Hero of Darkness



In the midst of the Elysium Tribal Tourney, Kahn, fighting under his Atreus Persona, found himself seething with an unprecedented fury.

Never before had he been so thoroughly infuriated by an opponent's arrogance and disregard for his worth as a warrior, particularly in a high-stakes deathmatch.

The fact that Dahaka had entered the battle ill-prepared, failing to bring his best gear and underestimating Kahn, served as a blatant sign of disrespect.

It was a direct affront to his skill and abilities, disregarding the countless hours he had devoted to training and self-improvement over the past 11 months.

Throughout that time, Kahn had dedicated himself relentlessly, forsaking even the most basic needs of sustenance, pushing himself to the limits of his physical and mental endurance.

He had honed his abilities, aiming to become a force to be reckoned with, all in preparation for moments like this.

However, due to the restrictions of the previous matches, where killing was prohibited, Kahn had not yet revealed the true extent of his merciless nature to anyone.

He possessed the capabilities to dispatch his opponents with ease, yet he had chosen restraint. Instead, he had fought only with an Ice Elemental Brawler class warrior, adhering to his new identity within the empire.

But now, faced with Dahaka's blatant undermining, it felt like a personal slap in the face.

All the sacrifices Kahn had made, enduring countless deaths and excruciating pain, just to master his skills, felt disrespected and belittled. This insult, inflicted by an opponent who failed to understand the depths of his journey, pierced him deeply.

Of all the encounters since his arrival in Vantrea, this was by far the greatest insult Kahn had received.

The present incarnation of Kahn, embodying the persona of Atreus, was not a mere product of his Divine Abilities or fortuitous circumstances.

He had earned his reputation as a true warrior through unwavering dedication and relentless effort.

With a voice filled with wrath and determination, Atreus openly declared his intent to make an example out of Dahaka.

His words carried a weight that resonated with the spectators, leaving no doubt that he would exact devastating retribution for this unforgettable transgression.

Kahn had endured countless trials and tribulations, facing death in its most harrowing forms to refine his skills and forge an indomitable spirit.

His journey had molded him into a warrior who would not tolerate disrespect or belittlement. Dahaka's underestimation of him, fueled by arrogance and a disregard for his true power, had ignited a flame of wrath within Atreus that could not be extinguished.

BOOM!!

The battlefield was engulfed in a swirling, dark blue aura that erupted ceaselessly, a visual manifestation of the immense power surging through Kahn's body.

With the activation of War Dominance, the strength of his aura increased fivefold, leaving even the formidable Dahaka feeling helpless and insignificant.

Dahaka's body seemed to betray him, his movements faltering, as the overwhelming killing intent exuded by Atreus shook his very soul.

A sense of dread enveloped him, as if he stood on the precipice of the underworld itself.

"This aura… it's comparable to at least a beginner 6th-stage saint no matter how I look at it. Yet he is definitely only an intermediate 5th-stage saint.

And it feels like this is barely half of his strength." spoke the Heavenly KIng of Light, Haldor.

The aura emanating from Atreus surpassed the expectations of even a beginner 6th-stage saint. Yet, by all accounts, Atreus was only an intermediate 5th-stage saint.

Haldor couldn't fathom how such immense power could be contained within him, and he sensed that Atreus was only utilizing a fraction of his true strength.

The realization left Haldor and the other Heavenly Kings awestruck. They had witnessed countless battles and faced formidable opponents, but the might radiating from Atreus surpassed their comprehension.

It was a testament to the depths of his power and his unrivaled prowess as a warrior.

Especially the Heavenly King of Metal, Jaro who was also the father of Dahaka.

"This Atreus… exactly who is he?" murmured the Empress to herself, a glint of curiosity in her eyes.

----------------

In the secluded pocket dimension, Atreus's wrathful gaze carried the weight of a Final Judgement.

The veneer of concealment that once shrouded his true power had been cast aside, no longer relevant in the face of his overwhelming strength.

The wrathful gaze by Atreus seemed more of a declaration of Final Judgement as the blue wolfkin no longer cared to hide his strength.

