Location -Shiu (Athena's President Headquarters)
The battlefield at Athena's President Headquarters was a storm of chaos. Explosions of magic echoed across the sky as demon roars clashed with the relentless chants of sorcerers. The air was heavy-thick with smoke, soaked in blood, and choking with the weight of despair. Yet, the sorcerers stood tall, forming an unbreakable line between the advancing demon army and the heart of their nation.
Hundreds of sorcerers fought with unwavering resolve, defending the grand gates of the headquarters. From the distance, twenty Grade-2 demons surged forward with monstrous intensity, clawing and leaping their way up the towering walls of the headquarters.
A group of ten sorcerers coordinated their attacks, casting spells and striking at the climbing beasts. Amid them, one Grade-1 sorcerer planted his feet and raised both hands toward the skies.
"Waves arise, deep and wide... Spirits of water, Water Dragon!"
From the cracked earth, a colossal serpent of liquid fury emerged, roaring as it surged upward. The water dragon crashed into the climbing demons, sweeping several off the wall and slamming them to the ground with bone-shattering force.
But danger lurked behind.
Two Grade-1 demons suddenly emerged from the shadows, their mouths wide open and glowing with a sickly energy, ready to fire devastating beams. The sorcerer didn't notice-until two clean, silent slashes cut the demons' heads from their shoulders. A sharp gust of wind followed the strikes, and the soft sound of a blade sheathing cut through the tension like a whisper:
"Phew."
The sorcerer turned in surprise, his heart racing-only to see a tall figure standing calmly behind him, a massive axe resting on his shoulder. His presence was firm, unshakable, and commanding.
"So you always protect our backs..."
As the disintegrating bodies of the demons crumbled to dust, the sorcerer's voice cracked with a mix of relief and admiration.
"Master... Alex Barty..."
His name: Alex Barty. Special grade sorcerer. Chairman of Majestic Majors. Son of Athena's president Alastor Barty.
Without a word, Alex turned away-his sharp gaze catching the incoming horde of seven more demons charging straight at him. Calmly, he adjusted his stance, his legs spreading slightly, grounding his energy. He whispered his incantation, voice steady and clear:
"Power of wind-"
He raised his axe diagonally to the right, wind swirling around the blade like a gathering storm.
"Storm wind Cutter."
With a sudden roar, he swung downward.
Multiple wind blades shot from his axe like a hurricane, slicing through the demons mid-charge. Each strike was clean, precise, and deadly. Within moments, the seven demons were torn to pieces and scattered into the dust.
As the last piece of demon flesh hit the ground, Alex turned his gaze upward. The demons were already breaching the upper levels, clawing toward the President's room. Without hesitation, Alex broke into a sprint-but another group of demons suddenly blocked his path.
He clenched his jaw in frustration, his grip on the axe tightening.
Time was running out.
Location - The President's Room
Inside the President's Room, tension was unbearable. Five Grade-1 sorcerers stood guard around President Alastor Barty, their expressions tight with anxiety. One of them, his face pale with sweat, finally spoke up.
"Sir... our sorcerers are being overwhelmed. Too many have already fallen. And the Ryugi Ken troops-we haven't heard a word. We don't even know if they're still alive. Are we... are we losing? What are we supposed to do now?"
Outside the window, claws scraped against stone. Growls echoed closer. The demons had reached the building's upper floors.
Fear crept in. The sorcerers stiffened. Then, breaking the silence with sheer volume, President Alastor Barty roared in frustration.
"Alexaaaa! Where in the hell are youuuuuu?!"
His voice traveled high up-reaching the very rooftop of the headquarters.
There, atop the building, a woman sat casually on the edge, legs swinging. A chip packet crinkled in her hand as she munched absentmindedly, unfazed by the chaos around her. Alexa raised an eyebrow at the sound of Alastor's scream.
"Why the hell is he yelling like that? Lost his mind or something?" she muttered.
With a sigh, she stood and tossed the empty packet aside.
"Whatever..." she said, drawing a long, black, slender sword from her back. Flames began to gather around it, flickering and fierce.
"It's time for action."
She whispered her chant, and the sword burst into vivid red flames.
"Power of fire-"
With fire swirling wildly, she launched herself off the rooftop, spinning rapidly in the air as the flame blazed around her.
"Red Flame Whirlwind."
