Chapter 101: Fight Of The Divine Plane 10: The Shadow Army 1
Awar lay sprawled across what appeared to be a dark, shifting cloud, its surface a swirling mass of shadows and mist. His body sunk lazily into its depths, his tired eyes half-lidded as he gazed at the sky, which was as black as the abyss, only interrupted by flashes of distant lightning.
A faint glow emanated from a rift in front of him—an otherworldly tear in space itself, hovering several feet away. Through the rip, monstrous, grotesque creatures spilled out, their twisted forms emerging with bone-chilling howls and guttural growls. They came in droves, a nightmarish tide of misshapen limbs, teeth, and claws.
Despite the constant outpouring of horrors from the rift, Awar remained still, uncaring. His posture radiated indifference, and his expression was the picture of disinterest, as if he were simply waiting for something to entertain him. He shifted slightly, turning his head to observe the battlefield unfolding before him.
His fingers drummed idly against the shadowy surface beneath him, creating ripples through the cloud.
Below him, the fight was chaotic. His Shadow Army moved with precision and deadly efficiency, their figures nearly indistinguishable from the darkness around them. At the forefront of this battle were Carl and Cristian—once foes, now his most loyal shadows.
Carl, the towering werewolf with black fur and glowing red eyes, led the charge, his claws tearing through the oncoming monstrosities with savage fury. His growls and snarls echoed across the battlefield, a testament to his raw, primal strength. He moved like a beast possessed, leaping from one enemy to the next, carving through them with ease.
Cristian, the vampire, fought beside Carl with a grace that contrasted the werewolf's brutality. His pale, slender figure was barely visible, blending into the shadows with each flicker of movement. His strikes were precise, his blade cutting down the creatures with surgical precision. Unlike Carl, Cristian was calm and calculated, his crimson eyes burning with cold fury.
He led his own squad of shadows, each one moving in perfect synchronization, their dark forms weaving through the battlefield like specters.
The creatures from the rift were no less ferocious. Their bodies were twisted amalgamations of flesh, bone, and other unidentifiable materials. Some had multiple heads, others grotesque limbs that twisted and contorted in unnatural ways. Their eyes gleamed with malevolent hunger, and their roars sent shivers down the spines of lesser beings.
They surged forward in waves, seeking to overwhelm Awar's army with sheer numbers, their claws ripping through the air as they charged.
But the Shadow Army held firm. A wall of shadows met the tide of beasts, and for every creature that fell, two more seemed to take its place. The clashing sounds of metal, claws, and snarls filled the air. Carl's claws raked across the chest of one beast, sending it tumbling to the ground in a bloody heap, but not before another creature, a massive hulking figure with three heads, lunged toward him.
Carl barely dodged, his agility belying his size, and countered with a vicious swipe, taking off one of the heads in a single blow.
Cristian danced through the fray like a ghost, his sword flashing in the darkness. He decapitated one creature in a single motion, then spun around to impale another through the chest, its scream cut short as it collapsed into a pool of ichor. He was relentless, his cold expression never faltering. "Carl," he called out, his voice steady amidst the chaos, "focus on the larger ones.
I'll handle the smaller pests."
Carl growled in response, acknowledging the vampire's command, though his disdain for being ordered around was palpable. Still, they worked together seamlessly, their rivalry put aside for the battle at hand.
More and more creatures spilled forth from the rift, but the Shadow Army continued to push them back, their discipline and coordination unmatched. The shadows themselves seemed alive, moving with a will of their own. Tendrils of darkness coiled around the legs of the monsters, pulling them down, where the shadows would strike with deadly precision.
Every now and then, a larger, more formidable beast would breach the frontlines, only to be met with the combined fury of Carl and Cristian, who would cut it down before it could wreak too much havoc.
Suddenly, a massive beast, far larger than the rest, emerged from the rift. It was an abomination of flesh and bone, its body covered in twisted armor-like scales. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and its maw dripped with venom. It let out a deafening roar, shaking the very ground as it charged toward Awar's forces.
