Covered in blood, Zayden and Nahid paused for a moment deep within the forest. Zayden was near complete exhaustion; his energy was almost entirely spent. His body was wracked with pain, growing weaker with every step. Nahid noticed Zayden's condition and took a deep breath before speaking.
"We need to get to the monastery," he said.
"Zayden, it's a three-day journey from here. We have to reach it."
Zayden nodded weakly, answering in just a few words:
"That far... How are we going to manage that?"
Nahid thought for a moment and then moved with resolve.
"I'm going to try something," he said, opening a portal forged from the power of the Flame.
Zayden squinted, watching in astonishment as he quickly followed right behind Nahid, setting off toward the monastery. The portal rapidly transported them far beyond the forest, past the deep shadows.
A moment later, they found themselves inside the Monastery. Zayden immediately tried to compose himself, pulling off to the side to begin recovering. Nahid quietly stepped toward the center of the monastery, took a deep breath, and called out to the Flame God.
"Please help me," he said, letting the dark fear and helplessness inside him show. "I need you in this war more than ever. I need your strength to stop my brothers."
Silence prevailed for a while. Then, the voice of the Flame God began to resonate.
"I have given you the greatest aid I can," the deep, echoing voice said. "I cannot do more than this."
Nahid was stunned by this answer for a moment. He sensed the limitations of the Flame God, yet tried not to lose his resolve.
"No," he said. "My strength isn't enough. I cannot destroy my brothers. I have to stop them."
The voice fell silent briefly. Then, the Flame God responded once more.
"You are unaware of the true power of the Flame Sword," it said. "If you could wield its power to its fullest, you wouldn't be here."
Nahid felt the weight of those words heavy on his heart. For a second, he didn't know what to do, feeling the abyss of frustration deeply within. Finally, the voice faded away.
Despite the silence, Nahid paused for a moment. Then, turning to Zayden, he said:
"Let's recover here for a few days. Let's gather our strength. Afterward, we'll make a new plan."
Zayden nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, there's no way we can enter this war without gathering our power first."
Zayden and Nahid rested in the monastery for a while, building up their strength. As Zayden continued to heal his body, Nahid pondered the Flame God's words. They couldn't continue fighting without fully understanding the power of the Flame Sword. He realized they needed to utilize this period wisely.
And at that moment, only one question remained in their minds:
Would the war continue? Or, on this arduous journey, would they carve out their own destinies by defeating one another?
As time passed and they healed both physically and spiritually, they would be ready to stand against their enemies with greater strength. But this was their last chance. Everything now depended on overcoming this simple hurdle.
The sky had darkened; the gates of hell were thrown wide open. Nicat stood tall upon his throne, holding the Sword of Death in his hand. His eyes burned like a dark flame. The demons kneeling before him held the four books of dark magic in their hands.
Nicat raised his sword into the air, looking toward the sky.
"Did you fulfill the task I asked of you seven years ago?" he demanded.
A demon stepped forward, bowing its head as it spoke:
"Yes, my lord. We have seized all four books and completed the ritual. The gates of hell are now fully open."
A cold smile settled onto Nicat's lips.
"Then..." he said, slamming his sword onto the ground. "Let us destroy humanity!"
The cursed magic surging from the books spread into the sky. Creatures of hell began to emerge from the depths of the earth. Nicat issued a command to all the demons:
"Wherever you see humans, kill them! Show no mercy to any of them!"
At that exact moment, far away, Nahid and Zayden suddenly heard a rising sound. It was like a deafening scream, yet carrying the echoing resonance of pure malice. Something had happened to the city.
Nahid swiftly opened a Flame Portal. Passing through it with Zayden, they materialized a short distance outside the city. The sight stretching out before them was like a pure nightmare.
The city was ablaze. The sky had turned pitch black, and the surrounding area was crawling with demons. People were trying to flee, but no matter where they ran, death pursued them relentlessly.
Zayden looked around in absolute shock.
"This... This is impossible... The city has turned into hell!" he gasped, his eyes wide.
Nahid clenched his fists.
"Nicat did this," he said in fury. "We have to stop him. Otherwise, everything comes to an end."
Zayden gripped his blade.
"What are we going to do? We need a plan."
Nahid fixed his eyes on the hellish army burning in the dark.
"First, we must reach the city. We'll find out exactly where Nicat is and figure out a way to stop him. But we must be careful... The enemy is everywhere here."
Zayden nodded.
"Then let's not waste any time."
As the pair pressed forward into the darkness, they felt the creatures surging from the gates of hell advancing toward them. This battle was going to be the greatest they had ever faced...
The city was reduced to ruins. The sky was shrouded in black clouds, and flames rising from underground soared toward the heavens. Smoke rising from between shattered stones signaled just how destructive this war would be, even before it truly began.
Nicat raised the Sword of Death into the air. A deep black aura leaking from the blade rotted the area around it. Every time the tip of the sword touched the ground, even the stones turned black and shattered into pieces. Nicat's eyes no longer looked human; within them resided the purest form of darkness.
Nahid gripped his sword tighter.
"Where did you get this power, Nicat?!" he shouted.
Nicat tilted his head slightly.
"From death itself," he whispered.
In an instant, Nicat launched an attack. He brought the Sword of Death down at terrifying speed. The blade forged a wave of darkness through the air, and upon impacting the ground, a colossal fissure split open. The fissure transformed into a chasm filled with black flames, expanding with a massive explosion.
Nahid raised the Sword of the Flame God diagonally to defend himself. Yet he was blasted back by the sheer force of the explosion, falling several meters away. A chill ran down his spine as his back hit the wall. Nicat's power was truly horrific.
Zayden locked his eyes onto Nicat.
"Nahid, we have to attack him together! You can't stop him alone!" he yelled.
Nahid gritted his teeth and quickly scrambled to his feet.
"Then we attack together!"
Zayden moved like lightning. Swinging his blade forward, he generated a wave of thunder. The attack was so fast that rings of electricity formed around Nicat instantly.
Yet Nicat merely smirked. Leaping into the air in a split second, he drove the Sword of Death into the ground.
"Circle of Death!" he roared.
Colossal black chains burst forth from the ground. These chains advanced, swallowing even the light in the air. One of the chains wrapped around Nahid's leg, slamming him hard to the ground. Another wrapped around Zayden's arm, launching him into the air before smashing him hard onto the stone.
Blood began to spill across the battlefield.
Looking down on them, Nicat burst into a mocking laugh.
"Really? Is this your great battle?"
Nahid gritted his teeth, intensifying his flame arm.
"No, this is just the beginning!"
"Roar of the Flame!"
Suddenly, a giant dragon of fire burst from Nahid's flame arm. Piercing through the darkness filling the square, the dragon soared straight toward Nicat.
Yet Nicat simply raised his hand and smiled.
"Veil of Death."
A dark mist enveloped him, and the dragon vanished into nothingness before ever reaching Nicat.
Nahid and Zayden stared at Nicat in utter horror.
This battle would only end in death.