Clang!

Sir Francis discarded his chest plate armor with a sharp motion, the metallic sound echoing faintly in the tight passageway. The narrow walls pressed against him as he tried to squeeze through. “Ugh,” he grunted, his movements slow and deliberate. “Come on,” he muttered, his voice laced with frustration and urgency.

Little by little, he forced his way forward. Finally, as Vidia had mentioned, the tight passage opened up, revealing a round vertical shaft just large enough for an adult to slide through. Sir Francis frowned. “Not another slide,” he muttered in irritation, recalling similar situations he had encountered before. Still, he sighed in resignation. “Screw it,” he said and pushed himself forward.

The descent was swift and ungraceful. At the shaft’s exit, his body slid out and dropped unceremoniously onto the ground below. He landed hard on his rear in a squelching mess. “Gargh!” he grunted, wincing at the impact. As he rose, the foul stench of the area hit him like a wall. “Ugh... smells like blood,” he muttered, covering his nose.

He glanced around, taking in the cavern. It was massive, illuminated by light crystals that protruded from the ground, walls, and ceiling. Their faint glow bathed the cavern in an eerie, otherworldly light. The ground beneath him felt wet and sticky, drawing his attention downward.

“What is this?” he murmured, crouching. His gloved fingers dipped into the sludge-like substance beneath him. He brought it closer to his face for inspection. “It’s... blood,” he realized grimly. “Mixed with mud.”

He straightened up quickly, shaking his hand to rid it of the substance. His thoughts snapped back to his purpose. “Right. Where the hell is this summoned body?” he muttered, his tone determined. Sword in hand, Sir Francis began to explore the cavern, his boots squelching softly with each step.

As Sir Francis walked further from the shaft’s exit, his steps slowed, his eyes narrowing as he spotted something up ahead. “Is that…” he muttered, his voice tinged with shock.

Just a few meters in front of him was an unmistakably human body. Suspended a few inches above the ground in an upright position, the figure was held in place by large tree roots that protruded from its back and snaked upward toward the cavern ceiling, anchoring it like a puppet on strings. The body, pale and hairless, seemed lifeless, its skin almost translucent under the dim glow of the light crystals.

But what truly caught Sir Francis's attention was the heart.

It glowed a brilliant, pulsating red, each beat steady and deliberate, illuminating the hollow cavity of the chest it sat within. The sight was both mesmerizing and chilling.

“That must be the summoned body,” Sir Francis murmured to himself. His grip on his sword tightened, resolve hardening in his eyes. “Now to destroy it.”

He studied the grotesque scene carefully. “It’s obvious where I should strike,” he whispered, his gaze fixed on the glowing heart. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself, preparing to make his move.

But just as he stepped forward, the muddy ground beneath him began to stir.

“What the—” Sir Francis gasped, his focus shifting as several humanoid figures emerged from the ground between him and the summoned body. The figures were something he had encountered before.

“Ghouls,” he muttered, his voice laced with irritation.

Sir Francis exhaled sharply, his annoyance flaring. “Damn it, I knew this wouldn’t be easy” he said as he ready his sword and lowering himself into a battle stance.

Above ground.....

BOOM!

A massive tree bark shattered into splinters as a streak of dark lightning struck, leaving smoldering debris in its wake.

“Ugh, that was close,” Aki muttered, steadying himself after narrowly dodging the blast. His eyes locked on Alastair, who was already preparing for his next attack.

The Demon Lord stood before Aki, his body radiating an oppressive aura of dark magic. With a deliberate motion, he spread his arms wide, unleashing a surge of energy that whipped the air into a violent tornado. The dark whirlwind crackled with streaks of black lightning, tearing through the forest like an unrelenting storm.

“Aki!” Vidia’s voice rang out as she darted closer, her small figure glowing faintly amidst the destruction.

“Vidia, this doesn’t look good,” Aki replied, his tone laced with unease.

“I’ve located the summoned body!” Vidia shouted over the roaring winds. “It’s beneath the large dark tree, and I managed to make contact with someone down there. He’s on his way to destroy it!”

“Who?” Aki asked, but before Vidia could respond, a streak of dark lightning shot toward them.

“Kyaaa!” Vidia shrieked as the blast narrowly missed her, tearing through the ground inches away.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Vidia!” Aki yelled, rushing to shield her. He thrust his wand forward, conjuring a shimmering barrier of light just as another strike hit.

CRACK!

The force reverberated through the barrier, causing Aki to stumble back slightly. “Urgh,” he grunted, sweat forming on his brow. Turning to Vidia, he said firmly, “You need to get out of here. Find somewhere safe while I hold him off.”

Though a bit reluctant, Vidia flew away from the fight, vanishing into the trees.

The force of the tornado ripped the ground beneath its path, sending tree branches, rocks, and debris flying in all directions. Aki kept a safe distance, shielding his face with one arm as he struggled to maintain his footing. “Where is he?” he muttered, worry evident in his tone. The swirling chaos of debris made it difficult to keep his eyes on Alastair.

Suddenly, a streak of dark, lightning-like energy spiraled out from the tornado, striking the ground before snaking its way toward Aki. Unaware of the approaching danger, he barely had time to react. From beneath his shadow, the energy surged upward.

“Wha—!”

