Alana looking at skull lord laying defeated his form, shrouded in smoke.
"Pathetic I knew that abomination wouldn't be able to hold himself!"
Alana sighs, floating away.
Flash back
Night starts to approach
Skull lord and his army of walkers and minions stand ready.
The wind blowed briskly through the air gently creasing the long shield of grass around zero as the book of deluxe lay open on his face, covering his entire face.
As the time
Alana zips out of his chest
"its time!"
She realises zero laying down "huh?"
"is he sleeping? At a time like this?"
"hey wake up zero!"
She tries to lift the book of his face with her spectral hands
As she tugged "why won't it budge….wake. UP!"
Her hands slipped off it making her slide back through the air.
Catching herself in the air she sighs "He's hopeless"
Giving up and taking her focus elsewhere.
She goes away to organize her and skull lords, army.
As soon as she goes, the book floats off his face he slowly opens his eyes, the books pages flicked as it sealed itself.
Then he sits up, his eyes still a bit dusty he takes a moment to stare off into the distance, he blinked once or twice before turning his head back to see alana, organizing the army.
His face was blank, but then a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth for only a moment as his face, went blank again his smile dropping.
He stood up…
5 minutes later .
Alana had finished preparations she turned back to check on him.
"Zero?"
But he had gone..
"where did he go ?"
Something then rings in her head. His tone assertive
*Just remember as long as the lord has his crown he will never truly die or fall*
"What?" she shouts
Present
Alana stops as she sees movement in the smoke and two shoulder arms that fell off skull lord are gone.
She gets closer.
Not one person notices, as the smoke subtly rummages around except Alana from a distance.
"heh" she scoffs
As a diagonal rune facing serene and the others shines brightly through the smoke.
" …Crown, huh" alana comments intrigued
Serene's side all look confused, seeing the faint, glowing rune shining through the smoke.
On the other side, the commander was in the middle of drinking a blue potion when two blue eyes shone brightly through the smoke, staring directly at him.
He froze entirely. The glass bottle left his lips as he looked ahead in shock, his hand trembling slightly.
Thoughts racing in silence for both sides.
As the smoke starts to get thinner the figure starts to straighten and his silhouette appears.
Serene's eyes widen.
The figure roared loudly, clearing all the smoke.
Altos says shocked "no way…"
Now showing himself, his once bleached bones were scorched black.
Cracks etched across the surface like lightning scars with smoke coming from them and faint heat shimmered around him.
Several ribs lay cracked some pieces, falling to his feet, two of his side heads jaws hung crooked, scorched black, his pelvis arms and the skull minions were squashed by him and crushed under the pressure of the attack.
As the smoke cleared at his feet, underneath him were blackened bone pieces fused to the earth beneath, the skeleton steamed in silence, above the molten rock.
What stood out was his skull lord had changed from bulky to slimmer and taller along with his withered look.
He still had his two shoulder arms, but they placed a bit higher.
Aeliza's eyes widened in shock "how? Is it still alive…"
serene's mana started to slowly flare up around her.
A cigarette hits the floor
Altos yanks his sword from the ground "I guess it's not so easy! Cmon holger"
Holger takes his shield and wields his mace "Dammit, and I was really craving a portly"
They both start walking toward the enemy.
The skull lord wasted no time and lunged at Rolland. He moved so fast that he left a withering outline of himself still standing on the molten rocks.
With his right arm, he threw a devastating punch. Rolland jumped back at the last second, dodging as the massive fist slammed into the ground where he'd been standing.
The glass potion bottle was crushed instantly under the skull lord's knuckles, blue liquid spraying across the cracked earth.
Before Rolland could recover, the skull lord's left arm swept toward him. It smacked into Rolland's barrier instead—the force alone shattering the magical protection completely.
*He's fast* Rolland steeled himself, readying a stance still slightly in the air.
The runes on the gauntlet started to glow and spark as skull lord went for a claw attack with his left shoulder claw but Rolland smirks punching it, the impact crumbling the whole arm completely.
"how did you like that!" only a moment of relief as a second claw came in from his other side tearing three lines across his chest.
"what!" Rolland stammered but raised his gauntlet infused with flame energy and went in a diagonal arc shouting "FLAMING ARC!"
