Mordian Astrionyx

The moonlight spilled the lands around us, no sound was produced, the silence felt eerie and haunting as everything around us appeared frozen, making it a standstill, as the two demons stood suspended in the air in front of me.

The mana around us moved and swirled, as if being forcefully pushed against it’s will, as the several projectiles I had conjured looped around us, humming with energy, ready to be launched at any moment.

A light breeze brushed past, fluttering my robes and hair as I eased my growing anger, raging like a brewing storm, as I almost let it continue to control me, making me irascible, making me want to tear apart the demons in front of me.

The lanky demon Kirche, stood nonchalantly, his arms spread outward as I felt the push in the air, the space itself wheezing as a sinister presence burst around us like a wave, as I released a wave of my mana and both energies crashed against one another as the air rippled, creating a storm of anomalies in the space between us as the area slightly brightened and dimmed, making the projectiles in the air to hum and distort slightly before I fixed them and reinforced them with more mana.

On the other hand, Kirche's companion, Digo, remained wary from the start, his guard up and eyes not willing to leave me, observing every single movement I produced.

My body hurled through the air effortlessly as the two demons followed me in pursuit, I dived down and then maneuvered my body as the two demons closed the distance instantly and prepared to strike together, their bodies twisted and figures vanishing as they flew at speeds not easily perceived by sight.

Just then, I channelled my mana, my arms burst with a golden aura, and I pulled at the tethers which connected me to the projectiles, in the second which passed the hundreds of projectiles lunged at the two, producing blinding streaks of light in their wake.

I twisted my body mid-air, as I effortlessly dodged and followed the path where the projectiles narrowly avoided my body and allowed me to retreat—I shifted their positions to better accommodate my retreat—, as the demons were caught in the crossfire of the projectiles being launched at them from all directions, striking their bodies as painful groans and stifling grunts reverberated, creating a cacophony of loud screeches and roars.

A hollow cloud of blood and flesh mist around the projectiles striking the demons, as they continued, my mana drained at a considerable rate—due to the suppression of the curse, my mana became unstable the more I used—, as the projectiles crumbled once striking the demons, I conjured more to continue the barrage, as the demons remained stuck within the cage.

But within those grunts I saw Kirche twist his body as a projectile pierced his abdomen and thrust the other way out as he moaned in agony, his face twisted with a scowl. His demonic energy whirled as a dark crimson aura rose from his body as he spread both hands out and the demonic energy in the surrounding went into a frenzy, as a sinister wave of crimson, almost black energy spread out.

My brows knitted as I saw the projectiles dismantle to nothingness, the mana which held them together coming undone as the ambient mana screeched and lost its control as the particles were affected by the rampaging wave of demonic energy.

My senses stretched out and I felt the mana in an almost unstable form.

The process was almost instantaneous, but I was still able to glimpse at what the demon had done to save him and his companion—to stop the rain of projectiles striking their bodies without rest.

But both of them writhed in unbearable agony as they steadied their body, movements rusty.

Kirche had stimulated the demonic energy inside him to create a dismantling effect by using the demonic energy in the air, using the already rampant element to create an even destructive result—in the form of a wave which affected everything within its area of effect.

Both of them maintained a good distance from me until they recovered a little, my eyes moved from Kirche to Digo, and both of them were riddled with holes and gruesome wounds as blood and viscera spilled out of those grotesque gaps.

But even in that condition they were able to protect their cores perfectly, avoiding the projectiles just enough to not let their cores receive any actual life-threatening damage, instead of scratches, as the wounds over their bodies slowly healed.

“That wasn’t very gentlemanly.” Kirche spat as he cracked his elbow the right angle and allowed his arm to heal. A twisted smile spread across his face as he barked. “Now I'm even more motivated to kill you and salvage every part of your body for the creation of some item. A living sack of priceless materials.”

He licked clean the blood from his lips as his smirk widened to a grin.

