Night fell quietly over Lvandal.
Too quietly.
Jimmy stopped mid-step.
His chest felt… heavy.
A pressure crawled along his skin—cold, twisted, wrong.
"…Uncle Kevin," Jimmy said slowly, turning his head. "Something's wrong."
Kevin halted instantly.
"What did you feel?"
Jimmy closed his eyes.
"It's dark. Very dark," he whispered. "Like… something is being pulled from somewhere it shouldn't exist."
Kevin's expression hardened.
"That direction," Jimmy said, pointing. "The Chief's house."
Kevin didn't hesitate.
"Stay close."
They moved.
The Chief's residence was already surrounded by chaos.
Soldiers clashed with figures dressed in black leather robes, their faces hidden. Crimson symbols glowed on the ground, carved hastily into the earth.
A ritual.
Kevin's eyes widened.
"Damn it," he muttered. "A demon summoning."
Jimmy felt it clearly now.
The surge of dark mana was growing—violent, unstable, hungry.
"I can stop it," Jimmy said suddenly. "If I redirect the mana flow—"
Before Kevin could stop him—
Jimmy ran forward.
He focused, reaching for the ritual circle, trying to twist the mana path just like he'd read—
Suddenly—
BANG
A black-robed man swung his arm.
Jimmy was thrown backward, his body slamming into the ground.
"Jimmy!" Kevin shouted.
Jimmy groaned, pushing himself up.
"I'm okay," he said, breathing hard. "Uncle… stop him."
Kevin's aura exploded.
"Don't take your eyes off the child," he ordered the soldiers.
Then—
Wind Steps.
Kevin vanished.
In an instant, he appeared before the robed man.
One clean motion.
A single slash infused with compressed wind.
The man collapsed—his body separated into pieces before he even realized what had happened.
Silence.
Then laughter.
The remaining robed figures stepped back.
"The ritual is complete," one of them said calmly. "Our task is done."
They retreated into the shadows, vanishing as soldiers gave chase.
But it was already too late.
The ground trembled.
Dark mana surged like a storm.
The ritual circle shattered.
A裂 in the air tore open.
Something massive began to emerge.
A distorted form clawed its way into the world.
A Demon Noble.
Its voice echoed like thunder.
"Humans…" it growled. "How dare you summon me."
Kevin stepped forward, sword drawn, aura roaring violently.
"Jimmy," he said without turning. "Get back."
The demon laughed.
"A swordsman alone?" it mocked.
Kevin tightened his grip.
"More than enough."
Behind him, Jimmy knelt.
His heart was pounding.
Grandmage Marcus…
His mind raced.
Three spells.
He remembered the last pages of the book.
Not offensive.
Not destructive.
Defensive.
Protection of Light…
His hands trembled as he tried to recall the incantation.
Focus… remember…
The demon raised its claw.
Kevin charged.
And Jimmy—
Closed his eyes and began to remember.
End of Chapter 13
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