Then the battlefield warped as the Third Elder, a manipulator of minds, twisted reality itself.
The world around them fractured—shadows stretched unnaturally, and the air shimmered with false images. Illusions flooded their vision, turning friend against friend.
Sora gritted his teeth, his dagger and light sword slashing through the mirages as he fought his way forward.
The faces of his past haunted him—his fallen family, his childhood friends, his comrades. They all stood before him, eyes filled with pain, betrayal, and sorrow.
"Sora… why did you leave us?" a voice whispered—his mother's.
"You could've saved me," his father's voice followed, filled with regret.
Tatsuo, Ryo, Akari, and Yuna all stood before him, weapons drawn.
Their faces were filled with rage, eyes devoid of warmth.
"You let Akari die." Tatsuo's voice was ice.
"You'll let us all die."
Sora knew it was all a lie. He knew it!
And yet, his grip trembled. The illusions felt too real. The weight of their words pressed down on his soul, threatening to break him.
"No," he growled, pushing forward. His dagger sliced through the fake images of his team.
"You're not real! None of you are real!"
Through sheer willpower, Sora charged ahead, breaking free of the illusions. His breath came in ragged gasps as he saw his target ahead—the Second Elder, standing at the center of the battlefield.
This was his chance. His dagger gleamed as he lunged forward, aiming for the kill.
But the moment his blades were about to land—
The world twisted again.
A dark magic circle ignited beneath him, pulsing with unnatural energy.
Before Sora could react, shadows surged upward like snakes, coiling around his arms, legs, and throat. His body froze in place, his daggers slipping from his grasp.
His vision blurred as the suffocating magic constricted him.
"W-What…? H-How?" he gasped, struggling, but his limbs refused to move.
A slow, amused chuckle filled the air.
From the darkness, the real Third Elder stepped forward, his piercing crimson eyes glowing with cruel satisfaction.
"Fascinating," the Elder mused, tilting his head as he watched Sora squirm.
"You broke through my illusions… most would've lost their minds before making it this far."
Sora gritted his teeth, fighting against the shadows, but they only tightened in response.
"But in the end, it doesn't matter."
The Elder leaned down, his cold breath brushing against Sora's ear.
"Struggle all you want… but you will die just like the rest."
The shadows wrapped tighter, crushing Sora's chest and throat, cutting off his air.
"Sora!"
Ryo's voice.
From the battlefield, Ryo charged, his shield radiating golden light, his holy magic flaring in defiance.
"Let him go!"
His sword swung downward, a righteous arc of energy aiming to cleave through the shadows binding Sora—
But another glyph activated, and dark tendrils shot upward, catching Ryo mid-swing. The shadows coiled around his wrist, his legs, dragging him down.
"Tch!" Ryo growled, struggling against the restraints, his divine aura flickering as the darkness threatened to consume him.
Yuna tried to reach them, her staff glowing with desperate healing magic—
But the illusions still clouded her vision.
False enemies surrounded her. Tatsuo, Ryo, Akari, and Sora—all twisted versions of them, attacking from all sides.
She hesitated, her breathing shaky.
"I know it's not real... I know it's not real…!" she whispered, forcing herself to move, to act.
But the moment of hesitation cost her.
Sora gasped, his vision darkening as pain lanced through his body.
The shadows morphed into jagged spikes—
Then they plunged into him.
A sharp, sickening crack filled the air as the spikes impaled him from the inside.
Sora's body jerked violently, his eyes wide in shock. The spikes didn't just pierce him—they drained him. His blood was siphoned from his body, flowing through the dark spikes like veins, pulsing with eerie crimson light.
The more his blood was taken, the weaker his body became. His trembling slowed. His gasps for air turned silent.
The Elder watched, entertained.
"Your blood… your essence… it all belongs to the abyss now."
Ryo roared, forcing himself up despite the shadows.
"Sora! Stay with me!"
Yuna, shaking, desperately tried to reach them, her hands glowing with healing light—
But it was too late.
As the last drop of blood was drained, the Elder plucked one of the shadow spikes from Sora's motionless body.
The blood within had solidified, forming into a crimson crystal.
With a smirk, the Elder lifted the crystal to his lips and bit into it.
Crack.
He chewed the crystallized blood slowly, savoring it like fine wine. Then he let out a deep, satisfied laugh.
