Zuka wandered through the labyrinthine tunnels, his thoughts drifting as his footsteps echoed off the cold, ancient stone walls. He had no clear destination, yet something unseen tugged at his instincts, drawing him forward.
The deeper he moved, the more the tunnels began to change, faint auras pulsating from the walls—strange, otherworldly energies he couldn't quite decipher. His sense of time became muddled, each turn warping his perception, disorienting his thoughts.
Abruptly, he stopped, realizing he had passed the same carved stone idol multiple times. Its hollow eyes watched him with silent mockery, as though taunting his confusion. His instincts flared—he was walking in circles. Frustrated, he pushed onward until his eyes caught something scrawled faintly on the wall, nearly hidden beneath layers of grime and time. "Let your instincts guide you," he read aloud, his voice low, thoughtful.
"Hmm, why is this here?" he muttered, running his fingers across the ancient script. The meaning lingered in his mind like a half-remembered dream, stirring something deeper within.
He pressed on, but this time he abandoned logic, allowing his instincts to take control. His movements became fluid, almost dreamlike, and the tunnels shifted in response, bending and folding in ways that defied reason. Eventually, the path led him to a colossal door, towering above him, etched with intricate glyphs that pulsed with a sickly green light.
Without hesitation, Zuka raised his hand, invoking an incantation that crackled with power, his voice resonating through the air. **"Light Magic, Fulgent of a Thousand Barrels!"** A thousand radiant projectiles burst forth, each one glowing with intense light. The beams crashed into the door, shattering it into fragments and revealing a hidden chamber beyond.
The air inside was thick with decay and the unmistakable stench of black magic. A low hum reverberated through the space, and the walls flickered with a soft, eerie green glow that seemed to wane like a dying flame. Zuka's eyes narrowed as he took in the grotesque scene before him—rows upon rows of beings, chained to the walls, their bodies limp, their eyes hollow. Hundreds of them—**elves, beastmen, giants, humans, and more**—each bound in iron shackles that drained them of their essence, their very life force. Their skin had turned pale, almost translucent, and their breaths came shallow, as though they teetered on the brink of death.
Once proud and powerful, these beings were now reduced to hollow shells. Whatever magic had been performed here was ancient and vile, reeking of blood, death, and torment. **"What is this place..."** Zuka whispered, a grim shadow crossing his face as he surveyed the scene.
He could feel the traces of **black magic**, dark and twisted, the kind that didn't just kill but lingered to torment, slowly draining away the very soul. Something foul and deeply sinister was at work here.
Without hesitation, Zuka raised his hand. **"Summoning: Come forth, servants of mine... Forgotten Fallen."** His voice rang out with authority, echoing off the cold stone. The ground trembled beneath him, the temperature plummeting as the air grew colder. From the shadows, twelve skeletal figures emerged, clad in tattered robes, their hollow eyes glowing with a faint, ghostly light. **Necromancers**.
Each skeletal mage lifted a hand, and from the darkness, they conjured their own minions—twenty skeletal soldiers each, rising from the ground. The chamber filled with the hum of death magic as the skeletal legions surged forward, their bony hands working tirelessly to break the iron bindings holding the captives.
As Zuka watched his undead legions free the prisoners, a voice—low and mocking—slithered from the shadows above.
**"What have we here?"** the voice sneered, dripping with malice. **"Has a rat come to chew on the chains of our slaves?"**
Zuka tensed, his sharp eyes darting upward. From the darkness, figures began to descend, their movements unnaturally graceful, like predators stalking prey.
**"Or perhaps..."** another voice whispered, silken and taunting, **"...he came wandering, hoping to find a reward."**
A third voice followed, its tone hungry and feral. **"Let us feast!"**
Three figures landed softly on the cold stone floor, their eyes gleaming in the dim light. The air seemed to darken around them, as if recoiling from their very presence. They were tall, unnaturally pale, with glowing red eyes full of malice. Their smiles were sharp, revealing fangs glistening with intent. Their beauty was almost mesmerizing, their silky white hair flowing like liquid moonlight.
