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The hilltop overlooking Fort Vigilance became a storm of tension as the five members of The Eclipse Sovereignty—Vesper Noctis, Zareth Morghul, Selene Nyx, Nyxara Tenebris, and Neraxis, Lord of the Abyss—gathered in ominous silence. The dark clouds seemed to coil around them, as though the land itself recoiled from their presence.
Vesper broke the silence, his voice laced with irritation. "That dumb Kaelus. He just had to get himself captured."
Neraxis, standing at the edge of the hill, spoke next, his voice a chilling echo. "If it weren’t for those accursed lower demons leaving behind traces, we might never have found his location. At least they were useful for once."
Vesper’s gaze lingered on the towering walls of Fort Vigilance. "Retrieving Kaelus shouldn’t take long. One quick strike, and we’re out of here." He raised a hand, his fingers tracing dark sigils in the air. "With my Darkness Rune Sigil, we’ll be cloaked—undetectable to physical and magical senses. They won’t even see us coming."
Zareth Morghul, his shadowy form rippling with unease, turned to Neraxis. "Has the Tenebrax pinpointed Kaelus’s location yet?"
Neraxis gave a slow nod. "Yes. He’s being kept in a chamber lined with some… strange material. It’s everywhere—walls, floors, ceilings. It’s like nothing I’ve encountered before."
Before they could speculate further, a calm yet confident voice cut through the air. "That would be Aetherstron."
The group whirled around to see Kiera Voss, Captain Daichi, and Zeraxis Prime stepping forward. The wind whipped around them, carrying with it an unmistakable air of defiance.
Captain Daichi glanced over at Kiera and Zeraxis. "It’s unfortunate Queen Nia just left for the Areala Universe to oversee the final evacuations. She’s going to miss all this fun."
Zeraxis Prime’s glowing, robotic eyes fixed on The Eclipse Sovereignty. "You stand before Fort Vigilance, and I have to ask… what exactly are you doing here?"
Vesper’s smirk turned into a predatory grin. "I believe you have someone valuable to us."
Zeraxis cocked his head, unfazed. "And I believe you have someone valuable to us," he countered, alluding to the captured Elara and Apprentice Lyra. "How about this? You give us what’s ours, and we’ll give you what’s yours. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?"
Vesper’s grin faltered, his tone hardening. "We didn’t come to bargain. If you don’t hand over Kaelus, we’ll destroy this pitiful excuse for a fortress."
Zeraxis’s laughter echoed like a metallic drumbeat. "Destroy? This fortress? You couldn’t leave a scratch on it if Malakar himself tried."
Fury flickered in Vesper’s eyes. "Try me."
With a sweeping gesture, Vesper etched a massive sigil into the ground—Rune of the Abyss. A vortex of dark energy erupted, expanding rapidly to cover the entire 1,000-mile base. The ground trembled as the rune attempted to drag everything within Fort Vigilance into its shadowy maw, draining energy and eroding resistance.
The base, however, remained utterly unyielding. Not a single crack appeared on its indestructible walls.
Zeraxis watched in amusement. "I told you," he said, his tone mocking. "This entire base is made of Aetherstron. It’s not just material—it’s a masterpiece."
He began to explain. "Aetherstron incorporates a quantum-bound lattice structure, entangling its atoms across spacetime. Even if you manage to damage a piece of it, it reassembles instantly using quantum information. It’s invulnerable to physical and energy-based attacks, and it evolves in real time to counter threats. Your Rune of the Abyss? Child’s play."
Vesper stopped his attempt, visibly seething. "Fine," he snarled. "We’ll just destroy you from the inside."
At his signal, Neraxis slammed his massive hand into the ground, summoning his ability—Demon Summoning. The air darkened as portals to the Abyss ripped open, spilling forth four classes of demons: Tenebrax, Malignis, Vorath, and Umbraxis. These demonic soldiers replicated with horrifying speed, their numbers swelling into the hundreds of thousands within moments. Lesser demons followed, their guttural roars echoing across the battlefield.
Kiera Voss drew two daggers, their blades glinting with a deadly glow. "Here we go," she muttered.
Vesper, Zareth, and Nyxara vanished into the shadows, reappearing somewhere inside Fort Vigilance.
Captain Daichi frowned. "Where did they just go?"
Zeraxis, his sensors flaring, answered, "They’re inside the base. I’ll track them. You two handle these two." He pointed at Selene Nyx and Neraxis, who stood at the center of the demonic army.
Daichi and Kiera exchanged a quick nod.
As Zeraxis began to take flight, he paused midair. "But first…" His voice deepened, resonating with authority. "Let me clear the way."
Hovering high above the battlefield, Zeraxis unleashed his Plasma Storm Barrage. From his shoulder-mounted cannons, bursts of concentrated plasma energy rained down in a relentless torrent. Explosions rocked the ground, obliterating the first wave of demons in a blinding cascade of light and heat.
The battlefield was temporarily cleared, but the respite was short-lived. More demons poured through the Abyssal portals, unrelenting in their onslaught.
Zeraxis looked down at Daichi and Kiera. "The rest is yours." Without waiting for a response, he flew off toward the base, disappearing into the distance.
Kiera adjusted her stance, twirling her daggers. "Looks like it’s just us."
Daichi pulls out his staff, the material humming with energy. "Then let’s give them a fight to remember."
Selene Nyx stepped forward, her shadowy form blending seamlessly with the encroaching horde. Neraxis stood behind her, his colossal figure radiating malevolent power.
The clash between the two forces was inevitable.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlm8tl2IjxV
