Between Light and Shadow

Before Isda, swords suddenly appeared, flashing in the light of another reality. Seizing them in her hands, she made a powerful lunge aimed at severing Vallynor's throat. However, her attack was unexpectedly blocked by a scythe. A scythe? Isda blinked in astonishment, then smirked.

With lightning speed, she darted to the side, aiming to attack Vallynor from an unexpected position. In flight, she didn't even notice how thousands of dead hands rose from the ground, trying to grasp her legs and body. Several pairs of hands managed to catch her by the wing.

Isda unleashed her inner divine energy, shattering all the hands of the dead, and raised her sword, blocking the scythe, now held by no one. Not realizing how she ended up in the wall where Vallynor just was, she glanced at her hands.

"Have you weakened, or was I simply inattentive before?" Vallynor asked himself, shaking his head and summoning the undead, his lich... Widening his eyes, he rose upward, and the sword split his body in two.

Holding the upper half of his body, Vallynor looked attentively at Isda, radiating demonic energy, her wings becoming even blacker. For a few seconds, she examined Vallynor's lower half and unleashed a jet of fire on him. However, the fire did not reach the lower part of the body, as it was seized by the hands of the dead, taken from the ground.

The summoned dead, along with the magicians and the lich, attacked the angel, while Vallynor himself approached the wall, where his lower body part was previously. Clenching his face in pain, he merged with the lower half of his body into the wall, causing an explosion and enveloping it in divine fire.

Seconds later, Vallynor appeared on the other side, whole and in his usual attire, gifted by the God of Death himself. Isda, screaming, flew towards Vallynor, emitting lightning around her. At the same time, she received minor scratches from the summoned undead.

Bone spears grew from the ground, and Vallynor himself began to sing a melody, generating dense smoke. Isda lost sight of him and could no longer determine his location.

With her eyes closed, Isda focused on her hearing, dodging an attack from a huge bone hand, and at the same time, divine energy enveloped her, destroying any particle of the curse.

Vallynor felt his heart crack, and blood flowed from his mouth. The pain passed quickly, and he clicked his tongue, recalling Baba Yaga's words that a curse cannot be laid on beings using divinity.

"My overconfidence has cost me dearly," cursing himself, Vallynor created the dead and ghosts, endowing them with necrotic fire. Glancing up briefly, he felt something on the ceiling for just a moment.

Isda, shaking her head, enveloped herself in demonic energy, transforming her body. Scales and feathers grew on her skin, claws lengthened, and horns and three tails appeared on her head, one of which seemed severed.

"Finally, some freedom!" said Yena in the demonic tongue, causing matter to crackle.

Waving her hand, Yena dispersed divinity and demonic energy, dispersing the smoke that enveloped the battlefield. Smirking, she looked at the army of the dead and Vallynor.

"Pitiful necromancers, not acknowledging our power over you. You are all our slaves!... And a slave tries to fight me! He-he-he! I will show you your place, worthless lover of corpses." Spreading her wings, half-covered in scales and black feathers, Yena instantly appeared before Vallynor and seized him by the neck. The dead shifted their attention to her, while the Lich struggled and refused to kneel before her.

"Pitiful Lich tries to resist, me?" Yena, turning her head to the Lich, smirked. She wanted to raise her hand but realized that the severed hand and leg had not regrown.

Shaking her head, she tore off the hand and leg of the nearest dead and attached them to herself. After which, demonic energy enveloped the limbs, causing them to mutate and transform into demonic limbs, filled with scales and claws.

"Step aside." she ordered the undead mass, and all the dead parted, showing Vallynor, who rose and looked warily at Yena, realizing that this angel or demon was somehow connected to necromancy.

"Look, Isda, how easily a necromancer can be put in his place, taking control of his entire vaunted army. Vallynor? Is it not so? Strange name! Well, nothing, I will have answers to questions, but not now. First…"

Yena slowly approached Vallynor, and something huge and hairy fell on her head. Vallynor, seizing this chance, quickly tried to regain control of his army and ordered them to attack Yena.

