Thalia and the others regrouped quickly, their battle stances sharp and ready as they instinctively closed ranks around me. I cut down several lower-tier demons to help them, my sacred sword cutting their thick hides like hot blade through butter.

“Aurora, can you stop demons from coming in?”

Even though they were nothing but pests, it could be dangerous if they kept spawning.

“I am already on it! Five- no, three minutes!”

Aurora nodded grimly as she looked at the demon-spawning rift, her hands already glowing with ethereal light as she began weaving her spell.

“Thalia, give us a buff! Then focus on shielding Aurora! Artemeni, you stop demons from reaching them!”

Thalia began chanting under her breath, invoking Aliera’s blessings as her aura began to glow faintly, enhancing our fortitude.

(You received Sanctified Aura. You deal 30 percent more damage against demonic beings for 5 minutes.)

(You received Aegis of Radiance. Your Defense and Elemental Resistance increases by 20 percent for 5 minutes.)

(You received Luminous Courage. You will be immune to the next abnormal status effect. Your resistance against all abnormal status effects increases by 25 percent for 5 minutes.)

The feeling of the buffs was different than the ones Methild gave me. But the power was undeniable.

“Blanche! You are coming with me! We will cut Aldric down before he reaches them!”

I barked as I sent several demons unfortunate enough to be on my way as I ran. I had to create distance from my companions to fight Aldric. While I knew that each one of them was tough, Aldric had area-of-effect attacks and he probably didn’t mind using other demons to make his attacks hit at their expense.

My companions were too valuable for that kind of stuff.

As Blanche and I surged forward, I could feel the power of Thalia's buffs coursing through my veins. The sanctified energy thrummed inside me, amplifying my strikes and making my movements sharper, and faster. The lower-tier demons that stood in our way didn’t stand a chance; with each swing of my sacred sword, they were torn apart, their corrupted forms disintegrating into ash.

Blanche moved like a whirlwind beside me, her speed and grace unmatched as she struck down any demon foolish enough to approach. Her dual blades shimmered with a dark elegance, slicing through the air in perfect harmony with her movements. Together, we carved a path toward Aldric, who hovered ominously in the distance, his wings spread wide like a malevolent omen.

Aldric’s eyes met mine across the battlefield, a mix of fury and hunger swirling within them. He could sense the intent behind our charge, and with a beat of his massive wings, he descended toward us, his dark form blotting out what little light remained in the sky.

Interesting. I expected him to play safe and fire attacks from a distance but he was coming to me? Very well.

Three long mana claws cut through the air. They were red but unlike Aliera’s divine power or Queen’s mana, they weren’t full of life. If theirs were the color of oxygenated blood, Aldric’s mana was the color of deoxygenated blood.

My sacred sword clashed against his mana claws. The ground beneath me trembled as Aldric landed with a force that cracked the earth. His bat-like face twisted into a hideous grin.

“Obey.”

He whispered with a voice dripping honey as we locked eyes.

(Luminous Courage fully neutralizes Vampiric Domination.)

Ah, this bitch. Did he really try to mind-control me?

“You have to try harder than that, bastard!”

Gritting my teeth, I pushed him off me.

“Don’t look at his eyes!”

I shouted a warning to Blanche who was flanking Aldric, lightning dancing along her sabre and rapier. I joined her quickly, trying to put as much as pressure on him as possible. He moved with surprising agility, raising a twisted, clawed hand to meet the blade. The clash of our powers sent a shockwave rippling outward, shaking the ground beneath us. Aldric snarled, baring his fangs, but I wasn’t done.

As soon as he deflected my strike, Blanche struck, her dual blades flashing as they found their mark, slicing through the dark mana protecting his flank. Aldric let out a low growl, turning his attention to her, his wings flaring in anger. But I was already moving again, forcing him to divide his focus.

His body twisted in unnatural ways to somehow answer both of our strikes but it was in my expectations. Gökbörü leaped to his shadow the moment my shadow crossed with his, biting his calf as ice-bound his clawed feet. He let out a startled growl as he noticed his lower half was immobile now.

“Blow away.”

Just as we aimed for his neck he shouted and an invisible force threatened to send me flying back. It wasn’t a force aimed to harm us but if I allowed it Aldric would gain time to breathe. So I bound my feet to the ground using ice but Blanche and Gökbörü weren’t quick as me. Blanche was caught by the force mid-step, and though she fought against it, her smaller frame was lifted off the ground, hurtling backward. A sharp curse escaped her lips as she tried to twist her body mid-air, aiming to recover. Gökbörü, our small puppy couldn’t even try to resist as his mini body flew the moment Aldric uttered his words.

“Cheap tricks.”

I muttered as claw and sword clashed again. Once, twice, thrice… tens of times before one could even blink.

“I don’t need to waste expensive ones on you.”

One of his claws scratched through my armor and cut into my skin. It was a shallow cut yet…

(You are being affected by Exsanguination. Your Strength, Agility, and Vitality decreases by 40 percent.)

