The sky was dark, cracked with lightning and thunder, but that didn't stop the battle from exploding. Jin-Woo landed in the middle of the ruined city, shadows swirling around him like a black storm ready to break. Sillad, the Frost Monarch, didn't wait. His hands glowed bright blue as he slammed them into the ground, sending massive ice spikes shooting up like deadly towers everywhere. Jin-Woo didn't blink. With a roar, he summoned Beru and Iron to his side. Beru shot through the sky, claws tearing through the icy spikes, while Iron smashed the ground, breaking the ice pillars one by one. But Sillad's power was immense. Every spike shattered into dozens of sharp shards, flying like knives. Jin-Woo twisted his body and summoned his shadow soldiers, thousands of them charging like an endless black river, smashing into the ice shards before they could reach him. The air was cold and sharp, biting into the shadows, but Jin-Woo's army kept moving forward, unstoppable.
Suddenly, Rakan the Beast Monarch jumped down from the sky, smashing the ground with his giant fist. The earth cracked and split beneath him. He growled and charged straight at Iron, swinging claws the size of swords. Iron blocked with his giant arms, the sound of metal on claws ringing like thunder. They slammed into each other over and over, ground breaking, sending waves of dust and debris flying into the air. Rakan roared, biting Iron's arm and throwing him back. Iron got up, furious, and charged again, punching Rakan's chest with all his might. The beast staggered but quickly recovered, slashing with claws, and Iron barely dodged. Nearby, Jin-Woo was already moving. He disappeared into shadow and reappeared behind Sillad, swinging his black sword in a deadly arc. Sillad raised an icy shield just in time, the sword cutting through the ice and sending shards flying. Jin-Woo pushed forward, slashing and stabbing, the clash of sword and ice ringing through the air. Sillad's breath froze everything around, but Jin-Woo's shadows burned with dark fire, melting the ice where they touched.
Querehsha, the Plague Monarch, floated above the battlefield, her insect wings buzzing. She waved her hand, and green poison clouds spread across the sky, drifting down to cover the ground. Her flying insect army swarmed the shadows, biting and poisoning, trying to break Jin-Woo's defense. Beru screamed and cut through the insects with sharp claws, but more came faster than he could kill. Jin-Woo shouted, "Tusk, now!" The shadow mage raised his hands, gathering dark energy, and then threw a massive fireball into the sky. It exploded with a deafening roar, burning away the poison clouds and clearing the air for a moment. Jin-Woo charged forward, shadows rushing behind him like a tidal wave. He struck Sillad's frozen armor again and again, breaking pieces off with every hit. Sillad roared and sent a blizzard crashing down, freezing Jin-Woo's sword mid-air, but Jin-Woo moved faster. He vanished into shadows, dodging a giant ice spear and appearing at Rakan's side, slashing deep into his flank. Rakan howled in pain and swung wildly, but Jin-Woo blocked and stabbed, pushing him back.
The battle was chaos. The ground cracked, buildings crumbled, and the sky burned with fire and ice. Jin-Woo called out, "Beru, with me!" Beru swooped down, roaring, and together they attacked Querehsha, cutting through her insect wings. She screamed in rage and flew higher, releasing a cloud of poison that almost caught them, but Jin-Woo blocked with a shadow shield. He grinned and whispered, "You can't stop me."
Rakan returned, furious and bloody, and crashed into Jin-Woo with the force of a storm. They fought hand to hand, Jin-Woo's sword flashing, Rakan's claws ripping. Iron and Igrit joined in, slashing and smashing, fighting the beast and his summoned monsters. The battle was fierce, fast, and brutal. Jin-Woo's shadows grew larger and darker, swallowing attacks and turning them back against the Monarchs. Sillad summoned a giant ice dragon, which roared and breathed freezing wind, but Jin-Woo sent out his shadow dragon, and the two beasts collided in a blast of shadow and ice. The city shook.
Jin-Woo's body glowed with dark power as he entered Shadow Ruin form. His hair stood on end, his eyes blazing purple. He moved like a whirlwind, cutting through Monarchs and monsters, leaving destruction behind. He struck Sillad with a powerful slash that shattered the ice armor completely, sending the Frost Monarch crashing to the ground, wounded but still alive. Rakan roared and charged again, but Jin-Woo was ready. He summoned his black sword and stabbed deep into Rakan's chest, the beast staggering and falling back. Querehsha screamed and released a final poison cloud, but Jin-Woo raised a giant shadow shield and laughed, "You're weak."
The battle was not over, but Jin-Woo had shown his power. The Monarchs retreated, injured and angry, disappearing into the dark sky. Jin-Woo stood tall, breathing hard, his army behind him. The city was destroyed, but the Shadow King was alive and ready.
"Come," Jin-Woo whispered to the night. "Show me what you got."