{FLASHBACK}
TAP!
TAP!
TAP!
Gunfire echoed across the battlefield as soldiers marched forward, their weapons blazing.
KRATATATA! KRAA!!
KRATATATA!!! KRAA!!!!
Bullets tore through the air, striking down grotesque creatures with bipedal forms, translucent black bodies, and jagged, gaping maws. They had no eyes, no noses—just empty voids where their features should have been. These were the Void Creatures, an apocalyptic force that had invaded Nova Terra two decades ago. Beings of pure destruction, they plundered worlds and consumed them, leaving behind only emptiness.
Amidst the chaos, Xandros Darkhaven stood tall, leading his battalion with unwavering determination.
"Hold the formation! Don't let those creatures break through!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the gunfire.
Tapping the communication device on his left earlobe, he issued a rapid order. "James, I need mana missiles prepped and real-time data on all functioning teleportation devices—now."
"Roger that, Commander!" James' voice crackled through the device before the line cut off.
Without wasting a second, Xandros switched channels and called the Alliance. "I need backup ASAP."
He ended the call abruptly and charged forward, his gun blazing. Each shot struck true, fueled by fury and an unrelenting will to survive. The creatures came in endless waves, swarming like locusts, their numbers seemingly infinite. Some fell instantly, while others persisted, their twisted forms absorbing the damage before finally disintegrating into dust.
A bead of sweat trickled down Xandros' brow.
At this rate, the walls will fall.
"Soldiers! Fall back and hold formation! We give these bastards a taste of their own medicine!" he bellowed.
"Commander, are we deploying the mana missiles?" James' voice returned, laced with urgency.
"Yes, James! We have no other choice. These things are like cockroaches—damn near impossible to put down. If we don't act now, the walls will be breached!" Xandros growled, his grip tightening around his weapon. "Get those missiles ready and fire on my signal!"
"Roger, Commander!" James responded with a salute before rushing off.
The battle raged on.
KRAA!
KRATATATA!!
Xandros weaved through the chaos, gunning down enemies with ruthless efficiency. Each shot found its mark—heads, chests, throats. When bullets weren't enough, he wielded his mana-infused knives with lethal precision. His every move spoke of dominance, his gaze a predator's stare. To the void creatures, he was not prey—he was their executioner.
A sudden voice crackled in his comm.
"Commander, the missiles are ready!"
Xandros smirked, eyes gleaming.
"Light them up at my signal," he ordered.
"Roger that!"
Xandros sprinted back to the formation, his soldiers awaiting orders. The moment he reached them, he raised his fist and gave the command.
"NOW!"
The ground shook as the mana missiles launched into the battlefield.
BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!
Mushroom clouds of fire and destruction erupted, engulfing the battlefield in a cataclysmic inferno. The creatures screeched in agony as the mana-infused blasts obliterated them to nothingness. When the dust settled, nothing remained of the void creatures.
Silence.
Then—cheers erupted from the soldiers.
Xandros exhaled deeply, the weight of the battle lifting from his shoulders. "Let's go home, soldiers," he said with relief.
But just as the troops prepared to march, the air twisted and cracked open.
From the depths of the void, a single figure emerged.
Draped in silver armor, its form was eerily human-like, yet unmistakably void-born. It exuded an overwhelming presence, a suffocating aura of power.
Xandros' heart sank. His eyes widened in recognition.
"Oh crap... it's a Void General."
The soldiers froze in fear. Then—panic.
"Retreat! Get back to base—NOW!" Xandros shouted.
Not a single soldier hesitated. They turned and ran, abandoning all thoughts of victory.
The Void General Borah watched them with an amused smirk, eyes gleaming with mockery and cruelty.
"Run, little monkeys," he taunted, his voice like silk laced with venom. "Run while you still can."
With effortless grace, he lifted his sword, infusing it with a dark, swirling energy. Then, in a single, languid swing—
A massive, scythe-like arc of void energy tore through the battlefield.
A horrific silence followed.
Then—thousands of heads rolled to the ground.
Expressions of terror and disbelief were frozen on their lifeless faces.
The battlefield, once alive with cheers of victory, was now nothing more than a graveyard.
Xandros watched in growing horror as the battlefield was littered with the bodies of his fallen comrades. His hands clenched into fists, anger and helplessness swirling within him.
But he refused to give in.
