The battleground was a nightmarish tableau, a grim canvas painted with the brutality of battle. Amukelo and Eliss arrived to a chorus of screams and the sickening sound of flesh being torn and bones being crushed. The ground was littered with fallen warriors, their bodies mutilated in the throes of death—some headless, others cleaved in half, a grotesque mosaic of human suffering.
Eliss, her face pale and eyes wide with shock, instinctively took a few steps back, her heart pounding in her ears. But her retreat was abruptly halted when she stumbled over a corpse behind her. A choked sob escaped her lips as she looked down at the body, its lifeless eyes staring into nothingness. Her voice trembled as she turned to Amukelo, desperation clear in her tone, "Amukelo, we need to run. We need to escape." Her entire body shook as the reality of their dire situation set in.
However, their dreadful contemplation was interrupted by a loud, deranged laughter echoing through the cavern. Valarian—or so they thought—taunted them mercilessly, his voice dripping with malice. "Yeah, run. This is your only chance to stay alive," he jeered. His threat was clear; the Leviathan was a force of unstoppable destruction, a tool to fulfill his apocalyptic vision.
Amukelo's eyes flared with anger at the sight of such carnage, his fists clenched tightly. "Valarian!!!" he bellowed, his voice a mix of rage and despair. He then turned to Eliss, his tone suddenly soft, a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding them. "Eliss," he whispered, ensuring only she could hear, "I know this is harder for you than usual. No one will blame you if you leave now. I will take care of myself."
Before Eliss could respond, another burst of maniacal laughter cut through the air. The figure they had assumed to be Valarian revealed his true identity. "Hahaha... Do you think I'm Master Valarian? Hahaha... My name is Oxius. Did you forget when you slayed him? He was my master, and I was his right hand. Our plan was to conquer your lands, and then... Entire world! But you destroyed it all. So now there is nothing I want more than destroying everything! Hahaha..."
The revelation sent a chill down their spines. Oxius, the true orchestrator of the horrors they now faced, stood before them, his face twisted in a grotesque mask of vengeance and madness. His words hung heavy in the air, a declaration of his intentions to bring ruin upon the world as retribution for his fallen master.
The cavern echoed with far sounds of the clash of steel and the cries of the people that tried to flee from leviathan, as Amukelo prepared to confront the horrors that lay ahead. He drew in deep, steadying breaths, gathering mana and focusing his mind despite the chaos swirling around him. Turning to Eliss, his voice was firm yet tinged with an undercurrent of concern, "Eliss, I will handle this. You should run. If that monster returns, I promise, I'll run too." He added under his breath, for her ears only, a silent vow to himself, "Only once I've dealt with this madman..."
Eliss hesitated, her gaze lingering on Amukelo with a mix of fear but also hope. Finally, nodding slowly, she turned and sprinted away, her footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. Amukelo watched her go, the screams and roars of battle filling the air, a grim soundtrack to her retreat.
No sooner had Eliss disappeared into the shadows than Amukelo turned his full attention to the maniacal Oxius, who was still laughing maniacally amidst the devastation he orchestrated. "No matter who you are!" Amukelo shouted, his voice booming through the cavern, reverberating off the stone walls. "Clone, brother, or mere puppet of Valarian. The madness you've spread, the horrors you've unleashed... I will end them here and now!"
With those words, Amukelo released the mana he had been meticulously gathering. His body was enveloped in a radiant coat of energy, shimmering with potent magic, nearly at the brink of his physical limits. He charged forward, his swords trailing streams of mana that sliced through the air like twin serpents of power.
Suddenly, Oltax, the lizardman, lunged in an attempt to intercept him. The impact of their collision was monumental, sending a shockwave through the nearby ranks of fighters. Oltax's hood was thrown back from the force, revealing his sinister, scarred face. Amukelo's advance halted momentarily as he faced the creature responsible for so much pain.
"You," Amukelo hissed, his voice dripping with venom as he locked eyes with Oltax, thrown back by the sheer force of Amukelo's attack. "You reveled in the slaughter at the catfolks' village. I heard the tales of despair and 'fun' you had murdering innocents. Now, you will understand the true meaning of terror."
Oltax scrambled to his feet, laughing harshly, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Hahaha... And what can you do alone against us?" he taunted. "Your friend fled, leaving you to die."
Amukelo's response was swift and fierce, his aura flaring with intensified mana. "Soon you will learn what I can do!" he declared while slowly walking forward, his voice echoing a promise of retribution.