As Thalira leapt from the dragon's back, Ren remained frozen atop Ashara.
His heart pounded, eyes wide, mind racing.
"Is this hell…? The true nature of a demon? One alone caused all this destruction?"
Ren's thoughts spiraled as he watched the chaos unfold below.
Thalira descended like a meteor, her crimson blade gleaming as she swung it at Malvraxis mid-fall.
The demon responded with a roar, drawing his massive axe—and their weapons collided with a deafening crash.
The shockwave shattered the air.
Ren snapped out of his daze, jolted by the force, and leapt from Ashara's back.
On the battlefield, the clash of steel held firm—neither warrior yielding.
Malvraxis snarled.
"I acknowledge your strength… but now—die."
Dark energy gathered at the corners of the demon's mouth, swirling violently.
Thalira's eyes widened as she realized what was coming—but the moment was too fast, too sudden.
Just as Malvraxis prepared to unleash the blast—
Eldric struck.
A glowing fist, enchanted with searing light magic, crashed into the demon's jaw, jerking his head aside.
The blast fired—wild, missing its target—and in the same motion, Eldric followed with another punch, sending Malvraxis hurtling through the air.
Before the demon could recover—
Liora raised her staff. Her voice rang out:
"Ancient Art: Iron Maiden!"
The earth split.
A towering iron maiden burst from the ground, its gate wide open—then slammed shut, trapping the demon within its spiked embrace
Eldric shouted over the rumble, eyes locked on Thalira:
"Don't be reckless—we need to handle this patiently!"
Thalira rose to her feet, brushing off dust with a smirk.
"Oh? You're giving the lectures now? That used to be my job."
Eldric let out a breathy laugh.
"Maybe, but your face was priceless when you noticed his attack."
Before Thalira could retort—
Liora's voice cut through the tension, sharp and urgent.
"Brace yourselves—it's coming!"
The Iron Maiden exploded, a shockwave blasting outward as metal shards flew in every direction.
From the haze of smoke, Eldric drew his massive greatsword from his back with a metallic hiss.
Thalira tightened her grip on her blade. The two stood side by side, battle-ready.
As the dust cleared—
Malvraxis emerged, completely unharmed.
Not a single scratch marked his body.
With a guttural roar, the demon charged—eyes blazing with fury.
The trio inhaled as one, grounding themselves.
Malvraxis opened his mouth—and fired a blazing beam of energy.
"Wall up!" Liora shouted, slamming her staff to the ground.
A stone barrier erupted from the earth in front of them just in time, absorbing the full force of the blast.
Cracks rippled through the stone—but it held.
Before the dust of the impact settled, Thalira and Eldric rushed forward, weapons raised, sprinting straight toward the oncoming demon.
Liora raised her staff and unleashed a surge of water magic—a roaring blast that crashed into the demon.
Malvraxis countered with a single swipe of his claw, parting the wave and creating a thick cloud of mist that spread over the battlefield.
From within the haze, steel rang out.
Eldric charged in.
The demon saw his silhouette—and swung his axe with brutal force.
Eldric met it head-on, his greatsword clashing against the curved blade in a burst of sparks.
From behind, Thalira darted in, slicing at the backs of Malvraxis's knees.
The demon howled—his legs buckled, dropping him to one knee.
But in one swift motion, he lashed out with a massive fist, slamming Thalira away. She hit the ground hard, blood spilling from her lips.
Eldric kept pressing—each swing heavier, faster, more desperate—while Malvraxis matched every strike with relentless fury.
Through the chaos, Ren rushed to Thalira's side, dropping to one knee.
"Are you okay?" he asked, panic in his voice.
From a distance, Liora extended her hand, a glow forming on her fingertips as healing light arced across the battlefield.
Thalira coughed, pain etched across her face.
"Ren… while the three of us keep him busy… you handle the others. Don't let anyone interfere—and stay out of his attacks."
Ren nodded, eyes hardening with resolve.
