Multiverse: by Nick Venomz (best books to read for beginners .txt) 📕

Haz, meanwhile, grinned to himself as he pointed the tips of his katana at the ground. “This is all you have? I thought there were more than this.” He remarked before charging forward, pointing the tips of the katanas behind him. He moved with his arms behind him, but quickly changed his stance as he neared them, swinging his arms in front of him and slicing into the soldiers in front of him, cutting through their armor with ease. The skin was quickly pierced and the men were dead in milliseconds as Haz barreled forward, putting all of his momentum into his weapons that swung forward, backward, and to his sides, almost creating a bubble around him that hit anything within the bubble’s perimeter.

The soldiers that tried to swarm him were obliterated by Haz who dove farther into them, cutting up the organized rows and columns and creating chaos. Abuik tried to reorganize his men but to little result. He couldn’t control his men anymore as they ran to their deaths, being killed instantly by Haz as he made his way towards him.

“Damn!” Abuik roared. “Call the Fire Runners! Stop him!” He ordered, sending in a small detachment of cavalry hiding behind him. The Fire Runners were demonic fire spirits that took the shape of a human riding a demon horse. They were known for their speed and ferocity, running as fast as lightning towards Haz. They passed by Abuik and ran into the crowd of Grizar soldiers, heading to take Haz’s head. 

“Good, the cavalry’s here.” Haz remarked before stopping his bubble technique, standing firm surrounded by the survivors of the 7th Legion and with the Fire Runners on their way. “Get over here, pests!” He exclaimed, raising one of his katanas and launching it at the leading Fire Runner, smashing it through the spirit and hitting several behind it.

Soldiers of the 7th Legion that stood around him stopped in their tracks, staring at Haz’s peculiar tactic. He now only held one katana in his grip, staring down around 4,500 soldiers and a detachment of Fire Runners. However, shocking all around him, Haz had on a grin.

“Good, now it’s a balanced fight.” He remarked before charging forward, slamming into everybody in front of him and killing them on impact. Their armor couldn’t hold a light to Haz’s toughened skin, being destroyed with ease. 

“Kill him!” Abuik roared, sending the survivors forward. His men and Fire Runners headed forward, doing their best to stop Haz but to no effect as the Blood Dragon stormed through them, slicing into fatal locations without a second thought. He naturally struck at their weakest parts before continuing forward, killing more soldiers and Fire Runners as he made his way towards Abuik. He cut himself a path to him, littered with the corpses of his enemies, and grabbed his second katana which was stained in blood. He exploded forward, launching himself into Abuik, slamming his large body into him and killing him on impact, sending the corpse flying. 

“He killed our leader!” A Grizar soldier reported, announcing it to his comrades. “He killed Abuik!”

With the announcement of their leader’s death and with Haz’s intimidating glare, the 7th Legion and remaining Fire Runners dispersed, running in any and every direction. Haz stared at them as they ran for their lives, hoping to escape death. He gnashed his teeth before turning to follow the largest clump of 7th Legion survivors. 

“RETURN TO ME, MY BLOOD DRAGON! THE 7TH LEGION HAS BEEN DESTROYED!” Altar’s voice boomed around the battlefield, catching everybody’s attention, including Haz. He looked up at where Altar was sitting, being beckoned closer. He complied, heading up to where the makeshift throne was placed, kneeling in front of him.

“Your majesty,”

Altar grinned. “The Battle of the Gold shifts to our favor. Grizar and his forces will soon retreat without their ace, the 7th Legion. Good job, my Blood Dragon.”

Haz nodded. “Thank you, your majesty.”

Altar nodded back, staring at a bloodied Haz. “Get ready, you’re going home.”

Haz nodded. “T-Thank you… your majesty.”

***

A young Altar raised his spear, pointed at a carriage. He released the spear, letting it fly and penetrate the driver in the head. The driver slumped forward, falling over the curved front railings, the corpse being trampled by the horses and the large wheels. 

The horses continued without their driver, running amok, though chained together. Their sudden speed and desperate attempts of escaping their bonds made the inhabitants of the carriage rock back and forth, slamming into the cloth tend that extended over the top of the carriage. 

Altar sprinted after the carriage, retrieving his spear from the body of the driver. He then raised the weapon and launched it at the front wheels. The left front wheel was pierced by the spear, collapsing on itself. The carriage took a sharp dive to the left, throwing the horses and inhabitants to their side and ending the sudden chase. The carriage slammed into the ground on its side.

“Ahhhh!” Screamed one of the inhabitants from the fallen carriage. “Help!”

Altar approached the carriage, grinning to himself as he neared his prey. His prey reacted by trying to climb out, bleeding out into the night. 

“Help!” A female demon screamed, climbing out. A male demon, who was to the side of the entrance, assisted her out, not noticing Altar approaching them until he had gotten the female out. He turned to look around but was caught in the jugular by Altar who raised him in the air and began to strangle him. The demon tried to fight back but his neck was quickly snapped before being thrown off the carriage onto the dirt road. 

