The cursed winds screamed through the broken lands as the last remnants of the fading sun dipped below the jagged horizon. The air smelled of scorched earth and bitter ash, laced with an unsettling cold that crawled beneath the skin. It was the calm before the storm—a storm destined to consume everything.
Reazeal and Commander Lysara stood at the edge of a shattered plateau overlooking the distant hell-chasm, its swirling dark energies pulsing like a diseased heartbeat. Black lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the massive fissure in the earth where the ancient Seals lay fractured.
"This is worse than I feared," Lysara admitted, tightening her grip on her glowing blade, Dawnfire. "Our magic won't be enough to hold that back."
Reazeal's gaze remained fixed on the cursed abyss. He could feel the tenth Beast within him stir, responding to the dark power emanating from the chasm. "We don't need to hold it back." His voice was low, cold. "We need to end it."
Before she could question him further, a deafening roar echoed from the chasm's depths, shaking the very earth beneath them. Fissures spread like veins of corruption, and from the shadows emerged an army of twisted Beasts—grotesque mockeries of creation, driven by malice and hunger.
Lysara's eyes widened in horror. "The Fallen Legions..."
---
The First Wave
The ground erupted as the monstrous horde surged forward, clawed limbs tearing through stone and soil. Dark energy wreathed their twisted forms, each Beast a living weapon forged from hate and despair.
Reazeal drew Duskcarve, its celestial edge shimmering with a dangerous light, while Lysara raised Dawnfire, her divine aura igniting in defiant brilliance. They exchanged a brief glance—silent understanding forged in fire.
"Stay close," Reazeal warned. "We strike together."
The first wave crashed against them like a tidal wave of claws and teeth. Reazeal surged forward, cutting through Beasts with brutal efficiency, his blade carving arcs of destructive light. Lysara followed, her strikes precise and relentless, flames searing through the enemy ranks.
For every Beast they slew, more emerged from the endless abyss, their numbers vast and unyielding. The sky darkened further, thick clouds writhing as if in agony. The battlefield descended into utter chaos, steel clashing against claws, divine light battling demonic shadow.
---
Desperate Measures
Despite their combined strength, the Beasts pressed harder, forcing them back toward the ruined cliffs. Blood stained the shattered ground, and exhaustion gnawed at their resolve.
"They're endless!" Lysara cursed, cutting down another Beast. "We can't hold them like this!"
Reazeal's breathing was ragged, sweat mixing with blood and dirt. The Beast within him clawed at his soul, demanding release. He clenched his jaw, suppressing its voice—but desperation crept into his mind.
"There's... one way," he admitted grimly, gripping Duskcarve tighter. "But you won't like it."
Lysara's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
Before he could answer, the ground fractured violently as a colossal, multi-limbed Beast emerged from the abyss—a towering abomination bound in chains forged from cursed obsidian. Its malformed face twisted into a mocking grin.
"You... cannot... escape..." it hissed, its voice reverberating with raw malice.
Reazeal's heart pounded as memories surged back—memories of the cursed battle when the tenth Beast had been sealed within him. His grip on reality wavered, torn between survival and the pull of the dark power within.
---
Unleashing the Forbidden
Reazeal knew the truth—there was no victory without sacrifice. He met Lysara's gaze, his eyes cold and resolute. "Get clear."
"What are you—"
Before she could finish, Reazeal thrust Duskcarve into the cracked earth, channeling every ounce of mana and cursed energy he possessed. The ground trembled violently as a blinding surge of combined divine and infernal power erupted from within him.
Darkness and light twisted into a swirling vortex that engulfed the battlefield, tearing through the Beasts with relentless fury. The monstrous horde shrieked as their forms were obliterated, reduced to ash and scattered across the desolate plains.
The colossal Beast roared in defiance, but Reazeal pushed harder, forcing the destructive torrent against it. Its chains shattered one by one, but instead of fleeing, the abomination lunged for him, seeking to drag him into the abyss itself.
---
Intervention from Above
At the last moment, a brilliant spear of divine light descended from the heavens, piercing the Beast's corrupted heart with celestial precision. The monstrosity let out a final, guttural scream before collapsing into a lifeless heap.
Reazeal fell to his knees, gasping for breath as the infernal energy within him receded—but not without leaving its mark. His body was battered, his mind teetering on the edge of collapse.
He barely registered Lysara rushing to his side, her expression torn between anger and concern. "What... was that?" she demanded, her voice trembling.
Reazeal could only manage a ragged whisper. "The only thing... strong enough... to fight them."
From the broken skies, a lone figure descended, wreathed in radiant light and divine authority—Jackeal. His expression was solemn, his gaze locking with Reazeal's.
"It's time we talked," Jackeal intoned gravely.
---
Echoes of Destiny
In the depths of the collapsing hell-chasm, something stirred—a presence far older and far more dangerous than anything the world had ever known.
Chains forged from celestial steel groaned and snapped, one by one. Dark laughter echoed through the abyss, cold and unforgiving. The final Seal cracked...
"Reazeal... You cannot escape fate."
---
End of Chapter 13.