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King Kael’s jaw barely tightened, but behind his calm exterior, his mind whirled. How did he escape? I froze him in place; he shouldn’t have been able to move. His violet eyes flicked toward Sentient Dagon Mirelock, who now grinned broadly, his towering coral-plated frame commanding the room.
Kael’s grip on his sword tightened slightly as his gaze followed Dagon. The Sentient let out a deep laugh, the sound reverberating through the ruined castle walls like the growl of an unstoppable predator. In one powerful leap, Dagon landed back near the portal in the center of the chamber.
“Primordial Mire – The Everlasting Bog!”
At his command, waves of thick, corrupted mud spewed forth from his feet, spreading toward the portal like a ravenous organism. The mud took on an almost serpentine form as it wrapped the glowing edges of the portal and then solidified into an impenetrable blackened crust, sealing it completely.
Dagon turned back toward the Vanguard, his entire body radiating raw, ancient energy. His steps left deep craters in the ground as he walked. “Now you have no escape,” he said, his voice low and mocking. He glanced briefly over his shoulder toward the kneeling Sylvaine, still surrounded by a cocoon of her roots. “Sylva, you keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll keep them all occupied until then.”
Dagon slammed his foot into the floor, cracking the floor beneath him. The castle groaned as the ground surrounding him began to bubble and churn. The stone floors dissolved into a massive, pulsating swamp. Primordial Mire surged outward, consuming everything in its path.
The Vanguard immediately leaped into the air, their movements precise and fluid as they avoided the encroaching, sentient swamp. The mud writhed and twisted beneath them, reaching for their forms like clawed hands. The swamp was alive, reacting to Dagon’s will.
Kael hovered midair, his glowing blade casting faint flickers of golden and violet light, while his mind assessed the ever-changing battlefield.
Dagon’s laughter boomed. “What’s the matter? Afraid to touch my swamp?” His grin widened as he suddenly vanished—his speed terrifying for a being of his size.
In the blink of an eye, Dagon reappeared directly in front of Kael, his fist cocked back and surging with raw, blackened energy. “I can sense them... the souls of Garran and Valae. How about you give them… BACK!”
Before Kael could fully react, Dagon’s colossal fist drove into his chest, cracking the air with its sheer force.
“Abyssal Dredge – The Black Maw of the Swamp!”
Dagon’s strike unleashed a swirling vortex of corrupted mud directly into Kael’s body. The vortex devoured energy, pulling at the very core of Kael’s strength. The force of the attack rippled outward, the swamp responding to Dagon’s power as if alive.
Kael’s body stuttered in midair for a moment before the souls of Garran and Valae—now faintly glowing orbs of light—were violently ripped from him. The orbs shot toward Dagon and rejoined the lifeless Sentient vessels sprawled across the room.
Landing heavily back onto the swamp-covered ground, Dagon let out another booming laugh. He glanced at the two Sentient bodies with satisfaction before turning back toward the Vanguard. “Now we’re getting somewhere!”
“King! Are you alright?!” Sir Cedric Lionheart’s voice rang out, his holy aura blazing as he spun midair to catch sight of Kael. Seeing his liege falter, Cedric released a surge of divine energy, his greatsword glowing with radiant light.
“Light of Justice!”
With his command, a brilliant sphere of holy light surrounded the Vanguard. The light purged the encroaching swamp, creating a small circle of purified ground where the mud couldn’t seep through. Cedric landed within the holy zone first, gesturing to his comrades. “To me!”
The Vanguard quickly descended, each of them landing gracefully within the circle of light. The swamp outside the barrier writhed violently, as though enraged by the purifying magic, but it couldn’t penetrate Cedric’s holy zone.
The knight dashed toward Kael, his entire stance radiating concern. “King Kael, are you injured?”
Kael adjusted his stance, brushing off Cedric’s concern with a small shake of his head. “I’m alright,” he said curtly, though there was a faint edge to his voice. “But he has Garran and Valae’s souls. Knowing Dagon, he plans to return them to their vessels—”
Kael’s words were cut short as a massive Superbolt of lightning crashed into the ground near Sylvaine, sending shockwaves through the room.
All eyes turned to see Captain Zarius Blacktide—his previously unconscious body now crackling with electricity. He stood within the swamp, wisps of smoke rising from him as the power of his Storm’s Fury surged through his form. Whatever lingering poison had plagued him was now burned away by the overwhelming storm energy coursing through his veins.
Zarius let out a loud, wild laugh as he rolled his shoulders and drew the glowing Tempest Blade from its sheath. His steps sent sparks flying as he planted his feet firmly on the corrupted ground, charging forward in a blinding motion. “Did you really think that would keep me down for long, bog-boy?”
Dagon’s eyes narrowed momentarily, but his grin remained wide. He slammed his palm into the swamp, summoning Suffocating Grasp – The Drowning Earth. Serpentine tendrils of mud erupted from the ground, shooting toward Zarius in a chaotic flurry.
“Good luck with this!” Dagon growled.
Lightning surged around Zarius as he slashed his Tempest Blade in rapid succession, cutting through the mud tendrils with ease. His laughter echoed through the room as he closed the gap between himself and Dagon. “This might sting a little!”
“Superbolt Strike!”
Zarius unleashed a massive bolt of lightning from his blade, the crackling electricity arcing through the air and slamming directly toward Dagon in tandem with his own charging attack.