Without anymore obstructions, Kirche lunged at me, his demonic energy working as a blood crimson hue shrouded his body, Digo followed from behind as Kirche performed a front flip and went right above me as Digo launched his fist at me coated with demonic energy.

I could feel the force behind the strike as I got ready to intercept, taking a defensive position, bringing my arms forward, but Kirche appeared behind me, demonic energy coalesced in his palms as the mana and demonic energy started to go into a frenzied stage again.

Their teamwork is excellent...I thought as Digo’s fist appeared before me, only a few inches away, as I brought my hand forward and mana started to coalesce into the palm of my hand, as his knuckle made contact with my palm. Without using any force, I manipulated his own strength and guided and changed the trajectory of his fist, as I conjured a projectile which struck the demon’s back.

Taking that opportunity, I twisted my body and launched my left elbow back at Kirche as I pushed a considerable amount of mana which fought against the assault of the demon's attack.

Digo went hurling in the air, Kirche launched his attack halfway as I conjured a barrier of mana which hummed and broke apart like glass upon impact, as the crumbled pieces dissipated with the corrupted energy, as my elbow connected with Kirche’s left temple, he groaned and went crashing down.

Despite being in a suppressed condition, my strength was still equivalent to a newly awakened mystic stage, and over the years the effects of the curse had weakened considerably, but not even to allow me to go back to my previous glory.

But disposing off two demons in my current state shouldn’t be too difficult.

But I felt anxious for some reason, I felt the thick emotions of my bond through our connection as he was engaged in a fierce battle. I needed to take care of things here before going to Jiwoo.

Kirche stood from the ground, and Digo was standing just a few meters away from him, afloat in the air.

I glared down at the two, my face deprived of any emotion, as I saw Kirche make some kind of hand gesture and Digo immediately lunged at me straight away.

Digo threw persistent jabs, kicks and used certain martial arts, as I countered each strike easily and intercepted with an even deadlier technique, using the pantheon style techniques which I was trained in from a young age, I struck Digo with a deadly and perfect manoeuvrability of my arms, every strike hitting the demon in the vitals as he spewed blood from his mouth, face twisted and every movement growing stiffer than before, as he struggled to follow me in a contest of strength.

I had almost crushed Digo, but his persistence was maddening, he didn’t fret over the damage done to him, he continued tanking blow after blow as he desperately hurled forward and grabbed me, his arms wrapped around me, as I loosened his grip and struck his back with my elbow, hearing the noise of bones shattering, as the demon pushed me back considerably with what little strength he could conjure.

But my eyes didn’t fail to follow Kirche, who was spreading his blood across the ground.

My brows knitted as I struck Digo right in his sternum, the air boomed as my arm tore through the space between us, as the crisp noise of bones shattering reverberated, Digo chocked on his blood and gasped for air as he crashed down, body turning limp.

I quickly picked up speed and carefully approached Kirche who was about to finish whatever he was trying to do with his blood.

Several projectiles formed and launched at him, as the demon looked above with wide and shocked eyes, his gaze went to his companion who laid on the ground, body stiff and bloodied. Fear and trepidation bled from the demon’s face, once full of vigour and arrogance.

He was left shocked just how quickly he and his companion had failed.

He gritted his teeth as he condensed his demonic energy, the ground pulsed with the runes Kirche had carved, each drop of blood fuelling the growing chaos in the air. I moved toward Kirche, watching the final lines of the pattern come together.

Just as I closed in, his hand slammed onto the edge of the runic circle, and the air erupted in a blinding light. I realized late that I was within the range of the rune, or perhaps Digo had risked everything to bring me to this spot without my knowledge or awareness.

I felt the hair at the back of my neck stand, as I frowned and instinctively turned, trying to get out, but Digo’s hand latched onto my leg. His strength had almost left him, but he still managed to hurl me back, as I felt the change in the air.

‘Not good.’ I muttered, as I finally realized what the demon had done, he had used his own blood as a catalyst to produce a spell through the use of runic magic. They had made a gamble to take me down in one full-scoop.

