Silence ruled the battlefield. A moment ago, it had been filled with screams, chaos, and the desperate clash between man and beast. But now… everything had stopped. All eyes were on him.
Varon.....
Standing atop the ridge, his black armor reflecting the fading light of dusk, his cape flowing like a living shadow behind him. His blue eyes glowed faintly beneath the helmet cold, calm, and absolute.
Below him, the battlefield trembled.
The Buffalo King let out a furious roar, shaking the air itself. Its massive body tensed, muscles tightening, rage burning in its crimson eyes.
It had felt it.
A threat….A real one….And in response…..It roared again…..
This time, louder.
Stronger…..Commanding…..
The entire horde responded.
Dozens… no… hundreds of beasts surged forward at once. Buffalo beasts charged like living mountains.
Wolf creatures sprinted like shadows across the ground. Serpent monsters slithered forward, hissing with venom and hunger. The ground shook under their combined assault.
"Brace yourselves!" Rony shouted, forcing himself back to his feet, blood running down his forehead. Jessy tightened her grip on her sword, positioning herself in front of Aragorn.
"This is bad…" she whispered.
But Varon did not move. He simply raised his hand.
And then he spoke, "Advance."
That single word changed everything.
Behind him, the black army moved.
Not with chaos...
Not with fear....
But with perfect precision….
Like a machine...
Like death itself had been given form.
They descended from the ridge in silence. Shadow archers raised their bows and released…..
Black arrows cut through the air without sound. Each arrow struck a beast,
And erased it….
Not pierced…..
Not wounded…..
Erased…..
Gone...
Dual blade warriors dashed forward next, their movements too fast for the eye to follow. They passed through groups of beasts like wind and left nothing behind but falling corpses.
Spear units moved in formation, thrusting forward in perfect sync. Every strike was clean. Every kill was instant.
No wasted movement…..
No hesitation...
It wasn't a battle...
It was execution…..
Rony stared in disbelief,
"…What kind of army is this…"
Even the soldiers of Wolfden froze.
They had fought countless battles.
They had seen war. But this this was something else entirely.
Jessy whispered, almost to herself,
"They're not fighting… they're wiping them out…"
And in the center of it all , Varon stood unmoving…..Watching….Waiting...
Aragorn's breathing was still unstable.
His body was heavy, his vision blurred, but he forced himself to stay conscious.
He had to see this…..
He had to understand…..
Varon began to walk…..
Step by step…..
Down from the ridge…..
Across the battlefield...
Every step he took… the chaos around him seemed to quiet.
Even the beasts avoided his path. As if instinct alone warned them,
Do not approach…..
Do not challenge...
Do not exist near him...
He stopped in front of Aragorn. For a moment, the world felt still again.
Aragorn tried to lift his head.
"…Who… are you…"
Varon looked down at him. And then something happened that no one expected.
Varon knelt....
One knee to the ground. Head slightly lowered. The battlefield froze once more, Rony's eyes widened, Jessy's breath caught. Even the soldiers stopped moving.
"What…?" Rony whispered
Varon spoke...,
"My Lord's will… lives within you."
His voice was steady, Absolute.
"From this moment… I serve you."
Shock spread like fire. Jessy took a step back,
"…Serve… him?"
Rony clenched his teeth, unable to process what he was seeing. Aragorn stared at him, confused.
"I… don't understand…"
Varon raised his head slightly.
"You don't need to… yet."
His voice carried no doubt.
No hesitation…..
Only certainty....
Behind him, the shadow army continued its silent massacre, pushing the beast horde back step by step.
Varon stood again…..
Slowly.....
And turned his gaze forward. Toward the true enemy.
The battlefield parted. As if the world itself understood what was about to happen. The Buffalo King stepped forward.
Massive...
Towering.....
Its red body covered in battle scars. One broken horn. One intact, sharp and deadly.
Its axe dragged against the ground.
Its sword gleamed with blood. Its eyes locked onto Varon. And for the first time it did not roar in blind rage.
It watched…..
Carefully....
Varon stepped forward to meet it.
Calm….Unshaken....
His hand moved to his side. And slowly he drew his sword. A dark blade.
Long...Silent.....
Its surface absorbing light instead of reflecting it. A weapon that felt… wrong. As if it did not belong to this world.
"Nyx…"
The name escaped like a whisper.
The Buffalo King roared. And charged.
The ground shattered beneath its feet as it rushed forward, axe raised high, strength enough to crush anything in its path.
Varon did not move. Not until the last second. The axe came down and Varon raised his hand.
He caught it…..
With one hand…..
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded outward, splitting the ground beneath them. Dust and debris flew into the air as the impact echoed across the battlefield.
Rony shielded his face. Jessy held her ground.
"…He stopped it…" she whispered.
Varon slid back a single step.
Just one...
His cloak fluttered slightly.
"…Not weak," he said calmly.
The Buffalo King roared again, swinging its sword wildly.
Varon disappeared...
Gone…In a blink….The King turned too late...
Varon appeared behind it…
Silent…Precise…And swung….A single slash...
Nyx cut through the air without sound.
A deep line carved across the Buffalo King's back.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then blood erupted. The Buffalo King staggered forward, letting out a roar of pain that shook the sky itself.
It didn't fall…It didn't die….
Instead its body trembled, its muscles expanded. Its aura exploded outward like fire. The ground cracked beneath its feet. Its remaining horn began to glow faintly.
Rony's eyes widened,
"…It's not done yet…"
Jessy tightened her grip on her sword.
Aragorn, barely conscious, whispered,
"…What is that…"
Varon stood still,
Watching….Calm...Interested...
"So… you are not just a beast…"
He lifted his sword slightly,
"Good."
The Buffalo King roared once more louder than ever before. The war had not ended. It had only begun...…..