Chapter 15: Massacre
The once-prosperous capital of the Orval Kingdom, known for its towering castles and sprawling markets, lay in ruins. The grand walls that had once stood as the kingdom's pride were now nothing but shattered fragments, crumbling under the weight of the destruction. Fires raged in every corner, consuming homes, shops, and entire districts. The sky above, once bright and clear, had been swallowed by an oppressive black cloud, the air thick with smoke and ash. The earth itself trembled, as if the world was recoiling in fear at the wrath unleashed upon it.
It had been hours since Darius Lionhart had descended upon the kingdom, and in those hours, the city had transformed into a hellscape. The sun had barely begun to set when Darius's chains had first lashed out, tearing through the gates of the kingdom with a force that shook the heavens themselves. The once-proud soldiers of the kingdom, those who had sworn to protect their people, had crumpled like paper in the face of his newfound power. No shield, no armor, no blade could withstand the wrath of Darius's Sovereign Chains, which had grown darker, larger, and far more lethal under the influence of the darkness he had embraced.
He moved through the streets like a shadow, his chains the only indication of his presence. Their sound was unmistakable—sharp, crackling, and filled with an unnatural power. His chains struck down everything in their path, from soldiers to innocent civilians, as they screamed and fled in terror. The sovereign chains did not discriminate, obliterating all who stood in his way without mercy. The ground beneath Darius's feet was slick with the blood of those who had been caught in the path of his devastation.
In the main square, the throne room had already been reduced to rubble. The majestic palace, once a symbol of the Orval Kingdom's power, had been leveled in mere moments. The King, desperate to protect his people, had rushed to the front lines, wielding his own power to try and hold Darius at bay. But it was futile. The King was a powerful warrior, no doubt—his strength was legendary throughout the kingdom. But in front of Darius, now empowered by the darkness, he was nothing more than an ant before a raging storm.
The King had tried to rally his troops, commanding them to form a defensive line, but Darius's chains ripped through them like paper. One by one, the soldiers fell, their screams drowned by the roar of destruction around them. The King had charged at Darius, his sword gleaming with divine light, but Darius had effortlessly sidestepped, his chains lashing out and slamming the King into the ground with such force that the earth beneath him cracked open. The sound of bone and metal breaking was deafening, and the King's body lay motionless, his life snuffed out in an instant.
Darius did not pause to savor his victory. He moved on, his chains cutting through the kingdom with relentless precision. His eyes burned with a dark light, his mind consumed with the desire for destruction. He was no longer the boy who had sought approval. No longer the son who had been cast aside by his family. He was a force of nature, a god among men, and the Orval Kingdom would be his first offering to the darkness that now ruled him.
Throughout the city, people screamed in fear as they realized the true extent of the destruction. The city guard, the soldiers, and even the mages attempted to mount a defense, but their efforts were hopeless. The mages cast their spells, but Darius absorbed their magic effortlessly, his infinite mana reserves allowing him to shrug off every attack. The few spells that managed to land were absorbed by his chains, twisted and turned against the casters, who were then consumed by their own magic.
It didn't matter where Darius went—whether it was the noble districts, the marketplace, or the royal gardens—the end result was always the same: death. His chains tore through walls, demolished buildings, and tore down the statues that once adorned the grand streets. They smashed the bridges, cracked the great aqueducts that supplied the kingdom with water, and devastated everything that had ever made the Orval Kingdom thrive. The world was falling apart beneath his feet, and Darius reveled in it.
In the heart of the city, a handful of survivors had gathered in a makeshift shelter, huddled together in fear and desperation. Some were former nobles who had tried to flee the destruction, others were commoners who had never known anything but hardship. But in the end, they were all the same—helpless. The doors to their shelter burst open, and they were met by the sight of Darius standing before them, his chains wrapped around his body like a dark cocoon, his eyes glowing with unholy power.
"You thought you could escape?" Darius asked, his voice smooth but filled with malice. "There is no escape. This kingdom has fallen. And now, you will join it in oblivion."
The survivors attempted to beg for their lives, but Darius's response was swift and brutal. His chains lashed out, binding them in an instant. The blood of the innocent stained the ground as their screams filled the air, quickly drowned out by the roar of the flames consuming the kingdom.
Darius did not flinch. He did not hesitate. His power surged within him, and he reveled in it. He was no longer the boy who had once dreamed of greatness. He was the monster that would destroy everything in his path. The Orval Kingdom, the last bastion of resistance, had fallen. And in its place, only ruin remained.
For hours, Darius wandered through the wreckage, watching as the kingdom crumbled to dust beneath his feet. He felt no remorse, no regret. This was the price of power. The price of embracing the darkness.
And yet, even as he stood amidst the devastation, something within him stirred—a flicker of doubt, a voice in the back of his mind asking him if this was truly the path he wanted to walk. But it was too late. The darkness had taken root within him, and there was no going back.
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Chapter 15 ends with Darius standing at the center of the ruined Orval Kingdom, his Sovereign Chains still thrashing violently around him, as the last remnants of the kingdom burn to the ground. The devastation is complete, and Darius has embraced the darkness, with no remorse or hesitation.
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