That’s when it hit.

The demonic energy around me exploded into frenzy, twisting and writhing, as if forcefully being pushed and pulled in an inharmonious state.

The space sealed within the radius of the rune distorted, as if the air itself was being dismantled, as I felt my flesh sting as deep cuts appeared over my body through which light streaks of blood dripped out, as my robes were damaged.

I manipulated my mana to better withstand the agony as my mana reinforced my body as I fought against the spell.

But suddenly, I felt the seal on me ignite, and resonate with the ambient demonic energy, that cursed mark burning hotter than ever, as if my heart was being twisted and pierced. My body grew heavier, the power I’d drawn on slipping through my fingers, my mana retiring and crumbling from my control.

I barely kept myself steady—as the unbearable pain gnawed away at my sanity—, let alone break free. The curse had taken hold again, stronger this time, feeding on the chaos Kirche unleashed.

A sharp, searing pain shot through my chest, the curse on my heart tightening like a vice, sending rapid bursts of pain through my entire body, each beat hammering agony deeper into my core. Every passing second felt longer than an eternity, an agonizing eternity, which didn’t seem to end any sooner.

I couldn’t move as freely, as I grunted, which soon turned to an agonizing scream as I fought against the pain assaulting me from the inside. I tried to grab at my mana, but it didn’t listen, the curse made it like tar, not willing to easily move, even with force. The power I relied on, that raw strength, was now turning against me, as my movements slowed down and my strength dispersed.

Just as my mind was about to give in, the runes lost their spark, as the demonic energy stabilized and the mana began to create harmony with the sinister element.

I felt my body crash down, as I made contact with hard ground and heaved for breath, I laid there momentarily as I gained command again and maneuvered myself using my arms, groaning under the residual pain which lingered.

Realizing the demons weren’t done with me, I felt them approach, their bloodlust perfectly detectable, as I pushed straight to my feet and looked at them.

Their gazes filled with incredulity and horror as my figure rose and their eyes wavered. The glint in them weakened as I rose and recovered at an agonizingly slow pace.

My face twisted as I brought my hand closer to my left breast. They were not in an optimal condition to fight any further, and so was I. But I was still in a better condition to be able to fight and finish them both for good, despite the setbacks and taking on that runic magic's assault head on.

We caught our breath, as I realized I'd crashed close to the outer wall of the fortress, which had cracked by our battle, the ground filled with craters, debris everywhere.

Without wasting another second, my battle with the two demons raged on, but suddenly, a surge of warmth flooded my core, leaving it tingling, while an icy strike, sharp as lightning, crawled down my spine like a serpent had coiled around it. The colours around me drained as if like an inverted canvas, dissolving slowly as the world began to slow down, everything shifting into a monochrome haze. Time seemed to freeze, the scene before me turning inverted and surreal.

A splitting headache gripped my mind, the force of the shift so sudden and violent, leaving me weak through my body. Everything before me—the fortress, shattered slabs, broken structures, and the demons—vanished from my sight. My mind felt like wading through thick cobwebs, each step forward a struggle as if I were entangled in invisible threads and needed to pass them somehow, slowing my thoughts and movements.

Instead, in their place, I stood in a dark void illuminated by specks as tiny as stardust, each grain connected by an ethereal fog which looked magical and indescribable...but familiar. My mind swirled as I was jerked again, now appearing within an expansive, decrepit throne room.

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My eyes flew wide open as my face wore a complicated frown, my breath coming in thin gasps as I struggled to grasp what was happening in this passing moment. In one moment I was engaged in a fight and second I was transported through space, or perhaps only my spirit.

The world around me appeared like a fractured pane of glass, the image distorted and incomprehensible, the peculiarity leaving me confused and perplexed.

