Mundus stared in disbelief. "... Impossible".
He had just turned away from the weak captain briefly so he could not believe his eyes. He could not believe the Aura emanating from him... A kind of energy around him.
There was no way he could have freed himself from the spell he placed on him. Nobody had ever been able to do that.
What was this?
How did he do that?
Could it be?... Slowly, his eyes trailed to the weapon on Val's grip. It had grown.
"... Ahh, so it wasn't a needle after all". Mundus aired. "I finally get to see the legendary seeker's abilities".
As he spoke, his eyes moved around Val's physique, taking a long look at his wounds. And he was dripping the warm metallic liquid (blood).
Slowly, he exposed his canines. "Although, I won't be able to experience your full potenti..."
"You wanted... to hear me scream". Val spoke for the first time in a low mumble, cutting him off without care. His wounds weren't closing, they were taking longer than they normally do. Which was usually not so, still, his gaze did not falter.
His blood dripped down both his arms yet, he tighten his grip on Unguis.
At this point there was only just one thought in his head.
He wanted to kill this being before him.
"But what if the roles were reversed?" Val grinned coldly, keeping his eyes on the immortal in a challenge.
A look of damnation just to get under his skin... An insult that was no different than a slap on the face.
Val could already tell that his bonding with Unguis Draconis had unsettled Mundus. In order words, breeding on Mundus's curiousity about Val's abilities was a much easier distraction.
He was already picturing a strategy in his head, a hit that would strike once and strike home. His signature move.
He wanted Mundus to attack first.
"What if I wanted to hear you scream?" Val reviewed a part of his canines, causing Mundus to frown.
First blow.
"How loud would you scream when I tear open your flesh and gauge out your heart while it thumps still?" Val gloved palms rotated Unguis in his grip, causing Mundus to tighten his palm into a fist.
Second blow.
He chuckled coldly, his eyes watching the immortal's every reaction. "Hell, I want to hear you scream when I plug out that useless sage seated on that head of yours".
Final blow.
This time, the beasts behind Mundus were roaring in threats and protests at Val's words directed at their master.
"You challenge me, mortal?" Mundus's eyes lit up in rage at Val who stood unbothered, still emanating the same energy as his sword. This time, the energy around him grew rapidly.
As though he was charging up. Something was building up inside him as though he was going to explode. With a certain kind of smirk on his face... the kind that described I have the upper hand.
One minute Mundus was staring at him, and the next minute, before another blink from the immortal, Val disappeared, leaving everyone turning their heads in search of him.
Where was he? Mundus thought. What trick was this mortal playing? Hide and seek?
Pathetic...
His eyes moved around slowly as his third eye caught a hint of flashes of light, far beyond the numbers of his armies.
What was that?
Like a lightsaber, yet faster, flickering in milliseconds.
It wasn't stopping. It was getting closer and closer.
He squinted his eyes to get a closer look but he was way too slow.
Because before they could catch a hint of what was going on, half of the ten thousand of Mundus's armies were headless, dropping in tens and twenties, then fifties.
Valentine waged war against the entire army with Unguis Draconis in full potential, feeding on the seeker's hunger for revenge and his soul.
Right before Mundus's very eyes, his entire army were massacred by just one man, watching in awe how he materialized before him in the speed of light with blue blazing eyes.
Valentine was no longer smiling. He now sought to end it all. No more talking, no more unnecessary petty conversations. He only wanted the head of Mundus.
He stood before the Goliath warrior in a challenge, and Mundus took the challenge, moving for the first time in anger.
"Die, mortal!!"
He charged towards Val, giving the captain just what he wanted. An opening...
Instantly, Val moved.
It was very swift... Too fast. Faster than he intended... Faster than Mundus's eyes, his move, and his invisible abilities.
He was very predictable.
So, the first collision of Unguis slashing on the immortal's skin was to sever his composure, causing him to stumble backwards briefly.
Before he could recover from the first hit, the second slash came from behind, uncovering unreasonable amount of his flesh, as he grunted from impact.
Val had effortlessly unsettled him, confusing his every move with a slash from Unguis Draconis.
Worst of all, Mundus couldn't see him coming, so he couldn't stop Val's attacks, until his knees buckled as he roared in anger.
"Enough with your tricks! Face me now!" He commanded, heaving heavily from the countless cuts on his body.
His words echoed throughout the empty dark land.
Immediately, Val's attacks seized.
He was no longer attacking, he just went completely silent making Mundus search desperately with his eyes.
Then slowly, he turned around just to find the seeker staring back at him with his weapon of war blazing brightly on his grip.
Valentine was watching him coldly.
It made him so furious that he threw his head back and released a roar of frustration to the dark sky. He had had enough of the insults and unmatched attacks.
"You fight with such tricks because you want to return to a kingdom that is no longer in need of your services".
"But mark my words, son of Vehermoth..." Mundus raised his voice, rushing an attack towards Val in full force. "You will scream regardless".
He brought out his sword fully ready for a battle. Now he was well aware of what the seeker was capable of. The rumors were indeed true.
Hezekiah said he was just a mere seeker with an overemphasize rumour circling around him. But little did he know that this mortal might just be the biggest challenge he had ever faced.
No immortal had ever made him look so clueless in a battle the way this tiny mortal has.
So, unlike before, he fought him like a worthy opponent.
Mundus charged.
This time, Val did not move, he only watched Mundus who neared him with all his might as the battleground quaked with stones rumbling.
He looked fed up. Totally unbothered.
And then as though time stopped for a brief moment, Val moved his sword... just slightly.
And that was it.
Right before him, the body of Mundus stood tall for a few seconds... Only for a few seconds before falling sideways on each side.
Mundus was slit in two by Unguis Draconis.
Worthy opponent? Not even close.
Valentine took Mundus down, raising his head high as the last man standing on the battlefield.
Every giant he came there with was gone, and the ones who sought their heads, gone also.
His entire body began to tremble as his eyes trailed around the field full of bodies.
Among these bodies were his brothers.
Who would've thought that his last battle and freedom would come at the cost of the lives of his armies?
At the buckling of his joint, he fell to his knees, tears falling freely when his gaze went to Zeroth's lifeless body.
... Zeroth.
Unguis had shrunken to it's normal size now. It was done preying on Val's soul. The damage had been done, but the battle was won.
With his weapon still on his grip, Val raised it to the sky and screamed with all his might.
"FOR ASTHEIMOTH!!"
---