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***
We were ready.
Though, there was still one avatar left, the hunter who carried the power of the Overlord shard. He never showed up for the meeting. And that worried me a bit. Jin Wu's father remained in the shadows. Although he's not so powerful that it made me worry.
Lux claims that he's just acting on his own, tracking down the Monarchs, and probably doesn't even know that there's only one Antares left.
Truthfully, I could sense that there was something else behind those words that the Overlord didn't want to tell me. But there was no time to deal with it. The main thing is that the enemy is coming and we are ready to meet him. The cities have been emptied, a great many people have been evacuated. Although not everyone wanted to leave, especially since the mass evacuation began after the appearance of the giant gate. Nevertheless, almost all of the hunters were preparing for battle.
The Hunter Association wanted to divide the forces and send the strongest hunters to different countries to meet the troops at each gate, but I objected to this plan.
- We don't know what forces will leave this gate. Antares is only one and it poses the greatest threat.
- What does that mean?
- We should keep the strongest hunters in reserve and when the enemy attacks, send our best forces in a single fist to decapitate the enemy army. - I explained my plan. - Then all the chaos armies would lose their central control.
- And leave the other places undefended!
- No matter how well defended they are, if we don't defeat Antares, Earth will perish.
This argument has gone on longer than I would have liked. But I had already earned some credibility with the Association. And it was here that I also received the information that Sung Il Hwan had appeared from the gate in America. After meeting Dong-soo, Jin-woo's father was considered a monster, but he massacred him and disappeared to an unknown location.
- You know Dong-soo was a bastard. He called my father a monster just out of spite, to fuck everyone up. That was his bastard nature. Right, Grid?
A massive warrior clad in darkness emerged from my shadow.
- Yes, Master... he was stronger than me, but he's on the side of the humans....
- Isn't that...
With a wave of my hand, I simply sent the shadow away.
And anyway, Il Hwan never showed up since then. It's unclear what he's up to. But perhaps he'll join the battle when it starts.
- Can you tell where this Antares is coming from? - Andre asked me.
The gate will open within hours. And at that moment, all the strongest hunters were concentrated in one place. They were all looking at me now.
- Yes, I will use shadows to watch over all the gates. When Antares appears, I will open the gate.
- I see.
- Wouldn't it be better to delay the battle? - The other shard bearer asked.
- Do you think that the longer we fight, the stronger my shadow army will become? - I nodded understandingly.
- Yes... we'll be able to attack their weaknesses. And the longer it lasts, the stronger you'll become.
I shook my head negatively.
- No matter how many troops there are, Antares will easily destroy them.
- But...
- The dragon's cry... how much devastation did Kamish bring? And how much stronger would Antares be? Its roar alone is enough to make entire armies fall.
- Then.
- Your task will not be to fight Antares. That will be my job. You will have to hold back his army. Dragons, just picture yourself a few dozen Kamisha and hundreds and thousands more dragons weaker than that.
Thomas frowned.
- Holy... devil...
The hunters were clearly tense at this prospect. Although we had already discussed it, but perhaps not in such detail. They knew that our opponent would be stronger than anything they had faced before. But in reality, the hunters now realise that their lives depend solely on whether I can handle Antares, and how long it will take me to do so.
The waiting... the final minutes before the gate opened. And that time dragged on almost painfully, and the tension among the hunters only grew.
- It's starting...
Through the monitors, we could see the glow of the gate intensify.
And I closed my eyes, concentrating on the senses of my shadows. The flying ants were close to each gate, so I could feel the power coming from them.
- It was a trick. - I calmly say to the crowd.
- What?
- All these gates are just dust in the eyes, the entire invasion army will pass through the gate in Canada.
One of the hunters sighed tensely.
And now they understood better that creating a reserve of the strongest hunters was the right decision. It would be even better if we could remove most of the hunters from defending the cities of Europe and Asia to send them to America. But that's not going to happen. After all, the hunters association doesn't run the whole world. What to say, if some countries did not even evacuate, denying the looming threat.
The US, however, fully recognised the threat and gave maximum support. And it was in this branch of the association that the greatest forces were concentrated.
- Waiting... - I said.
After that, all hunters with the system received a new task.
And they also had a new title activated.
Paladin
All stats +100
Damage against chaos creatures +50%
Defence +50%
The team of national level hunters received another title.
Dragon Slayer
All Stats +300
Damage against dragons +30%
Damage against chaos creatures +50%
Defence +100%
If it was possible, the same bonuses were given to everyone else, but, only the strongest hunters could maintain such a weave.