Sora Nakamura was gone.
And all that remained was his empty husk, bound in shadows.
A cold silence filled the battlefield.
And then—
A voice. Raw. Unfiltered. Burning with fury.
"Sora… Damn it!"
Tatsuo's fists clenched. His knuckles turned white. His breath came in ragged growls.
"You'll pay for this, I swear it!"
With a burst of raw determination, I surged forward, his scythe blazing with runic energy. The air around me rippled, my anger radiating like a storm as I shattered the illusions that remained.
The battle raged on, each strike ringing out like thunder, and yet I felt something gnawing at my chest. Sora's lifeless body, the image of Kenta's strength extinguished, Akari's silent resolve… their faces haunted me with every move I made.
But I couldn't stop.
Not yet.
I took a deep breath, grounding myself as the Third Elder's twisted form hovered in front of me, his mocking grin still lingering in my mind.
But I wasn't alone.
Ryo stepped forward, his sword gleaming with holy light. His calm demeanor hadn't changed, though his eyes reflected the same sorrow I felt. Yuna, standing by his side, clenched her fists, the weight of the battle heavy on her small frame. She had already begun to heal what wounds she could, her hands glowing with soft, purifying light.
"We'll fight, Tatsuo," Ryo said, his voice unwavering.
"Together."
I nodded, grateful for their presence, but I couldn't afford to let my emotions cloud my judgment. The Third Elder—no, the monster before me—was still a threat, and his taunts only fueled my resolve.
"You can't win," the Elder's voice slithered into my mind, twisting the memories of my fallen comrades, mocking us.
"All of you are weak. Your friends have already died. And you—"
His words stopped, but his form lurched forward, his shadow armor crackling with dark energy.
Tendrils of blackness lashed out like serpents, ready to strangle any hope of victory.
I dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding one of the tendrils aimed at my chest. Ryo was already there, swinging his sword in a brilliant arc, slicing through the shadows like paper. But the Elder wasn't done. He pulled more tendrils from his back, aiming at Ryo as well, his jagged claws slashing through the air.
"Stay focused, Tatsuo!" Ryo shouted, blocking a strike with his sword, his holy magic pushing the shadows back with every swing.
I turned my gaze to Yuna. She was working quickly, a soft hum of energy radiating from her hands as she healed Ryo's minor cuts. She caught my eye and gave a small nod, her expression fierce despite the sadness in her heart.
"We'll get through this," she whispered, more to herself than anyone.
"We can't let them win."
I gripped my scythe, the runes etched on my scythe pulsing in sync with my heartbeat. The Elder's twisted form, once full of arrogance, was now faltering—his movements erratic as the Antimagic within me clashed with his shadowy armor.
With every strike I made, every slash through the tendrils, I could feel the Elder weakening.
But he wouldn't go down so easily.
With a savage scream, the Elder wrenched his crystallized blood from Sora's body and crushed it in his hand.
His form swelled in size, armor twisting, blood shards protruding from every angle.
His newfound power surged, tendrils of blood-forged spikes erupting from his body like a living nightmare.
"No matter how much you try to fight it, Warrior… this world will crumble," the Elder snarled.
His claws swiped at me, the darkness wrapping around him as if alive, but I was faster.
I spun, my scythe cutting through the air, the Antimagic surging as I severed the tendrils, sending the Elder stumbling back.
I glanced at Ryo, who was already in motion, his holy blade cutting through the air with divine precision.
"We need to end this now."
Ryo's face was set in a grim line.
"I'm with you."
With a roar, I pushed forward, my scythe glowing with blinding Antimagic.
I met the Elder's charge head-on, my scythe sweeping in a wide arc, cutting through the very essence of his power. The Elder faltered, his armor cracking under the pressure of my blade.
"I won't let you turn their deaths into a mockery," I gritted out.
The battle raged around us, blood staining the earth beneath our feet, and the air thick with the acrid scent of death.
The Third Elder loomed before us, his twisted form encased in blood-infused armor, his eyes glowing with malice. He was a creature of darkness, a puppet-master who had twisted the very fabric of magic to his will.
Without another word, I lunged forward, my scythe raised high. The Third Elder responded in kind, tendrils of dark magic snaking out from his back to ensnare me.
