The battlefield had not yet calmed.
Smoke still rose from broken houses. The ground was cracked, soaked in blood, and filled with the remains of fallen beasts. The air itself felt heavy as if it had witnessed too much in a single night. But now… something had changed. A silence had begun to take over.
Not peace….Not yet…..
But the beginning of it...
The sky had turned dark. A dim blue light stretched across the horizon as the last traces of evening faded into night. The battlefield, once filled with chaos, now stood frozen under an eerie stillness. At the center of it stood Varon.
Unmoving….Unshaken...
His black armor reflected no light. His cape flowed slowly in the cold wind. In his hand rested his blade,
Nyx...
A sword so dark that it seemed to swallow the very air around it. Before him… stood the final threat.
The Buffalo King....
But it was no longer the same creature.
Its body had changed. Its muscles had grown larger, veins glowing faintly beneath its skin. Its broken horn had twisted into a sharper, darker form. Its red skin now carried black cracks, like molten rock barely held together.
It had evolved. And the pressure it released was terrifying.
Even the remaining soldiers stepped back instinctively.
"W..What is that…" one soldier whispered. Another swallowed hard. "That thing… it's beyond anything we've seen…"
Jessy, still injured, struggled to stand at a distance. Her eyes were wide.
"That… isn't normal anymore…"
Even General Rony, holding his chest after the earlier impact, stared with disbelief.
"That creature… has crossed its limit…"
The Buffalo King roared. A roar filled with rage, pain… and fear.
Because for the first time , It was not the strongest being on the battlefield.
Varon took a step forward.
Calm…..Slow...Uninterested...
"Interesting…"
His voice was low, almost indifferent.
The Buffalo King charged. The ground shattered beneath its feet as it rushed forward with overwhelming force. Its axe dragged across the earth, leaving sparks and destruction behind it.
It swung, a massive, brutal attack aimed directly at Varon.
But, Varon moved….Just a slight step.
The attack missed the ground behind him, exploded from the impact, but Varon remained untouched.
Without hesitation, he raised Nyx.
No magic circle…No chant…..
Just a simple swing. A dark arc cut through the air. The Buffalo King roared again and attacked faster this time swinging its axe wildly, trying to overpower him.
But every strike,
Missed...
Varon moved like a shadow.
Untouchable….Invisible….Effortless…..
The soldiers could barely follow his movement. Jessy whispered, almost in disbelief, "He's… playing with it…"
Rony clenched his fist,
"That's not a fight…"
"That's domination."
The Buffalo King roared louder, its power increasing, its attacks becoming more desperate.
It slammed the ground….
It charged again….
It tried to crush Varon with sheer force.
But none of it worked.
Varon stopped.....
For the first time, he stood still.
And the Buffalo King came rushing straight at him. At that exact moment
Varon raised Nyx... And spoke softly.
"Enough."
He stepped forward…..
One single strike…..
No explosion...
No flashy effect...
Just a clean, silent movement.
The world… seemed to pause.
The Buffalo King froze. Its body stopped mid motion. Its roar… cut off.
Then a thin black line appeared across its body. And in the next second,
It broke apart...
Not cut violently...
Not shattered....
But separated… as if erased by something beyond understanding.
The massive body fell apart into fragments and dissolved into darkness.
Gone…..
Completely....
Silence followed...
Absolute silence....
No one spoke...
No one moved....
The strongest enemy on the battlefield had been defeated.
In seconds...
Without effort....
Varon lowered his sword…..
Nyx returned to stillness…..
Behind him, his army stood unmoving,
Waiting…Disciplined….Perfect.....
The war… was over...
Night had fully taken over. The battlefield, once filled with chaos, now rested under a quiet, cold sky.
The surviving soldiers began moving.
Some checked the wounded. Some helped the villagers. Some simply stood… trying to process what they had just witnessed. At the center of it all Aragorn collapsed. His body finally gave up. All the strength, all the will he had forced himself to hold was gone.
Jessy rushed to him immediately.
"Aragorn!"
She knelt beside him, checking his condition. Her hands trembled slightly.
"He's breathing… but barely…"
Her voice softened
"He used everything…"
Varon walked forward,
Slow…..Silent…..
Each step carried weight. Jessy instinctively stood in front of Aragorn.
"Wait!"
Her voice was firm, even though she was exhausted.
"Who are you…? What are you going to do with him?"
Before she could step closer two shadow soldiers appeared instantly in front of her. Blocking her path.
Their presence alone was enough to freeze the air. Jessy stepped back slightly, surprised.
Rony also moved forward, cautious.
"Hold it… we don't even know who you people are."
The tension rose…..
But then Varon stopped. He turned his head slightly.
His glowing blue eyes looked toward Jessy.
For a moment, Silence…..
Then he spoke,"She stays..."
Just two words. But they carried authority. The shadow soldiers immediately stepped aside. Jessy blinked in surprise. Varon looked at Aragorn again.
His voice softened slightly,
"…My lord's will…"
He bent down. And gently lifted Aragorn into his arms.
Careful….Respectful…..
Like he was carrying something precious. Jessy hesitated for a moment… then stepped forward.
"I'm coming with him."
Varon did not respond.
He simply turned and began walking toward the forest. Behind him, the shadow army moved.
Perfect formation…..
Silent...
Deadly…..
Jessy followed...
No one stopped her. Rony stepped forward again.
"Wait!"
His voice was firm this time
"Where are you taking him?!"
The shadow soldiers immediately blocked his path.
Not attacking...
But not allowing him to pass either.
Rony stopped. He looked at them.
Then at Varon. His instincts screamed at him, Don't interfere.
One of his soldiers stepped beside him and whispered,
"General… we shouldn't… not after what we saw…"
Rony clenched his jaw
"…Damn it…"
He exhaled slowly
"…Let them go."
Jessy glanced back once their eyes met.
For a moment, Silence…..
Then she turned…And continued forward. Varon and his army entered the forest.
And slowly,
Disappeared into darkness...…
Like they were never there.
The battlefield stood quiet. The wind moved slowly through the broken village. The soldiers began retreating.
The survivors were being gathered.
The night continued… as if nothing had happened.
But far away from a distant cliff someone was watching.
A figure…..
Tall....
Covered in a dark, flowing cloak. Its form… not entirely human. Its presence… unnatural. Two glowing eyes observed the battlefield carefully.
A faint smile appeared
"…Interesting…"
Its voice was low…Calm….Curious…..
"So… the shadows have begun to move."
It turned slightly
Looking toward the forest where Varon had disappeared.
"That power…"
"…That army…"
"…They should not exist in this era."
A pause...
Then a quiet chuckle…..
"…The king's plan has failed…"
"But perhaps…"
"…this makes things more entertaining."
The figure stepped back into darkness.
Its presence fading slowly...
"I must report this…"
"…The Shadow has returned…..."
Silence followed and with it a new threat...….!!!