The roar of rushing water mingled with the fetid, rot-sweet odor of corruption emanating from the Western Gate. There stood the Kelembai's guards—monstrous trees twisted by dark power. Their branches were gnarled limbs, their canopies matted black hair draped over skeletal faces.
Galahad stood as a silent anchor. His sword erupts with a verdant flame. With a swing that defied the air's resistance, he unleashed the enchant technique. The brilliant slice did more than cut; it was a purification. With a grotesque shudder, the monsters withered, their dark power dispelled, leaving them as nothing more than ordinary, splintered timber.
"Move! Go now!" Purnama shouted to the civilians.
Panic took hold. Civilians scrambled over one another, discarding their possessions as they fled the chaos. But the brewing conflict was already spilling over. Zirko, the mystical ice creature, leaped into the fray, his breath a visible wave of cold that instantly froze the humidity. Icicles shot from the air like ballista bolts, shattering slate rooftops and carving a path for the retreat.
At the Eastern tower, a bloodcurdling howl shook the very stones of the wall.
From the shadows surged a horde of underlings—upright, crocodile-like horrors clad in tattered leather, skeletal trophies adorning their heads. Their sickly yellow eyes bore witness to the depths of their twisted souls.
They hammered the right flank of Suria's bird formation. The creatures swarmed them, scaly hands gripping steel plate, and hurled the knights violently against the stone battlements. The sickening crunch of armor on stone echoed across the courtyard.
Suria witnessed the collapse. Her eyes, usually warm, blazed with fury.
"Bedivere! Palamedes! Break formation!" she commanded.
Suria unleashed a Heavy Barrage of light arrows, pinning the creatures down. But the darkness was resilient. The fallen underlings, possessed by a deeper force, jerked back to their feet, their movements erratic and violent.
"Go, my lady! Confront the source!" Palamedes shouted, shoving a civilian to safety. "We shall hold the line!"
Suria turned toward the tower, intent on the Darkseed Lord. But a shadow moved—too fast for the eye to track. It darted not toward her, but toward the fallen bodies of Tristan and Gareth.
"BEDIVERE! GET OUT OF THERE!" Suria screamed.
The shadow expanded, transforming into a maw of darkness. It engulfed Bedivere, Gareth, and Tristan in an instant.
Palamedes roared, charging the creature. He struck the submerged head, but his blade passed through it as if striking smoke. The creature dissolved, reforming behind him in human shape—a lean, dark-skinned man clad in a sleeveless vest and traditional Iban Sirat.
"Well, look who has come to save the day?" The man sneered.
He wore a headdress of hornbill feathers, and his eyes held ancient malice. This was Simalaun, the Manusya Puaka.
"How does it feel killing your ally? Harharhar!"
Palamedes froze. He looked down, his arm extended. His sword was buried deep in the chest of a suit of armor—Bedivere's armor. There was no enemy, only the ghastly sight of his own steel protruding from his friend's chest plate.
"H-How could I..." Palamedes whispered, the hilt of the sword cold and slick beneath his trembling hands.
"You were trying to save them! We didn't understand the full extent of Simalaun's power," Suria tried to comfort him.
An ethereal aura emanated from the fallen knights, enveloping Palamedes. The heavy, cold metal of his armor suddenly felt warm and comforting. A surge of power coursed through him, and a newfound determination filled his soul. His trembling ceased, and he raised his sword, its edge glowing with a golden aura.
"Oh, that's scary. Am I supposed to lose to your new, powered-up version? How about you taste this instead?!" Simalaun roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
He swung his spear ferociously, unleashing a swirling black tornado that tore through the landscape, obliterating everything in its path.
Suria watched as Palamedes, now infused with power, moved with lightning speed to intercept the attack. He swung his sword upward, and a powerful golden beam dissipated the dark energy.
Leaping over Palamedes, Suria dashed like a bird hunting for its prey. Her hands stretched like bird wings; she launched a blinding light attack that hit Simalaun, sending him crashing into layers of walls.
The crushing debris can be heard clearly at the eastern edge of Avalon.
Injured but unbowed, Simalaun rose to his feet. His oblong shield was broken, shielding Suria's attack. He shattered his spear with a single kick, the broken pieces glowing with dark energy. A sinister smile crept across his face as he reformed the fragments into two deadly weapons.
"Never underestimate a Kshatriya!" Suria declared, her voice filled with defiance.
"A Kshatriya...? Interesting, interesting. No wonder you could hurt me. I'm honored to face such a formidable opponent. And even more honored to be the one to end you!"
Simalaun lunged forward, the broken spears extended, ready to strike.
At the heart of Avalon, the air crackled with a chaotic energy. The once-serene city, now a battleground, was a symphony of clashing steel on rocky surfaces, guttural roars, and the eerie glow of magic.
