Chapter 17: The Arrival of the Three Deadly Sins
The sky shattered with a flash of violet lightning as three dark figures descended, bringing with them the scent of hell. The earth trembled, the walls of Calvarent Fortress shook violently. Fire blazed everywhere, and the air turned cold and heavy—as if the world had forgotten how to breathe.
The Three Great Generals of Baal had arrived.
Mor'grath, the Soul Butcher, appeared first—cloaked in pitch-black robes that billowed like smoke. In his hand, he wielded a bone-whip from which whispers and screams spilled like poison. He twisted the battlefield into a hell of memories—human soldiers began to babble in terror, seeing their lost loved ones rise as enemies.
> "From wounds of the soul, my army is born," whispered Mor'grath.
Vel'Setar, the Drinker of Will, descended from the skies like a silver mist. His eyes blazed, though his mouth never moved—yet thousands of soldiers froze mid-battle. They turned their blades—to strike their own comrades.
> "No blood needed... only will," Vel'Setar murmured in their minds.
Zaar'Thurel, the Endbringer, never touched the ground, but his presence alone fractured the sky like glass. He stood like a colossal shadow far above—motionless, yet his threat shook the world. It was said that when he walked, a kingdom could vanish from the map.
> "If Baal descends, I am the abyss that follows."
These three had once destroyed entire empires simply by standing. Now, they gazed upon one figure—Xebec von Phillipe, the one-armed prince.
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Xebec stepped forward.
A silver-blue aura blazed from his body. But this time, it wasn't just the light of his ancestors. Four sacred powers surged within him—the hidden inheritance of the great bloodline of Phillipe.
1. Clarity of Spirit – A holy white light wrapped around Xebec, purifying hearts and dispelling illusions. Vel'Setar's influence faded, and the hypnotized soldiers woke, weeping in gratitude.
2. Flame of the Ancestors – From the shadows behind him, the spirits of past warriors rose, standing with him. They were guardians of their age, holders of memories from the wars against demons. With them, Xebec repelled Mor'grath's nightmare army.
3. Revelation of the Broken Chains – A crown of light ignited above Xebec's head, shielding his mind from insidious whispers. Vel'Setar growled in frustration, losing control over thousands of minds.
4. Final Light Slash – Within his sword, light gathered like the last flare of a dying star. A power not to be used lightly—one slash could halt time... and annihilate a demon completely.
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Battle erupted.
Xebec fought both Mor'grath and Vel'Setar at once. His sword danced amidst fire and light. His ancestral aura grew stronger with every wound. But still—facing two of Baal's generals was living hell.
At a critical moment, reinforcements came from the east.
Marquess D'Eagles, eastern border guardian, arrived with his troops. His body radiated the strength of a late-stage Swordmaster—on the verge of ascending.
> "For the throne of Phillipe, for the true heir—I fight!"
He intercepted Vel'Setar's attack, but the demon's power was overwhelming. With a single mental strike, D'Eagles collapsed—blood flowing from eyes and ears—but he held on, gritting his teeth.
Xebec roared.
He raised his sword—and summoned the Full Flame of the Ancestors, calling upon the spirits of Elros the Demon-Slayer, Nalea the Radiant, and Rivhan the Eternal Sentinel. With their strength, Xebec slashed through the demon army in waves of holy fire.
But as he prepared to end Mor'grath—Zaar'Thurel moved.
The sky fell.
With a single step, the entire northern wall cracked. The earth rumbled as if it were about to split apart.
> "So... you dare challenge me, heir of the blade?"
Xebec gripped his sword tighter. In his hand, the Final Light Slash began to burn.
> "I won't let you touch this world."
The ground shook as Baal's Three Generals stepped onto the shattered battlefield. Black smoke billowed from the ruins of the eastern fort. The sky darkened as if mourning the destruction to come, and the air buzzed with the scent of blood and dark magic.
Xebec stood tall amidst the rubble, his body battered, breathing labored, but his eyes still burned with unwavering resolve.
Mor'grath floated in the air, surrounded by swirling shadows of crying ghosts. Below him, the corpses of fallen soldiers rose again—their eyes vacant, turned into pawns of fear and trauma.
Vel'Setar stood still, eyes closed. Voices invaded the minds of surviving soldiers, turning them against each other in a haze of illusion and madness.
Zaar'Thurel said nothing. He simply stood—and every step shattered the land for dozens of meters, carving death pits in the holy soil of the kingdom.
Xebec, wounded and torn, took a long breath. Silently, four symbols of light ignited around his body.
Clarity of Spirit cleared his mind of Vel'Setar's whispers.
Flame of the Ancestors summoned the spirits of ancestral Swordmasters, standing behind him as glowing silhouettes.
Revelation of the Broken Chains formed an invisible shield around his mind, breaking illusions and mental control.
And at last…
Final Light Slash flowed through his once-severed arm, now replaced by pure magical energy—forming a glowing limb of raw power.
With a single scream, Xebec charged at Mor'grath. The shadows and nightmares hurled at him burned away in the fire of ancestral will. In a clash of titanic force, his blade struck Mor'grath, shattering his form and freeing the tormented souls.
