The Forbidden Element

Pain shot through Surya's back as the stone beneath him shattered. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself up.

The Executioner... this wasn't just some revived corpse. It was something else.

His eyes flicked toward the cloaked figures of the Shadow Order, still standing silently in the background.

They were controlling him.

One of them finally stepped forward, raising a gloved hand. "Struggle all you like," he said in a measured tone. "Our control is absolute."

Dark, glowing chains extended from the Executioner's back, linking him directly to the cloaked figures.

Surya's eyes narrowed.

So that's it.

The Executioner wasn't fighting with his own will anymore. He was merely a puppet.

And if Surya wanted to end this...

He needed to cut the strings.

The Executioner moved again—his greatsword arcing toward Surya in a downward strike meant to split him in two.

Surya's golden energy flared—

CLANG!

His sword caught the attack, sparks flying as the two warriors locked in battle once more.

But this time—

Surya wasn't aiming for the Executioner.

He was aiming for the chains.

He twisted his body, using the force of the clash to pivot. His blade redirected, slicing through the air—

And then—

SNAP!

One of the dark chains shattered.

The Executioner stumbled, his body seizing up as if struck by an unseen force.

The cloaked figure who had spoken earlier recoiled, his fingers twitching. "What?!"

Surya smirked, flipping his sword. "Looks like you're not as 'absolute' as you thought."

He dashed forward—

And with two precise slashes—

SNAP. SNAP.

The remaining chains were cut.

The moment the final chain broke, the Executioner froze.

His body shuddered violently, the black energy that had been controlling him evaporating into the air. His once-corrupted eyes flickered—just for a second—returning to what they were before.

And then—

He collapsed.

The massive warrior fell to his knees, his greatsword clattering to the ground beside him. His chest heaved, as if struggling to breathe.

Surya didn't lower his guard.

But the Executioner... didn't move to fight.

Instead, he lifted his gaze toward Surya.

And for the first time since their battle began—

There was recognition in his eyes.

"You... freed me?"

Surya blinked. "Wait, you're actually alive?"

The Executioner let out a weak chuckle, his voice rough. "Not for much longer..." His body trembled. "The Shadow Order... they don't take kindly to failure."

Surya clenched his fists.

He turned toward the cloaked figures, who had stepped back, their presence flickering as if deciding their next move.

Surya exhaled. "So, what now?"

One of the figures simply smirked. "We've gathered enough data."

Then—without warning—

The Shadow Order vanished.

Like ghosts fading into the night.

Surya didn't move for a moment, his heart still racing.

They just... left?

He turned back to the Executioner—

Only to see the man's body turning to dust.

His time was up.

The Executioner smiled faintly. "Fight well, Surya Raj."

And with that—he was gone.

The wind carried his remains away.

Leaving Surya alone in the ruined battlefield.

TO BE CONTINUED...