CHAPTER 56: THE END OF NEXAN II
"BE RELEASED, INFINITE FORTRESS!"
These words sealed the fate of the Nexan lands.
The ground began to tremble instantly. First a slight tremor, then it intensified as if the very earth was shifting. The massive structure beside Nexan Palace, the Infinite Fortress, was awakening from its thousand-year sleep. Its doors creaked, groaned, and slowly began to open.
Everything stopped on the battlefield.
The armies, as if by silent agreement, ceased fighting at the same moment. No one could raise their swords, no one could attack. All eyes were fixed on those cursed doors slowly opening.
And a voice tore through the silence:
"ALL NEXAN SOLDIERS, FLEE IMMEDIATELY!"
It was Commander Amper. The urgency, fear, and desperation in his voice... For those who knew him, it was chilling. Because Amper never feared.
"THE INFINITE FORTRESS WILL BE RELEASED IN FIVE MINUTES! FLEE IMMEDIATELY! THE ENTIRE KINGDOM WILL BE DESTROYED! THIS IS KING SWAIN'S ABSOLUTE ORDER!"
After a moment of shock, the Nexan army scattered like a flood. Soldiers abandoned their weapons, shields, and comrades and began to flee. Some ran toward the mountains, some toward the passages, some toward caves. There was no longer a war. Only a struggle for survival.
The Ice Kingdom army stood frozen. They didn't know what to do. They awaited their commander's orders, but their eyes remained fixed on those opening doors.
Kai was trying to understand what was happening. His mind had stopped, his logic had failed.
"What does this mean?" he murmured, looking around. "Why did Amper give such an order? What's in the Infinite Fortress? Why is Amper so terrified? Where is this entire army fleeing?"
And the most important question: "Swain... Where is Swain?"
His eyes searched for King Swain. When he found him, the sight before him froze him in place.
Swain stood motionless where he was. Like a statue. No movement, no reaction... Like a living dead.
At that moment, Amper's voice echoed again:
"Kai! What are you doing? Flee immediately! Go to the passages! The Infinite Fortress's doors will open in five minutes! If you're still here when they open, you will definitely die!"
Amper then turned to Captain Terex: "Captain Terex, you flee too! I command you!"
On the Ice Kingdom side, Flem had regained consciousness but was still bewildered.
"Hey, Flower!" he called out in confusion. "What's this chaos? Why is the Nexan army fleeing? Did we win?"
Flower was struggling not to lose her mind. "FLEM! DON'T BE RIDICULOUS! START CREATING A PORTAL IMMEDIATELY! WE MUST FLEE FROM HERE!"
Then she gave the most critical order: "KING TASK, RETREAT IMMEDIATELY, MY KING! THIS WAR IS OVER NOW!"
King Task couldn't tear his eyes away from the closing doors. "What's happening?" he asked, his voice trembling. "Why is everyone fleeing? What did Swain do? Weren't there only imprisoned demons in the Infinite Fortress? Swain, what have you done?"
Morde, now three times stronger, watched the events unfold. He too didn't understand. But his instincts told him danger was approaching.
"What did that fool do?" he murmured. "Why is everyone so terrified?"
At that moment, his eyes caught something. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"HA? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"
What he saw was terrifying.
Swain's body had begun to change.
Black wings sprouted from his back. His skin first reddened, then darkened, finally becoming completely crimson. And his eyes... Those familiar, wise, determined eyes were gone. In their place were two pitch-black, empty, soulless pits.
Amper's scream drowned out all chaos:
"EVERYONE STAY AWAY FROM KING SWAIN! HE IS NO LONGER SWAIN! HE IS THE DEMON INSIDE SWAIN – AKASHAN! STAY AWAY FROM HIM, OR YOU WILL ALL DIE!"
Hearing this warning, the Ice Kingdom army immediately scattered. Everyone tried to flee as far as possible from that red monster.
But Morde... Morde didn't move. In his eyes was not fear, but curiosity and excitement.
"The demon inside him, huh?" he said, a wild smile on his lips. "That's it! I wanted to see you at full power, Swain! Come on, transform and let's fight!"
There were three minutes left until the Infinite Fortress's doors opened.
And at that moment, the unexpected happened.
Captain Terex, along with his crew, moved. Toward Morde.
Kai shouted in horror: "No, Captain Terex! Stop! You can't fight him now!"
Terex turned and looked at Kai. In his eyes were determination and pain. "No, Kai. Now is the perfect time."
"The perfect time for what, Captain?"
Terex's voice, tearful but proud: "To take revenge for my friend. CREW, ATTACK! "
And the eleven-member crew, following their commander, charged toward Morde.
But before them stood not the old Morde.
Before them stood Morde, three times stronger, his energy skyrocketed, transformed into a death machine.
Morde laughed when he saw this small group. "Ha? A handful of insects dare to challenge me? Come on, worthless beings! Don't make me laugh!"
And he attacked.
"BLACK SHOOOOOCK!"
The black shock wave spread. The entire crew was stunned by this attack.
Yisun: "Ha? What was that? Ahhh!"
Gusion: "AHHH! WHAT IS THIS PAIN?"