"James!" he barked into his comm. "Get me the Mana Suit—NOW!"
James hesitated. "But sir, it's still a prototype! The risk of mana poisoning is too high—please reconsider, Commander!"
Xandros exhaled sharply, his resolve unshaken. "We have no choice, James. I'd rather die fighting than run like a coward while my men are slaughtered."
James knew there was no changing his mind. With a reluctant salute, he produced a small, cube-like structure—the Mana Suit. Xandros grabbed it without hesitation and sprinted toward the Void General, his expression fierce.
"Activate Mana Suit."
The cube pulsed with energy before latching onto his chest, spreading across his body in a silver metallic sheen. A sleek, sci-fi helmet formed around his head, and in his hands, a katana materialized, gleaming with raw mana.
He lunged toward Borah in a deadly arc.
CLANG!
The clash of metal sent shockwaves across the battlefield. The pressure alone was so intense that nearby soldiers collapsed unconscious from its sheer weight.
The Void General sneered. "Pathetic human. You dare raise your sword against me?"
Xandros met his glare, unflinching. "Shut up, monster. Your breath stinks."
Borah's eyes burned with fury. "YOU DARE MOCK ME? I SHALL SHOW YOU THE WRATH OF BORAH THE DESTROYER!"
Dark energy surged around him, distorting the very air.
Xandros braced himself, activating a mana shield through his suit, but Borah's aura still sent him skidding back several feet.
Shit. This guy is insanely strong. I need to buy time for reinforcements.
Borah didn't give him the chance. In a blink, he closed the distance, his scythe flashing toward Xandros' neck in a lethal arc.
CLANG!
Xandros barely blocked, gritting his teeth as his arms trembled under the force. Gritting his teeth, he countered with a devastating punch aimed at Borah's solar plexus.
CRACK!
Borah's eyes widened as he was sent hurtling through mountains, debris scattering in his wake.
But Xandros wasn't done.
He blurred forward, appearing behind Borah in an instant. Without hesitation, he drop-kicked his skull.
BOOM!
The impact shook the ground, sending Borah crashing into the earth.
Now's my chance. I can't let him regenerate.
Xandros raised his hands, channeling 70% of the Mana Suit's energy into a single, devastating attack.
"MANA CANNON!"
The air crackled as a blazing blue beam erupted from his palms, tearing through the battlefield and slamming into the crater where Borah lay.
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion engulfed the area, fire and smoke rising in a towering inferno.
Xandros exhaled, feeling a flicker of relief.
"Phew~. Guess I didn't really need reinforcements after all."
A deep, guttural laugh echoed through the smoke.
"HAHAHAHA! You're quite ferocious for a monkey."
Xandros' breath hitched. His eyes widened in horror.
Through the haze, Borah emerged—completely unharmed. His silver armor gleamed, not a single scratch marring its surface.
"Shit."
Before he could react, Borah vanished.
A cold breath whispered against his ear.
"Playtime's over, monkey."
Xandros twisted instinctively, bringing his katana up just in time to block a decapitating slash. The impact sent him flying. He crashed through two mountains, tumbling across the rubble.
WHEEZE! COUGH!
Blood dripped from his lips as he gasped for air.
Before he could recover, Borah was already on him, his boot aimed for Xandros' head.
Xandros' instincts flared. He rolled aside at the last second, using a burst of mana to propel himself into the air. But Borah was relentless—he appeared mid-air and slammed a punch into Xandros' gut.
BOOM!
The sheer force ruptured the air, sending Xandros crashing into another mountain.
His vision blurred.
This bastard isn't even giving me a chance to breathe.
Before he could curse, Borah swung his scythe in a deadly arc toward his midsection.
In a last-ditch effort, Xandros stepped onto the scythe, using it as leverage to flip backward and gain distance. He hurled mana bombs toward Borah's face, hoping to create an opening.
But Borah merely grinned.
In a blur, he sliced through every single bomb, detonating them behind him.
BOOM! BOOM!
When the smoke cleared, Borah stood there unscathed, his scythe resting casually on his shoulder.
He smirked.
As if to say, "Just give up."
Xandros gritted his teeth.
Why is this motherf**ker posing mid-battle?!
His fists trembled with frustration.
Focus, Xan. You can do this.
All he had to do was hold on for thirty more minutes.
Reinforcements were coming.
He just had to survive.