Episode 119: Adversaries
Written By Karl White
The destruction of the Abyss by Banerjee, Aolani and the others had reduced the Dark Legions to only a fraction of its intended strength...leveling the battlefield for mankind.
The opening strike of the war left Satan in stunned disbelief, not merely because his enemy dared to hit first...but because they destroyed an army he believed was untouchable. And for the first time since the dawn of his rebellion eons ago, the Dark had been forced onto the defensive.
Losing his rank-and-file, rage consumed him. But with the slightest motion of his hand, he summoned the rest of his army, higher state demons, including his Exarchs. Though his numbers were shattered, the greatest horrors at his command still remained.
Led by the demon Ba'el, the Exarchs materialized across the battlefield without warning. One moment, it was empty ground, the next, living nightmares. Veera Sarin and the Order of Wormwood stood ready to meet their advance.
The Exarchs appear - © 2026 Headless Horseman Productions, LLC
But this was no ordinary war. With the start of the Absolution, the laws governing both worlds changed. Demons no longer lingered as incorporeal spirits, hidden behind possession and shadows. They now walked the Earth in bodies of flesh and bone, still capable of inflicting terrible harm, but newly vulnerable to suffering it in return -- meaning they could bleed and die.
Ren and Heng Shao turned from the Exarchs toward the remnants of the shattered legion. Thousands of demons still stood in stunned confusion, struggling to comprehend the destruction behind them. Neither the Vampire, nor the Eternal hesitated. Carrying katanas, and using their speed magic, they vanished from mortal eyes. Becoming silver arcs flashing through the air, followed a heartbeat later by collapsing demons. Entire ranks fell before they realized they’d been attacked. Within moments, only the Four Pillars remained.
Heng Shao and Ren streak across the battlefield - © 2026 Headless Horseman Productions, LLC
But even together, the warriors of Light couldn’t stand against Satan’s generals alone. So Heng Shao, who’d not spoken in nearly fifteen hundred years, finally broke his silence.
HENG SHAO: Voca Tonitrum.
For thousands of years mankind misunderstood the sound of distant thunder. Every civilization imagined the wrath of angry gods rolling across the heavens...But in truth, it was the sound of an army, stirring.
The blackened sky above split. Bolts of white fire crashed into the valley, each strike carrying a warrior from the heavens. At their lead was Kharos. Behind him descended an entire host of Seraphblades. Immortal guardians dispatched to shield humanity from the Dark. History thought there was only one, but their arrival revealed an entire phalanx.
An army of Seraphblades- © 2026 Headless Horseman Productions, LLC
With weapons forged of Asterion, their radiant blades swung, and demons ceased to exist. The Pillars met them without fear, the generals charged committed to a fight from which there could be no retreat. The valley vanished beneath blinding flashes of light and concussive peals that shook everything. When the storm finally passed, nothing remained of the Pillars but drifting ash. Satan's army broke again.
On the far side of the battlefield, the Nightwardens fought their own desperate battle. Dark creatures, warped by possession and twisted beyond recognition, surged against their defensive line, clawing and tearing at anyone within reach. Among the ‘Wardens, only Flora Mae was an Eternal. The others were well-armed mortals, who knew every death among them would be final. Machine guns roared across the valley as shell casings rained into the dirt, yet the defenders held their ground and refused to yield.
Flora Mae and the Nightwardens - © 2026 Headless Horseman Productions, LLC
Lightning struck behind their line. Ren and Heng Shao emerged from the flash with the Seraphblades at their side. Without a word, the monk, the samurai vampire, and the ancient paladins charged towards darkness, cutting through the tide that had nearly overrun the Nightwardens. For the first time since the battle began, the protectors were no longer struggling to survive.
Across the Last Valley, the Order of Wormwood met the Exarchs with everything they had. Collected magic collided with primordial darkness as forces cultivated across centuries tore through the battlefield. Waves of light and shadow crashed against one another with such violence that, for a time, neither side could gain an advantage. But the Exarchs adapted. The demon Ba’el raised his voice above the chaos...
BA’EL: Unum corpus.
It meant One Body...The Exarchs abandoned their individual assaults, and moved with a single will, closing around the Order like lions circling wounded prey. In perfect unison, they extended their hands, and together -- pulled. Souls ripped free from living bodies. One after another, seasoned members of the Order crumpled, lifeless before they struck the earth. Their might in numbers, was devastated within moments.
But there were two among the Order the Exarchs overlooked. Buell and Vilaya, were prehistoric members of the Wolf Tribe, and had spent millennia refining their respective command of Fire and Water until the elements no longer behaved as separate forces in their presence. Together, their power became something primal and indefensible.
