Since coming here, Asura had truly enjoyed himself. The thrill of battle, long buried in the monotony of television scrolling, was now reignited over the last few days. He grinned as he ran for his life, Kane slung over his shoulder. "You know," he panted between strides, "this has actually been fun. I really enjoyed hanging out with you. I haven't—"
"Are you seriously getting sappy right now?" Wain shot him an incredulous look, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "We have a giant serpent on our heels, and you're over here telling me how great of a friend I am?" Wain winced, his lungs burning with every breath.
Asura barked out a laugh, the sound carried away by the explosions of rubble smashing around them. "What else are we supposed to do?"
"Oh, I don't know—" Wain sucked in a deep breath. His legs screamed for rest, but the thought of stopping never even crossed his mind. Sweat dripped into his eyes, but he kept sprinting, matching Asura's inhuman pace. "—maybe focus on surviving!"
The ground trembled violently. Asura risked a glance over his shoulder and cursed. Jormungandr coiled and slammed his massive body down, the sheer force cracking the earth beneath them. Buildings trembled and collapsed, a tidal wave of rubble crashing down like dominos.
"He's recovered!" Wain shouted, nearly losing his footing as the asphalt split open beneath him. Loose debris scattered around them, making every step a fight to stay upright. But there was no other path. They had to keep moving forward. "How far?" Asura called. "Close," Wain said. He knew the distance but did not dare to say it.
"Alright." Trusting his friend, Asura ran, knowing the serpent would catch them. Behind them, the golem lumbered forward, keeping close despite its massive size. Ash groaned in its grasp, jolted by each thunderous step. "Let me down," he muttered weakly. A sharp pain stabbed at his side with every jerk.
Asura rolled his eyes. "You should've moved when we told you." Ash tried to fire back, but his consciousness slipped. "You f—" The pain had taken its toll.
A piercing shriek split the air, an ear-splitting scream that drilled into their skulls, into their souls. A noise that would never be forgotten. Jormungandr's screech rattled the world itself. Asura winced but turned to check on Wain, finding him sprinting with unwavering focus. Blood ran down the priest's neck from his ears, but he made no effort to wipe it away. He only ran.
Asura's respect for the man seemed to only grow when he witnessed Wain's determination. He was always willing to risk everything for the sake of others.
Purple lightning rained from the heavens, striking the ruined city with explosive force. The road ahead was a storm of devastation. There was no avoiding it, only pushing through. It would take a miracle to avoid the whipping storm. Asura watched as a bolt of lightning struck a large complex building, sending a shower of rubble upon them. Fortunately, the sheer force of the strike vaporized most of the debris, leaving only hail-sized fragments to pelt their bodies.
"Wain! If all goes to shit, run. I'll get his attention." Asura said. He shielded Kane with his body, pulling him close. The shards smacked against the back of his head.
"Asura—" Wain tried to answer. The sound of an avalanche roared behind them. The deep, thunderous boom of a mountain tearing itself apart as rocks fell onto one another in a cascading ripple. Buildings crumbled, the shattering of glass and metal echoing like the cry of a city's death. Wain pushed onward. Even if people survived this, if they hadn't bought into the Temple's insurance… How would they live after? He thought. They would be abandoned simply because they had less money than others.
Then came the voice. Deep. Crawling. Echoing in their minds. "You wound me in such a cowardly way." It paused, hissing at one particular person with venomous words. "Is this the proud Asura? Is this how a warrior fights? The once-great has fallen to the ranks of a common thief."
"Where is thy pride?" He roared, pounding the words into their skull like nails. "Ha! I see why you were cast out. Why your kindred abandoned you. Even among your own, you held no worth. This is why you are the last of your kind."
"A coward till the end."
Asura's fists clenched so tightly that his nails bit into his palms. Rage seethed beneath his skin. "I really want to fuck him up," he growled. "A fucking worm dares to talk like he knows something. You know nothing about what happened." He could barely utter the words through his tight jaw, his grinding teeth. Holy fire flickered in his mouth. He held it there, tasting the heat.
"Oh, but I do," the voice slithered. "Were you not cast out? Do I lie?" It taunted, knowing he was not. "Your heart softened. You became weak. Disgusting." Every word echoed in Asura's ears.
"Where is thy king? Did he spare you? No. There was no pardon. You were discarded."
Wain's voice cut through the devil's words. "Don't fall for his taunts!" His friend's eyes were wide with worry, afraid that he might fall for the trap. "I fucking know," Asura slowly muttered each word, his voice boiling. Fire seeped between Asura's teeth. His eyes burned, erratically shaking. He looked like a beast on the verge of snapping. His grip on Kane tightened involuntarily, the unconscious man groaning in pain.
