The Dimensional Gap -
Raven stood on the semi-solid ground, her eyes fixed on the horizon. The Dimensional Gap stretched before her, a churning mass of purple and black, of broken world and swirling mists.
She had seen many things in her existence. She had walked through the halls of Hell, and she had faced gods and demons and things that had no name.
But this place was different, it was not evil and it was not good. It was simply... other. A space between spaces, a threshold between realities, a place that was too perfect for beings to hide in.
She turned to Arthur, her voice carrying a note of genuine appreciation.
"Your World of Eternal Slumber," she said, "is miles better than this."
Arthur's lips curved. He stood beside her, his shadow armor gleaming with violet light, his eyes scanning the distant horizon. "Yeah, this place is quite massive," he said. "It takes years to fully explore." He paused. "I spent two years here playing cat and mouse against three Monarchs."
"Right... I keep forgetting that you actually spent quite some time here, must have been really dull." Raven said calmly.
"They never openly fought me," Arthur continued. "Instead, they baited me with that Gate on Gotham. They tried to use Earth as bait hoping I would use my entire strength fighting them off and protecting the planet at the same time."
Raven's jaw tightened. "That's... that's actually clever."
"It was." Arthur nodded slowly. "But what they didn't account for was the solid resistance they faced from you guys and hunters, and the shadow lanterns."
Raven's expression softened. "Well, we did our best. But we still needed you to actually kill them." She paused. "Clark almost died fighting those Monarchs..."
Arthur's eyes flickered. "The Monarchs are also formerly human from different Earths," he said. "They know all of the Justice League's weaknesses. Superman's vulnerability to magic, to red sun radiation and to Kryptonite is no secret. The Flash's connection to the Speed Force, Batman's mortality." He shook his head. "They studied and prepared for us."
Raven was silent for a moment.
"Still sounds crazy to me," she finally said. "That they were once human and destroyed their own worlds and that they chose this."
"Power changes people, not always for the better." Arthur said quietly. "But this power consumed them and took away their former selves, only myself and the dragon monarch remain unaffected, though he is also consumed by a strange desire for more power."
He paused, then straightened.
"Let's go. Baran is not far from here." His eyes narrowed. "And surprisingly, his army is deployed here as well." His voice hardened. "He really is waiting for me."
Raven followed his gaze. In the distance, she could see them with her magic, the demon army, a vast expanse of twisted forms and burning eyes, spread across the ground like a stain on the face of reality.
"We need to be careful," Raven said, "Looking at you, your face says 'this is too good to be true.'"
Arthur's smile was thin, "And you would be correct. But we already decided." His eyes met hers. "And we are prepared."
He raised his hand.
"I will transfer my entire Shadow Legion into your own shadow, Raven."
Raven blinked. "What?"
Arthur's shadow extended, stretching across the ground, reaching toward her own. The darkness connected, merging, flowing like water finding its level. Raven looked down at her own shadow and saw it shift, growing deeper, darker, filled with the presence of over a million shadows.
She stared at her shadow.
"Okay..." she said slowly.
Arthur's voice carried across the connection.
"H'El. Kamish."
Their voices echoed from Raven's shadow.
"Very well, my Monarch."
Arthur nodded.
"Once Raven arrives on the back of Veythur to the location of the demon army, all of you will emerge. You two will lead the Shadow Legion and crush the enemy."
"It shall be done."
Raven's eyes were still fixed on her shadow. "I see the plan..." She looked up at Arthur. "I will ride on top of Veythur toward the demon army alone. But isn't the Demon Monarch alongside his army?"
Arthur nodded. "He is. But I'll isolate him." His voice was calm, "You will head there first. My army will emerge and I'll isolate him and then engage in battle with him elsewhere."
Raven's brow furrowed. "And the demons?"
Arthur's smile was cold. "It won't be much of a fight. It will take a while, considering their numbers. But isolating and killing the Demon Monarch will guarantee us more soldiers. And that they cannot escape without his help."
Raven's eyes widened. "Because he brought them here?"
"Exactly." Arthur's voice was calm. "I doubt he has Demon mages that can open dimensional portals. Without him, they are trapped."
Raven nodded slowly. "Sounds like a plan."
Arthur raised his hand. Veythur descended from the swirling sky, his massive form landing with a soft thud that sent ripples across the ground.
Raven hesitated. "Can't we just teleport to his exact point?"
Arthur shook his head. "He will anticipate that." He helped Raven onto Veythur's back. "This way, it will confuse him. He will not anticipate an approaching single shadow dragon and a stranger riding it."
