( All stat boost!)

(All stat boost!)

The walls echo with a large slam as Axel comes tumbling down from a massive sucker punch! Yokubo lifts his arm and retrieves Axel from the ground! He squirms as the warlord's death grip tightens. His nails dig deep into his throat, utterly crushing Axel's neck to oblivion! Axel vomits out a river of blood as his neck snaps in half! Satisfied with the sound of bones crushing. Yokubo slams Axel into the solid ground and pummels him with a series of stomps!

Blood flings everywhere as the floor quakes! Bones shatter as the ground begins to break! More of Axel's blood begins to spill, powering his every fiber as he's forced to endure such grievous torture! His eyes spiral out of control as an endless sea of blood gushes out of him upon every stomp!

(All stat boost!)

(All stat boost!)

Axel creates a giant fist made by the shadows surrounding them. He rams the fist across Yokubo's body to shake him off! Although the impact is almost as loud as a gunshot, the hand disappears, leaving Yokubo with only a minor bruise.

Out from the gore and rubble, Axel surfaces from the floor. His blood leaks from every direction, he gasps like a panting dog as his eyes stay fixated upon Yokubo. Those are the eyes of an animal spotting his prey, filled with pure malice and hunger.

(All stat boost!)

(All stat boost!)

Axel's muscles bulk up, his wounds quickly disappear without a trace!

Mana: 1,393/1,921

The ominous wind surrounding him coils ever tighter, they manifest into dark energy as they enter the exposed cuts in Axel's body, into his blood vessels.

( Ability: Prince of Darkness )

(Prince of Darkness: Grants the user special attributes associated with dark magic [Darkness]. The user can weaponize any nearby shadows to their will without limitation and can enhance most dark type magic spells.

The following occurs automatically when the user enters a night shift.

100% Attack increase to self

150% Magical Attack increase to self

100% Defence increase to self

150% Magical Defense increase to self

100% Speed increase to self

Mana res +50%

All dark magic spells receive a significant boost in damage.)

Axel tests the limits of his ability by weaponizing his entire body! A dark aura begins to envelope around him as the shadows course through his blood! Veins bulge from out of his body! The muscles building inside of him threaten to rip his skin apart! He clutches his teeth and zaps from one side of the room to the other!

(All stat boost!)

(All stat boost!)

They both attack simultaneously and clash with each other! Their fists meet with one another. The wind snaps and the castle shakes as their punches collide! Both Axel and Yokubo end in a power struggle, rivaling each other's strength as they give not an itch of ground! Visible discomfort and anguish show on their faces as the stalemate puts a lot of pressure and stress to each other.

But from amidst the agony, Yokubo cracks a smile.

"Hehe . . . I must say, this has been a pretty entertaining battle thus far. You've proven to be quite a decent threat, even to someone of high rank like us warlords. No doubt your Regeneration and Carnage Feast abilities are your trump cards. They are what allowed you to live this far, such a deadly combination when put together."

"But you've bitten too much than you can chew Axel, they won't work against me. I'll deplete your stamina and swiftly kill you before all those buffs close the gap of power between us."

The warlord's strength begins to slightly push Axel back.

(All stat boost!)

(All stat boost!)

He snarls in response and grits his teeth ever harder.

"You talk too much, you know that. Stuff like that is going to get you killed!"

Just on cue, the ground begins to rumble harshly! Out bursts multiple weapons from the floor ranging from different sizes and shapes and ambushes Yokubo!

Axel knees the warlord in the face while his guard is down and gives him a mighty punch to strike him back down!

All the blades follow suit! Attacking at once while the big guy is down. Yokubo escapes with only minor cuts as he narrowly dodges the weapons; he raises his head with a busted up lip and scans the area for Axel.

His skin instantly receives goosebumps as his eyes widened. He turns his head towards the ceiling!

Axel smiles menacingly as he readies up a Death Ball mid-air! With nowhere else to go, Axel launches the giant sphere of destruction towards Yokubo! It explodes right in his face and levels the entire room in ashes!

The end product leaves the entire room scorched beyond belief with all the banners burnt to a crisp, all the full sets of armor on display melted to a pulp, some of the ceiling crumbling down, allowing the harsh rain and heavy wind to invade the place. Overall, the room now appears on the verge of collapsing within itself.