"Asura, you're hurting him!" Wain shouted. With effort, Asura loosened his hold, but the anger didn't fade. He wanted to turn back. His fingers wanted nothing more than to feel the sensation of the serpents' flesh tearing from their grip. But that was exactly what the monster wanted. A serpent's silver tongue could persuade an angel to fall from grace.
Before them, a blockade of crushed cars and rubble loomed, nearly three times their height. Asura opened his mouth to suggest going around, but the golem surged forward. Without hesitation, it swung its massive leg back and obliterated an opening with a single, earth-shaking kick.
"Man, you're really handy," Asura said. His tone dripping with sarcasm. Wain wheezed out a dry laugh. "Don't—make me laugh—you bastard. It hurts."
The low rumble behind them deepened, growing closer. Jormungandr was gaining. The scent of mana thickened, making Asura's nose wrinkle. The ogre glanced over his shoulder, his eyes locking onto the purple flames swirling deep within Jormungandr's throat once more. "Shit."
A bolt of purple lightning struck between them. The impact detonated, tearing the ground apart and sending them flying as the force punched into their chest. Asura lost his grip on Kane, the man tumbling into a wall. Wain crashed onto the pavement, gripping his ribs as he forced himself upright. Blood spilled from his mouth. His vision blurred, his ears rang, but he moved.
Jormungandr's mana swelled. The fire inside its throat raged like an inferno, a roaring furnace, ready to be unleashed. Asura pushed himself up, stumbling as he reached for Kane. The three fought to regain their pace and chase after the golem that had already left them in the dust. They're dead. Asura's body numbed from the thought.
But then, water burst from beneath the serpent's head. Jormungandr's gaze shot to a nearby rooftop, where Rose and Mel stood, both wearing knowing smiles. He hissed in frustration, realizing he had been outwitted once more. Black, writhing liquid erupted like a geyser. The black water shot forth from the earth, slamming into the underside of the serpent's head.
Jormungandr's jaws snapped, the purple mana fire gone, but his fury remained a raging, unextinguishable flame. He rose, a titan pushing against the sky, his eyes surveying the devastation he'd wrought. A snarl contorted his lips, fangs gleaming, as a deep, resonant roar shook the very air.
"I grow tired of your antics." His eyes glared down at those who dared to defy him. "I loathe your existence. Pathetic creatures, clawing for survival! There is no God to save you!"
The apocalyptic dragon opened its maw, its throat unleashing another ear-piercing roar. "I am your God! The god of death! And I shall grant you my mercy!"
Above, the storm swirled, his will manifesting in its violent rage. Purple fire ignited once more in his throat, but this time, he did not condense it. He unleashed it. The flames roared forth, consuming the buildings in a tide of flames crafted from quotidian mana. Rose and Mel's eyes widened in horror. Wain, in contrast, simply turned aside, his gaze a flat, knowingly tired look.
He pulled an herb from his pocket, smoking it for the last time. He whispered, "Brother, I only regret leaving you alone in this war." His eyes saddened as he looked at Asura. "I wish we had forged one last blade together…"
The purple sea of fire melted steel and stone, turning structures into molten sludge. Mel raised the portal piece high, charging it with mana. An unstable hymn hummed from the black stone in her hands as deep fissures crawled across its surface. With the last of her strength, she hurled it toward Jormungandr's exposed underbelly.
The serpent observed, then recoiled, its body whipping away from the bomb's trajectory with snake's striking speed. It had set a cunning lure.
The black stone, in its ascent, found its seams undone. Its pieces cleaved at the cracks. Lightning, like fractured veins, pulsed between the shards. At its core, a golden fire bloomed within, hungrily drawing in rubble. At its heart, a golden fire was born, a hungry infant star. It reached out with unseen hands, drawing in the city's remains. Then, it unleashed its full power, a slow expanding sun of golden fire that devoured what it touched.
Mel screamed as the golden flames seared her flesh. Her right arm burned from the intense holy mana, the scorching heat leaving third-degree burns across her right side. Rose yanked her from the fire as their building was consumed by the inferno.
Determined to survive, she raced against the flames, her eyes searching for an escape. An opening on the left led to the roof of another building. But before Rose could leap, the flames pushed into her back.
She screamed in agony but managed to jump, clutching Mel in her arms. The two Paladins crashed onto the sloped roof, slick from the rain. They slid, desperately scrambling for a grip but finding none. In a panic, Rose threw her arm forward, her tattoo ripping away from the skin and solidifying. The large metal ball slammed into the surface, embedding itself deep within. She grabbed the chain with one hand, anchoring herself, while with the other, she clutched Mel, barely saving her from the fall.
