Zeno, still locked in combat with the leader of the Storm Hornet, was suddenly kicked in the chest. The impact reverberated through his entire body. Kilo smirked, sensing he finally had the upper hand as he dashed toward the vampire. His special armor hummed, unleashing its maximum power in a radiant display.
However, Zeno refused to back down. With fierce determination, the vampire charged forward. Their blades clashed violently, creating a shockwave that shook the entire room and sent dust falling from the ceiling.
With a burst of supernatural strength, Zeno pushed Kilo away and swung his sword in a wide, diagonal arc, aiming for a decisive strike. Unfortunately, the steel could not pierce the enchanted armor surrounding his opponent.
Kilo, seizing the moment, returned the favor. He gripped his sword tightly and brought it down with ferocious intent. The blade cut a deep, jagged gash into the shoulder of Zeno. Blood sprayed from the wound, splattering across the floor in a dark arc.
In a swift retreat, Zeno watched as the edges of his injury began to knit together. The flesh moved with fluid speed, as if two crashing waves were merging back into one.
"You are really starting to piss me off, human," Zeno growled. His eyes narrowed with a predatory fury.
"Show me what you have, Zeno," Kilo taunted. He beckoned the vampire to come closer with a mocking wave of his hand.
In a sudden burst of speed, Zeno lunged at Kilo. He moved so fast that the mercenary barely had time to react. But then, the unthinkable occurred. The sword of the vampire shattered against the heavy armor of the mercenary. Shards of broken steel scattered in all directions, tinkling against the stone floor.
"Oh," Kilo said, a wide grin spreading across his face.
Undeterred, Kilo used his own blade to slash at the shoulder of Zeno once more. Blood erupted from the fresh injury, painting the green armor of the mercenary with a vivid crimson.
"Give me your head!" the leader shouted. His voice echoed through the chaos of the chamber.
Zeno managed to dodge the incoming attack just in time. The blade of Kilo sliced through the air mere inches away from his neck. He retreated again, summoning the last remnants of his strength while the wound on his shoulder closed at an astonishing rate. With fierce determination, he looked at Kilo, fury igniting in his eyes.
"Hahahaha! Did you really think that pathetic sword could pierce my top-grade armor? You should have known I took the best armor for myself," Kilo boasted. He pointed proudly at his chest with a wide grin.
Zeno's gaze fell to the hilt in his right hand. Only a small, jagged piece of the blade remained visible. "Do you feel no shame depending on armor to give you power instead of relying on your own strength?"
"Oh, I feel no shame at all, Zeno. Unlike you, I was not born with talent. I am not an immortal, so I use whatever I can to gain an advantage," Kilo replied. A glint of pride shone in his eyes.
"I see. Then get ready, because here I come!" Zeno declared.
He dashed toward Kilo with nothing but his bare hands. To an ordinary person, this would have seemed insane, charging a man wielding a sword. Kilo stood tall, calming his breathing, and lifted his sword above his head. He channeled his spirit force, attuning himself to detect the exact moment the vampire would be within striking distance.
Zeno entered the danger zone and Kilo brought down his blade, intending to split the vampire in half. The blade came down like a guillotine. The strike of Kilo was perfect and well timed, but the vampire did something unexpected.
As the sword descended, Zeno caught the blade between his palms.
"Impossible. How did you..." Kilo stammered, his eyes wide in disbelief.
With a swift motion, Zeno shifted the sword to the side within his grasp and delivered a powerful kick directly to the face of Kilo. The impact forced the mercenary to lose his grip. Kilo stumbled back several steps, disorientation marking his retreat. He touched his face with his right palm, shock etched on his features.
"I fucking hate you, Zeno! Do you even know what that sword is worth?!"
Zeno, seizing the opportunity, stabbed the sword into the ground. With a single, decisive strike of his forearm, he broke the blade as if it were mere wood. He tossed the shattered weapon aside, disdain evident in his gaze.
"Come. Let us settle this like men."
Kilo's rage flared as he glared at the broken sword; it had cost him a fortune, a monumental portion of his life savings, and now it lay in pieces at Zeno's feet, a reminder of his vulnerability. "You think I can't beat you with my bare hands? I'm going to rip your heart out!" Kilo shouted, fury igniting his every word.
"Blood Punch"
"Blood Punch!" Zeno shouted, dashing forward with incredible speed to deliver a devastating strike. But Kilo skilfully dodged, avoiding the full force of the attack. Seizing the moment, Kilo caught Zeno by the waist, his intricate leg carvings glowing fiercely as he bent his knees.