While he cursed his dead for enhancement and deadly attacks, using a connection with Yena herself, Vallynor gloated, using Yena as a link for the curse she formed when she took control of the entire army.

"Aaa!" Yena began to scream, feeling her soul and flesh attacked by the backlash from the curse. Even softened and stopped with the help of society, but a small part still reached her, and the curse used by Vallynor was too terrible to ask for a lesser price.

Yena, regaining some of her sanity, enveloped herself in divine and demonic energy, managed to push aside the strange huge hairy creature.

Vallynor, looking at his savior, saw a huge black rat. Not knowing why, he felt a connection with it. However, when he realized that it was undead and had been created using runes, the technique of smiths, Vallynor remembered that he once created a rat with a soul – his first experiment. He had forgotten about it, but now this rat had become several times larger and more threatening.

"Disgusting rat interferes with me? Kneel!... KNEEL!" Yena, realizing that the rat, as undead, ordered her, looked at it in surprise, then at herself, realizing that she cannot command this undead while she gradually received damage from the attacks of the undead.

Clicking her finger, all the undead, except for the rat and the Lich, turned to each other and destroyed themselves.

"You!!!" Yena did not understand what was happening with the rat, but she knew who was to blame. Vallynor – this vermin, is indeed dangerous.

She took a step and appeared behind Vallynor. While he tried to calm his mind from losing control over his undead again. Fortunately, this time he was more prepared, which resulted in less damage and less time in a stupor. Summoning soul hands, he used them to push himself aside and block Yena's attack.

Several hands were cleanly severed, causing Vallynor to truly feel pain – soul pain coming from the severed hands. Biting his lips until they bled, Vallynor rose and began creating fireballs from necrotic energy, flying near him. Holding the scythe in his hands, he enveloped the blades in the same fire.

Yena was completely engulfed in her rage, while Is

da almost lost control over her body, her mind slowly fading away. Yena attempted to attack with her claws, which were blocked by the scythe. Two huge fireballs flew straight at her head, and the rat, having moved some distance away, slowly approached Yena.

While the Lich struggled with himself and, at one time, his comrades, unwilling to submit to anyone but his creator, he briefly noticed the rat, jealousy sprouting within him. He wondered why he had to fight to resist, becoming useless and possibly a burden, while this animal could easily ignore all commands. Yet, what concerned him more was his own and his master's safety.

The rat, finding the right moment, deftly jumped at Yena. However, she irritably pushed it away with her claws and, turning her head towards Vallynor, stated:

"Enough. The games are over," and with that, she approached Vallynor.

Vallynor wanted to summon soul hands and the land of the dead but realized he was no longer able to use magic. Looking more closely, he noticed that the entire cave was enveloped in magical symbols, filled with Divinity.

"Well, finally, (Yena)... I did say I would need time for this seal (Isda)," Isda and Yena spoke, while Vallynor himself couldn't understand what had happened.

Yena, looking at Vallynor, couldn't help smiling and said:

"Pitiful necromancer, a slave who should have been praising me. Tried to bite off my hand, like a mad dog. Truthfully, you surprised me... But you are still nothing!"

Vallynor looked at Yena, trying to think of what to say. He even looked around and noticed an iron armor, kneeling with its head down, not far from Yena.

Yena, realizing that Vallynor was not looking at her, turned her head and saw the armor. She grimly looked at it, approached, and with a kick, shattered it into pieces.

Calmly, she returned to Vallynor.

Vallynor saw how the pieces of armor reassembled, black smoke emerging from the cracks. The armor approached Yena, but she felt nothing until the armor exploded into pieces and enveloped Yena.

"What the..." The armor dressed itself on Yena as she tried to fight back. The black smoke, like acid, quickly made her skin age and rot.

Yena screamed, trying to free herself. The Divine seal began to move and targeted the armor. Like the sun, Isda flew at the armor and horrifically looked at herself and the armor, which had already repaired itself and was enveloped in a cloak of black smoke.

