Prologue

Dark clouds obscured the sun as thunder roared in the sky. As dangerous and loud as a thunderstorm could be, it paled in comparison to the sound of the battlefield below.

Two armies were engaged in combat, one composed of humans, elves, dwarves, and nymphs, while the other consisted of a variety of different races, each more monstrous than the last. They battled to the death without holding back or showing mercy, causing the ground to be painted red. Occasionally, explosions shook the earth as mages from both sides fired their spells whenever multiple enemies were surrounded.

Both armies may have started with specific formations or tactics, but at this point in the battle, there was nothing but pure chaos as they only sought to utterly destroy their enemies.

The battle took place in the remains of a fallen city, which could only be inferred from the rubble and the collapsed buildings some soldiers were standing on. Not too far from the army of monsters, a grey castle with black towers stood tall on top of a cliff in the distance. Its size was so impressive that anyone standing at the top of one of the towers would be able to see the entire battlefield.

The monstrous army used all its might to prevent the enemy from storming their lord's castle, but the more time passed, the more they were pushed back.

One large troll cut down three humans at once with a broadsword suited for his size and continued his rampage by stomping on a nearby elf, crushing his bones as if they were nothing. He lifted his sword to launch another attack, only to be stopped dead in his tracks when a fireball hit him right in the head, burning his face off and causing him to collapse onto some of his allies.

"Damn it! They're gaining ground! At least try to dodge those hits, you stupid trolls!" a woman screamed as she witnessed the troll's fall. While the trolls may have had incredible strength, they had no worthwhile combat abilities.

One might have thought, based on her overall appearance, that the woman was a human who had betrayed her peers. However, it was quite obvious that she was a succubus. She had two purple horns growing from her head, a long purple tail with a heart-shaped tip, and dark wings resembling those of a bat. Moreover, she wore high heels and a skimpy outfit that barely covered anything, which a regular person would not wear on a battlefield.

"[Supreme Cross Lightning]!" she chanted as lightning crackled between her hands before shooting forward. Her spell hit the nearest elf before bouncing off him and splitting in two, traveling through multiple other enemies and even some of her allies. Even though she managed to roast a few dozen enemy soldiers in only one spell, she frowned. "I'll be out of mana soon at this rate," she grumbled in annoyance while breathing heavily. The injuries she had sustained and the blood running down her back were starting to take a toll on her body and mana.

Suddenly, a much louder explosion than the ones before made her spin around and stare at the castle. She widened her eyes as the roof of the throne room burst into pieces, raising a gigantic cloud of dust while the East Tower collapsed on the cliffside. Fortunately, the tower hadn't fallen on the castle itself, but it was still damaged from within! Until now, the only damage was on the exterior due to the catapults and spells thrown from the battlefield, but if the explosion came from the inside, that meant…

"Shit! Some filthy humans managed to get past and enter the castle! Can none of you even protect-" She started to rant to the other troops until she was cut off…literally. She widened her eyes in shock and surprise as pain shot through her neck. It was only when she saw her own body from a lower angle that she realized she had been decapitated. Her head rolled on the ground a couple of feet before stopping, her face frozen in a fear-filled expression. Her body fell not too long after as blood gushed out of her neck.

The man who had beheaded her breathed heavily as he held his sword with a tight grip. Several of the monsters fighting by the succubus' side turned to look at him in shock and surprise, unable to believe that someone like her could be brought down by a human!

The human soldier raised his two-handed sword in the air and screamed in victory.

"Destroy the Dark Lord's forces and finish him off!" he declared to his comrades, who shouted in approval before fighting even harder than before. The soldier who killed the succubus brought down his sword and killed a goblin in one slash before pushing back against the rest of the army.

As the two armies fought with all their might, explosions burst throughout the castle, causing more and more cracks to spread through the walls. Inside the castle, a large ball of fire collided with an armored man, throwing him several feet away until he almost hit the throne in the back of the room. However, even with the spell hitting him head-on, he stood proudly on his feet. Behind him, the top of the throne cracked and crumbled, likely damaged by the blast radius.

The man wore black armor made from dragon scales that covered his entire body, rendering his race indiscernible. His black horned helmet concealed all but two glowing red dots for eyes and a small opening for his mouth. A torn dark purple cape fluttered in the wind that came through the hole in the roof.

He wielded a silver greatsword with both hands, and black smoke surrounded the weapon in a peculiar manner.

The most intimidating aspect of the man wasn't his armor and weapon, but rather his size. He stood at an imposing 8 feet tall, towering over any regular human. One might assume he possessed giant genes, but he did not.

