Chapter 88
Zach fell on the ground as blood flowed out of the wound. Paul Sarah and Mike were shocked to see him lying on the floor; he was gasping for air while blood gushed out of his mouth. Sarah saw a huge shadow emerging at the edge of the rooftop building, hanging out. Paul grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her backwards as more huge humanoid looking shadows came out. The enemies were now spreading as more of them were roaming the area; some already broke inside the building they were in, unlike the hotel casino facing their office building that was filled with many security personnel.
Their building was just an ordinary office building; screams of countless people were heard; panic and pandemonium have erupted; these creatures were forced to come out of their main hiding spot when they were commanded by the chief to surround the entire street block and secure their control.
The knights that were dispatched in the place were now seeing the immense disaster coming out of the abandoned construction site between the hotel casino, the parking lot, some old abandoned buildings, and a few residential buildings scheduled for demolition for a new high condominium. The second tallest building was the 30-story office building housing multiple businesses .
These infrastructures were all included within the street block that was facing the open park that was also meant to be used as the new government stadium building. The knights quickly realized that the disaster was not contained to just one area, but rather spread across multiple structures within the street block. As they surveyed the scene, it became clear that the impending danger was far greater than they had initially anticipated.
Many emergency responders were quickly overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster as the abandoned construction site collapsed onto surrounding buildings and infrastructure. The potential for further destruction and casualties was high, requiring immediate action to contain the situation and prevent further, but the rushing humanoid creatures with weapons that emerge from the abandoned construction site were too much for them to handle. The sound of an assault rifle could be heard, and any knight's from different organizations also joined the fight.
It was like a castle siege war; the eyes in the sky and the numerous cameras around the area were broadcasting the fight from all angles. Ethan, or the Vermilion Sovereign, was seen pushing the last remaining Orcs above the casino hotel rooftop, clearing the area as he made sure to stab and wrap his whip blade around the three enemies as they crashed down fifty floors down into the back receiving area of the hotel casino parking cargo dock.
The sound of metal clashing and thunderous sound that made everybody watching from the safe of their homes held their breath as the Vermilion Sovereign with three Orcs plummet to the solid concrete and shattered the silence of the night. The crowd below gasped in horror as they witnessed the brutal display of power and precision from Ethan, leaving no doubt that he was unrelenting and unstoppable in obtaining a goal.
The three humanoid monsters with huge protruding tusks of the mouth instantly died while the Vermilion Sovereign used their bodies to cushion the impact of his rather risky plan emerging unscathed from the wreckage.
As chaos escalated, the once peaceful and thriving area was now a scene of destruction and fear. The creatures continued to spread, wreaking havoc and causing widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. The sound of sirens and screams filled the air, creating an atmosphere of terror and uncertainty.
Local employees who had once felt safe in their office were now forced to flee their safety in search of a place away from all this chaos. Many office staff and personnel ran out with nothing but the clothes on their backs, their lives upended by the unrelenting chaos around them. The lucky ones were able to find shelter with family or friends, while others were left to fend for themselves in the chaotic streets.
The authorities were doing their best to contain the situation, but the sheer number and strength of the creatures made it a nearly impossible task. Emergency services were stretched thin, with firefighters battling blazes, police attempting to maintain order, and medical personnel treating the injured. Despite their efforts, the damage continued to mount, with buildings crumbling and the old abandoned infrastructure failing.
As the situation spiraled out of control, officials were forced to declare a state of emergency and call in reinforcements from surrounding areas. As the Knights were lacking manpower to manage the situation, the government had no choice but to call on the support of the military. They were tasked with supporting and protecting the remaining people who were trapped inside their offices and workplace as more Orcs came out and joined the battle.
Despite these efforts, the chaos continued to escalate, and the future of the area remained uncertain. The authorities vowed to do everything in their power to contain the situation and prevent further damage, but the creatures showed no signs of slowing down. The local residents could only wait and hope for an end to the chaos and a return to normalcy.
While this was happening and the death toll was rising, Paul, Sarah, and Mike were able to escape their office rooftop bit with a huge cost; Mike lost his arm while Paul left eye. Even with their combined abilities put to the test, it wasn't enough to truly stop the Orcs from attacking them.
Sarah was about to heal their wounds, as she had the power to heal, but it nearly killed her . As her mana was depleted, Paul had to carry her while Mike had to fend off the attacking enemy. Because these creatures were bulky and lacked any understanding about the building interior structure, they were able to hinder their movements for a few seconds as the staircase going down with narrow passageways made it difficult for them to navigate quickly.
Due to their size and lack of rough movements,. The Orcs struggled to keep up with the group as they descended deeper into the building. This gave Sarah enough time to recover and prepare for the next wave of attacks. As Mike and the group continued to descend, they could hear the Orcs' heavy footsteps echoing behind them. Sarah quickly devised a plan to strategically lead them into a trap before they could catch up.
Meanwhile, Ethan never had the opportunity to even gather his thoughts as he was already surrounded by more enemies. The wolves were still inside the hotel casino building, including the murder of crows; Ethan mentally unsummoned them, and as soon as he saw the 12 markings on his armguards he knew the wolves were back. But what about the murder of crows? The Orcs that drew out their weapons and ran toward him suddenly appeared and swirled around Ethan, and this made the Orcs movement even more erratic and disorganized.
Ethan realized the murder fused to his clothing and altered its appearance , as a long, dark red cloak that was moving and became part of his attire . The crows seemed to be protecting him, shielding him from the Orcs' attack. The crows feathers were sharp and somewhat metallic in element, and could slice through the air with precision, creating a barrier between Ethan and his attackers. It was as if the murder of crows had chosen this form to help their master.
