Noah, fighting inside the cage, was starting to lose his patience. He pounded the steel bars with all his might, but they didn't budge.
"Oh, I've had enough," Noah hissed. He slammed his hand against the bars and broke free from the cage.
Kael stood paralyzed. Five sharp daggers, aimed straight at his heart, pierced his lower body, preventing him from moving.
Arthur, who was still standing a few meters away, didn't seem to care.
"Now, Faisa, everything that is still alive will die." His Demon Arc began to glow red.
Then suddenly, a chunk of the wall fell on him
With a loud crash and a roar, something struck Arthur in the head, and then something fell on top of him. He felt something heavy on his back. After a moment, he realized it was two pieces of the wall that had pulled him up.
"W..What!?"
"Why did you do that, Sylphia?" Arthur shouted, looking toward Sylphia, who was staring at him with narrowed eyes, clutching her sword in her hand.
"Change of plans—we've received orders to retreat," she replied, her tone full of disgust.
"Why!" Arthur yelled, and his Demon Arc began to glow red.
"It's an order!" she replied. Arthur looked at her, then at Faisa, who was standing nearby.
"Tch, fine," Arthur said and stood next to Sylphia.
Arthur raised his spear and ordered all the demons to retreat. The demons obeyed and began to vanish.
Faisa raised his sword, and the runes on it began to appear before their eyes.
"I won't let you escape!" said Faisa, his eyes glowing purple.
"Nothing will happen, thanks to the silver runes," replied Faisa, and his sword began to glow blue.
But Sylphia and Arthur had already begun to fade away.
Arthur, Sylphia, and the rest of the demons returned to Azrok, a city woven from shadow and blood. Its streets, paved with polished obsidian, reflected the glow of purple lanterns that, like banners, marked the boundaries of the districts controlled by different castes.
An eternal, metallic scent hung in the air — a mixture of decaying dust, a furnace white-hot with fire, and the sweet, suffocating incense burning in temples dedicated to dark deities.
Sylphia turned her back on Arthur and set off into the city, toward Nathan's castle. Her stride was quick and determined.
"I see I must speak with Nathan alone. This is your fault, Arthur. Our failure is your fault. And you, instead of focusing on the objective, played games with him, let him talk, let him live," she snapped over her shoulder, without slowing her pace. Her voice was cold, like the steel she so often wielded.
"You had a simple task. To kill him. Not to engage him in a discussion." Arthur followed her, holding the heavy spear on his shoulder. The red light of his Arcu Demon was slowly fading, and with it, the surge of anger that had overtaken him was subsiding.
He felt a void in his chest where rage had been burning just a moment ago. "You were right," he replied, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"I should have killed him right away. But his words… he knows something we don't. Something about Nathan. Something about what's really going on in Azrok."
"That's none of your business, Arthur. Your business is following orders. Nothing more," said Sylphia, stopping in front of the fortress's massive black gate.
The two golems guarding it, made of living, pulsing stone, raised their axes, but upon seeing her face, they lowered them with a low, guttural groan.
"If Nathan is hiding something from us that could jeopardize our mission, then it's my business. It's all of our business," Arthur said, stopping beside her.
"You want to go to him and tell him we failed to kill them, while the real problem sits on the throne?"
Sylphia turned and looked him straight in the eye. Her face was like a mask; no emotion could be read on it.
"Do you want to undermine NATHAN'S authority? You, who can barely control your own demon arc? He is our leader. He is the one leading us to victory. And your job is to fight and die for his cause. And you will do so," she said quietly, her voice carrying a threat louder than any scream.
"If you say so," Arthur muttered, looking away. "What about Valdor? Why didn't you kill him?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
"Sylphia, why didn't you kill him? You had the chance."
Sylphia blinked, her face momentarily losing its stony indifference.
"It wasn't right to kill him. That would have been a mistake," she replied.
"First of all, he wasn't the mission's target. Second, his death could have caused problems. And third… his power is growing. Killing him now would be a waste of a valuable resource."
"A resource?" Arthur raised his eyebrows. "You're talking about him like he's a stone in a mine."
"And what else is he? A tool. And sometimes a tool is more valuable alive than dead," Sylphia said, turning and stepping inside.
"Come. Nathan is waiting."
Arthur followed her deep into the fortress's dark corridors. The walls, covered with reliefs depicting ancient battles and damned souls, seemed to swallow the light of the torches.