This hit skull lord's last secondary arm, slicing it cleanly in two.
Both severed parts caught fire and were incinerated instantly.
But skull lord didn't get break as from both sides, Altos and Holger jumped in.
In unison "we go you commander!"
But skull lord doesn't retreat. Instead, he moves his head back, letting them strike only his two side heads, crushing them completely. In that same moment, he raises both his main arms and strikes behind them, sending Holger flying into a wall
Two thick souls come out of the crushed skulls remains, burrowing into his main skull…
Skull lords' eyes burn a unique blue with a whitish centre.
Holger used his shield to lessen the impact, along with mana reinforcement on his body.
As he hit the wall he bounced off it falling on his back.
His thin layer of mana reinforcement dispersing and his shield stuck in the wall.
Still on his back, his vision slightly blurry as he opened them.
damn that skeleton packs a punch even with all stuff i did to lessen the impact he still managed too…
His train of thought stopped.
Shouting over to the side, "Altos, you good!"
His vision now redlining as he looks to the side…
As the realisation hits.
Rolland crouching holding his wound shouts "NO! let him go!"
Holger turning his head forward and rolling on his stomach.
As skull lord with altos in his right-hand squirming.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished, leaving only a phantom outline behind.
Then instantly.
A massive dust cloud exploded upward to the far right of the town.
Serene appears, now out of her reverie.
Her face resolute, she said, 'Rolland, tend to your wounds. I will handle this.' Without hesitation, she rushed toward the cloud.
Within the cloud of dust altos and skull lord are engaged in combat.
With skull lord destroying everything—crushing, clawing, slamming and throwing with savage, uncontrollable force.
Meanwhile, Altos, his arms made useless, clenched his sword between his teeth.
Using his movement to dodge and evade skull lord.
He thinks *what can I do? My arms are broken and I have no chance of attacking*
Altos was stuck completely on defence but he didn't give up.
*Think altos, think. what would the commander say in this situation!*
A memory rings in his head.
*In combat, everything flows—movement, timing, intention. No matter how long it takes, the rise and fall of your opponent is inevitable.*
*…I don't know what that means.* His face went flat, utterly deadpan.
Side-stepping rocks and debris hurled at him, his face lights up, thoughts start to bubble.
* Wait. Maybe… yeah, that's it. If I can't fight back, I just need to wait it out and find an opening. *
Altos jumps back to gain distance, but skull lord throws a large rock but its instantly sliced by altos.
Skull lord speeds up appearing right in front of altos just finishing slicing the rock in half and attempts to slam him with his skeletal palm.
Time slowed for altos *is this it? * As the palm was about to slam him
His eyes glow an vibrant orange as he instinctually dodges sliding right between skull lord legs, gaining distance even more distance.
Altos eyes literally glowing a vibrant orange with orange mana thinly coating his body he stared down skull lord not blinking once.
He was in deep state of focus.
His demeaner completely changed he was calm,
As he rushed skull lord turned around tried to slam him again but It was predicted as altos jumped in advance toward skull lord.
Skull lord followed up trying to grab him with his other hand, altos in that second, turned his body mid air used skull lord skull to to propel himself back flipping into the air away from the grab then spinning he sent his blade toward skull lord.
But he deflected it and as altos landed he ran past skull weaving through all his strikes grabbed his blade with his mouth as it was still in the air, skull lord went to try grab him but altos slashed one of his pointing fingers on his left hand while spinning out the way
Then they rushed in for each other again now fighting at slightly equal footing.
As the fight lives on, so does the teachings of rolland ring in his mind:
"battle rhythm is the most important principle for fighters. Without it you simply, can't fight!"
"Theres's a tail of soul trait that is very rare among fighters were one can enter completely deep state of focus, they call people who posses this rhythm readers due to their ability to use all 6 factors of rhythm these being: intention, prediction, movement, timing, breathing and mental flow."
"People like me who have learned the basics of rhythm use only the three main ones: movement, timing and intention. But there are people practice as fighting style and know all six and advanced forms of it with large amounts of training but what makes rhythm readers so different is that, one: All the form come to them naturally and two: they can literally see the rhythm when in a deep focus, some describe it as a lines that show where an attack is to land."
