Shion and Nia gasped for breath, their chests heaving with exhaustion. For the past hour, they had been fighting a monstrous Chimera, leaving them drained. The grotesque creature was the creation of a rogue mage. However, the foolish mage was far too weak to contain the power of his creation. And soon, the Chimera broke free and escaped to the forests.

The Chimera was a twisted amalgam of three different animals: the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent. Its lion's head was filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth, its goat's body was covered in thick, matted fur, and its serpent's tail was tipped with a venomous barb.

Everytime the two adventurers damaged the Chimera, the monster would rapidly regenerate its wounds. Even now, after losing half of its body due to being battered by a barrage of ice and flames, the Chimera had already started to regenerate.

"This…is becoming ridiculous." Shion muttered.

Nia planted her staff in front of her and rested against it. "We have to…finish it…all at once."

Shion gripped his flaming sword tight and readied himself to charge towards the Chimera. "Alright, but we need to try something different this time."

"I'm going to try and pull off a bigger spell this time, but I need you to distract it while I prepare it."

"How long do you need?"

Nia let out a nervous laugh. "Three minutes will do."

Shion breathed out a sigh. "I'll try my best."

The moment when the Chimera fully regenerated, Shion rushed towards the beast, his sword engulfed in flames. As ran, he chanted an incantation. "Eradicate my foe, inferno cutter!"

Shion swung his sword, unleashing a wave of searing fire towards the Chimera. The beast roared in response and unleashed its own fiery breath. The two flames clashed, creating a blinding explosion that shook the ground.

The swordsman staggered backwards, his vision blurred by the smoke and flames. But he quickly recovered and charged forward again. He had to keep the Chimera distracted until Nia's spell was ready.

Roaring in retaliation, the Chimera lunged wildly at Shion. In response, the swordsman ducked to the side of the beast and sliced a deep gash into the creature's side. The Chimera bellowed in pain and retaliated, its tail whipping out to slam Shion against a nearby tree. Blood trickled from Shion's lips, but he gritted his teeth and rose to his feet, charging forth once more.

Shion knew that he couldn't keep this up for long. He was already exhausted and the Chimera's wounds were healing quickly. But he forced himself to keep going. Shion continued to dodge and weave, avoiding the Chimera's attacks for as long as he could. Until finally, after what felt like an eternity, Nia's voice rang out through the air. "Shion, now!"

The swordsman then turned and saw Nia standing in the distance, her staff raised high above her head. A swirling vortex of ice and snow was forming around her. Shion jumped back, giving Nia a clear line of sight towards the Chimera.

Nia drew in a deep breath and thrust her staff forward, chanting, "Supreme Magic: Glacial Vortex!" A maelstrom of ice and snow erupted from her staff and surged towards the Chimera.

The Chimera let out a bone-chilling shriek as a relentless wave of ice and snow bore down upon it. The monster desperately thrashed against the tide of frost that was rapidly engulfing it. However, with each movement that the monster made, the more it became consumed by the frigid spell that surrounded it. Within seconds, the chimera stopped moving completely, encased within a large slab of ice.

***

After defeating the Chimera, Shion and Nia were walking back through the forest to return to Menon. The city was only a few hours away.

Shion stretched his arms over his head. "Today, another one bites the dust."

Nia offered a weary smile. "I hope I don't need to remind you that we barely defeated that thing."

"I know, I know. But we beat it in the end, didn't we?"

"Yeah, we did."

The duo pressed onward, each step leading them deeper through the forest. Their boots crunched through fallen leaves, and verdant foliage brushed against their legs as they walked past densely packed trees. All was quiet, only occasionally punctuated by the soft whispering of leaves in the breeze. That was, until Shion broke the silence with a question.

"You know, out of curiosity, what do you think about Alza?"

Nia raised an eyebrow. "What of her?"

"I meant exactly what I said, what do you think about her?" Shion affirmed.

"I suppose she seems fine. Hard to believe that she is the same person that legends spoke of though."

Shion scratched the back of his head. "You mean the legends about the First Necromancer?"

"Yeah, she's certainly powerful and all that. But…I just don't see how someone like her could have done the things I heard she supposedly did."

"Hmm, that's fair." Shion muttered aloud. "When I first saw her revived, I thought that the world was going to end."

Nia chuckled lightly. "Thank goodness we avoided that mess then."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Another voice chimed in. "I wouldn't be so sure."

Instinctively, Shion drew his sword and turned his head around, scanning his surroundings. Nia also did the same, readying her staff in preparation for the worst.

"You heard that, Nia?"

"I did, and for some reason, I have a bad feeling about it."

The voice echoed again. "Both of you have decent instincts, for mortals."

"Show yourself damn it!" Shion yelled out as he frantically poised his sword.

"Very well, I shall oblige your request, mortal."

From thin air, a multitude of shadowy ravens manifested and weaved together, forming a sinister silhouette. Shion and Nia stood transfixed, their eyes locked in a mixture of fascination and fear, as the shadowy mass transformed into a woman before them.

The enigmatic woman radiated a presence so commanding that it felt suffocating, as though the very air around her had grown heavier. Her midnight-black hair was in stark contrast to her piercing pink-hued eyes, which seemed to penetrate deep into one's soul. The woman's attire seemed regal, with a sleek dress and black feather cloak, she wouldn't be out of place in a noble's courtroom. Despite this, seeing her so close in person only served to ignite fear in Shion and Nia.

"Greetings, mortals, I am Amuria: second of the demon princes."

