ARC II — "THE FALL OF THE FALSE GODS"
The sky had darkened further — thick clouds roiling above the shattered valley, lightning stabbing through black smoke. The air vibrated with the power of countless weapons, all aimed at one target: Kurotsume.
He stood at the center, aura flickering, silver flames coiling lazily around him. Rain streamed down, sizzled as it touched the battlefield, and the shattered remnants of Vorak's first wave littered the ground.
But this time, the army wasn't just following orders. It was personal.
From the horizon, dozens of Vorak's generals descended — a combination of colossal mechanized soldiers, energy-wielding commanders, and bio-augmented monsters. Each one had studied Kurotsume's previous battles. They coordinated like a living weapon.
"He won't survive this,"* the demon muttered, voice tense for the first time.*
Kurotsume flexed his fingers once, aura flickering faintly. "We'll see."
The first strike came from Kaelith, returning with a new technique — molten claws now enhanced with a gravitational field. Kurotsume blocked, but the impact sent him skidding across the jagged ruins. He hit a collapsed tower, chunks of concrete piercing his cloak.
"Impressive,"* Kurotsume said softly, smirk intact, though a faint trickle of blood ran from his lip.* "Still trying."
Lutharion struck from above with dual energy blades. Kurotsume tried to dodge, but one blade grazed his shoulder, cutting deep. Silver flames licked at the wound, but the damage remained.
"You're stronger than I expected,"* Lutharion growled.* "But not invincible."
The battlefield erupted. Generals poured forward, attacking simultaneously — energy blasts, crushing strikes, and razor-sharp projectiles. Kurotsume's aura flared, warping space slightly, but even he couldn't block everything.
He took hit after hit — burning cuts, broken bones, energy blasts tearing through his cloak. His movements slowed slightly, just enough for the generals to taste victory.
Siel screamed from a safe distance, watching him stagger under the overwhelming assault. "Kurotsume! You can't—!"
He ignored her. His smirk faltered for a fraction of a second — the first real crack in his perfect composure. Blood dripped from his face, mixing with rain. His aura flickered violently, unstable.
"Enough," the demon growled. "He's too reckless!"
But Kurotsume didn't stop. He weaved through the attack, countering where he could, but the sheer coordination of Vorak's generals forced him back again and again.
One general — Morgath, a massive armored brute wielding a gravity hammer — slammed the ground with such force it created a crater large enough to swallow a building. Kurotsume jumped back, but debris hit him across the chest, sending him crashing into the ruins. He groaned, winded, aura flickering wildly.
Vorak's voice boomed across the battlefield, calm and cruel.
"You can resist my fragments, but not the army itself. Break him, or at least make him plead for power he will never control."
Kurotsume's eyes narrowed. "Plead?" he muttered through gritted teeth. "I don't—"
A sudden strike from Vorran, a lightning-wielding general, tore through his side. He hit the ground hard, leaving a deep gouge along his torso. Silver flames flared, but his aura flickered out in patches.
Siel ran forward, desperate. "Kurotsume! Stop pushing yourself—!"
He raised his head slightly, blood dripping from his mouth. His smirk returned, weaker but present. "I… like a challenge."
The demon hissed, frustrated.
"This is madness! You'll die before he even speaks to you directly!"
Vorak's shadow appeared above the chaos, levitating silently. His aura spread like a black sun. "You're human, Kurotsume. And humans bleed."
Every general now coordinated in perfect rhythm, relentless. Kurotsume stumbled, struggling to keep his stance. His cloak was tattered, aura unstable, breaths shallow.
And yet — in the corner of his vision, faint whispers of the fragment within stirred, pulsing in response to the overwhelming force. The demon inside him murmured, almost in awe.
"It's reacting… the hidden power… it's awake… waiting."
Kurotsume raised his head, eyes glowing faintly through blood and rain.
"Keep coming," he said softly, smirk returning just a bit. "All of you."
A lightning strike shattered the ruins behind him. His aura flickered violently, but his gaze remained calm — nonchalant in appearance, though his body was screaming in pain.
The generals paused for a moment, sensing something. Kurotsume's breathing was ragged, body battered — but there was something deeper, an unseen force beginning to stir, hidden beneath the pain.
The battlefield held its breath.
The war had shifted — Kurotsume was overwhelmed, but not broken.
And in the shadows of his suffering, the seed of the Abyssal Revenant began to awaken.