Chapter 8: Atomic Sword Awakens
Two weeks after the Shadowbane Order's first strike, Cid received intelligence of two high-ranking cult generals operating near the city's border. They were rumored to be nearly invincible, each capable of leveling entire towns with their magic.
Cid smiled faintly as he read the report.
> "Finally… someone worthy," he whispered.
He glanced at the seven members of Shadowbane Order.
> "Tonight, we don't just strike. We show them what shadows really mean."
The Duel Begins
The two cult generals appeared atop a ruined fortress, their auras twisting with malice.
The first was Veyran "Hellfang" Drael, a warrior capable of controlling molten magma and blackened steel. His armor glowed red-hot, and his sword left trails of fire that could cut through mountains.
The second was Morveth "Soulshatter" Kael, a sorcerer whose curses could corrupt life itself. Wherever he walked, the earth rotted, and even the strongest protective spells faltered.
Cid stepped out from the shadows, hood still covering his face.
> "I am… Atomic Sword," he declared calmly, his voice slicing through the night like a blade.
The cult generals froze for a split second. No one in centuries had called themselves Atomic Sword a name said to belong only to a legend.
The Destruction of Hellfang
Veyran lunged first, swinging his molten sword with the force of an avalanche. The air itself screamed in protest.
Cid moved like a shadow, faster than the eye could follow. In a single fluid motion, he deflected the molten blade with his own blackened sword. Sparks erupted, and the ground cracked beneath them.
> "You move… too slow," Cid whispered.
Before Veyran could react, Cid's shadow extended, wrapping around the general's legs. With a flick of his wrist, the shadow blade pierced his armor, cutting through molten steel as if it were paper.
Veyran collapsed, screaming as his body disintegrated into nothingness — the Atomic Sword had struck with precision no magic could resist.
Soulshatter's End
Morveth, enraged, began chanting a curse meant to drain Cid's life force. Dark tendrils of shadow and bone erupted from the ground, twisting around the air itself.
Cid's eyes glowed faintly. He did not flinch. He stepped forward, his sword swinging in a perfect arc.
> "You don't get to finish your little ritual," he said softly.
The sword struck the air, and an atomic-level slash ripped through space itself. Energy and shadows intertwined, annihilating the cursed tendrils instantly. Morveth's spellbacklash met the force of the Atomic Sword, and with one precise strike, Cid cleaved through Morveth's body.
The sorcerer let out a scream that echoed like thunder before vanishing completely.
The Aftermath
Cid stood amidst the ruins, calm as ever. The two generals the strongest the cult had ever sent were gone.
The Shadowbane Order emerged from the darkness, silently bowing their heads in respect.
> "Atomic Sword," Kael murmured, awe in his voice.
"You truly are the shadow incarnate."
Cid sheathed his sword and looked up at the night sky.
> "The shadows are infinite," he said softly.
"And I… am their edge."
Even in the academy, he would remain a quiet, unassuming student. But in the darkness, he was Atomic Sword, unstoppable, omnipotent, and untouchable.
And somewhere in the distance, Iris Noctra watched, curiosity and fear flickering across her crimson eyes.
> "Who… is he?" she whispered.
"And why does he feel like a god?"