Chapter 42: Chapter 45 – Oceanus versus Lord Darkin

“Theseus, this is your plan?” Lord Darkin scoffed, laughing at the seven fools. They would never be enough.

The seven Royalty Realm powerhouses surrounded Lord Darkin:

The Rank F Beast, Leo, who broke through to the next realm with acceptable foundations,

The former F Rank Suzerain Lord Capricorn, who rebuilt her aura realm according to Theseus’s specifications,

The former F Rank Suzerain Lord Jezebel, who stabilized her Shade Core thanks to Aries and Theseus,

The former F Rank Suzerain Lord Virgo, who also stabilized his Shade Core thanks to Theseus,

The current Suzerain Lord Scorpius, who had his core fixed by Aries,

The Shade expert and, Theseus’s right-hand man, Aries, and finally,

Theseus, the leader of Oceanus and a D Rank Royalty Realm monster.

All seven Royalty Realm individuals surrounded Lord Darkin and prepared their strongest spells.

“Skill: Crunching Claw!” Leo swiped his claws together, as if he was clasping his paws together with a tremendous clap of aura.

“Skill: Cornucopia Feast.” Capricorn chanted.

“Skill: Demonic Abyss!” Jezebel winked.

“Holy Judgement!” Virgo yelled.

“Come on Aries. I bet you can’t keep fighting. Skill: Demonic Strike!” Lord Scorpius teased his Shade friend. Although crippled, Lord Scorpius tried his best. With the small help of Theseus, he could fight below Capricorn’s old peak.

“Shade Eclipse.” Aries muttered, ignoring Scorpius, and used his last Shade Rune.

“Oceanus Founder, Ultimate Skill: Oceanus Judgement.” Theseus declared, and his eyes glowed white. This skill was created in preparation for this moment. Oceanus Judgement used a majority of his available aura to produce a more refined and amplified version of Virgo’s Holy Judgement.

All at once, the seven used all they could, and a massive explosion engulfed Lord Darkin. Lightening shook the skies as Oceanus Judgement sent wave after wave of thunder and white lightning into the immediate battlefield. The skill’s pressure was so domineering, the other six’s skills looked insignificant in comparison despite their significant aura outputs.

When the smoke cleared, Lord Darkin remained standing. He was injured for sure, but he was far from defeated.

Then, he laughed.

“What incredible power Lord Theseus!” Lord Darkin exclaimed. If Theseus was given even half the time he had been in seclusion, he would have surely won this fight easily.

“I have to commend you, Lord Theseus. Maybe I was wrong about you. With your raw potential, we may have been able to defeat the Desolate together. Alas, it’s too late.” Lord Darkin sighed and stepped out of the gigantic crater that was created in the wake of the Oceanus Judgement.

“How is he still standing?” Elder Jezebel exclaimed in awe. Demonic Abyss created a pillar of black fire to strike down its foe. She learned this skill from the soul of her former lover, Lord Ahab. After her core was stabilized, she was able to take apart his old skills. Demonic Abyss was the Shade equivalent of Elder Virgo’s light-based magical skill, Holy Judgement.

“Impossible…” Elder Virgo muttered.

Everyone gave all they had, but Lord Darkin retained minor injuries. Unless they could all use the same output of skills again, they would surely lose.

“One by one, I will kill everyone, and with your foundations, I will consume you all and become the strongest Shade in the history of the Oceanic Realm.” Lord Darkin brooded over the seven Elders menacingly.

Theseus knew that Lord Darkin could more or less fight to this degree, but it was too exaggerated. His towering figure was all encompassing, and he stood one against seven. It was as if Lord Darkin could face the whole Oceanic Realm himself.

“Do you understand the difference between us, Lord Theseus. It is not potential nor ideals that sets us apart, but time. Surrender now, and I might spare you.” Lord Darkin extended his hand to Theseus.

“Why would I take your hand when you refused mine? I will never betray Oceanus!” Theseus slapped Lord Darkin’s large hand away with his robotic arm.

“Then die!” Lord Darkin struck out, causing a massive blast of aura to decimate the land where Theseus had just been. Theseus backed up, tanking the hit to minimize the damage to his allies. Theseus’s robotic arm was instantly shattered. If not for the runic inscription on the Artifact, Last Defense, used at the last second, he would have died. The small barrier formed with the rune on the robotic arm cushioned the blast, ever so slightly.

Bloodied beyond recognition, Theseus panted and gasped for air, barely able to stay standing.

***

Meanwhile, Ju Long watched at a distance.

“This is a battle between those at the Royalty Realm!” He marveled.

At the Mortal Realm, people could fight unnaturally fast, and the damage it could destroy, at most, a part of a cement building. As Aura Realm increased, so did the damage of the fallout of the battle. If the Mortal Realm could damage a small building, the Sage Realm could destroy a large one. The appearance of this Royalty Realm battle was on a whole other level though. The very landscape was changed by the wake of their destruction. From Theseus’s Oceanic Judgement to Lord Darkin’s blast of aura, there were craters littered in the once tree filled battlefield. Soldiers from both sides scattered the wasteland. If Royalty could change their immediate surroundings, Ju Long shuddered at the thought of the devastation a Deity could cause.

