261 Dreadful Clash
[“The source of the Dragonheart’s fantastic magical abilities that greatly surpassed any previous spells he’d used was the very blood that ran through his veins, awakening now in a new form: The Draconis Monster. With superbly amplified mana and a mind so honed and unshackled to wield it, the result was something leagues ahead of what Emilio would ever normally be capable of.”]
–However, this transformation in the heat of battle wasn’t without cost; Emilio could sense it deep within: the turmoil within his body as the tremendous power tore at his muscles and his organs worked in overdrive, along with his brain surpassing its limits with synapses firing off like fireworks of new perception.
Once the sapphire glow in his eyes faded, he knew well there would be a price to pay
Until then, he chose to fight with everything he had, stomping down as he summoned a weight like that of the monstrous dragon within him as the soil parted and caved, bolstering himself before he summoned enormous, fiery projections of dragons.
“Do me a favor and turn to ash,” Emilio said.
Dozens of these constructs of majestic flames roared out, soaring through the air and carving through the tumbled soil, blazing forth as Dread raised a single hand to invoke his own response to this spell.
As the flames swept forth, they came to a screeching halt as Dread manifested an ethereal wall of colossal skulls as a barrier, outright stopping the attack.
“Tch,” Emilio clicked his tongue.
Dread held his unworried smile as the flames dissipated, witnessing the Dragonheart burst forward, changing his approach from long-range to close-quarters once more.
“…A question, dragon boy,” the Dread spoke, “Would you like to hear of my origins? I’ve always wished for bards to sing of my story and books to be read of my existence. It’s quite a fascinating concept you mortals circulate.”
“I could care less,” Emilio responded.
The Dread smirked, snapping his fingers towards the Dragonheart, “Too bad. I’m in a ‘sharing’ mood today.”
A spell was issued forward instantaneously, sending the desired memories from the Dread straight into the mind of the Dragonheart.
All in a singular fraction of a second, the following information was processed by Emilio:
–
[A Lost Time, Many Centuries Ago | Ennage, the Continent of Demons]
A barren land stood as a battleground, painted in blood and littered with corpses; trees of stone sprouted from the spilled blood and beasts fed on the fallen.
[“This is the “War of Reshaping”–the most infamous in all of Ennage. This is the conception of violence…This war shaped Ennage into what it is today; a battle between two different factions: the ‘Followers of the Sovereign’, which consisted of clans of demons that closely resembled humans, and the ‘Ancient Bloods’; demons that thrive off chaos, unwilling to conform to the governmental aspirations of the Sovereign.”]
On the ground devoid of life, two forces opposed one another, clashing violently as blood splattered in the height of the eventful night: one side was comprised of demonkin dressed in uniform armor of silver with flowing, dark capes, lined and using proper tactics to the battle.
However, the other side was unorganized, yet devastating in their numbers and relentless aggression: bullmen with horns, demonkin snakes, and even beasts tamed by the ‘Ancient Bloods’ drove through the Followers of the Sovereign’s meticulously crafted formations.
[“The Sovereign wished to unite Ennage, a shattered continent of dozens of isolated kingdoms, though the war-loving clans did not take kindly to the ways of the humans that the Sovereign wished to bring to Ennage.”]
Spells were flung by the mages stationed as the back of the Sovereign’s forces, manifesting in a volley of fireballs that exploded against the hide of the demon mammoths being rode into battle by the savage Ancient Bloods.
The bright-orange flames brought flashes of light to the valley amidst the night as the painful bellows of the mammoths echoed through the land.
In response, spears were thrown by the physically mighty “Taurus Clan”–minotaur demons that had the strongest bodies amongst all demokin, launching their jet-black spears that were as thick as trees and just as long.
The sound barrier was broken by the projectiles, launching forward with devastating might as they pierced right through the shields of the Sovereign’s vanguard.
[“It was fantastic; a sight of boundless beauty and tragedy…A delectable event. It took place in an uninhabited land, the “Crimson Stretch”–now famous throughout Ennage for its accursed nature, painted red in the blood of the fallen.”]
“Aaagh–!”
Terrified screams of the Sovereign soldiers filled the valley as the projectiled pierced through the lined shield-holders like a skewer.
Rushing forward was one of the Sovereign forces’ elites; a knight decorated in blood-red armor with a flowing, black-and-gold cape, managing to easily evade the fast-moving spears as they propelled by.
