Elara's breath came in ragged gasps, a searing heat burning her throat. The ground beneath her feet shook continuously, throwing off her balance with every step. From the direction she was headed, gravel and small stones scattered into the air, flying all around her. She kept rushing forward, driven by the surge of adrenaline and pure fear pushing her not to stop.
She quickened her pace, pushing her body beyond its limits, until she finally spotted a glimmer of light through the gaps in the foliage. With her last ounce of strength, she burst through the bushes—
—and her body froze instantly.
The sight that greeted her was one of total destruction. The place once flanked by two high cliffs was now nearly leveled to the ground. Only shattered and broken stone foundations remained, as if trampled by a rampaging giant.
"Brother...!" she cried hoarsely, her voice choked by the horror piercing her heart.
Amid the rubble, the demon hovered in an even more terrifying form. A fearsome large arm now grew beneath its original one. Dark lines like curses spread across its deathly pale face, and its horns twisted unnaturally. The dark aura it emitted felt tangible, pressing down on the surrounding air.
Arthur, Kaito, and Izawa knelt defeated before it. Arthur's cheek was wounded, and from the injury, black root-like lines spread to his jaw and temples, emitting a corrosive evil energy. Kaito and Izawa were in the same condition, their bodies weakened and infected by the same dark corruption.
"Is this all you're capable of?" the demon's voice echoed, cold and full of mockery, crushing any remaining shreds of hope.
"I'm not defeated yet," Arthur whispered, straining to rise. His two companions beside him couldn't withstand the poison's effect; their bodies collapsed.
"Is that so?" the demon sneered. "Then struggle all you can. And after that…" Its smile grew even more horrifying. "I will eat you."
The demon's words made Arthur's body tremble; the hairs on his neck stood on end. He knew this was no mere threat—it was a promise of the terrible fate awaiting him if he lost.
Elara didn't waste time. As soon as she arrived, her healing magic radiated out, enveloping Arthur in a warm golden light and pulling the unconscious bodies of Kaito and Izawa to a safer zone. Yet, her face immediately wrinkled with worry. The wounds on Arthur's body were too deep, and the dark poison spreading like black roots had corroded his body far worse than the others.
Brother is too far gone, she thought in despair.
"Your help has arrived," the demon interjected, its voice cold and piercing like an ice dagger. "But it changes nothing. It will only delay the inevitable death that awaits you."
Suddenly, its hate-filled gaze shifted to Elara. With terrifying speed, it shot straight toward her.
Arthur, though his body was torn by pain and poison, did not stand idle. "Your opponent is me," he growled, his voice rough. A pure white light sword materialized in his hand, forged from the last compressed remnants of his mana. With unsteady yet determined steps.
Without wasting time on words, Arthur moved. Relying on his combat experience, he circled the demon with faltering, quick steps, launching lightning-fast attacks that only managed to scratch the demon's black hide.
"You're only prolonging your suffering, human!" the demon roared, annoyed by Arthur's tenacity. Its terrifying fourth arm morphed, melting into a deadly sharp weapon fused with its body. "I'll kill you first!"
Blow after blow was exchanged over the expanse of the shattered cliff rubble. Each of the demon's strikes aimed not only at Arthur but also split the stones around them and created cutting waves of wind.
Arthur kept his distance, occasionally firing light orbs to distract and force the demon to evade. I don't care if my lifespan is drained from excessive mana consumption. I have to endure this!
With burning resolve, Arthur raised his heavily trembling hand. The air around them vibrated as pure light blades—more numerous and brighter than before—formed and shot from all directions toward the demon.
"Missed!" the demon shouted arrogantly, thinking the attack was easily avoidable.
But it wasn't an attack meant to kill. The light blades stabbed deep into the ground surrounding the demon, and instantly began emitting interlinked energy, forming a vibrating cage of light that temporarily trapped the demon.
Arthur fell to one knee, his breath ragged. His body was nearly out of energy, yet his eyes still blazed with unyielding determination. It was his final effort.
He tried to rise again but stopped as a cough wracked his body, bringing up blood.
"Brother!!" Elara's cry broke, shattered by
despair. She tried to approach, but—
The light cage shattered to pieces. The demon immediately aimed its hand toward Elara, and a black iron rod shot out with lethal speed. Elara tried to block with roots growing from her, but the rod pierced through as if the roots were mere withered dry twigs. With a swift motion, it penetrated both her shoulders, right above her hands. She fell, collapsed.
"Lara…!" Arthur shouted weakly, then coughed repeatedly. His body truly could no longer rise.
Is this my end?
"Enough playing around," the demon growled as it approached, its hand now transformed into a giant axe radiating an aura of death. "Farewell." A terrifying smile stretched across its face as it swung the axe.
