Battlefield, Malvorn's Position
Captain Veros watched his control systems failing in real time. Malvorn locked in place, body convulsing. Left wrist shackle showing deep cracks—sixty percent weakened from that Beast Speaker's tool.
Fifty Chainkeepers channeling maximum resonance. All control rods pushed to absolute capacity.
Chainkeeper Lieutenant reported with barely controlled panic. "Sir, control rods are at one hundred percent capacity. All fifty handlers channeling maximum resonance. The shackles are vibrating—I can see stress fractures on three more!"
"Which three?!"
"Right wrist, neck collar, left ankle. The cracks are propagating. I estimate five to ten minutes until catastrophic failure on the left wrist, fifteen to twenty on the others"
Veros calculated rapidly. If wrist broke, front leg would be free. Malvorn could strike with it. If neck broke, head would be free—full roar capability, ultimate panic weapon. If ankle broke, mobility would increase dramatically.
"What is your recommendation?"
"Emergency override protocol. We kill him. Right now. Before we lose control completely"
Veros hesitated. Emperor had personally ordered this deployment. Killing the Shatterlord without authorization meant execution for treason. But keeping him alive might mean everyone died.
"Contact the capital immediately. Request override authorization. Now"
***
The Chainkeeper activated his Imperial Relay communication crystal.
It flickered purple. Wrong color entirely.
His voice came through garbled. "—capital—respond—Morvek—authori—"
Connection cut completely.
"What?! Re-establish contact! We need orders!"
He tried again. And again. Nothing. Crystal dead.
Anomaly zone interference. Three-hundred-meter radius now, disrupting all magic within range.
Veros was alone with the decision. Kill the Emperor's weapon without authorization, or die when control failed.
***
Coalition Lines, Severance Team Assembly
Beast Speaker Toren received new orders through his Bloomscript crystal before interference took it offline.
Draven's voice: "Severance teams—advance again. Target the right wrist, neck collar, any accessible shackle. We break enough of them, he breaks free completely. That is our goal"
Brenn's concerned voice followed. "If we free him during active battle, he might attack everyone—including us"
Draven's response was firm. "Risk is accepted. Better he is free and dangerous than enslaved and weaponized. At least if he is free, there is a chance for reason. While enslaved, he is just a tool"
Fifteen Beast Speakers assembled. Ten survivors from first attempt plus five replacements.
They sprinted toward Malvorn. Four hundred meters through active battlefield.
Dominion archers spotted them. Twenty arrows fired. Three Beast Speakers hit—wounded but continuing forward.
Chainkeepers deployed resonance attacks. Pain like knives through skull. Five more Beast Speakers fell, incapacitated.
Seven reached Malvorn's position.
***
Toren led his remaining team toward the right wrist shackle. Front right leg, currently accessible while Malvorn was locked in convulsions.
Three Beast Speakers pressed severance tools simultaneously against the metal. Triple contact for faster breaking.
Thirty seconds of sustained contact required.
Ten Chainkeepers physically attacked with swords. Too risky to use resonance near active shackle work—might damage their own control systems.
Toren fought back with Forged Bloom dagger. Killed two handlers in brutal close combat.
Two Beast Speakers died. Stabbed while focused entirely on shackle work, unable to defend.
But one Beast Speaker—Kess, young wolf, twenty-two years old—maintained contact for full thirty seconds.
CRACK.
Audible across the entire battlefield. Soulsteel shattered. Right front leg: FREE.
Malvorn roared. Not pain. Relief mixed with rage.
***
The freed leg struck instinctively. Swept one-eighty-degree arc, fifty-meter reach.
Eight Chainkeepers caught in the path. Crushed, thrown, killed instantly.
Veros dove behind boulder. Survived barely, ears ringing.
Dominion formation near Malvorn collapsed. Soldiers fled in complete panic.
Malvorn's awareness expanded. *Right leg is free. Can move it. Without pain. Without commands. MY choice*
*More. Need more. Break all chains*
He thrashed deliberately now. Trying to break remaining shackles through pure force.
***
The anomaly zone expanded. Three hundred meters became five hundred meters radius. Purple-black haze visible to both armies.
Within the zone, gravity became inconsistent. Soldiers stumbled. Some felt lighter, others heavier, randomly shifting.
Temperature spiked twenty-five degrees. Air shimmered with heat distortion, making it hard to see clearly.
Magical effects failed. Healing spells fizzled out. Bloomscript malfunctioned. Enchanted weapons flickered and dimmed.
