The Three Heroes: Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen: The Final Battle - Broken Blades

Far from where the true battle was beginning, King Raphael and his army continued their fight at the front of the Radesen capital city gates, both sides loosing numbers by every minute. With Raphael cut and bruised by the number of confrontations, he continued to fight with his sword gripped tightly in his hands as he slew Radesen soldier after soldier. As a lone Radesen soldier managed to get close to him, he was saved by Sanura after she lunged a dagger through the soldier's throat. "Thanks for covering my back!" King Raphael said as he pushed a soldier away from him. "Don't thank me just yet, thank me when we get out of here alive!" Sanura replied as she picked up a discarded shield and tossed it to Raphael for him to block. "We just have to keep holding on, no surrender!" King Raphael shouted as he charged and knocked down the crowd of ferocious Radesen soldiers with his shield in front of him, with Sanura covering his back.

In the back of the battle, Chanzui was taking charge with the siege weaponry, giving as much support as he and his men could by attacking the city walls. While Key-La and the Guardian Commander with their own soldiers try desperately to salvage whatever soldier they could find and rescue them to continue the fight. "Focus your fire on the west side walls, our men are getting bombarded by enemy fire!" Chanzui commanded as his soldiers aimed their catapults and slung an array of large stone and fireballs at the Radesen city walls.

Though a direct hit, the wall was incredibly reinforced taking minimal damage. "Keep firing, I want that wall down asap!" Till suddenly, the Radesen's retaliated and from the wall a more larger number of fireballs was shot across the battlefield and aimed towards the back lines. "Everyone get to cover!" Chanzui shouted as burning stones crashed down on them, destroying several of their siege weapons and killing those who were caught in the blast. Though alive, Chanzui was badly damaged from the blast with a few burns placed upon him. Key-La managed to spot him pass the debris and ran to his aid with the Guardian Commander behind her. "Chanzui, can you move?" Key-La asked as the two tries to lift him back up. "A bit burned, but I'm at least alive. Yeah, I can still move." he groaned in pain and added "Just how long do we have to hold out here?"

"We don't know, we just got to hope that those three succeed in their mission and continue fighting, that's the least we can do for now." The Guardian Commander replied. "I'll take him to safety and heal what I can. Commander, you take charge of the siege till Chanzui comes back." Key-La said. "Yes mam. Alright men, those who are still breathing, back to your stations and keep firing!" The Guardian Commander ordered as Key-La helped Chanzui to safety. "Those three better hurry up, we're getting killed out here." Chanzui grumbled. "Just have hope for them, they'll make it...I hope to the gods that they do." Key-La replied.

Back at the Emperor's Graveyard, our heroes stood with the expression of unnerving confusion on their faces as they stared at what the Emperor had become. They watched as it just stood there, face looking down at the ground with its arms dangling, claws clicking against one another as its body would twitch little by little. They didn't knew how to explain it, it was an odd feeling as they watched it slowly began to raise its head up and look at the sky till its pitch black and burning blood red eyes soon fell upon them. The trio took a step back as they were ready for whatever Neon or whatever he became now could throw at them.

As it moved his head straight, it continued to stare at them, but to Anfang it felt that it was staring directly at him the most. His mind began to rush, memories of his nightmares sprout inside his head as visions of what he saw in his dreams flashed before his eyes. Shaking, he now knew what he saw, in his dreams, the very thing that has been tormenting him all these years was now staring face to face in front of him. "Hey! Are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to do somethi-" but before Ehrung could finish what he was saying, in a blink of an eye, it was standing directly in the middle of our trio and replied "I was about to say the same thing." it chuckled.

Surprised, our trio jumped away from it in opposite directions. "How did...what are you?" Ehrung asked. "Have your ears finally gone deaf? I have already told you as to 'what' I am. I am Dehganyol, I am Sin, and you have no chance in this forsaken world to defeat the likes of us." he says with his arms stretched out in gesture as its voice echoed in their minds. It was like hearing three people all at once, one that was of Neon's own voice, but the other two was like that of a small child as the other was in a deep and dark tone, Anfang knew of this voice well. "Come now, there is no hope left for you three. You're all so tired, fighting for so long in a war you could not win in the first place." Dehganyol said softly to them.