He climbed atop Ashara and rose into the air. High above the battlefield, he closed his eyes, breathing deeply, sensing the mana around him.
Below, the fight intensified.
Each strike from Eldric grew faster, heavier.
The air stirred violently, picking up wind as their clash grew fiercer. Around them, bodies—lifeless soldiers—began to lift from the ground, caught in the rising storm.
Suddenly, Malvraxis threw Eldric back with a roar and began charging energy in his mouth once more, crimson light building fast.
Eldric's eyes widened—he was still locked in combat, unable to react in time.
"Liora!" he shouted.
Liora, already anticipating his call, raised her staff.
"Plant Magic: Lush Whip!"
From the earth, vines surged upward—one coiling around Malvraxis's jaw and snapping his mouth shut just as he tried to fire.
The energy backfired.
The explosion erupted from within.
BOOM!
Malvraxis's body was engulfed in a violent burst of flame and force.
Eldric was caught in the shockwave. The blast hurled him through the air, his armor shattering, fragments scattering across the battlefield as he crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact.
Liora exhaled a shaky breath, her gaze fixed on the spot where Malvraxis had stood.
The battlefield had gone still.
She turned toward Eldric's fallen form, relief softening her expression—until something in the air shifted.
A ripple of mana surged behind her.
Her eyes widened.
She spun around—and froze.
Malvraxis's shattered remains were knitting themselves back together, piece by piece, black sinew and molten flesh reforming in grotesque harmony.
Her face drained of color.
"No…"
Far above, Ren sensed it too—a pulse, a connection.
He opened his eyes sharply, pupils glowing faintly with focused mana sight.
From high in the sky, he saw it: a thread of magic, invisible to the naked eye, trailing far into the southern horizon.
"Ashara—fly south!" Ren commanded, pointing toward the source.
Ashara veered sharply mid-flight, but Malvraxis's head snapped upward.
With a growl, he unleashed a blazing blast of energy.
BOOM!
It struck Ashara mid-flight. The dragon let out a shriek and plummeted, crashing hard into the earth.
From the ground, Liora watched in horror as the dragon fell.
Tears welled in her eyes—then fury took their place.
"I will kill you!" she screamed, voice trembling with rage.
Malvraxis, still regenerating, began lumbering toward her.
Liora planted her feet, staff glowing.
"Earth Magic: Rock Throw!"
Chunks of earth and boulders tore from the ground and hurled toward the demon—but he smashed through them, unbothered.
Mana flared again at his mouth—he was charging another blast.
Liora gritted her teeth and raised her staff high.
"Ancient Art: The Shield of Arcon!"
A massive, radiant shield formed before her, glowing with layered inscriptions.
Malvraxis fired.
The beam crashed into the shield with devastating force. Liora dug in her heels, straining, sweat pouring down her face as her mana drained rapidly.
The demon kept advancing, pushing the blast harder.
Step by step, he approached—until he stood just beyond the shield, his twisted form towering above her.
Liora gasped.
Her mana was gone.
The shield shattered.
Malvraxis's clawed foot smashed into her chest, sending her flying. She hit the ground hard, coughing blood, stunned.
He stalked toward her.
Liora scrambled backward, one hand clutching her ribs, the other blindly tossing rocks at him.
"S-Stay away from me! Stay away! PLEASE—!"
Malvraxis didn't stop.
Not until he stood over her.
His foot came down, pinning her in place.
He raised his massive axe, its crimson edge reflecting her terrified eyes.
"Any last words, human?" he growled.
Liora's lips trembled. Her eyes brimmed with tears—not of weakness, but the raw fear of death
Thalira's blurred vision finally cleared—and what she saw made her blood run cold.
Malvraxis stood over Liora, one foot pinning her down, his massive axe raised high.
"No…" Thalira whispered, heart pounding.
Then louder—screaming with every ounce of strength left in her—
"NOOO! LEAVE HER!"
She tried to move—but her body wouldn't respond fast enough.
And then—
The demon swung the axe.
The axe came crashing down