Axel lands in front of Yokubo, with a smirk on his face. The warlord is on his knees. He's battered up and severely wounded, his smile has disappeared.

"Excellent work . . using your magic to scan the area, you're quite the strategist," Yokubo states as he raises his head.

He nearly holds his breath as he witnesses Axel smiling wryly . . .

For the first time, throughout this battle . . he senses fear in his heart . . .

Slash!!

A sword stabs Yokubo directly in his chest . .

Axel had saved all but one sword during the fight, using his Death Ball as a diversion for his actual final attack. He used his body to conceal the blade, and impaled himself with it to catch Yokubo by surprise. .

"Choosing to solely rely on your strength is for fools . . . now die."

Even to a well trained soldier, stabbing themselves right through just to catch the enemy by surprise would have caught them off guard.

Yokubo's leg becomes weak as he tumbles back in defeat. He clings onto the sword's handle as he falls to his doom.

With a large thud, Axel is left standing as the victor against a warlord.

"Hmph . ."

Axel takes his leave.

He begins to walk before ultimately coming to a halt.

Something isn't right . .

He did not receive Yokubo's stats or abilities, nor have his own stats reverted back to normal.

He turns around, and to his surprise, the warlord is back up.

It almost appears unreal, it almost feels like a corpse had risen rather than just an injured man. Still clinging to the sword, HE RIPS IT OFF OF HIS CHEST!!

Blood splatters onto the ground as some trails off the sword! His beating heart is on full display, still pulsating despite the giant gash across it. It's a disturbing sight to witness, even Axel is caught off guard by this surprise.

"I was so close to dying . . For a second, my life flashed before my eyes. Never in a million years did I come so close to dying. . ."

Yokubo starts to bulk up. His frown turns upside down.

"You've really got the blood pumping now. You leave me with no other choice than to take this battle seriously."

The ground around him starts to break. The wind starts to turn direction as his grip intensifies and shatters the sword!

"Congratulations, you are one of the few people who get to see this side of me. . You'll also be joining them down in the depths of hell. ."

Steam starts to excrete from his body! Intense heat begins to manifest around the room, so hot that even Axel with his Heat resistance ability works up a sweat. A storm breaks in the middle of the room! Spinning the rain and gust pouring from the ceiling all across the room! Solid tiles get picked along with the weapons Axel used into the on-going hurricane! It's mayhem. Reality breaks apart as chaos ensues!

Yokubo's chest starts pounding hard, which each beat ever louder! His irises disappear within his eyes as his muscles expand to an extraordinary degree! His shoulders become much broader! Bits and pieces of his armor begin to break as his two arms turn freakishly huge! His chest puffs out! Two boulders called pecs shatter his upper armor to oblivion as his torso grows absurdly! His skin covers the wounds inflicted on him, hardening afterwards and reinforcing his flesh! He absolutely towers over Axel as he continues to grow with no end in sight!

Yokubo groans and moans as his face starts to undergo a transformation! His two lower fangs develop into full blown tusks! They grow monstrously high! Taller than the biggest kitchen knife in the modern world. His nose and jaw start to mutate and expand. His nose becomes broader, while his jaw pops out from the face!

It's all too surreal . . Axel's body won't budge as his mind is left at a loss. He's almost frozen in place by the sudden turn in events, flabbergasted with his eyes glued to Yokubo. His hands naturally start to tremble, even though he has no ability that allows him to gauge an enemy's power, the sheer magnitude of power Yokubo is excreting nearly crushes Axel! Reality finally starts to settle in, and he braces himself from the beast.

Crazy wind storms destroy his surroundings! They almost become invisible blades as they tear the floor and ceiling to shreds! Yokubo's skin starts to change color, his tone becomes much darker as his muscles gain even more mass! He completely outgrows his tunic and stretches his trousers! The sheer amount of muscles he has is endless.

He has the monstrous body of a greek god. Any resemblance he had of being a formal human vanishes without a trace. Axel is in the presence of a full blooded monster . .

Now standing over 20 feet tall with a much more frightened appearance. He is intimidating.

The chaos subsides, leaving the thunder storm to fill in the void. Everything calms down. The ground stops rumbling, the air dissipates, and everything goes quiet.

Only the two of them are left standing. Axel is caged in with a beast, with nowhere to run or hide.

