The battle raged on, Cerys and Lysara pressing their advantage against Aldric and Izhaldrath, their attacks relentless. Cerys fought with fierce determination, her gravitational magic amplifying each blow, the ground itself trembling with every strike. Beside her, Lysara moved with an almost predatory grace, her Abyssal energy crackling as she struck Izhaldrath with blinding speed. Each blow landed with precision, forcing the demon back step by step.
Lorian held his ground a short distance away, casting shields of light and bursts of shadow energy to support their attacks. His heart hammered, his gaze unwavering as he watched the coordination between his allies, ready to strike the moment they needed him. Victory felt so close he could taste it.
But then, the air grew thick with a sudden, ominous chill, and a familiar dark energy, mingled with wind magic, crackled at the edge of the battlefield. Lorian's eyes snapped to the source of the disturbance. Emerging from the trees, Zephyr strode forward, carrying an unconscious Elara in his arms, his face hardened and resolute as he set her down at his feet. Beside him loomed a new demon, its presence as unsettling as it was powerful, its shadowy aura seething.
Izhaldrath halted his advance on Lysara, his eyes narrowing as he turned toward the newcomer. A slow, amused smile crept across his face. "Ah, well done," he called, his voice laced with mocking admiration. "Only you, Cyrthal, would manage to capture one so valuable."
Aldric straightened, his face twisting into a smirk as he took in the sight of Elara's limp form. "Well, this is a delightful surprise," he sneered, nodding approvingly at the demon. "You've arrived at the perfect time, Cyrthal. Things were getting surprisingly tough over here."
Cyrthal's eyes gleamed with malice as he inclined his head in acknowledgment, clearly reveling in the praise. "A pleasure, as always, bailing you out of your failures, human," Cyrthal spat. "She was quite cooperative… after a little persuasion." He cast a sidelong glance at Zephyr, who stood rigidly beside him, his face a mask of forced calm. Cyrthal's grip tightened possessively on Zephyr's shoulder, an unspoken reminder of the power he now held over him.
Cerys's gaze hardened, and she took a step forward, her fists clenched as her aura flared. "Zephyr," she called, her voice low and filled with disbelief. "What have you done?"
Zephyr's jaw tightened, his eyes flickering with a hint of remorse as he looked at his friends, but he remained silent. Cyrthal's hand came to rest on his shoulder, and Zephyr's gaze shifted forward, his expression steeling as he set Elara carefully on the ground beside him, ensuring she was protected even in her unconscious state.
Lorian's world felt frozen as soon as he noticed Elara's unconscious form over Zephyr's shoulder. What is she doing here? I left her safely with the others; she should be sound in the bunkers. Why does Zephyr have her here? He could feel his rage returning, a familiar feeling of ineptitude, of failure to protect those he cared about most rising within him, a feeling he had come to despise with every fiber of his being. "Zephyr," Lorian said with words like ice, "Why do you have my sister?"
Zephyr's expression darkened, his voice low and pained. "I had no choice, Lorian. If it meant saving Rhyssa… I'd do it again."
Izhaldrath let out a chilling laugh, his gaze flicking between Zephyr and Cyrthal with twisted amusement. "Oh, this is rich," he drawled, his eyes gleaming with delight. "You've bound yourself to Cyrthal, have you? And all for a human girl. Truly, the sentimentality of mortals never ceases to amaze me."
Lysara could already feel the change in Lorian. She had been struggling to keep his magic split into its counterparts of light and shadow, but she felt his resolve like a surge through their connection.
"Lysara," Lorian called out, his tone quiet but fierce. "I'm embracing it."
Cyrthal raised an eyebrow, sneering. "What is this small fry talking about? And good to see you, Lysara. It seems your demise was exaggerated."
Lysara ignored Cyrthal, focusing on Lorian. She could see the cold fury in his gaze and knew he had made his decision. She released her hold on his magic, letting it fuse from his core as light and shadow merged seamlessly, a sudden shockwave of power radiating from where Lorian was standing.
Zephyr closed his eyes for a brief moment before he stepped forward, his movements mechanical, as though struggling against unseen chains. When his gaze met Lorian's, a flicker of his old self shone through, a brief moment of regret. "Stay back," he warned, his tone barely more than a whisper. "I don't want to hurt any of you."
