The sky above Europe was no longer a sky. It had become a maelstrom of darkness, swirling with unnatural energy. The land beneath it, once vibrant, was now lifeless, blackened, and broken.
The demon loomed over the battlefield, its towering form stretching beyond the limits of reality itself. Four burning eyes gleamed with amusement as it gazed down at the Awakened.
Alaa stood his ground, his massive form unshaken, though his eyes reflected something rare—uncertainty.
Ali, his body wreathed in dark flames, tilted his head and let out a deep sigh.
"So… we're really fighting this thing, huh?"
The Insect King, Yasser, flapped his iridescent wings, scanning the monstrosity before them.
"This is beyond anything we've ever faced before."
The demon laughed, a sound so distorted and inhuman that even the air itself seemed to twist in agony.
"You are powerful, yes… but you are still mortal."
Alaa gripped his sword tightly, its golden energy pulsing like a caged sun.
"Then let's change that."
And with a single step forward, the battle that would decide the fate of the world began.
The First Exchange—A Blow That Shook Reality
Alaa moved first.
With a single earth-shattering leap, he closed the distance, his titanic fist crashing forward like a falling star. The sheer force behind it warped the air, igniting a shockwave that split the clouds apart.
But the demon did not dodge.
It simply smiled.
And caught the blow with one hand.
Alaa's eyes widened. Impossible.
The impact should have been enough to shatter mountains, but the creature stood firm, its clawed fingers tightening around Alaa's fist like a vice.
Then—
It countered.
With inhuman speed, the demon drove its knee into Alaa's ribs, sending the colossal warrior hurtling backward. The force tore through the battlefield, carving a massive trench into the ruined earth.
Ali reacted instantly, his flames erupting outward, turning the sky into an inferno.
"Let's see if you burn, monster."
He snapped his fingers—
And the demon was consumed by hellfire.
A pillar of black and red flames swallowed the creature, its heat so intense that the ground itself melted into molten glass.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
A deep, guttural chuckle.
The flames faded.
And the demon stood there, untouched.
Ali gritted his teeth. "Tch. I was afraid of that."
The demon stepped forward, raising a single clawed hand.
"Pathetic."
And with that single word, it unleashed a wave of pure darkness.
The Collapse of Reality—An Unstoppable Power
The black wave consumed everything in its path.
Ali, Yasser, and even Alaa were engulfed instantly, their vision drowning in pure nothingness.
For a moment, they felt nothing.
No pain.
No sound.
No existence.
Then—
Agony.
It was not just physical pain—it was existential destruction. The demon's attack was not meant to wound—it was meant to erase.
Ali roared in defiance, his body igniting once more, forcing himself back into reality.
Yasser's wings beat at impossible speeds, his very presence flickering between existence and nonexistence as he clawed his way out.
And then there was Alaa.
Even as his massive form flickered, as his very being threatened to collapse, his golden eyes remained unwavering.
Then, he grinned.
"Not bad, monster."
And with a single step forward, he forced reality itself to hold him in place.
A Counterattack Beyond Limits
The moment Alaa stabilized, the battlefield changed.
His entire body radiated golden energy, warping the air around him. The very laws of physics bent to his will.
The demon's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh?"
Alaa cracked his knuckles.
"Your turn."
And then, for the first time—
The demon was hit.
Alaa's fist struck its face, sending the monstrosity crashing through the ruins of Europe.
The shockwave ripped apart mountains, creating a crater so deep it revealed the Earth's molten core.
The very planet shook, as if recognizing the true battle had begun.
Ali grinned.
"That's more like it!"
Yasser let out a chittering laugh.
"Now we have a fight!"
But then—
The laughter stopped.
Because the demon got back up.
Unharmed.
And grinning.
Epilogue: The Fight That Cannot End
The Awakened had never faced something like this before.
Their strongest attacks did nothing.
The demon was unkillable.
Alaa wiped blood from his mouth, his golden eyes burning brighter.
Ali clenched his fists, dark flames twisting around him.
Yasser's wings twitched, his mandibles clicking nervously.
For the first time—
The Awakened had encountered an enemy that might be beyond them.
And yet, they would not stop.
Because if they did—
The world was doomed.
[TO BE CONTINUED]...