The creature's arms blurred as it tore through the knights like they were made of paper, its claws slicing through armor and flesh with terrifying ease. Blood splattered across the polished marble floors as the knights fell one after another, their screams cut short by the brutal efficiency of the creature's strikes.
In a mere ten seconds, the once-proud knights of the Fairbourne manor lay dead at the creature's feet, their bodies broken and lifeless, scattered across the balcony like discarded toys. Only the knight with the green cape remained standing, frozen in place, his eyes wide with shock. Blood trickled down his cheek from a shallow cut across his face-a warning from the creature that his life could be ended just as easily.
He stared in disbelief at the carnage surrounding him. The knights he had trained with, the men he had fought alongside for years, lay dead in front of him, their blood staining the elegant floors red. His legs trembled, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to let the fear consume him.
He took a step back, trying to steady himself, though his heart pounded in his chest like a drum.
The void creature turned its attention to him, its grotesque face expressionless, as if the slaughter it had just committed meant nothing. It took a slow, deliberate step toward him, its towering form casting a long shadow over the lone knight.
With one last flicker of defiance, the knight raised his broken sword, clutching it tightly in his trembling hands. "I won't let you pass..." he growled through gritted teeth, though his voice wavered. "Not as long as I live."
The void creature's voice was hollow, distorted as if dragged up from the very abyss itself. Its words came slowly, each syllable fractured, as though the act of speaking was foreign to it. "…Stronger… the rest…" Its eyes, six glowing orbs of malice, regarded the captain with a distant, predatory gaze. The words, though few, sent a cold shiver down the spines of those watching from the shadows. The captain, however, steeled himself. His resolve was as unbreakable as the blue aura that now surrounded his blade, crackling with ethereal energy.
His breath was steady, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. Despite the cold sweat dripping down his brow, his gaze never wavered from the abomination before him. The sight of his fallen comrades fueled his rage, pushing him beyond the natural fear that clawed at his insides. "I will not fall here, not to a monstrosity like you," he whispered, though the words felt more like a prayer than a promise. He steadied his stance, the aura around his sword flaring like a burst of flame.
"Dieeeeee!!!" The captain's shout rang out as he lunged forward, his sword swinging with deadly precision. His entire body moved with purpose, honed from years of rigorous training. But the creature was quicker than its grotesque form suggested. With unnatural agility, it leaped from the ledge, effortlessly dodging the captain's strikes. Its six limbs moved with fluidity, its massive frame defying logic as it danced out of reach, evading every powerful slash of the captain's glowing blade.
The creature's voice rumbled once more, this time softer, almost bored. "This… sad…" Its tone was devoid of emotion, as though the struggle before it was an inconvenience more than a threat. The captain gritted his teeth at the words. His knuckles turned white from the force of his grip on the sword, anger bubbling up inside him.
Now standing at opposite ends of the balcony, they faced each other like two ancient warriors preparing for a final showdown. The captain's heart pounded in his chest as he assessed the situation. The gap between them felt like a chasm, the weight of the creature's presence pressing down on him. He knew he had to finish it in one final, decisive blow.
He inhaled deeply, eyes closing for a brief second as he summoned every last ounce of his strength. The aura around his sword surged, growing larger, taking the shape of the blade itself but magnified—larger, fiercer. With a sharp exhale, he brought his sword high above his head, the energy humming violently in the air. And with a thunderous roar, he brought the blade down in a vertical slash, sending a massive arc of blue energy slicing toward the void creature.
The arc of energy struck true, cleaving through the air with terrifying force. The blade of light made contact with the creature's left side, severing its three left arms clean off. The severed limbs fell to the floor with a sickening thud, twitching briefly before lying still. For a moment, the balcony was silent, the air thick with tension.
The captain's breath came in heavy gasps as he straightened, a victorious smirk playing on his lips. "Got you," he muttered under his breath, feeling a surge of triumph course through his veins.
But that triumph was short-lived.
The creature didn't scream. It didn't flinch. It simply turned its head to the left, glancing down at the spot where its arms had once been. Slowly, almost languidly, it looked back at the captain, its six eyes gleaming with an unreadable expression. And then, before the captain's very eyes, the creature's arms began to regenerate. Dark tendrils of energy wrapped around the stumps, and in mere seconds, the severed limbs had reformed as if nothing had happened.
"…Not… bad…" the creature intoned, its voice as cold and detached as before.
The captain's smirk faltered. His heart, which had been beating furiously moments ago with the thrill of victory, now felt as though it had stopped entirely. A cold sweat broke out across his skin as a suffocating sense of dread settled over him. His mind struggled to comprehend what he had just witnessed, but the truth was undeniable. His most powerful attack had done nothing. It was as if all his effort, all his training, had been for nothing.
Fear gripped him—raw, primal fear unlike anything he had ever felt before. He could feel it in his throat, choking him, squeezing the air from his lungs. His legs trembled beneath him, and his sword, still glowing faintly, felt heavy in his hand. The realization was crushing: he was nothing before this creature. All his years of hard work, of dedication, were meaningless in the face of something so… unstoppable.
A strange sound escaped his lips, a dry, rasping chuckle. Then, as the weight of the hopelessness fully sank in, he started to laugh—maniacally, uncontrollably. The sound was hysterical, the laughter of a man who had been pushed to the very edge of sanity. His sword slipped from his hand, clattering to the floor with a dull echo as his laughter filled the cold night air.
But the creature was already moving.
In an instant, it closed the distance between them, its grotesque form moving with terrifying speed. The captain's laughter died in his throat as the creature's front right leg arced through the air in a swift, precise motion. The last thing the captain felt was a cold, metallic sensation as the creature's claws swept cleanly across his neck, followed by the sudden weightlessness as his head detached from his body.
The captain's lifeless body crumpled to the floor, the blue aura fading into nothingness. His head rolled to a stop a few feet away, eyes still wide open in a frozen expression of horror and madness.
The void creature paused for a moment, glancing down at the fallen body as if considering its next move. Its six eyes then turned once more to the crowd inside the ballroom, where the nobles, guards, and Roderick watched in stunned silence..
The ballroom, once a grand scene of celebration, was now a theater of chaos.
The moment the void creature had dispatched the captain, the tension that had been mounting broke like a dam.
Nobles, once so composed and regal, descended into a frenzied panic. Silken gowns and embroidered cloaks were trampled as they shoved one another aside in a desperate attempt to reach the door.
Their cries echoed through the high-ceilinged chamber, blending with the clatter of boots and the frantic scrapes of chairs knocked over in the mayhem. Fear had claimed them all, like a beast gnawing at their senses, leaving behind only primal desperation.