Chapter 37: Oryx’s Last Stand

The battlefield was a war-torn wasteland, frozen and scorched in equal measure. Where once the Frozen Wastes of Nyzareth had stood as an unyielding testament to winter's dominance, now it lay corrupted—a twisted amalgamation of abyssal darkness and eternal frost.

Lucian stood tall, his sword dripping with Oryx's blood, the abyss within him devouring the frozen landscape.

For the first time in centuries—Oryx bled.

And yet, the Frost Tyrant refused to fall.

His massive form trembled, but his icy blue eyes still burned with defiance. His axe, Frostmourne, pulsed with violent energy, the ice around him crystallizing into deadly formations.

"I will not kneel," Oryx growled, his voice like the rumbling of a coming storm.

Lucian's lips curled into a smirk. "Then you will break."

The Frost Tyrant's Fury – Awakening the Primordial Blizzard

Oryx's aura swelled—

The ground split apart, and the frozen winds howled in rage.

A massive column of ice erupted beneath him, lifting him high into the sky, as the storm around him intensified a hundredfold. The very air turned to frost, the land quaking under the weight of his power.

Lucian felt it immediately.

The very essence of winter itself was shifting—as if the realm had come alive in response to its master's fury.

Haizel, who had been cutting through hordes of ice-born demons, paused. His golden eyes narrowed as he sensed the sudden shift in the battlefield.

"He's calling upon something greater…" Haizel muttered, his grip on his twin swords tightening.

Lucian merely chuckled.

"Let him."

A thunderous boom resounded through the sky.

The heavens split open, and a blizzard unlike anything seen before descended upon the battlefield.

It was not just a storm.

It was a calamity incarnate.

Lucian's army faltered for a brief moment as thousands of soldiers were frozen where they stood, their bodies encased in ice faster than they could react. Even the abyssal flames struggled against this sudden assault.

Oryx's voice boomed across the land.

"You think your abyss can consume me? You think your darkness can swallow my frost?"

His arms spread wide, and in an instant—

The Frozen Wastes answered.

From the depths of the ice, colossal frost giants emerged, each one towering over the battlefield, their bodies sculpted from the very essence of winter. Their eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, their weapons humming with enough power to shatter mountains.

Lucian felt the sheer weight of Oryx's will, pressing down on the battlefield.

A lesser being would have wavered.

But Lucian was no lesser being.

He was the abyss incarnate.

And the abyss does not waver.

The Dark Sovereign's Response – Devouring the Blizzard

Lucian exhaled, a slow breath that turned the frost in the air into black mist.

His fingers tightened around his sword.

Then—he moved.

In an instant, he vanished.

The next moment—he was above Oryx, his sword crashing down with a force that tore through the blizzard itself.

Oryx raised Frostmourne to block—

But Lucian's strike was not meant to be stopped.

The impact shattered the sky.

Oryx was hurled from his throne of ice, his massive body crashing into the battlefield below with the force of a falling meteor. The land exploded in a shockwave, sending shards of corrupted ice flying in every direction.

The frost giants moved as one, their massive weapons descending upon Lucian.

But Lucian merely smirked.

He extended a hand—

And the shadows beneath them erupted.

The giants froze, their movements halting as black tendrils of abyssal energy coiled around their limbs, pulling them into a void of endless darkness.

One by one, the primordial titans of frost were consumed.

Oryx, still rising from the crater where he had fallen, watched in disbelief as his own creations vanished into the abyss.

Lucian tilted his head.

"This is the power of an abyssal sovereign," he said. "Your winter is fading, Oryx."

But the Frost Tyrant only laughed, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"You think this is my limit?"

The air cracked—

And the second calamity began.

Frozen World – The Absolute Dominion of Oryx

Oryx slammed Frostmourne into the ground, and instantly—

Everything turned white.

Lucian's vision blurred, his surroundings swallowed by an infinite void of snow and ice.

Then, he realized—

He was no longer standing on the battlefield.

No.

He was inside Oryx's domain.

A world where only ice existed.

Lucian narrowed his eyes. "A pocket dimension…?"

Oryx's voice echoed from all directions.

