Meanwhile, Elio stepped out of the magic circle and looked around.
He was standing in a vast clearing, right next to a huge, ancient portal surrounded by a glowing magic circle.
The portal's stone pillars were cracked, and the runes carved into them pulsed with a violet light.
Elio looked at the portal and gripped the hilt of his sword.
Elio extended his right hand in front of him and closed his eyes.
His Demon Arc flared with an intense light.
At that very moment, the magic circle beneath the portal began to pulse, and its glow gradually shifted from violet to a deep red.
A powerful aura filled the entire clearing, and the ancient portal began to slowly activate.
"Fly, my minions!" Elio commanded.
He drew his sword and raised it high above his head.
The red magic circle glowed even brighter, and more demonic minions began to pour out from inside the portal.
One after another, they soared into the sky, forming a dark swarm that scattered in all directions.
Valdor, Kael, and Noah reached the gates of Luna's palace.
The guards spotted them immediately, and one of them approached them.
"You're back. Luna is waiting for you in her chamber."
They thanked him and headed deeper into the palace.
When they reached the chamber, Luna was waiting for them with her arms folded.
"You're back," she said, her voice calm.
"Yes" Valdor replied.
"So Nathan has launched his attack. The portal in the forest has been activated."
Valdor, Kael, and Noah exchanged glances at these words.
"What are we going to do?" Noah asked.
"Valdor, you and Kael will go to the forest," Luna replied. "You must stop the demons before they reach the cities. Arwen and I will secure the palace."
Valdor nodded.
"We won't let you down."
Luna smiled slightly.
Kael, Valdor, and Noah stepped into the magic circle Luna had created.
The circle glowed with a bright light, and the space around them began to blur.
A moment later, all three of them vanished.
When the light faded, they found themselves in the middle of a dense forest.
"Let's go" said Valdor, and they all ran toward the clearing.
After running for several minutes, they reached the clearing where the portal was located.
Elio stood in front of the portal, his sword with the purple crystal drawn.
A swarm of demonic minions hovered around him, still pouring out of the portal.
"You're late," Elio said, turning to face them.
"Who are you?!" — Valdor shouted.
Elio smiled coldly.
"I am Elio Mitsuyo, Nathan's warrior."
Valdor and Kael charged forward, while Noah covered his hands in fire.
"I'll handle this, Elio." — Valdor called out. "You two, stop those demons!"
Meanwhile, Mayuri was fighting a demon wielding two enormous axes.
The demon swung and threw one of his axes, but Mayuri quickly jumped back, dodging the attack.
Mayuri looked at her opponent and clenched her fists.
"Not bad… but it's not over yet," she said, preparing for the next clash.
Noah and Kael were fighting off the approaching minions.
One of the demons lunged straight at them, trying to attack.
Noah reacted instantly. He grabbed the minion by the face, stopping its attack.
"Too slow."
Fire immediately appeared on his hand and coursed through the demon's body.
A moment later, the minion burned up and crumbled to dust.
Noah flung the remains aside and looked at the next wave of monsters approaching.
Valdor lunged toward two minions flying toward them. He drew his sword and, with one swift motion, cut them both down.
Meanwhile, Mayuri clashed with a demon.
Her scythe collided with her opponent's two massive axes.
CLANG!
The impact echoed throughout the area, and a wave of energy sent sand flying all around them.
The demon pressed forward with immense force, trying to force Mayuri to retreat.
However, she held her scythe firmly and had no intention of giving up; she pushed him back with her scythe, and the demon retreated.
The Arc Mayuri Demon glowed, opened a black portal through which she disappeared, then reappeared behind the demon and dealt him a powerful blow with her scythe.
"That's it" — Mayuri said, then vanished again and reappeared above the demon, but before she could swing her scythe, the demon smiled and suddenly leaped toward her.
"What?!" — she managed to scream just before the demon struck her squarely in the stomach with his knee. "Agh..."
Valdor, Noah, and Kael were fending off the demons' successive attacks.
"I have to take them out with a single blow…" — Elio said.
His light-blue Demon Arc flashed, and he raised his sword high above his head.
"Summon Lightning." — he whispered.
Dark clouds began to gather over the battlefield, and bolts of energy appeared in the air, piercing the entire field and heading straight for Kael.
"Noah, stand behind me!" — Kael shouted.
Three swords rose before him, forming a protective shield as they braced for the incoming strike.
The lightning struck Kael's three swords head-on.
The immense force of the strike shattered their formation, and Kael crashed to the ground along with his weapons.
Noah was knocked back by a wave of energy and slammed into a nearby tree.
Dust swirled around them, and for a moment, silence fell over the battlefield.
Valdor, who had been standing farther away from the impact, immediately rushed toward them.