Vel'Setar smirked, attempting to control Xebec's mind from afar. But Revelation of the Broken Chains surged with divine intensity, unleashing waves that freed every mind under Vel'Setar's sway. The demon staggered, and in a burst of light, Xebec's blade pierced his chest—stopping the Drinker of Will's black heart.
But before Vel'Setar's body fully vanished, Zaar'Thurel moved—and time froze.
Everything stilled.
Xebec could only watch—his power dimming, as Zaar'Thurel consumed the very flow of time. Yet in that moment, the fourth symbol flared with blinding brilliance.
> "Final Light Slash…" whispered Xebec.
In a slow, unyielding motion, he swung his sword. The slash tore through frozen time, cracked the very fabric of space, and halted Zaar'Thurel's step—wounding the demon, something even the gods had thought impossible.
Zaar'Thurel screamed. Light exploded like a falling star, and as time resumed... the ground beneath him crumbled, and his body was hurled into a collapsing dark dimension.
The battle was over.
But Xebec collapsed—knees hitting the earth, blood dripping from his nose. The power of his ancestors was too much for a mortal frame.
Around him, soldiers and survivors began to gather. They didn't cheer. They didn't shout. They simply stared at the one man who stood against Baal's generals... and lived.
And from the crowd, Astrid stepped forward. She said nothing, only embraced Xebec from behind, holding him up as he faltered.
> "Don't fall, my prince," she whispered. "Because I haven't had the chance to say... I believe in you."
A surge of magic rocked the land. The sky darkened, not from nightfall, but from the presence of three fallen darknesses—Baal's Generals: Mor'grath, Vel'Setar, and Zaar'Thurel.
In the center of a cratered battlefield, Xebec stood alone—breath heavy, clothes torn, his only arm gripping the ancestral sword glowing with golden-white light. Around him, fallen soldiers had risen—not as men, but as soul puppets of Mor'grath.
Heavy steps echoed from the east. Zaar'Thurel advanced slowly, his body towering like a castle gate, clad in armor that devoured light. Each step left cracks in the earth. Behind him, Vel'Setar's soul-choking aura spread like suffocating fog.
But Xebec stood still. Beneath his sharp gaze, he heard a voice.
> "You have broken one seal... but to face all three, you must fully unite with our legacy."
Suddenly, Xebec's eyes shone white. His breath merged with the wind. He raised his sword and whispered:
> "Rise… Flame of the Ancestors."
A burst of aura seared the air. From earth and sky, knightly spirits appeared, each glowing in different hues. They did not fight for him—they merged with him. In an instant, Xebec's aura transformed. His body blazed from within, burning away the cold breath of the demon army.
Vel'Setar unleashed mind-control magic, flooding Xebec with whispers: "Give up… your people are dead… you're just a crippled heir…"
But the second seal broke.
> "Revelation of the Broken Chains."
Golden light surrounded Xebec's head, repelling all whispers. He charged at Vel'Setar, sword blazing with power. One slash split the black mist. Vel'Setar staggered, a deep wound in his chest, shocked by the courage of a one-armed human.
Then, Mor'grath stepped forward, resurrecting Xebec's past traumas—his lost arm, his failure to save Nanea, his father's shame over his crippled son. Fear and guilt clouded his heart. His knees nearly buckled.
But—
> "Clarity of Spirit."
A pure white aura burned away the illusions. The fear vanished. Xebec stood tall. He met Mor'grath's gaze—then in a swift leap, slashed him in half, scattering his shadowy body to dust.
One remained.
Zaar'Thurel removed his helm. There was no face—only void, devouring light and hope.
Xebec knew this was no ordinary fight. It was the final trial. Zaar'Thurel's steps shattered the peak beneath him.
Then, a voice from the past echoed. A man in white robes and sharp eyes appeared in his thoughts.
> "The Final Light Slash can be used only once. And afterward, your time will be short, heir."
Xebec raised his sword. The aura around him stilled. The wind froze. Leaves hung in the air. The world held its breath.
> "Final Light Slash."
Time cracked.
With one slow yet devastating swing, Xebec slashed Zaar'Thurel in half. The world pulsed. No sound. Only light.
When time resumed, Zaar'Thurel's body began to split. Cracks spread across the sky—then vanished in a burst of crimson light.
But Xebec did not stand. He knelt, breath ragged. The final power consumed his life force. His hand trembled violently.
Through the mist and rubble, footsteps approached. Astrid, in torn battle gear, ran to him. Behind her came Nanea, casting protective spells, followed by loyal soldiers. They saw Zaar'Thurel's form crumble like a tower of sand.
Astrid knelt, embracing Xebec from behind. Her voice trembled.
> "Idiot… why did you face it alone…"
Xebec smiled faintly, blood on his lips.
> "Because… I didn't want you to see the world fall… while I still breathed."
The overcast sky still hung overhead. But for a moment, sunlight crept in, illuminating Xebec's wounded back—the cursed heir, but never one to give up.
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Tobec9ntinued