The female demon screeched as she tried to spin around and flee, but was caught by Altar with ease, grabbing her by her dress and yanking her back. He then grabbed her neck with both hands before snapping it, a loud pop sound being emitted into the air.

Her corpse slammed against the cloth of the carriage before Altar crouched, peering into the carriage. Sitting inside the carriage was a bloody female demon holding a child in her arms. The child didn’t appear any older than a year or two, piquing his interest.

“Child?” He remarked before reaching in and plucking the child from the woman’s cold arms. He began to rise but stopped when he noticed something strange. She had more wounds than the ones caused by the carriage crashing. Mostly defensive wounds.

“Now mine.” He told the woman before rising, jumping off the carriage, and picking up his spear. The horses were too busy trying to escape their bonds to pay attention to Altar as he moved away from the carriage. He headed away from it, taking the child with him. A crimson-red child with small black patches everywhere on him. A child without a name.

“Haz, my child” Altar remarked, staring at a young Haz in his arms. He was holding a child with a name.

***

“The war will be over soon.” Altar informed a kneeling Haz. They weren’t sitting on top of a hill overlooking the battlefield, but now in the throne room, in the capital of the Altar Kingdom, Hazar. Haz kneeled in front of Altar, his katanas sheathed. Altar stared at him, sitting on his obsidian-black throne with several red cracks in it. The cracks had been filled in by molten lava, giving off the red color. 

“Can I ask how you know, your majesty?” 

Altar grinned. “You remember ol’ Blaze, right?”

“Unfortunately so,” Haz told him. “He is one of the demon rulers, Demon King Blaze.”

Altar nodded. “Yes. Him.”

“How is he related to the end of the war, your majesty?”

“Because,” Altar rose from his throne, approaching Haz, “he killed over half of the twelve demon rulers. Grizar, Blaze, one other, and I are all that remain. Soon, Blaze will kill the remaining rulers, including me, and claim dominance over Hell’s Gate. He’ll end the war himself.”

“How sure are you?” Haz asked him.

Altar placed a hand on Haz’s shoulder. “Sure enough, that I’m worried about the future. The future of the kingdom. The future of my rule. The future of you.”

Haz shook his head. “I will ensure our future, your majesty. I will destroy the invading forces and personally put an end to Blaze and make it that the Altar Kingdom rules over Hell’s Gate. I will give everything, including my name, to ensure a bright future for our people.”

“Our people… and us, Haz. And you shouldn’t use your name as freely as you do. A name is sacred and binding. Remember that.”

Haz nodded. “I apologize, your majesty.”

Altar took his hand off Haz’s shoulder, returning to his throne. “Never mind that Haz. Instead, let’s focus on the next issue. Your marriage.”

Haz raised his head, staring at Altar with his mouth opened wide and his eyes a few sizes dilated. “Uh… A-A-A-A-A-A-A marriage!”

Altar smiled. “You are already of age, Haz. And I found the perfect bride for you.”

Haz shook his head. “Y-Y-Y-Your majesty! I am a warrior and I will continue to be covered in blood until my death. There’s no way I could accept a bride. Especially when our future is being threatened.”

“Is that all?” Altar remarked, silencing Haz. “Good, then if that’s all your complaints, let me introduce you to your bride. Lani, come in.” He demanded, a guard escorting the first princess of the Altar Kingdom, Lani Altar, into the room at his order. The guard brought Lani up to Haz before stepping off to the side.

“L-L-L-Lani?” Haz asked, stumbling over himself as he rose and backed away.

“Yes, Lani will be your bride. Haz will be your groom, any complaints?”

Lani, a female demon covered in red with minuscule black patches on her, turned to look at Haz and shook her head. “No complaints, your majesty.” She was donned in obsidian armor with several spikes covering her entire body, one large roll of spikes around her wrists. She carried her helmet in her arms, being a spiked helmet like her father’s, but smaller and tailored to her head size.

Altar grinned, nodding softly. “Good, then you are both engaged. Good luck,”

Haz stared at Altar dumbfounded, at a loss of words. He looked at Altar then at Lani then at the random guard then back at Altar, repeating this loop until his mind short-circuited and he dropped his head. “Yes, your majesty. Thank you… Thank you for this engagement.”

Altar nodded. “Good, you’re welcome… my son.”

A blue-haired boy walked into a small high school the shape of a “7”, grabbing the door handle of the main entrance - two large doors that swing outward. He grabbed at the door handle, yanking one of the two doors open, stepping inside. Immediately, he was hit in the face with a large blast of cold air that trickled down his entire body, sending chills down his spines.

“We have two lines. Freshmen and sophomores in the right line and juniors and seniors in the left line!” A security guard shouted, catching everyone’s attention. He looked around, noticing more and more bewildered freshmen unsure of where to go, letting out a deep sigh. He then attended to them, getting rid of the traffic in the main hall of the school.

The boy passed by the security guard, walking in front of