When he saw Noah lying by the tree and Kael on the ground, he stopped in disbelief.
"Impossible… Noah… Kael…" — he whispered.
Meanwhile, Mayuri was knocked back by the demon's powerful blow.
She slid several meters across the ground before coming to a stop, barely able to stay on her feet.
She was breathing heavily, leaning on her scythe.
"Tch… he's stronger than I thought…" — she whispered, looking at the demon, who had begun to regenerate.
Valdor looked at Elio, who was slowly walking toward him.
Silence reigned all around, broken only by the sounds of the burning battlefield.
Elio stopped in front of him and raised his sword slightly.
"You're the only one left" — he said calmly.
Valdor looked at Elio and felt an overwhelming aura.
"What is this thirst for blood…?" — he thought.
His gaze shifted to his own Demon Arc and sword. "I see…" He closed his eyes, focusing on his energy.
Meanwhile, Mayuri also sensed the same dark aura.
She stopped, gripping her scythe more tightly.
"That thirst for blood…" — she thought, feeling the weight of the Demon's energy.
She looked in his direction with a serious expression. "This isn't ordinary strength…"
At the same time, Mayuri's eyes began to change color, turning black and purple.
Valdor underwent a similar transformation — his eyes glowed black and green.
Their auras changed dramatically, and the energy of the Demon Arc began to pulse around them.
Both felt the same dark power beginning to awaken within them.
Valdor raised his sword and braced himself for battle.
Elio charged at him at tremendous speed, delivering a powerful blow.
At the last moment, Valdor blocked the attack with his sword.
There was a loud clang of steel.
In the next instant, Elio vanished from sight.
When Valdor turned his head, Elio was already standing behind him with his sword raised, ready for another attack.
Valdor spun around instantly and parried Elio's next blow at the last moment.
CLANG!
The blades collided with tremendous force, and the shockwave rippled across the entire battlefield.
Valdor kept his eyes fixed on his opponent.
Meanwhile, the demon wielding two axes lunged at Mayuri, swinging his weapons with great force.
However, just as his weapons were about to strike their target, Mayuri vanished.
The axes struck the ground with a loud thud.
Mayuri appeared behind the demon and charged straight at him.
Her Demon Arc flashed with a violet light.
As she ran, she vanished into black portals one after another and immediately reappeared through others, never slowing down for a moment.
The demon tried to track her movements, but he couldn't predict where she would appear next.
Mayuri finally appeared behind the demon and delivered a powerful blow with her scythe.
Immediately afterward, she vanished into a black portal and reappeared at his side, slashing him once more.
Then she appeared in front of him, then above him, and then on the other side, landing another cut each time.
The demon couldn't keep up with her movements, and blow after blow from the scythe rained down on him from every direction.
The demon was knocked back and flew backward, unable to stop his momentum.
But Mayuri was already waiting there.
Her scythe began to glow with a purple light, and she raised it in front of her.
"Energy Swipes…" — she whispered.
With one swift motion, she sliced the demon in half.
Its body disintegrated, and the purple energy vanished into thin air.
Mayuri collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.
Her body couldn't withstand any more exertion, and after a moment, she lost consciousness.
The black-and-purple glow in her eyes faded, and their color returned to normal.
On a nearby hill, someone had been watching the entire fight.
A man stood there, accompanied by a woman.
They were Zahim and Lya.
Both stood over the unconscious Mayuri.
— Let's take her to Taperis. — said Lya.
"You're right." — replied Zahim. "A sandstorm is coming soon; we have to hurry."
He walked over to Mayuri and hoisted her onto his back.
Lya picked up her scythe and set off beside him.
They both headed toward the desert city of Taperis before the sand could completely block their path.
Meanwhile, Valdor and Elio continued their fierce battle.
Elio parried every one of Valdor's attacks, and the clashes of their blades created powerful shockwaves.
Shocks rippled throughout the area, and the ground trembled from the force of their clash.
Each successive blow was faster and more powerful than the last.
Sylphia appeared beside Noah and pressed her sword against his face; Valdor looked at Sylphia.
"Sylphia…" — Valdor whispered.
For a moment, his attention was diverted from his opponent.
"Don't get distracted!" — Elio shouted.
He seized the moment when Valdor was exposed and immediately launched an attack.
Elio's sword flew toward Valdor at tremendous speed, but Valdor managed to block it at the last second.
The force of the blow was immense, however — Valdor was knocked back and flew several meters, coming to a stop right next to Kael.
Kael, who had just gotten back to his feet, looked at him seriously.
"I've received word that Faisa is heading this way with the paladins. We need to retreat," — he said.
Valdor glanced at Elio, who was still standing ready for battle.
"It looks like this fight will have to wait…" — he said, tightening his grip on his sword.