A vortex of fire spiraled through the air as she descended. The demons at the broken window paused-just long enough to look up.
And then she hit them.
The spiraling inferno tore through the climbing demons, burning them to ash one by one as she passed. The sky lit up in a red-orange glow. The remaining sorcerers inside stared in awe as President Alastor stepped forward, stunned.
"Is that... Alexa?"
Below, Alex Barty cleaved a demon's head to clean off. Catching the familiar energy signature in the air, he glanced up toward the window and smiled.
"So... you finally decided to move. You freak."
With a thunderous impact, Alexa landed, flames erupting around her like a comet crashing into the battlefield. Smoke filled the area, glowing from within with fiery embers.
Then, through the haze, she stepped forward-calm, unburned, eyes sharp.
Two demons rushed her. One swung a massive axe. She sidestepped effortlessly, slicing clean through the demon's torso.
The second lunged with a sword, aiming straight for her neck. She flipped mid-air in a swift 360° spin and delivered a perfect strike to the top of its head, dropping it on the spot.
As she stood, the ground seemed to acknowledge her presence.
Her name: Alexa. Special Grade Sorcerer. Chairman of the Protector Pros. And Alex Barty's longtime childhood friend.
She walked over to Alex, her tone dry.
"What are you doing? Playing with them?"
Alex chuckled, wiping blood from his axe.
"Coming from the one who's been hiding the whole time?"
Alexa's voice sharpened,"What's the situation?"
Alex's expression turned serious.
"Our forces are thinning fast. We've lost too many members of ours. The Ryugi Ken squad hasn't checked in at all. We don't know what's going on out there."
Alexa's mood shifted to serious.
"Then we need to go. If they're still alive, they'll need backup."
Suddenly, the ground trembled. A new wave of demons-hundreds strong-stormed toward the headquarters with alarming speed. It was a full-scale charge.
Alex clenched his teeth.
"Looks like we've got one more wall to break."
Alexa smiled, almost like she was enjoying it.
"I can't remember the last time I felt this pumped. Let's have some fun, Alex."
He smirked.
"Look who's talking."
He turned to the remaining sorcerers behind them.
"Everyone-hold the line. Protect the headquarters. Alexa and I will take care of the rest."
With that, Alex turned towards Alexa with a mocking smirked.
"Don't be afraid, Alexa, I will protect you."
Alexa gaze turned into a mockery smile.
"Huh.... We will see who's going to need protection."
With that friendly banter, the two of them charged forward, side by side, smiling as they ran straight into the oncoming horde.
---
Location - Shiu Battlefield
A bombastic explosion erupted through the war-torn skies of Shiu, thundering with such ferocity that the very air cracked and howled. Shards of smoke and debris scattered across the battlefield, tearing through the dark legions of Mirauza as if the heavens themselves had declared war.
From the thick haze of destruction emerged Azad, Nirav, Wu Chan, and Firoaz-their silhouettes cutting through the fog like phantoms of vengeance. Azad led them, his cloak whipping in the wind, eyes locked on the demon commander. Mirauza's eyes flared wide with rage.
"CHAAAARGE!" he roared, voice echoing like a storm.
In a surge of dark energy, the legion of Mirauza thundered forward. Arrows infused with swirling black magic launched from the skies above-deadly, precise.
But Nirav stepped forward, calm amid the chaos. "Waters of deep, shield and confine-Water Wall!"
From the earth rose a monolithic wall of water, swirling and alive, intercepting the cursed arrows and disintegrating them into harmless droplets.
Without wasting a heartbeat, Azad leapt from the crest of the water wall, rising high into the air like a comet ascending toward the storm. He thrust his hand toward the sky and chanted:
"Recoil of thunder, Supreme Lightning-Magnum Thunderbolt!"
The sky cracked.
Then split.
And a colossal thunderbolt struck down with divine fury, blasting the ground into a crater and obliterating scores of the dark legion. The shockwave split the earth, sending tremors across the battlefield as smoke surged outward like a tidal wave.
From the smoke charged Nirav, Wu Chan, and Firoaz, their movements were sharp, fluid-a deadly dance of blades and strikes. They carved through the dark knights with precise brutality, charging headlong toward the heart of the storm-Mirauza.