Cyrthal couldn't help but be surprised, seeing a human giving off pure Abyssal energy, practically radiating from Lorian. His astonishment only deepened as Lorian suddenly vanished.
"I think you have more important things to worry about," Lorian whispered into Zephyr's ear as he reappeared behind him, then kicked out with a leg charged to the brim with Abyssal energy.
Zephyr was sent flying into the trees, but he caught himself using his wind magic to slow and land on his feet. Holding his side, Zephyr began walking back, his expression taut with a mixture of pain and remorse.
Aldric's laughter cut through the tension, dark and mocking. "Embracing your power, indeed. Good, good… let him tire himself out so we can capture him all the easier."
Cerys, her gaze unyielding, raised her sword and squared her stance. "Not while I still draw breath," she vowed, her voice fierce and unbreakable. Her gravitational magic surged, and the earth trembled beneath her as she prepared to launch a final assault.
***
Thaddeus and Lady Sera stood shoulder to shoulder, their gazes hardening as they descended from the royal balcony into the chaos below. Malcom, with his cold, calculating stare, awaited them in the midst of the demonic onslaught. Flanking him were two towering demon lieutenants, their grotesque forms radiating an oppressive, abyssal energy that pulsed with a dark, corrupted power. One bore massive horns curled back like a ram’s, its eyes burning with a predatory glint. The other was draped in spiked, obsidian armor, its claws elongated and dripping with the sickly green glow of abyssal venom.
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The prince gave Thaddeus and Sera a chilling smile as they approached. “Ah, my dear advisors,” he drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. “You arrived just in time. I would hate for you to miss the show.”
Thaddeus’s expression was one of grim determination. “This treachery will be your undoing, Malcom,” he spat, his voice steady but edged with cold fury. “You were born to protect this kingdom, and now you desecrate it. You will answer for this.”
Malcom’s smirk didn’t waver. “Answer to whom? The king and queen who are on their last breath?” He let out a derisive laugh, his tone darkening. “No, Thaddeus—you mean King Malcom.”
Thaddeus’s fists clenched, rage flickering in his gaze. “You’ll never hold that title, not while I still stand.”
With a flick of his wrist, Malcom motioned to his lieutenants. “Then fall, Thaddeus. Fall with the rest of them.”
Without further warning, Malcom’s demon lieutenants lunged forward, their attacks coordinated and ruthless. The one with the horns launched itself at Lady Sera, claws raking through the air as it descended upon her with a ferocious roar. Sera met its charge with the slightest of smirks, her figure dissolving into a blur of shadows as she sidestepped its attack. In the blink of an eye, she reappeared just behind the demon, her shadow magic coalescing around her hands like dark tendrils that flickered and writhed as she willed them forward.
“Is that all you’ve got?” she taunted, her voice a whisper as the tendrils lashed out, twisting around the demon’s arm and wrenching it backward with a sickening snap.
Beside her, the armored demon turned its focus to Thaddeus, its claws dripping with abyssal venom as it swiped at him with lethal intent. Thaddeus dodged, feeling the malevolent energy sizzle inches from his skin, and retaliated with a concentrated blast of light magic. The energy slammed into the demon, causing it to stumble, but it quickly regained its balance, advancing with renewed fury.
“You think your tricks will stop us?” the demon sneered, its voice a guttural rasp that grated on the ears. “You’re nothing more than insects waiting to be crushed.”
Thaddeus met its gaze with steely resolve, his light magic flaring even brighter. “We’ve fought and bested worse than you.”
The demon hissed in response, launching a torrent of abyssal energy toward him. Thaddeus raised a barrier just in time, deflecting the attack as sparks of light and darkness clashed, illuminating the arena floor.
Meanwhile, Lady Sera fought with the lethal precision of a shadow-dancer, her movements fluid and unpredictable as she engaged the horned demon. Every step she took left behind wisps of shadow, her form shifting in and out of visibility. She flung out her hand, her shadow magic condensing into dagger-like shards that shot toward the demon with deadly speed. The demon deflected some with its claws, but one shard embedded itself in its shoulder, eliciting a guttural roar of pain.
The demon swung wildly, its claws carving through the air in a frenzy, but Sera slipped through its attacks like smoke. She struck again, shadows wrapping around her arm as she delivered a punch that sent a pulse of darkness into the demon’s chest, momentarily knocking the wind from it.