"This is my Absolute Dominion. A realm where only my will exists."

Lucian felt the weight of it—the sheer authority of Oryx's presence in this space.

In here, he wasn't just the Frost Tyrant.

He was a god.

Lucian's feet barely touched the ground before spears of ice shot toward him from all directions.

He twisted, his blade moving like a phantom as he cut through the endless assault. But the moment he destroyed one, another took its place—an endless cycle of freezing death.

Oryx appeared behind him in an instant.

A massive fist, wrapped in divine frost, crashed into Lucian's side—sending him flying across the frozen void.

Lucian crashed into an iceberg, shattering it completely.

Pain flared in his ribs, but he grinned.

"Good," he murmured, rising to his feet.

"This makes things more interesting."

Breaking the Absolute – The Abyss Cannot Be Contained

Lucian exhaled, his abyssal power surging once more.

The frost tried to consume it—

But this time, it failed.

Lucian's power began devouring the frozen domain itself.

Oryx's eyes widened.

"Impossible," he growled. "No one can break my Absolute Dominion!"

Lucian merely chuckled.

"Wrong."

The darkness around him expanded, twisting into something far more monstrous than before.

Then—he took a single step forward.

And the entire domain cracked.

A deafening shatter echoed as the Absolute Dominion began collapsing in on itself.

Oryx let out a roar, raising his axe for one final strike—

But Lucian was faster.

He appeared behind Oryx in an instant, his blade pressed against the Frost Tyrant's neck.

And for the first time—Oryx froze.

Lucian leaned in, whispering coldly:

"You lost the moment I stepped into your domain."

The last pieces of the Absolute Dominion crumbled, and in the next instant—they were back on the battlefield.

A King's Choice – Kneel or Be Broken

Oryx was on his knees.

His massive body trembled, his once-glorious storm fading into nothing.

Lucian stood over him, his blade resting against the Frost Tyrant's throat.

The battlefield was silent.

The soldiers—both demon and abyssal alike—watched in awe.

Lucian gazed down at Oryx.

"You have two choices," he said. "Kneel and serve me."

"Or die."

Oryx's fists clenched. His pride as a King of the Demon Realm burned inside him.

But as he gazed into Lucian's crimson abyssal eyes, he knew—

This was not a battle he could win.

Finally—he closed his eyes.

And bowed his head.

A demonic king had fallen.

The battlefield was deathly silent.

The moment Oryx bowed his head, the entire frozen wasteland trembled, as if the very world acknowledged his submission. The once-ferocious blizzards died out, the sky no longer split apart by Oryx's wrath.

Lucian stood tall, his abyssal aura towering over everything, consuming the remnants of the battlefield.

Before him, the Frost Tyrant knelt—a demon king who had once ruled the endless winter, now bound by the abyss.

But this war was far from over.

The moment one demon king had fallen, the others took notice.

And they would not sit idly by.

The Call to War – The Demon Kings Take Action

Across the Demon Realm, the echoes of Oryx's defeat spread like wildfire.

The moment his throne of ice shattered, an invisible ripple of demonic power surged through the land, a warning to the others. The balance of power was shifting, and for the first time in eons—a true threat had emerged.

One by one, the Demon Kings turned their attention toward the war.

In the Abyssal Depths, beneath the Sea of Shadows…

A monstrous figure stirred.

Leviathan, the Dread Serpent of the Deep, uncoiled from his slumber, his obsidian scales glistening with abyssal energy. His endless fangs, large enough to shatter mountains, bared in amusement.

"Oryx fell…?" he rumbled, his voice a whisper that rippled through the oceans like a tidal wave.

The shadows in the deep churned, responding to their master's hunger.

"Heh… then perhaps it is time to see if this so-called abyss can drown."

In the Ashen Ruins of Charred Dominion…

Baal, the Flame Tyrant, stood atop his obsidian throne, surrounded by a sea of molten fire. His skin burned with an eternal blaze, his golden eyes narrowing as he watched the battle unfold through his infernal scrying flames.

"Interesting…" he mused, his lips curling into a grin. "I never thought I'd see the day Oryx would kneel."