The wolves, with now independent minds, were now amused seeing that the crows were able to establish an unified front to ensure Ethan can fully use them while in the heat of battle, The 12 felt ashamed seeing this; they felt they were just common summoned ornaments and didn't even think beyond just what was expected of them.
The wolf form was not permanent; it was created based on Ethan's subconsciousness and an old memory that the reason these wolves came to be. Even the crows came from his childhood memory, as his father once told him. In old Viking stories, it was said the crows were the god Odin's eyes as they informed him about the events happening around him.
The wolves decided to act based on this information and wanted to become more agile and stealthy in order to better serve their purpose as guardians. And just be attack dogs. The 12 wanted to gain their masters acknowledgement, as they felt Ethan was expecting them to be not just protectors but also loyal companions who could anticipate his needs and desires.
Within that few second, the 12 gain something that Ethan has been gifting since the very beginning. It was imagination. Their sentient mind was no longer based on the order Ethan needed to say, but they gained the conscious mind to act based on what they needed to do, allowing them to truly understand and fulfill their role as loyal companions. This newfound ability to anticipate Ethan's needs and desires set them apart from mere attack dogs; it elevated them to the status of being Ethan's Vanguard, the remaining six divided into two; the first three wolf blood summons became the right armguards additional functions, and the remaining three became the left armguards additional functions.
The whip blade could now extend up to two one and a half feet from the knuckles to the tip of the blade, and in whip mode it was a reach of twenty feet, and it now can fire a foot long arrow made from the wolves summoned blood bodies . As long as Ethan has mana he can fire these arrows as they revert back into lifeless blood as soon as the target is eliminated.
Unlike many other awakened ability users, Ethan's true power appears to be derived from his imagination and strong will, as he keeps discovering new abilities and enhancements. Ethan's ability to continuously innovate and adapt in battle sets him apart from other awakened individuals. His imagination seems to be limitless, allowing him to push the boundaries of his powers beyond what others thought possible.
As Ethan extends his armguard weapon, the murder fabric also moves, and with every strike Ethan made, the cloak he was wearing was also moving as if it was extensions of his own body. the Orcs were cut down like grass as Ethan moved; even his back kicks were fatal as the sharp spikes would form as soon as he would swing his legs to strike. The feather like cloak was expanding, stretching, expanding depending on his movements, and under the dark cascading shadow it was holding another beast under its shadowy underside of the cloak , as the remaining 6 was roaming inside the Cloak.
As sharp claws and jaws would come out as it bite and tore flesh from any enemy that came to its reach, Ethan noticed that every time he would extend his arm out, and the cloak feather garment would flap open ,a wolf's head would come out from within the dark parts of the cloak, as the feather like fabric would extend and be spreading like a curtain hovering openly exposing the inner part of the cloak feather fabric the dark protruding canvas six wolves were waiting to attack and kill and joined Ethan as he stabbed, hacked, slashed, and decapitated his enemies.
It was a sight beyond human understanding; it was chaotic but at the same time mesmerizing to watch Ethan wield the power of the mysterious cloak filled with madness with such precision and skill. The seamless integration of man and monster in battle was both terrifying and beautiful, a dance of death that left all who witnessed it in awe.
As cameras zoomed in on chaos personified, anticipation buzzed through every living room like static electricity before a storm. Then he appeared, a silhouette emerging from shadows deeper than night itself. Clad in dark red robes that shimmered like molten metal under artificial light, he commanded attention not just with his presence but with something more profound; the cloak draped around him seemed alive.
"Was anyone truly prepared for this?"
whispered by Mira journalist, whose career had flourished amidst sensationalism yet was now engulfed by genuine astonishment as many watched from their high-rise apartment, overlooking the chaos right in front of them.
The Vermilion Sovereign moved forward; each step resonated like thunder rolling over distant hills. His dark matte feather-like cloak rippled as if it were woven from shadows themselves a sight that drew gasps from all corners of the globe.
But it wasn't merely fabric; it was crow feathers dark red and glistening ominously that danced around him as he advanced toward the encroaching horde. Each motion became poetry in motion; his strides were calculated yet fluid, imbued with purpose and raw power. Then came moments that would etch themselves into memory forever. Wolf heads materialized from within under his mantle at blinding speed; they lunged outwards hungrily towards any Orc foolish enough to stray too close.
Their jaws snapped shut around flesh with terrifying efficiency before retracting seamlessly back into the cloak's depths, an act both mesmerizing and horrifying to behold on live television. Mira felt her heart race not out of fear but awe as she realized she bore witness not just to violence but artistry sculpted by death itself.
The wolves emerged like specters haunting those who dared challenge him, the embodiment of nature's wrath unleashed through an unholy alliance between man and beast. Each time a wolf comes out from the crows darkened feathers and strikes its teeth on to its target, sinking deep into scaly hide, the crowd erupted into fervor across countless screens worldwide; cheers echoed through broken streets where hope felt long lost.
Yet beneath this exhilaration lay something darker: dread seeped in
Yet even amid such devastation loomed questions about control: was this true mastery over life or mere manipulation? As many pondered deeply on these themes while watching closely, it dawned upon them that perhaps they weren't witnessing merely a battle against Orcs; they were glimpsing at history unfolding itself anew under crimson skies painted by destiny's hand.
Many were still bewitched by the cloaks ability. The crow feathers would act as a shield and a distraction because the feathers were moving, shaking, and were like interconnected daggers; they were hard and sharp, and they could change their size, length, and shape at will. While under its protective vail death awaits those who get near its dark cascading cover.
The five foot tall wolf would lung out, biting the enemy to death, and instantly revert back under the cloak's cold shadow. The mysterious cloak seemed to possess a life of its own, with the crow feathers dancing and morphing in a deadly display of power. Those who dared to challenge the wolf beneath would soon meet their demise in the darkness of its embrace.