As he voice echoed in their minds, our trio started to feel tired all of a sudden as though all the life an energy in them was suddenly sucked right out of them. They tried to get back up, but the weight of their own bodies were too much for them as their vision grew dark. "It's time for you to finally rest, take in the darkness that surrounds you, and embrace the cold abyss that is peace and silence." As Dehganyol lulled them to near unconsciousness, he slowly steps close towards Anfang and raised his arm up, morphing it into a sharp blade and ready to place the final strike.

As everything was fading, he looked up at Dehganyol to his arm raised, and with what little strength he had he gripped tightly to his sword and swung it at him. In surprise, Dehganyol quickly stepped out of the way and sank into the ground and breaking its hold on our three heroes. With the hold broken, our trio quickly regained their strength and energy as they recollect to what had just happened. "Where...where did he go?" Frieden asked as he regained his footing.

"I don't know, but keep your eyes open, he could be anywhere." Anfang answered. "Yes, keep them open. So I can pluck them out of your sockets." Dehganyol chuckled. They all turned to see Dehganyol sitting on top of a rusted sword's hilt, the way he was sitting was almost like that of a vulture with eyes just as glaring. "It would seem that simple illusions wont be as much use this time. Very well, that just mean things gotten a lot more fun." Dehganyol said before jumping off the sword's hilt and over our heroes. "So come now heroes, show me that you have what it takes to defeat me."

With that said, our heroes rushed towards him and began their assault. Their blades swinging at all directions, but each swing they made continued to miss each and every time as Dehganyol bend and twist to impossible angles. Frieden manage to get a leg in and trip him, only to have Dehganyol to stand on his hands and grab Ehrung's face by his feet, flipping himself back over and slinging Ehrung back. He then grabbed Anfang by the leg and swung him around, knocking Frieden down as he tossed Anfang at Ehrung to knock him down as well. Frieden quickly got back up and drew out his bow, sending a quick arrow right at Dehganyol till he snatched it right out of the air. "Please allow me." Dehganyol said. The once brightly golden arrow began to change to a dark purple hue as Dehganyol squeezed its grip tightly around it before hurling it back at Frieden.

He managed to jump out of the way of the direct hit but was blasted back by the dark explosive collision of the dark arrow. Dehganyol then turn his sight to Anfang who was rushing right for him, swinging his sword and trying desperately to land a hit before Dehganyol snatched the blade with his bare hands. Drawing Anfang closer to him to where their faces was but mere inches away from each other, Dehganyol asks him "I wonder why you're the only one of three who aren't all gold and glowing? Perhaps you're the runt of the litter?" he chuckled. Angered, Anfang pulled his sword out of Dehganyol's grip and continued slashing his sword at him until he was kicked to the chest and tumbled back.

But while Dehganyol was distracted with Anfang, Ehrung managed to sneak behind him and swung his sword down upon him. Late to react, Dehganyol held out his arm to block the attack, only for the blade to slice and cut off his forearm. Dehganyol was suddenly sent back as his now removed forearm twitched on the ground. Ehrung smirked in his success on landing the first blow, but he felt that something was not right. Though his forearm was completely cut off, leaving steam where he originally left the cut like a hot knife through butter. He could see that Dehganyol was not showing any expression of pain as the forearm dissolved and evaporated into nothing.

"Well noble hero, not only did you finally manage to get a hit on me...you just made the second worst mistake of your life." Dehganyol said as black tendrils sprout from his wound, twisting and taking shape into a brand new arm. Before Ehrung could even react to the sudden regeneration, Dehganyol quickly punched him right in his stomach, denting his armor and causing Ehrung to gasp and cough up blood before being kicked and sent tumbling to a far distance. "Ehrung!" Anfang shouted as he ran to his aid, leaving Frieden to gain Dehganyol's attention and fire multiple arrows at him.

