The heavy chime of the bell tower echoed across Eldoria, its deep toll shaking the very air.
BOOOOOONG.
BOOOOOONG.
The warning spread like wildfire.
From the barracks, from the city walls, and from the watchtowers, the Knights of Eldoria rushed toward the town square, their armor glinting under the moonlight. The rhythmic pounding of their boots against the cobblestone sent tremors through the streets as they formed ranks, weapons drawn.
At the forefront, Sir Aldric, the Chief of Knights, surveyed the approaching horror. His battle-worn face remained stoic, but his grip on his spear tightened.
A tide of hellhounds surged toward them, their red eyes gleaming like burning embers. They moved in eerie synchronization—shadows twisting with terrifying speed, their guttural growls merging into a single monstrous chorus.
Aldric raised his spear high. His voice, sharp as steel, cut through the tension.
"Protect our people! Ready spears!"
The knights braced, their spear tips forming an unyielding wall of steel.
The hellhounds charged.
They galloped forward, claws scraping against the stone, their monstrous jaws snapping in anticipation of blood. And then—they leaped.
The clash was instant.
A spear impaled the first beast mid-air, its monstrous form writhing before collapsing with a sickening crunch. Another hellhound slammed into a knight, its claws raking across his chest, armor barely holding against the raw force.
Cries of pain and fury filled the square.
Knights thrust their spears, piercing the monstrous flesh, but for every fallen beast, another leaped forth, relentless and ravenous. A hellhound burst through a knight's defenses, its claws tearing clean through his body, splitting armor like parchment. Blood sprayed across the cobblestone as the knight crumpled.
"Archers! Aim!"
Aldric's command rang through the square.
The bow knights, stationed on the rooftops and ledges, nocked their arrows, their eyes trained on the beasts. Shadows flickered across their faces as they drew their bows taut, breath steady, waiting.
"Loose!"
A rain of arrows descended upon the hellhounds.
Some fell instantly, impaled through the skull. Others, wounded but undeterred, snarled and lunged forward, their hunger overpowering their pain.
The bell tower tolled once more.
BOOOOOONG.
BOOOOOONG.
The echoes of the chime carried over the blood-stained streets, mingling with the clash of steel against claw. The knights of Eldoria fought valiantly, their silver armor flashing beneath the moonlight as they held their ground against the relentless tide of hellhounds.
Screams filled the night.
Artreus stood frozen amidst the chaos, his breathing ragged, his fingers curled into trembling fists at his sides. His blue eyes burned, reflecting the fires of his past.
"It's the same night…" His voice was barely above a whisper, but each word dripped with seething rage. "This is where it all started, Guin."
Guinevere reached for him, urgency in her every movement. "Artreus, we have to go!" She tried to pull him away, but his arm jerked free from her grasp.
"I must fight!" Artreus growled, his voice rising with fury. "I will kill them all! I promised myself—I will wipe them out! Every last one!"
Guinevere turned to him, her purple eyes filled with worry. "Artreus, you can't! It's too dangerous. You'll die!"
"No!" His rage exploded in his voice. "They killed my mother! My friends! My people! I'm strong enough to kill them!"
"Artreus, you're not ready!" Guinevere snapped, gripping his shoulders. "There are still people who need saving! If you throw yourself into this battle and fall, what happens then?"
Her grip tightened. Her voice softened, but desperation laced her words. "Your duty as a knight is to protect me… Please, Art. I need you."
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
The bell tolled again.
BOOOOOONG.
BOOOOOONG.
Artreus' heart pounded against his ribs, torn between the relentless rage consuming him and the truth in Guinevere's words.
His sword was begging to be drawn.
But this wasn't just about vengeance.
It was about survival.
He clenched his jaw, his muscles still trembling with the need to strike down the monsters that haunted his past. But when he looked into Guinevere's pleading eyes, he knew—if he died here, it would all be for nothing.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
With a shuddering breath, he forced himself to swallow his anger. His fingers, still shaking, tightened around his sword—this time not out of rage, but out of purpose.
"Alright." His voice was low, but firm. "What do we do?"
Guinevere exhaled in relief. She didn't waste a second.
"We save who we can. Emma and Sophia—let's go save them."
Without another word, the two sprinted through the chaos, weaving between fallen knights and wounded civilians.
In Emma's home, Sophia clutched her grandmother's trembling hands, her voice urgent. "Grandma, we need a place to hide! It's not safe here. The demons—they'll come for us any second—"
Before she could finish, a lifeless body crashed through their home's fragile wooden door.
The force of impact sent splinters flying through the air. Sophia and Emma coughed violently, dust filling their lungs.
Sophia's heart pounded in her chest. "Grandma!" she screamed, scrambling to shield the elderly woman.
Then, they heard it.
A deep, guttural growl.
The flickering lantern light cast long, writhing shadows as hellhounds emerged from the darkness, their crimson eyes burning with hunger.
The creatures roared, their fangs dripping with the blood of their last victims.
The first hellhound lunged.
Sophia flinched, bracing for the worst—but before the beast could reach them, a surge of mana magic erupted in the air.
Chains of glowing blue light lashed out like whips, coiling around the hellhound's limbs and freezing it mid-air. The beast snarled, thrashing violently, but the magic held firm.
Guinevere stood firm, her hands glowing with mana, her violet eyes filled with unshakable determination.
"Artreus! Now!" she shouted.
From above, a dark blur descended.
Artreus leaped from the roof, his black sword gleaming under the moonlight. With precise force, he plunged his blade into the beast's spine.
