In the sewers beneath the capital, the Ritual was still underway. As the chants of the sacrifices grew louder, so too did the quakes. Thalia and her father had been deceived. At the last minute, the human sacrifices were replaced. In Thalia's mind, there could only be one person responsible for this - Zephyr. He was the man who had helped them conduct the ritual. Thalia was furious at this turn of events, but her mind was fixed on one thing: saving her father from this ritual.
Rodney was writhing in pain, his physical form morphing into something inhuman. His skin turned charcoal black, his hair turned white, and horns slowly sprouted from his head. Thalia couldn’t bear to see her father in such a state. She slashed at the barrier with all her might, her hands bleeding with each recoil. She needed to be faster. Each stroke brought her father a second closer to becoming a demon. Finally, with one powerful stroke, a crack appeared in the barrier. Thalia's hope surged. She slashed even faster, her bones starting to crack from the intense recoil. But she knew she could make it.
Thalia was the fastest member of the Hero's party and took pride in it. She had killed thousands of demons with her speed, and some were not even demons. No one could match her speed. There was only one man who was almost as fast as her - the hero, Arlan.
Finally, the barrier broke, and Thalia didn’t waste a split second. The demon didn’t even have time to react as its head rolled on the ground, followed by the other chanters. Thalia dropped to one knee, hyperventilating from the effort she had exerted. But then she noticed that the ritual circle was glowing even brighter. She realized in that moment that she was too late. With her reflexes kicking in, she leaped outside the circle just as a pillar of red light was sucked back into her father, along with a ball of light. A force was then released from Rodney, so strong that it threw Thalia several feet away.
Then, she saw it - the horror she had witnessed back at the Demon Lord's castle was now right in front of her. Thalia was perplexed by what she was seeing. She had thought the demon chanter wanted to turn her father into one of them, but she was gravely mistaken. The aura emanating from this creature was unmistakable. Its appearance had not changed since the last time she saw it. The creature back in the castle had skin as white as snow, long golden hair, and two prominent horns on its head. It was graceful yet sinister, with two sets of wings and a tall, slender frame. And now, standing before her, was the Demon Lord.
The creature opened its eyes, its yellow glow surveying the surroundings before resting on Thalia. They locked gazes. Thalia remembered the feeling she had when they faced the Demon Lord before. He was terrifying and incredibly strong. She was almost paralyzed with fear. Was it too late to save her father? She didn’t want to give up hope. This demon was a newborn. Perhaps cutting off its horns could bring her father back. She didn't know if it would work, but she needed to try something.
Even exhausted, Thalia lunged at the demon's horn with exceptional speed. The demon, following her movements with its eyes, was able to catch her right arm just before she landed an attack. Thalia didn’t falter as she slashed at the horn with her left hand. Then it broke, and Thalia's gaze fell to the ground. Her dagger, which was specially made from the strongest metal, was in pieces. Her surprised reaction gave the demon a sinister smile. As their gazes locked once more, Thalia felt a cold chill run down her spine. While the demon was gripping her arm, she was thrown towards the ceiling, causing her to crash into it and cough up blood. But before she could react, an energy of pure darkness was heading towards her.
Outside the Royal Castle, soldiers and adventurers stood united, ready to fend off the demons. Thankfully, the portals had already been closed. Now, they just needed to exterminate the remaining demons. Amidst their collective efforts, one soldier noticed that the red pillar of light had disappeared. However, the darkness that had enveloped the capital hadn't lifted. Suddenly, a massive quake shook the entire capital, followed by a chilling cold that hung in the air. A blinding darkness overpowered everyone's senses, causing them to drop to their knees. They felt despair intertwined with malicious intent. Many of the weak-willed lost consciousness, dropping to the ground one by one. Some people resisted the overpowering sensation but were rendered immobile.
