The battlefield rang with the clash of steel and the roar of voices, but in Noelle's mind, there was only silence-an echo of the promise she had made.
I promise, Father. I promise I will win, no matter what. I will obey all of your words.
The memory burned in her chest as her vision blurred. She realized, with a hollow ache, that she was lying on the ground. Her body throbbed with pain. For the first time in her life, she had lost.
Jeffrey's shadow fell across her. His blade gleamed above her, and his steady eyes pierced into her soul.
Noelle clenched her fists, her breath ragged. I can't die here... not now.
Her lips trembled as she whispered, "I have no choice... I have to use it now."
Her eyes snapped open. Scarlet light poured from them, glowing like embers in the dark. The ground beneath her feet cracked as she unleashed her Arqui, her very essence flaring outward in a storm of power.
For a moment, Jeffrey staggered back, startled by the sudden surge of her aura. But then-he changed.
His body twisted, bones cracking, shadows spilling from his skin as though his flesh itself was being unmade. Within a heartbeat, the man she had fought was gone. In his place stood a monstrosity.
From the darkness emerged a towering figure stitched from nightmares. Its body was a writhing mass of black tendrils, limbs stretched into grotesque proportions. From its shoulders rose three serpentine heads, hissing with venom that dripped like molten fire. Along its spine erupted spider-like legs that clattered against the earth, weaving a web of dread across the field.
Its face was a hollow void, broken only by two blazing white orbs, glowing with hunger that was not human. From its mouth poured thick strands of shadow, dripping like blood made from darkness itself. Its giant claws raked the air, each finger long enough to crush a man whole.
And wherever it moved, the very air trembled-as though the world recoiled from its presence.
Noelle's breath caught in her throat. She remembered the form from ancient texts, old drawings hidden deep in the King's library.
Ekzyros.
The cursed son of Nythera.
Her mind reeled. How can this be?
Then the creature spoke.
"Kreth Zhul... Silar Maer... Ny'thera - Aesyr Veyr."
The words rolled like thunder, heavy and terrible. Noelle's blood turned to ice. She knew that tongue-it was not of mortals. It was the forgotten speech of the gods.
The meaning struck her heart like a blade:
Revenge will be taken. A promise to Mother Nythera, the Goddess of Death.
Her vision blurred. This isn't a man. Jeffrey... he's no warrior. He's a cursed Umbern. He's the son of the Goddess of Death.
Her throat dried, her chest tightened. This is the end of the world... this is no battle-it's a nightmare.
Around the field, silence fell. Warriors froze, blades lowering as the abomination's presence drowned them in fear. Robert, Nyros, Alexander, Paul, Bero-all of them felt it, a chill that cut deeper than any weapon.
And then chaos.
Men screamed. Some dropped their swords and fled. The emergency bell of the Kingdom of Knights rang out, its toll shaking through the night. The sound summoned everyone-soldiers, knights, commanders. Even the King himself arrived, sword in hand, his face pale but resolute.
One by one, the warriors of six kingdoms charged toward the horror.
And thus began the legendary battle remembered for centuries.
The battle between man and Ekzyros.
The Battle of Death.