Asura watched in horror as Mel and Rose were scorched by the flames. His mind raced, his surroundings blurring as Wain's familiar words echoed in his ears. They had been repeated so many times, like a haunting memory, burned into his mind, playing over and over again. I remember those words. Why?
Jormungandr howled in pain as he snapped his mouth shut. The explosion clipped his underside, exposing scorched flesh and muscle. The skin hung loosely along his stomach, his ribcage visible beneath the torn tissue. Blood poured down the street in a waterfall of crimson, forming a river beneath the serpent.
As Asura's mind reeled from Wain's words, a long-buried memory surfaced. It was as if the past had been locked away, but now, the walls within his mind cracked. Waves of emotion crashed over him as he relived his forgotten past.
The ogre stood amidst the chaos of clattering blades, whistling arrows, and the roar of dragons on a battlefield. He wore red enchanted leather armor that fit snuggly to his large body. The light, flexible armor allowed for nimble movements, while the quotidian mana enchantment shielded him from most blades. In his four hands, he wielded a combination of weapons, two one-handed axes in his upper hands and two long daggers in his lower. Across his back, a black scythian bow rested, accompanied by a quiver that would only release its arrows when pulled by his hand.
As he surveyed his surroundings, confusion settled in, but with it came a swelling urge. An unshakable will to defeat his enemies. All around him, hundreds of ogres, orcs, cyclops, and goblins clashed fiercely with an army of hundreds of dragons, giants, and shadows. His kind's red skin was visible from any distance, making the battle easy to track. Black dragons swooped down, their claws tearing into the flesh of the orcs, while the ground shook under the weight of giants charging forward, crushing anything in their path.
The cries of dying orcs echoed through the air, sending a chill down Asura's spine. Above, two red predators soared, their vast forms casting shadows that darkened the ground. Their red scales shimmered, and their leathery wings moved with silent power. Their orange eyes, cold and predatory, scanned the scene. Red dragons. The pair of red dragons unleashed waves of fire, consuming cyclops and goblins alike, who fought firmly against their towering aggressors. Even after watching their comrades die, they charged, unafraid of a meeting with death.
The earth itself seemed to burn beneath the dragons' flames, leaving no trace of life in their wake. Yet, the orcs roared with fury. The largest among the orcs hurled a spear into the eye of one of the colossal red dragons. The beast howled in pain, flailing its head, but before it could escape, Ullrac leaped onto its back, swinging a large black sword with all his strength. The blade cleaved through the dragon's throat, and its body crashed to the ground, its head severed.
The orcs erupted in chorus, their voices thunderous as they cried, "DRAGON KILLER ULLRAC!" The massive orc stood taller than the rest, his braided black hair cascading down his back. He wore the same armor as Asura, though his waist was adorned with a belt made from the teeth of fallen orcs.
To outsiders, it might have seemed barbaric to carry the teeth of one's kin into battle, but to the orcs, it was a sacred tradition. They believed their ancestors' spirits gave them strength in battle, protecting them from harm. "FOR OUR KING WE FIGHT!" Ullrac bellowed, rallying the orcs as they pressed on against the dragons.
The giants advanced next, and Asura quickly identified them as two distinct types, each representing their own clan. The fire giants had black skin and wore only dark red metal armor on their chests and heads. They believed that covering their limbs was a sign of weakness. If they lost a limb, it was because they lacked the skill to defend it. Their bodies were furnaces, radiating an inexhaustible heat like a burning coal fire.
The frost giants, with skin as blue as ice, exuded a frosty aura, their mana leaking from their bodies to coat their flesh in a thin layer of frost. Their bodies were covered in tattoos depicting dire wolves and mammoths, symbols of their strength and accomplishments. Their armor was made of leather and dirty white wool, suited for the frigid climate they called home.
With every step, their immense mana radiated outward, and lava bubbled up beneath the fire giants, while the ground froze under the frost giants' feet. Towering over the smaller creatures, the giants struck with brutal force, their weapons cutting down ogres, goblins, and orcs alike. Their colossal hammers crushed the ogres, while axes cleaved through anything in their path.
Asura sheathed his daggers and axes. Then drew his bow from his back, the long, polished wood feeling familiar in his grip. He nocked an arrow and aimed it at the head of a fire giant. With a swift release, the arrow pierced the giant's helmet and skull, emerging from the other side. The giant collapsed, its enormous body hitting the ground with a deafening crash. But the arrow continued its path, sinking deep into the head of a frost giant behind.