**"Oh my, I smell royalty,"** the first one hissed, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
Zuka stood still, his eyes narrowing, fists curling instinctively. His heart beat steadily, unshaken, as he locked eyes with the creatures. He didn't need to look twice to know what they were.
**"I smell vampires,"** he responded coldly, his voice low but filled with barely-contained fury. The creatures were tall, twisted in form, their fangs sharper than any blade, and their skin a pale white, nearly ashen in hue.
**"Bold, are we?"** one of the vampires mocked, a sneer curling his lips.
Zuka's gaze never wavered. **"What are you doing with these people?"** he demanded, his voice hard.
The first vampire chuckled. **"These people? They are nothing more than a means to an end. Everything must fall... including you."**
Zuka's eyes darkened, his voice calm but filled with an icy rage. **"I will put an end to your madness. Everything must fall, including you."**
The first vampire laughed softly. **"It would be rude not to introduce ourselves, wouldn't it, Dragonoid? To get this far, you must have defeated Segun. I suppose that makes you formidable. So, I shall grant you the honor of knowing our names."** He gestured to his companions. **"I am Aldric Voss, to my right is Varyn Tenebris, and to my left, Lucian Draal."**
Zuka's lip curled in disgust. **"I refuse to acknowledge such vermin by revealing my glorious name. You will fall by the might of Dragonoid pride."**
Lucian's eyes gleamed with hunger, his fangs bared as he stepped forward. **"I wonder what Dragonoid royal blood tastes like."** He roared loudly, his voice echoing through the chamber, but Zuka roared back—his roar deeper, fiercer, so loud that it cracked the very walls.
With blinding speed, Zuka surged toward them, moving as though he had teleported. His fists, coated in radiant light, slammed into Aldric, sending the vampire hurtling backward, crashing into a large stone wall.
**"Light Magic: Arsenal of a Fulgent God!"** Zuka shouted, summoning a large scroll that unfurled behind him. The scroll floated in the air, revealing a vast array of divine weapons. Zuka grabbed a katana and charged, the blade gleaming with celestial power as he swung toward Aldric. But as the katana neared its target, Aldric bit down on the blade with his fangs, shattering it to pieces.
Zuka was momentarily stunned, retreating as the other two vampires attacked from both sides. Their claws aimed for his flesh, but he blocked their strikes with the gauntlets on his arms. **"Fallen, attack! Don't let a single one escape!"** Zuka commanded, still occupied with the vampires.
Aldric sneered. **"You shall not interfere, undead."** With a flourish of his hand, he growled, **"Chains of the Bloodfallen."** Blood-red chains erupted from the ground, capturing the undead army in place, wrapping around their skeletal bodies, binding them.
Zuka's anger surged. He glared at Aldric, his voice sharp. **"Flame magic: Would thee not consume whatever lies in thy path!"** A massive fireball engulfed Zuka, flames erupting in all directions, burning everything in their path. The devastating attack subdued Varyn and Lucian, but Aldric remained untouched, watching with amusement.
In a flash, Aldric disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Zuka. **"Black Magic: Let darkness reign."** The chamber was swallowed in shadow, transporting them to Aldric's domain—a black shrine of death. Dark waters rippled beneath their feet, the stench of blood and decay hanging in the air. Skeletons littered the ground, their hollow eyes staring blankly from the darkness.
Aldric's voice was calm, taunting. **"Your pride has led you here, Dragonoid. And it shall be your death."**
Zuka's eyes burned with defiance. **"I'm not dead yet,"** he snarled. **"Light Magic: Shine of Draekoria!"** A brilliant light surged from Zuka, but the overwhelming darkness of the shrine quickly swallowed it.
**"Chains of the Bloodfallen!"** Aldric shouted, and crimson chains burst from the ground, wrapping around Zuka, binding him in place.
---
Meanwhile, outside, Noir battled fiercely against the demon, the sky alight with the clash of their powers. But then, suddenly, a dark feeling overwhelmed him, freezing him in place.
**"Brother..."** Noir whispered, his crimson eyes narrowing