Valdor slowly sat down, leaning his back against a massive tree trunk. His skin was smooth, with no trace of any of his numerous scars. It was a state he hadn't experienced since childhood. He felt uneasy because of this inexplicable, shocking renewal.
Arwen, her face still wet with tears, stepped closer and sank to her knees.
"Valdor, we thought… we thought we'd lost you forever." Her voice trembled.
Valdor placed his hand on her shoulder, feeling the warmth of her skin. "I see that's not the case."
Luna approached him, her silver eyes gazing at him with a depth he couldn't fathom.
"Death isn't the end, Valdor. It's just a change of state. As long as the spark of your soul is protected by the Demon Arc, I can summon you. Which means you're immortal, just like every other user of the Demon Arc."
Valdor raised his hand, looking at his palms, so clean and unfamiliar. "But how… I was stabbed. I remember the pain, I remember…" He fell silent. The memory of bleeding out on the rocky ground was too vivid.
"The one who attacked you was powerful," Luna admitted. "But even their power couldn't destroy the bond you share with your Demon Arc."
Then Kael stepped closer, his gaze revealing a mixture of relief and anger that hadn't yet cooled. "We found you, Valdor. But we need answers. Who did this? Who defeated you?"
Valdor closed his eyes for a moment, trying to recall the final moments of the battle.
"It was Arthur… he had a red Demon Arc… but his power was different from mine…"
He clutched his chest.
"It was like darkness. Hatred so pure that it seemed to separate itself from the world itself."
A heavy gaze hung in the air.
"Arthur of Azrok. The wielder of the red Demon Arc." Luna uttered his name as if it were a sentence. "He was an ordinary man, but Nathan warped his mind, and he became his warrior."
"So he's the one pulling the strings," Kael sighed.
"Nathan," Valdor repeated, opening his eyes.
"Luna, where does Arthur get so much power?" Kael asked.
Luna looked toward the sprawling palace, as if she could see something they couldn't.
"You, the Demon Arc users, are part of the balance. The elements: fire, water, earth, air. But Arthur… he discovered a way to bend that balance."
Her voice grew lower, more serious.
"Arthur has developed his Demon Arc, but at a price…"
Arwen, who had been silent, finally spoke softly.
"What price?"
"The price of his soul. With every move he makes, every drop of blood he spills, he gives a part of himself to that darkness."
Luna turned to face them.
"Valdor, your resurrection was no accident. The Tree of Life determined that your role in the coming events was not yet complete. But soon we will face a trial I did not foresee."
She looked at them one by one — at Kael, who stood ramrod straight, ready for battle; at Arwen, whose eyes still flickered with anxiety; at Valdor, who had returned from the afterlife with unblemished skin and a full heart.
Meanwhile, Noah continued to follow Mayuri's trail.
"I'll find you eventually."
He made his way through the bustling city, his mind racing.
He stopped in front of one of the largest buildings in the city, which looked like some kind of administrative office or guild. Next to the door, he saw a figure with a scythe.
It wasn't Mayuri, but an adventurer with a scythe.
Noah sighed.
He decided to go inside.
The interior of the building was loud and crowded. People in various outfits were drinking, talking, and laughing at the tables.
Noah made his way through the crowded lounge and approached the bartender, who was polishing beer mugs.
"Listen, I'm looking for a woman. She has purple rings on her hand, like mine, and a scythe."
The bartender raised an eyebrow.
"Purple rings? I haven't seen anything like that, but maybe you should check out the mages' guild in the northern part of town."
Noah nodded.
"Thanks."
He stepped out of the building, and the city's hustle and bustle engulfed him once more.
He headed north, making his way toward a tall tower that towered over the rest of the buildings.
Finally, he reached a massive gate guarded by two armed sentries.
"Stop. You're not allowed in here," one of them snapped.
Noah looked at him and smiled slightly.
"I just want to ask one question."
"What is it?" An old mage stepped out of the gate.
"I'm looking for a woman with purple rings and a scythe."
The old mage paused to think for a moment.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen anyone like that in the mages' guild," he replied and went back inside.
Noah was alone again.
After leaving the mages' guild, Noah continued his journey, but his hope dwindled with every passing hour. The city, which had initially seemed promising, now appeared to be a labyrinth with no way out.
