Chapter 14: The Fall of the Indomitable
Noah flexed his fingers, feeling the raw power coursing through his veins. The emblem's effect was beyond his expectations—his body felt lighter, his senses sharper, and his grip had crushed solid iron like paper.
He exhaled, suppressing his amazement. Now wasn't the time for distractions.
His gaze shifted to Zyrex, whose expression was unreadable beneath the tangle of unkempt hair. Only his sharp, black eyes were visible, locked onto Noah with wariness and confusion. His body remained tense, every muscle alert, his chains clinking slightly as he shifted.
He didn't know.
He had no idea Noah was here to save him.
Noah grabbed the thick chains binding Zyrex's limbs and clenched his fists. The metal groaned, twisted, and shattered like brittle glass in his grasp. A surge of power coursed through him, his golden eyes glowing with a draconic radiance—just like them.
With the chains broken, Zyrex collapsed forward, hitting the cold, unforgiving ground with a dull thud. His body was frail—too thin, his skin stretched over sharp bones, a stark reminder of the torment he had endured.
Noah moved to help him up, reaching out—
But before he could, Zyrex's weary eyes snapped open, and in a desperate burst of energy, he jerked away, stumbling back. His breath was ragged, his movements sluggish but defensive, like a cornered beast.
His gaze locked onto Noah, suspicion burning through his exhaustion.
"Who are you?" he demanded, voice hoarse but sharp.
Noah straightened his posture, his glowing golden eyes steady as he looked at Zyrex. There was no hesitation in his voice, no explanations—just a simple, firm statement.
"No questions. Let's get you out of here first."
Zyrex's body tensed, his black eyes sharp with suspicion. His instincts screamed at him—trust no one. He had learned that lesson the hard way, through pain, through betrayal, through the cold grip of iron shackles.
Yet, as he stared at the figure before him, something felt… different. The way this stranger spoke, the way he carried himself—it wasn't pity, nor was it some twisted kindness. It was certainty. Like he had already decided Zyrex was leaving, whether he agreed or not.
His limbs were weak, his body exhausted from years of torment, but his mind remained unbroken. He narrowed his eyes.
"And if I refuse?" Zyrex asked, his voice hoarse, but laced with defiance.
Noah's golden eyes bore into Zyrex, unwavering and firm. "Do you really want to keep living in this hell?" His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable weight, a challenge that cut through the silence like a blade.
Zyrex clenched his fists. His body was weak, trembling from exhaustion, but his mind… his mind still burned with defiance. He had endured agony beyond reason, suffered beneath the hands of monsters who called themselves men. And yet, even now, escape felt like a distant dream—something too good to be true.
His black eyes flickered with uncertainty. Was this real? Could he really leave?
His throat was dry, his voice barely more than a whisper. "…Fine."
It wasn't confidence. It wasn't trust. But it was enough.
The underground chamber trembled. Dust and debris crumbled from the ceiling as the aftermath of Tenebris' last attack settled. Across from him, Darius pushed himself out of the shattered wall, coughing as he wiped the blood trickling from his mouth. His sword arm trembled—whether from pain or something far deeper, he wasn't sure.
Tenebris stood in the center of the tunnel, completely unfazed. His sleeves were still lazily rolled up, revealing his forearms—one of which was coated in black, gleaming dragon scales. His golden eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, watching Darius with an almost… bored expression.
Darius gritted his teeth. 'This monster… he's not even taking this seriously.'
He tightened his grip on his sword, steadying his breath. "Guess I'll have to make you take me seriously."
Tenebris tilted his head slightly, amused. "Oh?"
And then, Darius moved.
"You're still standing?" Tenebris remarked, tilting his head slightly. "That's unexpected."
Darius let out a short, dry chuckle. "I'm not that easy to kill." He straightened his stance, rolling his shoulders as a heavy pressure began to build around him.
Tenebris narrowed his eyes slightly.
A low hum resonated in the air as Darius tightened his grip on his longsword. The wounds on his body didn't matter. The pain didn't matter. As long as he remained conscious—
"Last Stand—Indomitable Will."
