Leon, Nix, and Kazan ran through the palace corridors, now beginning to tremble. Dust fell from the ceiling, and in the distance, the sound of devastating impacts echoed continuously—monsters relentlessly hammering the blood dome.
As they arrived at the main gate, the sight awaiting them made them pause for a moment.
Before the gate, the royal army of Cloţca stood in neat formation. Thousands of vampire warriors in black and red armor stood at attention, spears and swords ready in hand. At the forefront stood a figure unmistakable—King Vorodor Vladirescu.
His battle-worn black spear was planted in the ground beside him. His cloak billowed in the hot wind beginning to seep through the dome's cracks. His dim red eyes now blazed with the fire of battle. Behind him, vampire commanders and nobles stood poised for combat.
Vorodor turned as Leon and the others approached. A faint smile appeared on his stern face. "You came. I didn't expect you to keep your word."
Leon nodded, his eyes fixed on the dome now showing wider cracks. "We always keep our word, Your Majesty. I hope you will do the same."
Vorodor laughed, his voice rumbling like an avalanche. He raised his spear and slammed it hard into the ground. THOOM! The earth around him cracked. "We'll see if you're still alive to collect on my promise, boy!"
Leon smiled. Then he raised his right hand to the sky.
"Dark Army, APPEAR!"
A massive rift tore through the space behind them. From within the pitch-black violet chasm, shadow warriors began marching out in perfect formation. Thousands of troops in black armor with glowing red eyes filled the field behind Leon, standing directly opposite the vampire army.
Vorodor was stunned. His eyes narrowed, not from fear, but from awe. "Incredible..." he murmured.
However, his attention soon focused on four figures who emerged last, at the forefront of the dark army.
The first was Fenrith, a giant wolf with jet-black fur and a single gleaming horn on his forehead. A crackling blue lightning aura surrounded his body.
The second was Valker, a knight figure with a greatsword nearly as large as his body. Clad in black armor, he radiated a heavy aura of leadership.
The other two were elves. One, Sylvaris, held a dimly glowing bow, his sharp eyes already scanning the darkening sky. The other, Forsaken, emanated a strange healing aura—white light mixed with darkness—ready to mend wounded warriors.
Vorodor nodded in satisfaction. For the first time since the Eclipse began, his confidence in victory grew. "With an army like this..." He raised his spear high. "WE CAN WIN!"
With a swift motion, he thrust his spear towards the dome. His blood magic opened a hundred-meter-wide breach—a controlled battlefield, a gateway for the monsters to enter.
"FORWARD! DON'T LET A SINGLE MONSTER BREACH THE CITY!"
The vampire army roared, charging into the breach with ferocity born of protecting their home. Leon gestured, and the dark army advanced alongside them, merging into a wave of black and red.
---
The battle erupted with devastating force.
King Vorodor was a vortex of death on the front lines. His spear danced, cleaving monster heads, piercing flying creatures' hearts, and shattering giant bodies with lethal blood magic.
Leon was no less ferocious. His darkness sword blazed. "Dark Fracture Slash!" His slashes released jagged lines of deep purple and black energy, tearing through dozens of monsters in a single swing.
Nix gathered fire in his hands. "Sunflare Orb!" The blazing fireball shot forth, exploding amidst the monster horde, incinerating them until nothing remained.
Kazan was a flash of white on the battlefield. "Shiroi Senko!" He moved so fast he left trails of white light. Behind him, monsters fell one by one, each with a fatal slash or thrust before they could even register his presence.
Valker raised his greatsword. From the ground, shadow sword blades emerged, impaling monsters from below. Fenrith opened his maw, unleashing blue lightning that scorched everything before him, then pounced with claws and fangs. Sylvaris released arrow after arrow, each finding its mark—eyes, throats, hearts. And Forsaken moved among the wounded warriors, his touch healing wounds, returning them to battle.
For a time, they prevailed. The first monster wave began to recede.
But then—
THOOOOOM!
A tremendous shockwave shook the entire battlefield. The ground swayed. New cracks appeared on the surface. Everyone, friend and foe alike, momentarily lost their balance.
And in the distance, beyond the mist and dust, a silhouette began to form.
The silhouette was massive. Enormous. Like a moving small mountain.
BOOM... BOOM... BOOM...
