The ground split apart as the demon charged, each step pounding like a war drum against the heart of the capital. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of scorched stone. The morning light flickered behind its colossal frame, turning its outline into a silhouette of living fire and shadow. My grip tightened on my sword, flames coiling around the blade as I darted forward. The heat from my aura seared the ground beneath my boots, leaving a trail of molten cracks in my wake.
Liam moved beside me, his silver aura pulsing with radiant intensity. Together, we launched upward, cutting through the storm of debris that followed the demon's advance. The creature swung one of its massive claws, the strike so fast it blurred the air. I twisted midair, feeling the gust of its movement brush past me like a blade of wind. The claw struck the earth with an impact that shattered stone and sent shockwaves racing outward.
"Move!" I shouted, landing and rolling to the side as a wave of dark energy exploded outward from the point of impact. Liam flipped over it, landing with catlike grace. His sword flared with condensed mana, gleaming bright as he launched a counterstrike.
"Silver Crescent!" he roared.
The slash arced like a beam of moonlight, colliding against the demon's chest and tearing through flesh and muscle. A roar of agony tore from its throat, blood—thick, black, and steaming—splattering across the battlefield. But even as the wound gaped open, the flesh around it began to pulse and seal, knitting itself back together with unnatural speed.
I landed beside Liam, teeth clenched. "It's regenerating too fast."
Liam's breathing was ragged, but his eyes burned. "Then we just have to hit harder."
I gathered mana into my core, feeling it spiral through my veins until the air around me shimmered. My fire flared higher, licking at the sky. "We'll have to overwhelm it before it adapts."
The demon roared, its breath a wave of scorching heat that turned the grass into ash. It raised both hands, gathering an enormous amount of dark energy between its palms. The energy condensed into two orbs the size of carriages, black fire swirling within. My instincts screamed danger.
"Brace yourself!" I yelled.
The demon hurled the orbs downward. I leapt forward, crossing my arms and channeling a wall of condensed mana before me. The explosion hit like a mountain collapsing. The world flashed white, the shockwave slamming into my shield so hard it nearly shattered. Liam was thrown backward but twisted midair, slashing through the second orb before it hit the ground. The deflected blast tore through the earth, leaving a smoldering crater where a guard tower once stood.
"Damn it!" Liam shouted over the roar of collapsing stone. "This thing's strong enough to flatten the entire district!"
"Then we kill it before it gets the chance!" I shot back.
I surged forward, aura blazing brighter than ever. The flames along my sword condensed into a focused edge of white fire. I slashed upward, sending a massive arc of energy slicing into the demon's knee. The limb buckled, molten blood spraying across the ground. Liam used the opening to sprint up the creature's other leg, his blade glowing silver-white.
He struck across its torso in an X-shaped slash, both cuts burning through the hide and bursting out the other side. The demon howled in fury, its body shaking so violently the air warped around it. Its tail lashed out, a spiked whip moving faster than the eye could follow.
"Liam!" I shouted.
He twisted midair just as the tail swept past, missing him by inches. I intercepted, bringing my flaming sword down in a vertical slash. Sparks erupted as steel met scale. The tail's edge split open, one of its spines flying free and embedding itself in the dirt. The demon reeled backward, screeching in rage.
For a moment, the battlefield went still—both sides breathing, watching, waiting. The demon's golden eyes burned hotter, its breathing heavy and uneven. Its wounds leaked molten blood that sizzled on the cracked earth.
Then the change began.
Thick black armor started forming across its chest and arms, plates of hardened dark energy fusing into its body. The glow of crimson beneath its skin dimmed as the transformation accelerated. The ground quaked under the sheer mana output as it evolved, adapting in real-time.
"It's evolving," I said grimly. "It's trying to become a true third-tier."
Liam's eyes widened. "Then we're out of time."
We exchanged a look—no words, no hesitation. Just resolve.
I pressed my hand to the blade of my sword, channeling every last drop of mana into it. Flames surged upward, the heat so intense the air rippled like liquid. The sword turned white-hot, edges glowing as bright as the sun. Beside me, Liam's aura condensed until his sword no longer shone—it sang, vibrating with raw energy that hummed through the battlefield.
