Chapter 16 – Shadow and Steel
The battlefield of Fevay Kingdom was burning beneath a crimson sky.Dust rose like smoke as the clash between Morde and Riyo tore through the heart of the capital. The once-proud kingdom had fallen into chaos; its streets now echoed with screams, the crack of steel, and the deep rumble of shifting earth.
Far above the bloodstained streets, hidden among the jagged ruins of a bell tower, three Marine scouts crouched in silence. Their dark cloaks blended with the shattered stone. The air was thick with tension as the head scout adjusted his monocular and locked his gaze onto the battle below.
"Orders from headquarters," he muttered coldly. "Once the fight ends, we strike. Kill Morde on sight."
One of the younger scouts turned sharply. "Sir, why not now? We could take him by surprise!"
The head scout's eyes glimmered like a predator's. "Fool. If we move now and our presence is discovered, it'll start a war. Do you want to be responsible for that?"
The younger man swallowed hard. "No, sir… I understand."
"Good. Keep your eyes open. Observe every movement, every technique he uses. The Admirals want his fighting style analyzed completely."He paused, his voice lowering. "This one… he's dangerous."
Another scout leaned closer. "You think Morde can actually defeat that man? Riyo's no ordinary warrior."
The leader gave a tight smirk. "We'll see soon enough."
Down below, Morde lunged forward, the black aura around his body crackling like wildfire. He disappeared from sight for a split second—then reappeared behind Riyo in a blur of dark motion."Shadow Leap!"
His fist, coated in thick, obsidian energy, shot forward. "Dark Fist!"
The air exploded.Riyo's armored knuckles met Morde's in midair — "Iron Fist!" — the collision forming a shockwave that shattered nearby windows and sent rubble flying.
When the dust cleared, both men stood their ground — but Riyo had been pushed slightly back, boots grinding against the broken earth. His expression hardened, but his voice carried a faint respect.
"You're strong," he admitted. "For someone who's only recently gained that power… not bad at all."
Morde smirked darkly. "Stop talking like you're above me. You're not stronger. You're just another obstacle. I'll destroy you, this kingdom, and then all of Nexan itself."
Without another word, he charged again.
Riyo clenched his fists. "Tch… you're reckless!"
He stomped once, and metallic fragments from the ground rose up, orbiting him like silver comets. "Ten Iron Spears!" he roared.
From his fingertips, ten sharp spears of condensed metal shot toward Morde, glowing faintly red from sheer kinetic heat.
Morde's eyes widened. "Now what?!"
Inside his mind, a familiar dark voice whispered, steady and confident."Do not fear. Use my power — your shadow energy can protect you. Form a wall, call the darkness itself."
Morde gritted his teeth. "Thanks for the tip."
He raised his arm and shouted, "Shadow Veil!"
The ground trembled as a massive black wall erupted upward, ten meters high, swallowing the space between him and the incoming attack. The iron spears struck, hissing upon impact, but they couldn't pierce the veil. Sparks scattered, and one by one, the spears disintegrated.
Riyo frowned, pulling back half of the remaining spears. "Impressive defense," he muttered.When the wall vanished, the other five spears shot forward again, faster than before.
Morde's body froze — his reflexes couldn't keep up.
But the dark power inside him acted on its own, moving his body like a puppet driven by instinct. He thrust his arm forward and unleashed another strike."Dark Fist!"
The five iron spears met the blast of shadow head-on — both forces collided midair and canceled out in a deafening explosion.
Riyo shielded his eyes from the dust. "Not bad… you're stronger than I expected." His voice grew colder. "But you've used too much power already. Time to die."
Morde, breathing heavily, growled between clenched teeth. "I… won't lose!"
The scouts above watched intently."What a fight…" one of them whispered."Yeah," the head scout murmured. "But look — Morde's movements are slowing. He's exhausting himself. This will end soon. If Riyo defeats him but leaves him alive… I'll move in and finish it myself."
"And if Morde wins?" another scout asked.
The leader smirked. "Then you know the plan. Wait for the perfect moment and execute the order."
Meanwhile, far away in Nexan's ancient fortress, the dark ruler Impernos sat upon his throne. The torches flickered with black flame as his messenger, Neros, knelt before him.
"My lord," Neros began urgently, "news from Fevay. Morde has engaged in combat with Riyo."
Impernos' eyes flared with alarm. "What?! And the situation?"
