"Lets attack together", Alden's voice rang out. The dukes nodded as they shared the common feeling of urgency.
The four dukes, now united in purpose, channeled their mana in perfect unison.
Duke of Ethwer raised his hands as he summoned a massive ball of fire. It blazed with an intensity that seemed to melt everything in its path as it launched towards the shadow man.
At the same moment, Duke of Hans unleashed a mighty water dragon from his palms. The creature roared as it surged forward, its body coiling and twisting like a stormy wave.
Duke of Norish followed with a fierce determination as he thrusted his hands into the ground. The earth trembled and cracked as massive tendrils of stone erupted, seeking to cage the shadow man in a prison of rock and dirt.
Finally, Duke Alden, with a flick of his wrist, unleashed a blade of wind. The wind cut through the air with terrifying speed, aiming straight at the shadow man, intending to slice him apart.
All four attacks were aimed on the shadow figure.
The scene was absolutely magnificent. Count of Azazel and Lilia stood frozen, their hearts racing as they watched the overwhelming display of power.
It was a spectacle beyond anything they had ever witnessed, the four dukes, the very pillars of the kingdom, each one a powerful Arch Mage were combining their might in a unified assault.
The ball of fire, the roaring water dragon, the earth-shattering tendrils, and the cutting arc of wind collided in a brilliant explosion of energy. It was as though the elements had come to life, bent to the will of the dukes, and the shadow man was at the center of it all.
If not for the king's golden barrier which surrounded the entire castle, the whole city would have been obliterated in an instant.
However the next moment, the shadowy figure roared loudly with a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the castle. The force of the roar was so intense that everyone had to cover their ears, the pressure almost too much to bear.
The dukes could only brace themselves, knowing they were at the mercy of this mysterious, malevolent force.
The king's face twisted in concentration as he tried to maintain the barrier. Although he was a Grand Mage, he had already used a lot of his mana maintaining the barrier around the castle while it withheld the combined attacks of four Arch Mages and the mysterious energy of the shadowy figure.
The royal protection spell had been designed to hold against large-scale attacks, but to make things even worse, this new form of energy seemed to eat at the barrier itself, draining its strength with every passing second.
Now that the king was forced to split his focus to save the dukes, he could feel his barrier getting weaker and the small amount of the dark energy was leaking through.
As the chaotic battle raged on outside, Julian who was still recovering from the earlier attack, found the opportunity to converse with his system.
"System," Julian began, his voice steady but laced with curiosity, "What energy is this?"
The system responded, "Host, that is called Death Energy. It is a separate form of energy from elemental energy or the cosmic energy, a unique and destructive force that corrupts and annihilates life itself. It is far beyond the scope of normal mana or elemental magic."
A small shiver ran down Julian's spine as the system's explanation painted a picture of the destructive power that Death Energy held
Julian's brows furrowed in deep thought as he processed the information. His thoughts flickered to his skills, particularly the Necromantic Thunder. A realization began to dawn on him.
Could Death Energy be connected to my necromantic abilities?
He wasted no time and asked the system, "How is Death Energy connected to Necromantic Thunder?"
The system replied, "Necromantic Thunder summons the power of death itself, allowing you to strike down the living and revive the fallen. It taps into the realm of Death Energy to resurrect the dead and control the dead as loyal minions."