Carl snarled, leaping toward the creature with reckless abandon, his claws outstretched. He collided with the beast mid-air, digging his claws into its hide. The creature thrashed, trying to throw him off, but Carl held on, his muscles bulging with the effort. With a roar of his own, he tore into the creature's neck, ripping out a chunk of flesh and sending blood spraying across the battlefield.
Cristian was there in an instant, his blade flashing as he slashed at the creature's legs, crippling it. The beast let out a pained howl, but it was far from finished. It lashed out with its tail, sending Carl flying into a nearby rock formation. He grunted in pain but quickly recovered, leaping back into the fray.
Awar watched the fight with mild interest, his expression unchanged. His shadowy cloud shifted slightly beneath him, but he made no move to join the battle. He knew his army was more than capable of handling the situation, and besides, if any of the creatures managed to get past them, they would never reach him. The shadows themselves would ensure that.
And just as predicted, one particularly fast creature managed to slip through the frontlines, its speed unmatched by the others. It darted toward Awar, its claws extended, its maw wide open, ready to tear him apart.
But before it could get close, a shadow emerged from the ground beneath it, rising up like a living entity. It wrapped itself around the creature, constricting it with terrifying force. The creature thrashed and roared, but it was no use. The shadow tightened its grip until the creature was crushed into nothingness, its body dissolving into the dark void.
Awar sighed, his eyes flickering with a hint of annoyance. "How troublesome," he muttered to himself, though there was no real malice in his tone. He shifted his position slightly, lying back on the shadowy cloud as if he were reclining on a luxurious bed.
Carl and Cristian continued to lead the Shadow Army, their figures barely visible amidst the chaos. They fought with unwavering determination, cutting down wave after wave of monstrous beasts. The battlefield was a blur of shadows and blood, the ground littered with the corpses of the fallen.
At one point, Carl let out a triumphant howl as he decapitated one of the larger creatures, sending its head flying through the air. Cristian, ever the more composed of the two, simply nodded in approval as he impaled another beast with a single thrust of his sword.
Despite the endless onslaught, Awar's army held strong. The shadows moved with eerie precision, striking down the creatures with ruthless efficiency. And as the battle raged on, Awar remained where he was, watching with a detached amusement.
The rift continued to spew forth monsters, but it was clear that the Shadow Army had the upper hand. For every creature that emerged, there were a dozen shadows ready to strike it down. The tide of battle had turned, and it was only a matter of time before the rift was sealed once again.
But even as the battle raged, Awar's mind was elsewhere. He knew this was only the beginning. The true threat was still out there, waiting. And when it came, even his Shadow Army might not be enough. But for now, he was content to watch, his expression unreadable as the shadows danced around him, his army holding the line.
Elsewhere
In the endless expanse of the void, a man floated, his presence alone warping the very space around him. His eyes, shut for eons, suddenly snapped open, glowing with fury. As his gaze pierced through dimensions, his focus fell upon the Divine Plane.
He could see countless otherworldly creatures—his minions—falling like insects, their lives snuffed out before they even had a chance to take a single soul. His brow furrowed, the frustration evident on his twisted features.
"Who dares?" he snarled, his voice reverberating through the void. His anger bubbled to the surface as he watched his carefully laid plans unravel. "Why must they stand in my way? I only want to bring her back... to reunite with my beloved.
Is that too much to ask?" His voice cracked, the vulnerability of his longing seeping through his rage, but it was quickly swallowed by the growing storm of his fury.
He clenched his fist, and with the movement, the very fabric of the void trembled and bent, cracks forming like fragile glass around him. The raw power he exuded was enough to make the void itself quake in fear. His chest rose and fell with his labored breaths as the weight of his failure pressed down on him.
"Fine!" he roared, the sound echoing in every corner of the endless void. "If no one else will do it... I will handle it myself. I will appease the god of the underworld and resurrect her with my own hands." His voice was filled with bitter resolve as his figure began to shimmer, his form slowly fading from the void.
Just before he disappeared completely, his eyes flashed one last time—a gaze filled with unwavering determination and a madness that knew no limits. He would stop at nothing. His beloved would return, no matter the cost.
And with that, he was gone, leaving the void trembling in his wake.
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