The air hung thick with tension as the group faced off against Abellon and the shadowy figures emerging from the dark portal behind him. The forest seemed to hold its breath as Edred, Vnz, Jericho, and Lianne braced themselves for the onslaught. Even Rohanna, still kneeling from her confrontation with Abellon, gritted her teeth and slowly pushed herself back to her feet, refusing to be left out of the fight.
Abellon stood tall, his eyes gleaming with malice as he surveyed the battlefield. The smirk that had faded during Edred's last attack now returned with full force as his dark army assembled around him.
"Now then," Abellon began, his voice cold and authoritative, "shall we continue? Or do you need a moment to catch your breath?"
Edred's grip tightened on his sword, and without a word, he stepped forward, placing himself between his comrades and Abellon's forces. His body still hummed with the golden glow of the Legendary Warrior, a reminder of his newfound strength, but he knew he would need more than brute force to win this battle.
"This ends now, Abellon," Edred said, his voice steady but fierce. "I won't let you or your shadows harm anyone else."
Abellon's laugh echoed through the clearing. "Harm? You misunderstand, Edred. I'm not here to merely harm you. I'm here to obliterate you."
With a snap of his fingers, the shadowy figures sprang into action, charging forward with an eerie, silent speed. Their movements were fluid, almost unnatural, as they closed in on the group.
Edred, reacting with the speed granted by The Assassin skill, moved first. He dashed toward the nearest shadow with incredible agility, his sword slicing through the air. The first shadow fell, dissipating into a puff of dark smoke as Edred's blade cleaved through its form. But for every one he took down, two more seemed to rise from the portal behind Abellon.
Vnz was right beside him, his own sword flashing as he joined the fray. His strikes were precise, each one aimed at disabling the shadows with minimal movement. But as he cut through the shadows, he quickly realized they weren't normal enemies. They moved like liquid, reforming even after they were struck down, their bodies melding back together as though they were made of pure darkness.
Jericho, standing a few paces back, raised his staff high and began chanting, summoning beams of energy that shot out toward the encroaching shadows. The beams collided with the creatures, momentarily stunning them, but like Vnz's strikes, it wasn't enough to stop them completely.
"These things aren't going down easy," Jericho muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.
Lianne, positioned further back, let loose a volley of arrows, each one infused with energy to pierce through the shadowy forms. But even her sharpest shots were met with little success as the shadows seemed to absorb the impact and continue their relentless advance.
"We need a new plan!" Lianne shouted, firing another arrow into the chest of an advancing shadow. "There's too many of them!"
Rohanna, finally back on her feet, wiped blood from her lip and clenched her fists, flames of energy sparking around her hands. "New plan? Here's my plan—burn them all!"
With a roar, Rohanna charged forward, her fists igniting with fiery energy. She punched through the nearest shadow, her fiery strikes sending ripples through the creature's dark form. It howled in agony before disintegrating into nothingness.
For a moment, there was a flicker of hope. The fire seemed to have an effect on the shadows. Rohanna grinned triumphantly, but the celebration was short-lived. As soon as the first shadow fell, two more took its place, their forms even more solid and menacing than before.
"They're adapting!" Vnz shouted, his sword slashing through another shadow that immediately reformed.
Edred, reacting with the speed granted by The Assassin skill, moved first. He dashed toward the nearest shadow with incredible agility, his sword slicing through the air. The first shadow fell, dissipating into a puff of dark smoke as Edred's blade cleaved through its form. But for every one he took down, two more seemed to rise from the portal behind Abellon.
Vnz was right beside him, his own sword flashing as he joined the fray. His strikes were precise, each one aimed at disabling the shadows with minimal movement. But as he cut through the shadows, he quickly realized they weren't normal enemies. They moved like liquid, reforming even after they were struck down, their bodies melding back together as though they were made of pure darkness.
Jericho, standing a few paces back, raised his staff high and began chanting, summoning beams of energy that shot out toward the encroaching shadows. The beams collided with the creatures, momentarily stunning them, but like Vnz's strikes, it wasn't enough to stop them completely.
"These things aren't going down easy," Jericho muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.
Lianne, positioned further back, let loose a volley of arrows, each one infused with energy to pierce through the shadowy forms. But even her sharpest shots were met with little success as the shadows seemed to absorb the impact and continue their relentless advance.
"We need a new plan!" Lianne shouted, firing another arrow into the chest of an advancing shadow. "There's too many of them!"
Rohanna, finally back on her feet, wiped blood from her lip and clenched her fists, flames of energy sparking around her hands. "New plan? Here's my plan—burn them all!"
With a roar, Rohanna charged forward, her fists igniting with fiery energy. She punched through the nearest shadow, her fiery strikes sending ripples through the creature's dark form. It howled in agony before disintegrating into nothingness.
For a moment, there was a flicker of hope. The fire seemed to have an effect on the shadows. Rohanna grinned triumphantly, but the celebration was short-lived. As soon as the first shadow fell, two more took its place, their forms even more solid and menacing than before.
"They're adapting!" Vnz shouted, his sword slashing through another shadow that immediately reformed.
Abellon Unleashes His True Power
Abellon watched the chaos unfold with a bemused expression, clearly enjoying the struggle of his former classmates. He took a step forward, raising his obsidian blade toward Edred.