***
Command Post
Draven watched through spyglass. Saw shackles breaking, anomaly expanding, power building visibly.
The Codex against his chest suddenly blazed with heat. Not burning—screaming urgency directly into his mind.
"What is it?!"
Codex transmitted feelings, not words: *DANGER. ASCENSION. OVERLORD BIRTH. EVACUATE. NOW*
He turned to Brenn. "Full retreat. Everyone. Back two kilometers minimum. Right now"
"We are winning this flank! Dominion is breaking apart—"
"I do not care!" Draven's voice cut through. "Malvorn is ascending. Lord to Overlord. That is a continental-scale event. Anyone within one kilometer dies. Retreat now"
He activated Bloomscript to all units. "Full Coalition retreat. Immediate. Withdraw two kilometers minimum. This is not a drill. Overlord ascension is imminent. Evacuate or die"
***
Coalition forces responded with professional discipline.
Fifty thousand eight hundred troops fell back in organized waves. Rear guard covered while front lines withdrew, then rotated.
Freed beasts panicked initially—Overlord proximity triggered primal terror—but handlers guided them through it.
Fifteen minutes to clear two kilometers. Fast, disciplined, minimal chaos.
Casualties during retreat: two hundred wounded from trampling in initial panic and Dominion arrow fire. Fifty dead who were too close to Malvorn initially, caught in his convulsions.
***
Dominion Command Tent
General Thrace watched Coalition retreating en masse through his spyglass.
Reported to Emperor Valerius. "Majesty, the enemy is retreating in full force. We could pursue them, crush them while they flee—"
"Why are they retreating?" Valerius demanded. "We deployed Malvorn. They should be dying, not withdrawing"
"Unknown, Majesty. Something is wrong with the Shatterlord. Handlers are reporting control is failing. The anomaly zone is expanding rapidly. The Fragment-bearer ordered full evacuation—"
"They are fleeing!" Valerius slammed fist on table. "We pursue them. This is our victory moment!"
Thrace tried reasoning. "Majesty, respectfully—if they are fleeing from Malvorn rather than from us, that means Malvorn has become a threat to everyone. We should also withdraw—"
"We do not flee from our own weapons!" Valerius's voice was steel. "Malvorn is ours. Controlled. Loyal. He will not harm us"
"Sir, Captain Veros reports control is at fifteen percent effectiveness and dropping rapidly. Two shackles are already broken. Resonance is failing—"
"Then Veros re-establishes control! That is his job! We do not retreat. We advance. Crush the fleeing enemy. End this now"
Thrace thought: *This is suicide. The Emperor's pride will kill us all*
Aloud: "Yes, Majesty. Advancing"
Orders issued to fifty-eight thousand remaining Dominion troops. Two thousand already killed by Malvorn's initial thrashing.
Advance toward fleeing Coalition. Pursuit mode, aggressive stance.
Position: eight hundred meters from Malvorn.
Still within detonation radius. Unknowingly doomed.
***
Notes:
Control Deteriorating: Left wrist shackle sixty percent weakened, three more showing stress fractures (right wrist, neck collar, left ankle), Chainkeepers at one hundred percent capacity, Veros estimates five to ten minutes until catastrophic failure.
Communication Lost: Bloomscript crystal flickers purple and dies, anomaly zone interference at three-hundred-meter radius disrupts all magic, Veros cannot contact capital for override authorization, alone with kill-or-die decision.
Second Severance Assault: Fifteen Beast Speakers advance (ten survivors plus five replacements), three wounded by arrows continue forward, five incapacitated by resonance attacks, seven reach Malvorn, target right wrist shackle.
Right Wrist Breaks: Three Beast Speakers maintain contact for thirty seconds, shackle shatters audibly, right front leg freed, Malvorn roars with relief and rage, free leg sweeps one-eighty degrees killing eight Chainkeepers instantly.
Anomaly Expands Critically: Zone grows from three hundred to five hundred meters radius, gravity becomes inconsistent within zone, temperature spikes twenty-five degrees, all magical effects fail (healing, communication, enchantments).
Coalition Full Retreat: Draven recognizes Overlord ascension, orders two-kilometer withdrawal, Codex screams danger warning, fifty thousand eight hundred troops evacuate in fifteen minutes with discipline, two hundred fifty total casualties during retreat.
Dominion Refuses Retreat: Emperor's pride prevents evacuation, believes Malvorn is controlled and loyal, orders fifty-eight thousand troops to advance toward fleeing Coalition, positions army eight hundred meters from Malvorn within detonation radius, General Thrace recognizes suicide but obeys orders.
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