The streets were growing narrower and more run-down. Instead of stone beneath his feet, he now walked on dirty, hard-packed earth. Streetlights were fewer and farther between, and the shadows lengthened, casting a heavy veil of mystery over everything.
At some point, the sounds of the main avenues began to fade. Noah found himself in a neighborhood where almost complete silence reigned, broken only occasionally by the whimper of a dog or a distant scream.
He noticed that paintings were appearing on the walls of the buildings — bizarre, dark figures and symbols he didn't understand. A distinctive, sweetish scent hung in the air, one he couldn't identify.
He stopped at the corner of one of the alleys, trying to get his bearings. That's when a group of people caught his attention. They were standing in a semicircle, looking at something on the wall of one of the houses. A woman stood between them and the wall. They began shouting at her.
She was a dark elf who usually takes on her human form. In this form, she has dark skin, long black hair, and intensely golden-yellow eyes with white sclerae. She has also retained her long, pointed elven ears, and her left ear is adorned with a single earring. She wears a dark, loosely draped robe resembling a simple dress, which emphasizes her mysterious and dignified appearance.
Noah's heart skipped a beat when he saw that the dark elf had a yellow demon arc
"Another user..."
Before he could do anything, however, the woman drew a white dagger and killed one of them.
Terror spread through the crowd. Some began to scream; others retreated in panic. But the woman paid no attention to any of it. She wanted to kill the next person.
"That's enough."
Noah's voice was quiet, but it rang out on the street like a death sentence. He burst out of the shadows, and the fire around his fist flared brightly, carving his face in flames.
The dark elf spun around abruptly, her golden eyes narrowing to slits. She looked at Noah, then at her burning hands. Her lips twisted into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Oh, another one. And a fiery one at that," she said, her voice silky smooth but cold as ice. "I thought no one would keep me company tonight."
"Who are you? Why do you have the Demon Arc?" Noah asked, sizing her up.
The woman calmly raised her head.
"I am a dark elf. Emi Relzeh. One of Nathan's chosen warriors." She paused briefly, and her gaze turned cold.
"And you're one of that wicked goddess Luna's followers… the very thought of it makes me sick."
The dagger in her hand began to pulsate with black energy.
"It's sad that you've become a puppet," Noah replied, emphasizing the last word. "But your journey ends here."
"You'll be begging for death when I'm done," Emi hissed.
And then she attacked. Her movement was lightning-fast, fluid, and deadly precise. She moved across the ground like a shadow, and her dagger sang through the air, heading straight for Noah's heart.
Noah reacted instinctively. He stepped back, and the flame in his hand turned into a shield of fire. The dagger's blade struck the burning barrier with a hiss, sending sparks flying.
Emi took a step back. Her smile faded slightly.
"Not bad," she muttered.
She didn't give him time to counterattack. She began circling him. Her steps were quiet and quick. Noah felt her gaze on him; he sensed her intentions. She was waiting for a moment of inattention.
"Explosion Boosting!"
An explosion beneath his feet propelled him forward, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Instead of a punch, a fireball shot from his hand.
Emi bent her body with unnatural fluidity, dodging the projectile. At the same time, she lunged forward. Her dagger glinted in the light of the streetlamps.
Noah managed to block the blow with his forearm, but the force of the impact took him by surprise. It was immense, far greater than her petite frame would suggest. He stepped back, feeling his arm tremble.
"Not bad," she admitted, but her gaze remained sharp. "But that's not enough… it's time to show you what my Demon Arc can do…"
Her Demon Arc flared, and the air around her trembled from the sudden surge of energy.
The next moment, her figure began to blur.
"What…?" Noah managed to say, surrounded by several perfect illusions of herself, encircling him on all sides.
Each of them held a gleaming dagger in her hand. Each wore the same cold, predatory smirk. Each moved with the same dangerous grace.
"Now try to hit the right one," one of them said, and all the others smiled at the same moment.
In an instant, they all attacked at once. The daggers sliced through the air from different directions, forming a web of death from which there was no escape.
Noah instinctively closed in on himself, surrounding himself with a barrier of fire. The attacks struck the flame, but their force still pierced through his protection. He felt pricks on his arms and legs, small wounds that dripped blood onto the dirty street.
"It's over," he heard Emi whisper right next to his ear.
He turned to block the blow, but it was just another illusion.
"I've had enough!" Noah shouted, slamming his fist into the ground.