The ground trembled beneath the relentless assault, dust swirling like a shroud. The knights fought with desperate ferocity; their glowing eyes narrowed in concentration.
These grotesque monstrosities, their bodies as hard as granite, crumbled under the onslaught. Yet, their demise proved fleeting. Shattered limbs reconfigured, reforming into larger, more menacing golems.
Gema's Shakti surged through the knights' weapons, turning their swords into a beacon of light, cleaving through the ranks of golems with effortless grace. Each fallen enemy rose again, stronger and more resilient, a grotesque parody of life.
Some residents have been safe and escorted by Percival to safer ground, others not so fortunate, injured, and even lost their lives during the intense battle.
With each fallen golem, a chilling premonition grew within Gema. Bota, the architect of this chaos, remained unseen, a silent observer, savoring the spectacle of their struggle.
"Arthur, where is Bota?" Gema called down from the steam factory's roof as he watched Arthur, who had just taken down a golem.
Steam hissed from around Arthur's armor as he turned to look at him.
"Your very eyes rest upon him now," Arthur replied.
"W-what?! You're Bota?!" Gema stammered in shock. "I should have known! Maybe that's the reason why you're hiding inside that giant rock!"
Arthur picked up one of the severed golem fragments and hurled it toward Gema. The stone stopped just before striking Gema, drawn away as if by a powerful force, and flew in a set direction.
"Forsooth, not I, you dolt! That accursed abomination!"
"What?? Why is Bota so weak? You said he was a towering brute!"
Arthur sheathed his sword, pointing at the stones as they drifted together.
"It is not yet he, but his essence," Arthur replied.
Why ever did I ally myself with that impetuous little Celestion?
With a frustrated sigh, Arthur dashed forward, following the trail of the regenerating golem.
Gema leaped from rooftop to rooftop, aiding the knights below with his lightning Shakti. His movements were fluid and graceful, a blur of motion against the backdrop of the chaotic battle. He unleashed a barrage of energy blasts, each striking a golem with pinpoint accuracy and crumbling to the ground.
In the meantime...
Purnama, a strategic mind, sought to gain intelligence before the situation spiraled further out of control.
As he navigated the panicked crowd, he encountered an enigmatic figure: a tiny, wizened woman barely four feet tall. Her weathered face, etched with countless age lines, held a spark of ancient wisdom. Her eyes, though ancient, had a chilling intensity, a predatory glint that belied her frail appearance. Her only companion was a simple wooden cane, worn smooth by years of use.
An inexplicable pull, a primal urge, compelled Purnama to draw his kris. But before he could react, the woman vanished, leaving a lingering sense of unease. Intrigued and unsettled, Purnama pressed on toward the tower, his mind racing with unanswered questions.
The chaos engulfing the west wing of Western Avalon had diverted the Kelembai minions' attention, presenting an opportunity to infiltrate their tower and uncover the Darkseed's sinister plans for Suria's kris.
Zirko's ice shield protected the knights, allowing them to hold their ground against the relentless onslaught of the reanimated statues. These once soulless forms, statues of ancient creatures, now corrupted by dark energy, had been transformed into fearsome foes.
Having arrived at the tower's base, Purnama was interfered with by a young boy, riding a hulking, green-furred werewolf the size of a cow, wielding a glowing wooden staff etched with ancient symbols.
He commanded the beast to unleash a powerful charge, sending Purnama flying far away from the tower's base and crashing through several houses.
The boy raised his staff, and the werewolf again charged toward Purnama and magically transformed into a colossal mammoth, stomping down on the fallen warrior. The decisive blow sent Purnama deep into the ground.
As the boy jumped off the mammoth, the creature vanished instantaneously, and his form changed to the elderly woman Purnama had encountered earlier.
Dust and debris rained down as Purnama emerged from the crater, his clothes torn and his body bruised. Despite the brutal assault, Purnama rose from the rubble. His sharp and determined gaze locked onto the enigmatic old woman.
"So... you're Kelembai, aren't you?" Purnama taunted, his stance low and ready. "Don't expect special treatment just because you look like an old woman." He flexed his muscles, a silent promise of a brutal fight.
Kelembai tilted her head to the right, a knowing glint in her eyes as she regarded Purnama.
Back at the eastern Avalon...
Simalaun seized the opportunity, attacking Suria with renewed ferocity. Despite her skill and agility, she was disadvantaged without her kris. She fought desperately, keeping Simalaun at bay with ranged attacks.
Enraged by her resistance, Simalaun unleashed a surge of dark energy, transforming into a colossal, shadowy crocodile. He closed the distance between them with renewed speed and strength, ready to strike.
"Suria! Be careful!"
