The man's eyes narrowed slightly as he heard the familiar, commanding voice of Azathoth echo in his mind. It was cold, ruthless, and filled with an overpowering malevolence.
*"Bring glory to me. Make their suffering excruciating, drawn out. Do not let their deaths come quickly."*
A sinister smile curled on his lips as he locked eyes with Queen Selene, who was struggling to maintain her composure amidst the chaos. The battlefield had descended into complete turmoil, but the man moved through it with eerie calmness. His demeanor shifted, as if Azathoth's command had unlocked a new level of cruelty within him. The air around him darkened, a palpable aura of dread settling over the entire army of the Abyssal Dominion.
With a lazy wave of his hand, dark tendrils of energy erupted from the earth beneath the soldiers, coiling around their legs and arms, pulling them down as if the ground itself had turned against them. Screams filled the air as the soldiers were immobilized, their bodies twisted and bent in unnatural ways. Some of the more unfortunate ones found their limbs being pulled apart slowly, their cries of agony resonating across the battlefield.
The daughters of the Abyssal Dominion watched in horror, their hearts pounding in their chests as they realized this was not a normal foe. This man, whoever he was, had the full backing of a far more sinister force—Azathoth himself.
Selene growled, her rage boiling over. "We will not be humiliated like this! Sisters, strike him down!"
Lyria Shadowblade, despite the pain from her earlier encounter with the wyvern, forced herself up, fading into the shadows. She reappeared behind the man, her blade slicing through the air with lethal intent, aiming directly for his neck.
But before her blade could connect, the man vanished, dissolving into the very shadows she sought to control. Lyria blinked in confusion, her eyes darting around as she searched for him. Before she could react, she felt cold fingers wrapping around her throat from behind. The man had reappeared, his grip tightening as he lifted her off the ground effortlessly.
"You cannot hide in the darkness from someone who commands it," he whispered into her ear before slamming her into the ground with enough force to send cracks rippling outward.
Selene, watching helplessly as her sister was brutally tossed aside, let out a battle cry. She charged toward the man, her fiery blade crackling with arcane power, intent on burning him alive. But as she drew near, the man extended a hand toward her, and with another snap of his fingers, lightning bolts shot down from the swirling storm clouds overhead.
The searing light of the strikes disoriented Selene, and the force knocked her off her feet. Her body convulsed as the electric energy coursed through her, but she forced herself to rise again. She had to. If they fell here, the Abyssal Dominion would crumble.
Lilithra Doomweaver, standing further back, raised her staff and called upon dark spirits to aid them. "Infernal spirits of the Abyss, come forth! Envelop this wretch in eternal torment!" she chanted, her voice ringing with desperation.
The spirits emerged from the ground, ghostly and writhing, their distorted faces screaming as they shot toward the man. They latched onto him, attempting to drain his life force and drag him into the Abyss. But the man merely chuckled. His crimson eyes glowed brighter, and with a flick of his wrist, the spirits were instantly dissolved, their shrieks echoing in the void before they disappeared.
"Azathoth's power is absolute," he declared, his voice filled with arrogance and disdain. "No force from the Abyss can stand against me."
The daughters were running out of options. Their army, once so confident, was being decimated before their eyes. Every attempt they made to counter this man's power was futile.
Varak the Revenant, overseeing the battle from afar, watched with grim satisfaction. The daughters' suffering was a glorious tribute to Azathoth, and it was only the beginning. He had yet to intervene, but he knew his moment would come soon.
The man turned his attention back to Selene, who had just managed to get back on her feet. "You were so confident when this battle began. Where is that bravado now?" His voice dripped with mockery.
Selene spat blood onto the ground and glared at him. "You think you've won? This is far from over!"
But before she could make another move, the man's hand shot out, gripping the air. Instantly, Selene felt a crushing pressure around her throat. She gasped, clawing at the invisible force constricting her airway. He lifted her into the air, her legs kicking helplessly as she struggled to breathe.
"Your suffering has only begun," the man said coldly. "Azathoth demands pain, and I intend to deliver."
Suddenly, he tightened his grip, and Selene's eyes widened in agony. The pain was unbearable, her body convulsing as the dark energy around her began to tear at her very essence. Her screams echoed across the battlefield as the man's smile widened.
From the distance, Lilithra and Lyria watched in horror, powerless to stop what was happening. Their forces were in complete disarray, and their strongest sister was being broken in front of them.
But just as it seemed all hope was lost, the sound of approaching wings filled the air.
Varak the Revenant and Nyx had arrived.
The sky remained dark, a looming omen over the battlefield as the massive shadow of Varak's wyvern grew larger, Nyx's wyvern trailing just behind. The legions of the Abyssal Dominion, already shaken by the mysterious man's display of power, now trembled in fear as the two infamous mutants descended from the sky.