Heavy steam escapes through his nostrils. His warthog-like face stares down Axel.

His transformation is now complete.

Yokubo

Level: 76

Race: Monster (Former human)

Occupation: The seventh Warlord, the sin of lust

Hp: 101,767/120,821

Mana: 69,420/75,320

Attack: 112,053

Magical Attack: 146,667

Defence: 167,531

Magical Defense: 168,901

Mana res: 1000%

Speed: 170,692

"Heh. . heh . . heh . . What's wrong? Afraid of my true form? You didn't think taking on a warlord was that simple did ya? I was holding back to make things interesting, but now you'll get a glimpse of facing an actual warlord in combat."

He lets out even more heavy steam as his eyes glow an ominous red.

"You better be ready . . To experience your last battle in a hellish nightmare."

His muscles bulk up, as an incredible aura begins to surround him! He slowly ascends his arms to grasp the world!

"Let us commence . . our death battle!"

Axel notices something moving behind Yokubo. In a split second, two massive wings protrude from his back! They almost cover the entire room as they fully extend! A powerful gust blows over and obliterates everything in its proximity! The walls tremble harshly as the ceiling comes apart! The wind becomes stronger as they stretch as far as they can! The storm nearly blows Axel away as he stands his ground and covers his eyes with his arms!

The wings flap once and out comes a powerful hurricane that shatters the windows and shakes the Earth! Yokubo's body gets lifted off of the ground as his blood starts to pump!

"Play with me little puppet! I'll rip you limb from limb!"

Yokubo moves onwards towards Axel! The second round has begun!

The night is nowhere near done, it is only getting darker and darker, into the never-ending nightmare. . .

.

.

.

"Haaaaaaahhhhhh!!"

A knight comes behind Alice and swings while she's occupied with another knight!

Slash!

Alice blocks the attack with her sword and kicks the man in front of her!

*Drip* *drip* *drip*

Her injured arm continues to bleed immensely. She struggles to hold the guy off with just one hand, the knight inches closer and gets Alice into a corner. She headbutts the knight and swings upwards! Completely cutting off the guy's hands before striking at the heart!

She exhales profusely with heavy sweat pouring down her face. Her heart is racing dangerously fast as her exhausted body nearly gives up on her.

She is beyond her very own limit. The only thing that is supporting her two feet to move onward is the promise she made with her sister.

Several more come in and bone rush her! They attack from all directions and manage to get a few hits as well! She tanks the hits and delivers a swift blow to each knight!

Moments later, her ears perk up and she strikes behind her with all her strength!

Clang!

Several claws catch her sword! Mask reappears with a chuckle, blocking what would have been a fatal hit with ten thin blades.

Mask matches her power, and even starts to play with her by reinforcing its claws. Her arm nearly snaps, as she desperately tries to hold on!

"Hehehehe . . . What's wrong sister? Look alive! It ain't fun when my prey doesn't put up a fight. C'mon now! Keep up with me!"

Mask pushes Alice away and starts bombarding her with a series of strikes! One after another! Each attack becomes stronger than the last! Her weakened body is too slow to dodge! All she can do is block the hits and hope her sword can tank these powerful blows!

Clash!

The blades collide and make a powerful echo that spreads across the entire ballroom!

Slash!

Sparks fly in the air as they temporarily light up the room!

Mask rampages on and continues to pummel Alice with unforgiving strikes! Each time their blades crash, her bones rattle as an insane amount of pressure is placed on Alice! So great that it damages her already severe wounds into spilling more blood! All of her bandages are soaked in blood, all of her clothes are drenched in blood, she appears no different than the knights she's killed. She's a corpse that refuses to die.

She blocks an attack! And blood explodes from out of her body! The impact of blocking Mask's strike spreads across her entire body and opens her cuts even more as a byproduct. He swings and swings! And each time she's forced to block! Blood splats onto the floor upon every hit! The knights watch the battlefield, amazed at the two fighters. Mask is just as fast as they recall, if not faster. It moves like a blur, faster than the eye can see. Mask in particular is a terrifying opponent to face in battle, with unmatched speed that allows it to attack rapidly and ambush very easily, Mask also has the striking power to back up its speed. Known as the Bloodshed Mantis, Mask can strike with the power of a cannonball, and in rapid session. Mask is a nightmare in battle, and it's shown on full display before them.