While Dehganyol and Frieden fought, Anfang rushed to Ehrung and helped him up. "Ugh, I think he might've cracked a rib or two." Ehrung groaned in pain. "Can you still fight?" Anfang asked. "Yeah...yeah I think I can still keep going." "You sure about that, hero?" Dehganyol said from a distance as he pointed at the two. From the tip of his finger, a ball of pure dark energy no bigger than a baseball was formed and shot out from the tip like a speeding bullet. The blast threw both Ehrung and Anfang to opposite sides and on their backs. Ehrung tried to get back up, only to have his chest stomped on by Dehganyol, pinning him down. He shouted in pain as Dehganyol's foot pressed down on his chest, feeling more of his ribs beginning to crack.

"If there's one thing I have to admit about your kind, you make such lovely screams." Dehganyol said before getting off of him and lifting him up by his arm. "I also have to admit that your endurance to pain is remarkable, a punch like earlier would've killed a man instantly. Guess it's the new arm, might have to break it in sooner or later. In the meanwhile, let me borrow yours for a moment." Dehganyol grabbed tightly on Ehrung's other arm and quickly twisted it, causing Ehrung to scream in pain as his arm was dislocated. He was about to completely rip off his arm before Frieden managed to land three arrows on his back. Dehganyol hissed and turned to see Frieden ready for another shot.

Anfang then quickly rushed after Dehganyol for a surprise attack, with Dehganyol to quickly use Ehrung as a shield to protect himself from Anfang's attack. Anfang then suddenly hesitated, stopping his attack before he could land a hit. Then, just behind Ehrung's back, Dehganyol charged for a dark energy blast and shot right through him in order to get Anfang. Anfang managed to step aside to escape the blast as both he and Frieden watched in horror to see their friend shot through the back, leaving a large hole in his chest. Ehrung's face went completely pale as Dehganyol tossed him aside like he was nothing. "One down, two to go." Dehganyol chuckled as he sank back into the ground and disappeared.

Frieden ran across the field as Anfang held him up saying "Oh god, no...Ehrung." "He's dead...there's nothing we can do now but avenge him. He's still around here somewhere." Frieden said as he looked around. Anfang sighed and laid his now deceased friend down when suddenly, Dehganyol rose out from the ground and snatched Ehrung's leg and swung his body at Frieden and Anfang before tossing it aside once more. With the two dodging the assault, Anfang shouted "Have you no shame!" "A corpse is a corpse, and right now I see two fresh ones to add to the pile." Dehganyol said before he swung his arm, creating a vast row of dark energy spears and fired at them at rapid succession. The two scattered across the field, each spear narrowly missing them and causing debris to fly into the air as they hit the ground.

Taking on which one was the closest, Dehganyol stretched and lunged his arm at Frieden and grabbed him, raising him up and throwing him down on the ground, and then using his other arm to blast a beam of dark energy at Anfang. Anfang narrowly escaped, having only his shoulder singed and the pauldron of his armor half disintegrated. With Frieden still in Dehganyol's grasp, he managed to get his arm free and lunged his sword deep into Dehganyol's hand. He hissed at Frieden and quickly let go of him, firing a dark energy sphere at him in annoyance. Frieden rolled out of the way and took out his bow once more, drawing his arrow with all of his might before letting go. The arrow glowed intensively bright as it zipped through the air directly at Dehganyol.

His eyes widen in shock as he hurled a much larger dark energy sphere at the arrow before it was a mere foot away from him. Both the arrow and the sphere exploded in a burst of mixed energy upon contact, kicking the dirt into the air making a dense cloud of debris. Frieden drew another arrow and aimed carefully, keeping his eye on the cloud as it settled, only to find that Dehganyol was gone. Before Frieden could realize, Dehganyol instantly rose out of the ground right in front of him, grabbing him and keeping a tight grip. Frieden couldn't pull away as he watches Dehganyol's face beginning to stretch. His cheeks stretched and tore, ripping apart like dough being pulled apart to reveal a horrific maw. Rows of jagged teeth with a split lower jaw like a snake while tendrils and a long sickening tongue wriggled in Dehganyol's mouth. His screech was like a banshee as black blood dripped from his fanged jaw before taking a huge bite on Frieden's shoulder.

The pain was unbearable as Frieden shouted in agony, feeling the rows of sharp teeth cut through his flesh and scrape his bones. He began to feel faint as more and more blood was pouring out of him as he tries desperately to push him off until Anfang got a hold of Dehganyol and ripped him off, leaving Dehganyol to sink back into the ground once more. Frieden's arm was in terrible condition as a small pool of blood began to form at his side. "Hold on, let me see if I can stop the bleeding. Just hang in there." Anfang said as he ripped a strip of cloth off of Frieden and wrapped it tightly around his arm.