Back in the castle, the King and his guards were on their knees when they heard a rumbling from deep underground. Cracks started forming on the floor. Before they could escape, the floor collapsed, sending debris flying in all directions. Smoke from the debris obscured the area. When it finally cleared, a terrifying creature stood amidst the rubble. Under its foot was Thalia, unconcious , her body covered in gashes and wounds. The creature scanned its surroundings and then locked eyes with the King. Sensing danger, one of the King’s Five Royal Guards quickly stood to shield the King from the creature's sight. "Get behind me, your high-" he started, but he couldn't finish his sentence. The King, terrified, was staring at the lower half of the guard who tried to protect him, smoke rising from the amputated area. Witnessing the death of their comrade, the two remaining King's Five charged at the creature blindly, only to meet the same fate. One was sliced in half, the other was cut into pieces. With no one left to protect him, the King, on his knees, felt death closing in. He couldn't muster the courage to look at the creature and remained bowed down. His crown had fallen from his head and rolled across the floor.
Eredin and Elias witnessed the brutality that had transpired. Eredin then asked Elias, "Please, can you take Aria out of here?" He took something out of his bag, an old piece of scroll. "Go far away and use this transportation scroll. I have already marked the place where you'll be teleported to." He tried to give the scroll to Elias, but Elias declined, asking Eredin to come with them. However, Eredin made a point that with only one arm remaining, he couldn't carry Aria to safety and also needed to try and save the King by creating a distraction for their escape. Elias didn't want to agree, but he saw the point. Only he could save Aria in this situation. Eredin then said to Elias, "Once I make the distraction, you leave here quickly."
With that, Eredin took a couple of potions from his bag, drank them, and took a red pill from one of his satchels. Suddenly, his skin burned hot, smoke emanating from it. He looked at Aria one last time and ran towards the creature.
The creature, which had been staring at the terrified King, suddenly noticed a presence approaching. Eredin, without stopping, shot holy bolt arrows at the creature, but they had no effect. The creature focused its gaze on Eredin's leg and swiftly cut it off. Eredin lost his balance and dropped to the ground, with the creature floating towards him. To its surprise, Eredin's leg grew back, and he tried to move around the creature to its blind spot. The creature followed Eredin's movements, releasing sharp condensed magic that could slice through objects. Eredin dodged the attacks, his body burning even hotter, his skin glowing like iron in a furnace, and smoke relentlessly pouring from his pores. Despite the pain, Eredin persisted.
Once he found the blind spot, Eredin lunged at the creature, taking a stake-like object from his back pocket. He bit the object with his teeth and grabbed the creature by the horn, impaling it on its neck with all his might. He then propelled himself away from the creature, but not without cost. The creature attacked Eredin mid-air, slashing him multiple times. When Eredin fell to the ground, he had lost both his legs. However, Eredin had consumed the red pill, a pill he had developed that increased regenerative abilities a hundredfold. The creature gazed at Eredin as his legs grew back in seconds. Eredin's eyes were fixed on the stake he had impaled. Its fuse slowly depleted. It was another one of his discoveries—a compound called Dragonfire dust, a chemical compound that released rapid energy when ignited.
As Eredin saw the fuse completely gone, it was already too late for the creature to notice. A huge wave of explosion covered the whole area.
Meanwhile, Elias, carrying Aria, was running towards the exit when suddenly a massive explosion reverberated through the air. The force of the blast knocked them off balance, but Elias didn't stop to look back. He continued to run outside, determined to get Aria to safety. However, as he reached for the door, he was met with a cold, hard wall instead. Confused, Elias stopped in his tracks and surveyed the area. It was dark and spacious, and something felt off.
His attention was drawn to Eredin, who was being held by the creature, its head burned and its wings engulfed in blue flames. Eredin looked exhausted, and it seemed that his last resort had failed. But there was something even more sinister at play. Elias realized that they were still in Cosmopolis, as he looked out of a window and saw the city below. He was shocked to realize what had happened.
Outside, moments before, the people had managed to gather their strength and regroup, determined to resist the sinister presence that had taken over. Suddenly, the sky rumbled, and thunderclouds appeared out of nowhere. In an instant, a colossal lightning bolt crashed down from the heavens, striking the Royal castle, accompanied by the loudest thunder ever heard, reaching even the distant kingdoms. The shockwave from the blast sent people flying, and buildings and houses were torn apart. When the sound subsided and the dust settled, the people were horrified to see the Demon Lord's castle standing right in front of them.