The hellhound let out a bone-chilling screech before its massive form collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
Artreus exhaled sharply, pulling his sword free. "Hey… you guys alright?" he asked, wiping sweat from his brow.
Sophia stared at him, wide-eyed. "You… you saved us."
Emma clutched her sister's arm, her lips quivering. "Artreus…"
Before they could say more, Guinevere rushed in, dropping to her knees and embracing them. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice gentle yet filled with urgency.
Sophia and Emma clung to her, still shaken but alive.
Guinevere stood, scanning their surroundings. "Come on, we need to go. This place isn't safe."
The distant echoes of growls and shrieks crawled through the night air, reminding them that the battle was far from over.
Artreus tightened his grip on his sword.
More were coming.
Artreus crouched down, offering his back. "Old lady, hop on my back. I'll carry you."
Emma blinked in surprise. "Are you sure? I might be too heavy for you, son."
Artreus smirked, rolling his shoulders. "It's alright. I've been training my whole life."
Emma hesitated only for a moment before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. With surprising ease, Artreus lifted her onto his back, gripping her legs securely before taking off running.
Sophia, running beside them, huffed. "Not bad for a barbaric child."
Artreus nearly stumbled mid-step. "Stop calling me child!"
Before she could smirk in response, a bone-chilling snarl echoed through the streets.
The hairs on the back of Artreus' neck stood on end.
From the alley ahead, glowing red eyes pierced the darkness. The shadows twisted and stretched as a fresh wave of hellhounds prowled forward, their massive forms slinking from the depths. Their maws dripped with hunger, claws scraping against the cobblestone as they closed in.
Artreus skidded to a stop, cursing under his breath. "Damn it… More of them!"
Guinevere stepped forward, her violet eyes gleaming.
Without hesitation, she raised her hand, mana surging through her veins.
A hum of raw power crackled in the air around her. Above her, dozens of ethereal swords materialized—each blade pulsing with radiant blue energy, their edges shimmering like crystal.
She flicked her wrist.
The mana swords launched forward, slicing through the air like a divine storm.
SHHHHKK!
The spectral blades tore through the hellhounds with brutal precision.
Limbs severed. Claws shattered. Blood splattered against the cobblestone streets.
One hellhound let out a final, pitiful growl before a mana blade drove straight through its skull, silencing it instantly.
And then—silence.
Guinevere exhaled and flicked her fingers, dismissing the remaining magical energy in a ripple of blue light.
Artreus stared, blinking in disbelief. "…Nice one, Guinevere. Didn't know you could fight like that!"
Guinevere smirked, dusting off her hands. "Oh, please. You think a princess just sits around all day writing political speeches and doing nothing?"
She twirled a loose strand of her silver hair, her grin playful. "I'm 112 years old, you know. I learned how to fight long before you were even born."
Artreus chuckled, raising a brow. "Heh, looking forward to your new tricks, old hag princess."
Guinevere froze.
Her expression darkened.
"…What did you just call me?"
Artreus smirked but didn't dare stop running. "Nothing! Let's go!"
With that, the group sprinted through the war-torn city, weaving between burning ruins and fallen knights. Behind them, the battle for Eldoria raged on.
The streets of Eldoria were soaked in blood.
The lifeless bodies of knights and townspeople littered the ground, their blood soaking into the cracks of the cobblestone.
Amidst the carnage, an injured knight crawled weakly, his armor dented, his face smeared with dirt and blood. His fingers dug into the ground as he gasped for breath.
"Someone... help... me..." he wheezed, his trembling hand reaching forward.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
Slow. Deliberate.
The knight's eyes widened in fear as the sound drew closer, but before he could turn—SHLKK!
A blade plunged into his back.
His body tensed. A wet, gurgling gasp escaped his lips.
KWAKK! Blood splattered onto the stone.
The knight's body slumped forward, motionless.
Behind him stood Nero.
A sinister smirk stretched across his face, his red eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Ah… life is unfair, isn't it? Little worm." He nudged the corpse with his boot. "A pathetic little livestock crawling to survive. And yet, it only delays the inevitable."
He laughed—a low, twisted chuckle that grew into a manic cackle.
With a flick of his wrist, he flung the corpse aside, the lifeless body crashing into a pile of the dead.
Nero licked the blood off his blade, sighing with pleasure.
"Now then… what next? What marvelous thing shall I slaughter next?"
Then—he smelled it.
A scent so familiar it clawed at the depths of his memory.
He stilled, inhaling deeply.
"…That smell…" His lips curled into a hungry grin. "
I've smelt it before."
His glowing red eyes narrowed.
Slowly, his head turned. His gaze locked onto a distant alleyway.
"Hmm… coming from there."
Then—he moved.
Without hesitation, Nero launched forward, vanishing into the darkness like a phantom.
His speed was monstrous—his body blurred as he raced through the alleyways, leaping over rooftops, closing in on his prey.
Meanwhile—
Artreus ran, Emma clinging to his back, Guinevere leading the way.
The streets were a maze of carnage, bodies strewn about like discarded dolls.
Their only focus—escape.
But then—
BOOOOM!
The ground erupted before them.
A figure crashed down from above, shattering the cobblestone beneath him. A shockwave of dust and debris whipped through the air.
Artreus skidded to a halt, his eyes wide with alarm.
Guinevere, Sophia, and Emma froze in horror.
From the smoke and rubble—a low chuckle.
A voice dripping with malice and amusement.
"Well, well, well… Look what we have here…"
The dust settled—revealing Nero.
His crimson eyes locked onto Artreus, a twisted smile spreading across his face.
Artreus' blood ran cold.
The demon that haunted his nightmares now stood before him.