The demon snarled in fury, eyes bloodshot. "AAAAAAGGGHHH!" With a scream of hatred, he summoned 20 archers and 50 dark knights from his inky, writhing pool of darkness.
As the reinforcements stormed forward, a second wave of arrows hurtled toward the trio-until the sky ignited.
A massive fire dragon erupted, roaring with primal heat as it intercepted the arrows and incinerated them mid-air. The beast tore through the knights like fire through paper, its body wreathed in an unrelenting flame.
Mirauza's eyes widened in disbelief. "That fire beast... it's his..."
Behind the trio stood Azad, arm still outstretched, the fire dragon his creation-his wrath made manifest.
Mirauza clenched his fists. "He's the threat. If I take him out, the rest will fall-those three are nearly drained."
His eyes flared with determination. "DESTROY THAT FIRE BEAST!"
The archers obeyed, unleashing a barrage of cursed arrows. Some struck the dragon, sparking small explosions-but it charged onward undeterred. Frustrated beyond words, Mirauza screamed again, summoning fifty more archers who loosed a simultaneous barrage.
The sky lit up with swirling darkness.
The fire dragon howled as it was overwhelmed, detonating into a massive explosion that shook the battlefield.
And in that ringing silence, a swirling sound cut through Mirauza's ears.
He turned.
Surrounding him-Azad and his allies. Forming a perfect square.
Azad and Firoaz stood in front. Wu Chan to his left. Nirav to his right.
Their blades raised, their eyes burning with purpose.
Together, they began to chant:
Azad: "Power of fire-"
Firoaz: "Power of strength-"
Wu Chan: "Power of thunder-"
Nirav: "Power of water-"
Mirauza's fear cracked through his rage. "COMRADES, PROTECT ME!"
Azad: "Blazing Crescent Strike!"
Firoaz: "Rock Breaker Blow!"
Wu Chan: "Thunder Lance!"
Nirav: "Aqua Crescent Strike!"
Their weapons ignited with raw elemental fury.
Azad's twin katanas sliced forth in a fiery crescent. Firoaz's hammer swung with mountainous force. Wu Chan's thunder-charged longsword lunged like a lightning bolt. Nirav's dual-edged blade cut diagonally, sending a slicing tide of water forward.
All four attacks converged-perfectly synchronized.
Steel clanged. Sky cracked. And a titanic explosion erupted.
Smoke. Rubble. Silence.
As the dust began to settle... Mirauza's voice rang out. Cold. Mocking.
"What a waste of energy..." From within the smoke stood a ring of shield-bearing dark knights, their defense impenetrable. "Did you forget... my ultimate defense?" He sneered, his voice turning sinister. "Let me remind you... YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME, YOU INFERIOR CREATURES!"
For a heartbeat, the battlefield froze.
Then Azad's lips curled into a sinister smirk. "I'm also gonna say one thing..." His voice shifted-cold, sharp, lethal: "Let's see about that... YOU FOOL!"
Mirauza's expression twisted into confusion.
Suddenly-Firoaz's form rippled and exploded into water.
Mirauza's eyes widened. "A water clone...? Then where is-"
From behind-
"Power of strength-Rock Breaker Blow!"
Mirauza turned just in time to see Firoaz, airborne, hammer raised, descending with unstoppable force.
BOOM!
The hammer crashed into Mirauza's face with earth-shattering power. The shockwave tore across the battlefield, sending the demon commander spiraling through the air like a broken comet. He smashed into the ground, tumbling across rock and dirt before crashing into a massive boulder-shattering it like glass.
The inky pool vanished, evaporating into smoke. The dark legion dissolved, turned to ash and wind.
Half of Mirauza's head was obliterated, blood pouring freely, staining the cracked earth.
He lay in ruin, mind spinning. "When... did they create that clone...?"
FLASHBACK
Azad stepped forward, eyes burning with silent determination. "Guys, can you do me a little favour?" he asked with a calm that masked the storm within.
The trio smirked - weary but still holding onto the thread of their fighting spirit.
Wu Chan responded first, "We're happy to help you... but..."
Nirav added, "We've almost reached our limit. We're barely standing. How can we possibly help now?"
Firoaz lowered his head, voice heavy with guilt, "They're right... we've become nothing but stones in your path..."
Azad looked at them, not with disappointment-but with belief. His voice remained calm, yet carried the weight of a leader's heart. "I know you're all drained... but I never thought you'd give up that easily."
