As told by Trask
From the moment I gained consciousness, the world greeted me with the taste of blood. My first memory? The metallic tang of it on my tongue. I had devoured my siblings, my mother, my kin. Was it instinct? A natural response? I don't know. But my clan didn't see it that way. To them, I was a monster, a curse. Whoever takes down Trask the Horrible will be revered amongst the clan. Funny, isn't it? Even among outlaws, I was an outlaw. Exiled from Narn, hunted by my own kind, I often wondered: Why was I born? What purpose does my life serve, if not to destroy?
The answer came in the form of a voice—dark, whispering, like the rustle of dead leaves.
"To survive," the Shadow said.
"That is the only reason to exist. If you feel you have no other reason to live, then you exist to survive. Join me, and I will show you how to survive on your own terms."
I took the Shadow's hand that day, and I never let go.
---
The First Lord vs. The Horrible
The ground beneath me was shattered, the air thick with the stench of mana and blood. Daruis, the so-called First Lord, had slammed me into the earth with enough force to create a crater. But I wasn't done. Not even close. As I rose, a dark green aura exploded from my body, the mana swirling around me like a storm. I could feel it—the Arya of Emotion, the Shadow's gift—pulsating through my veins. My severed pincers regenerated in an instant, my dark red chitin armor shifting to a deeper, more ominous black streaked with eerie green veins.
Daruis watched me, his lemon green eyes narrowing. He gripped Baltacek tighter, shifting it to the axe side, ready for battle. But then he faltered—his breath hitched, and his stomach twisted in pain.
Blood.
It dripped from his lips, from his ears, even from his eyes. His vision blurred momentarily, and his knees almost buckled beneath him.
I laughed darkly. "You made a mistake allowing that attack to hit you, First Lord. This is no ordinary poison." I took a slow step forward, my antennae flickering.
"You've been healing your men, haven't you? Your mana is spread all over ArchenLand. That means when we fought, I wasn't even fighting you at your best." My mandibles twitched. "That infuriates me. I refuse to accept that I lost to a weakened bull. I will make you pay for making me seem worthless."
Daruis, still bleeding, watched me carefully.
I lunged with one of my insect pincer legs, aiming for his throat.
Daruis flipped Baltacek to the hammer side and slammed it into the earth.
A deafening crack split the air.
My pincer shattered, sending me skidding back as Daruis slowly stood tall, wiping the blood from his chin.
"To be honest, I didn't think there'd be a need for this," Daruis admitted, rolling his shoulders. "But I underestimated The Shadow."
His nose ring glowed, resonating with his body in a vibrant lemon-green light.
"Unleash... Grand Boga."
A pillar of radiant energy erupted from his body, illuminating the battlefield. As the light faded, Daruis stood reborn. His bare upper body gleamed under the mana's glow, his powerful frame adorned with golden and green shoulder guards. A belt secured his green trousers, and armored golden boots covered his reversed knees. His horns shone like polished marble, and Baltacek now pulsed with emerald power.
I clicked my mandibles in irritation. "Tch. You're desperate. With your current mana reserves, you can't maintain that form for long without killing yourself."
Daruis smirked. "This is now a battle of survival, Trask. Let's see who lasts longer."
I surged forward, my movements a blur of chitin and venom. Daruis moved faster.
"ARCEM: Intibak!!!"
His body shimmered, shifting like a mirage. My pincers slashed through nothing, my attacks sliding off him as if striking an immovable force.
"Damnit! Curse that Arya of yours!!" I bellowed.
Daruis tightened his grip on Baltacek. "This is a race against time, Trask. You can't hurt me anymore, and I can't comfortably fight with my remaining mana. So who will run out first?"
He took a stance.
"First Strike: Yumruğu!"
He swung the hammer in a perfect arc. I braced for impact, attempting to absorb the force—only for the energy to dissipate before impact.
"What?!"
"Right back at you," Daruis said.
The force exploded outward, sending me flying. Both of us were panting now, our bodies barely holding together.
I snarled. "Enough!!! TutulmaHali!!!"
My body expanded grotesquely, my form morphing into a monstrous insect with massive wings exuding corrosive mana. "This is the form through which I humbled my entire clan!!! I will end you, First Lord!!"
Daruis exhaled slowly, gripping his weapon with both hands.
"8th and 9th Strike: Sarsılmaz Dayanak + Aşırı Güç!!!"
His aura erupted. Mana gathered into Baltacek in an earth-shaking charge.
I unleashed a storm of pincers.
Daruis met them head-on.
The resulting explosion flattened the nearby mountain ranges, the shockwave nearly reaching Valoria itself. As the dust settled, both of us emerged—battered, panting, yet still standing.
I sneered. "I can't believe you survived that too. But I win this one..."
A queen insect silhouette formed behind me, its massive mandibles opening for the finishing blow.
KRAKRABOOOM!!!
LIghtning crashed from the sky, incinerating the creature before it could land a strike.
My eyes widened in shock.
Daruis smirked. "Took you long enough."
The lightning solidified into Trevor Maymum twirling his staff. "Sorry I'm late. You know how traffic can be."