Hero of Darkness

Screams and wails of hundreds of people fighting in a death battle filled the dense valley. A gory scene with chopped bodies, heads, limbs and intestines colored the ground red. The cries for help and mercy from time to time also gave a ghastly and eerie touch to the scenery on this side of the valley.

Dozens of mages and rangers attacked with their large area of effect spells and skills that charred & shredded their enemies alive or had numerous holes made inside them.

Stab! Stab!

Suddenly, a volley of arrows from the tall trees fell on the fighters of the defending side and multiple males and female fighters dropped dead on the ground after having their heads and eyes poked through these arrows.

At the end of the defending side, was an extremely high-grade and well carved luxurious carriage that was surrounded by dozens of knights and mages and inside this carriage, was a young boy who appeared to be 18 or so years old.

"Master Szayel, we should think about retreating. We're already locked inside their formation. Even the teleportation scrolls aren't working now." spoke a tall and thin old man... His appearance looked as if he was already at death's door.

"And run like cowards?! The Vandereich clan will not go without a fight!" declared the Young boy.

Thud!

The very next second, the old man dropped dead inside the carriage as an arrow that passed through the window pierced his neck!

"Our barriers are broken! Everyone run!" shouted one of the warriors from the final line of defense.

Stab!

Before the man could even turn around and run, an arrow covered in black poison on its tips pierced his head right in between the eyebrows.

Boom!

Suddenly a big lightning spell fell on the remainder of the barrier and it instantly shattered the protection barrier that was cast around this carriage.

Stab! Clang! Slash!

One by one, many mage spells and skills of different classes broke through the formation and bombarded the remaining fighters of the defending side.

Bodies got obliterated and shredded on the spot because of these lethal attacks and those who tried to escape were killed by the assassins who were hidden and invisible outside this formation.

The one side that equally fought at the beginning was now thoroughly oppressed. The fighters clad in white armors started pleading for mercy and begging for help as the battle continued and all of them started losing their lives.

At this moment inside the carriage, Szayel was horrified by the bones as he saw his attendant's body falling right in front of him. This was the first time this young boy had seen someone close to him dying right in front of his eyes. He shuddered in fear and the words wouldn't even come out of his mouth.

The angered and upstuck demeanor was nowhere to be seen. It was one thing to act someone with valor and high mental fortitude but when it came to actually face adversity.. Not many people could hold up in reality.

Just then, a loud shout came from the opposite side's leader and filled the entire place.

"Szayel Mor Vandereich, surrender yourself. Or you won't like it when we drag you out with our own hands." declared a halberd user who was clad in black and grey armor. The other soldiers from the attacking side started circling the remaining 4 warriors and the carriage.

A frightened and skinny boy covered in aristocratic clothes came out of the carriage and his feet landed on the bloodied ground.

A figure of a young man with pale white skin tone and shoulder-length silver hair appeared on the battlefield. His eyes glimmered red and two long teeth came out of his mouth. The innocent yet regal-looking face gave him the appearance of someone from a big background.

"You damn Jinvtric scums! Do you really think that you'll stay alive after killing our people or capturing me?!" shouted the boy.

The leader of the opposition took off his helmet and revealed the face of a red wolfkin. He scoffed in response and gave a condescending look to the now surrounded enemy.

"And who's gonna tell your family that it was us? And when did I say that we're here to capture you?" questioned the leader.

"Wh.. What? What do you mean?" asked the young man.

"Means we're not here to capture you.. But we're here to kill you. This is where you and your Vampire scums die by our hands. And then we will pin it on the other factions. Haha" elaborated the leader.

"With the faction leader's own son getting killed by the enemies.. What do you think will happen?" he asked in a sarcastic tone and laughed again.

Slash!

Just then, one of the soldiers protecting the boy suddenly swung his spear and cut the heads of the other three vampire guards in a swift attack.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Their headless bodies along with the detached heads dropped in the bloodied ground and a spray of blood erupted from their neck. The sudden victims of this betrayal didn't even get the chance of sensing the danger as the one who killed them was part of their own forces.

