The five Heroes stood near to Archon's Shrine, looking towards the Bronze Gate. There was the Guildmaster himself, Briar Rose, Thunder, Whisper and Theresa.
"Do you really think we can stop him?" Asked Briar.
"No… but we can delay him." Replied Theresa.
"What good will delaying him do?" Bellowed Thunder, his voice showing a hint of fear for the first time. "And where is Scythe?"
His answer came from the Cullis Gate behind them. Out stepped Scythe, clad in ornate gold mail and blue robes, wielded his trademark golden scythe in his right hand and an ancient looking book in his left hand.
"Is that…?"Asked the Guildmaster.
"Yes." Scythe stated simply.
"Then there is hope for Albion after all." The Guildmaster breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"What do you mean?" Asked Theresa.
"William Black was transported to the Void when he read a mysterious tome." Scythe placed down his trademark weapon and began to flick through the ancient book, looking for a particular page. "This is the tome."
"How can you be sure?"
He looked up as a figure stepped out of the Bronze Gate. "That is a story for another time. Hold him as long as you can. Albion depends on it."
The abomination stopped advancing. It wore the magnificent armour of Archon that The Hero of Oakvale had worn. But it was not the Hero of Oakvale anymore. In the place of the Hero's golden ponytail there was now two red-hot horns that curved either side of the mask that had now fused to his flesh.
His eyes, once brilliant blue, were the worst. Now the white was yellow and the blue was red. The thing that made them the worst was the expression in them; one of malice and merciless fury, and glee at the prospect of slaughtering so many.
"Why lad… why did you put it on." Asked the Guildmaster sadly.
Two voices spoke at the same time; one twisted and demonic from the mask itself, the other deep and rumbling from behind it. "Immortality. I planned to defeat Jack a third time, in a battle for my own mind and become Albion's immortal protector."
He laughed in the evil way Jack did before continuing.
"But I see now, I should have claimed The Sword of Aeons for myself, but instead I spared my sister…" his red and yellow eyes briefly looked at Theresa, "the Hero of Oakvale was weakened by morality, and Jack of Blades could never be as powerful as him. I am neither, and I am both: I am the Hero of Blades."
"You are truly lost, lad." The Guildmaster's voice was sorrowful. As he spoke again his face became hard and his voice became a cold command. "Kill him."
Thunder moved first. He brought his sword down towards the Hero's head. The Hero didn't have time to draw his sword so he sidestepped and evaded the blow. He knocked Thunder aside with a punch that may as well have been a master greathammer.
Whisper swung in a flourish of her full strength. The Hero caught the staff in one hand and blasted an arc of lightening at the other Heroes. The spell wasn't powerful enough to kill but caused intense pain, as it was meant to, and restrained them. He brought his arm back and wrapped it around Whisper, lifting her up so their eyes met, like he did as a lover. She was reminded of the many nights she had spent with the Hero, but now was not the time to reminisce of his skill at fucking, as she got the feeling she was going to see his skill at killing.
She was right.
He squeezed with all his Heroic Strength and all of the Heroes could hear the crunch of her ribcage, caught between his powerful arm and chest. The noise of her organs being crushed underneath the collapsing ribcage was drowned out by Thunder's tortured roar of "NO!"
The Hero flung Whisper's broken form at her brother's feet and drew Avo's Tear.
Scythe began reading from his ancient tome again as the Guildmaster cast shielding spells over Theresa, Thunder and Briar. Thunder roared and charged at the Hero.
Noticing the shield around his foe the Hero disappeared a flash of a teleportation spell.
He appeared again behind the Guildmaster, who had cast the spell. The Hero clasped his gauntleted hand over the top of the Guildmaster's bald head. The old man fought to break his grip but to no avail. The other Heroes charged forward. They didn't even get close, however, as the Hero released a mighty force push spell that flung all but the Guildmaster aside like ragdolls. The Hero of Oakvale's force pushes were the most powerful even Scythe had ever seen. They crushed most of his foes instantly and even trolls were thrown around effortlessly by them.
"Hero, your health is low!" The Hero of Blades snarled mockingly. He clenched his fist with such strength that the old man's head was crushed like an egg. Brain, blood and bone sprayed out like yolk, white and shell.
Theresa leapt between Scythe and the Hero as Briar Rose and Thunder moved up behind him.
"You must delay him! I nearly have the incantation!" Scythe commanded.
Thunder yet again charged roaring, and this time the Hero locked swords with him. Apparently being stronger even than the mighty Thunder the Hero pushed him away and pressed the attack on his larger foe.
He swung left then flourished right against the shield on Thunder's left arm. The Shield may have prevented the blow from splitting Thunder in two but it itself was split in half.
Theresa flung a fireball but the self-proclaimed Hero of Blades cast a shield around himself and the spell washed over it like water over stone.
The Hero continued to battle Thunder sword-to-sword, and disarmed him with a powerful flourish. Before Thunder could react the Hero rammed his sword through one of his legs. He dropped to one knee, defeated and in agony, and his head was sent spinning from his shoulders
He turned to face the three remaining Heroes. Scythe chanted more furiously than ever and the book had begun to glow. Theresa sent another fireball hurtling towards her enemy, to as much effect as the last one.
He laughed at her attempts and charged up his own red fireball. Theresa cast a shield, but it did not fly towards her; it struck Briar Rose. Its explosive force blasted her apart instantly which drew more laughter from its caster.
"Don't you see, Theresa? None can oppose my power!"
Theresa gathered her Will power and clasped her hands together. An arc of bright blue lightening fired out and met the Hero of Blades' own red bolt. At the point they met there was a blinding explosion of white hot light.
The Hero was temporarily blinded by the flash, but Theresa had been blind for over a decade already. She lifted the stunned Hero into the air with a blast of force before he could recover his sight and slammed him back down, at Scythes feet, just as he finished the incantation. There was a howling wind and tendrils of black smoke reached out of the book and dragged the Hero of Blades into the Void.