"I can't believe there are still such things," said Isda, looking at the enemy who pierced the ground and pulled out rusty swords. Placing a huge rusty sword on his shoulder, he took a few steps, jumped at Isda. A Divine shield appeared in front of Isda, blocking the strike.

Sighing, Isda thought about what to do next. She felt pierced from behind and, turning her head, saw a gauntlet holding a broken knife that had pierced her. Blood flowed from the wound. Not realizing this, she noticed that at some point, the armor had severed her normal hand, which Yena had not restored. She stepped back and looked at herself, angrily shouting:

"Today, everyone just seems to hinder me and my plans. You all must be destroyed," and Divinity enveloped her entire figure. Several particles were enveloped in dark energy, demonic energy.

Charging at the enemy, the living armor responded with an attack, using its huge sword. From the furious strikes, light enveloped them both. Divinity enveloped all space, trying to burn with holy fire, while dark clouds devoured Divinity, increasing in size.

Vallynor, watching the battle, tried to discern something. But the damned light, capable of burning mortal eyes, prevented him from seeing what was happening inside. Instead, he decided to cast spells, but only winced from failure.

Looking at the Divine seal, Vallynor realized that the seal must seal any magic. However, it seems that divinity and demonic energy do not affect it. He did not know how to use demonic energy and divinity, besides magic.

The battle did not subside but intensified instead. This prompted Vallynor to take a drastic action. Remembering Gabriel's words, which stated that if you have a source of any magic - divine, demonic, necrotic, or otherwise - they all have the same foundation. You must find the path you will take, and in time, you will learn to use any of them.

***

Some time ago, Forkas, in a race with Isda and leading the fallen from behind, did not notice as gates appeared behind him. Dozens of rotten hands burst forth from the gates, swiftly reaching for Forkas and dragging him beyond.

Forkas scarcely had time to comprehend what had happened when he found himself in a vast room woven from flesh and iron. At its center floated a massive mass of flesh, and above, an eye shimmered, focused on Vallynor and Isda.

Feeling the gaze, the eye turned towards Forkas, examining him closely. A robotic voice emanated from the monster, "An enemy has been detected in…," but another voice from the flesh mass interrupted, saying, "Silence already." Then, more eyes emerged from the mass.

Forkas remained battle-ready when something grabbed his leg, slamming him against the floor and walls made of flesh and iron, which turned to bone upon impact. Unleashing his divinity, Forkas tried to break free, but the undead flesh hand flared with divinity. Barely able to breathe, he was then engulfed by iron claws, continuing to be battered everywhere.

"Angel, you are so pathetic," the flesh mass spoke, slowly forming a face from the eyes. "Who are you?" Forkas yelled, not understanding how they missed this moment and where this creature came from.

"I am a necromancer, and you need know no more. Finally, I have found that guy," the flesh mass said, after which gates appeared before it. Beyond them, Forkas and he could see Isda and the Armor fighting each other.

The eyes forming the head peeked through the gates, trying to locate Vallynor. Vallynor, in a corner next to the lich, attempted to harness demonic energy, awakening there as a rat.

Opening his eyes, he saw a gate from which a head composed of eyes emerged. Beyond the gates, he spotted an angel being beaten like a rag doll, even as he tried to wield Divine energy.

Isda felt something pierce her barrier and destroy it. Looking at the source, she noticed Forkas beyond the gates. Without hesitation, she rushed to him but was struck by the armor. A huge mass of flesh hit her with several hands woven from rotten flesh and iron.

Ignoring everyone, the head of eyes turned to Vallynor, looking at him intently. Then it said, "At last we meet, he-he-he… successor!" Speaking, a human head emerged from the flesh mass, connected to this monster. The face grinned wildly at Vallynor and continued, "I hope you enjoyed the Necronomicon, but I will take it back along with my future."

The Armor, previously attacking Isda, now attacked the same flesh mass. However, with a powerful blow, the Armor was sent flying forward, right at Isda and Forkas. The Armor, as if mad, attacked the two as they tried to defend themselves.

"After all, you escaped, Tezad," said the Duke of Graves, emerging from Vallynor. He appeared as a spectral figure, transparent, followed by Experavit and several other necromancers, like ghosts. But the aura emanating from them was terrifying.

