Chapter: The Demon Steps Forward
The town was already dead.
Not in the quiet way towns usually died—when trade vanished, when people moved away, when dust slowly conquered the streets.
No.
This town had died violently.
Its buildings were shattered, its streets cracked open like broken bones, and the air itself carried the scent of blood and burning mana.
Above everything stretched the Corrupted Domain of Draven.
The earth beneath his feet had turned black and twisted, veins of dark energy pulsing through the soil like a living organism.
And everywhere…
Monsters.
Draven's army had already taken full control of the town.
Creatures crawled across rooftops, lurked in alleyways, and stood guard like grotesque statues along the ruined streets.
Spiders the size of wolves skittered across walls.
Ravens circled the sky like shadows with wings.
Corrupted beasts dragged corpses away to be consumed or reshaped.
Yet despite the absolute dominance of the monster army…
One battle still raged.
The Battle of the Generals
In the center of the ruined town square, Draven's generals clashed with the elite warriors of the Lion Knight Order.
Originally fifty knights had arrived.
Ten had already been blasted away earlier by the overwhelming power of the generals.
But now those ten had managed to stand again.
Bruised.
Bloodied.
But still alive.
Which meant there were once again fifty Lion Knights facing Draven's commanders.
And they were furious.
Their armor shone with golden aura, their swords humming with spirit power.
These were not ordinary soldiers.
Each one was an elite warrior capable of crushing entire battalions alone.
And they were done holding back.
The Lion Knight Order moved as one.
Their captain roared:
"FOR THE HOLY KINGDOM!"
The battlefield exploded.
The Generals Unleash Their Power
Draven watched silently from the corrupted ground.
His crimson eyes reflected the battlefield like mirrors of hell.
His generals stepped forward.
And then—
They unleashed everything.
A1 – Mountain Slash + Aura Burst Strike
A1 moved first.
The monstrous warrior lifted his massive blade.
Aura surged around him like a raging storm.
He swung.
"MOUNTAIN SLASH!"
The blade crashed downward.
A colossal wave of sword energy tore across the battlefield, splitting the ground apart like an earthquake.
But A1 didn't stop.
The moment the slash landed—
He followed with his second attack.
"AURA BURST STRIKE!"
His entire body exploded with compressed aura.
The power detonated outward like a cannon blast.
Dozens of Lion Knights were forced backward as the ground shattered beneath their feet.
B2 – Condensed Arrow of Destruction + Marksman of Corruption
High above the battlefield, B2 stood upon a ruined tower.
His bow was already drawn.
The arrow he held glowed with terrifying energy.
"Condensed Arrow of Destruction."
The arrow compressed so much power that the air itself warped around it.
Then B2 whispered his second skill.
"Arrow of the Marksman of Corruption."
Dark energy wrapped around the arrow like a serpent.
Then—
He released it.
The arrow shot forward like a meteor.
When it struck the ground, the explosion swallowed an entire street.
C3 – Elemental Stampede + Spirit Magic Vortex
C3 raised his staff.
The air trembled.
"Elemental Stampede!"
The ground erupted.
Massive constructs of fire, water, earth, and lightning surged forward like a herd of elemental beasts.
But C3 wasn't finished.
"Spirit Magic: Vortex!"
A massive spiral of spirit energy formed above the battlefield.
It sucked in debris, mana, and even enemy attacks.
Then it collapsed downward.
Samuel – Claw of the Underworld + Slash of Darkness
Samuel stepped forward like a demon from myth.
His claws stretched outward, becoming massive spectral talons.
"Claw of the Underworld!"
Dark claws ripped through the battlefield, tearing apart knights and terrain alike.
Then Samuel slashed again.
"Slash of Darkness!"
A blade of pure shadow cut through the air.
Anything it touched simply disintegrated.
Gargoyle General – Meteor of Annihilation + Wrath of Gravital Destruction
Above the battlefield, the Gargoyle General spread his stone wings.
He raised both hands toward the sky.
"Meteor of Annihilation!"
The clouds parted.
A burning meteor descended from above.
Then gravity itself twisted.
"Wrath of Gravital Destruction!"
The meteor accelerated.
It slammed into the battlefield like a falling star.
Prince Varuk – Ocean's Current Strike + Call of the Sea
Prince Varuk stepped forward calmly.
Despite the destruction around him, he looked almost serene.
He swung his weapon.
"Ocean's Current Strike!"
A massive wave of water energy surged across the battlefield.
Then he raised his hand.
"Call of the Sea."
