The night sky shook violently.
Dark clouds gathered fast, spinning above the battlefield. The ground cracked again and again, unable to handle the pressure coming from three powerful beings.
Shadow stood at the center, dark purple energy slowly flowing out of his body.
In front of him, the Demon Prince straightened up, wiping blood from his face. His smile was calm—but sharp.
Above them, one by one, ten figures landed.
The S+ Rank Heroes.
Military helicopters stayed far away, not daring to come closer.
The Elite Squad Captain, flames burning around his fists, stepped forward.
"So this is where you were hiding," he said.
"The Demon Prince… and the Shadow."
Shadow glanced at them.
"You brought too many people," he said quietly.
The Demon Prince laughed.
"Humans always feel safer in groups."
---
The First Strike
Without warning—
BOOM!
The Demon Prince vanished and appeared in front of an S+ hero, smashing his punch into the hero's defense. The barrier shattered instantly, and the hero was sent flying far away.
"Don't ignore me," the Demon Prince said coldly.
Shadow clicked his tongue.
"Annoying."
In the next second, Shadow moved faster than sound. Dark flames wrapped around his body as he appeared behind the Demon Prince.
> Bitter Blade — Phantom Cut
A sharp dark slash ripped through the air.
The Demon Prince twisted at the last moment, but the blade still tore across his back. Blood hit the ground.
The Demon Prince smiled wider.
"Good. This is getting fun."
---
Heroes Attack Together
"All units—ATTACK!" the Captain shouted.
Fire, ice, wind, earth, water, and thunder attacks came together.
The battlefield turned into chaos.
The Captain threw heavy fire punches
Wind blades cut through the air
Ice spears rained from above
Earth chains rose from the ground
Thunder cracked loudly in the sky
Shadow lifted one hand.
> Abyss Guard
A dark shield formed around him, blocking every attack.
The Demon Prince looked annoyed.
"So weak."
He raised his hands.
> Demonic Art — Hell Roar
A powerful red shockwave exploded outward, destroying tanks and tearing helicopters apart. Several S+ heroes were forced back.
The battlefield went quiet for a moment.
Then—
Shadow felt something inside him move.
---
A Soul That Still Lives
Deep inside Shadow's body—
Kaien's soul reacted.
A faint heartbeat echoed.
Shadow's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You're still alive."
The Demon Prince noticed Shadow pausing.
"Oh?" he said with interest.
"So you weren't serious until now, Shadow?"
Shadow slowly looked up.
His expression was calm—but dangerous.
"No," he replied.
"I just didn't need to be."
---
Eclipse Descent
Shadow slowly raised both his hands toward the sky.
The dark flames around him stopped moving.
For a second—
everything became silent.
Then—
A huge dark glowing beam burst from Shadow's hands, shooting straight into the sky.
The beam twisted the clouds, tearing them apart as darkness spread across the heavens.
The sky dimmed.
Light felt heavy.
Sound vanished completely.
The ground cracked under the pressure.
Every S+ hero froze.
Even the Demon Prince stopped smiling.
The world itself felt different.
> Shadow's Domain — Eclipse Descent
This was no longer normal land.
This was Shadow's territory.
The Demon Prince clenched his fists, excitement burning in his eyes.
"…So you really weren't serious until now."
Shadow's voice echoed from everywhere.
"This," he said calmly,
"is just the beginning."
---
Hero Association Headquarters
Far away, inside the headquarters, the old Leader suddenly grabbed his chest and sat down. Blood slowly dripped from his nose.
"So it has begun…" he whispered.
The Co-Leader stared at the screens, silent.
"This battle," he said,
"will decide the future."
---
Back to the Battlefield
Shadow took one step forward.
The Demon Prince laughed loudly, flames bursting from his body.
The S+ heroes raised their weapons.
Three sides.
One battlefield.
This was no longer a warning.
The war had already begun.
---