— Let's see how far your confidence will take you. — said Kirk with a serious and determined gaze.
— I don't need confidence. My victory is certain. Let's finish this quickly, as I still have to devour the last two remaining kingdoms of this planet and consume all of its inhabitants. — declared Áztrofi with an expression of absolute superiority.
— Who do you think you are!? — Kewa asked, gritting her teeth.
Áztrofi crossed his legs, floating above them as if sitting in midair, his relaxed posture completely contrasting with the situation.
— My name is Áztrofi. I am the God of Darkness and the most powerful being in the entire universe.
His voice reverberated through the battlefield, carrying an overwhelming aura of arrogance.
— All universes will know true chaos and destruction at my hands. I've already consumed the beings of every planet in this universe—all that remains is to finish here and create a universe made purely of shadows. And when that happens, I will move on to other universes… and repeat this process until nothing remains but my darkness.
A booming laughter echoed, sweeping across the battlefield like a thunderclap:
— AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Kirk tightened his grip on his swords, with his aura beginning to vibrate with rising energy.
— Like hell we'll let that happen! — he responded, his voice firm and unwavering.
[ABOUT THE FOUR]
The four warriors were the last symbols of resistance against Áztrofi.
Kirk: Wielded two swords and possessed strength far beyond normal, as well as dimensional magic—a power that, even without affinity, functioned unpredictably in his battles.
Kannes: Fought using a massive sword and a shield, which could unite, creating a defense stronger than any other in existence.
Kana: Considered the most powerful mage in all of Turfazia, she possessed infinite mana, near-instant regeneration, the ability to use all known types of magic, and the power to create new forms of magic.
Kewa: Wielded a magical bow, which, in exchange for all her mana, became extremely powerful, capable of firing enchanted arrows infused with different types of magic.
Since birth, each of them bore a symbol of an eye on their forehead, an ancient seal holding an immense unknown power.
[BACK TO TURFAZIA]
Áztrofi exuded dark energy, with the air around him becoming heavy, as if his very presence were draining the light from the battlefield. His magic flowed from his body like thick vapor, making the atmosphere even more oppressive.
— I hope this gets interesting... — he murmured.
In an instant, Kirk launched himself with a colossal leap, shooting off the ground with brutal force and appearing behind Áztrofi in less than the blink of an eye.
His blades sliced through the air, striking at high speed.
But—it was in vain.
Áztrofi dodged so quickly that only his afterimage was struck. As the blade passed through this projection, it disintegrated into smoke, vanishing entirely.
— {What...? Where is he?} — Kirk thought as his eyes scanned the battlefield for the enemy.
— BEHIND YOU! — Kana shouted.
Before Kirk could react, Áztrofi was already behind him, grinning widely, revealing sharp teeth.
With one hand imbued with dark magic, he struck Kirk, triggering a devastating explosion.
The impact obliterated a massive area, and the deafening shockwave spread with overwhelming force across both kingdoms, echoing for miles.
As the dust began to settle, Áztrofi yawned, bored.
— Haaaah. That was such a weak strike... — he muttered, observing the destruction with indifference.
He then lowered his gaze, fixing his predatory stare on Kewa.
— Ah, so you're next, huh? I hope you're better than him... Otherwise, I might start feeling pity and kill you all faster than I had planned.
His voice dripped with mockery, every word laced with cruel disdain.
Kewa's breathing quickened, her eyes blazing with uncontrollable fury.
— WHAT DID YOU DO, YOU BASTARD!? — she screamed, her energy flaring intensely.
Kewa felt her body ignite with determination, her mind locked on a single thought:
— {This guy's power is beyond anything we've ever faced... But I know for sure—he won't escape my attack!}
She whispered a few words to her enchanted bow, and a thousand magical circles of various colors began to form around her.
At the center, in front of the bow, a small glowing circle radiated a unique intensity.
Áztrofi smiled, intrigued by the strategy.
— This looks fun... — he murmured.
A colorful magical arrow materialized in the air beside Kewa. She grabbed it and placed it in the bow, then fired—sending it through the central circle, linking it to the thousand surrounding magic circles.
In an instant, thousands of enchanted arrows were fired simultaneously, each imbued with a different type of magic, traveling at unimaginable speed.
