The battlefield froze.
For decades, Hiroko—the Shadow King—had been a whispered myth, a ghost that soldiers invoked to frighten enemies or inspire comrades. Few had ever truly seen him fight. But now, as the black-cloaked figure clashed against the towering Giant of Iron, all noise seemed to drain from the war around them. Men, beasts, and titans alike paused mid-strike, staring as two legends moved at last.
The earth trembled beneath their feet, dust and embers swirling like storms around the pair.
The Duel Begins
Hiroko moved first. With a sharp twist of his wrist, shadows whipped forward, manifesting into blades that struck at Ymir's joints and throat. The giant's body gleamed like steel under the sun, his skin harder than any forged armor.
"Tsk… irritating." Ymir muttered, swatting aside each slash with movements deceptively precise for his massive frame. His colossal hands carved through the air, every deflection creating shockwaves strong enough to split stone.
Hiroko's crimson eyes narrowed. "So it really is as they said… your defenses are ridiculous. Guess I'll need more than parlor tricks."
His hands blurred through a flurry of seals, and then came the clones.
Dozens of Hirokos burst into existence, shadows solidifying into warriors indistinguishable from their master. Each clone's eyes burned with the same sharpness, each carried a faint pulse of chakra. To the untrained eye, they weren't illusions—they were an army.
A Shadow's Gambit
The clones divided instantly.
Group A hurled themselves into melee, their weapons clanging against Ymir's body, drawing his attention.
Group B hung back, weaving sigils and forming spirals of dark ninjutsu, preparing volleys of elemental bursts.
Hiroko slipped seamlessly among Group A, disguising himself as one of the shadows. If Ymir expected to identify him by skill or speed, he'd be forced to question every strike.
From the sidelines, soldiers whispered in awe. "He's blending with his own illusions… even we can't tell who's real!"
But Ymir's lips curved into a rare smirk.
(You think I can't see the trick? Fine. I'll play along… it would be boring to end this too soon.)
Clash of Legends
Hiroko's strikes grew faster, shadows coiling around his limbs to sharpen each attack. His blades began cutting through the very air, wind shearing into weapons of its own.
Ymir met him blow for blow. Each counter from the giant's fists sent explosive bursts of air pressure, tearing apart anything within reach. Trees flattened. Soldiers unlucky enough to stand near were shredded by stray currents, their screams drowned in the violence of two titans testing one another.
Men and beasts fell in equal measure, crushed beneath the fallout of the duel.
The battlefield became chaos. Screams, roars, explosions, blood spraying across mud—an orchestra of violence with no conductor, no pause, no end in sight.
And yet, at the heart of it, Hiroko and Ymir stood locked in combat.
Vulkan's Fury
On the far side of the battlefield, another war burned.
Vulkan's hammer, wrapped in roaring flames, slammed against Chrogon's scaled hide. Sparks and embers burst outward, the flames wrapping him like living armor. His teeth clenched, his body shaking not from fear but fury.
"ROOOAR!" Chrogon bellowed, his colossal body thrashing, but even his monstrous strength faltered against the blacksmith-warrior's rage.
Vulkan snarled, his voice raw:"My anger is greater than yours could ever comprehend! For years I've carried this fire in my chest, and today… I'll see you burn in it!"
The flames on his body grew hotter, red turning to white, a molten glow. His hammer strikes cratered the ground, each impact leaving molten cracks.
Chrogon faltered. His claws scraped weaker, his movements sluggish. Vulkan grinned savagely.
"Is this all you've got? To think I once feared you… pathetic. Your death won't be peaceful."
He raised the hammer high, aiming the final, decisive strike.
But fate mocked him.
The Beast Lords Arrive
Before the hammer fell, a sudden blast struck Vulkan from the side, sending him crashing through a mountain ridge. Rocks and debris rained like meteors as his body skidded across the battlefield.
"Gahh—!"
Another beast lunged, its talons closing around him, smashing him into the earth with brutal force. Bones cracked, blood spraying as he struggled to rise. His flames flickered weakly.
Wheezing, he forced a healing potion down his throat. But before the warmth could knit his wounds, the sky darkened.
A colossal bird descended, wings like storms. Ice crystallized in its wake, winds howling with deathly chill.
"CYCLONE!" Vulkan spat, his voice trembling with fury and recognition.
The Beast Lord of ice, water, and wind. Ruler of the Crystal Gale Willows. Another of Chrogon's allies.
The bird screeched, talons plunging—but they met resistance.
"Black Dragon Bell!" Shiro roared, his technique manifesting as an obsidian dome around him.
"Earth Mother's Palm!" Kirishima slammed his hands to the ground, stone erupting upward to parry the strike.
The two had thrown themselves between Cyclone and Vulkan, their combined defenses halting death for a brief, fragile moment.
"You're not the only one who wants revenge, muscle-head!" Shiro snapped, glaring at Vulkan.
"Shut it—pretty boy. This bird's mine!" Vulkan growled back, spitting blood.
But before they could argue further, the battlefield cracked with thunder. A jaguar's silhouette emerged, sparks dancing across its fur. Its roar split the heavens.
"Inazuma…" Kirishima whispered. His gut sank.
The Beast Lord of storms and earth. The lightning panther king.
Breaking Point
Shiro, Vulkan, and Kirishima exchanged looks.
"Just our damn luck," they muttered in unison.
Vulkan hurriedly downed two more potions, his flames reigniting, body restored. Shiro sneered. "You should've done that earlier, dumbass."
"Shut up, twig-boy. At least I'm not built like wet paper."
Kirishima slammed his fist between them. "Enough! You want to kill each other later? Fine. But right now, shut your mouths and fight. Or none of us walk away."
They clicked their tongues but obeyed.
Behind them, Chrogon stirred, wounds sealed, angrier than before. The three realized the truth—they weren't facing two Beast Lords, but three.
The situation teetered on despair.
The Plan
They fled, retreating into the shattered ruins nearby. There, amidst broken stone and smoke, they regrouped. Kirishima's tone sharpened into command.
"Listen. Opposite elements. That's the only chance we have. Shiro, you take Cyclone. Vulkan, you clash Inazuma. I'll hold Chrogon. We rotate when one falters."
Shiro and Vulkan exchanged glares but nodded. Their rivalry could wait.
"Fine.""Let's end this."
Return to the Field
After their brief respite, the trio returned to the battlefield. Their enemies waited, eyes glowing with primal fury.
Vulkan twirled his hammer with a cocky grin, his voice dripping arrogance. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. Did you miss me?"
Cyclone shrieked. Inazuma's fur crackled. Chrogon's roar shook the sky.
The ground shattered as all six combatants charged, earth and sky about to split under the collision.
But then—
The world stopped.
The Disruption
A colossal shockwave erupted between them, knocking both men and beasts off balance. Dust and darkness consumed their vision. Out of the storm stepped two figures, their clash radiating power beyond comprehension.
The Shadow King, Hiroko, his blades dripping with shadowfire.The Giant of Iron, Ymir, his body gleaming like a living fortress.
Their duel had carried them across the battlefield—and now they stood between Beast Lords and mortals alike.
The ground cracked beneath them. The air screamed with energy.
All eyes turned. Even the Beast Lords hesitated, sensing the storm had changed.
The return of the Shadow King wasn't just a legend anymore. It was reality, and it was here.
To be continued…