Chapter 18 – The First Warlord
The air twisted.
Reality itself folded inward as Leon raised his hand, ancient runes igniting around his fingers. Space groaned under the pressure of advanced teleportation magic—far beyond anything a normal mage should have been capable of.
"Hold on," Leon said calmly. "This one's… not friendly."
In an instant, the world vanished.
They reappeared above a ruined city.
Broken towers leaned at unnatural angles, the streets below cracked and scorched as if something massive had descended from the sky. A dark seal burned into the ground at the city's center, pulsing slowly like a living heart.
Elina felt it immediately.
"This place…" she whispered. "The air is corrupted."
At the heart of the destruction stood a single figure.
Massive. Armored in blackened steel etched with crimson veins of demonic energy. A colossal halberd rested against his shoulder, its blade humming with restrained violence.
The First Warlord.
He turned slowly, red eyes locking onto them the moment they arrived.
"So," the Warlord rumbled, his voice shaking the ruined stones, "the hero comes to me instead of hiding behind kings."
Arin stepped forward.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
"You destroyed this city," Arin said coldly.
The Warlord laughed—deep, mocking, amused.
"It was a message," he replied. "And you received it faster than expected."
Elina raised her staff, holy frost spreading outward in a controlled wave, freezing the corrupted ground without shattering it.
"You're not leaving," she said. "Not after this."
Leon's eyes glowed faint gold as lines of probability unfolded before him.
"Teso," Leon muttered, adjusting his stance, "he's strong. Not the Demon Lord… but close enough to be a problem."
The Warlord lifted his halberd and slammed its base into the ground.
Power erupted outward.
The shockwave shattered nearby ruins, sending debris flying. Arin crossed his arms, aura flaring instinctively as he absorbed the impact—his cloak tearing, boots digging deep into the stone.
The Warlord paused.
"…Interesting," he said. "Your power isn't fully awake."
Arin's aura answered that statement on its own.
A deep, ancient force surged from within him—raw, unrefined, but overwhelming. The sky darkened for a split second as the pressure of his presence increased.
Elina and Leon both felt it.
Leon's smile faded.
"So that's it," he whispered. "Even we didn't know how deep it went."
The Warlord grinned.
"Yes," he said. "That's the look of a true threat."
He raised his weapon.
"Come then, Hero. Let us see if you are worthy of the Demon Lord's attention."
Arin drew his sword.
"This ends here," he said quietly. "You wanted a message?"
His aura flared brighter.
"Then watch carefully."
The battlefield fell silent.
And the clash between awakened powers was about to begin.