At the same time, Kenshiro Takamura stood poised within Cedric’s protective circle, one hand resting on the hilt of his katana. A radiant white aura began to glow around him, intensifying every moment as he whispered, “Tenken Battō: Iai.”
With blinding speed, Kenshiro unsheathed his katana and released a deadly, precise slash of energy.
The Superbolt Strike and Iai technique converged on Dagon simultaneously. The room was engulfed in a blinding flash as electricity surged through the air, and an explosion of energy rippled outward, overwhelming the relentless mire that coated the castle grounds.
The Primordial Mire began to reverse, the sentient swamp receding and disappearing as the combined attack disrupted Dagon’s control over the corrupted land. The oppressive, suffocating aura of the swamp vanished completely, leaving the ground scorched but clear.
As the light faded, the room grew silent, and the damage inflicted on Dagon became horrifyingly clear.
Dagon was on one knee, coughing heavily as his body struggled to stabilize. His entire upper left side—his arm, shoulder, and a portion of his upper torso—was gone, obliterated by the devastating assault. Mud oozed from the torn edges of his coral-like form as if his body couldn’t quite keep its shape.
The hulking Sentient clenched his remaining fist, attempting to steady himself. But before he could say a word—
CRACK!
A thunderous impact shook the room as Captain Zarius Blacktide descended from above with his Tempest Blade in hand, landing directly on Dagon with another Superbolt Strike. The tip of Zarius’ blade drove directly into Dagon’s head with colossal force, sending shockwaves of smaller lightning bolts erupting across the room.
Dagon’s body fell limp, collapsing completely as smoke rose from the blackened husk of his form. Captain Blacktide stood over him, his Tempest Blade still lodged in Dagon’s skull, electricity sparking from his hands as he grinned menacingly.
“Not so tough now, are you?” Zarius growled, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
For a moment, it seemed as though the colossal Sentient had been defeated.
But then, the castle began to tremble.
Dagon’s body stirred, his mass of mud and coral beginning to bubble and shift. Zarius narrowed his eyes, stepping back as the Sentient’s body began to reform itself entirely.
Chthonic Regeneration – Unbreakable Mire.
Dagon let out a low chuckle as his body reassembled itself. The mud that had oozed from his wounds pulled back toward him, replacing the obliterated sections of his form. His left arm, shoulder, and upper torso completely regenerated, stronger and more menacing than before.
His deep, booming laughter filled the throne room as his massive frame rose to its full height. “You can’t kill the swamp, storm-boy! No matter what you do, I’ll always come back!”
The sheer aura of Dagon’s power exploded outward, shaking the castle to its very foundation. Stone pillars crumbled and walls cracked as the Sentient unleashed an overwhelming burst of raw energy.
The Vanguard barely had time to react as the entire castle began to collapse under the weight of its destruction. “Retreat outside!” Kael commanded sharply, his voice cutting through the chaos.
The team moved quickly, leaping clear of the falling debris and landing just outside the ruins.
As the dust settled and the rubble finally stopped shifting, the Vanguard turned their attention to the figures now standing among the remnants of the castle.
Four figures emerged from the rubble.
There was Sylvaine Thorne, still kneeling, her Worldbinding Roots now halfway completed. The massive roots continued burrowing into the ground, spreading their influence across Planet X.
Beside her stood Dagon Mirelock, laughing as mud dripped from his regenerated form. He was flanked by two others: the now-revived First Generation Sentients Garran Voss and Valae, their vessels glowing faintly from the successful return of their souls.
The collective power radiating from the four Sentients was overwhelming. The Vanguard stared in grim silence, the magnitude of the threat before them sinking in.
Kai ‘The Phantom Fist’ Raiden broke the silence first, his voice low but urgent. “This isn’t good. All of our progress is basically gone now.” He turned toward Kael, his expression tense. “King Kael, what should we do next?”
Kael’s eyes remained fixed on the Sentients as he calculated the situation. Finally, he spoke with calm authority. “Everyone else, head past the castle. We must continue the plan and locate the main lab. Based on everything we know, it has to be the place where Elder Moros, Captain Elowen, and Commander Aiden are—and where Project X is taking place. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can retrieve them. Hopefully…” His voice hardened. “…they haven’t been turned into beasts like the ones in front of us.”
Sir Cedric Lionheart stepped forward, his face etched with concern. “But what about you, King? One of them is strong enough to challenge us all, let alone four. We all agreed—no one gets left behind to die.”
Kael allowed himself a small, confident laugh. “I appreciate your concern, Cedric, but there’s no need to worry. In battle, I’ve only ever accepted inferiority to one person, and I guarantee you that person isn’t among these four. I’ll be fine. Now go—hurry.”
The Vanguard hesitated for a moment, but King Kael’s commanding presence spurred them into action. As a unit, they began moving past the castle ruins, heading toward the suspected location of the primary lab.
As their figures disappeared into the distance, Kael turned his full attention back to the four Sentients standing before him. His shadow aura flared as his blade pulsed with golden and violet light.
“No matter how modified you are, true strength will always prevail. Mark my words: Arion and all of you will be defeated. And if I have to start it myself, then so be it.”
Suddenly, Dagon’s grin widened, and Kael noticed something strange. A flicker of something familiar—an aura so powerful that it overshadowed even the four Sentients before him—began to manifest in the air.
Kael's sharp gaze shifted as the presence grew stronger. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword.
That aura… it can’t be...
And then, alongside the four Sentients already standing before him, a new, familiar, and immensely powerful presence appeared.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