Raven settled onto Veythur's back, her hands gripping his shadow scales.
"Though I'm sure Sillad knows you by now," Arthur continued. "He has already relayed all information about me and the people close to me." He paused. "So just enjoy the view. And let my shadows do the rest. Once they emerge, join me, you don't have to fight the demons alongside my army."
Raven looked out at the barren, chaotic dimension.
"It's a barren dimension," she said dryly. "Nothing to enjoy here." She paused. "But alright. I will join you as soon as that happens."
Arthur nodded.
Veythur rose into the sky, his wings catching the swirling currents of the Dimensional Gap. Raven's form grew smaller and smaller, disappearing into the churning mists.
Arthur stood alone on the ground, his eyes glowed violet.
"Come now, Baran," he murmured to the emptiness. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
.
.
.
.
The Dimensional Gap - The Demon Army's Position
Demons of every class filled the horizon, from the lowliest grunts, their forms twisted and hunched, to the noble elites, their armor gleaming with dark energy. They stood in perfect formation, their eyes glowing red, their weapons ready for the battle that was about to come.
At the center of it all, mounted on a wyvern that was more like a dragon, Baran waited.
The Demon Monarch was clad in armor, his greatsword resting across his knees. His eyes, burning with the same fire that consumed his army, were fixed on the distant horizon.
He watched the approaching figure.
A single shadow dragon and a single rider.
"Is he mocking me?" Baran murmured to himself, "Does he think he can defeat my army with one shadow dragon?" His grip tightened on his greatsword. "Or is he plotting something?"
He squinted, trying to make out the details. The rider was a woman, dark robes.
"Damn it," Baran growled. "I can't know for sure from this distance, but that is not him."
He straightened on his wyvern, his voice rising to carry across his army.
"The enemy will arrive!" His words echoed across the battlefield, reaching every demon in his vast host. "Ready yourselves! Today, the shadow will be extinguished! The traitor monarch will die!"
A roar rose from the demon army a unified cry of bloodlust and anticipation that shook the very fabric of the dimension.
Baran's eyes remained fixed on the approaching figure.
Then the voices came.
Inside his mind.
Sillad's voice was first,
'The Shadow Monarch is stronger than the last time,' Sillad said. 'And be damn sure he has more soldiers than the last time I fought him. The fact that he is confident in coming here alone, without the aid of the superhumans of his Earth, is alarming.'
Baran's jaw tightened.
'He will surely come for you,' Sillad continued. 'He will try to isolate you from your army. But that won't be a problem if he does that.'
Legia's voice joined smoother, more amused.
'We will appear as soon as it happens,' Legia said. 'Neither of us can defeat him on our own. We need our combined strength to kill him.'
Baran's eyes narrowed. "And the Dragon Monarch? Any news of him?"
Sillad's voice was flat. 'The Dragon Monarch will not aid us. It turns out he is a coward as well, always delaying our grand plans for whatever he is busy with.'
Legia's laugh echoed in Baran's mind. 'Our purpose is the Rulers. But while the Shadow lives, that power balance is nonexistent. He will surely side with the Rulers. So he must die. Or we will.'
Baran's hand tightened on his greatsword.
"If you do not appear," he said, his voice carrying the weight of a threat, "and it turns out that I have been used as a sacrifice, like you did the Monarch of the Iron Body... I will withdraw. I will take my army and return to my world."
Legia's laugh was sharp, cruel. 'How cruel of you, Sillad, to use Tarnak as a sacrifice. Even though I didn't like him...'
Sillad's voice was cold, 'Tarnak was weak. His army was weak. He knew full well what the cost was. He did not withdraw when he had the chance, and he paid with his life.'
Legia's voice shifted becoming more serious. 'I lack manpower. But I will still deploy everything I have into this battle. Once he appears, I will open the portals so my giant army can join the fight.'
Sillad's voice followed. 'I will do the same. But we three need to fight the Shadow Monarch ourselves.'
He paused.
'The girl can be dangerous too,' Sillad continued. 'Be careful of her magic. If we kill her, it is all more beneficial to us.' His voice hardened. 'She can be a weakness we will exploit.'
Baran's eyes found the approaching figure again, the woman on the shadow dragon, growing larger in his vision.
"Sounds like a plan to me," he said. "I see her approaching from the distance on top of his shadow dragon." He smiled a predatory smile. "Once she is in my range, I will attack her. And I will wait for him to appear." His greatsword rose and the demon army behind him roared.
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