The wind howled past. The waning storm in the clouds. The endlessly clapping thunder. The million people loud.
But Darren's sword cleaved everything in two, rending the demon king's confidence apart. The pressure from the roar quickly disappeared, and Siestri stood to his feet.
"The witches suffered a great deal, but there were no losses. You saved us."
Siestri leaned on his wand, forcing his feet to stay steady. With one hand, he pressed on Darren's shoulder as he stared with thankful eyes.
"Well, I'll have to do more than this if there is to be a definite end to this war. Siestri, take everyone to the backline and tell the Triform to retreat. Let the wizards and witches cast ranged spells to keep the rest of the demons at bay. I will face their king alone. Cast healing spells on those who can be saved, and for those who are lost..."
There was a short silence that seemed to last for eternity as Darren's head hung low. This was the true face of war.
"Send them through the portals. Let them spend whatever moments they have left with their families."
Siestri nodded in response before casting a teleportation spell with what little magic he had left.
With Darren standing alone, the wind howled by quietly. He watched on as members of the Triform ran past him; some had lost a limb, some had lost an eye, and some carried members who looked half dead. Even the transformed werewolves had it rough, as some were barely able to limp back, their super healing failing them.
His lips remained sealed, but his heart was filled with pain while his mind stirred in anger.
"Demon King, you will not live to see another sun."
Sheathing his sword, he whizzed across the field, a mix of gold and black streaking through the air.
Every demon in his way exploded from the sheer force of his speed. In seconds, his path was littered with bodies and soaked in blood. With his stainless armor, he spurred on.
Over the hills, the demon king stood fierce. He looked like an Indian asura with his blood-red skin, four black goat horns that adorned his head like a crown, large muscles that looked like they would burst open, and menacing eyes that seemed to pierce through dimensions. He was a clear definition of doomsday.
But Darren didn't falter. This was his duty.
Climbing the hills like they were stones in a river, he stood face to face with the demon king.
Unexpectedly, the screams from below couldn't reach them. The wind passed silently, with a biting cold that neither of them could feel. The moon overhead brightened their surroundings, with the light signaling an impending doom.
"Dratos Raadseli, I presume?"
Darren's words surprised the demon king. How could one from Earth know his true name? Years had passed since he last crossed into Earth and everyone who knew of him should be dead.
"Are you the king that protects these lands?"
The demon king's voice was not loud, but it released a pressure that demanded an answer. Darren stood his ground, staring hard at the demon king.
"And if I am?"
"Then we must battle to the death. I take no slaves."
"Neither do I."
Unsheathing his sword slowly, he slid his thumb along the length of the blade. Coating it with his blood that seeped into the metal, he chanted some words.
Red runes appeared on the sword's body. They looked so beautiful and it would be worth it to spend an eternity admiring the sword.
Unfortunately, it was made for battle. Its fashioned purpose: to slay the demon king.
Not giving him a second to pull out his weapon from whatever chasm he had hidden it, Darren charged at the demon king.
With a deafening boom and a flash of red light, Darren's blade was met with resistance.
The dust settled as the light faded, greeting Darren's eyes with the sight of two pollaxes.
Blood red like their wielder, with spiked hammer faces that seemed to snatch the moonlight from the sky, they were an odd bunch. The blades and spikes had been soaked in the blood of a million strong and were still hungry for more. The weapons stirred fear in its opponents, but Darren's angel heart feared nothing.
Dratos sneered at Darren, his eyes showing disdain as his force pushed Darren back. With each step he took, he dragged Darren's feet along the ground. He hoped to tear down his hopes but Darren's eyes kept burning brighter.
The battle had just begun.