And yet, despite its speed and power, Mask is getting countered by that female knight. The knight who they thought little of, the one who they treated poorly. That knight called Alice.

Mask is a monster in the battlefield, reported to have slain over a 1,000 soldiers, and those are just the kills that have been counted. Meanwhile Alice has never actually had any real combat experience outside of training. She was never tasked with any wars or battles, only escort missions and the occasional duty of protecting citizens from bandits or criminals. She was always given the shorter end of the stick, and yet she's so far ahead of everyone else.

The knights are amazed that she's able to stand up to Mask despite her inexperience. Blow after blow, Mask attacks and Alice blocks! Blood continues to trickle along her body. They stare in both shock and horror as she continues to bleed like crazy. Even though she's the enemy, they couldn't help but admire her determination to fight despite the wounds she has.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaha! This is the most fun I had in years! I don't want it to end yet! Dance with me puppet! Dance with me 'til I break you!!"

Mask launches a full on assault! Swinging with all its power! Alice braces herself, holding her breath and anticipating one hell of a blow!

Wham!

All the knight's ears nearly pop as a loud sound erupts, and Alice is sent flying! She crashes slap dab in the middle of the wall and shatters it! Her eyes roll back into her head as her armor explodes into a million pieces! That armor saved her from suffering the same fate. She falls unconscious onto the floor, with her body twitching and writhing in legendary pain. That's it, she's not even conscious anymore, it's over, the poor thing has suffered enough. . .

Mask sharpens the claws triumphantly, laughing from twisted satisfaction.

"It looks like I might have gotten a little overboard. I was having so much fun that I accidently broke my puppet too early. Oh no no no, this simply can't be. I wanted to take my time and savor our fun, it's not everyday I get to play with such a beautiful doll. I can see it now. Oh what a marvelous future! Drowning in her pain and despair for the rest of her life and letting her witness the death of her dear dear sister!"

Blood continues to leak non-stop from Alice, her body lies motionless on the cold floor as she drowns in her own blood.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Annabelle thrashes uncontrollably! Yelling and screaming with a cloth blocking her mouth! Devastated tears burst from her eyes as she continues to weep with the utmost heartbreak.

Mask glances over at the sister, and unconsciously snickers.

"Well, if I can't get what I want. Then I can simply switch the roles and let our poor Anna witness her sister's death instead. Take out that cloth in her mouth, I want to hear her misery."

Upon Mask's command, the knight carrying Annabelle takes out the cloth placed in her mouth. Mask begins to leisurely walk towards the fallen knight, with its hands shaking with excitement.

"Behold little one, don't look away, say your farewells as I rip her apart," Mask inches closer to closer.

Annabelle thrashes about! Unable to bear the thought of losing the one closest to her. She frantically tries to reach out to Alice, hoping that her voice gets through to her!

"Please stop! I beg of you! Alice please get up! GET UP!!! I know you can hear me! I know you're still alive! Don't die fighting a meaningless battle! Please Alice! Please. . my heart can't take this . . I don't want you to die . . . not my little sister . . ." she breaks down, pouring her heart and soul to reach her sister's ears . .

Mask is quickly approaching Alice, raising its arm up in anticipation to swipe.

"Oh don't you worry dear sister, you'll be joining soon enough. But let's not think too far ahead now, I'll make sure to enjoy myself. Now where do I start?"

Mask closes the distance, gazing at the once proud warrior now lying defeated in her own puddle of blood. In critical condition as an understatement as her wounds appear far too grave for anyone to remain alive. Her left arm is completely covered in blood; with the giant gash on her shoulder still bleeding like a fountain. Her right arm is also battered up, filled with tons of cuts and bruises that you would even question if this arm belongs to a corpse. And yet, despite the wounds, her hand still clings onto her sword.

"Even when she's knocked out, she still holds that sword of hers. Impressive, I'll probably cut off that arm first," says Mask.

Annabelle cries uncontrollably, with her heart nearly in shambles.

"ALICE!!!!" She lets out a desperate cry!

Mask snickers, enjoying the devastation in her voice before turning to Alice once more.

"Now where were we?"