But, right at that moment—
A flaming arrow, moving at an impossibly fast speed, pierced straight through the demon's heart.
Arthur was startled, for the death he expected had not come. Slowly, he lifted his head.
The demon staggered back, feeling immense pain. "AARRGGHH!!" it roared thunderously, filling the air with a choking pressure. It focused all its energy to regenerate its nearly shattered body.
Who? Arthur wondered, confused.
Suddenly, firm footsteps were heard. A man walked past him without paying him the slightest attention. "Pathetic," he said to Arthur, not even turning to look. He continued walking toward the demon.
Arthur struggled to see, despite his extreme weakness. Ragna?
"So it was you who attacked me, damn you!!" the demon raged.
Ragna did not answer. He moved at nearly invisible speed, leaving cracks in the ground. A powerful kick struck the demon, hurling it far away until it crashed through trees like a bullet. The demon was flung all the way to the edge of its own Rift, its humiliation burning fiercer than its physical wounds.
At that moment, low-level demons were just emerging from the Rift. In a furious motion, the demon killed them and absorbed their energy, restoring half its strength in an instant.
"I WILL KILL YOU!!"
But as soon as it finished speaking—the trees in front of it suddenly burst into flames, followed by the surrounding trees encircling the demon. An intense heat aura billowed out, melting everything nearby.
Ragna was drawing a bowstring made of pure fire. A giant arrow of concentrated flame formed in his hand, and mana continued to compress into it, creating such tremendous power that the surrounding environment began to melt.
Who is he?! the demon thought, for the first time feeling a real jolt of fear.
Instantly, its anger and arrogance exploded. "I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED! ALONG WITH OUR KING, YOUR WORLD AND 'THEIRS' WILL BE RECLAIMED!!"
Without a second thought, Ragna released his draw.
The fire arrow shot forth, destroying and burning everything in its path until it split the earth.
I cannot possibly lose… were the demon's last thoughts before the destructive arrow struck its body.
A massive explosion thundered, turning everything around the impact point into ash and void. The shockwave shook the earth, uprooting trees and hurling large stones in all directions. Fiery debris scattered through the air like a terrifying meteor shower.
From the center of the destruction, a giant mushroom cloud rose high into the sky, marking the dramatic end of the demon.
...What did it mean by 'them'? Ragna wondered, moments before the sound of the explosion faded. The question lingered in his mind, burning brighter than the remaining fires around him.
The massive explosion formed a giant mushroom cloud that towered into the sky. Fiery debris scattered and flew, even thrown as far north as where Noah and the others were taking shelter.
Gradually, behind the blinding cloud of light, shapes began to appear faintly, thinning and fading until they finally vanished. Yet, Noah's eyes remained wide, fixed on the afterimage of the explosion burning his retinas. The world around him seemed silent, still shaken by the recently faded roar.
That magic user... is truly incredible, he thought, awe mixed with bitterness.
Then, a thought pierced the depths of his soul: If it takes such immense power to defeat one demon... what about someone like me who can't even use magic?
A feeling of helplessness overwhelmed him. I could die at any moment in this world.
That silent lament was accompanied by flashes of his nightmare—the image of a destroyed city, cracks in the sky, and inevitable ruin. It all felt so real and increasingly possible.
"The demon has been defeated. We should head back now…" Allen's voice broke through the ringing in Noah's ears, pulling him from his deep contemplation.
Noah nodded weakly, as did Haru, Sena, and the others. Without another word, they began to walk, leaving behind the shadow of the mushroom cloud and the bitter reality they had just witnessed.
Their path was quiet, interrupted only by the rustle of leaves and their own heavy breaths. After a while, Haru finally broke the silence.
"Wow…" he whispered, his eyes still sparkling as he recalled the event. "That's the first time I've seen magic that huge and powerful."
No one responded immediately. Sena, walking beside Noah, noticed his gloomy expression and empty gaze, as if his soul had been left far behind.
"Noah," she called softly, full of concern. "What's wrong?"
Noah jolted slightly, as if snapping out of a deep trance. He averted his eyes, avoiding Sena's suspicious stare.
"Ah, it's nothing," he answered awkwardly, quickening his pace slightly. "I'm... just tired, maybe. That's all."
Yet, his flat tone and slumped shoulders spoke louder than his attempts to conceal.
"So, how are the mages who saved us doing?" Haru asked, more to everyone, his voice still trembling from both residual fear and amazement.
Noah fell silent for a moment, his eyes still staring blankly at the now clear sky, as if he could still see the shadow of the mushroom cloud and the dazzling flashes that had incinerated the demon.
They are incredible mages, he told himself, trying to find reassurance. They must have survived.