"I must admit," Abellon said, his voice cutting through the sounds of battle, "I didn't expect you all to last this long. But even with your strength, you're no match for me."
Edred turned his gaze toward Abellon, his jaw clenched in anger. "You haven't seen everything I've got, Abellon."
Abellon's eyes gleamed with dark amusement. "Oh? Then by all means, show me."
Without warning, Edred activated his Legendary Warrior skill once more, his entire body glowing brighter as his strength reached new heights. He charged at Abellon with a roar, his sword raised high. The ground shook beneath his feet as he closed the distance, his golden aura blazing.
But Abellon was ready. With a swift motion, he raised his obsidian blade and met Edred's attack head-on. The impact of their blades clashing sent a shockwave rippling through the battlefield, knocking several trees over and sending dirt and debris flying into the air.
The force of the clash forced both of them back, but neither showed any signs of backing down. Abellon's smirk widened as he effortlessly parried Edred's follow-up strikes, his movements precise and fluid.
"You've gotten stronger," Abellon remarked, blocking another powerful blow from Edred. "But strength alone isn't enough to defeat me."
Edred grunted in frustration as he pushed forward, his strikes growing more intense with each passing moment. But no matter how hard he tried, Abellon seemed to predict his every move, effortlessly dodging or parrying each strike with an almost casual grace.
While Edred kept Abellon occupied, Vnz and Jericho worked together to find a way to deal with the shadowy army. They had been on the defensive for too long, and it was clear that a new strategy was needed if they had any hope of winning.
"We need to cut off the source," Jericho said, his eyes locked on the dark portal still spewing shadows into the clearing. "That portal is feeding them."
Vnz nodded, his sword glowing faintly with energy. "You're right. If we can destroy the portal, they'll stop coming."
Jericho held his staff out in front of him, summoning a concentrated ball of energy between his hands. "I'll handle the portal. You keep them off me while I prepare the spell."
Vnz positioned himself in front of Jericho, his sword at the ready. The shadows, sensing the threat, surged toward them in droves. Vnz met them head-on, his blade flashing as he cut through their ranks. Though they reformed quickly, his strikes kept them at bay long enough for Jericho to focus on his spell.
"Almost there," Jericho muttered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as the energy ball in his hands grew larger and brighter.
Suddenly, one of the shadows slipped past Vnz's defenses, lunging toward Jericho with claws outstretched. Vnz turned just in time, slicing the creature in half before it could reach his friend.
"Stay focused!" Vnz shouted, his voice tense.
Jericho nodded, his concentration unbroken. "Just a little longer!"
Meanwhile, Lianne stood at a distance, her bow drawn and eyes sharp as she watched the battlefield. She had been firing arrows at the shadows, but now she noticed something strange—Abellon's movements.
Though he moved with speed and precision, there were small moments, brief pauses, where his focus seemed to waver. His gaze would dart toward the portal for just a split second before returning to the fight.
"He's connected to the portal," Lianne whispered to herself, her mind racing. "If we can break his connection…"
She readied an arrow, this one infused with more energy than any she had fired before. Taking a deep breath, she aimed for the brief moment when Abellon's attention would shift toward the portal again.
There! His gaze flickered for a split second, and Lianne released the arrow.
It soared through the air with a sharp whistle, aimed directly at Abellon's heart.
But just as the arrow was about to strike, Abellon's eyes widened, and with a speed that defied logic, he twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the arrow. It grazed his armor, leaving a shallow cut along his side, but the smirk on his face faded. He had felt the danger in that shot.
"Nice try," Abellon said, his tone colder now. "But you'll need more than that to kill me."
Lianne's heart raced as she realized just how close she had come to hitting him. But the look in Abellon's eyes told her something else—he was no longer as confident as before. There was a crack in his composure.
Jericho's spell was finally ready. The ball of energy in his hands pulsed with raw power, casting a bright light across the clearing. With a determined shout, Jericho thrust the energy ball toward the portal.
It shot through the air like a comet, slamming into the dark portal with explosive force. The portal trembled, the dark energy surrounding it flickering and destabilizing.
The shadowy creatures shrieked in unison, their forms growing more erratic as the portal began to collapse in on itself. One by one, the shadows disintegrated, their connection to the portal severed.
Abellon's eyes widened in fury as he saw his army falling apart. "No!" he shouted, his voice filled with rage. He turned toward Jericho, his obsidian blade raised, ready to strike him down.
But Edred was faster. With a burst of energy, he charged at Abellon, his sword crashing against the obsidian blade with a deafening clang.
"You're not going anywhere!" Edred growled, pushing Abellon back.
Abellon's smirk returned, though now tinged with frustration. "You're a fool, Edred. You think you've won just because you destroyed my shadows?"
Edred narrowed his eyes, his sword glowing with the power of the Legendary Warrior. "This is just the beginning."
With the portal destroyed and the shadows vanquished, the real battle between Edred and Abellon was about to begin. Abellon's power was immense, but Edred knew he had the strength of his friends and the skills he had honed over the years on his side.
As the two warriors faced off once more, the fate of the world hung in the balance.
To be continued...