A massive explosion rocked the area, shaking the ground and sending illusions flying in all directions. Dust and rock fragments shot into the air, completely obscuring the battlefield.
He recoiled violently, lifting off the ground. He flew over the rooftops of nearby buildings, landing several dozen meters away, in the shadow of a taller apartment building.
He was breathing heavily, feeling blood on his arms and legs. He swallowed hard. His eyes stared into the darkness from which he had recently escaped.
That was when he saw her. She was standing on the roof of the building, right in front of him. Her silhouette stood out against the night sky, illuminated by the brighter stars.
"I'm sorry… I didn't know your power was so low that you had to run away," her voice said, calm and devoid of emotion.
She didn't give him a moment's rest. She leaped off the roof, landing on the ground without the slightest sound. She sheathed her sword and approached him, keeping her hands behind her back.
"I've had enough!" Noah shouted, slamming his fist into the ground.
A massive explosion rocked the area, shaking the ground and sending illusions flying in all directions. Dust and rock fragments shot into the air, completely obscuring the battlefield.
He recoiled violently, lifting off the ground. He flew over the rooftops of nearby buildings, landing several dozen meters away, in the shadow of a taller apartment building.
He was breathing heavily, feeling blood on his arms and legs. He swallowed hard. His eyes stared into the darkness from which he had recently escaped.
That was when he saw her. She was standing on the roof of the building, right in front of him. Her silhouette stood out against the night sky, illuminated by the brighter stars.
"I'm sorry… I didn't know your power was so low that you had to run away," her voice said, calm and devoid of emotion.
She didn't give him a moment's rest. She leaped off the roof, landing on the ground without the slightest sound. She sheathed her sword and approached him, keeping her hands behind her back.
Noah felt fear, but also anger. His Arc Demon pulsed on his arm, and the flame around his fist grew brighter and larger.
"If you want to die so badly, I'll give you what you want," he said and vanished.
Emi stopped and looked around, trying to locate him.
"You can't hide from me anywhere," she muttered.
Her demon arc swirled on her hand, but before she could do anything, she felt a terrifying heat behind her.
A massive fireball struck her head-on, exploding with tremendous force.
Emi screamed in pain as the fire consumed her back. She was thrown several meters forward and slammed into the wall of one of the buildings.
Emi collapsed to the ground, landing hard amid the dust and debris.
"Tch… time for me to go," she hissed, gritting her teeth.
She got back up quickly, though she had clearly lost her confidence after Noah's explosion.
Without looking back, she turned and vanished into the darkness of the city, blending into the narrow streets and shadows between the buildings.
Noah looked in the direction she had fled.
"Wait… come back!" he shouted and set off after her.
But before he could catch up to her, she had vanished into the maze of alleys.
Noah stopped and looked at his arms. They were burned, but not seriously. He clutched his head and sighed.
Valdor, Kael, and Arwen were sitting around a low table in one of the quiet chambers of Luna's palace. In the center stood a cup of tea that no one had touched.
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by Luna's voice, which echoed in their minds.
"Your last companion, Noah, has just found a lead on Mayuri."
Valdor immediately stood up. "I was the one who sent her away… when we were fleeing from Arthur."
"All paths converge at a single point," Luna replied in their minds. "The city is a hellish cauldron, and Nathan wants to control it."
"We'll find them both," Kael said, but his voice was tense.
Luna projected a bird's-eye view of the city into their minds.
"Kael and Valdor, your mission is to reach the city of Ebonfort. Join Noah and return to the palace."
"Go now," Luna ordered. "You have no time to lose."
Without further questions, the two companions immediately stood up and began preparing for the journey.
At the same time, in the distant throne room of Azrok, Nathan stood with his back to his throne, looking at a huge, black map hanging on the wall.
Arthur was still kneeling, his head bowed so low that his chin almost touched the marble floor. Leo, in the corner, had vanished into the shadows so completely that he seemed to be part of the darkness.
A figure appeared in the doorway. Emi. She was bruised, and her robe was singed in several places. She walked forward with barely concealed pain.
"Lord Nathan, I have come as you commanded," she said. Her voice was quiet and lifeless.
Nathan turned slowly. There was no anger or surprise on his face, only cold, analytical curiosity.
"You lost, Emi." It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact.
Emi took a step back. "He was… stronger than I thought. He uses fire in a way I've never seen before."
