Chapter 104 (CIV) Templar Lord

As Jackson had closed the ninth portal, the entire focus of the Hollows was to defend the final portal. As all their forces were located in a single location, their synthetic souls converged on one another, mutating into grotesque versions of their original form.

These souls, too, began to gather around the area, littering as the small blue flames floated above the ground.

Renee and Lydia led the charge as they were able to cut through the hulking masses of Hollows like butter, carving through their ranks with ease. They managed to keep their formation despite the sheer number of enemies they faced.

They fought back, pushing back the hordes of Hollows, as the hive mind began to fight desperately, throwing everything at the defenders.

Renee and Lydia unleashed a loud battle cry as the trio joined the battle, rallying the Royal and Temple Knights, who were already down to a third of their numbers following the previous attacks.

Jackson's arrival proved to turn the tides of the battle. With the aid of the Twilight Wyvern and Winged Snowdrift Panther, the amount of damage the enemy could deal to the Royal and Temple Knights decreased significantly.

Jackson's presence and speed allowed for a greater degree of precision when attacking; his rapid movements and insane speed allowed him to flow through the Hollow's ranks quickly, allowing him to take out multiple targets.

Khione's ability to strike multiple opponents and bind their movements was invaluable as Umbra supported the remnants of the army, appearing from the Hollow's shadows, taking it out before it could strike.

The Zealots were becoming desperate. Jackson and company were slowly closing in; they began summoning more Hollows from the portal, hoping that would change the outcome.

The green crack began expanding, green mist flowing out from the jagged edges as the portal creaked, growing larger. The hive's mind continued trying to push through the line, even if it meant sacrificing itself.

The number of Hollows were so great that they started breaking through the defensive lines, forcing the sisters and Jackson to fight harder. Suddenly a deep roar burst from the crack, causing all the Hollows to unleash unearthly wails of their own.

A dozen blue flames burst past the knights, converging in front of the portal, floating in a vertical circle as they began spinning, creating a flaming blue circle. A cyclone of smoke erupted from beneath it as a large skeletal hand gripped the edge of the crack.

Another hand gripped the opposite edge as it ripped the portal open further as a gigantic skull appeared and exited the crack, pressing its forehead into the vortex against the blue flames.

The Hollowed Templar Lord had appeared...

The pristine white skull burst into a blue flame as the hulking skeleton burst from the portal, destroying it and instantly taking the lives of the three zealots beneath it. The twister of smoke grew larger, swallowing the humongous monstrosity as it began appearing.

The beast roared again as the smoke and dust cleared, revealing the colossus standing before the Royal Knights, towering over them by nearly thirty feet.

The creature looked almost humanoid, with a skeletal frame and a large head with a hollow cavity in the center where a dark red eye burned with a malevolent fire.

Its arms ended in sharp claws that dug into the stone below, the fingers on each of its hands formed into long sharp talons.

Warped and distorted armor began appearing across its body as it took a step. Dark mangled chunks of metal wrapped around the bones, covering its torso and forming an armored shell around it.

The helmet it wore was similar to the Hollow Knight Knights, but the front was broken, revealing a mouth filled with sharp teeth instead of a visor. A tattered and torn black cape flowed behind it, turning into smoke at the bottom.

It was a terrifying sight, but the real threat came from the weapon it held, a giant double-bladed two-handed greataxe forged from the same strange material as the rest of the body.

As the portal had been forcibly destroyed by the Templar Lord, the darkness promptly vanished, the afternoon sun revealing the wreckage of the ruined city.

It roared loudly as it began to move, rushing toward the remaining warriors, slashing downwards, cleaving through the first row of soldiers, and knocking others aside. The smaller Hollows screeched, quickly vanishing as they burned to ashes, leaving only one opponent between Jackson and the completion of his challenges.

It swung its two-handed weapon, bringing it down hard on the ground, shattering the cobblestone street as it rose into the air and brought it down once more, crushing another soldier.

Jackson's heart raced as he saw the destruction caused in mere seconds. He couldn't believe how fast it was moving.

"Khione! Umbra!" He shouted as he summoned both of his companions.

"I'm sorry, I can barely hold him," Renee said, panting heavily as she attempted to slow him down.

"He's going to kill us all!" She shouted, "We need to end this now or we're not getting out alive."

"No time for regrets. We've got to stop him now. Umbra, use your wings and get me close to him. Khione, follow my lead, let's go!" He shouted as he readied his blades.

Jackson leaped off Khione's back, landing in a crouch, rotating his blades around his wrists, and preparing himself. He dashed forward as he twisted his scimitars in a circular motion.

He jumped forward, slashing his blades horizontally before he dove into the air, spinning around and cutting through the air before landing on top of the monster, stabbing his twin scimitars into the side of the monstrous being.

Jackson felt his blades sink between the Hollow's armor, piercing deep inside the beast as he struggled, feeling the resistance as he tried to pull them back; his blades wouldn't budge as the monstrosity shook violently. He gritted his teeth, struggling to free his weapons, feeling his grip weaken as he was thrown off the blade. He flew through the air, tumbling as he rolled across the hard ground.