[“It was said that the Sovereign, a ruler whose true name has been lost to time, studied the cultures of many kingdoms across the world, voyaging Arcadius before returning to the shattered continent of demons to unite it. The soldiers that the Sovereign trained personally were the ‘Death Oaths’–singular beings said to be one-man armies themselves; truly spectacular.”]
The elite knight moved with grace as their long, burgundy hair flowed as they spun around, weaving between the wild swings coming from a pair of pig-faced demons, slicing through them in an instant.
–
The skull barrier was relinquished, having siphoned life from the torn soil before Dread met Emilio in open-combat, meeting him halfway as the Dragonheart swept his blade forth with lethal precision.
Despite the overwhelming speed and accuracy displayed by the Dragonheart, Dread’s own reflexes and monstrous agility allowed him to lean back to avoid the cutting wind unleashed by Silver Wing’s edge.
“Dragon Strike” was used with each slice, amplifying the strength of his blade’s edge with his draconic might behind it.
To counter, Dread enveloped his right fist in an overwhelming sleeve of darkness, shaping and solidifying it into a tangible form before slamming it forward.
“–!”
Emilio managed to react to it, allowing his body to move instinctively as he flipped to the side to evade the incoming blow.
As Dread’s armored fist missed its intended target, the dark-clad knuckles of the monstrous entity pounded the vacant space, cracking the wind and unleashing a shock wave that burrowed forth through the valley.
The exchange between the two was a frightening spectacle, keeping those who witnessed it in awe, yet terrified second-by-second.
Asher began to pick himself up, huffing, “…I need to get back in. He won’t win like this.”
“Hey, now! Are you crazy?!” Everett said.
Stopping the Devilheart from jumping back into the fray, the bumpkin shielder placed his hands in his shoulders, seeing clear as day that Asher was still suffering from ragged breaths and a bruised core.
“Ngh…! It’s…nothing!”
Even as the Devilheart tried to assure the others of such, he failed to convince them with anything past words as he coughed out blood, holding his gut as he fell to a knee.
“See?! You need to stay put!” Melisande said.
Asher hardly seemed willing, though he knew better, “…Grgh…I know it seems like your friend there has become impossibly strong, but…the Dread is even more so…!”
–
Such words were shown as Dread smiled, spreading his arms out as the ground around him began to split, being cleaved into as the air itself was sliced, forcing Emilio to leap back as his enhanced instincts kicked into further overdrive.
“Violence is my domain! I thrive on combat! I live on it!–Come on and keep me engrossed, young warrior!” Dread called out with a smile before cocking his arms back.
Unleashed by the monstrous entity, a barrage of dark eviscerations swept forth, varying from horizontal to vertical, some spinning, all cutting through the soul and rending the air as they sailed towards the Dragonheart.
“–“
Emilio remained focused, using the downhill momentum as he chased towards the Dread to alter his movement: beneath his feet, he summoned a flow of water, etching it across the land as he began to surf the steep hill.
The wind hissed as it was parted by the Dread’s ominous blades, prompting Emilio to lean side-to-side to alter his course as he surfed downward with his water-made board, barely avoiding the violent cleaves.
Laughs echoed from Dread as he heightened the destructive capabilities of the shadow-born arcs, cleaving through the land as chunks of the tall hill were ripped away, flinging upward as Emilio was forced to maneuver masterfully.
“I can’t watch this…!” Everett said anxiously.
“Emilio!” Melisande yelled out in support.
After the unsuccessful attempts to catch the Dragonheart with the eviscerations, Dread’s laughter exploded as he clasped his hands together, causing a volatile darkness to bubble up before the surrounding sky itself cracked.
As the violent figure spread his arms, he smiled, “–Let’s see how you handle something a tad more serious.”
Emilio’s instincts flared up just as the Dread’s next assault was born: darkness emitted from the figure’s hand, instantly stretching out from his position and throughout a large scope of the valley.
“–!”
The Dragonheart leapt up from the hill just as the flash of malevolence swept up through the hill, hearing a distorted howl emitting as the cry of darkness, witnessing the hill below be completely enveloped in death as the grass dried up and crumbled away.
Even the soil was turned to dark clumps before drying up and turning to a stone-like material; when squinting, Emilio could lightly see it: the essence of the Dread’s attack took the form of endless hands forged of shadows, gripping onto the land and taking its life away.
“–Too bad!” Dread yelled out with a laugh.