Loki stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and spat a sigh. "We have to move, now. Let's leave this place as fast as we can."
No one dared argue; they had witnessed the power of a single Voidwalker firsthand. But an entire army of them? It was unimaginable.
Trisha tugged on Axel's arm, hoping to get him moving, but he didn't budge. Her heart sank. She could see the fierce determination in his eyes—he wasn't going to leave.
"Come on, Axel! You can't fight the Voidwalkers. It's suicide!" she pleaded, desperation lacing her voice.
Axel shook his head, his jaw set like iron. "I'm not moving. I'll stop them all."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Williams stepped in front of him, practically shouting in Axel's face. "Don't get cocky!"
Andre added his voice, thick with urgency. "Williams is right. An encounter with just one Voidwalker nearly killed you. Let's get out of here while we still can."
The others remained silent, casting wary glances at each other. Deep down, they knew Axel's decision was final; there would be no changing his mind. Dragging him out would only waste precious time, time they didn't have.
"I'm staying," Axel said, his voice an unsettling calm amid the chaos around him. "I want to see our enemies for myself... and wipe them out."
Her words struck them like a hammer blow. Haze grinned, a dark gleam lighting up her eyes. "Such confidence, Shadow Lord. You really think your army can stand against an army of Voidwalkers? Beings that devour anything and everything?" he sneered, a twisted satisfaction lurking beneath his smirk.
Just when the tension seemed unbearable, Thor burst into the room, breathless and wild-eyed. "The Voidwalkers are coming! We have to move out, fast!"
His booming voice echoed around the room, but no one reacted as he'd hoped. They were all too locked in their standoff.
"I said the Voidwalkers are coming!" Thor shouted again, a note of desperation in his voice.
"We know, Thor," Loki replied coolly. "Calm down. We're handling something far more important right now."
Thor's eyes widened in disbelief, confusion mixing with dread. "Axel wants to stay and confront them," Josh explained, his voice barely concealing the fear that twisted in his gut. "And we're staying with him... So, let's get comfortable."
"That's right." The voice was cold and smug, and it didn't come from Haze's remains. Another figure had materialized out of thin air beside the Voidwalkers, a woman identical to the fallen Haze. But this one... felt different. More dangerous. Her gaze swept over the group, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"So, when a clone dies," Loki began cautiously, "you gain their memories, right?"
The woman inclined her head, her smile widening. "Precisely. But let's save the chit-chat, shall we? I'm more interested in seeing what the so-called Shadow Lord can do." She leaned forward, eyes gleaming with challenge. "If you can survive a single Voidwalker for ten seconds, I'll answer two of your questions. Lose, and I'll kill two of you."
Axel stepped forward, releasing Trisha's hand gently. She clung to him for a moment longer, as though torn between the instinct to protect him and the terror of losing him.
"I... I don't want to lose you again," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear.
Axel turned to her, his expression softening. "Don't worry. I won't die."
The woman's voice rang out, cold and ruthless. "Big talk for someone who barely survived an encounter with just one Voidwalker." She flicked her fingers dismissively. "Kill him."
The Voidwalkers didn't need further encouragement. Their hands stretched forward, shadows gathering in their palms like a deadly storm, surging with dark energy—
But then, in a blur of motion, one of Axel's generals, Mane, shot forward, seizing the Voidwalker on the left. With a bone-chilling snarl, he wrenched the creature's head from its shoulders, sending a geyser of dark, viscous blood splattering across the ground. The body slumped forward, lifeless.
The second Voidwalker barely had time to react before another of Axel's generals, Tank, sliced its throat with a single, swift motion. Its head tumbled to the ground, the twisted expression frozen on its face forever.
Just like that, the two Voidwalkers lay dead at Axel's feet, the ferocity of his generals shining through in the carnage they had left behind.
The woman staggered back, her smug grin slipping, replaced by a look of utter shock. "What... how did your soldiers... it's not possible!" she stammered, struggling to comprehend the scene before her.
Axel's lips curled into a cold smile. "I didn't die for nothing. Each of my soldiers has undergone rigorous training under Velerium's guidance. A single general can now take down a hundred Voidwalkers. And my army... is far from complete. Right now, I have eight thousand soldiers at my command. Do you still think this battle is in *your* favor?"
Silence descended over the room, broken only by the pounding of their hearts. Everyone stared at Axel, a mixture of fear and awe in their eyes. They had never seen him like this—a powerful force, almost... *untouchable.*
This was the true power of a Shadow Lord.