"The funny part is it randomly happens when one is in tune with rhythm of the battle, so it could be anyone! Even you Altos.."
"How about me captain?" holger bruting voice chimed in
"No way your to clumsy!"
"Hey!"
Everyone laughed.
Altos smiles a single tear leaves his eye.
Skull lord smashes down, altos already backed away and spins his body many times generating a little gust of wind this sends the blade diagonally while coated in a thick mana his eyes now stopping the glow *cross body throw! *
The double-sided sword goes diagonally towards skull lord's joint for his right arm.
Slices through leaving slight gust of wind as it curves in distance coming for the next one.
*yes!*
As skull lord arm slowly falls to the side and the blade comes down
Skull lord quickly turns around defleciting the sword with his left arm, as it flalied in the air he smacked it away instantly, he then swung hjs body around reattaching his arm to his body while lunging simltanteously trying to grab him with his left arm.
Altos couldn't react in time… "huh what I can't see it anymore!" but serene could…
she appeared between the hand and altos preparing to strike it away.
Skull lord retreated back immediately.
Altos fell down, On his knees his arms still hanging helplessly, blood trailing down his lips, weary eyes.
"sorry general"
She stands straight, dust and debris passing her.
"Good work soldier…. Good work."
As he falls to ground, passing out.
Footsteps are heard as aelzia comes up
*huff* *huff*
"Hey gene-"
"Altos!"
"Take him back to Rolland right away" she says calmly.
Aelzia quickly put him on her back
Cold eyes and dead ones meet
"and you?" aelzia asks
"I will finish this thing. Once and for all." Serene says while, assuming an elegant stance her metal blade now wore down.
Hope lights up in aelzias face smiling she runs back with Altos unconscious on her back.
A stare down begins.
Alana spectating from far above *I wonder how he will tackle this*
Serene's mana swirls up, around her imbuing her completely, in a silent rage she lunges toward skull.
Holding her sword with both hands ready to slash down.
But skull lord moved at the same time she did.
Going straight passed her
She swiped at the air, the shockwave so strong it cleared the cloud of dust and debris in the air around them.
Serene looked back in annoyance her mana dissipating.
As Skull lord reaches for the altos' sword and grabs it concealing it in his right palm.
Serene gets mad and rushes at him imbuing herself again.
Skull lord just raises his guard with both arms bracing for the impact.
A big thud is heard along with dust and debris spreading everywhere.
Back near the square
Holger pulling his shield out of the wall looks to side as another loud, thud along with dust explosion appears.
Gritting his teeth.
He tore it straight off the wall, muscles flexing as he did.
Rolland sat completely shirtless placing both hands casting a healing spell on his skin, as it weaves back together slowly leaving only a 3 long claw marks on his chest.
"That's it I can't take this anymore!" holgers shouts.
As he walks forward mace in hand and shield in the other
Rolland walked after him "no holger!"
He pulled on holgers shoulder to stop him
"let go of me!"
"you will get yourself hurt!" rollands stresses
"Altos is in trouble and we are just sitting here" Holger rebuttals
"Holger you saw what happened. He managed to withstand my most Powerful spell, what makes you think you can do anything!"
He stopped himself for minute realizing clenching his fists
"it doesn't matter altos is my brother I can't just sit here commander"
"yes I understand but rushing in is not the way. Its best to let the general handle it and help when necessary"
Holger dropped his head in understanding.
Rolland sat down holding his head up and shutting his eyes as sigh of relief.
*Glad I got him to listen*
Aelzia shows up running toward them with altos on her back
"COMMANDER HELP!"
Holger raises his head slowly
Rolland opens one eye
And instantly is in shock "Oh! Bring him here!"
"AL-" holger stutters
Rolland starts checking him.
Captain Altos lay between the two, arms fractured and limp, fingers twitching with mana shock. Blood leaked from his nose and the corner of his mouth staining his jaw. His chest rose in shallow, painful gasps; every breath a fight.
One leg jerked, more spas than control.
Broken, battered but his eyes. They still burned a vibrant orange. Still alive.
Holger stands stunned walking up to them hes sees his brother, broken.
"This Is bad. Keep his head up aelzia"
"Yes commander" as she softley slide her hand under altos head propping it up a bit.
