The interior of the City of Peace was no longer peaceful in the slightest.
The central avenues were covered in rubble.
The statues of the Goddess of Peace remained intact, but strange markings could now be seen beneath the layers of white paint.
Demonic symbols.
They did not appear to be recent.
Some were carved directly into the stone.
As if they had been part of the statues from the very beginning.
Emily stared at one of them.
—What...?
Farther ahead, the ground in one of the gardens had split open.
Beneath the flowers and marble pathways were pits.
Bones.
Remnants of ritual circles.
Dried blood.
Leonardo went pale.
—God...
Corrupted mana saturated the air.
The blessed lanterns continued to illuminate the streets with the warm light that had reassured pilgrims for generations.
But now they could sense something beneath it.
It was not holy light.
It was corrupted mana.
A dark current flowed through the lanterns like veins.
Then the prayers stopped.
All at once.
Silence fell over the city.
The priests stopped pretending.
One of them slowly raised his head.
The holy energy disappeared from his body.
A demonic pressure took its place.
Marks began appearing beneath his skin.
Another priest did the same.
Then another.
Their robes began to deform.
Some bodies changed.
Others simply stopped trying to hide what they were.
Black eyes.
Claws.
Deformed limbs.
Dark mana escaping their bodies like smoke.
The inhabitants began to understand.
Screams spread through the streets.
—Run!
—What is happening?!
—The priests...!
Some tried to escape.
No one pursued them.
Because the cult no longer needed to maintain its facade.
The City of Peace had been exposed.
And that was enough.
The doors of the temples began to open.
One after another.
Dozens of figures emerged from the streets.
Then hundreds.
Priests.
Cultists.
Warriors.
Lesser demons born from years of rituals.
Creatures that had once possessed human bodies.
Some moved on all fours.
Others dragged deformed limbs behind them.
Several no longer even retained a stable form.
The entire city seemed to awaken.
Alejandro tightened his grip on his sword.
—How many are there?
Leonardo looked down the streets.
He did not answer.
He couldn't.
Emily raised her staff.
—It doesn't matter.
Mana began gathering around her.
—We have to fight our way through.
The three heroes positioned themselves in front of the horde.
Behind them, the soldiers began forming defensive lines.
The first wave advanced.
Emily cast her first spell.
The explosion illuminated the streets.
And the battle began.
Lusian did not stop.
He fought his way through the battle, leaving Umber and Thunder to cover his flanks.
He did not look back.
He couldn't.
Every second he wasted was another second Elizabeth remained in the cult's hands.
Then he felt it.
A pulse.
Deep.
Dark.
Different from the mana of the enemies he had just cut down.
Lusian stopped.
His eyes locked onto the central temple.
Another pulse spread through the city.
This time, he could feel it clearly.
The demonic mana was gathering underground.
Lusian tightened his grip on Dainslein.
—It's here.
And he started running.
The central temple exploded.
The enormous doors were blown outward amid smoke and fragments of stone.
Dozens of armed cultists emerged from the ruins.
Behind them came creatures deformed by years of corruption. Some still retained human faces. Others had lost every recognizable feature.
And at the back of the temple...
Elizabeth.
Suspended in the air by chains of dark mana.
Unconscious.
Beneath her body, a ritual circle slowly rotated as demonic miasma seeped into her.
The heroes who had followed Lusian stopped for a moment.
They finally understood what had happened.
Alejandro felt a chill.
—Gods...
Leonardo clenched his teeth.
—All of this...
He looked at Elizabeth.
—They were looking for her.
Emily slowly lowered her staff.
—Lusian...
But he had already moved.
Darkness exploded around Dainslein.
—They will die!
The horde answered with a roar.
And descended upon them.
Umber was the first.
The black wolf disappeared into the shadows and reappeared in the middle of the cultists. His fangs pierced one. His claws brought another down. Every movement left a trail of darkness that forced back the creatures attempting to surround him.
Thunder charged from the opposite flank.
A bolt of lightning tore through the temple.
The blast sent several cultists crashing into the columns and opened a corridor through the demons.
But the horde did not diminish.
Others immediately took their place.
—There are too many of them! —Alejandro roared.