The absurd amount of mana contained in each arrow made them appear like beams of pure light, streaking through the sky, all converging toward Áztrofi.
Áztrofi dodged gracefully, his body moving with flawless precision, effortlessly avoiding every arrow with impossibly fluid movements.
Until—
A light-based magical arrow barely grazed a strand of his long black hair.
Áztrofi reacted instantly, his gaze now sharp and focused.
Kannes attempted to create a gravitational barrier around Áztrofi just as he lowered his guard, aiming to weaken his power and speed—but it had no effect.
With a simple snap of his fingers, Áztrofi shattered the barrier instantly.
He then raised his hand, and a dark energy began flowing from his body.
— Now it's my turn. — he declared.— Black Prison!
The magic rushed forward like a vortex of shadows, engulfing Kannes completely and slowly draining his life force.
Seeing this, Kana immediately reacted, channeling her magic into one of her most powerful abilities.
— Solar Blades!
Countless incandescent blades materialized around Áztrofi, forming a brilliant and blazing circle.
Forged by the fusion of fire and light magic, these blades shone intensely, resembling miniature suns.
The radiant glow dispelled the surrounding darkness, as if turning night into day.
Áztrofi raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the shift.
— So she can also wield light magic... That might be a problem—but not that much of one. — he murmured, still smirking.
The negative energy surrounding Kannes was severed, freeing him from the Black Prison.
At that moment, Kana lifted her hand, and with a swift motion, pointed at Áztrofi.
As if issuing an absolute command, the solar blades surged forward, attacking from every direction!
Each time a blade struck, a new one emerged, ensuring an unrelenting assault.
At the heart of the burning vortex, echoes of deafening screams reverberated.
Until—silence.
The tension thickened.
Then, Áztrofi's voice erupted from within the flames, deep and filled with fury.
— HAHAHAHAHA! YOU ARE PATHETIC!
His silhouette emerged amid the blazing solar blades, completely intact, his eyes wide open, with violet pupils pulsating with streaks of energy swirling within.
— EVEN IF YOUR TECHNIQUES ARE IMPRESSIVE, THEY CAN'T DESTROY ME! EVEN IF THEY HURT ME SLIGHTLY, IT'S MEANINGLESS!
Áztrofi extended his four hands, positioning them before his chest, and a black sphere with a violet core began to form, absorbing all of Kana's magic.
Her eyes widened in shock.
— {He absorbed my magic...?} — she thought, feeling her energy dissipating.
— What an exquisite magic! I'm sure all of you will be as well. I can't wait to consume each of you. — Áztrofi said, grinning wildly, his sharp teeth glinting under the eerie glow of his own shadows.
The black sphere was absorbed into his body, and within moments, four new spheres appeared, each floating above one of his hands.
With a single movement, he merged them together before his abdomen.
The impact triggered a cataclysmic black explosion, consuming everything in its path—from the fallen soldiers' remains and their armor to the nearby ground itself.
Kannes shuddered, witnessing the devastation.
— What is this...? Even the colors are vanishing! — he exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency.
The black energy expanded, rapidly closing in on the three of them.
Kana darted her gaze around, uneasy.
— Where's Kirk!?
Kannes narrowed his eyes.
— I don't know, but I'm sure he knows how to handle himself. After all, he's our leader. He wouldn't die that easily.
Kana took a deep breath.
— I hope you're right...
Kannes stepped forward to shield them.
— Stay behind me! I'll merge my sword and shield to block this energy and eliminate it before it spreads across Turfazia!
He fused his sword with his shield, creating the ultimate defense barrier.
— Final Shield!
This shield absorbed all magic, energy, and impact, converting them into absolute defense. An indestructible protection... or so he believed.
However—
The negative energy began to be absorbed, and the shield cracked.
Kannes felt his heart race.
— {What...? But this technique is flawless! No one has ever broken this shield!}
Before he could react—
The shield absorbed all the energy but then exploded, unleashing a devastating wave over the three of them.
The last thing Kewa, Kana, and Kannes saw was the darkness engulfing them completely before they lost consciousness.
Áztrofi approached, his overwhelming presence an inevitable omen.
He studied the fallen warriors.