- Come on, let's show these freaks. - Thomas slammed his fist into his palm.
- Not yet. - I said calmly.
- What are we waiting for? - Goliath was puzzled.
- I need him to move more troops through the gate. I'll use the dragon's roar to kill as many as possible.
- Oh... you took that rune, didn't you?
It was part of my plan.
Antares made the mistake of attacking with all his forces in one place, he set them up for the worst. The city beneath the gate had already been evacuated. All that remained was to wait for him to bring more monsters into this world. And despite the size of this gate, the Dragon King still needed more time to move such a large force. The streets and flooded with monsters, dragons flew in the sky. But, it took them another hour to concentrate such a large force in the city below the gate that it was too crowded.
- God... how many of them were there?
- Billions.
- Jin Woo!
- Yes, it's time. I nod. - I'll go first, you follow me.
And disappear in a dance of shadows to appear on the roof of one of the houses.
I watched the gate from which the Chaos Army continued its march. I watched as hordes of monsters descended from there. Elves, orcs, beasts, and even demons. The remnants of Baran's army that remained on the side of chaos and were controlled by one of the demon marshals.
My shadows, on the other hand, were now hidden and....
As I drew in more air, I used the most deadly magic available to me. A stream of power rushed from the core of my soul, passing through all its spheres and bursting out. My throat burned with fire, and an otherworldly howl erupted from my mouth. The unnatural sound was spread by magic for miles around, I felt the darkness pass through me and spread through this world.
And the invasion of the monsters slammed down.
The terrible dragons trembled, dazed by my howl. Losing control of their wings, they fell to the ground. Other weaker monsters could not withstand it, and fell dead.
- Rise.
Behind me, a gate opens, and hunters emerge. And, at the same time, hundreds of thousands of monsters rise up in gloomy shadows. Such a mass rise simply made me breathless, and I couldn't make all the dead rise. Millions were left lying, robbed of the mercy of darkness.
And from the massive gates stretched more and more monsters.
- Mages. - I said it briefly.
And all the hunters wielding massive magical attacks directed their spells at the gate.
Just like my shadow mages, under Annatar's command.
Streams of fire flew snakes upwards, twisting into a monstrous flaming tornado that devoured the invading army. The monsters that emerged from the gate were immediately burned alive. Only the dragons, engulfed in flames, flew out of this disaster and rushed towards us.
A mental impulse and already my dragon shadows are flying to intercept.
And by this time I had already taken a breath and.....
- Rise!
And several hundred thousand more shadows rose up to oppose the armies of chaos from which they came. It was at that moment that a heartbreaking howl echoed across the battlefield. It sounded different from my dragon cry, but the effect was just as devastating.
The usual shadows simply vanished, crumbling into dust. They didn't go into my shadow vault, they went into oblivion, disappearing forever. But that only applied to the new shadows. My core powers were protected by the magic of the system. Although, this attack hit my mana supply, which was spent on regenerating the surviving shadows.
- Ha ha ha ha... - A sinister laughter rumbled beneath the heavens. - What a warm welcome!
The darkness beneath me shuddered. And Kamish soared upwards, carrying me straight to Antares.
He was a young red-haired boy whose eyes emitted an ominous light that promised to bring destruction to the world. There was a powerful aura emanating from him. So strong was the pulse of magic that I had never felt before. An ordinary person near this creature could simply die from the mere presence of a dragon king.
The hunters had already clashed with the armies of chaos that continued to infiltrate our world. They were following me, but their goal was only to hold back the enemy forces so that they would not interfere with Antares and me.
- Welcome to Earth, shithead. - I greeted the strongest Monarch politely.
And I sent a black spear at the Monarch.
And he just swung it back with the palm of his hand.
- Haha... I like you..." the dragon grinned, showing his dagger fangs.
The city had already turned into ruins. And, although the hunters could hold back the incoming chaos army for a while, they were already feeling the immense pressure of the superior forces. Antares smiled smugly, his face directly glowing with triumph.
- But, you can still apologise for your insolence, Ashborn. - He declared. - Bow before me, and I will make you lord of this world.
- Ohhh...I'd still think so if you hadn't sicced those idiots Beast and Baran on me.
- Oh...so you know.....
- And I'm prepared.
The skies darkened again.
And the smug smirk on Antares' face faded as he sensed the Monarchs' appearance. Or rather, the throbbing of their hearts. But instead of the chaos lords he was familiar with, my shadows appeared around us. Aesil, Cyclops, Ber, Chthon, Baruca, and the Architect.
