Chapter 85: Bigger Threat

After slaying Hag, the 13th Lieutenant, Reese turned to face the remaining lieutenants. Sigar's anger was at its peak, his frustration boiling over. 'If only I had mastered the Umbral Force, none of my comrades would have perished.'

The remaining lieutenants gathered, their expressions grim. Sigar, Crag, Stum, Kumbra, Hollow, and Abyssal exchanged glances, their minds racing to formulate a plan.

"We can't keep losing men like this," Crag growled, his hooves pawing the ground.

Stum nodded, his watery form rippling with agitation. "We need to overwhelm him. Hit him from all sides."

Kumbra, the chupacabra-like creature, hissed, "We should split our attacks. Divide his attention."

Hollow, the mischievous duwende, added, "Yes, the five of us can target the civilians. It'll force him to divide his focus and leave him vulnerable."

Abyssal, the ghoul, grinned wickedly. "Agreed. Let's cause chaos and make him regret ever crossing us."

Sigar, still seething with anger, nodded. "Alright, here's the plan. I will attack him alone. Kumbra, Hollow, Abyssal, Crag, and Stum, you all target the civilians. Let's see how he handles that."

Reese, using his heightened spiritual sense, overheard their plan. His eyes widened in worry as he realized the lieutenants intended to attack the civilians.

He glanced down the mountain and saw the crowd of people who had gathered, drawn by the spectacle. His feelings were a mix of anger and concern. 'I intentionally moved away to avoid civilian casualties, and now these people have come here, fucking idiots,' he thought in frustration. 'This is infuriating!'

Knowing the plan of the remaining lieutenants, Reese didn't hesitate and launched himself at them. He used all his abilities to the fullest. His movements were a blur, almost invisible, as he utilized his Shadow Dash. He also unleashed his Soul Power to its limit, creating a powerful aura that disoriented the five lieutenants momentarily to buy him some time, all except Sigar, who resisted the attack.

With the lieutenants momentarily stunned, Reese executed his moves with precision. Wielding his Twin Swords of Eternity, he became a whirlwind of destruction. 

Crag, Stum, and Kumbra had begun their assault on the civilians. Crag charged with his powerful hooves, ready to trample anyone in his path. Stum summoned a torrent of water, aiming to drown the crowd, while Kumbra leapt towards the people with claws extended.

When the civilians saw that the creatures were attacking them, they screamed and ran while panicking. Some stumbled and fell, while others tripped over each other. The police also helped by urging the civilians to run, while the PSIA agents opened fire on the creatures that were coming to attack them.

But before the creatures could hurt the civilians, Reese arrived in front of the lieutenants and intercepted Crag first, using his incredible speed to appear in front of the Tikbalang. With a swift slash of his swords, he severed Crag's neck, sending him crashing to the ground. The civilians screamed, but Reese moved on to his next target without pause.

Stum's water attack was next. Reese sliced through the torrent with Lumina, parting the water and rendering the attack harmless. He then lunged at Stum, delivering a fatal strike that left the watery form dissipating into nothingness.

Kumbra's leap was met with a devastating counter from Reese. He slashed upwards, bisecting the creature mid-air and preventing it from reaching the civilians. 

With three lieutenants down, Reese turned his attention to Hollow and Abyssal. Hollow, the goblin-like duwende, tried to cast a spell to trap Reese, but he was too fast. He dodged the spell and drove his sword through Hollow's chest, ending the threat.

Abyssal, the ghoul, lunged at Reese with a feral growl. Reese spun and decapitated the ghoul with a single stroke of his blade. The headless body crumpled to the ground, leaving only Sigar standing.

Reese stood amidst the fallen lieutenants, breathing heavily but unharmed. He felt a slight fatigue setting in but remained vigilant. Sigar, the First Lieutenant, was now alone and visibly terrified. His once confident demeanor was replaced by sheer terror.