Rolland put both his hands on altos chest and started to instantly surge with his yellow mana its became really thick manifesting around him, small particles emanating from the place hes casting his healing
Aelzia looks into altos eyes and says "stay with us altos, stay with us. Don't leave Altos we didn't get to finish our spar!"
Holger just looked on speechless his mace and shield continue to lower slowly.
Then
a
Crash!
Is heard,instantly skull lord speeds past behind them.
running away it seems, as serene dashes after him in a cold rage her sword slightly cracked now.
The speed of both as they went past left a gust of wind strong behind them.
Another explosion of dust and debris appeared on the left side of the town
Aelzia and Rolland stayed focused.
Then after only a minute
Skull lord appeared behind the fully concentrated Rolland…
His maw wide open trying to chop on him, no one realised the sudden appearance except holger as he ran in leaving his mace and using his shield to guard the brunt of the attack.
"I got you commander!" he says with green thin green layer of mana coats his body.
As soon skull slammed his maw closed it broke some teeth and bounced off at his jaw. The force of his jaw clanking off the shield broke the ground underneath holger yet he stayed steady.
In that moment, Serene appeared at the skull lord's ribcage.
Imbuing her blade with mana, she smacked him, breaking open the skull lord's entire ribcage and hitting him upward into the sky.
She instantly jumped after him.
"Stop..." Her white mana started to swirl like an uncontrollable vortex around her.
"Trying to hurt my SOLDIERS!"
The skull lord blocked mid-air, helpless, as Serene fully imbued her sword with so much mana that more cracks started to form on it.
The blade shone with a white glow, her mana seeping out of it.
She whacked skull lord away with so much force that it sent a mini shockwave outward at the mere contact.
Her mana shattered his defenses, sending him tumbling across the town and triggering a massive explosion of dust and debris.
Aeliza shielded Altos, channeling her mana to reduce the movement, as a powerful whirlwind of force barreled toward them.
Holger gripped his shield, reinforced by his own mana, bracing against the impact.
And Rolland, just withstood it, remained calm and focused, eyes closed in concentration.
The hilt of a sword hit the ground first but,
As soon as she landed, she imbued herself again and sped off, clenching her fists.
Holger throws his dented shield to the side.
Falling to his knees, he looks at his battered hands as they start to tremble.
*...from that one impact…*
His vision blurring
Words ring in his head.
"Holger you saw what happened he managed to withstand my strongest spell what makes you think you can do anything!"
*He was right I am no where near as strong as I thought I was*
He looks back at altos hands still trembling *neither was altos*
He looks back at his trembling hands and clenches them tightly.
He stands up walking toward alezia
"hey aeliza.."
She looks at him
"go help"
"You sure?"
"yeah, I am better here anyway."
Aeliza "I won't let you down"
she gently leaves her position un sheaves her great sword while running into the battle
Holger places his hand gently under his brother's head looking at him sorrowfully.
Serene was locked in combat with skull lord
*This whole time he's been completely on the defensive, hasn't tried to attack once*
*I have used a lot of mana; Not sure how long I can go. *
She tries to hit him by lunging but skull lord just swerves behind her leaving a phantom like outline were he was previously.
*Dammit he moves like some kind of wraith*
He launched an a punch, sending her spiraling through some structures but she twisted mid air recovering with grace, as she landed on the remains of a half-collapsed structure. Without hesitation, she rushed forward.
He met her charge head-on, throwing a wild punch, but *Got him!*
In the split second she dodged, only for him to vanish, leaving a withering trail marking where he'd been.
"Again?" she muttered in disbelief.
He materialized behind her, his fist already in motion.
The uppercut connected, launching her skyward again.
He leaped after her, muscles coiled like a spring.
At the apex of her flight, he caught her with a devastating blow that sent her hurtling across the townscape. She crashed toward a building's face, but this time she was ready—rolling with the impact and landing gracefully on the rooftop, her boots barely making a sound against the concrete.
He pursued relentlessly, bounding from structure to structure like a predator closing in on prey. Thin layer of mana disperses from her body She readies her self, thinking of her next action.
The moment he reached her building, he dropped from above like a meteor, both feet aimed at her skull. She backflipped to the neighboring rooftop just as his impact shattered the structure beneath him. The entire building groaned and cracked from the force. He didn't pause—the moment his feet touched down, he exploded forward, the crumbling edifice collapsing in his wake.