Through the pulsing pain in my skull, I focused and saw the throne room—collapsed walls, debris everywhere, the chamber sealed by ice. Three figures caught my attention immediately. One lay lifeless among the wreckage, an orc, most likely Surter as I focused on him, impaled by a lance of ice through the heart, blood dripped from his mouth as his dull eyes looked into nothingness. The other two, demons, stood maintaining a good distance from a wide crater at the far end of the chamber—a throne, I realized late was overturned and shattered to pieces—, battered and bloodied, their bodies healing at an agonizingly slow pace.

But unintentionally, my gaze was automatically pulled toward the crater. My mind wheezed, the pain unbearable as I groaned under its relentless assault, feeling like my veins could burst any moment. The dimming and brightening of colours around me gave the sensation that everything could shatter at any moment, the scene in front of me appeared fragile.

Despite the torment, I managed to glimpse inside the crater.

Jiwoo lay there, motionless, his body mangled and soaked in blood, several pieces of the relic armour missing as it tried to fix itself, a white flame flickering weakly around him, as if indicating his final struggle. His eyes were lifeless, cold, the deep purple in them appeared almost vanished. A wave of dread washed over me, my eyes barely retaining their clarity. My bond was dying. This vision—it was foretelling his death...

I clenched my jaw as the agony spiked to an intensity that threatened to rip my mind apart.

And then, just like that, everything shattered. I snapped back into the battle, the two demons lunging at me once more. Groaning, I dodged a roundhouse kick, stepping back as I shifted to the defensive, my mind still reeling from the vision that had shaken me to my core.

Jiwoo...he was defeated...or perhaps he will be in due time...

I felt my connection with Jiwoo, and he was still engaged in his battle.

He worriedly asked what had happened—that our connection that been severed momentarily, and he couldn’t feel my presence. But I could tell that not even a second had passed, but Jiwoo had felt that change, but from his confusion he hadn’t witnessed the vision.

Then why did I see that? I questioned as I dodged Digo and avoided Kirche's dismantling spell, which struck the wall and opened a hole inside the fortress.

Taking this moment I stepped inside and found the soldiers engaged with the demon guards, Aurora on the side providing assistance to others while also taking down demon after demon.

Digo and Kirche followed me from behind as I entered the courtyard, and the others noticed our arrival as they made space, avoiding us.

There is no time to dwell on these things...I muttered as I saw Digo approach, his body fully healed but the fatigue made him significantly slower than before.

Same was the case with Kirche, with the spell based abilities he had used, he wasn’t looking any better—similarly the spell which had weakened me.

I needed to end this battle and immediately rush to Esparossa. I made up my mind as I reached deeper, having no choice and time left, I began to suppress the curse, as I felt my mana release and my sealed strength rush back to me.

I only had a few minutes at best.

Without holding back, I waved my hands, as the mana became subject to my dominance and rippled as hundreds of projectiles took form, as my arms quivered under the building pressure as I pushed more mana, my body still dealing with the remnant effects of Kirche’s spell from earlier, as I felt a trail of blood run down my nostril.

All the projectiles launched at them both, not seeing friend or foe, they struck indiscriminately, as a cascade of blood rose in the air, as I saw some orcs crash, barely avoid the barrage, as Digo and Kirche were struck again, the guards surrounding them also affected by the result.

Just as the mana wavered around the projectiles and rippled away, I lunged forward as the ground under my feet cracked from the force, mana reinforced every single part of my physique as I approached Digo and without holding back struck him using the pantheon style techniques, my hands soaked with black blood as they pierced his body, striking every vital point, as I grabbed his arm and struck him into the ground with a kick to his temple, as I ripped his arm off, the demon screaming in agony as his eyes rolled into his head.

My eyes moved and soon saw a dim luster from an open wound.

I grabbed his core and shattered it in my palm, as Digo didn’t even have time to groan as his body vanished.

I sidestepped, bringing me to Kirche who looked shaken up as he desperately wailed, his body lunged backward, trying to flee, but there was no respite for him, as I grabbed his hand and struck him in his jaw.