- Wow... you took their hearts... - The dragon king stretched out in surprise.
After that, I shuddered as I felt the fierce glow of the sword that had appeared in my hand.
The Greatest Shard was raring to fight, demanding Antares's head. He hated traitors, but he was especially eager to burn this particular Monarch.
- Heh... interesting..." the dragon exhaled. - Perhaps it won't be as boring as I thought.....
Time seemed to stop.
A stream of darkness enveloped my body, and at the last moment I managed to shift and parry Antares' blow. In his hands was already burning ugly sword, as if carved from bones and covered with scarlet flames. He wanted to kill me with a single blow, but it failed. And at that moment, Antares came under the concerted attack of my shadows.
- Graaaa!
A wave of power.
Strike.
Retreat.
A new skirmish erupted in an instant. My black heart pulsed in a frantic rhythm, as if ready to burst into pieces. Even with all my current strength, I was inferior to Antares in speed and physical power. At the same time, his furious roar created a monstrous wave of magic that simply threw my servants away, preventing them from succeeding in their attack.
I tried to move to attack myself, but the dragon king avoided another wedge.
Shifting to the side, he attacked the Cyclops. Leaping over his head, Antares slammed his claws into the monster's eye and simply tore his head off. And while the giant was regenerating, the dragon's ugly blade pierced him through the heart, scorching the marshal's body.
The painful prick already in my Black Heart proclaimed the final death of one of my shadows.
- Grrr...
A few lightning-fast movements.
Antares tries to avoid the impact of my blade, and I really can't keep up with him. But, using the Monarch's Power, I manage to hold him back for a moment. And, even so...
The greatest shard cuts through the bone sword, along with a few of Antares' fingers.
At the same moment, the vestment erupted in a flood of darkness, covering my blade.
Antares could have found himself chopped in two, but at the last moment he simply let his weapon out of his hands and retreated. Only a long bleeding cut was left on his torso.
- Ha ha ha ha... - The dragon's gaze burned.
The shadows launch a concerted attack.
But here a powerful wing throws Aesil off, forcing her to pull back. Its tail slams into Ber's carapace and dozens of sharp spikes dig into its chitin.
- Khiiiiaaaah!
A piercing furious screech comes from its mouth. And the Ant King sinks his claws into the tail of the dragon that has finally spread its wings. Antares took his true form.
And then he was hit on the head with Chthon's paw.
- How did you get me..." the dragon snarled angrily.
A step forward and a flood of darkness swept over me.
Surrounded by titanic armour, I grabbed Antares by the horn and brought the shadow blade down on his neck. The blade cuts through the scales, sinking into the flesh. And just like that, Chthon grabs the monster by the wing before sinking his fangs into the dragon's neck. The Monarch's eye is pierced by one of Baruka's daggers.
- Got it!
The howl of the monster threw my servants off. Only I remained in place, holding my enemy tightly by the throat.
The Black Heart was beating with all its might. I used my vestment to the max and it just devoured my magic power with monstrous force. My body was getting weaker by the second and I wouldn't be able to continue fighting at this pace for long.
- You shouldn't have come to this world....
A fierce light breaks through the darkness of the shadow blade.
- You should have attacked me...
The wrath of the Greatest Shard descends on the dragon's head. The most dangerous blade in this world pierces Antares' skull as his only surviving chapters erupt in rage. Its claws dig into my armour and tear at the vestment, tearing out clots of darkness.
Bang!
It's like thunder cutting through the heavens.
I thrust my sword in deeper and force the dragon's head downward, hitting it in the jaw with my knee from below. I feel the monster's bones crumble. Shards stabbed into its other eye, and glowing ichor whipped from the wound.Sighing heavily behind me, the Architect raised his hands, directing the current of his magic upwards. He began to close the gate, but it took a while for such a massive passage to close completely.
- Hey... you're still..." I grinned.
And snatching the sword from Antares' head, I struck again, and then another and another.
I wasn't just striking haphazardly, I was cutting him open to get to my prey.
A pulsing scarlet heart, beating with purple sparks. Ripping it from the monster's chest, I could already feel the energy of destruction trying to tear my arm into atoms and turn me to dust. By channelling the darkness from my Black Heart, I was able to contain the power of Antares' heart. But, at the same time, I realised that I would not be able to imprison him through my inventory. Nor would I be able to transmit its shadow through the system. The chaotic energy of the Monarch's most powerful heart would simply tear through the system's restraints.
