie-surrounded-by-trees-distortion-in-space-hd-tear-in-re.png]

The putrid stench of death and rot wafted through the air, invading Samael's senses. The lush green forest warped by a crimson miasma weaving in the air.

Icy beads of sweat meandered down his forehead. His heart galloped like a stallion.

Just what has Ella done...?

"What have you done...?" Samael asked, dread and despair emanating in his tone.

Ella shifted her gaze to Samael. Her once golden eyes now dull and dark. Her milky white skin pale as the winter snow.

A smile plastered itself on her face, and blood trickled down her orifices. Her skin tightly clinging to her bones.

"He promised to grant me salvation and to help me reunite with my mother once more," she said.

"Who wouldn't wish for that?" She asked.

Samael's visage paled. "He...?" he asked.

Ella mustered the sweetest smile she could. "Antrax," she muttered.

Samael's senses bellowed, a single word blaring deep in his mind.

RUN!

From the rift, a silhouette took shape, forming in the dense miasma.

Samael's hair stood on ends, and his breathing hitched.

An abomination—no, that creature revealed itself. It stood nearly 2 metres tall, resembling the form of a man with skin pale as a corpse. It had four skeleton-like arms protruding from its elongated, twisted torso, along with its glaring red eyes. A wide grin etched deep in its face.

It almost appeared as though he wore a crown above his head.

[https://i.ibb.co/F6Y2CL1/dark-lit-dim-humanoid-monster-four-arms-black-skin-hideous-ominous-highly-detailed-blood-sta.png]

As he stepped out of the rift, the putrid stench of rotting carcasses permeated the air.

Ella fixed her gaze on the abomination she called...

"Antrax..."

"I have fulfilled my side of the bargain," Ella said.

"I have fetched and fed you the souls of thousands of creatures!" She took a step forward, inching closer towards Antrax.

"And I have set you free." She halted her steps, meeting gaze to gaze with the abomination.

Antrax's grin widened, his face contorting in joy. One of his crooked arms reached out to Ella, gently caressing her cheeks.

"Do not worry, little lamb; I, Antrax, always uphold my bargains," Antrax said, his tone deep and reverberating. Enough to send fear into the hearts of many.

Samael's grip tightened, his jaw clenched tight— His gaze caught movement, and his eyes widened.

Samael roared. "ELLA, NO—"

"I shall now grant you peace." Antrax's voice left trails of echoes.

Ella's sprung wide, blood trailing down her mouth. She shifted her gaze up, her once-golden eyes quivering.

Antrax's arms impaled deep in her torso, her heart nestling on the abomination's palms. Pulsating as blood flowed like a river.

"Why...? What did I do to deserve this...? I just wanted to see my mom..." Ella's voice faded in an echo.

Antrax's chuckles resonated through the forest. "My side of the bargain is complete," he said.

Antrax's hand clamped tight, morphing Ella's heart into nothing but a bloody mush. With one fell swoop, Antrax whipped his arm back, tearing the poor girl's body in half. Her blood marred the abomination's grey skin.

"Ahh, blood in the flesh feels better after all," Antrax muttered.

Samael gritted his teeth as he slowly lowered his stance. His axe slung on his shoulders, thighs ready to spring into action. He felt sympathy for Ella, but what she did will never be justified, and for that she must pay. However, not this way.

"Samael, stand down," Ajax said.

Samael shot a glance back. Ajax slowly ascended from the shadows, his figure taking form in the unyielding darkness.

"But—" Samael wanted to retort when Ajax shot a silent glare at him.

"I understand," Samael yielded.

Ajax gave a brief nod. "Go back to the village; this rift isn't ordinary. It's a hive, and hives don't come alone," Ajax commanded.

Samael jerked his head towards Irvel village. Does that mean the village is under attack?!

Cloaking his soles in void matter, Samael's figure zoomed forward, sending patches of dirt back.

"Where are you going, little lamb?" Antrax's voice echoed.

In the corner of Samael's eyes, a silhouette darted towards him. Claws ready to mutilate his body.

Antrax's claws descended with reckoning speed— A steel shield intercepted its path, redirecting Antrax's attack to the side with a shattering boom.

Cold sweat drenched Samael's back. His body trembling. He couldn't even react to Antrax's attack. If it weren't for Ajax, he would be long gone—

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

BITE!

The familiar taste of iron filled his mouth as his lips stained crimson. Bringing with it a hint of clarity.

Not now; I must help the villagers first, Samael thought. He might be weak, but that doesn't mean he will stand by idly as innocent people are stripped of their lives.

Raising to his feet, Samael darted once more, his figure vanishing through the dense miasma.

***

Antrax chuckled as he watched his prey leave. "What a shame," he uttered.

Ajax stood steadfast, his gaze fixated on Antrax's every movement.

He has never fought a monster of this magnitude or encountered one. Just what has Verun's daughter unleashed?

Is it saint rank? Ajax asked himself.

