But the dark figure had not fled. It had merely shifted, reappearing behind Baelor with a speed that exploded the air in a sonic boom. Donber, catching sight of the movement, shouted a warning, "My Lord, behind you!"
Baelor spun around in milliseconds, his axe already in motion, but the dark figure was quicker. Its blade struck out, aiming for Baelor's heart.
At the last moment, Baelor twisted his body, the blade grazing his side instead of piercing through. With a grunt, Baelor retaliated, his axe crashing down with a force that would have split the earth into two.
But the dark figure was gone again, leaving only a whisper in the wind and the lingering scent of death in its wake.
"Coward... "
Baelor's grin widened as he rested his axe over his shoulder, straightening his imposing frame like an ancient sentinel, standing tall amidst the silent plain.
His eyes, now glowing under a strange reddish hue, were partially hidden beneath his furrowed brows, but the subtle smile playing on his lips was unmistakable. Despite the intensity of this battle, Baelor took pleasure in this fight, death might be scary, but for a warrior... to die on the battlefield is better rather than being a warrior tending a garden.
"Gone again..." he murmured, his voice carrying a mix of amusement and also despise.
"And here I thought we were about to have a moral discussion"
"A pity, that is..."
As if in response to his taunt, a voice echoed from all directions, cold and mocking. "Likewise, the master is right. You humans are not only cunning but also proud to the bone."
"We shall trample upon your pride, truly a human emotion is their greatest weakness"
Meanwhile, Donber, recognizing the futility of remaining in a clash between two Tier 3 experts, quickly retreated.
He knew that his presence would only be a burden in this battle of titans. "Better I go and rid the city of those other monsters," he muttered to himself, sprinting toward the chaos deeper within the town.
Baelor laughed heartily, placing a hand on his hip as he looked around, seemingly unbothered by the voice taunting him. "And those words come from someone hiding in the shadows. Come now, test me with your strength!"
"Those words best make sure have some meaning, or else I will chop you down to pieces"
But even as he spoke, a thought crossed his mind.
'Master? ... If this thing has a master then it spells a bigger trouble'
The word lingered in his thoughts, casting a shadow over his grin.
He knew the implications of a creature referring to a master; this wasn't just any ordinary foe, and the presence of a master suggested something far more complicated than what he had anticipated.
'A demon?' 'No... ' Baelor eyes hung low, his thoughts turning. 'This one is different... more like a whole new race of darkness that I do not know of' "Come out you riddled trash of the dark hole, let this human put a smile on that face!"
The voice was silent for a moment as if contemplating Baelor's challenge.
Seconds stretched into what felt like minutes, the air was thick in anticipation.
And then, finally, the voice answered, its tone laced with grim determination. "Very well!"
*Swoosh!*
The wind suddenly thumped, carrying with it a sense of impending doom.
Baelor didn't flinch, but his muscles tensed as a figure of darkness, clad in black armor, emerged from the side with blinding speed. Like a shadow, emerging and appearing out of nowhere...
Baelor swung his axe off his shoulder with a powerful motion, bringing it to bear just as the figure closed in.
The two met with a clash that shook the earth, sparks flying as Baelor's massive axe collided with the creature's dark blade.
"Good come!"
"Die human!"
*BOOM!*
The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the ground, the very air around them rippling from the collision. The figure moved with inhuman agility, its strikes precise and relentless.
Each swing of its blade was calculated, aiming for vital points, testing Baelor's defenses with every move.
But Baelor was no novice. He parried each strike with a controlled fury, his strength and experience evident in every counterattack. The battle raged on, a whirlwind of steel and dark energy, neither side giving an inch.
Baelor's eyes, though hidden, were focused entirely on his opponent, reading every movement, every feint.
'Extreme speed, powerful strength, and defense... ' 'And even... an essence of the darkness, but not entirely darkness itself. What is this?' Baelor thoughts churned amid the battle, and as if to seek the answer he wanted, he took a step forward, the earth cleaved under his steps.
With a mighty roar, Baelor brought his axe down in a devastating arc, aiming to cleave the creature in two.
But the figure sidestepped with unnatural speed, the blade of darkness slashing upward in a swift, deadly counter. 'Not of darkness!' Baelor eyes shone in realization in the split second this happened.