Mask readies his claws, before noticing visible movement coming from the body. He nearly gasps out of shock before taking a step back. Alice's body twitches furiously as the hand holding the sword tightens. She slowly starts raising her head, fighting through the pain as she grits her teeth and stares down Mask with so much agony in her eyes.

Mask stumbles back utterly speechless, this is the first time he's ever been fazed in the battlefield.

"I-Impossible . . . How can you even wake up from that, your body shouldn't even function right now. You've lost too much blood, you shouldn't have the energy to remain conscious," Mask mumbles, gazing at Alice like if she is some sort of paranormal creature.

Alice struggles to get up, repeating falling over and over again until she gathers enough energy to lift her sword and uses it as something to lean on. Her body shakes harshly, about to topple over at any second now, but she persists through to the very end. There's nothing fueling her muscles anymore, absolutely nothing, and yet she staggers up on her feet. So long as she still lives, she will not let her body give up on her.

Everyone is left speechless, even Annabelle. Who despite calling for her sister to get up, didn't believe she could do it.

An unbearable amount of pain is consuming her body right now, eating away at her as everytime she moves slightly, a thousand daggers stab away at her body. The pain almost makes her faint away, but she sucks it up and focuses on the one before her.

"I can . . . keep fighting . . . I can fight until I win . . . or die trying . . . but I won't give up . . I still have to complete the promise I made with my sister."

Alice lifts her sword up! With a raging fire burning inside her eyes!

"No! Alice!! Stop pushing yourself!" Her sister pleads!

After taking a long pause to reevaluate the situation, Mask takes up arms.

"I've gotta admit, I don't know if it's a miracle, or your determination, but you've impressed me. You're clearly not just your average soldier both in skill and soul, but with that said, this little impressive feat of yours won't help you in the long run. You've only delayed the inevitable, and with a body like yours, one or two more blows will be the end of you. How will you overcome this predicament I wonder," Mask remarks, flashing its claws at Alice as a reminder of the amount of power they possess.

Alice gives a cold stare, planting her feet firmly on the ground as she prepares to swing.

They both take a stance, waiting for one of them to make a move. Both Roy and Leonardo observe from a distance, letting this fight play out without their assistance. Upon the first lighting, both Alice and Mask lunge at each! Alice takes the first swing! Mustering at much force behind it and aiming for the neck! Mask swings only a split second behind!

Boom!

Mask reaches her first, and lands a direct hit to her stomach!

Just the mere impact flattens her stomach! Her eyes shrivel and go pale, as the wind gets wiped out of her! A shockwave ripples through the room as it breaks the floor around them! Her entire body gets lifted off of the ground as Mask continues to push forward!

Crack!

The full impact of the blow cracks a few bones from her ribcage. She coughs up saliva and blood before getting launched across the room!

"Nooo Alice!!" Annabelle flails with her heart shattering!

Alice crashes onto the floor like a broken doll, her face portrays that of a lifeless person. She blends along with the rest of the bodies scattered across the floor. Not even so much as a twitch comes from her body.

"Nooooo!! Alice!! Please no!!" Her sister breaks down as her body grows weak, unable to do anything and forced to watch the brutality.

"Hmph, she was faster than I anticipated, no matter, the impact will kill her anyways. Wait what?!" Mask speaks too soon, as Alice slowly starts to get up. Blood drips from her chin. Tears begin to fall from her face as the pain intensifies. She grinds her teeth to release some pain and gives Mask a death stare that will permanently be etched into the back of its mind.

Mask shakes its head in disbelief, breaking into a cold sweat. Mask doesn't believe it, she should've been dead from that hit, there's no way she could be standing like that, it shouldn't be physically possible!

"How!? How are you still standing?! YOU should be dead! Dead! I could have swore that I shattered your rigs! You should be externally bleeding after that blow! There's no way you still have the energy or strength to still stand! That's impossible!"

Mask loses its cool as Alice staggers back up. She breathes heavily before lifting her sword up, ready to fight.