Varak's decaying aura spread out like a disease, the ground beneath him withering away into dust. Nyx, stepping from the shadows of her wyvern, seemed to disappear into the gathering twilight. Her shadow-clad form flickered in and out of sight, her glowing eyes focused on the man before them, who now stood amidst the vast army of the Abyssal Dominion.
The daughters of the Demon Emperor, led by Selene, watched in confusion and frustration as these two formidable mutants, clearly allies of the mysterious man, approached the battlefield. They had prepared for a siege, but now their numbers and their plans seemed to mean nothing.
The man, standing calmly amidst the chaos, turned his head slightly as Varak and Nyx approached. "You're late," he said dryly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
Varak's towering figure moved closer, his crimson eyes locked on the legions that stood frozen before him. "We wanted to give you a head start," he replied, his voice low and menacing. "But now it's time to finish this."
Nyx, nearly invisible in the growing shadows, stepped beside Varak. Her voice was soft but carried a lethal edge. "Azathoth demands that none survive. The daughters, the army... all of them are to be annihilated."
The man gave a slow, knowing nod. "Then let's give our god what he desires."
Selene, realizing what was happening, quickly rallied her sisters. "Prepare for battle!" she shouted, raising her fiery blade. "We will not be undone by these abominations. Fight to the last!"
The daughters formed up, their infernal magics and eldritch powers swirling around them, ready for the assault. Their armies, though terrified, steeled themselves, knowing they had no choice but to fight. The sky above them continued to darken, thunder rumbling as the man raised his hands, summoning a tempest of dark energy.
"Azathoth demands sacrifice," the man boomed, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "You will all serve him in death."
With that, the battle began.
Selene led the charge, her hellfire blade cutting through the air as she surged forward. The Abyssal legions followed, their war cries echoing across the plains. But they were met with swift and brutal opposition. Varak moved like a plague, his mere presence decaying everything in his path. Soldiers who dared approach him withered into lifeless husks before they could even swing their weapons. Siege engines rusted away, crumbling into useless debris as his aura spread through the battlefield.
Nyx, meanwhile, became a shadow of death. She darted from one soldier to the next, phasing through their defenses and striking with deadly precision. Her blade seemed to appear out of thin air, cutting down generals and mages before they could even raise their spells. The daughters, realizing how dangerous she was, tried to surround her with dark magic, but she vanished into the shadows, reappearing moments later to strike at their flanks.
The mysterious man watched with satisfaction as the chaos unfolded. He raised his hands once more, and with a single gesture, dark lightning erupted from the skies, striking down entire platoons of soldiers. The Abyssal Dominion's formations crumbled under the relentless assault, their once organized ranks now a mass of chaos and death.
Selene, eyes burning with rage, attempted to confront Varak directly. She summoned all the infernal power at her disposal, unleashing a torrent of hellfire that could melt even the strongest of steel. But Varak was no ordinary foe. As the flames engulfed him, they quickly faded, snuffed out by his decaying power. He stepped through the inferno unscathed, his eyes glowing with dark amusement.
"Fire doesn't burn what's already dead," Varak growled, his hand reaching out toward Selene. She tried to raise her blade, but it was too late. His decaying touch met her armor, and within seconds, it began to rot away, turning to dust. Selene gasped in shock as her strength faded, the power of decay sapping her life force.
In the distance, Nyx had cornered another of the Demon Emperor's daughters. With a flick of her wrist, she sent her shadow blade spiraling toward her, striking her down in a single, fluid motion. The daughter fell, her body disappearing into the shadows from which Nyx emerged.
As the daughters fell one by one, the soldiers of the Abyssal Dominion began to retreat, their courage shattered by the overwhelming power of their enemies. But the mysterious man, still standing at the center of the battlefield, had no intention of letting them escape.
"Surrender is not an option," he called out, his voice filled with cruel delight. With a snap of his fingers, the storm above intensified, dark energy swirling around him like a hurricane. Bolts of lightning struck the retreating soldiers, their bodies disintegrating under the sheer force of the magic.
The battle was over before it truly began.
Varak, Nyx, and the man stood victorious amidst the ruins of the Abyssal Dominion's army. The daughters of the Demon Emperor lay dead at their feet, their legions destroyed, their siege weapons reduced to rusted wreckage. The once-proud army of the Abyssal Dominion had been utterly annihilated.
Varak turned to the man, a grim satisfaction in his eyes. "Azathoth will be pleased."
Nyx, stepping from the shadows, nodded. "The fort remains untouched. His plans can continue without interference."
The man smiled, his eyes gleaming with victory. "Then let us return to our master. Glory awaits."
With that, a portal opened behind them, the swirling vortex a gateway back to Azathoth's throne. The mutants mounted their wyverns once more, the lifeless bodies of the daughters tossed onto the backs of their steeds like trophies. Together with the man, they flew through the portal, disappearing from the battlefield as quickly as they had arrived.
The Abyssal Dominion was no more. Their defeat was absolute.