Chapter 52: The First Siege
The Abyss **responded.**
The moment Sai **gave the order**, the creatures behind him **moved as one.** Shadows surged, abyssal energy crackled through the air, and **the first warcry of the Abyss in centuries rang through the ruins.**
The Watcher of the First Lock stood motionless for a fraction of a second, its faceless hood tilting as if it were observing, **calculating.**
Then—it **reacted.**
Abyssal mist **exploded outward**, forcing Sai's forces to brace against the force.
And then the Watcher **attacked.**
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### **The Will of the Abyssal Throne**
Kael was the first to engage. His greatsword **crashed down**, abyssal fire trailing from its blade. **A perfect, precise strike.**
The Watcher didn't dodge.
It **let the attack land.**
Kael's blade **cut into its form—but it didn't bleed.** The Watcher's body was like **liquid shadow**, reforming instantly.
Then, with **inhuman speed**, it twisted, delivering a brutal **backhand strike.**
Kael **barely raised his sword in time.** The impact sent him **skidding backward**, boots carving trenches into the stone.
"Damn thing," Kael muttered, rolling his shoulders.
Sai activated **Abyssal Step**, flickering forward in a blur of dark mist. He **appeared behind the Watcher**, daggers already mid-swing.
His blades **tore through its back—**
And **passed straight through.**
Sai's eyes widened. "What—?"
The Watcher **turned unnaturally fast**, an arm lashing out. Sai barely had time to twist away, but the **shockwave from its movement alone sent him tumbling back.**
Lena flung her chakrams—**direct hits.**
But they simply **vanished** into the Watcher's form.
Lena's eyes widened. "That's not fair."
Ezren, watching from the sidelines, **narrowed his eyes.** "It's not fully here."
Sai, already pushing himself up, exhaled. "What?"
Ezren stepped forward. "It's not in our world completely. It's still partially inside the Abyss."
Sai's stomach tightened. **Of course.**
It wasn't **invincible.**
It was just **not fighting on the same battlefield.**
But there had to be a way to **pull it in.**
Sai clenched his fists. **The Abyss wasn't just a weapon—it was a force.**
A force he could **control.**
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### **Forcing the Watcher Into Reality**
Sai's system flickered with a **new prompt.**
**[Abyssal Authority: Unlocked]**
**[Command: Stabilize the Rift]**
Sai exhaled. "Alright. Let's try something new."
He reached **into** the Abyss.
Not **just** to draw power.
But to **command it.**
The world around him **shifted.**
The mist **whirled violently**, responding to him in ways it hadn't before.
And for the first time—**the Watcher hesitated.**
Sai's voice rang through the battlefield.
**"Enough."**
The moment the words left his lips, the Abyss **reacted.**
A pulse of energy **rushed outward**, crashing into the Watcher's form like an invisible tidal wave.
The entity **shuddered.**
Its form **stabilized.**
The void-like flickering **stopped.**
And suddenly—**it was real.**
Kael saw the change first. His sword **ignited with abyssal fire.**
"This time—**it bleeds.**"
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### **A Battle Won in Seconds**
Kael **moved first.**
His blade struck **deep**, carving through the Watcher's form.
This time, it **did not reform.**
Lena's chakrams **slammed into its side**, embedding into its cloak of shadows—**and stayed.**
Sai didn't hesitate.
He **blinked forward,** daggers flashing.
His blades **sank into the Watcher's chest,** abyssal energy surging through the steel.
The Watcher **let out a sound—**
Not a scream.
Not a roar.
A **whisper.**
A final word.
**"The Gate… is only the beginning."**
Then, its body **shattered.**
Abyssal mist **poured outward, dissipating into the ruins.**
And the **Watcher was gone.**
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### **The Price of Victory**
The battlefield **fell silent.**
The only sound was Sai's heavy breathing as he pulled his daggers free.
Lena exhaled. "Okay. What the hell was that?"
Ezren stepped forward, gaze unreadable. "A test."
Sai wiped abyssal residue from his blade. "Then we passed."
Ezren shook his head. "No. We survived."
Sai frowned. "What's the difference?"
Ezren's golden abyssal eyes gleamed.
"The real war hasn't started yet."
Sai's stomach twisted. He knew Ezren was right.
This wasn't a **final boss.**
It was the **first warning.**
The Abyss was **awake now.**
And every faction in the world **would feel it.**
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### **The Hidden Order Responds**
They didn't have to wait long.
Sai's system **flared.**
**[Emergency Notification: Hidden Order Forces Approaching.]**
Lena's face paled. "Oh, come on. Already?"
Ezren's expression darkened. "They've been watching."
Sai turned toward the **distant cliffs**, where shadows moved against the dim abyssal light.
Armored figures.
Dozens of them.
And at their center—**a woman in silver robes, her presence suffocating.**
Sai's system **scanned her automatically.**
**[Hidden Order Commander Identified: Inquisitor Valeria.]**
**[Threat Level: Apex.]**
Sai's breath slowed.
This wasn't like before.
The Hidden Order wasn't sending **assassins** anymore.
They were sending **commanders.**
Sai exhaled. "Alright. Guess we're not done."
Kael rolled his shoulders. "We fight?"
Sai cracked his neck. "We fight."
And the **first siege of the Abyssal Gate began.**
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