Way of the Knights

Chapter 381 - War: Alastair's Madness

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Everybody felt all the hairs on their body stand up as they felt a horrible aura swept past them. 

A pillar of black light emerged from the very back of the beast horde, accompanied by sounds of thunder and rolling dark clouds. 

All attention was focused on the black pillar of light, some felt a foreboding feeling while the others felt like their nightmares were turning into reality. 

The pillar of light slowly dimmed. As soon as it disappeared, silence pervaded the entire battlefield, everyone froze on their tracks and looked over the horizon, only to see a man walking on air. 

His face was as pale as a ghost, it was as if he had no blood flowing inside his body. His obsidian eyes were deep, anyone who tried to stare at them would find themselves unable to look away and probably have their souls sucked out from their bodies. He had a long black hair that almost touched his ankles, pale lips, average body and is clad in a black armor with red outlines. 

The aura he possessed was to evil and malevolent, so much so that everything around him was decaying in a visible rate and he's not even doing anything actively. This was the result of his cultivation and Law insights alone. 

The man roamed his gaze around the battlefield while wearing a chilling smile on his face. A dry chuckle escaped his lips as he said…

"Ah, home. How nostalgic. It has been a while since I've returned." 

His dry voice echoed in the battlefield, causing many soldiers to feel shivers down their spine. 

Out of nowhere, five Golden Lights flew in front of this man, all of them displaying their might. These people were none other than Raven's team, who had been alarmed at this man's arrival. 

"Damn, I thought he was consumed by the Pale Bastard? What's he doing here?" Paul asked while holding up his shield in front of him. The Black Tortoise Shield had returned to it's base form for now since he doesn't know what this guy had in store for them. 

"He's probably reanimated." Mark added as he kept watching the man's actions. Mark's whole attention was focused on him, if this guy did something threatening, Mark won't hesitate to move and chop his head off. 

"I think so too." Ellen added, making her flames burn even brighter using her Law insights. "I can feel strong fluctuations of Death Laws on him." 

"I do too." Anne added as she was already aiming at the man's head. Just like Mark, she wouldn't hesitate to release a shot the moment this guy does something funny. 

"…" Luna remained silent but she gripped her spear tighter. Of all the things that she was expecting to surprise her, this person was the last one that she thought of. 

To add insult to the injury, this person was supposed to be her Uncle, yet he embraced the darkness and allowed corruption to consume him because of jealousy. 

Alastair, the former prince of the Final Haven Kingdom - now a vessel/puppet of Vit'hum, stood before them and his intentions aren't good. 

"Oh my, Scary." Alastair mocked as he saw how these five wasted to time to intercept him. "The Kingdom had come so far, to think that it's capable of producing talents at you guys' level? Back in my day, I was the only one who graced them with such brilliance. But now, I don't even know if I could compare myself to you guys at all."

Alastair's tone was nostalgic but also spiteful, it was as if he was saying something that completely despises him. His eyes then went towards Luna. 

"Ah! My lovely niece." He exclaimed with an affectionate tone. "I can hardly believe this! You grew up so fast! Come, give Uncle a hug."

A disgusted expression surfaced on Luna's face. 

"Ever since you deviated to the dark side, you ceased being my relative." She spat, "Drop the act. I don't know how you came back from death but we wouldn't mind sending you back to the other side."

Alastair wore a horrified look on his face as he heard Luna's words.

"Oh! How cruel!" He sobbed as he wiped fake tears from his eyes, "How can this be? Is this how you were raised by my brother? This can't go on! I must show discipline you in his stead."

A twisted expression appeared his face. Alastair then disappeared from his spot and reappeared behind the team, precisely behind Luna. He wore a face of obsession as he tried to grab her head using his pale and wrinkly hands. 

But before he could grab her, a sword covered in flames with frightening temperature stabbed his arm. 

"Hands off, pedophile! She's taken!" Ellen spat as she channeled more flames onto her sword, incinerating Alastair's hand even more. 

*Bzzt*

A spark of electricity blinked behind him, revealing the clouded face of Mark filled with killing intent. His arms blurred as his swords slithered towards Alastair's neck with an alarming speed. 

Anne released a shot that was aimed for Alastair's heart, by now Paul already arrived in front of Luna and both his and her spear were already aiming towards his body. 

Alastair's arm was reduced to ashes, his head was sliced off of his shoulders, his heart was pierced by Anne's shot and his upper body and lungs were pieced by Luna and Paul's spears. 

However, even if they managed to not only prevent him from hurting Luna but also launch a counter-attack, none of them felt complacent, they all retreated back and watched as Alastair's corpse touched the ground. 

The battlefield was completely silent, some soldiers thought that it was over but looking at the scene, it turns out that it still isn't. 

Nary a drop of blood was spilled from Alastair's body, to be more precise, he didn't have blood. His body, which was reduced to pieces, suddenly released a malevolent black fog. Pieces of his body lifted off the ground and re-arranged themselves in no time. Everyone saw how Alastair's body returned to life as his eyes opened once more while his face showed a mocking expression. 

"There we go!" He said while patting his clothes, "Good as new. Surprising right?"

No one in the Kingdom's army shared his jubilance at all. All of them felt something pressing down their chest. Seeing an enemy that was brought back from the jaws of death through evil methods is not an everyday scene in their lives. 

"Alright, alright. I get it, I'll stop playing around." Alastair said while laughing, it was as if he was talking with someone that the rest couldn't see. 

He then flew towards the sky with a speed that almost rivalled that of Mark's and Old Lee. He then stopped upon reaching a certain height. He brought his hands together and released a frightening aura that swept past the battlefield. 

Alastair's aura was extremely potent that it caused a ferocious wind storm around him which pushed several people and beast alike away from him. His malevolent aura kept rising at an alarming rate. Anne tried sniping him out of the sky but all of her shots were being redirected by some mysterious force. 

When Alastair opened his eyes, he parted his palms and revealed five orbs of condensed black energy. Each orb contained massive amounts of his own energy and laws. 

He then threw them down and the five orbs scattered across the battlefield. Many people braced themselves for a huge explosion however it didn't happen. Instead, the five black orbs of energy released a strong gravitational pull and started picking up matter from the ground. 

Humans and beasts alike then felt like they were being pulled from the ground. Some people held on to each other while the beasts themselves became helpless. Alive or not, intact or not, strong or not, each of them were pulled into the black orb, forming a massive creature as time passed. 

The team didn't stop throwing out attacks to prevent this from happening yet the orbs were too dense and tough for them to crack so unfortunately, even though they tried their best, they weren't able to stop the formation of gigantic creatures which radiated a very malevolent energy. 

As the gigantic creatures took form, the Kingdom's army suddenly felt like their souls were escaping their bodies. 

"W-what…"

"Gods help us…"

Some soldiers even lost grip on their weapons, causing it to fall beneath them. Their faces showed a horrified expression as they looked up.

"We're doomed."

"This is it. We're going to die."

"This is the end."

"My wife, my children. Papa might not be coming home anytime soon."

Meanwhile, Alastair who's floating high up in the air, burst into a fit of mad laughter. He kept laughing like a madman as he stared at the gigantic creatures he formed. 

"Go, my minions! Go!" He screeched in madness. "TRAMPLE EVERYTHING BENEATH YOU! BURY THIS KINGDOM TO THE GROUND! REDUCE IT TO ASH! KILL! DESTROY! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Amidst of his mad laughter, an old and wizened voice echoed from within the walls of the kingdom, accompanied by a thick and tall pillar of light.

"Audacious!"