In the sewers beneath the capital, the Ritual was still underway. As the chants of the sacrifices grew louder, so too did the quakes. Thalia and her father had been deceived. At the last minute, the human sacrifices were replaced. In Thalia's mind, there could only be one person responsible for this - Zephyr. He was the man who had helped them conduct the ritual. Thalia was furious at this turn of events, but her mind was fixed on one thing: saving her father from this ritual.
Rodney was writhing in pain, his physical form morphing into something inhuman. His skin turned charcoal black, his hair turned white, and horns slowly sprouted from his head. Thalia couldn’t bear to see her father in such a state. She slashed at the barrier with all her might, her hands bleeding with each recoil. She needed to be faster. Each stroke brought her father a second closer to becoming a demon. Finally, with one powerful stroke, a crack appeared in the barrier. Thalia's hope surged. She slashed even faster, her bones starting to crack from the intense recoil. But she knew she could make it.
Thalia was the fastest member of the Hero's party and took pride in it. She had killed thousands of demons with her speed, and some were not even demons. No one could match her speed. There was only one man who was almost as fast as her - the hero, Arlan.
Finally, the barrier broke, and Thalia didn’t waste a split second. The demon didn’t even have time to react as its head rolled on the ground, followed by the other chanters. Thalia dropped to one knee, hyperventilating from the effort she had exerted. But then she noticed that the ritual circle was glowing even brighter. She realized in that moment that she was too late. With her reflexes kicking in, she leaped outside the circle just as a pillar of red light was sucked back into her father, along with a ball of light. A force was then released from Rodney, so strong that it threw Thalia several feet away.
Then, she saw it - the horror she had witnessed back at the Demon Lord's castle was now right in front of her. Thalia was perplexed by what she was seeing. She had thought the demon chanter wanted to turn her father into one of them, but she was gravely mistaken. The aura emanating from this creature was unmistakable. Its appearance had not changed since the last time she saw it. The creature back in the castle had skin as white as snow, long golden hair, and two prominent horns on its head. It was graceful yet sinister, with two sets of wings and a tall, slender frame. And now, standing before her, was the Demon Lord.
The creature opened its eyes, its yellow glow surveying the surroundings before resting on Thalia. They locked gazes. Thalia remembered the feeling she had when they faced the Demon Lord before. He was terrifying and incredibly strong. She was almost paralyzed with fear. Was it too late to save her father? She didn’t want to give up hope. This demon was a newborn. Perhaps cutting off its horns could bring her father back. She didn't know if it would work, but she needed to try something.
Even exhausted, Thalia lunged at the demon's horn with exceptional speed. The demon, following her movements with its eyes, was able to catch her right arm just before she landed an attack. Thalia didn’t falter as she slashed at the horn with her left hand. Then it broke, and Thalia's gaze fell to the ground. Her dagger, which was specially made from the strongest metal, was in pieces. Her surprised reaction gave the demon a sinister smile. As their gazes locked once more, Thalia felt a cold chill run down her spine. While the demon was gripping her arm, she was thrown towards the ceiling, causing her to crash into it and cough up blood. But before she could react, an energy of pure darkness was heading towards her.
Outside the Royal Castle, soldiers and adventurers stood united, ready to fend off the demons. Thankfully, the portals had already been closed. Now, they just needed to exterminate the remaining demons. Amidst their collective efforts, one soldier noticed that the red pillar of light had disappeared. However, the darkness that had enveloped the capital hadn't lifted. Suddenly, a massive quake shook the entire capital, followed by a chilling cold that hung in the air. A blinding darkness overpowered everyone's senses, causing them to drop to their knees. They felt despair intertwined with malicious intent. Many of the weak-willed lost consciousness, dropping to the ground one by one. Some people resisted the overpowering sensation but were rendered immobile.
