The battlefield had become the graveyard of broken stone and blackened earth. The once magnificent palace of the demon king now stood in utter ruins, its once proud spires crumbled, its mighty maelstrom of darkness filled with the remnants of abyssal energy. The acidic scent of blood, smoke, and scorched flesh clung thick in the air, suffocating in its intensity.
And yet, amidst this chaos, one warrior was standing — and he was Saaransh.
Saaransh's breath became heavy, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his twin swords. Around him lay the remnants of Ryu Jin and Yun Seo, their bodies bloodied and still, their breaths shallow. Nearby, Kang Ha, the sole surviving mage, trembled as he barely held himself upright.
Kang Ha's voice was feeble and barely reached him.
"Saaransh… please… win. Win for us… for all of them… the future of this world… is now in your hands."
It was a whisper, yet it carried the weight of all their sacrifices, of all their struggle.
Saaransh's gaze hardened.
"Rest now, Kang Ha. You have already done a lot. I will take care of the rest."
With a weak sigh, Kang closed his eyes; his body finally took a sigh of relief.
Now only two figures remained:
Saaransh
And Vorkhael.
The demon king loomed over him as an unstoppable force of destruction. His eyes, twin orbs of burning crimson, glowed with amusement and raw bloodlust for Saaransh. In his gauntleted hand, he wielded a massive greatsword named Abyssal Fang; the blade seemed like it was alive, waiting to hunt Saaransh and drink his blood.
"What was it? Ah Saaransh"
Vorkhael chuckled, the sound deep and mocking.
"You are not like the others, Saaransh. I knew it the moment you stepped into my domain. The others who came before you? Their wills shattered like glass. But you… you stand in front of me. Tell me, Saaransh — will that resolve hold when you face the whole essence of my powers?"
Saaransh rolled his shoulders, exhaling a sharp breath.
"Power, bloodlust, aura — this all means nothing to me. The only thing at this moment I care about is ending you, and I will do so."
Vorkhael's lips curled into a sneer.
"Good, Saaransh. That's what I expect from you. Let us see who among us both is greatest and mightiest."
The clash of the strongest.
In an instant, Saaransh dashed forward, his twin swords flashing in arcs of fire and ice. Vorkhael greeted him with a monstrous swing from his Abyssal Fang; the sheer force of his strike shattered the ground.
Steel clashed against steel.
The shock sent a shockwave that tore the ruins; it shattered the remains of the demon king's palace. Cracks in the ground formed like a shattered mirror.
Vorkhael's strength was omnipotent; each swing from his sword was annihilating, and Saaransh dodged precisely from his attacks. His agility was his greatest weapon. He struck back… a rapid flurry of slashes came from Saaransh's swords. Frostfang sliced through the air, its icy aura freezing the particles of dust. Emberclaw followed the pace of Frostfang, its burning edges carving trails of molten destruction.
Vorkhael laughed.
"YES! Show me more, Saaransh! Give me everything you've got!"
The demon king retaliated — a downward slam of his greatsword that almost split Saaransh in two. Saaransh barely dodged the attack; he rolled to the side as the impact sent boulders flying toward him. A spinning slash was aimed at Vorkhael's exposed side.
The blade bit into the armor but did not cut too deep — the armor was too sturdy.
Vorkhael growled, sending Saaransh flying away with the back of his gauntlet, slamming him to the end of the battlefield.
Saaransh wiped off the blood flowing from his lips, his black eyes not losing focus or the will to win.
'No more games. This ends now.'
"Celestial Rift."
The air cracked as a divine rift split open above him, swallowing the abyssal energy and replacing it with blinding celestial energy. A pillar of divine light descended, engulfing Vorkhael in a storm of holy devastation.
Vorkhael's abyssal energy resisted the purity of the divine light.
The darkness emerged; abyssal flames started forming around his sword. He unleashed a wave of destruction.
Light and darkness collided.
The sky split apart.
The force of their ultimate attack destroyed what remained of the battlefield, leaving behind nothing but crumbled ruins and a burning sky.
Saaransh staggered; exhaustion had taken a toll on him. Vorkhael, too, took a step back, but the demon king still stood.
Vorkhael's voice turned cold, mocking Saaransh.
"Why do you fight so hard, Saaransh? For these people? They are just using you. The moment you lose your power and strength, they will throw you aside. That is the fate of people like us, Saaransh."
Saaransh clenched his fists.
"You don't understand a damn thing. I don't fight for glory. I fight for those who want freedom. I fight for those who have lost their lives protecting something important to them."
Vorkhael laughed darkly.
"Fool. Then let me end your delusions."
Saaransh did not falter.
He raised his swords, showing that he was ready for the fight.
"Final Dawn: Eclipse Annihilation."
A celestial sphere of fire and ice formed behind Saaransh.
Saaransh struck forward to take the head of demon king Vorkhael.
His blades cleaved through the darkness.
Vorkhael screamed, his form shattering like glass, his essence carved from existence.
The demon king of the abyss was no more.
Saaransh stood amidst the silence; his gaze went to his comrades who still lived after all this.
The first ray of sunlight broke across the sky.
"It's over."
And as the adrenaline wore off, he went unconscious.
His knees buckled.
Darkness claimed him.
But this time, it was not the abyss.