Chapter 22 - Silver Haired Man
Whoosh... The icy winter wind swept past the royal castle, its once-majestic walls now reduced to crumbling ruins.
The air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and ash. Crackling flames engulfed the castle, casting a ominous glow over the surrounding area.
The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the occasional crash of burning debris.
A figure emerged from the smoke, standing tall amidst the destruction. He was flanked by soldiers mounted on massive armored griffins, their eyes glowing with an unnatural intensity.
"Protect His Majesty at all costs!" the figure bellowed, his aged voice belied by a fierce determination. "Lay down your lives if necessary!"
"Hooo!!" the soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the desolate landscape.
The figure raised his spear, pointing it towards the inferno below. The soldiers behind him began to chant, their voices weaving a complex pattern of astral magic.
Rustle... Crackling... Seven figures emerged from the flames, their faces illuminated by the flickering firelight.
A young man with blonde hair stood at the forefront, his eyes gleaming with an icy intensity.
Beside him stood a red-haired young man, flanked by five women. The blonde young man's voice was cold and authoritative.
"Move aside. I'd rather not kill anyone unnecessarily. I'm sure you all have families waiting for you, so leave while you still can."
His tone was laced with a subtle menace, a promise of violence if his demands were not met.
"You treacherous invaders!" the aged man spat, his voice trembling with indignation. "Do you think the honorable soldiers of Heidal would abandon our king without a fight?"
His gaze swept across the group, settling on the red-haired young man and four of the women. "Unlike some, we will not betray our homeland and our lord," he declared, his words dripping with contempt.
The young man and the four women he addressed exchanged uneasy glances, their faces pale.
The blonde-haired young man, however, seemed unfazed. "I see," he murmured, his voice low and menacing.
As he spoke, his sword began to radiate an intense, pulsating glow. "Then you will die," he declared, raising his sword high.
A blinding flash of light erupted, illuminating the darkened landscape as the sound of clashing steel echoed through the air.
Clang! Clash! The battle had begun.
**********
As the smoke dissipated, the seven figures stood victorious, surrounded by a gruesome scene of carnage.
The lifeless bodies of their enemies lay scattered, some with limbs torn asunder, others charred beyond recognition.
The blonde-haired young man extracted his sword from the corpse of his last foe, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
One of the women, a striking silver-haired beauty with piercing crimson eyes, approached him, concern etched on her face. "I'm fine," he reassured her, noticing her worried gaze.
As he turned to face the palace, his grip on his sword tightened. "Let's—"
His words were cut short as a dark, foreboding energy descended upon him. He looked up to see two figures plummeting from the sky.
A raven-haired woman in her early thirties, clad in a sleek white combat suit, landed beside a silver haired young man who appeared to be around the same age as the blonde-haired warrior.
The young man wore regal white attire, adorned with a glittering golden crown on his head.
The blonde-haired young man and his companions gritted their teeth, their faces set with determination.
They knew that their victory was far from assured. The air was heavy with tension as the two groups faced off, their eyes locked in a fierce stare.
The silver-haired young man strolled into the carnage, his eyes scanning the scene with a hint of amusement. "You really went all out, didn't you, hero?" he said, his tone dripping with nonchalance.
The blonde-haired young man, Jason, responded by raising his blade, his expression a mask of fury. "You're the one responsible for their deaths," Jason spat. "You started this war."
The silver-haired young man chuckled, a low, throaty sound. "Me? Ha! I didn't kill them, you did. You're the one with the blood on your hands."
He glanced at the lifeless bodies of the castle guards, a teasing sigh escaping his lips. "And to think, they all had families who cared about them..."
The red-haired young man's patience snapped, his voice rising in anger.
"ENOUGH!" He raised his spear, pointing it at the silver-haired young man. "Jason, remember why we're here. We're here to kill that demon."
Jason heaved a sigh, his expression a picture of resolve. "Yeah, I remember." He pointed his sword at the silver-haired young man, who grinned, seemingly unfazed.