"We're unsure, my lord. The battle still rages."
Impernos rose slowly, the air around him vibrating with pressure. "Morde… don't you dare lose. If you fall now, everything I've built collapses." He turned toward Neros. "Keep me informed. The moment the battle ends, I want to know."
"Yes, my lord," Neros replied.
Impernos took a breath. "We can't risk it. Go to Fevay yourself. If Morde is in danger, help him. And if the other rulers' soldiers interfere… destroy them."
Neros bowed deeply. "As you command, my lord."
Back in Fevay, the storm of destruction raged on.Morde roared, raising his sword high. "Dark Slash!"
A black wave of energy tore through the air, but Riyo was ready."Iron Shell Defense!"
Metal plates shot out from beneath his skin, forming a gleaming barrier that completely absorbed the attack. The clash sent a blinding flash across the ruined plaza.
Riyo lowered his guard slightly. "You still have much to learn, boy."
Morde spat blood but smiled fiercely. "We'll see who's standing at the end!"
He dashed forward again, movements now wild and unpredictable.The two warriors clashed again and again — steel against shadow, speed against endurance. The air trembled with each strike, and their combined power warped the very ground beneath them.
From the distance, civilians — what few remained — could only cower in horror as the battle turned the capital into a wasteland.Broken towers collapsed. Flames consumed the market. Fevay, once proud and prosperous, was becoming a graveyard.
Riyo took a deep breath and slammed both hands into the ground.The metallic hum in the air grew deafening. Every fragment of steel, iron, and weaponry within fifty meters began to tremble and rise.
Morde's eyes widened. "What are you doing…?"
Riyo smirked. "Ending this!"
All the metal fused together, forming a massive sphere — ten meters wide — glowing like molten silver."Iron Orb Cannon!" he roared, and the giant metal sphere shot forward with unstoppable force.
Morde froze for a heartbeat. His pupils dilated. Even the shadow within him went silent for a moment.
From the ruins above, the head scout whispered, "It's over. No one can survive that."
Inside Morde's mind, panic surged."What do I do now?!"He clenched his teeth, sweat dripping down his temples. "Please… help me!"
A dark, ancient voice echoed within him, deeper than before."Very well… take it, then. But understand — once you accept this, there's no turning back."
Morde's right hand trembled as black lightning spiraled around it, gathering faster and faster until the entire battlefield dimmed. His veins glowed with obsidian energy, and his eyes turned pitch black with streaks of crimson.
"Then… I'll take it all."
The voice whispered one last time."Now, unleash it — Shadow Convergence."
Morde extended his arm. A colossal surge of dark energy burst forth, colliding with the Iron Orb midair. The impact froze the world for a split second — then detonated in a storm of black and silver.
The shockwave leveled half the plaza. Buildings crumbled. Even the scouts shielding themselves on the rooftops were thrown back by the force.
When the dust finally began to settle, two figures remained standing in the middle of a crater — Morde, barely breathing, covered in black energy veins, and Riyo, his armor cracked and flickering with sparks of damaged metal.
Riyo wiped blood from his lip. "That power… it's growing. It's not natural."
Morde grinned weakly. "Natural or not… it's mine."
The dark voice within him purred."Good, Morde. You are beginning to understand. Chaos… is not destruction. It is evolution."
Riyo raised his fists again. "Then show me your evolution."
The two warriors charged once more, their clash shaking Fevay's very foundations.
Meanwhile, alarms were ringing at the Hortex Fort Leviathar naval base.
Fleet Admiral Kaizen was at the head of the map.
Vice Admiral Zix rushed in.
"Sir! Big news!
Morde and Riyo have engaged in a massive battle!
Kaizen, what is the outcome?
Sir, the loss is huge.
Send a message to the scouts to kill Morde immediately.
Yes, sir.
Print the reward poster and place it next to the Sovereigns' Reward poster.
Yes, sir.
Back in Fevay, lightning flickered through the clouds as the shadow and steel clashed once more.Morde's aura flared brighter with every strike, while Riyo's armor gleamed like a dying star.
Their roars echoed together through the ruins.
This was no longer a battle of man against man —it was chaos against order,darkness against will,Shadow against Steel.
And in that storm of ruin, Morde's voice thundered through the night—
"This world deserves nothing but destruction!"
The ground cracked beneath him, his shadow stretching wider and wider until it swallowed the battlefield whole.
The war for Nexan… had just begun.