*Boom*
The axe fell down like a hammer, and facing the enemy attack. Baelor twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the strike, the dark blade grazing his clothes and sending a shower of shreds into the night.
He didn't hesitate, using the momentum to spin around and deliver a crushing backhand with the head of his axe.
*Boom!*
The creature was forced to retreat, its armor taking the brunt of the blow but visibly dented from the impact.
"You fight well, human," the figure hissed, its voice now close and menacing. "But your strength will not save you from what is to come."
"The darkness shall consume the world"
Baelor smirked, wiping a small trickle of blood from his lip. "I see... Even a puppet can believe? Then come at me with your best!"
The two combatants squared off once more, the tension between them crackling like lightning.
Baelor's thoughts raced, aware of the delicate balance he was trying to maintain. It wasn't a question of whether he could defeat his opponent. Rather, it was the potential destruction that might ensue if the battle escalated within the city's confines.
'What a headache' he thought, frustration gnawing at him. 'I want to go all out, but I can't risk leveling the entire city in the process. If only I could drag this creature out of here...'
The figure of darkness, perceptive to Baelor's internal struggle, tilted its head slightly, lifting its blade in a subtle gesture towards Baelor.
"How so, human? Are you facing a problem?" The voice was laced with amusement, almost taunting in its tone.
Baelor's grip on his axe tightened, a retort forming on his lips.
Though before he could even mutter a word, a voice came... booming all over the sky. when suddenly, a deep, ancient voice reverberated through the air, stopping him in his tracks. And with it, an invisible pressure erupted like a wave from the sky, enveloping the whole world in an invisible cocoon of depression.
"I suppose that this farce should end here."
*Boom!*
The sky darkened rapidly from the horizon, a blackened vortex swirling as it approached from the distant mountains.
Clouds churned violently, and a dark wind whipped through the city, carrying with it an overwhelming sense of dread.
The ground beneath them began to tremble, not just in the immediate area but throughout the entire city. Buildings that were already teetering on the brink of collapse gave way, crumbling into the earth with thunderous crashes.
The once orderly panic among the citizens and soldiers spiraled into outright chaos as they stared up at the sky in horror. Even the monsters, previously wreaking havoc, paused in their destruction, transfixed by the ominous phenomenon unfolding above them.
Baelor's eyes were drawn to the sky, his usual calm shattered by the sight of the approaching darkness.
His heart sank as the implications began to dawn on him.
Before he could fully process the situation, his opponent—the dark figure who had been fighting him with such relentless aggression—suddenly dropped to one knee, bowing with reverence. "This lowly one welcomes the arrival of Master."
The word *Master* echoed in Baelor's mind, chilling him to the core.
The grin that had once adorned his face vanished, replaced by a grim expression.
His eyes, usually sharp and commanding, were now filled with a deep concern as he stared at the kneeling figure.
*Master?* The word repeated in his mind.
*This... this can't be good.*
Baelor's thoughts raced. He had suspected that his opponent was not acting alone, but the arrival of this *master* was an unexpected development. The worst-case scenario has now occurred, and this... 'is now a huge problem' Baelor thought within.
The dark figure had already proven to be a formidable foe, but now Baelor was faced with the terrifying reality that this was just the beginning. It's just the tip of the whole iceberg, just a glimpse of the corner of the whole picture.
"Is it too late?" he whispered to himself, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him even heavier than before.
The vortex in the sky continued to grow, covering half of the sky in its darkened hue of pure nothingness.
Baelor could feel the power emanating from it, a force unlike anything he had ever encountered. "A tier 4? No... such a scale of strange phenomena. It couldn't be... a venerable?"
His instincts screamed at him to leave, to brace for whatever was coming, but the scale of the threat was beyond anything he had faced before.
The dark figure remained kneeling, its head bowed low, awaiting the arrival of its master with a devotion that was unsettling.
Baelor gritted his teeth, his mind racing to come up with a plan. And to that, he could just laugh out loud with his hand grasping against the axe tighter than ever before.
'Then let's die an honorable death shall we!' He grinned a wide smile with his teeth showing.