"No!.. Vetron.. What's the meaning of this?!" screamed the boy as he was surprised after this sudden attack.

"Shut the fuck up you runt!" said the spearman who suddenly turned on his companions and punched the boy in the face.

The boy fell 3 meters away after suddenly getting punched in the face by one of his own men.

Vetron looked at the people surrounding them and then the leader of the opposition.

"I've delivered on my promise. I hope you lot keep your end of the deal. None of this should be tracked to us." he said and started walking away from the boy and towards the leader of the attackers.

"Yeah, yeah. But there's a problem.. It won't look like a perfect ambush. Unless…" spoke the leader.

"Unless wha.."

Stab!

Before Vetron could even complete his question. His neck was stabbed from the back by a dagger and a slick figure of an assassin appeared out of nowhere.

Vetron grabbed his neck in shock as he lost control of his body and started choking on his blood. It didn't even take ten seconds before the vampire died.

"Now it looks perfect." said the wolfkin in joy.

"You.. Why are you doing this? Don't you know what our faction will do if they find out?" threatened the boy after barely holding his jaw together.

"And who's gonna tell them now? The last time I heard.. Dead people don't talk." said the leader as he smirked and released his aura, instantly putting the boy on the ground.

The expression on the boy's face turned that of horror as the immense and heavy aura that was full of killing intent encapsulated his body.

At this moment, Szayel was under so much pressure that he couldn't even lift his head.

The aura and pressure that came from the leader was exactly that of a Peak Grandmaster Rank warrior.

Szayel was shuddering in fear.. Never had he imagined that one day, he would be put at death's door. Especially when he was the son of the faction leader of one of the strongest factions in the entire Rakos Empire.

His secret visit to one of their territories, which was only known to the innermost circle of their family elders was somehow leaked to one of the rival factions and even with the security of 300 beginner and intermediate master rank fighters provided by his clan failed to protect him from this sudden ambush.

Beads of sweat dropped his face as he barely had the strength to even move a finger under this terrifying bloodlust.

"Now die and flame the war that will burn down our enemies. That should be the only good thing you did in your life, you damn bloodsucking bastard." spoke the wolfkin and put his halberd over Szayel's neck.

"I wonder what your father and grandfather would feel when we send them your head as a gift." spoke the wolfkin and chuckled.

The next second, he lifted his halberd with both hands and swung it in a swift motion.

Shing!!

But before the blade of the halberd could even reach the target, a black greatsword with crimson veins spread around the sharp and heavy blade stopped it midway through the attack.

Boom!!

A loud burst of black and red aura suddenly filled the entire battlefield of 1 kilometer radius. And the aura of the peak grandmaster wolfkin was thrown away in a single second. There were still more than 200 attackers from the wolfkin's side left on the battlefield and every single one of them dropped on the ground.. Their bodies slumped under this heavy and oppressive aura of this new entity that was full of dominance and tyranny!

This aura was even five times heavier and ghastly compared to their leader who was now thrown 20 meters away after the explosion of this aura.

Szayel who finally felt the pressure on him gone, lifted his head and saw the figure of his savior.

A tall young man who was donned in a black and leathery longcoat and had a 5 feet long black greatsword placed over his shoulder was now exuding the pressure of an absolute ruler and put all of the enemies in the ground under his immense & chaotic aura.

"Yare yare.."

Spoke the warrior in black and looked at the wolfkin.

"Who the hell explains their entire plan just because their target is now surrounded? Even I got bored listening to your rambles." spoke the young man and his handsome face was revealed to all the enemies.

To Szayel.. This young man's figure appeared too heroic. His broad back and muscly built could even be interpreted through his clothes as his longcoat and hair fluttered in the air. The last-second entry gave this man a mysterious feeling of those legendary heroes who came to save the day.

To Szayel, who was ready to accept his fate and die in an unknown valley; this man had become his savior.

"Are you.. Are you here to save me?" asked Szayel to the man with expectant eyes.

The next moment, the man clad in black attire glanced at Szayel and finally spoke..

"Who the hell said anything about saving you? I'm just here to rob you all."