"He summoned it!"

"He is going to drag us to the underworld!"

That was fear. It was good. Right now, he was so exhausted and barely had enough energy to take on an army of humans. The cracks on the ground reached away from him stoping at the edge of a circle in which he was at the center. And then, a dark aura, filled with eery voices emanated from this circle. It was a gateway. Users of this spell would normally intend to cast the living into the underworld. But that wasn't his intention now. It was good they ran away. He wanted to get away too. But even that would be difficult for him. He had just escaped battle, barely surviving and all his troops, lost. Everyone of them on that battlefield. He wanted to seat, to rest just a bit so he dropped to his knees. 'It was over'.

It was an ending he could never have foreseen even in his most careful schemes or wildest imaginations...it was at one moment when he sensed something was wrong. Someone boldly stood against his army alone. He wasn't close to this figure in the heat of the battle. This person stood on a cliff, far over in the receding human territory. He obviously had victory in his grasps at that moment but then, suddenly, with a quick expanding sphere from where this human stood, his entire army who stood before this figure disappeared after the expanding sphere passed through them. They vanished. Seeing this catastrophe, and realizing he would fade too if he did nothing, he conjured a certain defence that would consume all or his strength. Something he never expected to use unless the heavens where to interfere with his war...

And after that, he was too exhausted. Immediately he was rendered vulnerable due to the loss of his army, some humans ambushed him. But he barely had any strength to battle the strong ones. They managed to scathe him but he used his remaining magic to escape through a portal.

It all happened in two minutes.

And so, he escaped to Uhai, a small human fortress far west of the battlefield. Due to his condition, on opening the portal, he hadn't specified a destination. He had unwittingly transported himself there. But it was better. The soldiers and guards who were stationed at the stronghold were first to spot him. At first, they thought he was a wounded soldier from the dark lord Asta's army as he didn't have a Relios on him (the dark apparel that looked like a large majestic cape the dark lords usually summoned in battle). They attempted to subdue him but ordinary humans were still no match for him even in his current state. But then, he too struggled to kill a handful of soldiers who had attacked him. At some point, one of them was able to recognize him and the seal on his brigandine. This was Asta himself! The dark lord! That alone struck fear to them. There was confusion.

'The dark lord was winning the battle'.

And suddenly, he is in Uhai, wounded. Obviously, for Asta, the tables had turned so fast to his disadvantage. It wasn't even up to ten minutes since his defeat so they weren't aware of the situation. Now they were cautious but still surrounded him, bravely willing to take the chance of, at least, holding him there in his wounded state till a hero came around. If a hero had been present…even one second to the highest rating, he would have been captured. Their hovering around annoyed him now. And so he used it.

-" Open, fort doors of the deep "-

Everyone who recognized the eery sounds and aura turned their backs and fled. They all did. But then, he had no intentions of dragging anyone to the underworld. He only wanted to escape. It wasn't the first time he faced something like this.

And so, he undid the spell and the aura faded along with the screams. The nearest humans were far away from him. He needed to muster enough magic to take him to Sesera. So he tried the first time, but the portal was shut back. He sat back.

"He is trying to escape!" He could here one of the men shout to the rest.

Where they coming back? He wouldn't be able to summon the fort doors again. He channeled the rest of the little magic he had to opening this portal. He stood up, took a step back and stretched his left arm before him. The humans where approaching, but they weren't lackadaisical in their approach this time. He still had enough time and so, once more, a portal opened. It was stable and was inscribed with his chosen destination. It was Sesera. The conquered lands which he left in the hands of appointed generals would be taken back in full and force. They too wouldn't expect such an outcome.

If there was a human who wielded such powers, to the likes which he had never seen before, it would be futile to regroup. He didn't have enough magic to warn them off and the majority of his vast armies had been obliterated. He had to escape on his own. He wished Hida, who was most loyal to him, was there with him. But he was at the frontline leading the charge and must have been obliterated too.

So, slowly, he walked through the portal, and that was the last time he was seen...