Darwin's body fell in two separate halves, hitting the ground with a dull, final thud.
Pacs stood still, his body completely restored, yet not fully his own. His fingers twitched, his breathing uneven, as if something inside him was struggling to settle. He tried to move, to take control, but his limbs felt distant, like they belonged to someone else.
The Demon Lord did not wait.
With a slight motion of his hand, he cast a spell—Razor Blades.
Thin, metal-like discs formed in the air around him, spinning rapidly. In the next instant, they shot forward, slicing through the air with a sharp, whistling sound, aimed straight at Pacs, Aelda, and Callie.
Callie froze.
Her eyes shut tight, her body stiff with fear, unable to react.
Aelda stepped forward.
With calm precision, she raised her hand and cast a defensive spell. A transparent barrier formed instantly in front of them, shimmering faintly like glass.
The razor discs struck the barrier one after another.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Each impact echoed sharply, but none broke through. The discs shattered or deflected away, falling harmlessly to the ground.
Behind the barrier, Callie remained frozen, her eyes still closed.
And Pacs… still struggled, caught between control and chaos.
Aelda held the barrier steady, her arm unmoving, her focus unbroken.
The Demon Lord stepped forward and struck it with his fist.
A deep sound echoed through the air.
The barrier trembled.
He struck again.
And again.
Each hit rang louder than the last, sending visible ripples across the transparent surface. Fine cracks began to spread, thin lines at first, then growing wider with every blow.
Aelda's expression tightened, but she did not step back.
The tenth hit.
The cracks deepened.
The eleventh.
The barrier bent inward.
The twelfth—
It shattered.
Fragments of light broke apart in slow motion, scattering like glass, fading before they could touch the ground. For a brief second, everything went quiet.
And in that silence, Aelda understood.
They were going to die.
She moved instantly.
Desperation replaced calm as she reached for a teleport spell, her lips parting to chant—
But the Demon Lord was faster.
He appeared in front of her and grabbed her, his hand clamping over her mouth, cutting off the spell before it could form. Her words were reduced to muffled sounds, her magic interrupted.
Aelda struggled.
Her eyes sharpened. If she couldn't chant, she would force it another way.
Her arms moved, channeling mana directly, trying to shape the spell without words.
The Demon Lord noticed.
Before the spell could take form, he slammed her down.
Her body hit the ground hard, the impact echoing through the ruined space.
The mana dispersed.
Her arms fell still.
Aelda lay motionless on the ground, no longer moving.
Pacs stood still for a moment, his breath uneven, his body finally answering to him again.
His gaze moved slowly across the battlefield.
Darwin lay on the ground, his body split cleanly into two halves, blood dark against the earth. Not far from him, Aelda was down, unmoving, her form lifeless against the broken ground. Callie stood frozen, her eyes wide, her body refusing to respond.
The world felt heavy.
Pacs lowered his head slightly, then lifted it again. His eyes hardened.
He moved.
Concentrating all his strength as he dashed forward, closing the distance in an instant. His attack went straight for the Demon Lord's eyes.
The Demon Lord raised his arm and blocked it.
Pacs struck again.
And again.
Each attack was precise, aimed at the same point, forcing the Demon Lord to defend. He gave no space, no pause, his movements sharp and relentless.
For a brief moment, the Demon Lord's focus shifted.
And in that moment, two figures appeared.
They moved without a sound.
It was Ren and Eerie.
Before the Demon Lord could react, they reached Aelda and Callie. One lifted Aelda, the other grabbed Callie.
And They vanished.
Pacs didn't see how.
One second they were there, the next, they were gone.
His eyes flickered, but he didn't stop.
He stepped back.
This fight was already lost.
Without another thought, Pacs turned and ran.
The Demon Lord moved after him, closing the distance with heavy steps. Pacs didn't look back. He rushed straight toward the castle ahead and entered through the gates.
The Demon Lord followed.
The moment he stepped inside, Pacs slipped out from the same gate , his movement silent, precise.
A simple trick.
As he went away from demon Lord. His eyes turned toward Darwin's body one last time.
"You fought well… now rest in peace, Darwin."
There was no reply. Only silence.
Pacs turned and ran again.
From the shadows, Ren appeared beside him, her presence sudden but calm. Without a word, she helped Pacs run away, both of them disappearing into the air before the Demon Lord could emerge from the castle again.
Ren and Eerie had fled while the Demon Lord was moving the captives toward the kingdom, slipping away in the chaos. But they hadn't been able to help the villagers escape with them, and that failure weighed heavily on their minds. Guilt followed them even as they circled back, moving carefully in an attempt to find another chance. When they returned, they saw the aftermath—the demon guards had already been defeated, yet the battle was far from over. Pacs and the others were struggling, pushed to their limits against the Demon Lord. It was clear they couldn't win. Without wasting another moment, Ren and Eerie made their choice. If they couldn't save everyone, they would at least save those still standing.