His flames flared violently, filling the chamber with pure destruction.

"But if this Lucian wants war—then let him burn."

In the Abyssal Palace of the Deadlands…

Lilith, the Queen of Shadows, sat upon her throne of black thorns, her crimson lips curling into a knowing smile.

Her silver hair cascaded around her like flowing moonlight, her eyes glowing with forbidden knowledge.

"Oryx's fall was inevitable," she whispered. "But the game has only just begun."

From the darkness, her legions of demonic assassins knelt before her, awaiting her command.

She tapped her fingers against the armrest of her throne.

"Let us see if this abyss is worthy of the throne it seeks to claim…"

In the Forbidden Skies of the Celestial Abyss…

Abaddon, the King of the Abyss, loomed over his army, his six wings shrouded in unholy light.

His piercing gaze saw through the veil of realms, watching as Lucian's war spread like wildfire.

The corners of his lips twitched, his voice a mere whisper—yet it shook the very fabric of reality.

"The abyss… will consume all."

The Dark Sovereign's Next Move – March of the Abyss

Back on the battlefield, Lucian stood amidst his growing army, his abyssal energy pulsing like a dark sun.

With Oryx kneeling before him, the war had escalated.

He turned his gaze to his forces.

"Abyssal Legion," he called out, his voice thundering across the battlefield.

"Today, we have claimed the first throne—but the war is far from over. The other Demon Kings will not remain idle. They will come for us."

He looked down at Oryx, his voice cold.

"Tell me, Frost Tyrant. Will they stand together?"

Oryx let out a slow breath, rising to his feet. Though he had submitted, his pride as a warrior still burned in his eyes.

"No," he admitted. "The Demon Kings do not trust each other. Each one craves dominion, and none will bow without a fight."

Lucian smirked.

"Good."

He raised his sword, and the shadows of the battlefield twisted in response, forming massive war banners.

"Then we shall take them one by one."

A war was coming—one that would shake the entire Demon Realm to its core.

And Lucian would be the one to seize it all.

Abyss vs. Leviathan – The Sea of Shadows Calls

The next target was clear.

Leviathan.

The Dread Serpent ruled over the Abyssal Depths, a realm where the seas were darker than night, and the very ocean itself was alive with eldritch horrors.

His power was ancient, boundless—a force of pure abyssal might.

Lucian stood on the shores of the Abyssal Depths, his army waiting behind him. The waters before them stretched endlessly, a bottomless abyss of pure darkness.

Then, the sea began to stir.

The waves rose unnaturally, as if something massive was awakening beneath the surface.

A low, reverberating chuckle echoed from the depths.

Then—the sea itself split apart.

From the abyss, Leviathan emerged.

His colossal form stretched for miles, his obsidian scales shimmering with eldritch runes. His serpentine eyes glowed with an eerie, otherworldly light, his fanged maw curving into a cruel grin.

"Abyssal Sovereign…" Leviathan rumbled, his voice sending tremors through the very air.

"You dare step into my domain?"

Lucian remained unfazed, his sword resting on his shoulder.

"You have two choices, serpent," he said coldly.

"Kneel, or drown in your own abyss."

Leviathan laughed, the sound shaking the heavens themselves.

"Foolish little king," he hissed. "You think you know the abyss? You are nothing but a child playing in the shadows."

Then, the sea itself attacked.

From the depths, colossal tentacles erupted, each one thick enough to crush mountains, moving with terrifying speed.

Lucian's abyssal soldiers rushed forward—only to be devoured in an instant.

The sea turned into a living nightmare, eldritch monstrosities rising from the deep, their many eyes glowing with unnatural hunger.

But Lucian merely smiled.

He raised his hand, and the abyss responded.

From the shadows of the ocean—a second abyss rose.

A dark, unnatural vortex formed above the sea, its gravity ripping the ocean apart, swallowing the eldritch horrors whole.

Leviathan's grin faltered.

Lucian's voice was quiet—but it shook the realm.

"You claim to know the abyss," he said. "But you are merely a beast lurking in the dark."

His eyes glowed like crimson stars.

"I am the abyss."