In the capital, chaos grew with every passing second.
In the cathedral square, the battle intensified. Valdor moved with the grace of a predator; every movement was precise, every blow landed true. The swords in his hands became an extension of his will, whirling in a deadly dance.
Noah fought by his side, his stance as solid as a rock, unyielding. With his fire, he blocked the demons' blows, and each of his attacks was heavy and crushing. Kael, though still weakened, showed his class. He avoided direct confrontations, using his agility to strike at his opponents' weak points.
Harn and his Fallen Crosses fought with a fanaticism that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. They feared neither injury nor death; their armor was torn and bloodied, yet they fought on, determination in their eyes.
But there were too many demons.
New waves kept coming, and their strength seemed endless.
— We can't hold them off! — shouted one of the soldiers, deflecting a flaming projectile with his shield.
Valdor ignored the shout, focusing on a more powerful demon that had broken through the front line. It was tall and gaunt, with long claws instead of fingers. It moved with incredible speed. Valdor dodged its attack, simultaneously landing a blow that pierced the demon's armor. The demon groaned but did not fall. Instead, it turned and attacked again, with even greater fury.
— Fight! — roared Harn, his voice cutting through the din of battle. — For honor! For humanity!
His words gave strength to his men, who rushed into battle with renewed determination.
Inside the cathedral, a different kind of chaos reigned.
The air was thick with blood, sweat, and the scent of herbs used to treat wounds. Wounded people lay on the floor, their screams and moans mingling with quiet prayers.
Priests and mages cast healing spells; their hands glowed with a light that closed wounds and soothed pain.
Mayuri moved through it all with a focus that inspired awe. Her hands glowed with a soft, golden light. She touched the wounds, and they healed at a speed that seemed miraculous. She was in her element; her face was calm despite the chaos all around.
Arwen stood slightly to the side, her hands resting on the hilts of her daggers. Her eyes scanned the area constantly, not missing a single potential threat. Every time someone came too close, her body tensed, ready to attack at any moment.
An elderly priest stood beside them; his face was pale, but his eyes were calm. He leaned against the altar, catching his breath.
— Thank you. — he said to Mayuri, his voice quiet. — We couldn't have done it without you.
Mayuri looked at him and smiled slightly.
— It's my duty…
The priest shook his head.
— For many, it is a gift, not a duty...
Suddenly, a loud boom pierced through the prayers and moans. One of the barriers of light surrounding the cathedral began to pulse brighter, then faded with a loud crack.
Arwen was already on the move before the last echoes of the sound had faded. Her eyes were fixed on the open door, where three demonic figures had appeared.
— Mayuri! — she shouted. Her voice was firm. — Follow me!
Mayuri spun around, her golden light fading, and fear flashed in her eyes. But only for a moment. She clenched her fists and stood beside Arwen, ready for battle.
To the north, where Kiyoshi and Mira stood, the battle intensified.
The four-armed demon moved with incredible grace. His swords whistled through the air, and every strike was deadly. His aura of darkness seemed to absorb the light around him.
Mira dodged a blow by a hair's breadth, leaping to the side while simultaneously trying to strike the demon in the flank. Her sword bounced off his armor with a loud clang, doing him no harm.
— His armor is as hard as diamond! — she shouted to Kiyoshi, leaping back to avoid another attack.
Kiyoshi didn't answer. He was focused. His eyes tracked the demon's every move. He was waiting for his moment.
The demon noticed this. He smiled beneath his mask, though no one could see that smile. He turned one of his arms, the one holding the book, and opened it.
The words that flowed from it were not in a human language. They were hissing, guttural sounds that seemed to hurt the ears themselves. A wave of darkness appeared around the demon, striking Mira and Kiyoshi.
Mira screamed, and her body twitched in pain. She fell to one knee, her muscles tensing in a spasm.
— Mira! — Kiyoshi shouted, lunging toward her.
But he stopped halfway. Darkness surrounded him too, but he felt no pain. Instead, he felt cold. Emptiness. Trying to move was like trying to wade through thick mud.
The demon laughed. His laughter was dry and metallic.
— Did you think you stood a chance? — he said, his voice full of contempt. — You're nothing but insects. Insects that need to be crushed.
He raised one of his swords, aiming it at Mira, who was lying on the ground.
— No! — Kiyoshi shouted, struggling against the invisible force holding him in place.
Then something changed.
An image appeared in his mind. An image of his father standing before him, his face calm, but his eyes filled with sadness.
— Remember, Kiyoshi. — his father said, his voice quiet but firm. — True strength does not come from muscles. It does not come from weapons, but from the heart, the spirit, and the will to protect what you love.
The image faded, but his words remained.
Kiyoshi closed his eyes. He ignored the cold seeping into his bones. He ignored the force holding him in place. He focused on one thing. Mira.
Her face. Her smile. Her determination.
And he felt it.
Warmth. A tiny spark in his heart that began to grow. It turned into a fire. A fire that burned brighter than any flame he had ever seen.
He opened his eyes.
His pupils were ablaze. The darkness surrounding him began to recede before his newfound power.
The sand trembled.
At first, gently, as if responding to a breath… and then it shot up violently from the ground, forming a swirling spiral around Kiyoshi.
The darkness that had imprisoned him just a moment ago began to crack,
like a thin layer of ice under the pressure of something far stronger.
His eyes blazed. Gold. Pure, bright, unyielding. The sand began to cling to his body, forming armor — tight, layered, resembling bandages that pulsed with a life of their own.
Each fragment moved gently, as if breathing with him; a blade formed in his hand.
At first it was just an unstable shape, but in a split second it condensed into a solid sword, from which the last grains of sand fell.
Kiyoshi moved and vanished from where he had been standing.
He appeared beside Mira and dropped to one knee next to her, ignoring everything around him.
— Mira… — he said quietly but firmly. — Can you hear me?
Mira flinched.
Her body was still tense, her breathing uneven, the pain still tearing at her from within.
— Y… yes… — she whispered with difficulty.
Kiyoshi clenched his jaw.
— Hold on a little longer.
He looked at her for a moment, as if making sure she was alive.
— I'll get you out of this.
Mira tried to say something, but couldn't get the words out.
Kiyoshi stood up.
With a weight that didn't come from fatigue, but from the anger building inside him.
He turned toward the demon.
— You… — His voice was low, cold. — You'll pay for this…
The demon gently shifted one of the books.
— Oh ho… — His voice was calm, almost amused. — You've finally woken up.
Kiyoshi took a step forward; the sand around his legs swirled with every movement, as if the earth were reacting to his presence.
— I'll end this right here…
The demon laughed.
— I've heard that many times before.
He slowly raised both swords.
— And they all said the same thing… before they died.
Kiyoshi didn't answer; his eyes merely flashed more intensely.
The sand armor began to pulsate, and the energy around him thickened.
He took another step; the demon crossed his swords in front of him, assuming a defensive stance.
The air between them trembled.
The tension was so thick that even those fighting nearby began to pause, sensing that something much greater was about to happen.
Kiyoshi paused for a moment.
His hand tightened around the sword hilt.
— I'm not like them… — he said calmly.
The demon tilted his head.
— Everyone says that.
Kiyoshi took his final step.
— I… keep my word.
Their auras exploded simultaneously, tearing through the air around them. And they charged at each other.