Hellbound Heart

Chapter 397  Light and Darkness - Part 15

The moment Zeke returned to their base and reunited with Gav, the great war of the Underworld erupted.

Zeke and Gav faced the two remaining princes separately. Zeke squared off against the firstborn and most elusive prince. Gav, meanwhile, took on the deadliest and strongest one.

The battle between the four princes was extreme, each clash sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Countless soldiers and monsters fell with every passing moment, their cries of pain and fury filling the air. As the ground continued to be covered in blood and dead bodies, the air itself grew thick with the stench of death. The battle cries and the roars of the dying drowned out all other sounds, creating a symphony of carnage and despair. Zeke fought with a cunning that matched his elusive opponent. The prince of shadows twisted and turned, blending into the darkness, but Gav's senses were sharp, his resolve unbreakable. Every time the elusive prince attempted to vanish, Zeke was there, striking with lethal precision.

Gav, on the other hand, fought to weaken his enemy. Their duel was a tempest of power and strength, each blow resonating with the force of a thousand storms. The prince's attacks were relentless, but Gav's raw power and darkness wasn't losing. The battle raged on, a maelstrom of blood and steel. Time seemed to blur, each moment stretching into an eternity of violence and carnage. It lasted for what felt like an eternity, each second dragging on with the weight of a thousand lifetimes. But soon, as the ground became more saturated with blood and the bodies piled higher, Zeke and the firstborn prince finally reached a critical juncture. The first-born prince, sensing his impending defeat, unleashed a final, desperate attack. But Zeke countered with a devastating strike, his blade cutting through the prince's defenses and finding its mark.

The firstborn prince fell, his body crumpling to the ground. Zeke stood over him, panting heavily, his eyes blazing with triumph and exhaustion. He looked across the battlefield and saw Gav, emerging victorious from the ruins, the other prince now lying motionless at his feet.

The air grew eerily silent, the sounds of battle fading as the realization of victory washed over the surviving soldiers. The two enemy princes fell at last, and a roar of victory erupted from the ranks of Zeke and Gav's forces. But the celebration was brief, a mere flicker of triumph in the grim reality of war, for now…

It was time for the final battle. The last two remaining princes were about to face each other. Only one would become king; the other must die.

The soldiers dropped their swords. The monsters immobilized, just waiting for their princes' commands.

In their midst, Zeke and Gav stood, both covered with blood.

Gav scoffed, a bitter smile spreading across his face. "So, it seems there is no other way but this in the end, huh?" he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. Then Gav threw his sword on the ground.

"I've told you this before, Zeke," Gav continued, shedding his armor piece by piece as he spoke. "That if you can't find another way and we still have to fight for this to end, I will just let you take my head."

Zeke, too, began to shed his armor, the weight of each piece falling heavily to the blood-soaked ground. "And I've told you that we'll see this through until the end, didn't I?" His voice was firm, unwavering.

With a swift motion, Zeke pointed his sword at Gav. "Be a man and pick up your sword, Gav."

Gav met his gaze. "Zeke," he said coldly, "stop being stubborn. This is not about ego or anything anymore. If you've forgotten, you have a wife and a son waiting for you."

"And you don't?" Zeke shot back.

Gav's eyes widened in surprise.

"You have a wife and son waiting for you too, you fool," Zeke said as he threw something towards Gav.

Instinctively, Gav caught it. It was a pendant.

"Open it," Zeke ordered, and Gav, still stunned, obeyed.

As soon as he looked at the picture inside, he froze. The image of a woman with silver hair and familiar eyes stared back at him. Beside her was a boy with dark hair and hazel eyes, a face he'd seen in his dreams as well.

"That woman is your wife, her name's Evielyn," Zeke continued. Gav stumbled back, clutching his aching head. "You've forgotten them. They're still waiting for you until now, hoping and waiting for your return. Yet here you are, asking me to just take your head?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Gav looked at Zeke through the strands of his hair, his eyes now burning with something dangerous.

"I know your heart knows them, even if you can't remember. So fight, Gav… fight for them. And I'll fight for mine."

Zeke stretched out his hand and slashed his palm with his sword. As his blood dripped onto the ground, he declared, "I'm severing our blood oath, Gav. From here on, you're now free from my control."

A pain so intense seemed to pulse within Gav that he fell to one knee, gritting his teeth and clutching his heart. The agony felt as if it was tearing him apart, but soon, the pain began to subside. His blurry vision cleared, and the first thing he saw was the images inside the pendant. My… wife? My… son? Ev… Evie?

His heart clenched, aching so intensely it felt like it was bleeding.

"Pick up your sword and stand, Gav," came Zeke's voice. Gav tore his gaze away from the pendant and looked at Zeke. Their oath was severed. Now, Gav could feel his power, his darkness, swirling and taking control of his entire being.

"Only one of us will win. One of us must die," Zeke said. "Take my head if you can, Gav."

Gav grabbed the pendant and then his sword, rising to his feet with a wicked smile. One of his eyes had already turned pitch black.

A villainous laughter then echoed from Gav. "Fine then, Zeke. Since that's what you wish. I'll gladly fight you to the death and take your head!"