The air was thick with mustiness and the scent of blood that had already seeped into the stone. They walked in silence until they reached a vast, cylindrical chamber where the ceiling was lost in dense shadow. In the center, on a platform of black, gleaming marble, sat Nathan.
He was tall and slender, dressed in robes so dark they seemed to devour the light. He had long, silver hair that fell freely down his back, and his face, though beautiful, bore the mark of centuries and power, and around his neck he wore a large ring
Sylphia knelt.
"We're back… my lord," she said, her voice full of the same respect she had shown Arthur moments earlier.
Arthur stood up straight, without bending his knee. "We have failed," said Sylphia, rising to her feet. "Arthur did not kill Faisa, and I did not kill Valdor," she replied, her voice turning cold. "We await your judgment."
Nathan looked at them, and there was no anger in his eyes. Only cold, calculating curiosity.
"I understand," he said, his voice like whispers that seemed to come from the very heart of darkness.
"But you know that defeat can be more instructive than victory. And your defeat, Arthur, was… interesting."
"Interesting?" Arthur frowned. "I didn't kill the enemy. That's a failure."
"And yet, you were the closest. Your Demon Arc… I could feel its power, even from so far away. You have potential, Arthur. Potential you don't even realize you have," Nathan said, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips.
"And yet, you were the closest. Your Demon Arc… I could feel its power, even from so far away. You have potential, Arthur. Potential you don't even realize you have," Nathan said, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips.
"But potential without control is just chaos. And that chaos is what I fear."
"All chaos has meaning," Arthur replied, gripping the spear's hilt tighter.
"That's what your father believed, Arthur. And you know how he ended up," Nathan said, a dark gleam appearing in his eyes.
Arthur froze. The memory of his father, of his final battle, was like an open wound.
"My father was..."
Nathan stood up and walked toward him. His movements were fluid, like the shadow of a chasing moon.
"Your father. And he died because of his pride. Because of his belief that he alone determines his destiny. You're following in his footsteps, Arthur. And that path leads to only one place: death," Nathan said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't want to lose you, Arthur. You're too valuable. That's why I'm giving you a chance. A chance at redemption. A new mission."
"What kind of mission?" Arthur asked, tension evident in his voice.
"Bring me the Heart of Darkness," Nathan said, his eyes beginning to glow red.
"Bring it back from the Abandoned Sanctuary, and I will forgive you for your failure. I will even reward you."
"But the Heart of Darkness… it's a legend. No one knows where it is," said Arthur.
"I do. And you'll get there. Only you are capable of doing it. Only your Demon Arc can open the gate," said Nathan, his smile widening.
"It's a test, Arthur. A test of your loyalty. And your strength." Arthur looked at him, then at Sylphia.
Her face was impassive, but in her eyes he saw something that resembled… fear.
"All right," Arthur said. "I'll bring you the Heart of Darkness. And then you'll understand who's really in charge here."
"Wonderful," Nathan said, turning his back on him. "Sylphia, prepare everything he needs. And remember, his success is in your best interest as well."
Sylphia nodded. "Understood, my lord."
Nathan vanished into the shadows, leaving Arthur and Sylphia alone in the great chamber.
"So... The Abandoned Sanctuary," said Sylphia, her voice full of irony. "I've always wanted to go there."
"This isn't a joke, Sylphia. It could be a trap," said Arthur.
"Or maybe it's a chance for true redemption. We'll see, Arthur. We'll see what you're made of when no one's watching you," she replied, turning and heading toward the exit.
"Come on. You've got a lot to do."
At the same time, the capital's residents were emerging from their hiding places. Valdor walked down the alley toward the square, passing only people mourning their loved ones who lay on the ground, killed by demons.
The air around them still trembled like the sound of a string after a bow is drawn. The smell of burnt stone and something sharper, like red-hot steel, still hung in the air.
Faisa stood in the middle of the cathedral square. His sword had returned to its sheath, and the violet light in his eyes had faded
He looked at the shattered barrier and the rubble that had been part of the cathedral just moments ago. "Nathan," he whispered, his voice like a wind that had suddenly stopped blowing. "What are you doing?"
An elderly priest stood beside him, his gray beard and the wrinkles on his forehead seeming to hold all the wisdom of the world.
"Faisa, what happened… this wasn't just an Azrok attack. It's a power we haven't seen in centuries," he said, his voice trembling.