Walls of flame swept across the battlefield while torrents of water crashed through the ranks of the Ninth State. Steam exploded into the air as the two elements converged, enveloping the Exarchs in a scalding storm. Several were killed before they could recover, while others were thrown violently across the broken earth.
Then the pair embraced their other gift, quickly changing into Werewolves. The remaining Exarchs expected magicians, instead facing apex predators. The beasts charged. The newly flesh-born demons were dragged to the ground, torn limb from limb by fang and claw before their powers could be brought to bear.
Beasts unleashed - © 2026 Headless Horseman Productions, LLC
After the last Exarch fell, amid the chaos, Veera moved from one fallen member of the Order to the next. Pale light gathered in his hands as he sealed wounds, slowed bleeding, and whispered encouragement to those still clinging to life. There’d be time to mourn the dead later, they couldn’t let up...but a familiar voice cut through the din.
JOSEPH: Veera...
Standing at a distance was Joseph Frost. The destruction of the Abyss hurled him violently as he had tried to hold the bridge between worlds. But back on his feet, dust and ash clung to his clothes. And though battered, dark energy still flickered behind his eyes.
For a moment, neither moved. The war raging around them receding into the background. They’d crossed paths many times over the last century, but time never granted them this moment. 165 years of friendship, betrayal, regret, and vengeance led them here.
Joseph and Veera had known each other since childhood. Even fighting beneath the same banner long ago. But cancers in the form of the Book of Amar, and the dark version of Orem Black, clouded all the good existing between them. Standing across from one another, they were adversaries. Their fight began...
The first spells collided with a deafening crack, rolling across the valley. Waves of force rippled outward, hurling debris through the air. Light flared to life around Veera as Joseph answered with a deluge of dark.
Though evenly matched in skill, they weren’t in power. Joseph carried the stolen strength and mantel of the Arcanox, and each of his strikes landed with a force Veera couldn’t fully absorb. Slowly, Veera was driven back, his barriers splintering beneath the assault. The strain of holding his defenses began to show.
Though weakened by the destruction of the Abyss, Joseph gathered his strength, attacking. Dark vapors erupted from his outstretched hands, coiling around Veera, who couldn’t escape. Joseph reached into his spirit and began siphoning Veera’s innate magic, determined to steal everything he possessed.
Joseph siphons Veera’s powers - © 2026 Headless Horseman Productions, LLC
Through the haze of failing consciousness, memories of Veera’s long life began to rise before him.
He remembered his childhood at Black Manor. Joseph and Orem teasing him, their cruelty cutting deep. He saw himself fleeing in tears to Banerjee, who spoke words of comfort.
BANERJEE: The light will see you through, my boy.
He saw Aolani. A moment from long ago. Her hand resting gently upon his, as they spoke of facing the forces of evil.
AOLANI: Darkness can’t endure against light.
That was the answer...Veera opened his eyes and stopped resisting. Joseph smiled, believing victory complete. He reached as far into Veera's spirit as he could, to claim what remained. It was the opening Veera needed.
After Aolani disappearance, Veera studied Joseph's gift as a Harvester. Learning his ability to steal the essence of another demanded absolute focus. Every ounce of Joseph's will had to remain fixed upon his victim, leaving him exposed.
Veera tuned his mind's eye, finding the center of Joseph's consciousness. He looked into his adversaries head, finding the dark root of Orem’s vengeance coiled around Joseph’s soul, feeding the power he accumulated. Veera flooded it with Light.
Joseph screamed as the force tore through his brain. Veera burned away at the darkness, though it fought to preserve its hold. But he pressed, scorching resentment, grief, and revenge. When the last of Orem’s influence was consumed, the foundation of Joseph’s power collapsed like the Abyss.
Then the conduit between them convulsed, violently reversing. Everything Joseph had stolen, suddenly surged into Veera. Accumulated power rushed in. The hold of the Book of Amar, the abilities he’d harvested from others, and the age Kasson restored, were ripped away. Until finally, all that remained of Joseph was his 172 year-old husk. His withered body fell to the ground, empty.
Beyond their showdown, the war was still raging. Veera needed to rejoin the fray, but the struggle left him weakened. He dropped to his knees, unable to move. The accumulated power of Joseph Frost coursed through him, but it would take time for his strength to return.
Then, a deafening roar echoed across the valley. The horror of it, sent shivers down Veera’s spine.
TO BE CONCLUDED…