Scene One: The Lord of Death's Cave and the Cruel Decision
From the depths of the darkness of the "Lord of Death's Cave," where the blackness swallowed every beam of light, the ground shook violently under the weight of heavy steps. A colossal dragon emerged, its scales reflecting the blackness of night, and its dagger-like teeth dripped with terror. It opened its jaws and unleashed a deafening roar that split the sky, a sound that made mountains tremble and birds fall in fright. It then spread its immense wings and soared away like a dark cloud.
One person watched the scene from the shadows, their eyes tracking the dragon with concern. "Henzo" approached, bowed with respect mixed with hesitation, and asked in a low voice:
"My Lord... are you helping Maurice by sending that beast?"
A cold, mocking smile appeared on the "Lord of Death's" face atop his dark throne, a smile that never reached his eyes. He rested his head on his hand and said with chilling calmness:
"Henzo, my right hand... if anyone else had dared to ask that question, I would have sent their soul tumbling into the abyss of Hell right now."
He straightened his posture, looked out into the horizon with a piercing gaze, as if seeing what no one else could, and continued with grim seriousness:
"But you are dear to me, so listen well. That child... isn't it time for him to enter the real world? I am weary of seeing him powerless, stumbling like a blind man, always relying on the strength of his demon."
The Lord of Death sighed with exasperation and continued in a cruel tone:
"I see not a shred of maturity in him. But... this situation is different. When a man sees that his entire world—everyone he loved, everyone he knew, even those he hated—has turned against him... only then is the truth revealed. He must either fight for himself or surrender to death. I want to see his true mettle, and to do that... I must cut off any hand that reaches out to help him."
Henzo's eyes widened in understanding, and his tense features relaxed; he now realized the dragon was not sent to support Maurice, but to block any potential aid from reaching Andre, specifically the "Ice Lord."
Scene Two: The Sky Battle – Ice vs. Hellfire
Elsewhere, where snow covered the mountain peaks, the "Ice Lord" stood tall, unaware of the catastrophe in the village or the child's return. He was inspecting the distant borders with his giant eagle, his eyes sweeping the horizon with cool professionalism. Suddenly, his body froze, and his muscles tensed; he sensed the ominous ripples of dark, demonic energy emanating from the village's direction.
Without thought, he let out a sharp whistle, causing the eagle to swoop toward him. But before he could mount it, his heart raced, and the Ice energy surged through his veins. The Ice Lord ran at phenomenal speed, condensing energy in his hand to form a gigantic sword of solid ice that gleamed like a diamond.
He launched himself in a massive leap toward the eagle, and in a fleeting moment, he spotted a massive shadow behind his bird. He spun in mid-air with stunning agility, and with a clean, decisive strike of his ice sword, he struck the dragon that was about to pounce on the eagle.
The sound of the impact echoed, and the dragon staggered back. The eagle skillfully caught its master, and the Ice Lord hovered high, his eyes scanning the clouds for the enemy. Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming pressure crushing the air above him. He raised his head to see the white clouds of the sky transformed into a blazing red inferno.
"Prepare!" the Ice Lord yelled, gathering all his strength, and unleashed a colossal wave of frost that collided with the descending fire. Ice and fire wrestled in a great burst of steam, but the power of the flames was overwhelming, pushing both the eagle and the Ice Lord downward.
In the midst of their fall, the dragon plunged down from the smoke, its jaws agape like an abyss, and in a terrifying sight, it swallowed the Ice Lord and his eagle whole before vanishing into the clouds.
Scene Three: Village Chaos and Maurice's Madness
In the village, the scene was a nightmare. The cries of the villagers embraced the sky as their bodies twisted and contorted, transforming into demonic monstrosities. "Andre" and "Volac" stood frozen by the shock, their feet refusing to move, their eyes wide with horror.
The stillness was broken by the arrival of the rest of the team. "Julian" shouted in an authoritative, firm voice, pointing his sword:
"Attack now! Incapacitate them only! Do not kill them! They are still human!"
Andre gathered his wits, gripping his weapon tightly with a trembling heart and charging forward. The squad fought skillfully, delivering precise, non-lethal blows that rendered the demons unconscious. But the shock was quick; the demons awoke seconds later, more savage and insane than before.
From a raised vantage point, "Maurice" watched the scene, cackling with hysterical madness, his body shaking with sick pleasure:
"Fools! Are you trying to save them? Hahaha! There is no going back! I have been feeding them the (Friend's Potion) in their water all this time! They are mine!"
Maurice's eyes swept the square until they fell upon a woman stealing away stealthily, clutching an infant to her chest, shielding him with her body. He narrowed his eyes and spoke in a wicked tone:
"Huh? You haven't fully turned? Perhaps the pure strength of the child within you was an antidote, and perhaps he was the only hope of returning them... but how ironic, he too has become a little demon! What pathetic motherhood. Let's see how long you can hold out."
Scene Four: The Confrontation and the Tragedy
The mother ran with a pounding, fearful heart, until a rampaging demon blocked her path. She raised her arm to shield her baby's head, and the demon's claws tore into her arm, spilling blood. She cried out in pain but hugged the child even tighter and tried to escape, yet the demon cornered her, preparing its claws for the kill.
At the last moment, a blade flashed in the air, deflecting the demon's claws with a sharp metallic sound. Andre stood before her like a fortress, gasping for breath, and said without looking back:
"Are you alright? Stay behind me!"
The demon began circling Andre, its body agile and its movements strangely familiar. The demon attacked, and Andre parried. It attacked again, and Andre blocked once more. The demon seemed frustrated, backing off momentarily. Then suddenly, it gathered strange energy in its feet, leaped into the air in a whirling motion, and sped past Andre toward the mother.
Andre's eyes widened. "That move...!"
Without hesitation, Andre pumped Mana into his feet in the exact same manner, launching himself forward at lightning speed to intercept. The demon was startled to see Andre match its specialized technique. It tried to retreat but tripped and fell, failing to complete the move correctly.
Andre froze in place. Time stopped. The noise of the battle faded away. All that remained in his mind was the sound of childish laughter and an image from the past.
Flashback:
"Brother... I am weak, but I want you to teach me how to absorb Mana into my feet like you."
Andre remembered Emily's innocent face as she tried to imitate him, her repeated stumbles and falls, and her pure laughter when she kissed him on the cheek and said shyly: "Thank you, Brother."
Return to Reality:
Andre's hand trembled violently, and his sword dropped from his grasp, making a sad clanging sound on the rocky ground. His breath hitched, and he stared at the demon before him with eyes drowned in tears and disbelief.
"Impossible... It can't be..."
He whispered in a hoarse, broken voice, as if his soul had been ripped away:
"Emily?"
He could not move, could not defend, nor attack. The transforming demon he was fiercely fighting... was the merchant's daughter, the girl who was like a sister to him. The world went black in his eyes, and he stood utterly helpless before the most painful truth of his life.