The demon slammed its fists into the ground, roaring. A wave of dark energy tore outward, shattering stone, ripping open the land. The blast slammed into us, nearly breaking our stance, but we held firm. There was no turning back now.
"Now!" I shouted.
Liam charged first, a blur of silver light. I followed half a breath behind, the ground igniting beneath my feet. The demon swung its arm to crush him, but I leapt high, bringing my sword down across its forearm with all my strength.
CLANG!
The flames exploded outward, cutting deep through its new armor and halting its swing. Liam seized the opening. With a fierce cry, he vaulted upward and plunged his silver blade straight into the demon's right eye.
The beast screamed, staggering backward, clutching its face. The air rippled with dark mana, uncontrolled and chaotic.
"Now!" I roared again, my voice almost lost beneath the sound.
I unleashed everything. Every spark, every ember, every last drop of fire mana within me erupted in one surge. My sword became a streak of molten light, flames bursting outward in a storm that turned the sky orange. Liam descended beside me, his sword gleaming like a falling star.
Together, we struck.
Our blades carved twin arcs across the demon's chest, crossing diagonally from opposite sides. The impact tore through flesh, bone, and core alike. The creature's roar broke into a strangled gurgle as cracks of light spread across its body.
Then Liam's sword pierced the exposed core, and my blade cleaved through the neck.
The world froze for half a second.
Then everything exploded.
'BOOOOOOM!'
A tidal wave of dark fire and mana erupted outward, flattening the fields for miles. The shockwave hurled us back, the heat searing through even our reinforced auras. We hit the ground hard, rolling through dirt and debris until finally coming to rest amid a rain of ash.
Silence followed — a heavy, ringing silence broken only by the soft crackle of burning earth. Smoke rose in black columns from what was once the battlefield. A massive crater now lay where the demon had stood.
I coughed, tasting blood, my body aching from head to toe. "Liam… you alive?"
A groan came from nearby. "Barely… but yeah." He rolled onto his back, laughing weakly. "We actually killed that damn thing."
I pushed myself upright, my limbs trembling. My sword was half-broken, the flames along its edge flickering faintly. "We need to report this," I said between breaths. "Before another one appears."
He nodded, still catching his breath. "Just… one minute of rest. That's all I'm asking."
A tired chuckle escaped me. "Fine. One minute."
We sat there, side by side, bathed in the fading light of a burning dawn — two battered swordsmen who had, at least for now, saved the capital.
But far beyond the battlefield, in the ruins where shadows stretched long and cold, another pair of eyes watched us. I sensed it and smirked. I looked toward it and thought, 'Today you are lucky.'
[DEMON HIDING AND WATCHING THE WHOLE FIGHT]
I clenched my fists in frustration as the final explosion of dark energy scattered into the winds. Our mission had failed. Suppressing the seething rage bubbling inside me, I forced myself to remain calm. Now was not the time to act.
I had to report this, Closing my eyes briefly, I extended a mental thread—a secret communication—to him. 'Sir…' I whispered through the connection, 'The plan failed. There were two swordmasters present, not one. The demon was slain.'
His cold voice echoed in my mind like a blade dragging across ice. 'What? You told me only one swordmaster was stationed there. The toy I sent should have been enough to deal with a single one.' I swallowed hard, feeling the oppressive weight of his disappointment pierce through the link.
'Yes, sir. It was true at the time. But... the second one was unexpected. He's the instructor of the capital guard and third royal military unit commander. Recently promoted. I had no knowledge that he had reached swordmaster level.' For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then his voice came again, cold and decisive. 'Understood. Return immediately. The others are arriving now... It's time to discuss our next move.'
The link snapped closed without another word, leaving an icy stillness in my mind. I cast one final look at the ruined battlefield—the charred crater, the distant figures of the victorious swordsmasters, standing tall against the horizon. 'This isn't over,' I thought bitterly, retreating into the deeper shadows. 'Next time… the capital will not be so lucky.' And without another sound, I vanished into the darkness, unseen.