"Hello, humans," the devil said with a wide smile that revealed its rows of sharp teeth.
Noah stared from a distance, his body frozen and unable to move. It can speak?
"Finally, I am free from that prison!" the devil roared, its voice thundering like a storm. "Thank you, humans! With my power, breaking through the gate to the Underworld that they created was immensely difficult. So, I used that wolf as a catalyst... to allow my power to gradually adapt to this world's gate and break through. You let that wolf roam for too long, and now I am free!"
'They'? 'Him'? Who? Questions swirled in Noah's confused mind. Unintentionally, his gaze met the devil's glowing eyes.
Instantly, the devil's body shuddered almost imperceptibly. Its arrogant expression cracked, replaced by deep bewilderment. A vague shadow flashed in its mind, making it feel something unfamiliar: fear. What is it about this child? Without a second thought, the devil shot forward like a dark arrow, heading straight for Noah.
It's coming for me! Noah was completely paralyzed, his feet as if rooted to the ground.
"Don't come closer!" Arthur lunged forward. A burst of pure white light shot from his hands, showering the devil. One attack managed to graze the devil's cheek, drawing thick, dark red blood.
The devil touched its wound, its eyes widening in slight surprise. "This... is the first time I've been wounded by a human."
"Elara, get them out of here! Now!" Arthur shouted.
Elara didn't need to be told twice. Living roots sprouted from her hands, wrapping firmly but painlessly around Noah, Haru, Allen, and Sena, then pulling them quickly to a safer path.
"I won't allow it... I have business with that boy," the devil said.
Its hand rose, and from its back, black iron spikes—like deadly thorns—shot out, dragging itself forward to reach the retreating group. Arthur and Kaito reacted swiftly. Their blasts of light and lightning rained down on the spikes, cutting and slowing their advance.
Seeing its target nearly escape, the devil changed tactics. It aimed its hand at the cliff above their escape path. A projectile of dark energy shot out with deadly precision, hitting the clifftop and triggering a massive rockslide.
However, before the boulders could crush everything, two giant hands made of earth and stone emerged from the chasm below, supporting the rubble momentarily. "Hurry!" yelled Izawa, his comrade, who was already in position with his hands raised and concentration etched on his sweaty face. "I can't hold this for long!"
Elara used the precious time to pull everyone through a narrow crevice to safety.
"You are truly troublesome," the devil said, its focus now entirely on the remaining mages. Its voice was calm, even carrying a mocking tone. "Very well... I will show you the difference in our power, humans~"
The air around them grew heavier and thick with pressure. Arthur stepped forward, placing himself at the front line. He faced the hovering devil with a sharp gaze and his magic ready to ignite.
"Just try it," he challenged, his voice low but filled with unshakable confidence.
The devil merely smirked sinisterly and pointed its hand at the carcass of the mutated wolf behind them. "Rise."
Immediately, a thick aura of purple and black energy erupted from its hand, enveloping the dead wolf. Slowly, the creature began to move again, its body cracking and expanding as it stood up in a half-erect position, its eyes glowing solid red.
"Did it just revive the wol—?!" Kaito exclaimed, but before he could finish—
WHOOSH!
The devil had already moved in an instant, gripping Kaito's face with its sharp claws. "Don't let your guard down," it whispered coldly before brutally throwing Kaito against the cliff wall, cracking the stones upon impact.
"Kaito!" Arthur shouted.
With great effort, Kaito got up, his body glowing faintly as he regenerated his wounds. "I'm alright! Handle the devil, Arthur! I'll take care of this wolf!"
Arthur gave a quick nod, then shot forward. He hurled balls of light and energy swords at the devil, combined with earth magic attacks from Aizawa, who continuously tried to trap the devil with shifting ground.
"Not bad," the devil said casually, now perched on a treetop. It raised both hands and began chanting an ancient, dark mantra in an unknown language.
At that moment, the surrounding trees began to change. Their wood turned black and jointed like bones, their branches stretching out like ready tentacles. Their growls filled the air. "Alright, one of you, go after that child," it commanded.
...
The growls of the strange creatures reached the ears of Elara and the children, who had reached a small hill to the north, far from the battlefield. Elara suddenly stopped, her eyes staring blankly toward the source of the sound, where flashes of light and darkness were visible. "Brother... will you be alright there?" she whispered, her voice filled with worry.
Allen, whose eyes were the sharpest, suddenly narrowed his gaze. "The trees... they're moving."
"What?!" Haru yelled, immediately looking in the direction Allen indicated. Noah followed suit. In the distance, they saw a horrifying sight: trees with distorted, unnatural structures were advancing. Their trunks were pitch black and segmented like bones, while their branches stretched out like giant tentacles thirsting for destruction. They were no longer trees—they were manifestations of demonic souls fused with wood.