A silent force exploded from his body. His posture straightened, his aura sharpened, and the overwhelming exhaustion from before seemed to vanish like mist under the sun. Tenebris observed, unimpressed but intrigued.
"That skill," Tenebris muttered, watching as Darius' movements became sharper, more precise.
Darius didn't respond. He simply vanished from sight.
A sharp glint of steel.
Tenebris leaned back slightly as Darius' sword barely missed his throat. The strike was faster than before, far more refined. The wall behind Tenebris was cut cleanly as the blade passed.
"Interesting," Tenebris mused, dodging another flurry of attacks, his movements fluid and effortless.
Darius, now relentless, pursued him with vicious strikes, his sword singing through the air. His injuries no longer slowed him down. His attacks never hesitated.
Tenebris smirked. "Alright. Let's see how long that willpower of yours lasts."
He stopped dodging.
Darius' sword came down—
And Tenebris caught it.
With one hand.
The metal groaned under the sheer force of his grip. Darius' eyes widened as he struggled to push forward, but it was futile.
Tenebris leaned in slightly. "What happens when your body refuses to break—"
The air trembled.
"—but your enemy refuses to stop?"
Darius clenched his teeth. His grip tightened.
And then—Tenebris crushed the blade in his hand.
The clang of shattering steel echoed through the underground chamber as Tenebris crushed Darius' sword in his grip, letting the fragments fall to the floor.
"That's the problem with your kind," Tenebris remarked, golden eyes gleaming through the black mist. "You rely too much on weapons. What now, Grand General?"
Darius exhaled, staring at his broken sword before tossing the hilt aside. A grin tugged at his lips.
"You think this is over?" he muttered, rolling his shoulders.
"Oh? You still want to fight?"
"I don't break."
Then he moved—faster than before. His fist slammed into Tenebris' stomach, followed by another, then another. Each strike carried the full force of his Indomitable Will, the floor cracking beneath them. Tenebris barely shifted.
"You're persistent," Tenebris noted, catching Darius' wrist mid-strike. Before Darius could react, Tenebris twisted his arm and slammed him into the ground, the impact leaving a crater. Dust exploded into the air.
Darius coughed, blood dripping from his mouth, but when Tenebris pinned him down with a foot to his chest, he smirked.
Tenebris sighed, lifting his foot. "How long can you keep that up?"
Darius clenched his fist, his body screaming in pain—but he still wasn't done.
"Tch… I didn't want to use this shitty skill—"
Darius' body convulsed, veins bulging as a surge of raw power tore through him. His muscles expanded, his frame growing by several feet. The red glow in his eyes darkened as his breaths turned into low, guttural growls.
His speed skyrocketed—one second he was on the ground, the next, he was right in front of Tenebris. His fist shot forward with monstrous force.
Tenebris blocked with one arm but frowned slightly as the impact pushed him back a step.
"Oh?" Tenebris muttered, intrigued. "This might actually be interesting."
But Darius wasn't listening anymore. His rationality was gone, replaced by pure instinct—the kind that sought only destruction.
Darius's rampage shook the underground tunnels, his massive frame tearing through stone and steel alike. His movements were no longer human—wild, unrestrained, pure destruction. With a guttural roar, he lunged at Tenebris, his sword carving through the air like a reaper's scythe.
Tenebris sidestepped effortlessly. The wall behind him exploded into rubble as Darius's blade carved deep into it, sending dust and debris flying. Without hesitation, Darius swung again, this time faster, stronger—his power had truly surpassed human limits.
But it didn't matter.
Tenebris sighed. "Tch. Boring."
The next instant, he moved.
A single strike—too fast for Darius's rampaging mind to register—slammed into his chest. The force shattered his last shred of resistance, sending him crashing into the ground with a deafening impact. The floor beneath cracked, dust billowing into the air as silence fell.
Darius lay there, gasping, his enhanced body refusing to give out just yet. His bloodied eyes flickered with defiance.
Tenebris stepped forward, looking down at him. "You had the strength, but you let it consume you." He turned away. "A shame. Death would be a mercy, but you don't deserve that."
And with that, he walked past the fallen general, leaving him broken on the cold stone floor.
To be continued-