Before Aki could finish his thought, the dark magic coiled around him like a serpent. It snaked from his feet to his upper body, locking him in place. “Urgh, shit! No!” Aki cursed, struggling desperately to break free, but the binds held firm. His grip on his wand faltered, and it clattered to the ground out of reach. “My wand!” he exclaimed in frustration.

“Now then,” a hoarse, rough voice cut through the dissipating storm.

As the winds subsided, Alastair emerged from the chaos, his grin wide and malicious. “Enough of this meaningless fight,” he said, his tone mocking as he slowly approached.

Standing before Aki, Alastair sneered. “Poor, poor boy, soon to become my sacrifice for my glorious resurrection,” he taunted. His voice dripped with disdain. “Did you really think you could defeat me?”

Aki, despite his predicament, stared defiantly at the Demon Lord. “You can’t win. Athia would never allow it,” he said firmly, his voice unwavering.

“Hm. We’ll see about that,” Alastair replied with a cruel smile, leaning closer to savor his apparent triumph.

“But before that, let me show you the true meaning of despair,” Alastair said with a sinister grin, raising one hand pointing toward where Sir William and his group were battling.

“Onwards, don’t falter!” Sir William commanded, his voice resolute as he and several guardsmen continued their assault on the dragon’s open wound. The headmistress’s summoned stone giants held the massive creature down, restraining it and preventing its fiery breath from wreaking havoc.

Nearby, Amabel gripped her wand tightly, her expression focused as she conjured thick vines from the ground. The enchanted vines wrapped around the dragon’s feet, binding them to the earth.

Sylvia and several other mages stood behind Sir William, casting spells to keep the dragon’s wound from healing, their combined magic creating a relentless barrage of energy. Even the Terean hounds under Professor Gale’s command attacked without pause, their claws and teeth tearing at the beast’s vulnerable spots.

Crack...

A sharp, ominous sound echoed from a nearby patch of ground, farther away from the restrained dragon.

The earth shuddered and then burst open. Slowly, figures emerged from the soil—dire wolves, their eyes glowing with malevolent energy. These were the same creatures the headmistress had buried beneath the earth with her magic.

“No...” Aki whispered, his heart sinking as he watched the dire wolves rise.

“Let the fun begin,” Alastair said, his voice laced with cruel amusement.

“Sir William, the wolves!” one of the guardsmen shouted, panic lacing his voice.

“What wolves?” Sir William replied, his head snapping toward the guardsman. His expression shifted to horror as he spotted the wolves charging forward, their glowing eyes locked onto the mages positioned at the rear.

“Shit!” Sir William cursed under his breath. “My lady, the wolves—they’re free!” he called out, his voice urgent.

The headmistress, deeply focused on maintaining control of her summoned stone giants, didn’t move. Her brow furrowed as she commanded, “Professor!”

“I’m on it!” Professor Gale responded immediately. Without hesitation, he directed his Terean hounds to abandon their assault on the dragon and intercept the advancing wolves.

But that split second of distraction proved costly. As the headmistress’s concentration wavered, the stone giants lost their grip on the dragon. The beast seized the opportunity, slamming its massive upper body against one of the stone constructs, sending it crashing to the ground.

With its jaws now free, the dragon let out an earth-shaking roar before unleashing a torrent of fire directly toward the headmistress.

“Eltro!”

A streak of lightning magic crackled through the air, striking the dragon squarely in one of its eyes. The blast caused its fiery breath to veer off course, scorching the ground in a half-formed blaze.

It was Sylvia, standing firm amidst the chaos, her wand raised and glowing with residual energy from the spell. “Headmistress!” she shouted, her voice filled with alarm as flames engulfed the area where the headmistress had been standing moments before.

“I’m fine,” the headmistress’s voice rang out, calm but strained. As the smoke cleared, she emerged, protected by a wall of large stone pillars she had conjured just in time to shield herself from the dragon’s fiery wrath.

With the stone giant’s grip weakened, the dragon thrashed violently, snapping several of the vines Amabel had conjured. Its tail lashed out like a massive whip, sending several guardsmen flying through the air before they crashed heavily to the ground.

At the rear, the Terean hounds struggled to contain the onslaught of attacking wolves, their snarls and barks mingling with the chaotic sounds of battle.

“Fall back! Regroup!” Sir William shouted, rallying the remaining guardsmen. They quickly retreated toward the mages, forming a defensive line.

“The dragon needs time before it can unleash another fiery blast,” Sir William said, moving to stand beside the headmistress. The fallen stone giant was already rising to its feet, ready to engage the dragon once more.

“I don’t know how much longer I can hold this creature,” the headmistress admitted, her voice tense but steady. “Sir William, we need a retreat plan—but those wolves must be dealt with first.”

“Damn it all,” Sir William muttered, frustration flashing across his face. He glanced at the battlefield, calculating their dwindling options. “My lady, I know I’m asking too much, but please, hold the dragon at bay while we handle the wolves.”

“Do what you must,” the headmistress replied, her voice resolute as she readied her magic once more.

From a distance, Alastair observed the struggle, a smug smile spreading across his face as he watched the chaos unfold. He turned his gaze toward Aki, bound and immobilized.

“Now, savior, it’s your turn,” Alastair said darkly. Without hesitation, he placed one of his palms on the top of Aki’s head.

“Gahhh!” Aki screamed in agony as a chilling sensation tore through him, his life essence being drained away by Alastair.