But I was faster, my movements swift and precise, and I slashed through the shadowy appendages with ease. My Antimagic surged, nullifying the tendrils' attacks as I pressed onward.
Ryo wasn't far behind. His sword blazed with holy energy as he charged, cutting through the air with divine fury. His blade clashed against the Elder's blood armor, but the twisted material quickly reformed, the cracks sealing themselves with unnerving speed.
"You can't stop me," the Third Elder snarled, his voice dripping with venom.
I gritted my teeth.
"We will stop you."
The Elder's laughter was hollow and cruel, but I didn't let it distract me.
Blood spikes shot up from the fallen warriors littering the battlefield, flying toward us with deadly intent.
I swung my scythe, cutting through the air, but Ryo was faster. He intercepted a spike with his blade, the holy energy around it shattering the blood-like material on impact.
"Focus on him!" I shouted, pressing forward, slashing with all my might.
But the Third Elder wasn't done.
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned blood spikes from the very corpses that littered the battlefield, and they came at us with deadly precision. We moved together—I cut down tendrils and spikes, Ryo shattering them with holy light—but no matter how hard we fought, the Elder was relentless.
Yuna stood at the rear, casting healing spells, her hands glowing with pure light. She wasn't just healing us—she was buffing our strength, reinforcing our defenses, and keeping us in the fight. But the pressure was mounting.
We couldn't hold out forever.
Just as we were making ground, a vampire lunged at Ryo from the shadows. He barely had time to react before the creature sank its fangs into his shoulder, throwing him off balance.
The Third Elder seized the opportunity, his blood magic surging. The ground beneath Ryo cracked open, and a dozen blood spikes erupted from the earth, piercing through his chest in an instant.
I watched, frozen for a split second, as Ryo staggered back, blood spilling from the wounds. My heart pounded in my chest.
"Ryo!" I shouted, struggling against the vampires pinning me down.
Yuna, too, was surrounded. Vampires closed in on her, but she fought valiantly, her magic protecting her as she tried to break free.
"Tatsuo! I can't get to you!" she cried out.
I tried to move, tried to break free of the swarm of vampires holding me down, but they were too strong. I could hear Ryo's labored breathing as the Third Elder loomed over him, his twisted grin widening.
"Your friend is done for," the Elder taunted.
"He never stood a chance against my power."
Ryo's body trembled, but his gaze remained unwavering, locked on the Elder. Despite the pain, he raised his sword, the weapon still glowing with holy energy, though it flickered weakly.
"I… will not fall to you," Ryo spat, his voice a defiant rasp.
The Third Elder scowled.
"You already lost."
I could see Ryo faltering, his strength draining with every second. His sword still in his grip, he lifted it with shaking hands.
"Tatsuo..." he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, but the words were clear.
"Protect the others... Tatsuo... You can't... give up."
His eyes met mine—filled with sorrow, yes, but also determination. And then, with one last push of will, he raised his sword high.
I could feel it before I saw it. A pulse of radiant energy exploded from Ryo's body, engulfing him in a blinding pillar of holy light.
The Third Elder screamed, recoiling from the blinding radiance as his dark magic writhed in agony. Blood spikes shattered and burned away, his armor cracking under the force of the divine energy. The earth trembled as the very fabric of the battlefield seemed to quake beneath the fury of Ryo's light.
"NO!"
The Third Elder's screech echoed in the air, his form collapsing as the holy energy consumed him, his twisted armor disintegrating into nothingness.
Ryo's voice rang out, strong and unwavering, even as the light began to fade.
"DIVINE JUDGMENT!"
His blade came down, a final, decisive strike. The Elder's form was torn apart in an instant, consumed by holy light, his screams swallowed by the radiance.
And then… silence.
I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Ryo… he was gone.
Yuna was beside me, her eyes wide with horror, tears welling up in her eyes. Her voice cracked as she whispered.
"We lost him..."
My chest felt tight, the weight of the loss settling in like a crushing burden. But even through the grief, a spark of fire lit within me. We hadn't finished this yet. The battle wasn't over. Not while we were still standing.
I turned to Yuna, my voice low but resolute.
"We won't let his sacrifice be in vain."
Together, we faced the next wave of enemies, our resolve hardened, knowing that Ryo's light would guide us through the darkness.
Only one Elder remained.