Chapter 14 – The Roar of Darkness
"—No… I don't want to die…"
Lyra's thoughts echoed in her mind as her body refused to move. Her legs trembled, and the spear in her hands felt as heavy as if it were made of lead. She wanted to run, to react, but fear had shackled her.
"—Come on… move!… Please, move!"
Her heart pounded violently in her chest. In silence, almost like a prayer, her soul cried out for help. And then she heard it.
CLANG!
The sound of steel cut through the air like thunder in the middle of the forest. In front of her, standing between death and her fragile body, was Kael. His daggers had stopped the gigantic greatsword of the King Goblin, sparks illuminating his golden eyes that burned with a fierce intensity.
—Stand up, Lyra —he growled firmly—. React!
The monster roared with fury, its thick saliva falling to the ground as it raised its weapon to strike again. In a swift motion, Kael wrapped his arm around Lyra's waist and rolled with her across the ground, narrowly dodging the blow that shattered the earth in an explosion of dust and stone.
Lyra, stunned, felt the warmth of Kael's hand on her waist, his closeness, and for an instant, her heart forgot fear. The contact awakened something within her, and her eyes opened with newfound resolve.
Kael released her and, without wasting a second, launched himself at the beast. His daggers flared with blazing fire, wrapped in scarlet flames. With a shout, he crossed both blades and unleashed a wave of fire that forced the King Goblin to stagger back with a deafening roar.
The air trembled with tension. Lyra gripped her spear and began chanting a spell. Her lips recited ancient words as light gathered around her body.
Kael danced between the monster's colossal strikes, slashing with precision and seeking weak points, though each clash shook the ground. The battle was brutal.
And then… the sky opened.
A column of light descended upon Lyra, bathing her in a sacred glow. Her body transformed, surrounded by a white and golden aura. Her skin shone like marble under the moon, and her spear was enveloped in divine energy.
Kael stopped for a moment, astonished. Holy light magic?
But in that instant, unbearable pain exploded in his head. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his skull as a guttural voice surged from deep within.
"—Destroy… surrender your body to me… rip that light from existence. Annihilate, kill, destroy the world!"
Darkness enveloped him, his eyes flickering between gold and a deep black. Kael screamed with all his might, resisting, fighting the voice. But that distraction was enough.
BOOM!
The King Goblin seized the moment and landed a devastating blow. The greatsword struck Kael's abdomen, sending him flying. His body rolled violently across the ground, dragged dozens of meters until he slammed against a rocky cliff wall.
—KAEL! —Lyra screamed, her voice torn between pain and fury.
Tears burned in her eyes, but her body, bathed in light, did not falter. With a defiant roar, she hurled herself at the King Goblin.
The clash was thunderous.
Lyra's spear, reinforced with divine magic, clashed against the monster's greatsword. Sparks and flashes of light illuminated the forest as their weapons rang out again and again. The King Goblin roared, each blow like thunder; but Lyra, with superhuman speed, dodged, spun, and counterattacked with surgical precision.
A horizontal slash tore open the monster's chest. It retaliated with a punch that Lyra barely deflected, rolling back and driving her spear into the ground to stop herself.
The battle was a whirlwind of movement.
Lyra leapt, her spear flashing in an arc of light that cut the monster's flesh. The King Goblin pursued her with ferocious strikes, toppling entire trees with each swing. But the young woman, driven by anger and desperation, became a dancing bolt of light in the darkness of the forest.
—I won't forgive you for what you did to Kael! —Lyra roared, charging her spear with all her energy.
The air exploded in a blinding flash. Her weapon shone like a miniature sun and, with a scream of rage, she struck, severing both of the King Goblin's arms.
The beast fell to its knees, howling in agony.
Lyra didn't waste the chance. With the last of her strength, she charged and drove her spear into its skull. A burst of light pierced the monster, illuminating the entire clearing.
The roar faded.
The King Goblin collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Lyra panted, exhausted, sweat and tears streaming down her face. Her legs trembled until she collapsed to her knees. She could barely lift her arms.
"—Don't die… Kael… you can't die…" she thought as she crawled across the damp earth, trying to reach where he had fallen. Her body ached, each breath was torture, but her heart pushed her forward.
And then, she felt it.
A presence. An overwhelming pressure.
The ground shook, and a guttural roar, darker and more terrifying than before, tore through the night.
Lyra, trembling, turned her head back.
The corpse of the King Goblin was rising again, now surrounded by a black aura that devoured even the moonlight. Its body expanded, its muscles tearing its skin, its eyes blazing like burning coals. From the stumps where its arms had been, new, larger, grotesque limbs sprouted.
What stood before her was no longer a mere King Goblin.
It was a Super King Goblin.
The monster roared with such brutal power that the leaves of the trees were blown into the air. The entire forest quaked under its fury.
Lyra went pale, frozen in terror.
—N-no… impossible… —she whispered in a trembling voice.
The Super King Goblin lunged at her, raising its enormous fist wreathed in darkness.
—AAAAAHHH! —Lyra's scream tore through the night…