His eyes rolled into his head, as he moved merely on instinct, as I struck him again with a square jab and he crashed to the ground, but his hands moved, the demonic energy coalescing rapidly, as the space distorted.

I scowled as I lifted up in the air and the light around my form flickered and bended, scales grew more my body as my form expanded and I transformed with a blinding streak of light which illuminated the entire courtyard.

I spread my wings as each flap shook the air, as I opened my mouth and the atmospheric mana and my own intermingled in front as I released the condensed beam of pure mana, as it struck Kirche and several demons in the vicinity, as the ground broke apart, their screams and wails filled the courtyard, a cloud of dust rose as the beam finished and I transformed back into my humanoid form, as I landed, feeling overwhelmed by the rush of the battle and the urgency, seeing a deep crater which had nothing inside it.

My breath heaved heavily as I let go off the curse and felt my strength plummet significantly. I clenched my chest, as my face twisted into a painful scowl, as I fought against the curse, the pain similar to a sword being pierced through my heart.

Just as the dust cleared, the soldiers looked at me, their morale all time high as they shouted and fought more vigorously.

The courtyard was almost finished as I saw a swarm of individuals rush from the inside of the fortress, draped in rags or tattered armour.

I took a breath. The prisoners have been rescued.

I found Vaerin who stood close to me, the elf conjuring a water attribute spell, providing assistance to the soldiers. I walked one step and asked.

“Vaerin, how long does it take someone to reach Esparossa, if flown there?” I pressed, my words stern and cold.

The elf appeared struck for a moment, but cleared his confusion and answered. “It takes almost four hours on foot. So if you fly there on your top speed...” he thought for a split second and immediately answered, “you can get their between eighteen to twenty-four minutes.”

He didn’t ask any further, as I contemplated and then decided to rush over. But before I could leave, I saw Aurora approach in my direction.

“Something happened to Shun? Right?” She pressed as her face was enveloped by a cornered expression.

I didn’t push her question away and spoke. “No, not yet!”

Aurora frowned as she sensed the rush in my words, and the ambiguity in them.

“Then take me with you!” She said.

I shook my head as my eyes pointed at the ongoing battle inside the fortress and in its vicinity. “No, you'll only get in the way. And carrying you on my back will be more time consuming—you wouldn’t be able to steady yourself if I fly at my fastest. You must remain here, the others need you.”

Aurora appeared dissatisfied with my answer, as she gritted her teeth and immediately pulled something out from the inside of her shirt. She handed the item to me, which was a green crystal, the same size as a pebble, attached to a string, but I could feel the compacted emitter magic stored inside.

“Take this with you. Break it and it will relieve some of your injuries and fatigue instantly.” She said as she took a step back. But before she vanished into the chaos, she looked above her shoulder as her grip tightened around her bow. “Mordian, please bring back that idiot at all cost.”

I nodded as I pulled a flask from the inside of my dimensional artifact—a new item I'd acquired. The potion which Jiwoo had give me, as I took off the lid and drank the contents inside.

I felt the changes immediately, as my fatigue was alleviated considerably and the effects of the curse weakened.

‘Good’, I said as I wore the crystal around my neck, and took flight as I lunged in the direction of Esparossa.

“Let's hope I'm not too late.” I said as I felt my connection with Jiwoo weaken, as I saw the battle through his mind.

***

Seo Jiwoo

The ground trembled beneath me as Ankewelt’s fist coated with demonic energy barely avoided me and struck the cobblestone floor, the floor exploded, flinging scattered debris into the air. I pivoted hard, narrowly dodging another jab from him as he twisted immediately.

I communicated with Mordian in that passing instance, asking why our connection had destabilised? His presence had vanished suddenly for a split second, which I found odd, since it hadn’t happened before, not even once.

I tightened my grip on my sword, feeling the mana flickering along its edge.

Ankewelt moved first, his posture and demeanour perfect, leaving behind no gaps in his defences as he appeared confident despite his core being crippled from the start of the battle. I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the jabs he had launched at me, as I streaked past him.

