Eclipse Requiem

The battlefield **shook**.

Orin walked toward them, his **blood-red aura flaring** like a living inferno. His eyes gleamed with something dark—something **ravenous.** Behind him, the mercenaries and rogue warriors of Ironvale surged forward, clashing against the Holy Order's remaining forces in a brutal, bloody war.

Kael barely had time to **catch his breath.**

"You're late," he muttered, wiping blood from his mouth.

Orin smirked, stepping over the body of the fallen Templar. "I wanted to see if you could handle him on your own." His **gaze flicked to the golden-armored corpse.** "Looks like you did."

Kael **gritted his teeth.** "People are dying, Orin. This isn't just a fight anymore—it's a massacre."

Orin tilted his head. "And?"

Kael's stomach **twisted.**

Before he could respond—

**BOOM.**

A **massive explosion** erupted in the distance. One of the fortress towers **collapsed in a storm of dust and debris**, crushing soldiers beneath it. The Holy Order's remaining **Templars surged forward**, their divine energy burning bright as they tried to regroup.

But Orin wasn't **watching them.**

He was watching the **Templar Commander**, still kneeling on the ground. The man clutched his wound, golden blood dripping onto the dirt. Even **defeated**, he radiated power.

Orin's **eyes narrowed.**

Then—

He **vanished.**

Kael barely had time to blink before—

**SHUNK.**

Orin **reappeared behind the Commander.**

His hand was **buried in the man's chest.**

Kael's heart **stopped.**

Orin **ripped something out**—a pulsing, golden **Fragment.** The Holy Order's divine essence.

The Templar's **eyes widened in horror.**

Orin grinned. "I wonder…" His fingers **tightened around the Fragment**, dark energy crackling along his arm. "What happens when a heretic absorbs the power of a saint?"

"ORIN, STOP!" Kael shouted.

Orin **ignored him.**

He **crushed the Fragment in his grip.**

A **shockwave of power** exploded outward.

Orin **staggered**—his body twitching, convulsing as golden and crimson energy **fought for dominance.** His aura flared wildly, warping the air around him.

Kael **rushed forward**—but Saren grabbed his arm. "Don't!"

Then—

Orin **laughed.**

Low. Dark. **Hungry.**

When he lifted his head, his **eyes were no longer human.**

One burned **gold.** The other burned **red.**

A terrifying **fusion of divine and abyssal power.**

Kael's **blood ran cold.**

Saren took a step back. "What the hell did he just do?"

Orin exhaled slowly, flexing his fingers. Sparks of **holy energy mixed with darkness** crackled around his hands. His **smirk widened.**

Then—

He turned to the battlefield.

"Let's end this."

---

### **The New Power**

The remaining **Templars charged.**

Orin **moved faster.**

His **aura exploded outward**—a monstrous, unnatural mix of divine brilliance and abyssal corruption. He **vanished in a blur**, reappearing in the midst of the Holy Order's elite warriors.

Then—

**Carnage.**

Orin's **blade carved through armor like paper.** Holy magic that once protected the Templars **shattered** on impact. One by one, the warriors of the Holy Order **fell—screaming, writhing, consumed by the unnatural force within him.**

Kael **watched in horror.**

This wasn't battle.

This was **slaughter.**

Saren's voice was tight. "We need to stop him."

Kael's fists clenched. His mind screamed at him to **act**, to do **something**—

But how?

How do you stop someone who has just become **a god?**

---

### **The Turning Point**

The battlefield was **silent now.**

Only one Templar remained—a young warrior, barely older than Kael. He trembled, gripping his sword in shaky hands. **Orin loomed over him, his eyes glowing with twisted power.**

The Templar gulped. "P-please…"

Orin **grinned.**

"Begging?" His **blade hovered near the boy's throat.** "Where was your mercy when you burned down villages in the name of your gods?"

The boy's eyes **widened.** "I—I never—!"

Orin's **blade flashed.**

Kael **moved.**

His **sword clashed against Orin's.**

The impact sent a **shockwave** through the air.

For the first time, Orin's **smirk disappeared.**

Kael stood firm, his **own Fragment surging to life**—a deep, defiant **crimson glow.**

"That's enough." Kael's voice was **steady.** Unshaken.

Orin **tilted his head.** "You're in my way, Kael."

Kael's grip **tightened on his sword.**

"I know."

Orin studied him for a long moment.

Then—he **grinned.**

"Finally," he whispered. His **aura surged**—stronger, darker, more twisted than before.

"You're finally ready to fight me."

Kael's **heart pounded.**

The real battle was about to begin.

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