"Come here. Let me teach you the basic courtesy of a warrior." spoke Atreus and a massive Wolf claw made of those waterblades formed in a mere moment, instantly captured the staggered Dahaka.

With an authoritative command, Atreus directed his vast legion of 19,400 remaining sea dragons, along with hundreds of raging typhoons and billions of razor-sharp waterblades, to surge forward as a unified force.

There was no room for escape, not even the open sky above offered a reprieve for the army of lightning panthers.

BOOM!!

BANG!!!

RUMBLE!!

As the clash intensified, the very fabric of their battlefield quaked under the sheer magnitude of their powers.

The earth trembled, and the vast expanse of sky and sea seemed to shudder as if bearing witness to the impending cataclysm that unfolded before them.

In the face of this unfathomable onslaught from all directions, the might of Kahn's powers proved devastating.

The lightning panthers, once formidable creatures under Dahaka's command, were decimated by the relentless assault launched by Atreus and his forces.

With each clash, the energy surged and clashed, unleashing bursts of blinding light and crackling electricity.

The thunderous reverberations echoed through the air, mingling with the roars of the sea dragons and the howling winds of the typhoons.

The battlefield became a chaotic symphony of destruction, where water and lightning clashed in an epic display of power.

Crumble!

Dahaka's domain was crumbling under the overwhelming might of Atreus. 

In this pivotal moment, the true strength of Kahn, emerged as an unstoppable force, leaving no doubt in the minds of all who bore witness to this extraordinary battle.

The world itself seemed to hold its breath, in awe of the power that unfolded before it.

Blergh!

At this same moment, Dahaka who was like a chick caught by a wolf, retched and threw up a lot of blood. His situation turning dire as Kahn's own barrage of skills started destroying his domain.

"Even War Generals adorn their armors and weapons when facing the war general from the enemy side.

It is seen as an etiquette among warriors to acknowledge and respect the opponent in their bout where one of them is bound to die." spoke Atreus in a grim tone.

"Yet you came here wearing neither of them.

Aren't you just being too unscrupulous towards the code of conduct among great warriors?

Or do you feel way too overconfident in your skills, having the notion that you're too strong to even be compared to such people in history?" he asked sarcastically.

Swoosh!

And the very next moment, Atreus quickly appeared in front of Dahaka and his eyes glowed yellow as he used Lucid Reality and Executioner's Gaze.

The combination of skills instantly paralyzed the combatant of the Black Panther tribe as the latter was pushed into delirium. 

The world around him changed and as the backlash of getting his domain destroyed by Atreus kept worsening his situation, his own control over his thoughts was in complete disarray.

Rip!

"ARRGH!!!" wailed Dahaka in agony as before he even realized what was happening, Atreus had forcefully ripped out one of his fingers on the right palm.

Blood seeped from the wound as a ghastly voice resounded. Yet even so, Dahaka could only let out a muffled scream as his body didn't listen to him.

"You dishonor not only me but all those warriors who partook in the Tribal Tourney over all these years.

By showing such attitude in the finale, it's as if you're looking down on all those who fought in the tourney and died with honor to bring glory to their tribes." his words echoed across the entire Nadur Empire.

Billions of citizens and all the warrior classes and magic classes were taken aback by these words spoken by Atreus.

Because his words were sound and accurate if one looked at him from a different perspective.

To not bring even his armor and weapons while staking his life in the entire tourney… Wasn't Dahaka basically saying that he didn't even need those like the warriors of past; that he was better than them?

Even those who couldn't use magic and never fought a battle in their entire lives found those words reasonable.

"Look at you. I didn't even need to do much to destroy your domain.

Even as a newly ascended 5th stage saint, I find it laughable to see such a weak domain in front me from a person who reached that rank years before me." spoke Atreus with a condescending look.

"You were acting all haughty with these meager skills?" he kept questioning.

"Now I feel even more offended."

Rip!

"WRAAAAGHHH!!!"

However this time… it was just a finger.

Atreus had ripped off Dahaka's entire arm.

People gasped in surprise and goosebumps ran across their bodies. However, little did they know…

That this was just the beginning.