"Come on, I got to get you to safety." Anfang slowly lifted him up and carried him behind a few boulders nearby in hopes to hide him. "Anfang, I don't think I'm in any condition to fight anymore. We have to leave here, warn the others." Frieden said in pain as he held onto his arm. "As much as I like to agree with you, we cant leave, not while that's on the loose." Anfang said. "He's too powerful, we need a damn army to beat something like that. Anfang, please, we have to get out of here." Anfang took a deep breath to try to calm his nerves and replied "You just sit tight here, I promise I'll get you out of here as soon as I'm done here."

In a short moment, Anfang left Frieden's side and entered out in the open, looking around for any signs of Dehganyol. "Alright Dehganyol, I'm all that's left! Last man standing, just you and me! Come out of the shadows and fight me!" Anfang shouted. Then, from a distance, Dehganyol slowly rose out from the ground with his arms crossed and said "I'm beginning to grow bored of all this, are you ready to admit defeat and give your life, or must I rip out your vocal cords and force you to say it?" "Not a chance you monster!" "Monster? I'm much more worse than a monster. I am everything that you fear." Dehganyol replied. "I'm not afraid of you." Anfang growled.

"Is that so?" Dehganyol said as he started to sniff the air with his slit nostrils. "Because what I smell, says otherwise. Face it, boy. You're fighting a hopeless battle, your king is probably getting cut to pieces as we speak, and both your friends are dead...speaking of..." With a quick flick of his hand, he tosses a dark energy sphere directly behind Anfang to a bunch of boulders nearby, leaving Anfang to watch as the sphere exploded leaving nothing but a smoldering crater of crumbled stone. Anfang's face changed to absolute horror as he turned back to find Dehganyol mere inches in front of him, causing Anfang to jump and fall back.

"You know, there's one last thing I just love about your kind." Dehganyol said as he stepped closer to Anfang as he crawled back away from him. "It's your sense of fear, the scent is just...intoxicating. The way your heart skips a beat, the way your limbs begin to shake, your bottom lip trembling as adrenaline course through your very veins. It's absolutely priceless." Dehganyol laughed as he grabbed Anfang and lift him off the ground. Anfang struggled to break free, kicking the air and everything. "You know, looking at you now, I never liked that new eye of yours after I killed your family. The color doesn't really suit you, perhaps I can fix that." Dehganyol said as he extended his claws on his other hand. Then, something snapped in Anfang's mind as his eyes went wide.

Thoughts of all his friends, his family, all the people he had met rushed through him as a feeling of a thousand suns began to grow within him. His body flickered on and off to a golden glow as his right eye slowly turn from green to a burning red orange. Dehganyol watched in confusion, Anfang suddenly explodes in a burst of pure energy, causing Dehganyol to recoil back from being blinded and leaving his hand severely burnt. After regaining his vision, he looks to see Anfang. His whole body and armor glowed brightly in a golden hue, pulsating with pure energy as his eyes was now a fully matching red orange color.

"What...what is this?" Dehganyol said in surprise. Without even blinking, Anfang quickly grab hold of his sword and dashed straight through him, swinging upwards and cutting off his arm by the shoulder. Dehganyol screamed in pain as the sword seared his flesh as his arm was left hissing and evaporating at an instant. He held onto his shoulder as tendrils began to grow a new arm for him, though the process was much slower than before.

"What's the matter, you're looking a bit slow there?" Anfang smirked. Dehganyol just growled and said "You have no idea what you are dealing with here fool, you may have gotten faster but you are nowhere near as powerful than the power that I fully possess! No more playing around, no more games, it's time I finish you once and for all!" Dehganyol roared as his body began to twist and morph, growing bigger and more horrific till he completely towered over Anfang in size. Dehganyol laughed maniacally and said "Behold the power of Sin, once I kill you I will drag your soul to the deepest trench of the abyss!" Anfang simply smirked in response and held out his sword. "I'd like to see you try."