His fist shot toward her face with bullet-like speed, but she was faster. Her hand clamped around his forearm mid-strike, using his own momentum against him. She pivoted, spun him in a wide arc, and launched herself upward. With crushing force, she drove him down through the building's surface.
Her boot found his skull as they crashed through the ceiling, and she twisted his captured arm backward at an unnatural angle. Every pound of her weight pressed down on his shoulder joint as debris rained around them.
He thrashed wildly beneath her—legs kicking frantically, his free arm swinging in desperate arcs. His movements grew more erratic, more panicked, like a drowning man fighting for air that wouldn't come.
"GENERAL AM HERE!" alezia says as she leaps in the air ready holding her blade with two hands, that faced downward, aiming for skull lords neck.
"Great timing!" serene replies as she changes positions to on top of his head to leave space for her to strike skull lords neck, while holding his arm and keeping him still.
As alezia tries to goes for skull lord's neck a blade spins to her slashing through her torso as soon as she feels it she instinctively put her refinforcement up and deflect it completely as it bounces off falling to the ground.
Blood start to gush from her side.
"What… was that?" she says as she passes out due to the amountof blood leaving her.
Serene was taking aback by this, which gave skull lord ample time to smack her past aelizia
Serene seeing alezia body falling down as they get futher and further apart, serene breaks out of her trance and shouts
"ALEZIA"
Skull lord answerd her call and threw alezia toward her but she ended up hitting serene and launched her even further until they hit a building far off into the town
Skull lord grabbed the blade and disappeared leaving only a phantom like outline.
Back to near the sqaure.
"Hey Altos, do you remember when we used to get in bar fights all the time?" Holger's face was pale, his eyes wide with growing panic.
"We were real trouble makers, weren't we? Haha..." His forced laugh died as he watched the light in Altos' eyes start to dim and his breathing slow.
"Hey...Altos." His expression crumpled, desperation etched across every feature.
"Don't give up please." His voice cracked, his jaw trembling as tears began forming in his eyes, his face contorting with anguish.
"Remember we are all we got left. We die together! We promised to never leave each other's sides!"
He started to cry, his face streaked with tears that dropped onto Altos' still form below.
….
Then
Appearing behind Holger,
Standing menacingly was skull lord.
Staring down at them.
Holger didn't realise at first but as he saw shadow loom over him, a chill ran down his spine.
He turned around slowly and tried to look. But before he could turn or say a word skull lord whacked him to side with so much force it sent him flying into the town square crashing into rubble.
The battlefield in the town itself had mostly died down at this point but holger…
He was completely taking out the fight.
As skull lord took a step toward Rolland, he jumped just above him with his gauntlets vibrating with mana.
Rolland gauntlet fist was near but last second skull lord dodges out the way and tries to stab with Altos blade, rolland couldn't do a thing as he was mid attack an the blade was about to into his side.
*I can't react dammit!*
But in that split second altos appears eyes burning brightly, shoving Rolland to the side *Altos?*
and taking his own blade through the stomach, blood spilling from his mouth.
Then instantly skull lord disappeared.
Rolland ran to Altos.
"ALTOS! UH, UH—"
He panicked as blood started to pool around Altos.
Eyes still burning with pain, Altos coughed.
Rolland went silent, his face going serious.
Altos coughed again.
"Where's... Holger?" he said weakly.
Rolland could tell that Altos was completely out of it—nothing could be done.
Altos looked up at Rolland and saw him look away in shame. "Heh... I see. To think if we never committed that stupid—" cough "—crime, we wouldn't be here... but..."
He smiled faintly.
Rolland looked down, tearing up.
"We don't blame you, Commander Rolland. Or anyone."
Tears start to swell up but he doesn't make noise.
As Altos eyes finally, fade.
Skull lord appears again hands bloodied he immediately throws something at Rolland.
It hits Rolland sending him back.
He slowly opens his eyes seeing the bloody remains of Holger's mangled body.
Rolland doesn't move.
Skull lord stood facing Rolland blood dripping from both his hands.