Noah slowly raised his head and looked at Sylphia.
"This is the end for you…" she whispered.
"No… not yet… Explosion Boosting."
His fists burst into flames, and a powerful explosion sent him soaring high into the air.
Noah bounced off the ground again, increasing his speed, then plummeted downward and slammed into the ground right in front of Sylphia.
The explosion rocked the area and sent her flying to the side, but she managed to dodge the full force of the attack at the last moment.
When she looked up, Noah was already gone.
He was standing behind her.
Noah smiled and looked behind him.
He extended his right hand and used the explosion to propel himself forward.
The flames spread to his left leg, and he charged straight at Sylphia at tremendous speed.
She, however, stood motionless, with her back turned to him.
Just before Noah was about to reach her, her Demon Arc glowed softly with white light.
Suddenly, the world froze.
Sylphia calmly took a step to the right, and after a moment, time began to flow again.
Noah flew past her.
"What?!"
At that very moment, Sylphia turned around and slashed his back with her sword
Noah lost his balance and fell a few meters away, coming to a stop next to Kael and Valdor.
"We're getting out of here," Kael said, and he thrust his swords into the ground around them, forming a magic circle.
"You won't escape me." — Elio said.
He raised his sword, and his Demon Arc flashed with a bright blue light.
"Summoning lightning..." he whispered.
Dark clouds began to gather over the battlefield, and powerful bursts of energy appeared in the air.
Lightning bolts streaked across the entire battlefield and hurtled straight toward Kael.
However, at the last moment, all three managed to vanish, dodging the powerful attack.
The lightning bolts struck the ground, leaving scorched marks and deep cracks in their wake.
"Tch… they got away." said Elio.
Sylphia approached him: "So what do we do now, Elio?"
"Don't worry, their base isn't far from here; we'll come back here," Elio replied. "Catch," he added, tossing a small rectangle.
Sylphia caught it. "What is this?" she asked.
"We'll use this later. These are portable gates." — Elio replied.
He looked toward the spot where their opponents had disappeared.
"Let's head back now. The paladins will be here any minute."
Sylphia nodded.
They both stepped into the magic circle, which began to glow with a bright light.
After a moment, their figures dissolved into energy, and the circle vanished, leaving only a mark on the ground.
Valdor, Kael, and Noah appeared by the great tree on the grounds of Luna's palace.
The magic circle beneath their feet faded; Kael was kneeling, Noah was clutching his left arm, and Valdor was leaning on his sword.
Luna and Arwen were already waiting by the tree.
When they saw their wounds and the exhaustion on their faces, they immediately stepped closer.
"You're back…" — Luna said calmly, but her gaze lingered on their injuries.
Arwen looked at Valdor and Kael with relief.
"The most important thing is that you're all safe."
Noah just looked at his wounds and sighed.
"Barely… but we made it back."
"I'll heal you right away." — Luna said.
She raised her hand, and a soft, golden light began to appear around her.
"Healing…" — she whispered.
The energy radiated from her hand and enveloped Valdor, Kael, and Noah.
Their wounds began to slowly fade, and their fatigue subsided.
After a moment, all three felt their strength returning.
"I'm not strong enough…" Valdor whispered. "I'm not fit to be the heir to the Dragon Kingdom, even though it no longer exists anyway."
"I lost the fight against Elio." he added.
Luna approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"You didn't lose, Valdor. On the contrary. You showed courage and strength. Elio has served Nathan for a long time; he's experienced, while you've only just regained your life."
Arwen walked up to him.
"Confidence comes with time."
"The city of Ebonfort is getting closer." said Luna.
"That's where Nathan will try to bring his army into our world."
"We have to stop him before he does that" she added.
"We'll stop him." said Kael with determination.
"But I don't know if we'll be able to defeat him that quickly." Luna replied.
"I used the portal you created Luna." Valdor began.
"That allowed Elio to locate the palace. Nathan already knows where we are."
Luna nodded.
"Valdor, you'll head to the village of Tribe" — Luna said.
Valdor looked at her with curiosity.
"There's a friend of mine there who was once the best warrior in the entire kingdom."
Luna looked seriously at his Demon Arc.
"She'll teach you everything you need to know to become stronger."
Valdor clenched his fist.
"I understand… I'll go there."
Luna nodded.
"Good. A difficult path lies ahead of you, but through it, you'll discover the true potential of your power."
"You, Noah, and Kael, stay at the palace," she said.
"We'll train and prepare for the next attacks."
"I understand." Noah replied.
"I'll get ready and set out right away," added Valdor
***
Valdor reached the edge of a dense forest. The sun was sinking toward the west, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. In the distance, among the trees, smoke rose from the chimneys of a small village.