But Captain Terex was different. The attack hadn't affected him. "Don't stop, kids!" he shouted. "Attack with all your strength!"
Terex, Yisun, Gusion, and the other eight crew members – eleven in total – attacked Morde with all their might.
Morde was quite pleased with this situation. "Come on then!" he shouted. "Let me show you all hell! SEE WHAT POWER IS! "
"BLACK SWORD!"
Morde attacked with all his strength. The crew did the same.
Right in the middle of the square, a massive explosion occurred.
When the light faded, the scene that emerged was far from pleasant.
Except for Terex, Yisun, and Gusion, the entire crew – eight people – had died in a single blow.
Morde, still with a monstrous smile, was approaching them with heavy steps.
Captain Terex tried to stand, but in vain. He was bleeding from a sword wound in his stomach. But he didn't give up. He shouted through tears:
"MORDE! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! YOU DESTROYED MY CREW! I WILL DESTROY YOU! "
Seeing their captain like this, Yisun and Gusion immediately ran to his side. Both stood up, with the determination to fight to the death in their eyes.
Yisun: "Captain, rest a while. Leave the rest to us."
Gusion: "Exactly, Captain. Trust us and take it easy."
Captain Terex nodded, tears streaming from his eyes. "Kids... I trust you completely."
Yisun and Gusion drew their swords and immediately attacked.
Morde stood still without moving. As if he was waiting for them.
The duo swung their swords. But Morde, as if seeing the attacks in slow motion, dodged them all by moving left and right.
Gusion: "Damn it! We can't even touch him!"
Yisun: "Don't hesitate, Gusion! He can't run forever!"
Meanwhile, Flower and Flem were trying to create a portal. Their magical energy remained focused despite all the chaos.
King Task gave one final order: "Ice Kingdom army, retreat! This is no longer a war! The war is over! Enter the portals once they form! This is an absolute order! Everyone obey!"
Amper was shouting at the same time: "Remaining Nexan army! Commanders! Kai! Terex! You too, run to the passages immediately! Or enter the caves! Don't stay out in the open! Otherwise, you'll turn to ashes!"
Then he too began to flee. But his heart was burning. "I apologize to everyone," he murmured as he ran. "I'm the head commander, fleeing is wrong. But this is our King's order. Forgive me."
There were two minutes left until the Infinite Fortress's doors opened.
Morde finally stopped evading attacks. Now it was time to retaliate.
Gusion, with one last hope, attacked. "QUICK DEATH! "
He suddenly appeared before Morde and swung his blade at his head.
But Morde wasn't surprised. He turned his black sword horizontally. Gusion's blade struck the center of the black sword but couldn't penetrate it.
Morde didn't miss this opportunity.
"BLACK FIST! "
Black energy burst from his fist. He struck Gusion's chest.
BAM!
Gusion flew ten meters, skidding across the ground, dragging corpses along with him as he stopped.
Yisun: "GUSION! ARE YOU OKAY?"
Gusion struggled to his feet. "I'm fine, Yisun. Don't worry about me."
Captain Terex shouted from a distance: "Gusion! Don't fight him alone! Both of you attack in coordination!"
Gusion: "As you command, Captain!"
This time, they both used their special techniques together. Yisun drew his bow and arrow from his back. Gusion raised his sword.
Yisun: "VOID ARROW! "
Gusion: "TRUE DEATH! "
Yisun's arrow pierced through space. The crescent-shaped energy wave from Gusion's sword tore through the air. The two attacks advanced toward Morde with incredible power.
There was still no trace of worry on Morde's face.
Meanwhile, Kai had come to Captain Terex's side. "Hey, Captain! Are you okay?"
Terex smiled with difficulty. "I'm fine, Kai. No problem."
Kai looked toward Morde. "Captain, I'm going to help them too."
Terex's hand immediately grabbed Kai's arm. "No, Kai. They wanted to do this themselves. Because I trust them. Let them fight." He fixed his eyes on Kai: "Besides, your time hasn't come yet."
Kai froze at these words. "My time hasn't come yet?" he asked in astonishment. "What does that mean? Morde said the same thing. I can't understand! What do they mean?"
At that moment, a massive explosion occurred.
Everything stopped. Even the retreating Ice army stopped. Even Flower and Flem, trying to create the portal, stopped. King Task was trying to understand what was happening.
All eyes were fixed on Morde's location.
When the dust cloud cleared, everyone was in shock.
Before Morde stood a giant figure. Three meters tall, completely crimson-skinned, a terrifying entity.
Akashan. The demon inside Swain.
There was one minute left until the Infinite Fortress's doors opened.
Everyone stood frozen, watching what was about to happen.
In the distance, fleeing Amper paused for a moment. The energy he felt on his back told him everything. But he didn't turn to look.
"It happened," he murmured, eyes filled with tears. "It definitely happened. King Swain has transformed." He shook his head. "No, I won't look at this. I don't want to see him like that. NO! "
And he continued running. But the voice inside him wouldn't leave him alone. "What happened to him was my fault. If I hadn't given in to my curiosity and entered the Infinite Fortress, none of this would have happened..."
