Vantias' eyes were filled with shock and disbelief at what he was witnessing.
Inside him, something was screaming:
"Run! Get out of here!"
For a moment, all he wanted was to let go — of the sword, the battle, the responsibilities…
But deep down, he knew: if he backed away now, if he turned his back, he'd be betraying something he called "humanity."
A familiar, calm yet sinister voice whispered in his mind:
"This isn't your battle… It's not your duty to be here. Their responsibilities aren't yours.
Run away…"
Vantias replied, under his breath, voice soft but resolute:
"If I run… I'll become worse than the ones I once hated..."
The voice chuckled.
Its tone softened, but was laced with the venom of truth:
"Don't be a fool...
You know it as well as I do: for any creature, survival is the highest priority.
Everything else — morality, humanity — is just a mist to cover the cruel truth of survival."
Vantias lowered his head for a moment.
The sounds of battle — the cries, the clashing steel — faded into the background.
He only looked at his teammates — the ones who stood courageously against the demon.
Then his gaze fell on Anna, the face of the victim — *Vantias' sister.*
Weak, wounded, and still worried about them…
He took a deep breath.
And to the voice within, he said:
"Maybe you're right… You know me well…
You know how ruthless I can be...
But..."
The voice asked immediately:
"But what?"
A faint, yet firm smile appeared on Vantias' lips.
He said:
"You're just one side of the coin…
Who I truly am… stands between darkness and light —
Not just one of them."
With renewed resolve, Vantias raised his sword and struck the chains with all his strength.
The pain coursed through his hands, piercing into his bones,
but his fury drowned the pain.
With every strike, the chains rattled, but did not break.
Anna's voice stopped him.
With a determined face, she reached out:
"Give me the sword."
Vantias hesitated for a moment…
But he set aside his pride and handed her the blade.
Anna lifted the sword, and with one swift and powerful motion,
cut through the chain — as if slicing through butter.
The sound of the breaking chain echoed through the hall.
Vantias, stunned, said:
"You could've done that? Then why did you let me…?"
Anna smiled; her gaze brief but piercing:
"I wanted to see how far you'd go..."
Sylphy, seeing Anna freed, let out a sigh of relief.
Hope, faint yet alive, sparked in their hearts.
Their courage stiffened. Their legs found new strength.
But then — the demon's calm, menacing voice echoed through the hall:
"Well… now that everyone's ready,
shall we begin the final dance?"
In an instinctive harmony, the entire team charged toward the demon.
Daggerol ignited his axe with magic, flames of fury dancing in his hands.
Gazel, from the other side, attacked with his lightning-fast sword technique.
Gazel's sword struck the demon's body…
But—
SKRREEEAAAK! CRRKK!
The metal blade snapped apart like glass.
His face went pale with disbelief.
The sword, like a dry twig, snapped upon contact with the demon.
In that moment, time seemed to freeze.
Memories — like a flood — opened within Gazel's mind:
His mother, his wife, his two small children with innocent faces…
But the demon, with merciless eyes, grabbed Gazel's throat and lifted him.
His hand, like the claw of death, squeezed tighter and tighter.
The color drained from Gazel's face, turning from red to blue.
Daggerol, witnessing this, screamed and hurled his flaming axe with all his might —
his last hope… his final ounce of strength…
But—
The demon smiled.
And in a fatal instant, he placed Gazel's body in the axe's path.
KRAK-THUNK! Ghhkkk… splurt…
Bone cracked. Blood gushed out in a crimson arc…
Everything went silent for a second.
The axe struck the back of Gazel's head.
Part of his skull was crushed, and blood sprayed like a fountain.
The demon, eyes closed, touched the blood droplets with pleasure.
Sylphy let out a piercing scream…
To the demon, the sound of blood and screams was a harmonious melody of death.
Calmly, with delight, he said:
"What a beautiful song..."
With utter apathy, the demon tossed Gazel's lifeless body toward Daggerol like a piece of trash.
The heavy body landed with a dull thud;
his open, lifeless eyes stared into infinity.
The lifeless face and vacant eyes of Gazel were like a living nightmare before them...
Daggerol froze.
Moments later, he began to strike his own face with trembling hands…
Blood dripped from his cheeks…
He was overwhelmed — physically, emotionally, spiritually —
All blended into one.
With screams of agony, he cried out:
"Nooooooooo! No… nooooooooooo!"
Sylphy had lost her mind.
She screamed, her voice echoing in the desolate hall.
William, eyes brimming with tears, tried to stay strong.
He gripped his staff tighter… Even with a broken heart, he stood.
Anna stood frozen;
She couldn't believe the scene before her was real…
But inside her, something was breaking —
And something else was awakening.
Meanwhile,Vantias stood in shock, staring at Gazel's corpse.
The voice inside his mind whispered, calm and wicked:
A voice of guilt whispered:
"His son will hate * you * for the rest of his life,
because your choice took everything from him.
His daughter will look up at the empty roof and blame * you * for the emptiness.
His wife will be left without a companion; she'll weep alone in the dark — and it's * your * fault.
The family will no longer be a safe haven; they'll suffer unspeakable horrors —
and it all began when * you * dragged him into this nightmare.
His children will be forced to abandon dreams and embrace hard labor,
because * you * shattered their future.
And in the end, remember this: all this pain, all this destruction,
is the result of * your * choices…"
Vantias, eyes bulging, muttered:
"I didn't think it would end like this… I…"
The voice laughed.
"What did you think? A happy ending? Flags and hugs and peace?
You weren't stupid — just a dreamer…
And you *still * think you're a hero?"
Vantias grabbed his head with both hands, the ground spinning beneath him.
"Shut up… shut up… SHUT UUUUP!"
Anna, thinking Vantias had gone mad, gripped the sword tighter and charged the demon.
William, chanting a spell, sent *chains of golden light* toward the demon.
Anna's sword neared its target…
But in the blink of an eye, the demon dodged,
grabbed the chain, and spun it around.
William, like a rag doll, was flung toward Anna.
Their collision was harsh, and both fell to the ground.
Sylphy, having witnessed everything, couldn't take it anymore.
She no longer screamed — only gasped for breath.
Under her breath, she whispered:
"I don't want to die… no no no no..."
And she ran toward the hall's door.
She slammed her fists against it with all her might.
Blood dripped from her fingers… but the door remained shut.
The demon raised his hand mockingly…
and from the ground, *armored skeletons wrapped in chains* began to rise.
Sylphy screamed in horror:
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
One of the skeletons grabbed her hair and began dragging her.
She screamed and begged… but was pulled,
toward William and Anna, who were unconscious.
Daggerol was still in shock…
But the skeletons kicked him hard, dragging him too.
The demon watched them all with a sickening calm.
His eyes glowed with the fires of hell.
With a cold smile, he said:
"Alright…
Time for the final act to begin..."