"What he did to the barrier... that isn't the power of an ordinary demon."
Faisa turned and looked at the priest. There was no surprise on his face. Only sadness and understanding. "I know, Elias. I know. It's the power of the Arcu Demon. But not its ordinary form. It's something… tainted. Distorted," said Faisa.
"So Nathan already has his first two. And he chose Arthur and that girl."
"I'll go back to Luna and tell her everything. The healers' support will arrive soon," said Faisa.
"Faisa, thank you," said Elias, his eyes filled with concern.
Faisa looked toward the cathedral, where other seekers were coming to be healed
Valdor stopped at the entrance to the cathedral when he heard a familiar voice.
"Impossible…," Faisa said quietly.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
For a brief moment, they simply stared at each other in silence, as if trying to make sure it wasn't an illusion.
Mayuri was the first to break the moment.
She rushed toward Valdor and hugged him tightly, nearly losing her balance from exhaustion.
"I'm glad you're okay, Valdor…," she whispered in a trembling voice.
Valdor froze for a second, surprised, but after a moment he gently placed his hand on her head.
"It's all right… it's over now."
Mayuri clenched her hands tighter around his coat.
Valdor looked off to the side.
Noah followed him inside, breathing heavily. His clothes were torn, and his hands were still trembling slightly from his fight with Arthur.
Kael walked beside him more slowly, holding his side where he had been wounded earlier.
Arwen stood next to Mayuri with her arms crossed and sighed quietly.
"We were worried, you idiot." Noah snorted under his breath.
"Noah's right," Kael said calmly. "Next time, at least tell us who you're chasing."
"If I'd said 'the mysterious demoness from the tournament,' you probably would've run after me anyway," Valdor replied.
"Of course we would," Arwen blurted out without thinking.
For a moment, the atmosphere lightened — for the first time since the attack began.
But Faisa continued to stare at Valdor in silence.
He slowly moved toward him. Each step echoed off the cathedral's stone floor.
Finally, he stopped in front of him. "It's good to see you again, Valdor." He held out his hand.
Valdor looked at it for a moment, then shook it firmly. Memories immediately flooded his mind.
The vast gardens of the Dragon Kingdom.
The sun glinting off the fountains.
Two boys running between the trees, wooden swords, laughter, and guards trying to catch up with them.
Faisa's father often came to Dragonaria to do business with Valdor's father. The meetings lasted for hours, so they were left alone
And it always ended the same way: with a rivalry.
"You lost!" shouted young Faisa, standing on a stone wall with a wooden sword.
"Because you cheated!" replied little Valdor, covered in mud after falling into the pond.
"A warrior doesn't make excuses!" Faisa shouted.
"And a warrior doesn't throw sand in your eyes!" Valdor replied.
Faisa chuckled to himself at the memory.
"It's been a really long time," Faisa said quietly.
"Too long," Valdor replied more calmly.
Fais let go of his hand and looked at the rest of the Dragon's Pursuit.
"So this is your team?"
"Yes."
"I have to admit… you guys have a knack for getting yourselves into trouble."
"It's our specialty," Noah muttered.
Kael sat down heavily by one of the columns and sighed.
"Can we rest a bit before the end of the world?"
Fais glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
"I'm afraid it's just beginning."
Those words silenced the entire hall.
Mayuri slowly pulled away from Valdor. "What do you mean?"
Fais turned toward the cathedral's shattered stained-glass windows, beyond which a part of the city was ablaze.
"Nathan didn't attack the capital just to cause chaos. It was a test."
"A test?" Noah furrowed his brow.
"He was testing the Empire's reaction. The guild's strength. The strength of the teams, and he was testing the power of the Demon Arc."
Valdor immediately looked at him more closely.
"The Demon Arc!?"
Fais closed his eyes for a moment.
"Yes, these are fragments of the gods' own power. A dangerous object — come with me to Aurelion."
"To the holy city of Luna… the Goddess of Harmony…" Valdor said suddenly.
The priests in the background began whispering nervously among themselves.
Even Elijah turned pale.
Fais looked at them all.
"She will tell you everything…"
The wind rushed into the cathedral through the shattered windows.
The flames reflected in the eyes of everyone present.
And for the first time in a long while, Valdor felt something worse than fear.
A premonition.
That this was only the beginning.