Malcom watched with an amused sneer as his lieutenants regrouped, his voice cutting through the fray. “Is that all you’ve got, Thaddeus? Lady Sera? I expected more from the king’s finest.”
Thaddeus’s gaze flicked to Sera, and in that brief exchange, a silent understanding passed between them. It was time to turn the tide.
“Ready?” Thaddeus called, his voice steady despite the rising intensity of the battle.
Sera nodded, her eyes glinting with a dark resolve. “Let’s finish this.”
With a fierce battle cry, Thaddeus and Sera surged forward in unison, their combined magic intensifying as they pressed their attacks. Thaddeus summoned beams of light, striking at the armored demon with calculated precision, each impact chipping away at its dark armor. He poured his energy into his strikes, his movements fueled by both duty and rage.
Beside him, Sera’s shadow magic flared with lethal intent. She thrust her hand forward, and from her palm, a coiling vortex of darkness spun outward, tendrils snaking around the horned demon’s limbs, rooting it to the ground. She followed up with a swift leap, her form blurring as she struck from above, her shadow-wreathed fist crashing into the demon’s head. It stumbled, its rage replaced by a flicker of fear as it struggled against her binding magic.
Seeing his lieutenants falter, Malcom’s face twisted with irritation. He stepped forward, extending a hand to unleash a storm of power fused with celestial and abyssal magic. A swirling barrage of crystalline shards, tainted with a dark, venomous aura, shot outward, engulfing the battlefield. The air filled with the shimmering glow of Malcom’s corrupted celestial magic, each shard glinting like jagged, fallen stars as they hurtled toward Thaddeus and Sera.
Caught off guard, Thaddeus and Sera staggered, forced to brace against the onslaught. The oppressive weight of Malcom’s fused magic pressed down on them, slowing their movements and clouding their vision. The lieutenants took advantage, rallying with renewed strength as they advanced on the weary pair.
“Did you think this would end any differently?” Malcom sneered, his voice cold and mocking. “You’re outmatched and outnumbered. Surrender now, and I may grant you a swift death.”
Thaddeus, his face drawn but defiant, straightened, his eyes meeting Malcom’s with unwavering resolve. “You’ll find that we don’t surrender easily.” He cast a glance at Sera, and with a nod, they prepared for one final push.
Sera shifted her stance, her eyes narrowing as she summoned shadows around her, weaving them into armor-like patterns that coiled around her arms and legs. “Let’s show them what it means to fight in the dark,” she murmured, her voice deadly calm.
In a flash of coordinated movement, Thaddeus unleashed a blinding flare of light, momentarily disorienting the demons. Sera took the opportunity, her shadows blending with the flare to mask her movements as she darted forward, her blade of pure shadow slicing through the air and driving into the horned demon’s chest. The demon let out a guttural cry, its form shuddering as it fought against the darkness engulfing it.
But before they could revel in their success, the armored lieutenant surged toward Thaddeus, its claws slicing through the air with renewed vigor. Thaddeus parried the strike, the force of their clash sending shockwaves that cracked the ground beneath them. He retaliated, his magic flaring as he drove the demon back, each strike delivered with fierce precision. Yet, the demon seemed to absorb the blows, its armored hide barely showing any signs of damage.
Sera, seeing her chance, lunged at Malcom himself, her blade aimed for his chest. But Malcom sidestepped, catching her wrist in a vice-like grip as dark tendrils from his abyssal pact wrapped around her arm, joined by glinting shards of corrupted crystal. He twisted her arm sharply, forcing her to her knees. Sera gritted her teeth, defying the pain as she summoned a pulse of shadow that burst from her body, shattering his hold as she leapt back, her gaze defiant.
The battle had devolved into a brutal stalemate. Thaddeus faced off against the armored demon, his light magic crackling in fierce bursts as he fought to keep the creature at bay. Nearby, Sera circled Malcom, her blade poised, each movement measured as she sought an opening, the shadows rippling around her like a dark aura.
Malcom’s laughter rang out again, laced with dark satisfaction. “Impressive, but ultimately futile. You’re only delaying the inevitable.”
Thaddeus, breathing heavily but refusing to yield, met Malcom’s gaze. “Then we’ll delay it as long as it takes.”
Their words hung in the air as the battlefield grew silent, each side locked in a tense standoff, both Thaddeus and Sera determined to hold the line against Malcom and his demon lieutenants.