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

I fell down to my knees. I could feel the blood leaving my veins. The shallow cut throbbed with a sickening pulse as I felt my strength drain away. What the fuck? I managed the raise my head and see the wounds on Aldric’s body heal despite my blurry vision.

Fucker. Did he absorb my blood with just that mosquito bite? What a bullshit.

“Where did your arrogance go, mutt?”

He raised his claw high and brought it down, clearly intending to sever my head. But I used Shadow Melt at the last second, his claw passing through me harmlessly.

“Lightning Bolt.”

The battlefield crackled with tension as Blanche's Lightning Bolt surged through the air, slamming into Aldric with a sharp, thunderous crack. The spell struck true, causing the demon lord to snarl in pain as arcs of electricity rippled through his body, briefly halting his movement.

I took a deep breath. That stupid attack must have taken 30 percent of my blood if I had to make a guess. It was enough to knock a normal person unconscious but not me. I was used to bleeding. I forced my legs to steady despite the blood loss and channeled my mana into my sword.

“I will be taking this!”

Aldric’s dark mana surged to block both mine and Blanche’s attacks but a half-assed shield wasn’t enough to save him from my attack. My sacred sword blazed with divine energy, cleaving through Aldric’s hastily constructed shield. The clash of our powers sent sparks flying, but I pressed forward, ignoring the weakness in my limbs as my blade cut through his wing, severing it.

(You managed to absorb some mana.)

Aldric roared in pain as his severed wing hit the ground with a dull thud, twitching slightly as dark mana leaked from the wound. His grotesque face twisted in fury, and for a brief moment, I could see the panic in his bloodshot eyes. But it wasn’t me who he had to focus on.

Lightning crackled out of Blanche. She was in her lightning mode. She moved with a speed that blurred the edges of her figure. Her rapier stabbed forward, aimed directly at Aldric’s heart. But the demon lord wasn’t finished yet. With a snarl, he raised his remaining wing to shield himself, dark energy pooling in the air around him.

Blanche's rapier struck Aldric's raised wing with a blinding flash, the force of her lightning-infused attack crackling through the air. Yet Aldric's dark energy barrier held, absorbing the brunt of her strike. She skidded back, eyes narrowing in frustration as Aldric's form rippled with ominous power.

"Persistent little pests," Aldric hissed, his voice dripping with venom. His gaze darted to his severed wing and the blood still oozing from the wound. I could see his dark mana trying to repair the damage, but it wasn’t happening fast enough. Divine power must be blocking some of his regeneration.

Gökbörü rushed forward, his small form shouting out for Aldric’s ankle like a cannonball. His momentum was so great that he managed to pull Aldric’s leg with him, making him fall to his knees. Aldric was on his last legs. No doubt he would try to push us away like before.

“Gökbörü, now!”

“Begone!”

(War Beast’s Howl fills you with power. You gained Hyper Armor for 10 seconds. Your Strength and Agility increases by 10. Your weapons will carry small amounts of Aliera’s divine power.)

The invisible force threatened to push us again as soon as Aldric uttered those words. But Gökbörü was faster thanks to my order. Thanks to hyper armor, none of us moved an inch.

With the surge of power coursing through me, I lunged forward, my sacred sword glowing with the combined might of my mana and Aliera's divine energy. Aldric's eyes widened in shock as he realized his attempt to repel us had failed.

"This ends now!" I roared, bringing my sword down in a powerful arc aimed straight at his exposed neck.

Aldric snarled, desperately raising his clawed hands to defend himself. But the divine power infused in my blade sliced through his dark energy defenses like they were mere shadows. The blade bit deep into his flesh, cutting through sinew and bone.

A blinding flash erupted as the divine energy clashed with his demonic essence. Aldric let out a horrifying scream, a mixture of rage and agony, as the wound sizzled and burned, preventing any regeneration.

Blanche seized the opportunity, her blades dancing as she struck from the opposite side. Her lightning-infused sabre pierced through Aldric's chest, sending arcs of electricity crackling across his body. Gökbörü leaped, clamping his jaws onto Aldric's remaining wing, ice spreading rapidly and encasing it.

Aldric staggered, his massive form swaying as he tried to muster the strength to fight back. But the combined assault was too much. His demonic aura flickered, dimming as his life force waned.

"You... you cannot... defeat me..." he gasped, blood spilling from his mouth. I stepped forward, locking eyes with him one final time. I felt his will trying to invade my mind but it was too weak.

With a swift motion, I pulled my sword free and delivered the final strike, plunging it into his heart. Aldric's body convulsed, a shockwave of dark energy rippling outward before dissipating into nothingness. His form began to disintegrate, turning into black ash that scattered in the wind.

(You collected the Soul of the Third Apostle of Asmoneal.)

I watched Blanche collect her breath. That lightning mode was as exhausting as ever. I, on the other hand, was mostly fine. The blood I lost was mostly regenerated. But looking at the cloudy sky, I knew that it was far from over.

“Champion of Aliera. The tool of Stars. Mutt of War.”

Pitch-black clouds swirled and took the shape of a twisted face as a booming voice rang out. I knew that presence.

“Asmoneal. İt only took killing two of your apostles to make you speak to me again?”