He was, in fact, the Dark Lord. His very name struck fear into the hearts of his enemies, while his subjects revered him as a deity. Yet to the rest of the world, he was a symbol of pure evil.

While his armies and soldiers thought of him as an invincible monster, he was now panting in pain. The armor he had been so proud of was covered in cracks and was slowly falling apart just like his castle. The missing parts of his armor revealed dark purple skin underneath it.

"I have to admit... huff ...you are better than I thought. Still, do you think this would be enough to defeat me? I am the Dark Lord!" he stated proudly and confidently, his voice loud despite his evident fatigue. "If I lost to worms like you, I would retire!" he added as his opponents came into view.

The ones who never stopped opposing him and foiled all his plans were the ones who had been a thorn in his side the most. They were the ones sent by Drulla, the Goddess of Light herself. Just thinking about her made his blood boil, but he couldn't lose focus now. His enemies were stronger than he had anticipated, and it wasn't the first time he had underestimated them.

The one he despised the most was the Goddess's champion, Cyrus. He was a young man who wore paladin's armor, likely bestowed upon him by Drulla, and held a one-handed sword. The weapon didn't appear to be forged from any special metal, but rays of light swirled around it. That sword was specifically crafted to hurt and kill the Dark Lord. That much was obvious.

At the hero's side stood his most trusted companion, an elven mage named Layla. She wore traditional mage robes, and despite being only slightly older than her leader, she possessed an hourglass figure that would have caught the Dark Lord's attention if he wasn't currently fighting for his life.

The other two companions were Rifin and Avenas. Rifin was a thief dressed entirely in black, carrying both a katana and a bow with arrows. Avenas, on the other hand, was a druid specializing in earth magic, and though he wielded a spellcasting staff, he was built like a sturdy warrior and proved himself formidable in close combat. All in all, they were unpredictable and difficult opponents to face.

Despite only one of them being an elf, the others were mere humans, and yet he was losing. Both sides were equally injured, but the heroes had the upper hand, and he couldn't accept being defeated by them. He was so close to accomplishing his goal, the one that all previous Dark Lords had fought for.

"It ends now, Dark Lord! You've caused enough harm to innocent people!" Cyrus shouted. The Dark Lord rolled his eyes in annoyance. He found the heroic speeches almost as irritating as losing, always the same dull monologue.

"We both know that you and your team can't kill me… But you're all strong, so I'll be merciful. If you give up and abandon Drulla's teachings, I will let you join me at my side. Together, we will easily conquer this world," the Dark Lord attempted to lure them to his cause, but they all glared at him.

"You're wasting your time! There's no way I'll join you!" Cyrus replied, and the Dark Lord scoffed.

"Stay focused. If he's resorting to such desperate tactics, it means he's reaching his limits. He's fighting for his life," Layla assured her companions, boosting their confidence. Dark Lord gritted his teeth, offended by their insinuation that he was desperate.

How dare they suggest that he would beg for his life or bow down to anyone! All he was doing was giving them a final opportunity to accept mercy from him.

"Arrogant pieces of filth! If I weren't holding back to protect my castle, you would have died a long time ago! Don't think that you are strong enough to face me!" he shouted in fury, summoning purple flames around his left hand. "[Hellflame]!" he chanted, thrusting his hand forward and shooting a huge stream of fire at them.

Avenas quickly ran ahead and placed his hands on the ground before the flames could reach them.

"[Create Great Forest]!" he cast the spell, causing gigantic roots to emerge from the castle's floor and block the path leading to his team.

"That pathetic spell wouldn't..." Dark Lord started, only to widen his eyes as his flames reduced the roots to ashes but still faded before hitting their targets. When the wall of trees disappeared, he noticed with surprise that Layla was surrounded by two blue magic circles.

"[Thunder Dance]!" An arc of lightning surrounded Layla's hands as she hurled it toward the Dark Lord.

The thunder attack was so fast that a regular person wouldn't react to it in time. However, as the Dark Lord, it was child's play. He pointed his palm at the spell to block it. Unfortunately, it suddenly changed course right before impact and went around him until it hit his back.

The Dark Lord grunted in pain as the electricity coursed through his body, shocking him to the core. It was a more powerful spell than he had anticipated, considering the damage he had taken. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to recover before Cyrus charged at him.

"Take this!" Cyrus yelled as he slashed at the Dark Lord's neck, but his opponent blocked the blow just in time. They exchanged multiple hits, but none of them was able to land a decisive blow. Both were strong, yet injured, and a single cut could determine the outcome of the battle.

The Dark Lord chanted, "[Dark Lord's Poison Mist]!" and breathed a purple mist into Cyrus' face.