Serene with aelzia on her back comes back panting "hey wha-ts…"
She scans the place altos dead and holger remains on top or rollands unmoving body.
Alezia slowly opens her eyes looking up "watch out General!"
She looks to left immediately.
As skull lord lunges at serene with no time to react.
But both skull lord forearms were grabbed by transparent yellow hands sparking with power.
Sending a wave sparks throughout his body constricting his movement even though he tries to resist it was for not.
A big mana presence swirls behind him, almost, menacing.
It then squeezed tightly on his forearms, snapping them like twigs.
One hand quickly grabs on to his head as the other disappears.
It twisted his head around while his body remained facing forward.
Pushing him down to his knees till there facing each other.
Rolland looked at skull lord dead in eyes.
His face: eyes like granite, Jaw tight.
No more tears, he didn't even speak.
He emanated great power.
His intention was clear.
Face to face with skull lord, still grief coiled his stone cold exterior like a blade pressed to the heart.
as skull lord squirms trying to free himself
Rolland flicks in his finger in the air causing a barrage of fire bolts to litter from his sun and enveloping skull lord in this ever-consuming fire.
Rolland didn't move but he stared skull lord down as he burned still holding his head in place
Laughing is heard through the fire as the persistent sizzling bone of skull lord sings it all.
But as for what he sees through the fire was.. Burning memories
In it commander sees to boys in jail cell "Your two are coming with me!"
Memories continue
"Commander surely I can punch him for that!"
"Your right let me help you!"
"No no please it was joking!"
"commander watch this it's my new move cross body throw!"
He falls
"you'll get it!"
More laughing
"I just told you that second ago!"
"Arcos are known for how fast they grow and how big and also there bad memory commander!" holger says
They all laugh in unison
All the memories burn away as the laughter fades.
Rolland turns to the side a single tear falling.
As he blinks it away.
He grits his teeth and raise his hand up making the big hand raise skull lord up to sky as he charges fire ball but this wasn't a normal fire ball it was large and its flamed burned ever so brightly..
One more thing rings in his mind.
"me and Holger were in a dark place back then and that year we spent together was great commander."
"oh skull lord! Get out of there!" alana screamed
He fires the ball off "Goodbye holger and altos" fire ball as it soars he sees there joyful faces being left for ash.
"This is in your memory" he says sadly looking to the side
The fire ball is sent to skull lord and it explodes creating a giant explosion, turning the whole sky orange reddish hue, the heat being felt from miles away.
When smoke started to appear in the sky two pieces flew out from two sides of the far of into the town covered by smoke Rolland and serene nod at each other.
Rolland goes for the one on the left while serene puts aelzia down goes for the one on the right
"General take my blade" she says weakly her wound which was wrapped up by torn piece of serenes clothing.
"No you might need to protect yourself"
As serene speeds off.
On serene's side
She finds the piece and realises its just a piece of bone.
A relisation hits her… "ITS A DISTRACTION!"
So she runs back to aelzia
"no no no no no no NO"
On Rolland side
Rolland took longer to get to his piece
*dammit I used so much mana I bearely have any left.*
When he gets there he finds skull lords skull
"Yes!"
He quickly runs over to finish it off as he punches it.
It break instantly,
He continues to let out his rage on a skull, breaking it into little bits and pieces
Back at the sqaure.
Serene appears
"General…"
Aelzia was wrapped up by a blackened spinal cord it had rune along it
*Dammit how did this happen!*
"kill it" aelzia threw her sword
Serene goes over to take it but the spinal cord points its sharp end directly to alezia stomach while tightened it grip of her neck.
"ok ok let her go and I will let you live….You just have to leave her" serene says with a desperate but calm voice.
Spinal cord slowly loosens itself from aelzia
Rolland appears slowly sneaking up behind it.
As serene waits seeing him.
"skull lord do it!" Alana says
Serene hears this voice and after grabbing the great sword tries to lunge along with Rolland
The cord just stabs aelzia right through her stomach until the end protruded out of her back.
"Gene-" As blood funnels from her mouth
And the spinal cord lets her go but
before it could do anything else serene walked up with a large amount swirling around her and the great sword.
With one decisive vertical slash causing a giant crescent slash to appear obliterating the spinal cord.
Rolland had to jump out the way.
And…
The crown was shattered.