The Deformed Man 2
In a single moment, silence shattered.
The sound of bells faded, and the hum of the air filled with the screams of soldiers, the trampling of feet, and the clashing of steel against steel.
The battle had begun.
...
In the city square, a thousand human soldiers stood in row after row, ready to die if necessary.
Their hearts pounded… not from cowardice, but from the terror of the unknown.
On the opposite side, 500 "devils"—as the humans called them—descended.
Not because they were the offspring of demons, but because their grotesque appearance and innate strength were enough to terrify any man.
...
Charcoal-black skin…
Flaming red hair…
And crimson eyes that burned like embers from within.
Each moved with lethal grace, wielding massive axes or double-bladed spears, showing no mercy in their steps.
...
"Chaaarge!"
Commander Rickard's roar sent the first ranks of soldiers forward, advancing under their sturdy shields and raised swords.
The first clash… was like thunder.
In an instant, sparks scattered, and the earth exploded under the force of the blows.
Heads flew, and blood sprayed like black perfume.
The humans had the advantage in numbers…
But the sheer difference in strength tipped the scales from the first minute.
Each devil… was worth at least five human fighters.
...
And amid the chaos, he appeared.
"Vadim."
He wore no heavy armor like the others… just a black leather coat and massive iron gauntlets.
Yet he was like a storm.
A single punch from him sent a devil flying through the air.
A kick took down three.
And with his grip, he shattered a massive axe into fragments.
He fought them as an equal.
...
The priests in the rear tried to bolster the ranks with protective incantations, but their magic was not enough.
Everywhere… soldiers fell,
bodies were torn apart,
and cries for help rose into the air.
...
Lena, watching this from the depths of Vadim's memories, stood frozen.
– "This… is what you lived through?"
She whispered, her hands trembling.
But Vadim wasn't looking at her.
His eyes were fixed on the ground… where everything had once been lost.
Vadim was still fighting ferociously. His iron-clad fists boomed with every strike, his punches tearing through the air… but it wasn't enough.
Soldiers fell, the battlefield grew bloodier… and the enemy showed no fatigue.
Alone… he couldn't turn the tide.
And then, as he stumbled, two devils lunged at him.
He couldn't rise, his breaths heavy, his vision dimming—until—
"Shhhhk!"
The devils' heads flew into the air.
Their black blood sprayed around Vadim.
And Ivan appeared.
– "We're a little late, aren't we?"
He said with a confident smirk, sheathing his sword.
Behind him, five copies of himself suddenly materialized, each wielding a blade and charging into the fray.
Ivan's ability… was "Multiple Replication."
Five of him against fifty of them.
...
Then came the sound of heavy footsteps.
Sergei, wearing his boar mask, stood behind Vadim.
In a low but firm voice, he said:
– "Sorry for the delay… the road was crowded with corpses."
Vadim rose slowly.
– "It's fine… What matters is that you're here now."
And from that moment, the tide turned.
The three of them—Vadim, Ivan, and Sergei—were like three raging winds in a storm of fire.
The human army began to regain its footing,
cheers rose among their ranks,
and for a moment, victory seemed possible.
...
But then…
The sky, choked with black clouds…
lit up.
A single point of yellow light appeared suddenly.
Then it grew, and grew, and grew…
until the entire battlefield was bathed in its glow.
Everyone—humans and devils alike—looked up.
And descending from the sky… was a being.
Two radiant wings stretched out like the sun.
Golden armor concealed its body.
And a long white veil hid its face.
...
An angel.
Yet… it did not speak. It did not smile. It did not bless anyone.
Instead… it was still.
As if the heavens had sent it to judge, not to fight.
...
One of the soldiers whispered:
– "Is… it on our side?"
But Vadim… felt something else.
Something not of goodness…
A deadly silence fell over the battlefield.
Human soldiers, devils, and the three heroes—all stared at the being that had descended from the sky, its wings and long white veil hiding its face… and its intentions.
Then, with a hoarse voice, one of the devil commanders spoke:
"It's… the Leader."
The Leader? An angel?
Eyes widened, chests trembled, even the sky itself seemed to bow under its presence.
The "angel" slowly raised its right hand.
Its long fingers pointed toward the sky, toward the unmoving black clouds…
And then…
The sky exploded.
But it did not rain water.
Instead… it rained fire.
Flames fell from the heavens like an ancient curse the world had forgotten.
Flames that showed no mercy. Made no distinction. Held no thought.
Soldiers began to scream.
Their bodies charred, their armor melted,
their voices choked in their throats before they turned to ash.
...
"Gaaaaaah!!!"
Vadim screamed as he collapsed, half his body burning as if the sun had clung to him.
Ivan was no better—his entire body was charred, yet somehow, he remained alive.
Only his groans were the last human thing left in him.
As for Sergei… he summoned his shield.
A shimmering blue-green barrier flared around him, quickly expanding to envelop Vadim and Ivan.
– "Hold on… please…"
He gritted his teeth, struggling to endure under the torrent of heavenly fire.
...
Outside the barrier,
hell itself had descended upon the city.
Towers crumbled,
houses exploded,
and soldiers turned to vapor.
Even the devils… those mighty warriors… were not spared.
"Why…?"
Vadim whispered, his eyes burning with tears before the flames.
"Why burn everyone… even his own followers?"
But the angel did not answer.
It simply hovered in the air, silent, its arm raised… as if the verdict had been passed, and the sentence was being carried out.
...
The city's screams began to fade.
Not because they had ended… but because those who had screamed no longer existed.
All that remained… was ash.
And three men… inside a single barrier, burning slowly, for a sin they did not yet know.