He felt powerless. In Heaven, he felt in control and powerful, but here in Hell, he was weak again. Was this how Theseus felt in Heaven?

***

“Theseus, are you okay?” Lord Capricorn rushed to his side with concern.

“Fufufu, your whores are worried for you, aren’t they?” Lord Darkin mocked.

“Shut up you demon!” Aries cried out. As a closeted romantic, Aries couldn’t stand for others belittling pretty girls. The right to harass beauties was his and his alone!

“Demonic Strike!” Aries tried to force his body to continue attacking, but he was too drained from his previous fight. The demonic strike was weak and left surface level damage on Lord Darkin.

“Pitiful.” Lord Darkin muttered and swatted Aries away like a fly. Aries could no longer fight and was too injured to move or speak anymore. Darkin didn’t even bother finishing him off.

“We’ll hold him back!” Lord Virgo announced alongside Leo, Jezebel, and Scorpius. Their attempts were futile, however. Their foundations weren’t as ridiculous as Theseus nor Darkin. They already used their trump cards; all they had left in them were meager skills to slow him down.

“Whirling Claws!” Leo cried out in desperation.

“Holy Light!” Virgo yelled and sent light magic at Lord Darkin.

“Meaningless.” Lord Darkin continued walking towards the debilitated and bloodied Theseus, unfazed.

“I’ll show you real Shade magic. Skill: Demonic Turbulence.” Lord Darkin boasted. Suddenly, the pressure of Lord Darkin’s aura grew red and surrounded him. His red eyes grew black, and he waved his hands nonchalantly. Streaks of red aura flew off of him and struck the defending Elders. One by one, the Elders were cut down and thrown aside, like garbage.

“I’m not killing them on purpose, Lord Theseus. If you join me willingly, I will spare them.” Lord Darkin changed his mind mid fight. It would truly be a tragedy to throw away a talent like Theseus. In these short years, Theseus cultivated a spectacular team and territory. Despite his taunts, he was genuinely impressed and sustained minor injuries due to his negligence.

Lord Darkin wanted Oceanus for himself in this moment. If he took control of it, Oceanus would ascend to the Heavens under his wings, and his contract of subjugating the Desolate would come to full fruition without the consumption of the realm into his Shade Core. This was the opportunity to save lives as well as fulfill the contract. In the end, it would be more efficient and less messy.

“Theseus, what do I do?” Elder Capricorn whimpered. All five Elders, including the D Ranks, Aries, and Scorpius, were defeated. There was no way she could stand up to Lord Darkin.

“Oceanus… will prevail.” Theseus panted out. Capricorn looked at Theseus meaningfully. If not for him, she would still be on the Suzerain path and probably apart of Darkin’s Shade Core by now.

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“You’re right. I’m not who I once was.” Elder Capricorn faced Lord Darkin one on one while Theseus continued catching his breath. With great grit, Theseus burned his wounds shut with fire, just as Leo had once done to him in that crevice. Lord Darkin listened to their conversation with intrigue.

“You think you face me, woman? I know you, the weakest Suzerain. You even used your one strong skill already. What more can you do?” Lord Darkin mocked.

“Skill: Cornucopia Feast!” Capricorn desperately screamed. A weak version of her skill appeared. Lord Darkin was taken aback and was struck right in the shoulder by the attack, causing a gash of blood to sprout from his shoulder.

“To think Theseus brought you this far.”

Lord Darkin marveled that Capricorn was able to force this much aura out of her depleted body. Now though, she could barely stand. Overexerting her body forced her into a state of extreme exhaustion.

“But now, it’s all over.” Lord Darkin prepared another aura blast.

Suddenly, a fist met Lord Darkin’s face.

“Skill: Gemini Twins.”

Gemini had arrived. Even though he used over half of his aura against Lord Taurus, he could still fight in a meaningful matter leagues above the current Elder Capricorn.

“Sorry we’re late.” The Geminis said in unison and took their stance alongside Capricorn as Darkin wiped blood off of his face.

***

From the perch Ju Long was watching from, another walked alongside him, beaten and bloodied.

“Who are you?” Ju Long asked the decrepit old man.

“Just a nobody, who are you?” An old man grumbled in a hoarse voice.

“I’m just a nobody too, who messed you up so badly?” Ju Long asked.

“That kid fighting Lord Darkin. Aren’t you scared you’ll die? You’re so close to this Hell shattering battle?” Lord Taurus wondered why this low Sage Realm man was watching this insane battle. Any of the other soldiers on the battlefield that were too close had already perished.

“I could say the same about you, old man,” Ju Long grumbled back.

“Whatever.”

Lord Taurus took a seat alongside Ju Long. The two watched in silence.

“Do you think they can win?” Lord Taurus asked in a whisper as the minutes passed by.

“What does it look like?” Ju Long sighed.