"I'm only fighting Jason," the silver-haired young man said, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Justina, take care of the others, except for Marianne."
The black-haired woman, Justina, responded with a curt "Yes, your majesty" before launching herself at the red-haired young man and the others, her movements a blur of deadly precision.
Whoosh!
The red-haired young man swung the blade of his spear at Justina with a powerful arc. But Justina was no ordinary opponent.
She twisted her body mid-air with deadly precision, avoiding the attack with ease.
Her counterattack was swift and merciless, landing a kick that sent the red-haired young man flying through the castle walls.
Boom!
[Blizzard] The air was suddenly filled with the howling winds of a blizzard as the terrain transformed around them.
Ice covered every surface, and deadly ice spikes shot towards Justina's body like projectiles.
But just as they were about to strike, they were shattered by an unseen force, exploding into harmless shards of ice.
"Tch." The red-haired woman, Marianne, clicked her tongue in frustration, her eyes flashing with anger.
Justina's figure blurred as she reappeared beside Marianne, landing a reinforced punch that shook the very foundations of the city.
Boom!
The impact was tremendous, but Marianne was ready. With a swift motion, she conjured a wall of ice that blocked Justina's attack.
The ice covered Justina's hand, but she didn't seem to mind.
"Hoh, impressive," Justina said, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she examined her ice-covered hand.
Marianne leapt backward, creating some distance between herself and Justina. With a swift gesture, she conjured an ice spear that shot towards Justina at terrifying speeds, creating a sonic boom as it launched.
But just like the ice spikes and ice field before, the spear shattered into harmless fragments as it approached Justina's body.
Justina raised her hand, and a mysterious force enveloped Marianne, lifting her into the air before slamming her into the ground with a deafening BOOM.
Ack!
Marianne coughed up blood, struggling to stand, but before she could regain her footing, an even more intense force crushed her back into the earth.
As Justina continued to unleash her powers, a new challenger emerged. A young lady, wielding twin daggers, darted behind Justina and slashed at her with a swift, deadly motion.
Justina dodged the poisoned dagger by ducking under it, releasing her hold on Marianne in the process.
From her crouched position, she swiftly countered with a low sweep, forcing the dagger-wielding girl to jump backward in a flash.
As Justina approached her new opponent, she sensed a surge of intense heat emanating from the surroundings.
She turned to face the silver-haired girl and the orange-haired girl, who were channeling fire into a massive ball.
The air crackled with energy as the fireball, towering over them like a skyscraper, began to take shape. Justina's eyes narrowed, her gaze cold and calculating.
But before the fireball could be launched, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking the fireball with a thunderous BOOM.
The flames were extinguished, leaving only a trail of smoke in their wake.
Justina's gaze shifted, her eyes locking onto the dagger-wielding girl. "I'll kill you first," she declared, her voice icy and detached.
****************
As the silver-haired young man whistled, Jason's face contorted with worry, his eyes fixed on the destruction below.
But he steeled himself, gritting his teeth, and charged at the silver-haired young man.
Their clash was brief but intense. The silver-haired young man sidestepped Jason's sword swing with ease, landing a casual yet powerful punch that sent Jason flying across the city. The sound of the impact was like thunder, BOOM!
Jason crashed through buildings, sending debris flying everywhere. The people of the capital city panicked, screaming and running for cover. "Aaahhh!"
As Jason struggled to his feet, he spat out blood, his face twisted in a mixture of pain and horror.
He realized, with a sinking feeling, that he was no match for the silver-haired young man.
The silver-haired young man landed softly on the ground, walking calmly through the destruction they had caused.
Jason's anger boiled over, his face reddening with rage. "You bastard! These are your people! Don't you care about what this fight is doing to them?"
The silver-haired young man shrugged, his expression nonchalant. "I don't particularly care, though. They're my subjects."
He raised his hand, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Hence, I am free to do with them whatever I choose to."
Jason's anger erupted, and he launched himself at the silver-haired young man with a fierce battle cry.