Antrax shifted his gaze forward, his eyes carving a hole through Ajax.

"Oh, you're strong, far stronger than the man dear Ella sent me once," Antrax said.

Is it the watcher who took this quest before us? Ajax wondered.

"And quiet, too," Antrax added.

Ajax tightened his grip. His shield was severely damaged by Antrax's attack. To think that a mere slash from him was enough to nearly shred his defensive tool is already baffling.

Slowly, Ajax's body melded with the shadows, leaving behind a trail of dark smoke.

Antrax tilted his head. "Oh, what a peculiar skill," he said.

The trail of dark smoke dispersed, blending with the darkness encompassing the southern forest.

"Concealment?" Antrax asked.

From the shadows, dark tendrils jutted out, billowing towards Antrax.

Antrax pointed his crooked finger forward, its flesh tearing away and forming a wall composed of bones.

A thundering boom resonated through the forest, followed by a harrowing shockwave sweeping through the towering trees.

The shadow tendrils drilled a few centimetres through the bone wall before halting dead in their tracks.

Antrax crackled. "Is that it?" he asked.

"Shadow jump,"

Antrax's brows rose to an arch as Ajax's figure warped in front of him, as though he stemmed from the tendrils he sent forward earlier.

Ajax drew an arc, but Antrax swiftly dashed back, the blade hovering inches from his face.

With a forceful kick to the ground, Ajax darted forward, not letting Antrax breathe.

Antrax pointed two fingers forward as he uttered, "Bone darts."

Small, sharp bone fragments fired off towards Ajax with speed far beyond what the human eyes can perceive.

Ajax took a sharp stop, his body nimbly weaving to the side. The bone darts looming mere inches from his face.

"Bloom," Antrax muttered under his breath.

The bone darts hovering close to Ajax's face erupted in a reckoning boom, sending fragmented shrapnel down his visor.

Ajax took a few steps back, crude lines marring his steel visor.

"You survived that?" Antrax asked in amusement.

Ajax delved through his shadows once more, the trail of dark smoke surging towards Antrax.

Unfazed, Antrax whipped his arm back.

"Whip."

From Antrax's wrist, an elongated bone protrusion lashed in the air. With a flick of his arm, it plummeted to the ground, striking Ajax's shadow.

However, his attack was proven ineffective as it stuck nothing but the ground, sending chunks of earth flying in the air.

"Annoying," Antrax scowled.

Ajax zoomed out of the dark smoke, onyx black tendrils swirling behind his back.

"Bind," he muttered.

Shadow chains latched on Antrax's body, tightly clinging to his skin.

The smile on his face quivered, slowly morphing into a frown.

Ajax slashed forward, his blade humming in the air as it drew an arc. However, Antrax forcefully ripped away the chains binding his body, sharp skeletal protrusions jutting out of his flesh.

Ajax's blade collided with the bone spikes, his arm trembling under the backlash of their collision.

Antrax raised his foot before drilling it deep below the earth.

"Bone spikes," he said.

Ajax's astral compass screamed danger, warning him of an upcoming attack below.

Utilising his shadow tendrils, Ajax catapulted himself back, narrowly avoiding the swarms of bone spikes littering the earth with holes.

Antrax threw his arm forward, the swarms of bone spikes weaving under his command as they raced towards Ajax.

With a groan, Ajax muttered "Copy: Bone spikes."

Swarms of dark spikes sprouted from the ground, halting Antrax's attack in place.

"A copy skill?" Antrax said in curiousity.

Ajax landed with a loud thud, his blade hovering beside him. Slowly, the shadow tendrils latching onto his back intertwined, forming two sets of arms.

"Shadow weave: Battle saint," he said.

The four extra arms hanging behind him firmly grasped the handle of his blades, slowly unsheathing them.

Uninterested, Antrax lashed his arm forward, hauling the bone whip towards Ajax.

Ajax's figure descended deep within the shadows, a trail of dark smoke racing towards Antrax.

"Pest," Antrax scowled as he dug his hands deep below the earth.

"Ebony cage," he said.

The ground shook as dark collosal bones billowed upward, marring the earth with cracks.

The dark bones appeared similar to horns as they clamped down with utter ferocity, trapping all unfortunate enough to get caught in their wrath.

Antrax chuckled as he rose to his feet. His gaze shifting towards Irvel village, where Samael ran off.

However, Antrax's steps halted midway, his nose scrunched up. The smell of burned sulphur permeated the air.

Smoke gushed out of the ebony cage's wall, forming a small, gaping hole.

Ajax's bloody visor peeked out of the thinning smoke, a corked bottle nesting in his steel gauntlets.

"Erkamora blood, highly corrosive against organic matter," Ajax said.

Antrax's face contorted in rage, his mischievous smirk morphing into a deep frown.

"What a vexing human," Antrax said.

Ajax slammed his foot down, his figure darting forward.

Antrax raised his hands, forming small green spheres hovering above his palms.