Simalaun had already reached Suria, slamming her to the ground and stomping on her repeatedly.
The ground shook with the impact, but Suria, despite the searing pain that shot through her body, refused to yield. She rolled with the impact, minimizing the damage, and quickly sprang back to her feet.
"You think that's enough to stop me?" She snarled, her voice filled with defiance. "You underestimate me, beast!"
With a powerful surge of her energy, Suria ignited her body with a light Shakti, her skin shimmering with an ethereal glow. She lunged at Simalaun, her movements a blur of motion, a whirlwind of fiery fury.
Palamedes rushed to Suria's aid, slashing at the shadowy crocodile. The creature wavered and dissipated.
"Lady Suria, are you well?" he asked, concerned.
"Never been better," Suria answered.
From above, a colossal, shadowy crocodile lunged towards Palamedes. Sensing the imminent danger, Palamedes unleashed a powerful spirit attack.
The attack pierced through the shadowy crocodile, striking the real Simalaun, who was phasing through the shadows. Forced to materialize to avoid further harm, Simalaun became vulnerable to Palamedes' assault.
Palamedes lifted the injured Suria and leaned her against a nearby wall.
"Rest now, fair lady. I shall deal with this fiend while you recover," Palamedes declared.
Then, raising his sword, a golden aura flickered around him, illuminating his eyes through the helmet's visor.
"All that hatred towards me? That's more to my liking! See, we are no different after all. Harharhar!!" Simalaun hurled his spear toward Palamedes.
With a swift, effortless motion, Palamedes caught the spear and thrust it back towards Simalaun, aiming for his chest. However, crocodile scales materialized around Simalaun, deflecting the attack.
Simalaun, his eyes burning with malevolent intent.
"You think you've known my secret, you can win? It was a foolish endeavor. Your life will end first." He unleashed a blast of destructive energy with a monstrous roar, leveling the surrounding structures.
Transforming back into a shadowy crocodile, Simalaun flicked his tail, sending Palamedes crashing to the ground, cracking the floor beneath him.
Palamedes rose and counterattacked, repeatedly slashing his sword at the swirling dark aura within Simalaun.
"Persistent fool," Simalaun growled, "I'll end you now!"
A deafening roar, Simalaun's battle cry, echoed through the shattered ruins. Simalaun retreated to a safe distance; his dark aura swelled around him. The fallen orbs of his underlings were drawn into a coalescing black sphere enveloping his body.
Seizing the moment, Palamedes charged, his swords ablaze with golden energy. He swung, aiming to cleave the sphere, but the attack was ineffective. Undeterred, he struck again, only to meet the same result.
In another part of Avalon, Gema and the knights clashed with three monstrous golems. The golems, colossal behemoths, unleashed a storm of destruction, each striking a cataclysmic event that shook the very foundations of Avalon. The once pristine floor was shattered, and they were scattered, isolated in their desperate struggle.
Lancelot and Kay fought with unwavering courage. Despite its gargantuan size, the golem was surprisingly nimble, its heavy blows delivered with surprising speed and precision. Its thick, impervious hide was its shield, deflecting the knights' attacks while its strikes threatened to crush them.
The golem began hurling chunks of buildings at Arthur in a furious barrage. With graceful agility, Arthur slices through the debris effortlessly. As he closed in, Arthur leaped, aiming for the golem's head. The golem tried to block, but Arthur severed its right hand in a clean stroke. In retaliation, the golem struck him with its left hand, slamming him through a building, and Excalibur became lodged in its hand.
The golem stomped down to pin Arthur further into the ground, but he caught its foot, letting out a mighty roar as he gathered his energy. With a surge of strength, he threw the golem off balance.
A powerful lightning bolt then struck the golem from above, coursing through its body. The force shattered it into an explosion of rock fragments, scattering violently in all directions.
Behind the explosion's cloud of dust and smoke, Gema emerged, carrying Excalibur as he walked toward Arthur to help him.
"Gema...? By the heavens! Hast thou abandoned thy post to aid me?" Arthur asked, his voice strained from exhaustion.
"I destroyed mine already; I just lost my way until I heard some knight crying," Gema teased, offering Excalibur back to him.
"Hmph... ever the faithful retainer, my friend," Arthur muttered, taking the blade. "… Now that thou hast vanquished the golems, Bota's true form should be nigh complete. Follow the path where the fragments are drawn."
He gestured to the stones, which were moving in the same direction.
"Depart, Gema. Thy delay will be our doom. Should Bota's form be whole before thou reaches them, my knights shall fall, a fate I shall not suffer."
"Hey, Arthur," Gema said sternly, "don't you dare vanish before handing that sword to me."
He leaned Arthur against the wall and then rushed off to follow the trail of fragments.