"They're coming this way!!" Noah exclaimed, startling everyone.
Elara, who had just carefully placed the hunters' bodies and covered them with roots as a sign of respect, turned around. Her face, once filled with grief, now became alert and determined. Before she could take a stance, Sena's small hand gripped hers tightly, the little girl's eyes wide with fear.
"Stay calm," Elara said, her voice struggling to remain steady despite her racing heart.
We can't run!. Noah muttered to himself. His voice trembled but was full of conviction. Running will only take us deeper into this forest. I truly never expected the devil's power to be this immense!
Anxiety clouded his mind, but his eyes suddenly widened—a sign of an emerging idea.
"We can't just stand here. I have a plan," Noah said, his voice now firmer, trying to calm himself and the others. "Haru, cut down the trees like you did with the wolf. Block their path!"
Haru sighed, his face showing doubt. "You think I can do it just like that?! I had that tree prepared way in advance last time. It takes time to gather enough energy!"
Without needing further instruction, Allen sprang into action. He raised his hand, and tiny star particles scattered from his palm, spreading like a swarm of fireflies to scan the entire area around them.
"There's no other way," he reported shortly, his face serious. "Hurry, they're getting closer!"
Watching the children's enthusiasm and initiative, Elara couldn't help but smile faintly amid the tense situation. You remind me of my little brother she murmured softly, her voice barely audible. A new determination flowed through her. She raised her hand, and large roots crept from the ground, easily uprooting two large trees to use as defense. "What's next, Mr. Strategist?" she asked Noah, ready to follow his orders.
Noah immediately gave instructions. **"Pile them up at the edge of the downhill path!"** Three large trees were quickly gathered, forming an emergency barricade.
Seeing movement from below, Noah swiftly kicked one of the logs with force. The wood rolled down at high speed, crushing one of the approaching mutant trees. "Just as I thought, it worked!" he cheered. They repeated this tactic under Allen's continuous monitoring of the enemy's movements. However, the number of mutant trees seemed endless. Sena stood silently, feeling useless. She wanted to help but didn't know what to do.
Suddenly, from the right flank, one of the mutant trees broke through their surveillance. "What?!" Noah shouted.
But Elara reacted quickly. Her roots shot out, tightly binding the tree, crushing it with a hard blow, and then hurling it tumbling downhill.
However, at the same moment, another mutant tree appeared right beside Sena. Its tentacle-like arm was already raised, ready to slash. Noah turned while running—time seemed to slow. No... No... SENA!
Sena screamed in terror, and suddenly, her body emitted a blinding white light that erased all vision, accompanied by a ringing sound that filled their ears. Even the mutant tree itself staggered, disoriented.
Noah, for some reason, regained his senses faster than the others. He felt a dark aura around his head. What is this?
Seeing Sena being approached by the monster, he ignored it and immediately pulled Sena, who was nearly slashed, backward until they both fell together.
At the same time, Elara's roots tightly bound the creature, locking it in place. "Now, Haru!" Noah yelled.
Haru didn't waste the opportunity. His spiral fire shot out, striking the bound mutant tree and setting it ablaze, causing it to collapse.
Allen, still struggling to recover his vision after the blinding light, forced himself to concentrate. His ears were still ringing, but he sharpened his other senses. "Three more are approaching!" he reported, his voice tense but clear.
Elara stepped forward, past the wooden barricade. Her usually warm face was now filled with steely resolve. "Alright. All of you, rest. I'll handle these last three myself," she said, her voice oddly calm. Her thoughts were focused on one thing. Brother... I'm coming...
With swift and deadly movements, large roots erupted from the ground, uprooting, crushing, and shattering the three mutant trees into splinters. Once done, Elara didn't linger. "Stay here! I have to help my brother!" she called out before turning and darting back down the path toward the main battlefield, leaving the breathless children behind.
Noah finally dropped to the ground, overwhelmed by pent-up exhaustion. His chest heaved rapidly as he finally took his first relieved breath since everything began.
Beside him, Haru was still rubbing his eyes, trying to clear the white spots disrupting his vision. "Ugh, my eyes... That light was so bright."
Sena looked at him with a guilty expression. "I... I'm sorry," she whispered softly.
"It's okay," Haru replied, still rubbing his eyes. "What matters is we're all safe. That was really cool! Light magic!"
However, the relief was short-lived. Allen, who had stood up and was staring intently toward the horizon where light and darkness still clashed, broke the silence. His voice was flat but carried a deep, rumbling worry.
"This isn't over yet..."
He turned to the others, his eyes reflecting a bitter truth.
"As long as that devil is alive, we will never truly be safe."