Cheers erupted from his people as they pressed on, their spirits unbreakable as they fought back the tide of teeth and blades. The battle continued without end, the air heavy with the sounds of slaughter. Thousands descended the hillside, their cries merging into a grim chorus, drowned out by the pursuit of victory. Blood soaked the earth beneath them, but neither side was willing to bow.
The dragons, relentless in their assault, fought from both the skies and the ground, swooping down to tear into the ogre kingdom's forces. Asura's eyes narrowed as he pulled another arrow, this time aiming for a white dragon diving toward Ullrac. The arrow flew true, piercing the dragon's wing and driving into its skull. With a sickening thunk, the beast fell, its wings folding as it crashed to the earth, toppling onto a giant.
Ullrac wasted no time, driving his spear into the giant's head, killing it in a single strike. The orcs erupted in cheers once again, their voices filled with triumph. As the battle raged on, Asura lost track of how many dragons and giants he had slain.
With his agile frame, he scaled several towering giants, striking swiftly at their necks with his blades. Leaping from the giants' crumpling forms, he hurled himself with daggers outstretched at the dragons soaring overhead, sinking the blades deep into their necks. The metal tore through, leaving two wide gashes, and while some dragons fought to stay aloft, their end was inevitable with such mortal wounds.
The carnage raged on, and a sense of victory crept through the battlefield. But then, dark figures appeared, riding steeds of whisping shadow. The knights of Orthos had arrived. The three riders and their horses stormed across the field, their forms resembling swirling nebulae, bodies woven from stardust and celestial matter, shaping themselves into imposing humanoid figures.
One donned ethereal armor of red and black, the metal shimmering with stars that mirrored the night sky, each gleaming with the symbol of the knight's house. The stars formed an image, one of a ram. In its hand, it gripped a spear wreathed in flames, thrusting it into the hearts of those it mercilessly passed, leaving them to wither away as the flames burned bright.
The next was clad in black and brown armor, bearing the stars that shaped a scorpion. The knight wielded a chain tipped with a deadly long curved blade. With cruel efficiency, it slung the weapon, tearing through the chests of warriors. Their screams abruptly silenced as the venom coating its tip took hold, sending them writhing to the ground, foam bubbling from their lips.
In dark blue and seafoam green metal, the third knight moved like a dancer, two daggers flashing in deadly arcs. Their movements were a mesmerizing ballet of death, beautiful yet brutally efficient, a dance that would leave even the succubi breathless. A shadow of sorrow lingered in its stars, a hint of regret for the lives extinguished. In its armor, the stars took the shape of two fish, dancing alongside each other.
Ullrac met the Knight of Scorpio in battle, their weapons clashing with the force of titans. The orc's spear met the knight's blade with skillful precision, and the two fought a battle of wills, neither gaining an advantage over the other. Ullrac's laughter, a raw, joyful sound, startled the knight as their faces neared, his eyes burning with an intense, delighted flame.
The battle pushed against Asura, a sea of enemies that forced him away. He carved his path through, each strike fueled by his need to reach his friend. But a voice stopped him in his tracks. "They have arrived!" a cyclops cried out from behind Asura. "The human king has come!"
Asura turned, his gaze falling upon an army cresting the hill. Their golden armor, bathed in sunlight, shimmered like a divine blessing. The earth trembled with their approach as if Judex Divinum himself heralded the arrival of their king. A flag bearer, displaying seven swords piercing the crown of a king, sat astride a horse, and Asura's eyes widened in awe.
At the army's heart rode a man upon a dark brown horse, its silver polished armor gleaming. His own copper armor, though worn and scarred, spoke of battles endured. He gripped a simple silver two-handed long axe, its polished blade catching the light. His brown hair and beard danced in the wind, but his blue eyes held a steady, unwavering flame. He raised his axe, and his voice, clear and strong, echoed across the battlefield.
"FORWARD! Aid our allies, The Kingdom of Terranox Cinderthar, who bleed for our cause! They fight for our kin, for every mother, father, sibling, and child! They stand against their own, against the darkness, with unwavering resolve! They do not yield, they do not retreat, they fight for us!"
"Do you feel no shame? They endure the horrors of war while we bask in the safety they provide! They fight with a love that knows no bounds, so we may live, so we are not butchered like beasts! Then go! Fight for them as they fight for us! For Judex Divinum, and for his glory!"
The human army answered with a deafening cry, their charge a tidal wave of motion. The earth thundered under their hooves, a war drum that shook the very air, igniting a fresh fire in Asura's people. The scales tipped. The king's presence had changed the balance of power.
With a disregard for his own safety, the copper knight plunged into the fray, leading the army's charge. As he approached, Asura's gaze locked onto him. Recognition struck like a blow. It was Abel. The king of man.