ARC II — "THE FALL OF THE FALSE GODS"
The rain hammered the shattered valley, cold and relentless. Smoke twisted with fire, turning the battlefield into a gray haze of chaos.
Kurotsume knelt, aura flickering faintly, silver flames bleeding into the night. His body ached, wounds raw, yet his eyes glimmered with the faint pulse of the fragment within — still dormant, but lending him strength.
"Not fully awakened," the demon whispered, voice low and tense. "But enough… just enough to continue."
A sharp, metallic whistle cut through the chaos. From the rubble, Siel appeared, her blade crackling with energy, eyes blazing with determination.
"You're not taking this fight alone, Kurotsume!"* she shouted, running forward.
Kurotsume looked up at her, smirk faintly returning despite blood on his lips.
"About time," he said, voice low but cool. "I was getting lonely."
The generals, sensing her movement, shifted focus. Kaelith roared, claws igniting with molten energy.
"A second target? Perfect."
Siel met Kaelith head-on. Her strikes were precise, fast, a blur of motion and energy. Though she couldn't match his raw power yet, she used speed and strategy to survive.
Kurotsume rose slowly, bleeding, aura flickering. He didn't attack immediately. Instead, he weaved through the chaos, deflecting and intercepting strikes that would have killed Siel. His aura flared faintly with each step, a subtle hint of the fragment's power lending him just enough strength to endure.
Lutharion lunged at Siel, energy blades swinging in deadly arcs. She twisted midair, barely avoiding a fatal blow, and countered with a spinning strike that knocked him back. Sparks flew, energy clashing, the battlefield alive with chaos.
Kurotsume's voice echoed faintly through the storm.
"Don't overdo it."
Siel gritted her teeth.
"Too late for that."
Kaelith and Morgath advanced simultaneously, coordinating with ruthless precision. Kurotsume intercepted them with effortless movements, aura distorting space just enough to deflect deadly blows. He wasn't at full power — the fragment remained asleep — yet he was still a predator among prey.
Siel dodged another strike, spinning toward a wounded general. Her blade grazed his armor, leaving a crack. She shouted,
"Kurotsume! Keep pushing! We can—!"
"Focus," Kurotsume interrupted, eyes glowing faintly. "Survive. That's all that matters right now."
Despite injuries and fatigue, Siel pushed forward with renewed energy, inspired by Kurotsume's presence. Together, they formed a deadly tandem — Kurotsume cutting through generals with calm precision, Siel using speed, wit, and timing to strike openings he created.
The battlefield trembled with every clash. Energy, steel, and aura collided in explosions that shattered terrain and twisted air. Even Vorak's voice echoed, almost impressed.
"Interesting… She fights well… Perhaps I underestimated her."*
But the generals were relentless. Even together, Kurotsume and Siel were slowly being pressed back. The fragment's subtle power lent Kurotsume strength, but the army's overwhelming force was still a threat.
Siel glanced at him. "Kurotsume… are you okay?"
He smirked faintly, blood dripping from his lips.
"Never better."
The demon hissed, nervous and amused.
"You're pushing him too far… the fragment is watching… waiting… It wants more."
Kurotsume moved again, aura flaring faintly. He wasn't fully awakened — not yet — but the fragment's small gift allowed him to turn the tide, keeping both himself and Siel alive.
Together, they cut through waves of generals, battered and bruised, leaving destruction in their wake. The battlefield burned, the rain hissed, and the storm above mirrored the chaos below.
"We survive,"* Kurotsume said quietly, voice cutting through the roar of the storm.* "That's all that matters… for now."
And in the distance, Vorak's shadow loomed, watching patiently, knowing that the true challenge had yet to arrive.