The air filled with the roar of a phantom ocean.
A tidal surge of water magic crashed into the enemy lines.
The Sky Responds
As all of these attacks launched simultaneously…
The sky itself reacted.
Dark clouds gathered instantly.
Thunder roared across the heavens.
Rain began to pour.
The battlefield had become a storm of pure destruction.
But the Lion Knights were not weak.
Not even close.
The Lion Knights' Counterattack
The Lion Knight captain raised his sword.
Behind him manifested a massive spiritual beast—
A Mystical Lion.
Its golden mane blazed with holy energy.
The knights roared.
And they answered the generals with their own ultimate techniques.
"LION'S ROAR!"
A thunderous shockwave blasted outward.
"MIGHTY THUNDER SLASH!"
Lightning wrapped around dozens of swords.
"COMBINED SPIRIT BARRIER!"
A massive golden barrier formed around the knights.
"KNIGHT'S FURY!"
Their aura surged violently.
"SWORD AURA BURST!"
Blades of energy exploded outward.
"CONTINUOUS STRIKES OF THE LION!"
Dozens of rapid attacks tore through the battlefield.
Then—
Everything collided.
The Cataclysm
The moment the attacks met…
Reality screamed.
Light.
Darkness.
Lightning.
Water.
Fire.
Gravity.
All of it collided in the center of the battlefield.
The explosion erased the town.
Buildings vanished instantly.
Streets collapsed into molten rubble.
The shockwave expanded outward like a nuclear blast.
Humans.
Monsters.
Everything died.
But only for a moment.
Because on Draven's head…
The Crown of Life and Death glowed.
The dead bodies twitched.
Then slowly—
They stood back up.
Eyes hollow.
Souls bound.
Undead soldiers now serving the demon lord.
The explosion continued expanding.
A massive crater formed where the town once stood.
It was twice… maybe three times the size of the entire town.
Escape
Draven simply sighed.
Then—
He vanished.
"Short Range Teleportation."
His body appeared far outside the blast radius.
The Lion Knight captain reacted instantly.
He leaped onto the back of his mystical lion.
The beast roared and sprinted away at lightning speed.
The explosion devoured the battlefield behind them.
Aftermath
When the smoke cleared…
Silence fell.
Of the 50 Lion Knights…
Only 20 remained alive.
And even they were badly injured.
Draven's generals were also heavily wounded.
Most of them lay on the ground, breathing heavily.
Only one stood mostly unharmed.
The Gargoyle General.
Samuel slowly lowered his claws.
During the explosion he had used Claw of the Underworld again—wrapping the massive spectral claws around the generals like a shield.
The others had quickly cast defensive spells as well.
But even that wasn't enough.
The impact shattered their defenses.
They had been thrown across the battlefield like ragdolls.
Now both armies lay scattered across the ruined crater.
Draven Steps Forward
Draven walked slowly toward his injured generals.
Rain fell softly around him.
He looked down at them.
Then he said calmly,
"You all can rest now."
His crimson eyes shifted toward the remaining Lion Knights.
A faint smile appeared.
"It's my turn."
The Lion Captain
Across the battlefield…
The Lion Knight captain cracked his knuckles.
Aura exploded from his body like a golden inferno.
Behind him the Mystical Lion Spirit roared, shaking the air itself.
The captain smiled.
"Finally."
The Demon Reveals Himself
Draven stepped forward.
Then—
He cancelled his disguise.
Dark energy exploded outward.
His true form appeared.
Black demonic horns slowly grew from his head.
His body radiated terrifying killing intent.
Even the rain seemed to freeze.
Behind him…
The Demon Tyrant stepped forward.
The massive demonic manticore released a roar that shook the battlefield.
Its demonic energy flooded the surroundings.
Then something strange happened.
Black liquid began dripping from Draven's hand.
The substance twisted and solidified.
It formed a blade.
The Abyssal Blade.
Its runes glowed faint green.
Draven's eyes turned blood red.
Lightning crackled across his other hand.
Red lightning.
And then—
Black flames erupted.
The flames wrapped around the Abyssal Blade like a living creature.
The Lion Knight captain's smile faded.
For the first time…
He realized something terrifying.
This man in front of him…
Was not simply a powerful enemy.
He was a demon lord.
The Beginning of the Final Clash
Draven raised the blade slowly.
The Demon Tyrant roared behind him.
Red lightning danced across the sky.
Black flames devoured the rain.
And then—
Draven disappeared.
The clash had begun.
TO BE CONTINUED....