The Nation of Azmith was a small desert country overlooked by the Six Sovereign Nations of the Westvein continent. Kingdoms due to its scattered tribes and lack of leadership.
That changed when Aeris, rose to power by uniting the warring tribes and becoming Azmith's first King.
In his first year, he conquered the other small neighboring countries bringing them under him and began implementing his plans on building Azmith's wealth and military.
During the fifth year, he had defeated a Sovereign - one of the six most powerful rulers in the continent earning the title 'The Sovereign Hunter.'
By the tenth year, The Azmith Nation had grown into a powerful nation that rivaled the Great Nations. Aeris declared Azmith the Seventh Great Nation, prompting the other six to unite in a historic alliance.
Together, they waged war against Aeris and the Nation of Azmith sparking the beginning of a war for the supremacy of the continent.
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Chaos. That was the only word that can describe the present scenery...
The castle grounds were stained with fresh blood and piles of corpses in their hundreds. And on the largest stack of corpses sits Aeris Azazael - The King of Azmith.
His gaze was fixed at the other end of the castle where a man clad in golden armor approached. Aeris rested his cheek on his fist wearing a bored expression.
"And who are you supposed to be, the ringleader behind this pitiful attempt of an invasion?"
The man walked with grace before finally stopping a couple feat away from the throne of corpses. He locked eyes with Aeris.
"I do not put it beneath you to recognise the face of a man whose life you've ruined!"
Aeris yawned, "That's mighty gutsy of you to assume that I will waste my time remembering the names and faces of all the bugs I've squashed."
The man grits his teeth, as he points his blade at Aeris, he spoke with a more venomous voice, "How dare you... A foul mouthed savage and nuisance such as yourself sully the name of my Master!"
Aeris chuckled, "Is that the reason you invaded my home with your pathetic army, Revenge?" A devious grin appeared on his face.
"Vengeance is merely the tip of the iceberg. I, Felgrand Licht stand before you, the False Sovereign as the harbinger of your demise." he paused and looks past Aeris at the battle that was raging on. Azmith's army were clashing with his.
"You are a tumor that has soiled the prestige of the Six Great Sovereign Nations for the last time!"
For centuries, Westvein was home to hundreds of nations locked in brutal power struggles. Over time, smaller nations were crushed and absorbed by larger ones. Now, there are less than thirty active countries in the continent.
At the top stood the Six Great Sovereign Nations, dividing most of the continent. Each had vast wealth, strong armies, and powerful rulers. They kept each other in check, preventing any one nation from growing too powerful.
"That balance shattered when a peasant king from the poorest nation murdered the Ruler of Baryan—my master, the Arms Sovereign!" Felgrand roared with fury
Aeris didn't respond right away. He then said, "I remember you. You were the geezer's right-hand man." He laughed like a villain and licked his lips. "He was my first prey."
"You fiend... Master was an honorable man, even in old age. Only scum like you, raised in a dump, would stoop low enough to force a duel on him."
Aeris' body glowed with a dark purple aura. "I targeted him because he was closest. Nothing more. Don't tarnish his name with weak excuses. He accepted my challenge knowing what it meant."
Felgrand had enough. He leapt, leaving a crater behind, blade drawn for Aeris' neck.
"Boring."
Aeris caught the blade between his fingers.
Smack!
A backhand sent Felgrand crashing to the ground. Aeris raised his arm, violet flames coiling around his hand.
"Worms should stay buried. You had your chance. Now burn—Ashen Judgement!"
A torrent of violet flames shot down, exploding on impact and shaking the entire castle.
Ares looks over at the spot he had just bombarded, there was nothing but rubble and ash. The enemy commander was beaten with little to no effort. However, he couldn't help feeling uneasy.
"The alliance is acting strange."
The alliance had staged a simultaneous attack on five of Azmith's territories forcing Areis to divide his armies to send reinforcements. He had figured that the other sovereigns planned to isolate overwhelm him with their numbers. That was the best shot they got at taking him down. So why send a weakling to him?
He frowned, puffing his cheeks. "And I was looking forward to fighting a Sovereign or two. I can't recall the last time I got to go all out. "
Just like his army, Aeris was a battle hungry savage. He thrived on chaos.
