The Chains Shatter
The world held its breath.
Then the chains broke.
The Seal Cracks
Deep beneath the endless sands of Egypt, a tremor ripped through the desert. Ancient ruins collapsed, dunes split open like wounds, and from the abyss below, a sound unlike any thunder rolled outward — a sound that made even the strongest aura wielders drop to their knees.
A voice.
Cold. Relentless. Ancient.
"Two centuries of silence… and now, I rise."
The ground erupted. Sandstorms blotted out the sun. Entire caravans vanished into whirlwinds, their screams torn away by the storm.
From the abyss, a colossal figure emerged — its body sculpted from obsidian and sand, eyes glowing like dying suns. Chains still clung to its limbs, breaking one by one with each step.
The Second Upper Demon had awoken.
---
The Demon Revealed
Its voice boomed across the desert, shaking pyramids to their core.
"I am Azarkon, the Desert's Maw.
I devoured empires long before your world remembered their names. And I will devour again."
With a sweep of his arm, dunes rose like oceans, swallowing villages whole. The Nile's waters recoiled, twisting into spirals as if fleeing from his aura.
The sand itself obeyed him, shifting into colossal blades that pierced the sky.
---
Global Shock
In Paris, the Council chambers shook as the seal map flared crimson. Delegates screamed, some fainting under the sheer psychic pressure of Azarkon's awakening.
Arashi slammed his staff down, aura blazing. "The second one has risen! Ready every remaining wielder—we march for Egypt!"
But his words rang hollow. Fear had already taken root.
---
In India
Ishita collapsed mid-training, clutching her chest. Scarlet aura lashed outward violently, her scream echoing through the ruins.
Rehan caught her before she fell, his aura shielding her from her own flames. "Ishita!"
Her eyes glowed faintly crimson, tears streaming. "I… I saw him. Sand swallowing everything. His voice—it's inside my head."
Li Wei's face hardened. His Soul aura flared faintly, shielding them from the psychic wave. "Azarkon has awakened. The storm of sand will spread. We must move quickly—or Egypt will fall before the sun rises again."
---
The Demon's First Strike
In Cairo, the people looked to the sky and saw nothing but sand. Streets vanished, monuments crumbled. The great city drowned in dunes that moved like living beasts.
And above it all, Azarkon spread his arms wide, chains shattering into dust.
"Your world burns. Mine devours. And soon, there will be nothing left but silence."
The Second Awakening had begun.