The world shattered in silence.
The moment Drathan uttered the words, "Seal—open," the battlefield itself seemed to recoil. The oppressive air stilled, as though every leaf and ember was holding its breath. Then reality bent. Space rippled outward from him, like waves distorting a reflection in water. The shadows at his feet rose, coiling skyward into jagged tendrils of black void, stretching and twisting against the moonlight.
Adventurers froze. Even the Orc King's cruel grin faltered, his golden eyes narrowing at the sudden distortion.
"What… is that?" a B-rank warrior whispered hoarsely, stumbling back. His voice carried the awe and terror of everyone who hadn't seen it before.
Velra's eyes went wide, her grip on her sword tightening so hard her knuckles whitened. This pressure… it's like standing at the edge of a cliff that has no bottom.
Mira's tail bushed out, ears flattening against her skull as she staggered under the weight of the aura. He's… not human. Not normal. This isn't power—this is something that shouldn't exist.
Only Kenshin and Seme remained unfazed, though the crackling grin on Kenshin's face widened. "Bout damn time, bro. Thought you was gon' sleep through the whole boss fight."
Seme simply smirked, shifting her stance as her greatsword rested heavy in her palms. "Don't take too long, Drathan. I was just gettin' warmed up."
The air darkened. A dome of void energy unfolded across the battlefield—an unnatural twilight descending in the midst of fire and lightning. Within it, Drathan stood at the center, eyes glowing with violet light, his voice carrying through the sudden hush.
"My domain. My rules."
Time warped.
The charging Red Ogres slowed to a crawl, their swings dragging like honey through air. The frantic cries of adventurers stretched into echoes, as though coming from another world. Even the flames of the Orc King's magic flickered sluggishly, their furious dance muted.
Gasps erupted. "H-he stopped time?!" someone cried. "No, no—this isn't possible!"
"Domain magic…" Velra muttered, stunned. "That's supposed to be god-tier."
Drathan lifted a single hand, snapping his fingers.
The void twisted. Reality screamed. The two Red Ogres were ripped from the battlefield, their massive bodies yanked screaming into the dark rift that tore open beneath them. Their roars cut off the instant the void sealed itself, silence claiming what had once been a storm of muscle and fury.
When the darkness dissolved, only blood mist remained where they had stood.
The battlefield erupted in horrified awe. Some adventurers stumbled backward, muttering prayers, while others gaped openly. "He—he erased them. Like they never existed."
The Orc King's molten eyes widened, then narrowed into sharp hatred. His guttural snarl rolled across the field. "A trickster of the void…" He raised his axe, crimson tattoos blazing brighter, sparks of elemental fury gathering along the blade. "Then prove your worth against me!"
Drathan exhaled slowly, his voice even, almost playful. "Ten minutes. That's all I've got. So let's make this quick."
[Time Remaining: 10:00]
The void coiled tighter around him, threads of shadow tracing his arms and chest like war paint. He raised both hands, and space distorted once more—gravity crushing down on the Orc King with sudden, immense force. The ground beneath the king cratered, cracks spiderwebbing outward as if the forest floor itself were bowing under Drathan's will.
The king roared, resisting, his body trembling under the pressure. With a surge of flaming energy, he burst free, his axe cleaving arcs of molten fire through the void. Stone and dirt exploded outward, adventurers shielding themselves from the fallout.
Kenshin zipped to Drathan's flank in a flash of lightning, laughing like a madman. "Yooo, this is wild! Bro really out here bendin' space like Play-Doh. Orc daddy lookin' pressed!"
Drathan smirked, tilting his head as shadows rippled around him. "Pressed? Nah… this boy lookin' stressed. Ain't even started cookin' yet."
He flicked a wrist, and spears of void tore upward from the ground, slicing at the Orc King's legs and forcing the monster to leap back with surprising agility. Drathan chuckled. "Look at that footwork. You sure you ain't auditionin' for a dance troupe instead of fightin' me?"
Seme's greatsword locked against the Orc King's axe, sparks and flame spraying like fireworks. Her muscles screamed but she held, baring her teeth. "Stop playin' around, Drath!"
"Relax," Drathan replied, grin widening as he shifted the void to shove the king off-balance. "We got time… sorta."
[Time Remaining: 08:19]
Velra, still trembling from the aura's pressure, forced her voice to carry. "All squads—support them! This is our only chance!"
Adventurers rallied, their fear tempered by desperation and awe. Spells lit up the darkness, arrows streaked through the void's oppressive air, and steel rang out as the combined might of the expedition turned on the Orc King.
The king swung his axe, arcs of fire and ice tearing through the void's resistance. Adventurers screamed as shards of burning frost exploded against shields and barriers. Drathan clicked his tongue and pulled the air itself into a vortex, absorbing part of the strike. "C'mon, big guy. Elemental spam? What are you, a discount wizard? Thought you were supposed to be royalty."
Kenshin barked out a laugh mid-strike, zipping past in a blur of lightning. "Yo, stop roastin' him, bro! Lemme get a hit in too!"
"Earn it," Drathan teased, tugging the king's massive frame a step sideways with a twist of space. "I'm runnin' the show right now."
[Time Remaining: 06:12]
The Orc King snarled and brought his axe down, the impact shattering the ground into molten cracks that surged with fire. Several adventurers screamed, scrambling out of the way. Drathan stood firm, the void around him flaring. He let the attack crash—and then split space itself, swallowing the flames whole. His voice was calm, almost taunting. "Thanks for the warm-up. You done? Or you wanna keep embarrassin' yourself in front of your boys?"
Seme huffed as she slashed across the king's arm, black blood spraying. "Cocky bastard. Don't drag this out too long, Drath."
"Cocky? Nah. Confident," Drathan shot back with a feral grin. "Man's gotta have a hobby, and mine's clownin' kings."
[Time Remaining: 05:10]
The battle raged, fiercer than ever—but now with the field bent to Drathan's will, his playful smack talk cut through the chaos as much as the blades and spells. Every taunt chipped at the Orc King's pride, every grin fueled the terrified awe of allies watching a fight that should not have been possible.