Chapter 2

Apollyon POV:

"Soon… Very soon…" I thought to myself. For years I've suffered and endured but the time is now. A few years ago, I had met a strange individual. I wouldn't say met as I was chained completely and unable to even thrash my body around. But one day a crow entered my cell. I knew crows didn't have four red eyes, so I knew this wasn't some poor bird that had somehow found itself in my cell.

By looking at it I could tell we were similar. Or rather, the one controlling the crow was. I could tell by the dark magic that emitted from it, that the crow is only an extension of something else, something powerful and hungry for freedom. And when you're as trapped as me you seek allies in any form.

And so, the bird placed it's beak on my forehead and it game me knowledge. Of itself and me. The Black Rose is an organization that has controlled parts of the world via manipulation for centuries. In the shadows they have done atrocities to further increase their influence and power. But their greatest achievement was the capture of the ancient demon of secrets named Raum, and the creation of the Grim Wolf Apollyon.

Raum did not give much information about itself, despite my curiosity. Only enough to show we can trust each other enough to escape and exterminate the Black Rose. Raum told me that for some time he had gotten the interest of a general of the nation that is placed above where we are trapped, an empire named Noxus.

The leader of the Black Rose, LeBlanc has controlled the rulers of Noxus like puppets since it's founding. The general Raum has been contacting, named Jericho Swain, knows of the Black Rose's existence and that the current Grand General of Noxus - Boram Darkwill is under LeBlanc's complete control. Raum preyed on this, making Swain further dissatisfied with the Black Rose and Darkwill's leadership in an effort to do a coup.

But Swain is quite clever, knowing he can't defeat Darkwill at his current power. So Raum told him about me, who Swain previously did not know of. Swain knows that with me it would be possible to free Raum and take the Noxian throne for himself. That seemed fair for both mine and Raum's freedom.

For the last few months Raum has given me the knowledge I need to harness the power the Black Rose won't let me unleash, knowing they wouldn't be able to contain me. And whereas my skill in Ferromancy and Hemomancy has been near perfected as well as my general skill in combat due to the Black Rose pitting me against beasts and warriors. But they have never let me use my most powerful ability.

Necromancy.

I didn't even know what it was until Raum told me - the ability to control the dead. It's fair why they don't let me use it, if I could control the dead, escape would be quite a possibility, as the dead are in no short supply in this place. Necromancy is simply speaking the language of the dead in which I can hear and understand, which is something living beings usually can't do.

They don't even know how I can use it. Swain shows Raum any ancient texts on the forbidden art and Raum gives me any useful information about it. Even if I hadn't used it in practice, I'm confident I could do it.

And so, nearing my seventeenth year of imprisonment, the three of us started our plan.

Using my senses, I could hear people approach my cell. The door opened, revealing four heavily armored guards. They were going to transport me towards that arena place, where I would fight and kill anything they sent at me. Not only was this to test my skills, but to further increase it, as I can use Hemomancy to absorb the essence of those I kill.

"Try not to struggle, monster." One of the guards laughed.

They continued to chat, unaware of the danger they were in. when they were about to start moving my trapped body, Raum acted. He sent multiple crows inside the cell, surprising the guards. While dozens of crows attacked the guards, causing them to flail their hands around, a smaller number of crows started to pick away at the binds trapping my right hand from moving. As soon as my skin could be seen they started to eat away at my hand.

Eventually my hand was nearly gone, enough for the birds to rip my right hand off. It hurt like hell, but it'll be worth it. I focused all my strength into my hand to regrow it. I pointed the stump out of the bindings, and it grew back, and so, I was free from the bindings.

"What the hell was that?! Do we have an intruder?!" one of the guards shouted after killing the final crow, which was attacking them.

"Let's report this immediately. Make sure Apollyon is secure first." Another said.

Two of them checked me as one of them shouted, "His hand is free!" but before he could actually do something I froze his body with Hemomancy and threw him into the wall. I then controlled him, to pull out his sword and start slashing at my bindings. Even if he only got two slashes, before being restrained by some of the other guards, it was enough.

"It's over now…" I say as I pull my entire left arm free out of it's bindings. The last guard tried to slash at my arm, but I caught his hand. Even if he was armored, I still had enough physical strength to break his hand inside his gauntlet. He screamed as the other three also tried to restrain me.

Still holding onto the guard's broken hand, I throw him towards the rest of the group before starting to pull on my bindings. Before they could ready themselves, I was standing – now completely free.

They look at me with fear in their eyes as I walk to block the exit. They gathered their courage and charged, but it was all futile. I was superior to them in every way. Even with all their armor their heads popped easily under my strength.

"Such frail bodies…" Apollyon muttered, staring at his bloody hands. "But you'll do well as my first soldiers… Arise!" I say, as shadow forms of the guards dragged themselves out of their physical bodies and stand.

They all went on one knee and bowed their heads like LeBlanc's warriors do to her. I had completely overwritten their soul with my own will, causing them to be utterly loyal to me. They looked like shadows of black and dark red. (Pic in P/comments)

"Much more useful." I said to myself. "Come on. We're leaving." They stand as I hear a squawk behind me. Turning to the door I see one of Raum's crows looking at me, "Lead the way," I say.

The bird starts to fly down the hall as I follow it, followed by four shadows. Eventually we leave the main area of my cell as loud horns start to go off. It seems they suspect my escape due to me not being in the arena. Funny thing is, that's my next destination as it has all my tools.

"It's Apollyon! He's escaped!" there stood many Black Rose guards as one cried out.

"What are those shadows?!" another asked.

"Doesn't matter! Restrain him!" the supposed leader of the group ordered as they all pulled out their weapons.

"Kill them all." I commanded my shadows as they dashed forward, much faster than a regular human in heavy armor could. They each pulled out a sword or shield from seemingly nothing, as they charged straight at the enemy.

Blood and guts splattered across the walls as the shadow's cut down anyone in their path. Much to my delight, even when they got stabbed, they were unaffected, even if they are cut in half, they simply reform moments after.

"Focus on Apollyon! Without him the shadows die!" the leader shouted. And he wasn't wrong. When the shadows reform themselves I can tell it uses my own magical energy to do so. While some guards kept fighting the shadows, a number of them charged at me. "He has no weapon or armor, cut him down!"

The leader raised his sword when he was close and brought it down, trying to cut into my shoulder, but I dodged to the side before kicking into his knee. The kick broke his knee as he yelled in pain, dropping his sword. I then picked up his own weapon and used it to massacre the ones that attacked me.

Eventually they were all dead, the shadows killed them all before standing close to me. "Time to further increase my army." I say before raising the shadows again.

"What are you?" I hear someone quietly say.

"The greatest achievement of the Black Rose," I answer with a smirk as I pierce his heart with a sword.

He died and I also turned him into a shadow. Now that I numbered 25 shadows, any that came to attack were cut down quickly and without mercy. I raised more warriors, archers and even five mages that tried to burn my army in a massive ball of fire. Now they are used to burn their fellow comrades.

Eventually it got to a point where they just started running and gave up on capturing me.

Eventually, I found my metal and used Ferromancy to cover myself in blackened armor and give myself a much more powerful sword.

But it seemed while I was going towards the arena, the Black Rose has moved Raum's real body via magic. So, I was unable to free it, but what it didn't know was that I had no intentions of freeing a demon, even if Swain wanted it so badly.

The Black Rose tried to bury me, so I spread out all of my shadows to quickly find the exit in which one eventually did. And after gathering any more dead and turning them into shadows I left my prison with a small army at my call.

"Hm… so this is what the outside looks like." I say and notice the Immortal Bastion up ahead.