Nathan stepped closer to her. "Fire is nothing new. It was his will, his determination, that made him defeat you."
He stopped right in front of her. His shadow fell over her, swallowing the last rays of light.
"There's a spark of power within you, too, Emi. But you're afraid of it. You run away from it instead of embracing it."
"I'm not afraid!"
"You're lying." Nathan reached out and touched her forehead.
Emi froze. Black, cold energy flowed from his fingers into her mind. She saw images: Noah, burning in a massive fire, his eyes gleaming with rage and the will to fight.
"See? That's true power." Nathan withdrew his hand. "You're just wandering in the shadows; he's burning in full glory."
Emi fell to her knees, panting heavily.
"It seems your services are no longer needed." Nathan turned and returned to his throne. "Go. Meditate. The next time you face an enemy, you must not fail."
Emi stood up and, without saying a word, left the throne room.
Arthur was still kneeling, but his hands were clenched so tightly that blood was trickling from his palms.
Elio walks down the hallway toward the Demon King Nathan's chamber. When he reaches the door, Nathan turns toward him.
Nathan: Welcome, Commander Elio.
Nathan: Are the servants and portals ready yet?
Elio steps closer and stops halfway.
Elio: Everything is ready and awaiting orders.
Elio: We have enough troops to launch the second wave of the attack.
Nathan: Good.
Nathan: Remember, you're supposed to bring me that young Guardian alive.
Elio draws his sword with the purple crystal and points its blade at Nathan.
Elio: You'd better keep your end of the bargain… or…
Nathan: Don't worry. Your wife and son are in good hands.
Nathan: Now go and carry out your task, Elio.
Elio slowly lowers his sword.
Nathan: It's time to make our move.
Meanwhile, Kael and Valdor entered Ebonfort
The city of Ebonfort was like an open, bleeding wound on the earth. From a distance, it looked impressive, with tall, black watchtowers and thick walls of dark stone. But inside, chaos reigned, and the air was thick with the smell of sweat, cigarette butts, and decay.
As Kael and Valdor entered through the main gate, they were immediately accosted by a group of men. They wore leather vests, and their faces were hard and weary.
"Stop. There's a tax to enter the city," said one of them, pointing a dull knife at them.
Valdor looked at him, and something cold flashed in his eyes.
"We're not here to pay tribute to thugs."
The man snorted with laughter. "Then maybe you'll pay with your belongings. Give us everything you have, and maybe we'll let you leave unharmed."
t that very moment, Valdor lunged forward. His movements were precise and brutal. He didn't use a weapon, only his fists. A blow to the throat, then to the sternum. The man slumped to the ground with a hiss, choking on his own blood.
The rest hesitated for a moment, then lunged at the two friends. But they didn't stand a chance. They fought like desperate criminals, not warriors. Their blows were chaotic and easy to predict.
Kael used the ground beneath their feet. He slammed his palm into the ground, and several of the attackers stumbled and fell. Then he joined Valdor, and together they dispatched the rest in a matter of seconds.
Silence fell over the street, broken only by the concentration of the last few remaining attackers.
"This city is worse than I expected," Valdor muttered, wiping the blood from his hands on his leather belt.
Kael and Valdor reached the corner of the street.
As they turned, they saw Noah sitting against the wall of one of the buildings.
His head was bowed, and he looked exhausted from the recent fight.
"Noah!" Kael called out, approaching him.
Noah looked up at his companions. A slight smile appeared on his face.
"Are you okay?" Valdor asked.
"I'm fine, just a few scrapes," he replied.
"What happened here?" Kael added.
"I was attacked by another Demon Arc user…"
"Let's go back to the palace, Noah," said Valdor.
"What about Mayuri?" replied Noah.
"We'll find her. Now let's go."
Noah stood up, and the three of them set off toward the palace.
Meanwhile, Mayuri had fallen out of the portal and found herself in some kind of desert.
The sun beat down mercilessly, and the sand was hot as coal. She had no idea where she was, but her demon arc was showing her that she had to keep going in that direction.
She walked for hours, and the landscape didn't change one bit.
"Where am I…" she whispered, trying to conserve her strength.
Finally, she noticed a glowing magic circle on the ground.
Suddenly, a powerful demon emerged from within it.
He was tall and heavily built, holding enormous axes in both hands. His heavy armor and menacing gaze made it immediately clear that he was no ordinary opponent.