No sooner had I dodged that than Apphia’s short swords hissed through the air toward my head. I ducked low, the freezing edge of my spell grazing my cheek as the entire floor below her feet froze, restraining her to her position.

“Is that the best you can do!” Apphia's voice cut through the chaos as she pushed with raw strength as her demonic energy surged and the ice encompassing her feet shattered as the demonic energy coalesced her legs.

“Oh no, this is just warm-up,” I shot back, lunging toward her. My sword slashed through the air in a sharp arc, pale yellow tendrils surged along the edge, aimed at her ribs, but she pushed demonic energy into her hands, the sinister energy repelled against my sword slash as her short sword struck against my sword, blocking the blow. The force of it sent her stumbling, but before I could press the attack, Valsai’s—the third demon—spear whistled toward me.

I twisted, my sword clashing against his spear as sparks flew in the air. The impact reverberated up my arm, but I shoved him back, immediately twisting my body, throwing an elbow into his side. He staggered, coughing for breath, but I had no time to finish him off—Surter’s rumbling footsteps gave me just enough warning before his broadsword destroyed the floor beneath me upon impact.

I leapt, flipping through the air as rock spikes tore through the ground. I landed hard, my eyes skimmed to the traitor, skidding to a stop just as Surter charged. His fists glowed with the energy of the earth beneath him, his massive frame barrelling toward me like a bull, as the floor trembled.

Ruler’s Authority allowed me to split my mind and keep notice of everyone, as I observed them carefully, following their body movements to the way they breathe, the changing on their expressions, the slightest twitch of their muscles, as Mind’s Eye heightened my visual and auditory capabilities.

I spun, deflecting a fierce blow from Ankewelt with the flat of my sword who had appeared beside me in a flash.

I lunged forward, aiming for Ankewelt, my sword glowing with mana. He raised his guard just in time as he pivoted at the last moment, the blade scraping against his forearm as a cascade of black blood swept the air. But Valsai wasn’t far behind, his spear streaking toward me. I twisted, the edge of his spear charged with demonic energy struck me in my ribs, but was deflecting by the relic armour which hummed and absorbed the impact. I rolled with it, countering with a jab to his gut, my arm tore through the air—as if vanishing. He doubled over, gasping for air, his mouth agape as he stumbled.

But Apphia appeared from behind me, her short sword hummed with the crimson hue.

"Getting real sick of you," I muttered, sweeping her legs out from under her. She hit the ground with a sharp gasp, as I rolled forward and my ankle struck her abdomen, her grunts turning to painful screams, but before I could finish the move, Surter roared.

The earth beneath me trembled again, jagged spikes of rock erupting in my path. I activated leap and vanished into the paths, I appeared in mid-air as I summoned mana into my arms, my sword vanished, as I unleashed a blinding arc of energy which coiled around the area the force slammed into Surter, sending shockwaves through the throne room, as the orc wailed and tumbled backward, his body charred by the massive surge of lightning.

I vanished into the path again as I appeared just inches away from Surter as Razor's Edge materialized into my hands again and I drew an arc, as the blade effortlessly severed the orc’s left arm, as some of the blood spilled on to my cheek, as I saw Valsai appear close to me as I vanished again into the path, creating distance.

But simply running and attacking like this wouldn’t be enough to beat them.

I landed hard, chest heaving as I checked for any damage and I had none. Even the relic armour appeared unfazed. Ankewelt charged, arms swirling with demonic energy, with Valsai right on his heels, spear raised, as I saw the space around me distort and the mana go into a frenzy, as the demonic energy forcefully filled the gaps and pushed the mana away, and I immediately knew something was coming.

I grinned with a condescending tug of my lips, taunting the demons, as I wiped the blood from my cheek. “Four of you, and I’m still standing? Where did your confidence from a few minutes ago disappear to?”

