Night fell over the Duke's estate like a heavy cloak, pierced only by the brilliance of magical attacks slicing through the air. Emi fought skillfully, her light magic flashing like a beacon against the relentless advance of demonic creatures. Beside her, Alex maintained his focus, channeling his magic to enhance Emi's abilities, making her attacks faster and more precise.
"To your right, Emi!" Alex shouted, pointing toward a group of demons trying to flank her.
Emi nodded, launching a burst of light that instantly incinerated the creatures. However, her expression darkened as she spotted the largest demon in the distance, watching them with terrifying calm while its minions continued their assault.
Suddenly, a flash of purple hair darted into the battlefield. Aria, wearing makeshift armor and wielding a sword she had taken from the Duke's armory, joined the fray.
"I'm not going to stand by while you two fight!" she shouted, charging at a group of lesser demons.
Emi halted her attack for a moment, clearly shocked and annoyed.
"What are you doing here? This isn't a game, Aria."
"I'm helping. I don't need your permission to fight," Aria shot back, dodging a strike and cutting down one of the beasts.
Seeing the tension between the two girls ignite again, Alex tried to intervene.
"Focus on the demons, not on each other!"
But his words were lost in the chaos. Emi and Aria, struggling to coordinate, ended up getting in each other's way. Emi's attacks, amplified by Alex's magic, narrowly missed Aria, while Aria's movements obstructed Emi's precision spells.
The confusion reached a breaking point when the two accidentally hit each other with their own magic. Emi took a glancing hit from one of Aria's wind spells, and Aria was momentarily blinded by a flash of Emi's light magic.
Trying to support both of them, Alex began to feel his energy drain rapidly. Finally, he collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.
"Alex!" Emi and Aria cried out in unison, momentarily forgetting their rivalry.
They both rushed to him, concerned. Emi was the first to kneel beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you okay? I'm sorry—I shouldn't have pushed you to use so much magic."
Aria took his other hand, her expression filled with guilt.
"This is my fault. If I hadn't come, this wouldn't have happened."
Alex slowly lifted his head, looking at them both.
"Stop blaming yourselves... Work together... I can't keep this up if you're fighting each other."
His words struck a chord in both girls. Emi and Aria exchanged a glance, the tension still there, but they nodded.
"For now, we'll fight together. But this doesn't mean I'm giving up, Emi," said Aria with determination.
"Same here," Emi replied, though her tone was less sharp.
They rose and stood back-to-back, covering one another. With renewed coordination, they began to cut down the lesser demons with increased speed and efficiency. Their movements, though not perfect, showed marked improvement as they fought side by side.
However, the main demon still observed from afar. At last, it decided to act, advancing toward them with steps that made the ground tremble. When it reached them, it raised a hand, and a dark aura enveloped the area, absorbing the magic hurled at it.
"No way..." Emi murmured, watching her light magic dissolve as if it were nothing.
"He's using our magic to strengthen himself," Aria growled through clenched teeth.
The demon let out a deep, echoing laugh.
"Foolish humans. Your efforts are meaningless."
Both girls stepped back, trying to form a new strategy as Alex struggled to rise, still weakened.
"What do we do now?" Aria asked, glancing at Emi.
"I don't know, but we can't give up. If that monster reaches the estate, everyone will be in danger."
The chapter ends as the demon charges toward them, leaving Emi, Aria, and Alex to face a threat that seems insurmountable.