The trio's heads snapped up. Something about his voice-his presence-refused to let them sink.
Azad's tone shifted, desperate yet inspiring, like a war cry from the soul. "The battle isn't over! Look around you-sorcerers have fallen, some have lost limbs, others their lives... and yet-they keep fighting!"
The trio slowly turned their gaze toward the battlefield. Chaos. Flames. Blood. Corpses littered the field, and still, amidst the agony, warriors clashed against demons like raging storms refusing to die down.
Azad continued, his voice echoing like a drum of war. "Do you know why?"
They turned to him.
"Because they believe in you!"
A shock struck their hearts.
"They're putting their lives on the line... because they still have faith in us. In you. They believe their leaders will rise... and save them. That's what keeps them breaking their limits, over and over again!"
The trio's despair twisted into fury. Their grip on their weapons tightened. Their broken bodies trembled-not from weakness, but from awakening rage.
"But they don't know..." Azad growled. "...that their leaders are breaking their faith instead. Are you really going to let their belief die right here?"
A gust of wind surged past them.
"Who decides your limit? YOU DO. If you want to win this war- BREAK THROUGH IT!"
Firoaz lifted his mighty hammer and rested it on his shoulder, eyes burning. "I will NOT shatter the hopes of those who believe in me!"
Nirav followed, a fire rekindled in his soul. "Same here. Even if it kills me-I'll fight to protect humanity!"
Wu Chan nodded with fierce resolve. "Tell us what to do, boy. We're with you till the very end!"
Azad smiled, proud. "Now listen carefully... The demon commander's only goal now is me. Because you're all worn out, he sees you as background noise. That's our advantage."
Firoaz blinked. "So you're gonna be the bait?"
Azad nodded. "I'll draw his attention. I'll open the space for your strike."
He turned towards Nirav. "Your name, sir?"
Nirav smirked, "Nirav. Special Grade Sorcerer of the Red Dragon Guild."
Firoaz chuckled. "Now's not the time to show off, celebrity."
Azad continued, focused. "You are a water user, Am I right?"
Nirav nodded. "Yes."
Azad asked. "Can you create a clone of Firoaz?"
Nirav hesitated. "It's tough... in my condition... but-wait-how do you know Firoaz?"
Firoaz laughed. "Guess I'm more famous than you, huh?"
Nirav's face turned to anger, "Shut up, clown."
Wu Chan snapped, "ENOUGH! Focus" He turned to Azad. "I noticed something... that dark inky pool-The demon commander hasn't moved from it since his Supreme Technique activated. That might be the core. If we can drag him out of it... we might be able to shut it down!"
Azad's eyes narrowed. "Brilliant. We'll use that."
He turned to Nirav. "I'll buy you time to cast the clone. When he's distracted, send it behind him. That's our one shot."
Nirav took a deep breath. "I'll do whatever it takes-even if it's the end for me."
Azad clenched his fists. "Then let's finish this-once and for all."
PRESENT
The battlefield was painted in crimson. The skies burned with fading daylight. A storm of silence hovered over the land.
Mirauza trembled. His head cracked and bleeding, his regeneration had slowed to a crawl.
"Damn... this Supreme Technique... it's drained all my Aki... what am I supposed to do now?"
He tried to rise-but his legs gave out. He collapsed to the blood-stained earth. He is struggling to rise, but he is kneeling on the ground with a blood pooling face.
Then- A shadow loomed. A light flared brighter than the sun itself. One figure stood before him.
Two katanas shimmered like blades from a celestial realm. A golden aura cloaked the figure like a blazing sun, radiating with godlike fury. The setting sun behind him turned the sky to fire-and in that inferno stood the bringer of fate:
Azad.
He looked down upon the demon commander with unwavering eyes. His voice was thunder, calm and cold.
"Your life... ENDS HERE."
Mirauza's heart sank. His body froze. He wasn't just looking at a warrior.
He was staring into the face of his death.
Narrator's Voice Echoed Like a War Drum Across the Horizon:
"The battlefield trembles. The hour of reckoning has arrived. Will the light of humanity prevail? Or will darkness rise again? Prepare your hearts... the Shiu battle conclusion is going to happen in the next chapter."
CHAPTER 15 - TO BE CONTINUED...