The people watching the live feed on Facebook and TikTok were in shock. Comments flooded the screen:

"Did you see that? He took them all down!"

"This guy is unreal!"

"Who is the Black Mask Man?"

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Director Alvarez back at BGC watched in disbelief through the drone feed. "Unbelievable," he muttered. "He's actually doing it."

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Back on the battlefield, Sigar trembled as he faced Reese. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable. "You... you can't defeat me," he stammered, though his voice lacked conviction.

Reese, eyes blazing with determination, stepped forward. "I've taken down your comrades. You're next."

Sigar was initially paralyzed with fear, but then a plan formed in his mind. 'I have no choice but to use that move.' His expression shifted from terrified to resolute, a sinister smile playing on his lips. Reese noticed the change and felt a twinge of confusion. 'What is he planning?' Reese wondered. 'No matter what you try, it won't work against me.'

Sigar raised his hands and unleashed the Umbral Force to its fullest. The dark energy spread rapidly, and wherever it touched, it turned everything to decay. Trees withered, rocks crumbled, and the ground itself seemed to rot away. The malevolent power emanated from Sigar, expanding outward in a deadly wave.

Reese's eyes widened in alarm. He began to back away, recognizing the danger. "Everyone, get away from here!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the chaos. 

Reyes and Samantha, who had been watching the battle, heard Reese's shout. They immediately sprang into action, their expressions filled with urgency.

"Everyone, run! Get out of here, now!" Reyes bellowed, waving his arms to drive the crowd away.

"Move, move!" Captain Samantha Yap echoed, helping to direct the panicked civilians to safety. 

The Umbral Force continued to spread, reaching a radius of about 185 meters with Sigar at its center. The dark energy devoured everything in its path. Then, suddenly, Sigar began to retract the Umbral Force, sucking it back into himself through his mouth.

Reese watched in confusion. 'What is he doing?' he wondered. 'Why is he pulling it back?' 

Sigar's plan became clear. With a twisted grin, he thought, 'If I can't kill you, I might as well take these pests with me. You took my comrades; I'll take your race too.' He then exhaled the Umbral Force with remarkable speed, directing it toward the crowd of civilians. 

Reese was stunned. He had expected Sigar to attack him, not the civilians. Acting on instinct, he used his Shadow Dash to intercept the deadly force. He barely made it in time, drawing Tenebra, the Sword of Dusk, to absorb the Umbral Force. At first, it seemed ineffective, and Reese worried that Tenebra might break under the strain. Slowly, however, the sword began to absorb the dark energy.

Reese felt a wave of relief. 'It's working!' he thought, then Reese realized that he might as well use the Amethyst Orb to absorb the Umbral Force, then the suction of Tenebra stopped and the Amethyst Orb started to absorb the Umbral Force. Reese smiled. 'With this large amount of Umbral Force, I think I might breakthrough to the Medial Realm.' His grip on Tenebra tightened as the sword continued to draw in the Umbral Force and went straight to the Amethyst Aura.

Sigar watched in disbelief as Reese managed to intercept his attack and save the civilians. Worse, he saw the Umbral Force being sucked away by his sword. 'No! How can this be? Sigar thought, panic rising within him.

As the minutes passed, the strength of Sigar dwindled. The continuous drain of the Umbral Force left him weakened. His once-imposing figure shriveled, and soon he was nothing more than skin and bones. With a final, despairing gasp, Sigar collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Reese stood, panting slightly, as the last remnants of the Umbral Force were absorbed by the Amethyst Orb. He looked around, ensuring that the civilians were safe and that the threat was truly gone.

The crowd, having witnessed the incredible battle, erupted in a mixture of cheers and stunned silence. Online, the comments flooded in with awe and disbelief.

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Director Alvarez, still watching from BGC, shook his head in amazement. "Incredible," he muttered. "He's done it." 

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Reese, still holding Tenebra and Lumina, looked at the fallen Sigar and then at the relieved civilians. He had succeeded. "It's finally over."