Noticing this, Ajax blended with the shadows once more.

Antrax whipped his arm back, launching the green spheres with raw strength as they breezed through the wind.

Ajax pushed through, ignoring the attacks galloping his way— A sharp, searing pain struck him as he flew back with a thunderous explosion.

Ajax groaned, his arm tightly grasping his left shoulder. Green smoke seeped out of his skin, his armour melted to liquid steel as it drilled through his flesh.

How...?! Ajax thought. His skill, Shadow Walk, made him immune to any physical damage, so how did Antrax's attack land?

Ajax glanced at his left shoulder. The damage done was severe as well. Whatever it was, it was highly corrosive to the point of melting through Poli steel. A metal able to withstand extreme heat.

Shifting his gaze ahead, he stood up. Steadfastly braving the pain of his injuries. His Breathing deep and ragged.

Things were getting dangerous. He must end this fast. He has a skill, an ace, that he rarely uses as it eats through his ethos way too much. It's a high-risk, high-reward ability.

Delving through his pouch, Ajax withdrew a red vial before emptying it on his arm.

A cool sensation swept through him, easing the sharp aches stemming from his wound.

Crouching down, he firmly grasped the coarse handle of his blade. His gaze fixated on Antrax.

"Shadow Marionette: Igram," Ajax said.

From the unyielding darkness, a shadow crawled out. Taking the shape of a man clad in armor. In its arms nested a claymore capable of cleaving boulders with ease.

"Let's do this, Igram," Ajax commanded.

Antrax's frown deepened. Ajax was annoying enough; now there are two of them.

Antrax brought his arm forward, firing green projectiles in rapid succession.

"Corrosion spheres," Antrax said.

The spheres flew fast, humming in the air as they flew towards Ajax. However, a shadow claymore collided with them, throwing them off course.

"Shadow blade," Ajax uttered.

Dark, elongated fragments of shadow slithered up his arms, coiling his blade in their dark embrace.

Ajax countered with a swift slash.

Antrax jerked his hand towards his chest, where he unsheathed a blade composed of his own bones.

A thundering explosion echoed in the southern forest as Ajax and Antrax's blades collided, stirring the dust and sending shockwaves around them.

From the corner of Antrax's eyes, he saw a silhouette dart towards him, a large blade racing in his direction.

One of his arms flew forward, deploying a bone shield. However, the claymore of Igram pierced through the shield with ease, forcing Antrax to form a second bone shield.

Seizing the chance, Ajax threw a myriad of slashes, leaving no gap for Antrax to breathe.

Their collisions shook the earth, stirred the wind, and destroyed anything in their path.

"ENOUGH!" Antrax roared in rage.

A titanic pressure befell the land, crushing the trees close to them and forming cracks in the earth.

However, Ajax and Igram remained unfazed. Antrax wasn't the only one with astral pressure. Two can play that game.

Ajax planted his feet on the ground, his gaze locked on Antrax.

A burst of pressure surged out of his body, ramming into Antrax's own pressure.

The earth below them fragmented, tearing away akin to a boat stranded in a storm. The trees, grass, and wind, swept away by their astral clash.

Ajax groaned as he steadfastly held his ground against the harrowing winds and shockwaves mercilessly assaulting him. Needless to say, Antrax wasn't faring well either. His frown had long been distorted by rage, and his body trembled under the recoil of their struggles.

Ajax dug his blades into the ground, keeping himself from flying away. While Antrax formed bone walls to support his balance.

"ARGHH!" Antrax bellowed, his astral pressure increasing by twofold.

Ajax nearly got catapulted away, but Igram took the blunt of the damage, cracks marring the surface of his shadow armor.

Ajax swiftly increased his astral pressure as well, evening the battle.

With the magnitude of their clash, their pressures have begun to take form.

Antrax's astral pressure appeared radiant green, with strips of white swirling within. While Ajax was silver stained with red.

"Perish!" Antrax roared as he took it up another notch.

"ARGHH!" Ajax groaned as he retaliated.

The forest—unable to take their clash—was engulfed in blinding light. Devouring everything in its path, leaving destruction in its wake.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

An ear-shattering explosion left trails of echo in the air, along with a collosal shockwave that devoured everything akin to a tsunami.

Huge boulders flew high in the heavens, descending down like meteors in the sky. The solid ground cleaved in half, forming a bottomless pit of abyss.

The lush green forest that once stood south of Irvel village is now barren and desolate. What's left is nothing but a wasteland of chaos and death.

In its midst, three silhouettes stood idle, laid bare for everyone to see.

Ajax's figure kneeled on the ground, blood trailing down his visor. His shadows have dispersed, except for Igram, who stood by his side, protecting him at all times.

On the other side of the battlefield, Antrax kneeled. His twisted body tattered with wounds and missing an arm.

Ajax shot a glance forward, gritting his teeth, and stood up. His last blade cradled tight in his palm.

The night is still long.