With a powerful push, Kilo launched off the ground, carrying the vampire with him. Zeno, however, was not going to let himself be taken easily; he struck back with fierce elbow blows. Yet, despite his efforts, Kilo's grip remained firm, and they burst through the ceiling, landing on the upper floor in a cloud of debris.
Once they had cleared the wreckage, Kilo wasted no time. He delivered a swift kick to Zeno's face, breaking the vampire's nose with a sickening crack. "Did you think I was going to be easy just because I lost my sword?" Kilo taunted, a mix of satisfaction and disbelief evident in his voice.
Zeno chuckled softly, shaking off the pain. "Let me give you a glimpse of what it's like when you're in the big leagues."
He uttered the words with a sharp, cold focus. A massive wave of energy immediately surged from his body, the air around him vibrating with the sudden release of pressure. His veins bulged against his skin, and his pale complexion took on a light red hue as his blood began to pump at a supernatural velocity. He began to glow ominously, the sheer power radiating from him like heat.
With a rush of speed, Zeno bolted toward Kilo. His movements were a blinding blur. Kilo, though momentarily taken aback by the transformation, quickly activated the energy of his armor and charged forward to meet the vampire head on.
But Zeno was too fast. He landed a punch that sent Kilo flying toward the wall. Before the mercenary could even brace himself, Zeno appeared behind him in an instant and unleashed another strike, sending the man ricocheting around the room like a projectile.
"Blood Punch!" Zeno intoned once more, this time targeting the stomach of Kilo.
The force of the punch was tremendous. The power travelled straight through the top-grade armor, bypassing the physical plating to damage the internal organs of the mercenary. The impact blasted Kilo through multiple stone walls, sending chunks of rock flying and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
The overwhelming power that emitted from the body of the vampire subsided. His skin returned to its normal pale white color. He slowly breathed in and out, calming his internal rhythm before looking in the direction where he had punched Kilo.
"I had best go see if the lad is still in one piece," Zeno murmured to himself.
====
The giant dark figure loomed ominously over the battlefield. Its burn wound was still visible on its stomach, an ugly mark left by the earlier attack from Caden. Despite its size and power, the injury seemed stubborn, refusing to heal as quickly as the beast would have liked. Now, with anger boiling within, the focus of the creature shifted entirely to its primary target, Caden.
With a thunderous roar that echoed across the terrain, the dark giant charged toward Caden. Each step caused the ground to crack and tremble beneath its colossal weight.
"Great, it is after me now," Caden muttered.
Just as the figure prepared to proceed with its assault, it heard the voice of Decker in its mind.
"Giant, it seems that our allies are losing. I sense that Kilo and his two subordinates are already defeated."
The monster growled. It looked at the battlefield and quickly noticed that the men of Kilo were dropping like flies.
"We have to win this war. Therefore, I want you to release more of your dark shadow clones to possess the men and empower them. In return, I give you permission to devour their souls," Decker ordered. His voice was laced with authority.
The dark giant smiled with delight. With a slight shift, its back began to writhe and twist, a grotesque display that signaled the culmination of dark power. Within seconds, hundreds of black slime lumps erupted from its back and pooled onto the ground. The grotesque ooze began to morph, slithering and writhing as it transformed into eel like creatures adorned with dark wings.
The eel like creatures flew in all directions, a swarm of darkness seeking out the scattered remnants of the Storm Hornets. As they spread through the battlefield, Decker amplified his voice with spirit force, projecting it to all corners of the fray.
"Mercenaries of the Storm Hornets, please allow the dark creatures who are about to come to your aid to enter your bodies. They are of vital importance for us to win this war. You have every right to refuse them, but I strongly recommend merging with them. They will grant you the strength needed to defeat the Crimson Knights."
Some of the Crimson Knights destroyed the eel like creatures that were flying around, but it was impossible for the vampire knights to eliminate them all. The creatures swiftly reached the men of Kilo, offering them the promise of more power. Most of the men agreed without hesitation. The creatures entered their bodies, merging with them as they embraced the dark gift.
However, a few of the soldiers stood their ground and denied the eel creatures permission to possess them. This resulted in the creatures simply turning around to find other willing hosts. Yet, many of the surviving men, all too aware of their grim fate against the vampire knights, readily opened themselves up to the eels, happily allowing them to take hold. They understood that this was their only chance of survival in an increasingly desperate battle.
