Chapter 16: Echoes of the Fallen

The Army of Shadows

I barely had time to react before the first Shadow Saiyan lunged.

It moved like a ghost, its body flickering between reality and nightmare. One second, it was there—flesh and fury—the next, it was a swirl of darkness, reforming behind me with an inhuman shriek.

Oh, fantastic. They cheat.

I spun, barely blocking the blow in time. Even then, the impact rattled my bones. These things weren't just fast—they hit like a star collapsing in on itself.

But I wasn't about to roll over and die.

My aura flared, golden energy crackling around me as I twisted mid-air and fired off an energy blast. The attack seared through the darkness—only for the creature to laugh as it absorbed the energy into its own body.

Great. Just great.

Behind me, Xyros watched with an amused smirk. "You see now? Your power is wasted here. We don't just fight, Akuma. We evolve."

The Shadow Saiyans swarmed me, dozens of them appearing from the abyss, their golden eyes glowing with hunger.

This was bad.

Then, just as their clawed hands reached for me—

A voice rang out.

"Stand, warrior."

For a split second, time froze. The air felt heavy, like the weight of a thousand battles pressed down on my chest. And then—

I saw them.

---

The Voices of the Fallen

It was like standing in the middle of a battlefield from a thousand years ago. The ruins of war surrounded me—Saiyan warriors, countless in number, stood at my side, their spectral forms glowing with golden energy.

These weren't ordinary Saiyans.

These were the ones who had fallen in the war against the Shadow Saiyans. The ones who had fought, bled, and died to keep their people free from the darkness.

And now…

They were inside me.

I could feel them—their strength, their rage, their memories. Every fallen warrior who had ever stood against the Shadow Saiyans had left behind an imprint of their power. An echo.

And now, those echoes had found me.

"We never truly died," a voice rumbled. "We have waited. And now, our time has come."

My body burned with power—not my own, but theirs.

A thousand warriors.

A thousand lives.

A thousand Saiyan souls, rising from the grave to fight one more time.

And I was their vessel.

---

The Power of the Ancestors

I snapped back to reality, my vision sharper, my body lighter.

The Shadow Saiyans lunged again, their clawed hands aiming to tear me apart—

I didn't move.

I didn't have to.

The moment they touched me, golden energy erupted from my skin, vaporizing the first wave instantly.

Xyros' smirk faltered.

The remaining Shadow Saiyans hesitated, their eyes flickering with something close to fear.

I clenched my fists, my entire body vibrating with raw power. This wasn't just my energy anymore. It was theirs.

The warriors who had come before me. The ones who had refused to be forgotten.

I cracked my neck, grinning. "Alright, let's see how you like fighting ghosts."

And then I moved.

Faster than I ever had before.

One moment, I was standing still. The next, I was everywhere.

The first Shadow Saiyan barely had time to blink before my fist shattered its skull. The second twisted away, only for a golden spear of energy to pierce through its chest—launched by a spectral Saiyan at my side.

I wasn't fighting alone.

The fallen warriors fought with me, their attacks merging with my own. Every movement, every strike—I was channeling all of them.

For the first time, the Shadow Saiyans screamed.

And it was beautiful.

---

The Fall of Xyros' Army

Xyros snarled as he watched his forces crumble.

His golden eyes flickered with rage, his hands clenching into fists. "Impossible."

I landed a few feet away, wiping some dust from my shoulder. "You're gonna have to be more specific. You mad that your army sucks, or that I'm better?"

His aura exploded, shadows whipping around him violently.

"You think this changes anything?" he hissed. "You think you've won?"

I raised a brow. "I mean… kinda? Your army's kind of on fire right now."

He growled—and in that instant, he vanished.

No teleportation. No movement. Just gone.

And then—

CRACK!

I felt it before I saw it—his fist driving into my gut with a force that nearly blacked out my vision. The impact sent me through the tower's walls, stone shattering like glass as my body was launched into the sky.

Alright. Ow.

I twisted mid-air, stopping myself before I could hit the ground. But the moment I looked up, Xyros was already there.

"You think channeling a bunch of dead weaklings makes you strong?" he snarled.

He lunged again—faster than I could react. His fist crashed into my face, sending me spiraling into the ground below. The entire tower shook from the impact.

I groaned, pushing myself up. "Okay… fair. That one hurt."

Xyros hovered above, his aura pulsing like a dying star. "You don't understand what you're dealing with, Akuma."

I spat out some blood, smirking. "And you don't understand what happens when you piss off every Saiyan who ever died fighting you."

His eyes narrowed.

And then, I let loose.

---

The Final Stand

The golden energy within me exploded, the spirits of the fallen roaring to life around me.

My body burned. Every muscle, every fiber of my being screamed in power. I wasn't just me anymore.

I was all of them.

Xyros attacked first, his fist aimed straight for my heart.

I didn't dodge.

I caught his fist mid-strike, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. His eyes widened in shock—

And I smiled.

"Not this time."

I twisted, driving my knee into his ribs, the force of the blow sending him careening back through the sky.

I followed.

Faster than I'd ever moved before.

A thousand Saiyan voices roared inside me, guiding my strikes. Xyros blocked the first blow, dodged the second—

But the third?

That one connected.

My fist exploded into his jaw, sending him rocketing into the side of the tower with a thunderous crash. The stone cracked, darkness spilling from the impact.

I hovered above, golden flames crackling around me.

Xyros staggered out of the rubble, blood dripping from his mouth. He wiped it away, his golden eyes burning with fury.

"This isn't over," he growled.

I smirked. "Oh, I know."

And then, for the first time—

Xyros vanished.

Not an attack.

A retreat.

I exhaled, my energy slowly fading, the spirits within me settling.

The battle wasn't over.

But I had won this fight.

And the war?

It had just begun.

---

Next Time on Ancient Legends…

Akuma has unlocked the power of the fallen!

But what is Xyros truly planning?!

And what secret does the Black Core still hold?!

Find out next time on Ancient Legends!