He stomped his feet like a child throwing a tantrum. "Maybe I should go find them instead… No, I'll wait for one of the generals to co-"
Swoosh!
A golden blade flashed toward him.
Clank!
Sparks flew as Aeris' scythe blocked the strike. He grinned at Felgrand.
"So the worm's a cockroach. Felgrand, was it? I'm impressed. You survived my Ashen Judgement spell."
Felgrand's eyes burned with fury. "A spell that scorches both body and soul. Fitting for a savage. But I'm your damnation, False Sovereign. I swear it on my title as Arms Sovereign!"
"Oh? Following your master to hell, are you?"
"You'll try and fail!"
Their blades clashed again, power surging in every strike. Neither gave ground. Then they broke apart, leaping back.
Felgrand raised his sword. It became shrouded with a Violet light. Aeris' eyes narrowed. He could feel his Ether coming from the blade.
"Witness the might of my Artifact - The Sacred Blade, Durandal... Divine Reflection!"
The blade burst into violet fire. Felgrand unleashed wave after wave of flaming slashes.
"Flight!" Aeris launched skyward like a black meteor, dodging each strike with ease. Felgrand cursed and attacked faster, but Aeris dodged them all.
"An Artifact that reflects magic? That's a problem… but not for me."
Aeris channeled his aura into his scythe.
"If magic won't work—Aura will!"
He slashed at Felgrand's head.
Clank! Boom!
Their weapons and auras clashed, ripping the sky and shattering castle walls. In a blur, they charged again—too fast to track.
Aeris sidestepped an overhead slash, feinted from the side, and when Felgrand fell for it, he struck his jaw with a hard knuckle. Stunned, Felgrand staggered. The Supreme Sovereign followed with a big swing of his own. Felgrand stepped back, but the black blade still grazed his arm. Blood dripped.
Aeris grinned. "You're in over your head. Becoming a Sovereign means nothing against me."
Felgrand scoffed. "Worry about yourself False Sovereign."
"Blink!"
Felgrand vanished. Aeris spun around—but too late. The greatsword slashed across his chest, spilling blood.
Aeris steadied himself, grinning. "I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart."
Felgrand stepped forward. "Do you know why you'll lose? You were the most feared among the Six. You turned a weak nation into a superpower. But that success made you proud. You've ruled too long. You think you're untouchable. That's your flaw."
He pointed his golden sword at Aeris.
"Today, I'll take everything from you."
Aeris laughed so hard it unsettled Felgrand.
Felgrand frowned. "What's so funny?"
"Heal!"
Golden light wrapped around Aeris. His wound closed. He wiped a tear, sighing.
"You're all the same," he said, lowering his scythe. "You think I underestimate you? Boy, I don't even see you as a threat."
His dark aura surged, stronger than before.
"I am the master of the dark arts, I am the Supreme Sovereign! I am the embodiment of your biggest nightmares... I am Areis god damn Azazel - The Sovereign of Sovereigns. You should rejoice, for I bothered to entertain your little challenge."
Boom! His aura exploded outward, swallowing the battlefield in darkness. The pressure alone bent the air. The ground cracked beneath him.
Felgrand dropped to his knees, coughing blood. His vision blurred. It felt like the aura was alive—like it had a will of its own.
He gritted his teeth. 'So this is the true power of the Supreme Sovereign...'
Aeris walked toward him slowly. His face showed no emotion.
"This game ends now, my blond-headed friend. You made me forget about my boredom even if it was for a short while. But alas, I must usher you to prepare to repent... In hell. "
He stood over Felgrand, who could barely lift his head.
Felgrand's body refused to obey him. His arms trembled. His legs wouldn't move. He looked up and met Aeris's gaze.
The Supreme Sovereign's eyes were cold. Dead.
"As a reward for keeping me entertained, I'll make your death painless."
Felgrand chuckled.
Aeris raised an eyebrow. "Now what? Finally lost it? Don't even think of pleading. My mercy is strictly reserved for my people."
Felgrand didn't answer. He just kept laughing—louder and louder—until he started coughing up more blood.
Then he stopped. And smiled.
Slick!
A black blade thrust through Areis' back sticking out of his chest.
"Checkmate."