Chapter 110: DESPAIR
Scene: The battlefield is drenched in chaos, with the bodies of fallen warriors scattered across the scorched earth. The heroes stand in the path of Zarek, the half-demon, who has fully embraced his dark power. Eren lies motionless across the field, his body bruised and bloodied from Zarek's previous attack. Commander Thalanor, Eren's father, stands at a distance, watching the battle unfold in horror. But his gaze soon locks onto his son, lying unconscious and vulnerable.
Narrator: The battlefield is a scene of devastation. Zarek, now fully transformed into his demon form, radiates an overwhelming, dark energy. The heroes stand firm, but even they can feel the weight of his immense power pressing down on them. Thalanor, witnessing his son fall, rushes to Eren's side with a heart full of desperation.
Commander Thalanor sprints across the battlefield, ignoring the chaos around him. His once-steady composure now falters as he reaches Eren. Kneeling beside his son, Thalanor's eyes widen in panic as he sees Eren's pale face, his body battered from Zarek's Death Bomb.
Thalanor: (desperately) Eren! Wake up! Please… don't give up now. We need you!
Thalanor gently shakes Eren, his voice breaking with emotion. But there's no response. Eren's body lies still, his breaths shallow. Thalanor's heart tightens in his chest, a feeling of helplessness creeping in. He places his hands on Eren's chest, pouring his own mana into him in an attempt to heal his wounds.
Thalanor: (softly) You're stronger than this, my son… don't leave me.
His voice trembles as he continues, his gaze filled with a rare vulnerability. But Eren remains unresponsive, his body unmoving.
On the other side of the battlefield, Zarek turns his attention back to Rylan and Asher, who stand ready to defend against his onslaught. The demonic energy swirling around Zarek crackles with fury, his glowing purple eyes fixated on them like a predator to prey.
Rylan, still reeling from their earlier battle, tightens his grip on the Abyssal Blade, his body shaking from exhaustion but refusing to back down.
Rylan: (breathing heavily) Asher, we have to work together. We can't let him win.
Zarek lets out a dark chuckle, his voice dripping with malice.
Zarek: (mocking) You two think you can stand against me? I'm just getting started.
Zarek raises his hand, summoning the ability Demon String. Dark threads of mana extend from his fingertips, snaking across the battlefield like sinister tendrils. Before Asher can react, the threads wrap around his body, binding him tightly. Zarek smirks as he effortlessly tosses Asher into the sky, the threads pulling him higher.
Asher: (gritting his teeth) Rylan!
Asher struggles against the demonic threads, but Zarek's control is too strong. Just as Asher is flung upward, Aria, always quick on her feet, seizes her chance. She races across the battlefield, sneaking behind Zarek, her hands glowing with energy as she prepares a more powerful version of her Mana Grenade.
Aria: (fiercely) Got you!
With a swift motion, she throws the explosive ball of mana at Zarek. The grenade detonates on impact, sending a burst of searing energy into Zarek's back. But Zarek hardly flinches. He glares over his shoulder at Aria with cold, unrelenting fury.
Before Aria can react, Zarek moves with inhuman speed. In a single fluid motion, he turns and delivers a devastating kick to her gut, the force of which lifts her off the ground. Aria gasps in shock, blood spurting from her mouth as she collapses to the ground, paralyzed by the blow.
Aria: (weakly) N-no…
Rylan watches in horror as Aria falls, and a seething rage builds within him. His body trembles, his vision blurring as he fights back the tears.
Rylan: (furiously) You… monster!
Rylan and Asher, now burning with fury, release their Mana Liquid and Mana Mist in unison. The energies swirl and coalesce, forming a massive structure around Zarek—a cage made of pure mana. The two call upon their most advanced technique, Matter Prison, in an attempt to trap Zarek within the unbreakable mana bars.
Asher: (shouting) We've got him!
But Zarek's laughter echoes within the cage. His dark energy flares, and with a single pulse of demonic power, he shatters the prison like glass. Before Asher can react, Zarek hurls a Death Bomb directly at him. The explosion engulfs Asher, sending him flying backward and leaving him sprawled on the ground, unconscious and severely injured.
Narrator: One by one, the heroes fall. First Eren, then Aria, and now Asher. Only Rylan remains, his body broken and his spirit wavering.
Rylan, now alone, stands on trembling legs. Blood pours from a wound above his eye, blurring his vision. His left eye is nearly swollen shut, and his body feels like it could collapse at any moment. Yet, he stands his ground, refusing to abandon his friends.
He looks at Zarek, his voice broken, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and confusion.
Rylan: (softly) Why… why are you doing this? What's driving you to destroy everything?
Zarek, his demonic aura flickering, looks at Rylan with a hardened expression. His eyes glow dark purple as he takes a step forward, his voice colder than ever.
Zarek: (calmly) You wouldn't understand, Dark Elf. This world was never meant for me. My people were exiled, cast aside. For too long, I've watched them suffer, left behind on the Holy Island. I will build a new home for them, a place where they belong. And if it takes the destruction of the South Nation to do it, so be it.
Rylan's heart sinks as Zarek speaks. He feels a strange kinship to the half-demon, understanding all too well the pain of being an outsider. But it doesn't change what Zarek has done—what he's still doing.
Rylan wipes the blood from his eye, his resolve returning. With a trembling hand, he raises his Abyssal Blade, aiming at Zarek once more.
Rylan: (hoarsely) You're wrong. You don't have to do this. There's another way.
Zarek's expression hardens further, and he raises his hand, dismissing Rylan's words with cold indifference.
Zarek: (coldly) Enough talking. I gave you a chance. Now, it's over.
With that, Rylan fires one last Black Arrow, a desperate attack meant to pierce through Zarek's defenses. But Zarek simply raises his finger, stopping the arrow in its path with ease. The arrow disintegrates upon contact, leaving Rylan in stunned disbelief.
Before Rylan can react, Zarek moves with terrifying speed, rushing toward him in a blur. In an instant, Zarek delivers a devastating kick to Rylan's head, the force of which knocks him off his feet. Rylan crashes to the ground, blood dripping from his mouth as his consciousness begins to fade.
Rylan: (weakly) I… failed…
With that final thought, Rylan's vision fades to black, and he falls unconscious.
Narrator: One by one, the heroes of the South Nation have fallen. Zarek, now more powerful than ever, stands victorious over their broken bodies. His path of destruction is clear, and his next target awaits—the King of the South Nation, Alden.
Zarek looks down at the fallen heroes with cold disdain, his demonic aura still flaring around him. His eyes flicker with dark intent as he turns toward the heart of the battlefield, where King Alden stands waiting.
Zarek: (darkly) Now… it's time for the king to fall.
The chapter ends with Zarek walking toward King Alden, his demonic power radiating across the battlefield. The air is thick with tension, and the final confrontation between the two leaders is about to begin.