"What an honor to see you here. Pity you no longer have bodies of flesh, of blood… Pity… They were so beautiful, I could not resist them," Duke of Graves spoke, and from the huge mass of flesh appeared heads with empty eye sockets - the Duke of Graves, Experavit, Kriny, Iratus, and all the other necromancers.

From the lower part of the flesh protruded arms and legs, filled with necrotic energy. Gradually, a vast amount of this energy enveloped all the flesh, creating a sinister atmosphere.

The huge mass of flesh occupied half the laboratory and half the cave. Raising its arms and even legs in attack, it aimed directly at Vallynor.

"Tezad, you villain!" Duke of Graves angrily exclaimed, looking at his own eyeless head, which merely opened and closed its mouth.

"Don't talk like that, buddy. After all, I use bodies intelligently. We are necromancers, after all. He-he-he." From each head echoed a voice, repeating after the head composed of eyes. This sound, ignoring everyone, directed itself at Vallynor.

"Hmm, anger and disappointment have enveloped me. After all, I am weak. If these feelings have consumed me," said Duke of Graves, looking at his own head of flesh.

"Vallynor, we will take all the energy collected from the Necronomicon. I assume you won't mind?" Experavit addressed Vallynor, examining him closely. In response, a vast amount of necrotic energy flowed from Vallynor, precisely from the Necronomicon, which Vallynor had accumulated and used when his own energy was depleted. Now, the Necronomicon was in full bloom, and Vallynor was forced to conserve his energy.

Beneath Vallynor's feet, spectral hands made of flesh and iron emerged, which grabbed him and attempted to instantly drag him into the ground.

"You will not steal it, using my spells," said one of the necromancers, while others created weapons and summoned their servants, preparing to attack the enemy.

Isda, reaching Forkas, placed a finger on his head to check his condition. Forkas, in a critically severe state, had been attacked by necrotic energy, which penetrated his body and began destroying everything in its path. The divinity within him was too weak. Isda directed a piece of her Divinity but also quickly halted the process.

"Yena, please help (Isda)... You want me to absorb the necrotic energy? You know what this is (Yena)... Never mind! (Isda)... As you wish (Yena)."

The Armor carried the attack to Isda and Forkas, giving Isda no peace, while Forkas, wounded, tried to rise. Isda created a dome of divinity, and Yena, controlling the left hand, drew out demonic energy from Forkas. Forkas, grasping Isda's hand, clenched it and said:

"What are you doing?" He looked at the hand, drawing a part of the necrotic energy with hatred.

"What I was told to." Yena, ignoring the angry gaze, continued to extract the foreign energy from Forkas, while Isda's body slowly transformed into a demon.

The divine barrier was almost broken when the Armor was hit by a barrage of various attacks. The Armor turned to the source and saw the necromancers attacking the flesh mass, holding it back. Part of the attacks, missing the mark, hit her.

"Stop delaying the inevitable and give me that boy. And as a bonus - your souls." Tezad, laughing, attacked all the necromancers and tried to catch Vallynor.

"We cannot hold out for long. Edward!" Duke of Graves, watching as Tezad slowly squeezed them to the wall, noticed that only Edward could change the situation.

"Ready!" Edward exclaimed, sticking a note to Vallynor's head.

"The Chinese... I mean, Asians." Experavit angrily said, looking at the note stuck to Vallynor's face with drawn symbols, immediately angering Experavit.

"Calm down, old man. This method is very effective," Edward blocked Tezad's attack.

"Hmm? You want to move the boy? How naive!" Tezad spread his arms wide, enveloping everyone in a dome similar to the one Isda created. But this time, it was formed from necrotic energy. "Let's see if your plan works."

Edward, looking at the dome, smirked mysteriously and told Vallynor to gather his undead. Vallynor, having learned from them for some time, was able to understand their habits. He immediately sensed that Edward was hiding something so Tezad wouldn't guess, but Tezad seemed to see everything and summoned several more domes, which slowly began to close his gate.