The eel like creatures swarmed around Kilo, sensing the desperation radiating from their leader. He was broken and battered, a shell of the formidable warrior he once was. The last confrontation with Zeno had pushed him to his limits, leaving him covered in blood and barely clinging to consciousness.
As the dark shadow eel hovered before him, its voice echoed with a sinister promise. "If you want power, if you want revenge, then say, I give permission. Power in exchange for your soul, hehehe."
With every ounce of strength he could muster, Kilo fought against the overwhelming pain and exhaustion. The reality of his situation pressed down on him, reminding him that he could very well die at any moment. This was it, his only hope to regain not only his life but also his honor. With his one eye still open, flickering with a dying determination, he rasped the words.
"I give permission."
The moment Kilo uttered the words, the dark shadow eel lunged forward and forced itself into his mouth. He gasped as the creature slithered down his throat. It was an uncomfortable but strangely exhilarating sensation that sent a surge of energy through him. His eye widened in shock as the transformation began.
The skin of Kilo started to darken, and shadows coiled across his limbs like serpents. Black veins snaked up along his neck, pulsing with newfound energy as a burning sensation spread throughout his body. He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to scream out in agony as the dark power of the eel coursed through him.
To his astonishment, the wounds inflicted by the brutal assault of Zeno began to mend at an incredible pace. Flesh stitched itself back together, and strength seeped back into his broken limbs.
"What power is this that is coursing through my veins?" Kilo murmured in disbelief. The sound of his own voice was strange to his ears, vibrating with an unnatural resonance.
As he stood up from the ground, he felt an overwhelming surge of strength and vitality. Flexing his hands, he marvelled at how the dark energy swirled within him, invigorating his tired body. Yet, amidst this new power, a lingering void echoed in the back of his mind. It was a cold sense that something essential had been sacrificed in exchange for this strength.
"This is probably the price I have to pay," Kilo thought, a faint unease creeping in. "This power is not from the living. It feels too demonic."
Then, as if summoned by the darkness within him, he sensed the presence of Zeno close by. An evil smile crept across his face, transforming his features. His teeth had turned black from the influence of the shadow eel. The promise of revenge ignited a fierce determination within him.
"I cannot wait to get my revenge," Kilo growled, his voice resonating with a chilling edge. "I am going to rip him limb from limb!"
====
In the room where Raven remained on his knees, a dark shadow slithered forth from the chaos outside. It was an eel weaving its way toward him, its presence both alluring and terrifying. The creature hovered before the mercenary. Its five dotted eyes fixated on him in a silent plea for permission to enter his form.
Raven, prideful and fierce, instinctively battled the urge to give in. Yet, in his current state, barely clinging to life, desperation clawed at his mind. The fires of vengeance burned hot in his heart, driving him toward a decision that felt like a betrayal to his very essence.
"I give you consent, creature," he finally declared. His voice was steady despite the tremors of pain coursing through him. "Give me the power to exact revenge."
Without hesitation, the dark shadow eel surged forward and dived straight into the mouth of Raven. He gasped as the creature slipped past his lips, feeling it coalesce into a thick, dark liquid that spread rapidly throughout his insides. As the black liquid coursed through him, it dissolved completely, seeping into every fiber of his being.
The skin of Raven darkened, mirroring the depths of the void the eel emanated. Black veins snaked across his arms and neck, pulsating with newfound energy.
The burning sensation that washed over him was nothing short of excruciating. It was a pain that transcended the physical. It was an agonizing phenomenon that seemed to invade his very soul, a level of torment he had never experienced before. A primal scream threatened to escape him, but he bit down on his teeth, willing himself to withstand the trial.
Yet, as the pain peaked, he felt something incredible happening. The injuries that had threatened to claim him began to knit together. He was healing rapidly, as if the very darkness he had embraced was mending his broken body. Power and strength flowed through him like a raging river. It was an intoxicating rush that made his heart race. For a moment, he reveled in the sheer magnitude of the force within him, astonished that such power could exist.
"I probably would have never reached this level on my own," Raven thought. A mix of exhilaration and dark resolve ignited within him. "But now, I will use this power to send the vampires straight to hell."
He looked in the direction Markus had gone. A faint smile emerged, followed by a thick, suffocating killing intent. He hurriedly dashed toward his target, eager to test the limits of his new, demonic power.