The hero gasped in shock as he was saved at the last second by a gigantic flower that grew between them and absorbed all the poisonous mist. Another root wrapped around Cyrus' body and pulled him back before the Dark Lord could attack again.

"He almost got me… Thanks, Avenas," Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief.

"I won't stand back and watch my leader die, after all," Avenas responded, while the Dark Lord grunted.

"Fight me head-on, you cowards!" He taunted them, but they stayed back.

"It's time we beat him once and for all… He's weakened enough, isn't he, Layla?" Cyrus inquired, and the female mage nodded in agreement.

"You're spouting nonsense again! I'm far from being done!" Dark Lord prepared to attack, only for roots to wrap around his body. He immediately recognized the spell as soon as the plants started siphoning his mana. It was the Green Mana Drain spell! He quickly started tearing the plants apart before they could absorb any more of his mana, while his opponents got ready.

"[Supreme Aura of Healing]!" Layla cast as a bright light surrounded her companions, healing them and closing many of their wounds.

"Your turn, Rifin!" Cyrus ordered as the thief crossed his fingers and pointed them at the Dark Lord.

"[The 8 Ancient Binding Seals]!" Rifin chanted as several red bands with symbols appeared from magic circles under the Dark Lord's feet.

As he ripped off the final root, the bands constricted around his body and limbs, engulfing him in a crimson aura. He howled in agony as a searing sensation coursed through his veins. However, unlike the previous attempt at ensnaring him, this time, he was genuinely immobilized! No matter how much he struggled, his body remained as rigid as a stone statue.

"What in the world is this?!" He bellowed, gritting his teeth and attempting to break free.

"Ugh...I can't keep him restrained for much longer! Hurry, Cyrus!" Rifin cautioned.

"[Titanic Strength V]! [Imperious Defense IV]! [Immeasurable Speed V]! [Power of Mana II]!" Layla cast multiple spells on the hero, and his body was illuminated with various auras each time a spell was cast.

"They're preparing for something…" Dark Lord commented under his breath as he grew even more worried. "Stupid body… Why won't you move already?!" He hollered in anger while he was still immobilized.

"Goddess of Light! Mistress Drulla, grant me your power!" Cyrus shouted as rays of light suddenly enveloped his sword and made it shine so brightly that everyone around started shielding their eyes. Except for Cyrus himself and Rifin, who had to maintain his spell. The light spread all over Cyrus's body and changed the color of his clothes to gold, while horns of light appeared on his head. "RAAAAAH!" he let out a battle cry before sprinting towards the immobilized Dark Lord.

"S-Shit! I don't care if both armies are annihilated if that's what it takes to kill you! [Aura of the Dark Lord]!" he chanted, ready to wipe out everyone inside and outside of the castle. However, instead of unleashing an aura of death and malice that would have led him to victory, nothing happened. His spell wasn't working! "Why? My magic-!"

"I created this spell specifically for you, Dark Lord! As long as I'm here, you can't escape!" Rifin explained as Dark Lord widened his eyes.

Somehow… These inferior creatures created a spell that was capable of even rendering someone like him unable to move or use magic! It couldn't be… It couldn't end like this! Not after everything he had done! As Cyrus got closer and closer, the Dark Lord finally realized that his doom was slowly approaching. Unexpectedly, his life flashed before his eyes. He conquered nations, laid waste to entire cities, and unified an unbelievable amount of races to make his great army. He obtained riches and women. The only thing left that he had to do was take the world and rebuild it into his own image. And that ambition would be snuffed out by the very humans he looked down on?! At that moment, he wondered… Where had he gone wrong? What was the mistake he made that led to his downfall?

As a last-ditch effort, he tried to free himself again, so that at least he would die with pride and honor! He used all his power until he realized something miraculous, his arm holding the sword moved. He brought it down as quickly as he could while Rifin's jaw nearly fell off in shock. Unfortunately, it was too late.

"You can do it, Cyrus!" Layla screamed in encouragement as the others followed suit.

"Go, Cyrus!" Rifin yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Destroy him!" Avenas added as Cyrus' sword finally reached its mark.

The Dark Lord spat out blood as the sword of light went through his abdomen, and its magic power burned him from the inside. Cyrus let out one final war cry before pushing his sword up and cutting the Dark Lord in half.

Dark Lord's soul burned in agony as the light consumed him, disintegrating his very essence, his very being. Despite the power of the blow, his organs remained in place inside his body as it was slowly reduced to nothing. As the sword cleaved through his head, a column of light shot up into the sky, scattering the clouds.

In his final moments, even in defeat, the Dark Lord swore to return. Though he had been destroyed, he would come back and finish what he had started.