TEN YEARS AGO – INFINITE FORTRESS
Amper was a younger soldier. He had given in to his curiosity and secretly entered the Infinite Fortress.
Inside, it was dark. Only a few candles faintly illuminated the fortress. And the entire fortress was filled with cages. In each cage, a different demon, a different cursed entity...
When Amper reached the last cage on the first floor, his curiosity was eating him alive. A voice inside him shouted, "Open that cage! See what's inside!"
The soldier responsible for the first floor had fallen asleep.
Amper silently approached, took the key. Then he opened the cage door.
At that moment, a dark aura burst from inside. Amper's knees began to tremble.
"W-what is th-this?" he stammered. "I'm so scared... But I've come this far. I can't turn back now. I have to see what's inside. I have to see what they're hiding from us!"
He entered the cage. Inside, there was a red energy sphere. When it saw Amper, it immediately began to change, advancing toward him.
At that moment, someone pushed Amper. Swain.
Amper fell to the ground. All the energy from the red sphere flowed into Swain's body. When the energy finished flowing, the sphere instantly turned gray and extinguished.
But Swain was no longer the old Swain.
TODAY – NEXAN BATTLEFIELD
Tears streamed from Amper's eyes. "I wish I could have helped you, brother."
Akashan attacked.
Morde's eyes gleamed. "That's it! Your true power!"
Akashan: "DEMON CLAW! "
Morde: "I saw this attack from Swain before! But now, I'll see it at full power! BLACK SHOCK! "
The two fists collided in the center. A massive energy explosion covered the entire area.
When the explosion subsided, everyone was in shock.
Morde had been thrown back, almost on the verge of kneeling.
King Task: "How is this possible?"
Flower: "Morde... was defeated?"
Flem: "This demon's power is unimaginable!"
Kai didn't know what to do. "Who should I help?" he asked himself. "The demon in Swain's body, or my old brother Morde?"
Captain Terex: "Don't be ridiculous, Kai! Of course attack the demon! He's no longer Swain!" Then he called out to Yisun and Gusion: "Yisun, Gusion! Retreat! This war is over now!"
THERE WAS ONE MINUTE LEFT UNTIL THE INFINITE FORTRESS'S DOORS OPENED.
Captain Terex turned to Kai: "Kai, you're not wounded! Get us out of here! Now! Or we'll die!"
Kai realized he had no other choice and nodded. "Fine."
But he turned to Morde. In his eyes was an indescribable emotion.
"Hey, Morde. It seems it's not our destiny to fight today either. But don't forget, we will definitely face each other one day. Until that day comes, don't you dare die. Because when that day comes, I will kill you myself."
He created a platform from his soul power. He placed Captain Terex, Gusion, and Yisun on it. Then he quickly moved away from there.
Morde watched him go. "Kai... You spoke truly. We will definitely face each other one day. But the one who dies will be you, not me, brother."
Flower and Flem had finally created the portal.
King Task: "Come on, Morde! This isn't the time to fight that demon! The war is over! We're retreating for now!"
Morde protested: "What retreat? I don't retreat! I don't run!"
Task's eyes narrowed. "I thought you had overcome your pride, Morde. Was I wrong?" He paused, then added: "Besides, don't you want to fight Kai?"
These words stopped Morde. Reluctantly, he admitted Task was right.
But he couldn't retreat. Because Akashan had surrounded him.
Morde used one final technique. "RISE, AILIAN! "
From the ground, Shadow Commander Ailian rose and immediately attacked Akashan. This bought Morde a brief moment.
Morde ran toward the portal. Most of the Ice Kingdom army had already passed through. Only Morde, King Task, Flower, and Flem remained.
Seeing Morde approaching, Task immediately entered the portal. Just as Morde was about to enter, he shouted: "COME BACK, AILIAN! "
Ailian immediately retreated.
And at that very moment...
THE INFINITE FORTRESS'S DOORS OPENED COMPLETELY.
Flower and Flem immediately entered the portal and closed it. The moment they closed it...
BOOOOOOOOMMMM!
The full power of the Infinite Fortress was released.
Akashan spoke one last time: "Swain... You were a very intelligent commander. You destroyed me along with yourself..."
And the energy spreading from the Infinite Fortress instantly covered all of Nexan. Everywhere turned into barren land. The massive Nexan Palace collapsed in an instant. Every place the energy passed became wasteland.
Akashan was also exposed to this energy. For a moment, he glowed bright red, then turned to ash. A wind blew, scattering his ashes.
Kai, Captain Terex, Gusion, and Yisun had taken shelter in a cave. The energy passed over the cave. The cave protected them.
But the Nexan Kingdom was no more.
The energy spread throughout the entire kingdom. The entire kingdom became barren land. All resources were destroyed. All palaces, buildings, city-states... All were destroyed.
When the energy finally subsided, there was silence throughout Nexan.
Kai and Captain Terex emerged from the cave. The scene they saw was horrifying. All of Nexan had turned into hell.
Meanwhile, a short distance away, in an old, ruined castle, a power awakened.
Impernos.
He opened his eyes. A dangerous smile appeared on his lips.
"I think the time I've been waiting for has finally come. It's my turn to take the stage."