Each step vibrated through their bones. The surrounding air temperature rose drastically. As the silhouette approached, they could see its form clearly—a giant fifty meters tall, its body pitch black with glowing orange veins in every crack of its skin. Boiling lava dripped from each step, leaving pools of fire behind it. Black smoke billowed from its broad shoulders. On its face, a giant fireball slowly rotated, staring at them all with an emotionless gaze.
Gorganth, the Continent Crusher.
But it wasn't over.
On Gorganth's right shoulder stood another creature. Tall, thin, wrapped in dull grey bandages. Golden symbols moved slowly across the bandages' surface, alive and pulsing. His face was long and narrow, with two pitch-black voids for eyes. And within those black voids, stars twinkled—like pieces of the night sky trapped in his eye sockets.
He didn't move. Didn't blink. Just stood still.
But everyone who saw him felt the same sensation—being watched from behind, even while staring directly at him.
Then, slowly, he tilted his head 45 degrees. A faint smile—just a slight curve on that long face—appeared.
Vorthum, the Gate of Ruin.
On the other side of the battlefield, far from Leon and Vorodor, Nix and Kazan sensed the same aura. They paused momentarily, staring at those two terrifying creatures.
King Vorodor, standing beside Leon, gripped his spear tighter. "Two of the Four Harbingers," he murmured, his voice tense. "Gorganth... and Vorthum. They rarely appear together. This... this is no ordinary Eclipse attack."
Leon stared at the two beings. "What do you mean?"
"The Eclipse sends monsters," Vorodor replied.
"But Harbingers like them... they come with purpose."
---
Elsewhere, Kazan continued slashing monsters, but suddenly—
The ground around him churned. Roots shot out with incredible speed, embracing rocks, penetrating the bodies of dead monsters. Plants grew in seconds—beautiful flowers blooming atop corpses, then withering and rotting in an unnatural cycle.
Kazan spun, his sword ready.
Before him stood a woman three meters tall. Her body was slender and graceful, skin smooth white like silk. Her long hair was no ordinary hair—it was a cascade of hanging plants: purple orchids, white roses, and jasmine blooming and falling in a slow, hypnotic cycle. Her dress was made of fresh leaves continuously growing downwards, touching the ground.
She smiled. A smile that seemed sincere, warm, almost like a mother welcoming her child home.
But beneath her feet, silently, black roots began creeping towards Kazan.
Kazan looked down, seeing the movement. Swiftly, he slashed the roots before they could touch him.
"Who are you?!" he demanded.
The woman laughed softly, her voice like the babbling of a stream. "You see these flowers? Beautiful, aren't they?" She spread her arms, displaying the beautiful plants growing on her body. "Soon... you'll become their new shoot."
Kazan grimaced. "Don't dream of it!"
He shot forward, his sword slashing.
---
On the path towards Leon, Nix ran swiftly. Suddenly—
The temperature around him plummeted. Frost formed on the grass. His breath turned into thick white mist. He stopped, sensing a presence behind him.
The figure was before him in an instant.
Tall, thin, his body bluish-white like ancient ice. From his head, branching deer antlers rose gracefully. His breath was thick, cold vapor that continuously steamed. His eyes were pale blue, empty, devoid of emotion. Only a straight gaze that pierced the soul.
Nix stepped back a few paces, fire immediately gathering in his hands. The figure didn't move. Just stood, staring.
Beneath Nix's feet, the grass began to freeze, shrivel, then crumble into ice shards.
Without warning, the figure raised his hand. From his fingertips, ice particles fell slowly—but each particle contained cold magic so dense the surrounding air crackled.
Then he stepped forward.
One step. Two steps. Three steps—
A blast of cold shot forth.
Nix reacted on instinct. His flaming fist met the strike.
Heat vs Cold. Fire vs Ice. Their palms met, and a massive plume of steam rose high, separating them.
The ice figure didn't retreat. Neither did Nix.
They stared at each other.
---
In the distance, Leon and Vorodor still stood facing Gorganth and Vorthum.
In the forest, Kazan began fighting for his life against the flower woman.
On the frozen plain, Nix confronted the ice hunter.
And above the crumbling dome, the moon began to change—the ring of fire growing ever more perfect.
The Eclipse's peak had arrived. And the Four Harbingers of Ruin had chosen their respective targets.
=== CHAPTER 57 END ===