The battlefield was still. The once-vibrant energy that filled the air had turned cold, heavy with the weight of death. King D, still reeling from the earlier blow, finally stirred. His massive frame shifted, groaning with the strain of his injured body. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, blurry at first. Pain coursed through his veins, but it was nothing compared to the fury building in his chest.
King D (weakly):
"I can't... fall here... not now..."
The Zodiac energy that had once seemed so distant, so unreachable, surged within him like a tidal wave. King D, despite being a mere human, tapped into a hidden power, a sliver of Zodiac essence buried deep within him. The earth trembled as energy began to converge at the center of the battlefield.
Wu-Ji (struggling to get up):
"King D... No...!"
But it was too late. King D's hand clenched into a fist, and from deep within his core, he unleashed a devastating attack.
King D (shouting):
"Le souffle du roi!"
The attack was instantaneous. A shockwave of Zodiac energy blasted out from King D, expanding in a 500 km radius. All the ambient energy around them was consumed, absorbed into King D's body, feeding his power to its absolute peak. The earth quaked beneath him as his body became a conduit for the raw might of this one, earth-shattering blow. His breath, his very soul, became a weapon.
The Unknown Thing, Ashwaln, did not flinch. In fact, it grinned—its mouth slowly forming across its otherwise featureless face. The unsettling, horrifying grin widened as the attack came closer.
Ashwaln (smiling):
"Worth it... for me to open my mouth..."
Then, in a blink, Ashwaln's hand shot forward, piercing King D's chest with brutal precision. Blood poured from the wound as Ashwaln's fingers dug deep into the king's heart.
Ashwaln (grinning harder):
"Your strength is impressive, but I am beyond your reach, human."
With a sickening twist, Ashwaln ripped out King D's heart, still grinning madly as he held the pulsing organ in his hand. The massive warrior's body slumped lifelessly to the ground. His final breath escaped him in a gurgled exhale as the light in his eyes faded.
The shockwave of Le souffle du roi exploded outward, but without King D's strength to maintain the energy, it dissipated into the air, leaving the battlefield in a deafening silence.
Wu-Ji (eyes wide in disbelief):
"No... King D!"
Gok (gritting his teeth):
"Damn it...!"
With the heart of the king still in his grasp, Ashwaln stood over the fallen warrior, savoring the moment. His grin stretched unnaturally across his face, the teeth too sharp, the expression too wide.
Ashwaln:
"I am Ashwaln, the harbinger of the end. Vanik was but a child in my presence, and now you will all feel the true power of the Entics. You cannot hope to survive the coming storm."
Ashwaln threw King D's heart aside, the lifeless organ rolling into the dirt. He stood tall, his body rippling with an energy unlike anything seen before. The Zodiac energy in the air bowed to him, as if recognizing his dominance.
Wu-Ji struggled to regain his footing, rage and sorrow boiling in his chest. Rat, Monkey, and Dave stood at the ready, their gazes locked on the creature that had just destroyed one of their own.
Wu-Ji (panting, gritting his teeth):
"Ashwaln... you're going to regret this. We won't let you destroy our world."
Ashwaln (chuckling darkly):
"You... think you can stand against me? You're merely insects, scurrying in the face of a god."
Dave (cracking his knuckles, voice cold):
"I don't care what you are, Ashwaln. If you think you've won, you're dead wrong."
The group, now united in their grief and rage, surged forward, ready to face this new nightmare. They knew it wouldn't be easy. They knew it would take everything they had.
Wu-Ji (to Gok):
"Let's finish this."
Gok nodded, his Infinity Blade glowing once again as he prepared for the battle of their lives. The Entic, Ashwaln, had only just begun to reveal his true power, but the saviors had no intention of letting him claim victory.
As the world trembled beneath the weight of Ashwaln's power, the saviors stood as the last line of defense. With King D fallen, the stakes had never been higher. Would they find a way to overcome the forces of the Entics, or would this be humanity's final battle?