"Right now, my body is almost going numb by the amount of pain it's experiencing. And you're right, I should be dead, infact, I DO feel dead. I don't feel alive at all, not, at, all. There's a massive sharp pain penetrating my head that makes me wish I was dead, my eyes are on fire as my eyelids are getting extremely heavy. No matter how hard I breathe, I can't get enough air into my lungs. I can taste the blood in my mouth as my heart rages in my ears. All of my wounds burn like hell, like if I'm constantly burning myself with a giant flame, and yet inside of me, it feels like a blizzard, it's so cold that my body is visibly shivering. My body has gotten so numb that I can't feel my hand gripping my sword, and yet every time I move, the pain is so great that it almost breaks me. I know I'm not dead, but it sure as hell doesn't feel like I'm alive," Alice remarks.

Mask grunts in frustration!

"Don't fuck with me!" Mask lunges forward and swipes at Alice!

Boom!

Another blow directly hits Alice! She is swung across the entire room yet again! Mask puts even more force into its hits. Alice lands squarely onto the concrete floor and breaks it into a million pieces.

"This should put you out of your misery," Mask mummers.

Annabelle screams in the background, crying heavily as she watches this unfold. There's nothing she can do, except let it play out.

Against all odds, Alice starts getting up and defies death. Everyone is left speechless, and panic starts to seek into Mask! Before letting Alice fully get up, Mask leaps forward and delivers another blow!

Wam!

The impact echoes across the room! Blood spills into the air as Alice gets slammed into the wall! Everything quiets down as she slides down the wall, splattering the entire wall in blood, before falling down.

AND SHE STILL GETS UP!!

Mask goes on a rampage to finally put the female warrior to sleep! But time and time again! She STILL gets up! Alice receives blow after blow! Punishment after punishment! Spills blood after blood!

AND SHE STILL GETS UP!!

Mask can knock her down, but she'll come right back up! Time and time again she proves this to be true!

Mask goes berserk and starts chanting a spell!

"Heaven and Earth, bestow me the power that I seek to end this foe, once and for all! I call upon thee to end the one before me! Giga crush!"

Mask creates a giant sphere of magic in between its arm and smashes it downwards towards Alice! An explosion erupts that shakes the entire castle! Both Roy and Leonardo protect themselves as the explosion bursts across the whole room! Burning the rest of the soldier alive and covering the entire room in a thick cloud dust.

Once the cloud settles, out emerges Roy and Leonardo, with Leonardo now holding Annabelle in his arms. The rest of the knights have been obliterated, with the entire ballroom now blown up to bits.

'This is a bit of an overkill to take care of one half dead knight,' Leo thinks to himself,' Mask really lost it back there.'

As the dust clears, Mask stands in the middle of the room. Towering over a buried Alice. The dust fully clears, and Alice hasn't moved yet. Her eyes are closed, finally letting go of her sword. There is no reaction from her whatsoever, she doesn't even appear to be breathing.

As the seconds go by, it becomes clear that now, she's gone for good. Her wounds have overwhelmed her, and Mask's final attack was the last straw that finally put out the flame inside her heart.

"Alice . . . no . . ." Annabelle's heart falls apart.

Mask grabs Alice by the leg, and lifts her up from the rubble. She's motionless, Mask can't even sense a pulse through her leg. Blood continues to fall from the tips of her fingers.

Mask's grip around her leg tightens, Mask is not done with her yet, not without ripping her to shreds first.

Mask raises its hand, readies to swing, and aims at the neck.

"This is farewell, dear sister," says Mask as it lines the shot.

Absolute desperation consumes Annabelle as she lunges towards her sister! Breaking her own fragile bones in the process!

"Allllliiiiiiiicccccceeee!!!!"

Mask swings the blades down towards her throat!

Alice's eyes open wide as the blood starts rushing through!! She reaches for her sword! And CUTS THROUGH MASK'S THROAT!

The claws instantly stop as its throat bursts rampage with blood! Letting go of Alice! She falls onto her back and screams from the raw pain consuming her back!

Both Roy and Leonardo are utterly shocked! Roy begins to charge forward while Leo stays put with Anna.

"Noooo Mask!!!" He rushes in to aid Mask.

Blood continues to spill like a raging volcano as Mask shrieks in agony and topples over while grabbing its neck! It squirms around frantically as the blood continues to leak from Mask's hands!

Alice gets up, more fueled than ever to keep fighting. Both Mask and Roy stare furiously at her, hatred possesses Roy as he charges forwards towards Alice like a raging bull!

"You bastard! I'll make you pay for that!"

Alice sharpens her focus and gets ready to strike.

"One down, two more to go . ."