Surter glared, holding the stump left on his left arm, as blood leaked out, the orc turned pale, as he crashed to his knees.

Apphia groaned from the ground, struggling to get back on her feet as her face twisted further with an ugly scowl. “Not for long.”

I smirked, as the temperature inside the chamber began to drop significantly as the water particles began to freeze, creating a mist to envelope the destroyed throne room. “Guess we’ll see about that."

Ankewelt and Valsai noticed the change immediately and approached, whatever he was trying to do had succeeded as I watched the demonic energy try to suppress the mana forcefully as it moved and created a dismantling effect, as everything the corrupted energy touch or made contact with seemed to be erased or simply left in shambles as the space around us distorted.

Ankewelt moved his hands with absolute precision as the mana was either pushed or corrupted by the demonic energy, as I didn’t wait and thrust my hands, as the white frost-fire took a hold of the floor and the pillars as everything was slowly covered by a thick layer of ice as the temperature dropped.

But the ice was immediately destroyed, or rather dismantled on an atomic level, I felt a push as my body as if a resonation had drilled into my being as the distorted space returned to normal, and my spell had been neutralized.

This dismantling power associated through the use of demonic energy is quite troublesome.

I looked around as the ice was cleared away instantly, being used as a substitute to counter Ankewelt’s spell. But through Mind’s Eye and the sharp observation of Ruler’s Authority, I noticed that the ice wasn’t just destroyed, it was completely erased.

If I remembered correctly, the female remnant had said that demonic energy corresponded to the edict of life—connected to the branch of destruction—, and it had a similar result as what I'd just seen. So destruction was simply adjourned to destroying everything, meaning its an essence which has the power to destroy anything without discrimination, no matter how complex it was. It dismantled and diverged anything due to it’s authority to do so which stemmed from the edict of life.

But that perhaps could rely on the complexity and insight into the nature of demonic energy, and how it can be manipulated.

While I wasn’t able to manipulate the element, I could still feel its presence and sense anyone associated to it—but that was due to Mind’s Eye.

But demonic energy corresponded to the branch of destruction, so it means that the insight into this branch of the life edict can be gained through external means. Because the exciduim race was the living example, because they can wield the branch of the edicts of life and use it to sustain themselves and fight, without being aware of its true nature.

I pushed these thoughts to the back of my head for now as I focused on the battle at hand, as I tried again and stimulated the deviant magic I’d created, as the white frost flame began to rise from my hands, as I leapt forward, as I narrowly dodged a barrage of combined attacks from Ankewelt and Valsai, as I swept my hand across the area as the flames jumped and lurched on to the debris and demons.

Not more than a second, passed, as all of them were frozen by a thick layer of frost which immobilized their bodies momentarily, but they retaliated immediately, their demonic energy sparked as I reached Surter, who had failed to free himself on time.

I swiped my hand and a lance made of ice hurled at him and pierced his heart, as the orc struggled and wailed and afterward, his body turned still, his dull eyes filled with despair as he looked into nothingness.

‘Alright one down.’ I said, as I immediately turned around and took in the three demons, my eyes skimmed through each one of them, as I saw them standing with their weapons ready, and demonic energy working.

Alright, the biggest obstacle left now is Ankewelt, who is an impeccable hand-to hand fighter, who is also able to use peculiar spells oriented from demonic energy, while Valsai and Apphia were not any weaker than him in combat, but also provided him with the time and distance to conjure his spells—allowing him to keep his distance.

I felt Mordian’s sudden panic as vividly as if mine, as I saw through his mind they had conquered Tseige and Mordian had won his battle as he decided to rush over.

It would take Mordian time to get here, even if he flies here on his fastest speed...so my best choice would be to wait for him in this situation, to stall for time until he arrived, but I don't think they would be eager enough to let that happen.

I withdrew my sword again as I brought out the sheath and sheathed razor's edge, as my mana erupted, as I corrected my posture and got ready to perform the crescent moon style's third move.