A calm breeze swept across the figures standing on the cracked, blood-red earth.
An oppressive energy weighed heavily in the air, so thick and suffocating that even the wind seemed to flee—an undeniable sign that none of these figures were ordinary.
On one side stood a lone man—or rather, something that barely resembled a man. His skin was laced with dark, glinting scales, and long black hair cascaded over his broad shoulders. His tall, muscular frame was clad in crude, pitch-black armor—at first glance, it looked battered and worn, but anyone who had dared to strike it would know the truth: that armor was anything but fragile.
Facing him on the other side was a small, tense group, each one visibly battered, breathless, and drained.
Yet despite their numbers, the scaled man remained untouched—utterly unscathed. In contrast, the group arrayed against him looked as though they had already lost.
At their forefront stood a young man, his chest heaving as he gripped the earth to steady himself. His eyes blazed with brilliant white light, so intense it seemed the very weight of mountains pressed behind his gaze. Yet even that overwhelming power had no visible effect on the figure before them.
The young man was strikingly handsome, his flawless skin unmarked—crafted, it seemed, with the very idea of perfection in mind. Like the creature they faced, patches of shimmering blue scales traced along his body. But unlike his opponent, he still looked human—save for the gleaming horn protruding from his forehead, betraying the truth of his nature.
The others standing behind him fared no better. Though their forms gleamed pristine, their celestial energy burned bright, and their presence could shake worlds—they were powerless before the man in black.
"Gods… today, you will all be wiped from existence," the black-scaled man snarled, his voice dripping with pure hatred. "I will make sure no pathetic creature ever dares to carry that disgusting title again."
His words echoed across the barren landscape, heavy with contempt. Slowly, he raised a single hand and pointed it toward the group.
And just like countless times before, the same dreaded pattern repeated itself. They could only watch—helpless—every muscle frozen, their eyes wide with mounting fear.
One question burned in all their minds:
'Is his energy endless? How is he still this powerful?'
The thought gnawed at them as they clenched their fists and gritted their teeth, forcing their trembling bodies to brace for yet another attack. They had blocked, dodged, and countered again and again—yet every defense they mustered chipped away at their strength, draining them to the brink.
But him? Their opponent didn't even look winded. He didn't seem like he'd used a fraction of his true power.
Dark spheres of energy began to swirl around the scaled figure, gathering in eerie silence. The black orbs compressed tighter and tighter until each one was no larger than a marble—dense and sinister, like miniature black holes orbiting him.
"Void Blast," the man whispered, his voice calm, yet brimming with malice.
In an instant, the spheres shot forward—blazing through the air like unstoppable bullets of death.
The gods barely had time to think, let alone react. Exhausted and battered, their movements were sluggish.
The first orb struck a goddess before she could even lift her arms.
For a heartbeat, there was silence.
Then—her upper body vanished.
Cleanly erased from reality, as though she had never existed. Only her legs remained, suspended for a moment in the air before they crumpled lifelessly to the cracked ground.
The others froze in horror.
Their faces paled, terror etched into every feature as they were once again reminded of the nightmare they faced.
"Take cover!" the young man in front roared, his voice sharp with desperation. But even he—the strongest among them—had panic flickering in his eyes. He knew the truth: these attacks never missed. They only stopped when they hit the target… or something shielding the target.
'There's only one thing I can do,' he thought grimly, his gaze snapping toward the massive serpentine dragon standing not far from him. Its shimmering silver-blue scales glowed softly, casting fractured light over the cracked red earth.
'Jansi—block the attack!' he ordered through their soul bond, the words tinged with desperation.
'W-What?' The great beast, Jansi, faltered, her golden slit pupils dilating in shock. But as a soul-bonded companion, disobedience wasn't an option. Her body moved against her will—gliding through the air in a graceful yet tragic arc—until she positioned herself directly in front of her master.
The twin black blasts howled toward them, the air itself trembling from the sheer force.
Jansi's eyes widened in terror. Just before the impact, a single tear slid down her scaled cheek.
'Master… why?' The silent plea echoed between their souls, laced with anguish.
But the young man stood still, his face cold and expressionless. He heard her cry. He felt her pain. Yet he didn't let it show—his decision had already been made.
But just then, when the blast was only meters from striking Jansi, a streak of white light shot in from the side—fast as lightning—slamming into the black spheres.
~BOOM!
A deafening explosion tore through the air. The ground quaked violently beneath their feet, and a shockwave ripped through the battlefield, sending clouds of dust and debris into the sky.
For a tense moment, nothing could be seen.
Then, as the dust slowly settled, a new figure came into view—standing calmly beside the blue-scaled young man.
"Marcos," the voice spoke, calm but edged with disappointment. "You shouldn't treat your beast that way. They're not shields. They feel, just like we do. Using her to protect yourself… that was a filthy move."
Marcos clenched his jaw as recognition struck him. He didn't need to look to know who it was—he could tell from the voice alone. Still, he turned his head, his eyes narrowing as he met the man's gaze.
"I know," Marcos muttered, defensive. "But at that moment… I had no other choice. I needed time to recover. There was nothing else I could do."
As the dust fully cleared, the others—still reeling from the sudden intervention—realized something shocking: all the dark blasts fired at them had been blocked. Each and every one.
And all by the same person.
The others gasped, their eyes widening in disbelief.
"Typhoon…"
The name fell from their lips like a whispered prayer.
He had arrived.