Chapter 10: The Double Gate
The sky was crimson, bleeding into black.
Two rifts hovered above the northern plains, jagged and pulsing massive two-dimensional portals tearing the fabric of reality.
From them poured a tide of corruption: demons, possessed beasts, and corrupted mages, each more grotesque than the last.
Shadow stood atop a cliff, cloak fluttering like living darkness. Fifty thousand souls he had saved over the years were already being evacuated to hidden sanctuaries none would see the coming storm.
Lyra's voice came through the communicator crystal. "Master… the density of mana from these gates is off the charts. Even Shadow Three and Four are overwhelmed."
Shadow's eyes glowed red. "Good. Then they'll witness the true weight of the shadows."
The Battle Begins
He descended onto the battlefield with perfect silence. The first wave of monsters approached, hundreds of feet long, limbs writhing like serpents.
The air seemed to freeze as Shadow raised his hand. Shadows surged outward tendrils slicing through steel and stone, neutralizing attacks before they landed.
"Master!" Lyra shouted, "They're coordinating! The demons are forming… a massive fusion!"
Shadow's lips curved into a faint smile. "Then let's give them a proper greeting."
He drew his blade, mana spiraling around it like a storm.
"I am Atomic," he whispered.
In an instant, the ground beneath the monsters shattered. Shadow struck the Atomic Core flaring with a power that warred against reality itself. One swing of his blade reduced dozens of fused demons to nothingness, leaving a crater that glowed with residual black energy.
The battlefield shook. Mountains crumbled. Rivers reversed. And yet, Shadow moved like a shadow himself calm, unstoppable, and precise.
The Shadow Organization Strikes
Lyra, Rai, Iris, and the rest of the Shadows followed. Their strikes were surgical eliminating demons, saving innocents, and maintaining control of the chaos.
"Master, the portals are still stable!" Lyra shouted.
"That's fine," he replied, eyes cold. "They think they can overwhelm me. Let them. Every second I wait… every moment they push… they're falling into my trap."
Shadow leapt into the northern portal. The dimension inside was a nightmare twisted landscapes, floating islands, rivers of blood, and screaming spirits.
He moved faster than thought, cutting through corrupted mages and demons alike. Their numbers were infinite, but his strikes were absolute.
The Heart of the Gate
At the center of the portal, two massive cores pulsed one red, one black.
This was the source the twin heart of the Double Gate. Whoever controlled it could merge dimensions, enslave the world, and corrupt every living soul.
Shadow raised his blade. His aura expanded black and white, light and shadow intertwined.
"I am Atomic," he said again, louder this time.
And with a single strike, he shattered the red core. The black one flared violently, screaming as if alive.
The portal shuddered. Dimensions warped. Shadows exploded outward like a storm.
The Cost
When the dust settled, Shadow emerged from the remaining portal, holding the black crystal core in his hand. The twin gate had been neutralized but the battle had cost lives.
"Master…" Lyra gasped. "We saved the civilians… but several of the Shadows…"
Shadow's eyes softened for the briefest moment. "I know. I will rebuild. We will rise stronger."
He looked at the horizon, where the academy and kingdoms would never know the devastation that had just been averted. Fifty thousand lives were saved, countless more would live because of him.
Yet, the world still believed he was just a quiet, weak commoner.
A Shadow's Resolve
Standing alone atop the shattered cliff, Shadow whispered to the wind.
"They think they understand shadows. They think they know power.
I am Atomic. I am Shadow.
And I will remind the world what lurks in the darkness."
The wind howled, carrying his words across the lands.
Somewhere, in the distance, the remnants of the Order of the Abyssal Star stirred, aware that their greatest threat had returned stronger than ever.
Shadow disappeared into the night, leaving only silence, devastation, and a legend reborn.