Below, one of the Geminis was blown away, but Capricorn was able to hit Lord Darkin with weak aura briefly. They moved around Darkin strategically, and Lord Darkin played with them like pets as they desperately attempted to land any kind of meaningful attack on him.

“At this rate, they would need another five Suzerain Lords to win.” Ju Long stared intensely at the fight.

“You think so? Just that many? Well, even in this state, I should count as at least one weak Suzerain Lord, don’t you think?” Lord Taurus stood up and hopped down into the fight.

“Huh?” Ju Long blinked. Wasn’t this old man just some random Captain or soldier?

***

“Need a hand?” Lord Taurus asked Gemini.

“Took you long enough to switch sides.” Gemini angrily dodged a blast of the Demonic Turbulence but then smiled at Elder Taurus.

“Another Lord enters the fight, but I am absolute.” Lord Darkin laughed and tried to force his way closer to the trembling Theseus who fervently prepared to reenter the fight. Theseus’s aura was nearly depleted, and he tanked the strongest, original blast of aura. Theseus grunted and groaned as he forced himself closer to Lord Darkin.

“You can still walk?” Lord Darkin exclaimed. “Incredible, truly, incredible.” Lord Darkin complimented and clapped his hands together.

“But, it’s not enough.” Lord Darkin glared at the three Suzerain Lord level warriors fending him off. Slowly, Lord Darkin felt himself growing slower. Even for a C Rank King with astonishing foundations, facing nine D and F Rank Royalty Realm powers was a stretch. All along, he held himself back slightly as to not kill anyone, and he continued to methodically pick off each person, one by one.

As Theseus and Darkin drew closer together, Gemini fell to the ground.

“I’m sorry, Theseus.” He whispered before passing out.

Soon, Capricorn and the weakened Taurus also fell, bloodied, and defeated.

Theseus struggled to face Darkin, but his condition was too dire.

Towering over Theseus, a huge, looming figure laughed.

“Impressive, but even with your incredible power, the Suzerains reign supreme!” The dark hooded figure declared in a dark, rich voice. Someone resembling Theseus collapsed onto the ground in defeat. He was too bloodied to tell his identity for sure. Around him, his Elders and Captains lay on the ground, defeated. Blood ran through the waters of the ocean and into the soil.

This was the scene Lachesis showed Theseus, and he instinctively looked to where the imaginary version of him had stood in the nightmare. All he ultimately changed was the deaths of his comrades; they were all incapacitated, but still living. Lord Darkin was even more damaged than in his nightmare, but that was all due to Lord Darkin’s subtle change of heart.

“It’s not over, yet.” Theseus smiled weakly.

“Skill: Oceanus Founder.” Theseus quietly spoke again and then stood back up with great effort. There were no tricks up his sleeve, but there were three huge variables that changed from the perceived outcome in the nightmare:

1. Lord Scorpius and Elder Aries joined forces and caused minor injuries to Lord Darkin in the fight.
2. Lord Taurus was moved by Elder Gemini enough to fight Lord Darkin.
3. No one died.

In this outcome, two Suzerain Lords joined Oceanus and inflicted minor injuries to Lord Darkin. According to his skill, Oceanus Founder, these former Suzerain Lords changed sides and identified with Oceanus. Therefore, he was finally able to imprint his skill on them as they fought Lord Darkin.

This small variable along with his attempts to persuade Lord Darkin caused a radical butterfly effect.

Just like he told Aries, they would win this fight because of his acting, or how he joked before to Aries, love. As cheesy as it was, Lord Darkin made a fatal mistake in trying to recruit Theseus out of the convenience for his goals and perceived strength of Oceanus; Lord Darkin kept everyone alive and even sustained mild to severe injuries because of it. Because of this, Theseus’s skill still imprinted on his friends, and therefore, he could still grow stronger through their shared aura and skills. With two new powerful comrades, Theseus’s aura even grew to new heights.

“You can still stand?” Lord Darkin exclaimed.

“This is your last and final chance, Lord Darkin. Leave behind the past and join Oceanus. We will forgive your sins, and together, we can overcome the past, for a better future.” Theseus stared at the pitch-black eyes of Lord Darkin with passion.

“Like I said, it’s too late. This is also my last chance to you, Elder Theseus. Serve me, and I’ll spare you and your friends. I admire your grit and passion. Perhaps, you can make a great Head Captain. I wanted to consume the whole realm in the past, but with Oceanus, I will only kill those who rebel against my Authority.” All along, he had given up on life, but facing the Elders of Oceanus, he acknowledged their territory and mission. Perhaps in another life, he and Theseus could’

“Then, goodbye, Lord Darkin.” Theseus looked up into Lord Darkin’s black eyes with regret.

“Oceanus Judgement!” Theseus yelled at the top of his lungs as a tear rolled down his face. Using every last ounce of his old and new aura, Theseus attacked with the might of five powerful Suzerain Lords at once.

Lord Darkin instinctively sent a gigantic blast of Shade Aura to counter, and the explosion’s aftermath caused Ju Long to jump away from the top of the hill in fear.

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