Chapter 11: A Pyrrhic Victory (Bonus Chapter For Surpassing 20 Collections)

Chapter 11: A Pyrrhic Victory (Bonus Chapter)

A/N: Valorion and the other heroes' point of view after the battle.

The Colosseum was deathly silent. The forsaken land lay in ruins, its shattered stones scattered across the battlefield—a grim testament to the destructive forces unleashed only moments earlier. Valorion stood amidst the devastation, his chest heaving as he struggled to steady his trembling hands. Traces of Atrax's overwhelming energy still lingered in the air, oppressive and suffocating, a chilling reminder of how close they had come to annihilation.

He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, fragments of the battle flashing through his mind. Atrax had been unlike any foe they had ever faced—a master of Mana, Qi, and Ether itself. Each of his movements had been calculated, each of his attacks devastating. The memory of serpent-like red Mana constructs and the crushing weight of Dominion was seared into Valorion's mind. Even as the Supreme-Class Hero, the strongest among the Ethereal standings, he had felt his resolve buckle under the sheer weight of Atrax's power.

"We didn't win," Valorion muttered, his voice a low rasp. "We survived."

Nearby, Bulk sat slumped against a crumbling column, his Qi reserves drained. Known for his sheer brute strength, the massive orc had fought with all his might, his fists shaking the earth itself. But even Bulk's legendary power had faltered before the crushing force of Crushed Horizon. To his left, Vera sat amidst the rubble, her bow reduced to splinters, her Mana entirely spent. She had fought with precision and unrelenting determination, but her finest efforts had barely slowed Atrax.

Valorion clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as the memory of Atrax's final moments burned in his mind. His trump card, Mind's Eclipse, had forced Atrax into retreat, but even that triumph felt hollow. The sight of Atrax's faltering form and fractured memories had brought only fleeting relief. Even in his weakened state, Atrax had managed to escape.

"He's not dead," Valorion said aloud, his voice harder now. "He fled. And he'll return."

The words hung heavily in the air. In optimality, they had come to end Atrax, to eliminate the threat he posed to their world. Yet, all they had achieved was a temporary reprieve. They had succeeded in wounding Atrax's mind, but how long would that buy them? Months? Weeks? And, of course, by their next clash, Atrax would have found a counter.

"Valorion," Bulk's deep voice rumbled like distant thunder, cutting through the stillness. "What now?"

For a moment, Valorion didn't answer. His gaze swept over the battlefield, taking in the shattered stones, the exhaustion etched into his comrades' faces, and the faint horizon where Atrax had vanished. "We regroup," he finally said.

They gathered themselves slowly, each movement a painful reminder of their wounds. Valorion's thoughts churned as he considered their next steps. This was far from over. The battle had cost them dearly, but the war—the war was only beginning.

As he turned to lead them away, Vera's brittle voice broke the silence. "Tell me this wasn't all for nothing."

Valorion stopped, turning back to face her. Her elven features were lined with exhaustion, her gaze sharp but desperate. "It wasn't for nothing," he said firmly. "We forced him to retreat."

"But retreat isn't defeat," Bulk interjected, his tusks glinting faintly in the moonlight. Even battered and drained, the orc's presence was imposing. "He'll come back stronger, more prepared, and at his best. He's not the type to let this humiliation stand."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Valorion snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. He drew a steadying breath, the weight of his position settling heavily on him. "We were never going to win this fight—not today. The council didn't send us to kill Atrax; they sent us to weaken him. To buy time."

"And look where that got us," Vera said bitterly, gesturing to the desolation around them. "We're alive, sure. But barely. What happens when he comes back? What happens if this isn't enough?"

Valorion's eyes softened, though the tension in his posture remained. He understood their anger, their doubt. They had stood on the brink of death tonight, and the bitter taste of survival without victory was hard to swallow.

"We learn from this," he said, his tone resolute. "We know more about him now than anyone else ever has—his abilities, his limits, even his weaknesses. Next time, we'll be ready."

Bulk grunted, his voice low and skeptical. "Next time, we might not be the ones sent to face him."

"That's not for us to decide," Valorion replied, his gaze steady. "But if it is, we'll make sure it ends differently."

For a moment, silence reclaimed the battlefield, broken only by the faint crackling of dissipating Mana residue. Each of them was lost in their thoughts, weighed down by exhaustion and uncertainty.

Finally, Vera broke the quiet. "When do you think he'll recover?"

Valorion didn't answer immediately. He thought of the way Atrax's movements had faltered, how his attacks had grown erratic after Mind's Eclipse had taken hold. Atrax was a being of immense will and power—he would recover, but it wouldn't be swift.

"He'll recover," Valorion said grimly. "But not immediately. What I did… It'll take time for him to regain what he's lost. And that's the time we'll use to prepare."

Vera nodded hesitantly, though her doubt lingered. Bulk gave a noncommittal grunt, his agreement implied but guarded.

As the weight of their injuries and exhaustion fully settled in, Valorion turned his back on the battlefield. He motioned for the others to follow. "Let's go. We've done what we came to do. Now, we regroup and report."

They left the ruins behind, their steps heavy but determined. Valorion couldn't help but glance back one final time. The horizon stretched endlessly before him, a stark reminder of the battle yet to come.

Atrax was still out there, somewhere. He wouldn't rest until he reclaimed what he had lost.

Neither would Valorion.

---

Meanwhile, in the present with Ain (Atrax):

"So... Soph... Sophiee... can't I kill Roove? No one would know."

Ain mumbled in his sleep, lost in the midst of a dream that reflected his deep-seated pride as Atrax. The conflict between his past self and his present circumstances manifested in his mind as a desire to silence Roove, an overweight figure from his present who had irked him once but to Atrax once is too many times. The dream felt almost like a reenactment, with his hidden emotions as Atrax urging him to take decisive action against the one who had once been a thorn in his side.

But for now, it was only a dream, one that lingered like a shadow in the depths of his unconscious mind.