Evelyn swallowed her suddenly heavy saliva. Eliot stepped forward. "We didn't mean to disturb your peace; we're just looking for our two friends who fell here. Once we find them, we promise to leave."

"Do you think Demonhold is just some entertainment venue you can come and go from as you please? We also have rules to follow. If someone breaks them, the punishment still applies," the demon replied.

"But we're truly just looking for someone here."

"Why do you give excuses? Do you think so lowly of our kind that you're unwilling to abide by the rules written in our world?"

This time Eliot fell silent. Every world surely has its own rules. And Eliot had no intention of breaking or even disregarding the rules in Demonhold.

But the problem was, he had no intention of disturbing, let alone causing chaos. If only Darius and Isaura hadn't been pulled here, they wouldn't be in this situation now.

"What do you want?" Eliot finally asked. Making the demon widen his sly smile even more.

"I will take you to the King, and then he will decide what to do with you," he explained.

"I agree," Eliot answered without hesitation.

This was met with objection from Evelyn, who pulled the Elf's hand to look at her. "Are you crazy?! We came here just to find Darius and Isaura. We don't have time to deal with the Demon King."

"But we have no choice. Every place has its rules, including Demonhold. If we don't obey them, it's a disrespect to them. I don't want another battle between the fairy and demon races," Eliot explained. He looked at Evelyn with a serious and confident gaze.

"But they're notoriously cunning demons. Can you guarantee they won't make us prisoners?" Evelyn stared directly into Eliot's eyes, hoping the Elf would understand her concern.

Eliot sighed, then touched Evelyn's shoulders intending to reassure her. "Listen to me, Evelyn. The demon king is like any other kingdom's leader. If we behave well and politely, they might help us."

For a moment, the fire girl fell silent. But her gaze remained on Eliot's eyes, hoping to find hope there. "Darius and Isaura were deliberately brought here by the demons. Do you think why they did that? Demons can't be trusted."

In the end, Eliot chose to release his hand from Evelyn's shoulder. He took a deep breath and then looked at the demon again. "Take us to the King."

"Eliot! I didn't say I agree!" Evelyn raised her voice. She was truly bewildered by their team's line of thought. How could he so easily surrender themselves to the demon race in this criminal-infested place?

"If you don't agree, you can leave." A final statement came from Eliot's lips. Cold and flat. It seemed he didn't accept objections.

Ah, Eliot was truly insane. Did he just tell Evelyn to go alone to this crime-ridden place?

The demon continued to watch their debate until finally walking ahead of them. "Follow me."

Evelyn had no choice but to follow Eliot. Besides, she didn't know where else to go. Throughout the journey, the girl remained silent. She still couldn't forgive Eliot's actions today.

And Eliot understood that. For now, let the fairy not speak to him.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

---

Clang!

The clash of swords with Alonzo's dark power rang loudly. It was enough to surprise Alonzo. Despite attacking as quietly as possible, the girl still noticed him.

Behind the sword blocking her face, Isaura slowly opened her eyes with a sharp gaze. Her blue eyes now glared angrily at Alonzo. She stood up and took a few steps forward, leaving Darius still powerless.

"If you're brave, don't attack me from behind. Act like a warrior and face me now!" Isaura said, unsure of where her courage came from.

But seeing Darius helpless, and knowing she was their only hope now, erased the fear in Isaura's soul instantly.

A smirk lifted the corner of Alonzo's lips as he clapped softly. "Seems like your courage is quite substantial, little Wizard."

"One doesn't deserve to be called a warrior if courage is something they can't even muster," Isaura replied confidently. Although deep down she felt scared, she had to do this for Elvendria and, Darius.

"Isaura, I didn't bring you here to talk too much. If you're willing to give me Vegas, then you and your friends will return safely," Alonzo said calmly.

Unlike Isaura, who had lowered her sword by now, surprised by Alonzo's confession. "My friends? Are they here too?"

Alonzo smiled. "If you're so eager to know, why not give me your sword in exchange for them? It's a good deal, isn't it?"

Dhruv's words before he left echoed in her head. "Isaura, you're different here. You're the last wizard remaining in the universe. And the most precious possession for a wizard besides power is their staff. So, no matter what happens, never surrender Vegas to anyone."

She shook her head firmly, then tightened her grip on her sword. "Whatever happens, I won't let Vegas fall into anyone's hands, especially not yours."

"In that case, don't blame me if I have to take it by force." Alonzo moved his hand, and within seconds, black smoke appeared attacking Isaura.

Quickly, Isaura avoided each attack because she couldn't fight back; it was the only way to survive. Isaura kept jumping and running around. Until one attack aimed at Darius caught her attention.

Isaura was far from where Darius sat. So she instinctively aimed her hand to cast a spell and deflect Alonzo's attack, even though she knew her magic wouldn't work.

But a miracle happened. Alonzo's attack vanished from Isaura's magic. She paused for a moment, then looked at her own hands. She remembered she hid Vegas using her power. If Vegas could be summoned, it meant Isaura's power wasn't gone, right?

Not just Isaura, Alonzo, who saw it, wore a confused expression instantly. "How can someone use their power in Demonhold? I made a deal with the Gods, and they approved it. Is it because--?" Alonzo didn't finish his sentence. He just stared at the girl in front of him who was stepping towards him.

Now Isaura was full of confidence. Her power wasn't gone, meaning there was a chance she could win, right? Even if it was only one percent, Isaura would make the most of it.

"You see that? Even though evil may initially prevail, in the end, goodness will triumph," Isaura said confidently.

"Don't rejoice too soon, Isaura. This is just the beginning. Even if all the power of the fairies is combined, it may not be able to defeat me. So, do you, alone, dream of winning against me?"

"Why don't we just see?" After saying that, Isaura floated towards Alonzo and attacked him repeatedly with her feet.

Alonzo swiftly blocked each of Isaura's attacks with one hand, then stepped back to avoid. When Alonzo managed to grab Isaura's leg, he spun her around and threw Isaura's body.

Fortunately, the girl had good reflexes, so she landed on both feet despite hitting an old tree. Not losing her composure, Isaura then unleashed her magic to attack Alonzo, but the man always managed to evade it.

Now it was Alonzo's turn to attack. However, just as he was about to unleash his attack, Isaura vanished from his sight. Unaware that the girl was already behind him, launching a flurry of attacks with her hands coated in magic.

Alonzo was pushed forward, clutching his stomach. He then straightened himself up. "Enough playing around, Isaura." In anger, he brutally attacked Isaura, overwhelming her with his assault.

When one attack almost hit her face, she blocked it with her sword and countered Alonzo, who managed to evade. Not staying idle, Alonzo unleashed his magic brutally. Overwhelmed, some of the attacks hit Isaura, knocking her to the ground.

"You survived only because you're smart at evading, Isaura, I'll give you that. But besides that, your strength can't compare to mine."

Alonzo attacked again with his true power. Isaura, who was about to stand, felt her body floating and crashing into several trees behind her, causing them to collapse instantly due to the force of Isaura's body.

The girl struggled to breathe, with several pieces of wood stuck in her back. She then held her stomach and spat out a lot of blood. Her body felt completely battered, with the back of her clothes soaked in blood.

In the fading consciousness, Isaura could see her sword, which had been thrown far away, being taken by Alonzo. And after the man successfully obtained Vegas, Isaura remembered nothing else.