The World’s King Slayer

Draven and Red Demon became locked in a battle that ranged through the courtyard of the palace. Red Demon slashed down bringing Draven to his knees. Under him a crater formed cracking the ground and sinking in. He punched with his shield and slashed upwards. Red Demon dodged and drove a kick into the shield. 

Draven slid back and began using shield sword combos mixing up his style. This was throwing Red Demon off but he fixed it when he began watching his movements closely. He made a pattern with his combinations with offense and defense. From his arm the black dragon upon his vambrace. A shield made of energy erupted solidifying as his shield made contact with Draven's. The energy shield was gray and transparent. With a strong aura coming off it. Draven retracted his shield only to see black flames dance across it. The wood and metal of the shield were consumed as the black flames danced over it. He looked in horror at the shield. The Red Demon looked just as confused. 'Damn that's what it does?' Under his mask he was smiling. "Glad I took this!' He thought as he then began to attack, breaking Draven from his trance. 

He blocked each blade attack with his now disintegrating shield. Pieces flew off with each impact. The stability of the shield was weakened to where he had no choice but to abandon it. He threw it to the ground and held his sword with two hands. His eyes glowing bright white like the glimmer of stars. His very aura was crystal brilliance that illuminated the night's darkness. Red Demon made ready as Draven attacked, his speed and reflexes increasing. Steam poured from his mouth. Red Demon focused and began to feed off Bedlam as his attacks became more powerful with each strike. Draven was over confident and was merely buying time while he figured out his next move. He was not at full power at the moment and using the armor would injure his body. 

The very armor was a feat of enchantment forging. But it had drawbacks as well feeding off the person's very lifeforce with increased output. The souls of celestial beasts entrapped within the armor creating a symbiotic relationship. To use the beast's power your life force was the exchange to activate it. Over time the armor and wearer would become bonded into one consciousness. Draven still struggled with the spirit of a great dragon that resided in the armor. A dragon that would never kneel to a lowly human cultivator. 

Draven was still conquering this beast and the armor. So to use it now after already using it once in a day would be disastrous. So he kept up his chi circulation and used spells that were enhancing his body. They required less chi to activate and use continuously. But with Red Demon using bedlam to counter he was slowly losing ground. He was stuck in defense. 

He blocked each attack from Red when using Black Brand. He deactivated his shield and was only using the sword. He felt his mind become more violent as he fed off Bedlam for support. His pupils turned to slits of a reptilian eye as he continued his attack. He then slashed Draven across the chest bringing the knight to his knees once more. 

He grabbed the knight by the throat and then slammed him to the ground. Draven threw a punch catching Red Demon across the face. His grip loosened and was then kicked away by Draven. Red Demon staggered back and met a blade attack with a block quickly. 

Draven bounced off and was huffing catching his breath. 'Seems he's reaching his limit. Seems he's never had to face an opponent like me' Red Demon gave him no respite as he attacked. 

Across the square Scarab engaged knights teleporting around and releasing spells that frozen them in place. From his hand floated a purple grimoire that was solid but ethereal. "RAZOR EDGE!" He swiped his hand and the frozen knights then split into perfect cubes. Scarab teleported onto a knight driving his blade into the back of the knight's neck. He scanned the battles raging seeing his men holding their own against the knights that gave up a uniform battle. All were locked into battling multiple enemies. He could see the Red Demon fighting their leader. 

Smiling was killing knights in clusters and didn't need to lift a finger unless he wanted too. He would take swings with his giant sword. But mostly each knight crumbled from their armor crushing them. He moved through the knights like a wave as each crumbled to the ground as they were crushed under the armor that was meant to keep them safe. 

One knight was lucky enough to be spared and sprung an attack. Smiling with great speed with a heavy big sword cut through the knight splitting him in two. Smiling swung the blade to the side throwing blood off the blade. He looked forward to the knights crumbling, dying in agony. He looked over at his partner who kicked Draven into the ground and then stabbed him. The blade penetrated his left shoulder. The leader screamed in agony and tried to attack. Red grabbed his arm and then twisted it, breaking the bone. The sword fell to the ground. 

Smiling looked up at the stairs and from the door came a row of automaton soldiers. Smiling side, 'if I go the route I'm on then I'm going to be overwhelmed by these meal bastards. The spell has one weakness and if I don't directly look at all in armor. Then it won't work on them' he thought, holding the sword out to his side. He then created needles from mid air. He then threw them, killing some in the front, making their descent slower. He then brought out hundreds of shurikens all shrunk in a handful from a pouch. He then threw them and all began to get bigger floating in place. He now had a wall of shurikens in front of him. 'Did take one idea from Red. Now I have blades that obey me' he thought smiling under his mask. He then extended a hand and the shurikens then shot forward like bullets. They ripped through the automaton soldiers who fired guns at Smiling. He kept his remaining shurikens floating around as he took cover. He made two more swarms of shurikens fly forward while he moved positions again. They were not oblivious to this. They fired at him as he moved about now getting to the side of the stairs. He shrank remaining shurikens down back into the pouch. His body then became coated in steel costing him head to toe. 

He gripped Devil Horn with both hands as he jumped into the air aiming for the automatons. The bullets they fired bounced off his body. He landed bringing the sword down and then ripping through the horde cutting all metal men in front of him. 

Red Demon removed his sword and then drove a hand into Draven's chest absorbing his chi. His body shriveled and turned grey. Red Demon stood straight and looked over seeing Scarab staring at him. "What?" Red said indifferently. "Demon thing?" Scarab asked intrigued. "No. Me thing. Best focus" he pointed to the battle on the stairs Smiling was waging alone. Knights that were still alive had started to flee towards the gate. Leaving only Red, Smiling, Scarab, and his crew. 

They all grouped up and then ran to the stairs to assist Smiling. Scarab looking through his grimoire he found a spell to slow time. He teleported above the horde extending a hand. "WHEEL OF TIME SLOWLY SPINS!" He chanted. A clock made of chi manifested in the middle of the horde all encased in the clock were walking slowly. Their movements reduced to slow motion. 

They had the upper hand in speed, but not all were lucky like Smiling. Besides Scarab and Red Demon the crew had inadequate weapons for the dense armor of the automatons. One of the crew members was becoming overwhelmed by multiple automatons who then pinned him down and began to break his bones. Then killing with a stab from lance. Another was being shot at and was mercilessly shot up in multiple directions. 

Another was crippled and then had his head smashed in. The crew was dwindling as the battle progressed. They were gaining leverage up the stairs. But the army of metal men seemed endless. They just kept coming out of the palace. They showed no emotion or free thought. Just walked forward and any enemy it came across was killed instantly before moving on. They walked over their own dead like it was nothing. 

The army was then halted by a bright flash from inside the palace. Then a beam of light that was hot and bright shot forward cutting through the automatons melting them. The small group of defenders had to move quickly out of the way of the beam. From the entrance came Sun Demon holding a glowing spear. She then began to cut down all automatons making her way to the defenders. "GET THE TANK READY!" She screamed running at them.

Away from everyone's gaze the shriveled body of Draven began to twitch. And the hollow eyes started to glow white. His body started absorbing the energy from the amulet.