Back in the castle, the King and his guards were on their knees when they heard a rumbling from deep underground. Cracks started forming on the floor. Before they could escape, the floor collapsed, sending debris flying in all directions. Smoke from the debris obscured the area. When it finally cleared, a terrifying creature stood amidst the rubble. Under its foot was Thalia, unconcious , her body covered in gashes and wounds. The creature scanned its surroundings and then locked eyes with the King. Sensing danger, one of the King’s Five Royal Guards quickly stood to shield the King from the creature's sight. "Get behind me, your high-" he started, but he couldn't finish his sentence. The King, terrified, was staring at the lower half of the guard who tried to protect him, smoke rising from the amputated area. Witnessing the death of their comrade, the two remaining King's Five charged at the creature blindly, only to meet the same fate. One was sliced in half, the other was cut into pieces. With no one left to protect him, the King, on his knees, felt death closing in. He couldn't muster the courage to look at the creature and remained bowed down. His crown had fallen from his head and rolled across the floor.
Eredin and Elias witnessed the brutality that had transpired. Eredin then asked Elias, "Please, can you take Aria out of here?" He took something out of his bag, an old piece of scroll. "Go far away and use this transportation scroll. I have already marked the place where you'll be teleported to." He tried to give the scroll to Elias, but Elias declined, asking Eredin to come with them. However, Eredin made a point that with only one arm remaining, he couldn't carry Aria to safety and also needed to try and save the King by creating a distraction for their escape. Elias didn't want to agree, but he saw the point. Only he could save Aria in this situation. Eredin then said to Elias, "Once I make the distraction, you leave here quickly."
With that, Eredin took a couple of potions from his bag, drank them, and took a red pill from one of his satchels. Suddenly, his skin burned hot, smoke emanating from it. He looked at Aria one last time and ran towards the creature.
The creature, which had been staring at the terrified King, suddenly noticed a presence approaching. Eredin, without stopping, shot holy bolt arrows at the creature, but they had no effect. The creature focused its gaze on Eredin's leg and swiftly cut it off. Eredin lost his balance and dropped to the ground, with the creature floating towards him. To its surprise, Eredin's leg grew back, and he tried to move around the creature to its blind spot. The creature followed Eredin's movements, releasing sharp condensed magic that could slice through objects. Eredin dodged the attacks, his body burning even hotter, his skin glowing like iron in a furnace, and smoke relentlessly pouring from his pores. Despite the pain, Eredin persisted.
Once he found the blind spot, Eredin lunged at the creature, taking a stake-like object from his back pocket. He bit the object with his teeth and grabbed the creature by the horn, impaling it on its neck with all his might. He then propelled himself away from the creature, but not without cost. The creature attacked Eredin mid-air, slashing him multiple times. When Eredin fell to the ground, he had lost both his legs. However, Eredin had consumed the red pill, a pill he had developed that increased regenerative abilities a hundredfold. The creature gazed at Eredin as his legs grew back in seconds. Eredin's eyes were fixed on the stake he had impaled. Its fuse slowly depleted. It was another one of his discoveries—a compound called Dragonfire dust, a chemical compound that released rapid energy when ignited.
As Eredin saw the fuse completely gone, it was already too late for the creature to notice. A huge wave of explosion covered the whole area.
Meanwhile, Elias, carrying Aria, was running towards the exit when suddenly a massive explosion reverberated through the air. The force of the blast knocked them off balance, but Elias didn't stop to look back. He continued to run outside, determined to get Aria to safety. However, as he reached for the door, he was met with a cold, hard wall instead. Confused, Elias stopped in his tracks and surveyed the area. It was dark and spacious, and something felt off.
His attention was drawn to Eredin, who was being held by the creature, its head burned and its wings engulfed in blue flames. Eredin looked exhausted, and it seemed that his last resort had failed. But there was something even more sinister at play. Elias realized that they were still in Cosmopolis, as he looked out of a window and saw the city below. He was shocked to realize what had happened.
Outside, moments before, the people had managed to gather their strength and regroup, determined to resist the sinister presence that had taken over. Suddenly, the sky rumbled, and thunderclouds appeared out of nowhere. In an instant, a colossal lightning bolt crashed down from the heavens, striking the Royal castle, accompanied by the loudest thunder ever heard, reaching even the distant kingdoms. The shockwave from the blast sent people flying, and buildings and houses were torn apart. When the sound subsided and the dust settled, the people were horrified to see the Demon Lord's castle standing right in front of them.