— Interesting... I always obliterate life forms with this power, but it seems they managed to endure... if only for a fleeting moment.
He raised his hand, ready to consume all three of them.
Then, from the massive crater carved into the ground, Kirk stood up.
His body shook, and his hand pressed against his forehead, feeling intense pain.
He struggled to breathe.
— What is this...? Did that dark magic contaminate me...?
A strange blue glow coursed through his body.
His third eye manifested, but now it was cracked, nearly destroyed.
Fragments of confused memories began seeping into his mind.
Kirk gritted his teeth, feeling an uncontrollable surge of energy pouring from his eye like an unstoppable river.
— What are these memories...?
A connection formed between him and the other three, their eye symbols glowing with an unknown intensity.
Now engulfed in blue energy, Kirk gripped his swords, imbued with dimensional magic.
He launched himself at Áztrofi, his speed transcending all limits.
Áztrofi, momentarily distracted, failed to notice his approach.
When the black energy almost consumed the three, Kirk appeared behind him.
— Dimensional Space-Time Slash!
Kirk created a cube around Áztrofi's temporal image, trapping it within and unleashing countless strikes against the frozen projection inside the cube.
Áztrofi furrowed his brow, intrigued by the strategy.
— You wasted that technique on a mere projection...?
Kirk narrowed his gaze.
— If I had used it directly on you, you would have escaped. But if we're going to talk, let's do it with our weapons in battle.
Áztrofi laughed, amused.
— Hahaha... Seems like something interesting is about to unfold.
But then—his body began to fragment.
Kirk released Áztrofi's temporal image, and all the strikes reflected onto him, severing his limbs from his body!
Áztrofi's eyes widened, momentarily losing his confident stance.
— What!?
At that precise moment, Kirk unleashed several dimensional slashes, completely obliterating his body.
He raised his swords, his voice thundering like a victorious roar.
— This is for the generals, for the soldiers, and for my brothers!
Áztrofi's body disintegrated beneath Kirk's dimensional slashes.
For a few moments, silence hung over the battlefield.
Then, Kewa, Kana, and Kannes rose to their feet, still dazed by the explosion of dark energy—but something had changed.
Their bodies trembled with an unfamiliar force.
They exchanged looks, struggling to grasp what had just happened.
— What… was that...? — Kana murmured, her breath rapid.
Each of their weapons gleamed, radiating an entirely new energy.
— It feels like we've gotten stronger... — Kewa observed, feeling intense power coursing through her enchanted bow.
Before they could comprehend the reason behind this sudden transformation, Kirk stepped forward, his stance firm but his gaze filled with unease.
— It's over. — he stated, his voice carrying both relief and suspicion.
Kannes frowned.
— Then why do I still feel his presence...? Something isn't right...
Kana slowly turned—and that's when they saw it.
The space around them began to distort, as if reality itself were being consumed by an unseen vortex.
A black barrier expanded, and within it, everything lost its color.
Kirk's eyes widened.
— That's impossible… I destroyed him DIMENSIONALLY! There was no way to escape!
The air grew heavy, and an overwhelming presence drowned the battlefield.
A voice tore through the silence, booming with wrath and fury.
— YOU HAVE TRULY MANAGED TO ANGER ME!
The black barrier swelled violently, and at its center, something began to take shape.
A colossal figure, forged from pure darkness, rose.
It was Áztrofi—but this time, he wasn't merely reformed.
He had transcended physical form, his presence devouring reality itself.
Hatred burned in his violet eyes like living flames, and his voice reverberated with monstrous intensity.
— THIS BODY HAS NEVER BEEN DESTROYED SINCE I POSSESSED IT. IT NEVER NEEDED TO BE REBUILT!
— BUT A MISERABLE BEING LIKE YOU ACTUALLY MANAGED TO DO IT!
— I COMMEND YOU, BUT THIS IS AS FAR AS YOU WILL EVER GET!
The ground quaked, and the shadows writhed, surging forward like colossal tendrils toward the four warriors.
The true power of Áztrofi had finally been unveiled.
Despair threatened to take hold, but Kirk tightened his grip on his swords, his gaze unwavering.
He would not let this battle end in darkness's victory.
They still had one final chance.
And this time… failure was not an option.