The smell of burnt wood had already made Asher dizzy. As if that wasn't enough, something life-threatening was following him. Additionally, many people were running alongside him, likely fleeing from the behemoth that was slaughtering them as well.
As Asher ran, his eyes suddenly widened; time seemed to slow for him, and the space around him cracked. The ground beneath him trembled as a huge roar echoed from behind.
No... not from behind.
Shivers went down his spine as Asher looked up towards the sky. The black sky had been torn apart into two. In the centre was a black spear so enormous that he couldn't even fathom its size completely.
'Just what in the hell?' Asher thought, staring at the black spear with wide, grim eyes.
Asher knew at this point that death was inevitable. Rage filled him as he gritted his teeth, feeling utterly helpless. How was he even supposed to defend himself against this behemoth?
He had lived his entire life under the constant threat of death. After bearing through hell, was he going to face such odds?
Even this thought felt like madness to him!
'No, no, I refuse. I REFUSE!' With this thought in mind, he pushed his body beyond its limits. Even if he were going to die, he would die trying!
A heinous aura rose within him, dark like death. A black aura enveloped his eyes as everything went black for Asher.
As people continued running, occasionally bumping into him, he stood still with emotionless eyes. The black aura intensified, eventually covering half of his being.
Asher raised his pitch-black hand, pointing towards the spear. A katana formed in his hand, made entirely of the black aura. As he assumed his stance, he closed his eyes, black flames radiating from him like flares.
"Cosmic Fall: Abyssal Massacre."
With unbelievable speed, Asher jumped towards the spear, taking it head-on with his katana.
A huge explosion occurred, engulfing everything Asher could perceive. But he couldn't care less now, primarily due to the man in front of him.
The man had a normal appearance, with blond hair, golden eyes, and a sinister grin. Both of them vanished from their spots.
Several explosions occurred simultaneously as Asher went flying back, crashing into a nearby jagged mountain.
The blond man grinned as his golden eyes shimmered. Suddenly, a flash of light started to circle him. The shimmering golden lights were a sight of beauty.
The man grinned again as the light condensed into a spear. He vanished from his spot, and so did Asher; both of them collided with their weapons.
Several explosions took place as a nearby mountain was torn to shreds by black slashes. The blond man grinned as he dodged another of Asher's attacks, bringing his torso forward to kick Asher.
Only to realise Asher wasn't there. Instantly, his eyes widened as Asher stabbed him from behind.
The man immediately vanished with a bloodied chest. However, the wounds soon closed up, leaving only the torn clothes.
Asher then threw his katana aside and rushed forward, grabbing the man by his face and throwing him into the mountain across from him.
The blond man grinned while falling back. A light shimmered through the skies, covering him entirely.
Seven suns appeared in the sky as he raised both of his hands. With a diabolical grin, he screamed, "Seven suns, Seven gods, The spear of the Grand Order!"
Instantly, the seven suns collided together; the sky became so bright Asher had to cover his eyes with his arm.
From the collision emerged a spear, a spear so great it immediately burned the people below.
The blond man held the spear, and with demonic golden eyes, he threw it. It looked like a meteor falling on Asher.
Instantly, black flames rose in the sky, taking the form of a dragon. Asher took his stance as a katana formed in his hands. He rushed towards the spear, the dragon rushing along with him.
A massive explosion occurred once again, killing everyone nearby except the two warriors.
As the light faded, what remained was just the scorched land beneath. Asher stood up, coughing blood, and the dragon disintegrated in that attack. But fortunately, Asher had survived.
Black flames started to cover Asher, healing his wounds. His threadbare tunic had also somehow survived, most likely because the black flames were covering it.
Asher looked around a couple of times before diminishing his black flames. As the black flames diminished, Asher fell to the ground, unconscious.