But...
The cloak melts. The titan's armour vanishes, and I bring Antares' heart up to my face to sink my teeth into it.
Having drunk the strength of my enemy, I order the hunter to retreat. They received a message through the system and were then sent away from the ruined city.
Now all that was left was to finish off the remnants of the invasion force.
A soul-crushing howl, draconic anger tearing from the depths of the soul spread a deadly scream through the neighbourhood. The power of destruction is woven into that roar, draining the souls of the monsters from their bodies.
- Finish them.
That was the order to my dragons, whose task now was to find and destroy the remnants of the chaos armies.
I continued to drink the power of the Heart of Destruction.
- Jin Woo...
Chawk...
- You're just in time, we've just won. - I grinned.
Il Hwan was standing behind me.
- You're not my son... - The man sighed.
I just shrugged.
- Yeah.
I took another bite with a slurp.
I won't get all the powers of Antares in this primitive way, but it will definitely make me stronger. A primitive and savage way to evolve.
- Stop. - The man frowned. - You don't realise what you're doing.
- You tell me why you're here.
- A man shouldn't have that kind of power.
- Ahem... I'm a Monarch, as it were. Well, more than half. I'm allowed.
- That's enough!
And he just stunned me.
This fool came at me with his sword. I didn't even move.
The clang of steel.
And Jin Woo's father's sword was stopped by Igris' blade.
All through the fight with Antares, she stayed in my shadow and watched my back.
- What does that mean, Dad?
The last word rang out even with a sort of sneer.
- You could ruin this world my son fought for.
His eyes glow gold.
And pillars of light shoot from the sky.
The Lords have appeared in their true colours.
- He who betrayed once... will betray again. - I grinned, raising my blade to my shoulder. - And not so long ago you were bowing at my feet and begging for forgiveness.
- We begged Ashborn's forgiveness. You're not him.
- What do you want?
- You can't have that kind of power. - Lux pointed his accusing finger at me.
Aesil raised her spear, ready to fight.
Igris raised her sword.
And all the other shadow monarchs prepared for battle. The lords, on the other hand, trembled. They had clearly expected the battle with Antares to exhaust me to the point where I couldn't put up a decent resistance. But I had prepared well enough. Yes, I'm tired, but...
I can still put up a fight.
And the power of the scarlet dragon heart fills me with destructive energy. The lords realise that I will be even stronger in this fight than before the battle with Antares. And the Greatest Shard hisses with rage, emitting an ominous light. It is no longer just raring to fight, it is howling and screaming for the blood of the traitors.
But, have they retreated?
- Jin Woo. - Hae Ying's cold voice rang out.
My girlfriend came out of the gate with eyes burning gold.
And she wasn't the only one...
- Mean. - I shook my head.
Ju Hee, Hee Jin, Jin A, and even Gen He.
Four more girls came through the gate and their eyes were also burning gold. Moreover, Jin-woo's sister and mother's bodies were covered in a golden web of cracks. Their bodies could barely withstand the tiny drops of the Overlords' power. If these creatures released a little more power, the girls would simply burn in it.
- Your power will be sealed. You will move on with your life as Jin Woo. You can live happily with your new family. - Jin-A spoke in an alien voice.
I was slowly becoming angry.
- I'm sorry... but I don't negotiate with terrorists.
After drinking the remaining power of the scarlet heart, I threw it at Il Hwan's face. He reflexively covered himself with his hands, and in the next instant, the man lost his head, which was severed by the Greatest Shard.
This battle ended quickly.
However, it couldn't be called a battle either. The Overlords were equal in strength to the Monarchs. And even in their true forms, they could only play with my shadows. But, early in the battle, almost half of them died. Those who were connected to the system. I just ripped their souls out, along with the shards.
- Jin Woo...'' Hae In whispered in a trembling voice.
- I'm sorry.
- No... I...
Her shadow raised her sword.
- I'm happy to be your sword! - She said excitedly.
And just like that, Ju Hee and Hee Jin stood up beside me. A little aside, a scowling Gu Hee, whose eyes blazed with an otherworldly sinister light, stood up.
- Let Jin-A and Gen-Hye go, and then I will spare you. - I calmly said while looking at Lux.
They couldn't demand anything anymore.
And the strongest of the Lords bitterly lowered his hands.
- You... won...
Thus ended the doomsday of mankind.
And a doomsday for Monarchs and Overlords.
***
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