Shion's hands tightened around the hilt of his blade. "What do you want from us?"

Nia pointed her staff towards the demoness. "Careful Shion, this one is dangerous."

"Wait, did she say she was a demon prince?" Shion asked.

Amuria crossed her arms and shot a glare at the swordsman. "You know that I'm right here, right?"

Shion staggered back a few steps. "O-of course."

Amuria muttered a curse under her breath. "Regardless, worry not mortals, I am not here to do anything to either of you."

"Then what are you here for?" Nia asked.

"Simple, I just wanted to examine both of you." Amuria then took a few steps forward, walking slowly with an eerie grace. "I do not usually interact with mortals you see, and as such, am unaware of what they are capable of."

"Oh yeah? Well how about this, Ignite: Phoenix Blade!" Shion lunged forward with his sword in hand. Swirling flames engulfed his sword as he dashed forward, creating a luminous display of power.

However, Amuria remained completely unfazed, smiling as she stood completely still. When Shion's burning blade struck the demoness's body, it was as if the swordsman had just cut through an illusion. Instead of drawing blood, Amuria's form dissipated into a cloud of ravens that dispersed throughout the air, flying away in all directions.

"Is…she gone?" Shion asked, turning back to face Nia.

Nia frantically looked around and checked her surroundings. "I doubt she's truly gone, but I can't detect her anywhere either."

"Where are you two looking? I'm right here."

When Nia and Shion turned to the source of the voice, both were shocked to see Amuria: completely unharmed, leaning back against a tree. "Is that really all you can pull off, mortal? A fiery sword?"

"Damn it, why don't you try this on for size!" Shion plunged his sword into the ground and chanted. "Burning Earth!" A fiery torrent erupted from the ground, surging upward, and wrapping around Amuria. The demoness found herself enveloped in an intense conflagration, igniting not only her body but also the tree which she had leaned on, turning it into a blazing pyre.

Shion was breathing heavily now. "Eat…that."

Nia hurried to Shion's side, offering him her waterskin. "Shion, that was reckless of you, you're pushing yourself too hard."

Accepting the waterskin, Shion took a few sips before returning it to the wildborn mage. "Can't take any chances with demons, it's better off now that she's-"

"Gone? You really think that was enough to harm me?"

The swordsman spun around, a curse escaping his lips in sheer frustration. Amuria stood perfectly intact, her demonic form untouched. "Your flames are pathetic, mortal, I've seen lesser demons with more prominent fire."

Nia stepped in front of Shion and pointed her staff against the demoness. "S-stay back, I'm warning you."

Amuria could not contain her laughter, her hands pressed to her stomach as she chuckled mercilessly. "Or else what? Don't think I haven't noticed that you have almost no magical energy left in you, mortal mage. Your staff is as good as a child's plaything at the moment."

"Did you come here just to mock us?" Nia asked, frustration and fear etched into every word.

"And what if I did? What are you going to do about it?" Amuria taunted.

"Well I-"

"Let's face reality here, none of you here stand a chance against me. But just in case that wasn't clear, I'll provide a small demonstration."

Amuria fixed her gaze on Shion. In an instant, his body succumbed to her power, his limbs went limp as he crumpled to the ground. His once-fiery sword lost its radiance as they both collapsed with a loud thud.

Nia seemed more panicked than ever before. "What…in the world are you?"

"I already told you who I am, mortal." Amuria replied.

"But…why are you even doing all of this?"

The demoness sighed. "I was just curious about why Alza seems so…attached with your kind."

Nia's brows furrowed. "What does Alza have to do with this?"

"Everything. She is the only reason why I'm bothering to keep the both of you alive right now."

"I…don't understand."

"Worry not, there is nothing for you to understand, mortal. When the time comes, you will know."

Nia swallowed hard, taking a few steps back. "You mentioned Alza earlier, what is your connection with her?"

"She is my sister, someone I cherish above all else." Amuria said. The demoness then pressed a hand against her mouth as if she said something bad. "Oh, my apologies, it seems I may have let something unnecessary slip."

Nia's eyes widened in shock. "Alza…is a demon?"

"By right she is, though for now, she is mortal just like you." Amuria said.

"But…I don't understand, how can she possibly be a demon?"

"Foolish mortal, how else do you think she is able to wield necromancy so easily? And how else do you think she is able to sense the presence of demons as if it were second nature to her?"

"I…can't believe it, if she's a demon, that means that- "

"She's a demon prince, yes. The first and strongest of all."

"Why are you telling me all this? And why now of all times?"

Amuria shrugged her shoulders. "I'm only telling you this now because it will not matter, and just because I wanted to see how you would react. Entertainment is entertainment after all."

"Y-you monster."

"You should save that for the next time you see Alza." Amuria said with a chuckle. "If only you knew what she was responsible for."

Realization seemed to dawn on Nia's face as sweat dripped down her neck. "No-no, but she seems like such a kind person."

Amuria took a few steps forward. "As much as this has been fun. I think I've said too much, and the time isn't quite right yet for you to know all that you have just heard."

"Wait, what are you- "

Without warning, Amuria materialized behind Nia, her presence alone immobilized the wildborn girl, forcing her to keep completely still. Nia desperately tried to run or move away, but her muscles refused to obey her will.

The demoness leaned in close, her lips almost brushing against Nia's ear. "It has been fun, mortal. But I think it's time for you to forget."

With a snap of Amuria's fingers, Nia collapsed onto the ground beside Shion. The wildborn mage's body lay limp on the cold forest ground.