The sheer force of his attack sent shockwaves through the air, leveling buildings and sending debris flying.
BOOM!
Jason slashed at the silver-haired young man, who vanished and reappeared behind him.
Jason's eyes widened as the silver-haired young man landed a furious punch on his back.
THUD!
The punch sent Jason flying through multiple buildings, the sound of crashing debris and screams of the innocent filling the air.
BOOM! CRASH! SCREAMS!
The silver-haired man reappeared in an instant, his grin still plastered on his face.
He seemed to be ignoring the destruction he was causing in his own city, his eyes fixed on Jason with an air of amusement.
With a casual stride, he walked towards Jason, his voice dripping with condescension.
"Hey, why don't you just give up? After all, you can't beat me." His words were punctuated by the sound of groaning buildings and the moans of the wounded. GROAN... MOAN...
Jason, enraged and battered, struggled to his feet, his eyes blazing with determination. He knew he couldn't give up, not now, not when so many innocent lives were at stake.
But the silver-haired man's words struck a chord, and for a moment, Jason wondered why he was fighting what was surely a losing battle.
The silver-haired young man's suggestion hung in the air, but Jason's response was immediate.
His blade began to glow, and the young man's expression turned from casual to resigned. He sighed, realizing that Jason wouldn't be swayed.
With a fluid motion, the silver-haired young man raised his hand to the side, and a pocket-sized hole appeared beside him.
He sank his hand into the hole and pulled out a sword, its blade a deep, blood red. The edges seemed almost mechanical, and the world around them seemed to shudder in fear.
Jason's eyes paled, and he whispered, "The Sword of Eclipse." The silver-haired young man's grin widened, clearly pleased that Jason recognized the sword.
"You fool," Jason screamed, his voice laced with desperation. "Do you know what will happen if you use the Eclipse Sword here? This city and its surroundings will be blown to bits!"
But it was too late. The silver-haired young man's hand rose, aiming at Jason, and the world around them began to distort.
The sound of reality tearing apart echoed through the air, a sickening rip that seemed to grow louder by the second.
The six of the seven figures who had come to slay the silver-haired young man stumbled, disoriented, as they were pulled through space and time.
They reappeared miles away from the capital, towards the north, and stumbled, gasping, as they took in their new surroundings.
But there was no time to react. The silver-haired young man raised the Eclipse Sword, its blade humming with energy.
"[Dawn]," he muttered, his voice low and menacing. The air seemed to vibrate with anticipation, and then...
BOOM!
A blinding, plasma-like beam erupted from the sword, swallowing everything in sight.
The sound was deafening, a cacophony of destruction that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth.
The blast wave ripped through the landscape, vaporizing everything within a 12000-mile radius.
The forest, once a lush and vibrant tapestry of life, was reduced to a smoldering wasteland.
Trees exploded into splinters, their trunks shattered and sent tumbling to the ground.
The creatures of the forest, from the majestic beasts to the tiny insects, were incinerated in an instant, their screams and roars silenced forever.
The six figures, who had come to slay the silver-haired young man, were consumed by the blast, their bodies disintegrating into nothingness.
Their screams were drowned out by the deafening roar of the explosion, their lives extinguished in an instant.
The mountains, once towering and proud, were reduced to rubble, their peaks shattered and sent tumbling to the ground.
The rocks and boulders were pulverized, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
The northern cities nearby, once bustling with life and activity, were obliterated, their buildings reduced to rubble and ash.
The streets, once filled with the sounds of laughter and commerce, were silent and still, the only sound the crackling of flames and the rumbling of the earth.
The devastation was absolute, a desolate wasteland stretching as far as the eye could see.
The sky was filled with the acrid smell of smoke and ash, the air thick with the taste of destruction.
And in the midst of this devastation, the silver-haired young man stood, the Eclipse Sword still humming with energy in his hand.
He gazed out upon the destruction he had wrought, a look of quiet satisfaction on his face.
Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he returned the Eclipse Sword to his pocket space and disappeared, leaving behind a trail of destruction that would never be forgotten.