A demon covered in bone plates lunged at him.
Alejandro barely managed to block the first strike.
The impact made his arms tremble.
—Leonardo!
Leonardo appeared from the side and drove his sword into the creature's joint.
—Now!
Alejandro took advantage of the opening.
His sword pierced its neck.
The demon fell.
Another took its place.
—How many of them are hiding in here?!
Emily raised her staff.
A pillar of light tore through the hall.
The demons caught in its path screamed as the corruption peeled away from their bodies.
—It doesn't matter how many there are!
Emily pointed toward the altar.
—We have to reach Elizabeth!
Lusian was already there.
Dainslein pierced a cultist.
He turned.
Another strike.
Another enemy fell.
He wasted no movements.
He pursued no one.
He was not fighting to win.
He was only clearing a path.
Emily followed him.
Each of her spells cleansed the corrupted mana blocking their route.
Lusian's darkness and Emily's light began advancing together.
They did not cancel each other out.
They complemented one another.
The light cleared the path.
The darkness destroyed everything that tried to close it.
The cultists began retreating.
Some raised defensive seals.
Others began muttering desperate prayers.
—The bearer of light...!
—The wielder of darkness...!
—They shouldn't be able to fight together!
Lusian passed before them.
Dainslein answered for him.
The last cultist fell.
Finally, they reached the main hall.
What they found made even Emily freeze.
The floor was covered in ritual symbols.
Dozens of corpses surrounded the altar.
Some bodies were so fresh that blood was still running between the stones.
And in the center...
Elizabeth.
Chains of dark mana surrounded her body.
The circle beneath her slowly rotated.
Lusian took a step.
—Elizabeth...
There was no response.
He tightened his grip on Dainslein.
—Hold on.
Then he advanced.
A demonic chain lunged toward him.
Dainslein cut it.
Another appeared.
He destroyed it.
A third attempted to wrap around his arm.
Lusian's darkness tore it apart.
Emily reached his side.
—I'm going to break the seal!
—Do it.
Emily raised her staff.
A massive stream of light descended upon the altar.
The ritual circle trembled.
The symbols began to fade.
The chains holding Elizabeth shook.
For the first time, the ritual lost its stability.
Then...
The circle exploded.
A gigantic figure emerged from the smoke.
Its body was covered in black plates, as though an obsidian armor had grown directly over its flesh.
Every step made the stones creak.
It raised a monstrous sword.
Its blade was so enormous that it dragged part of the altar with it as it rose.
The cultists backed away.
The demon opened its eyes.
—SHE IS OUR SACRIFICE.
The voice made the walls tremble.
—HER SOUL WILL COMPLETE THE RITUAL.
Lusian positioned himself in front of Elizabeth.
Emily stood behind him, maintaining her spell over the circle.
The demon raised its sword.
—Lusian!
The blow fell.
Lusian crossed Dainslein in front of his body.
The impact shook the entire temple.
The ground split beneath his feet.
The columns trembled.
A crack tore through the altar.
Lusian was pushed several meters backward.
His boots left two deep grooves across the stone.
For a moment, the demon appeared to have the advantage.
Then Lusian raised his head.
His eyes locked onto the creature.
His breathing was heavy.
Fresh blood ran down one of his cheeks.
But he did not retreat.
—She will not die.
Darkness began gathering around Dainslein.
The demon raised its sword again.
Lusian tightened his grip.
—You will.
The battle exploded.
Umber was the first to attack.
The black wolf leaped directly at the demon's neck.
His fangs pierced part of the obsidian armor.
The demon roared, and a surge of corrupted mana coursed through Umber's body.
The flesh around his neck began to burn.
Umber did not let go.
He drove his fangs even deeper.
Thunder charged from the side.
A living bolt of lightning.
His body slammed into the demon's legs with tremendous force.
One of its knees buckled.
The monster fell to one side.
Emily raised her staff.
—Now!
Light descended upon the cracks opened by Umber and Thunder.
The corrupted flesh began to burn.
The demon roared.
Lusian advanced.
The demonic sword passed mere inches from his face.
Dainslein cut through one of the plates on its chest.
Lusian retreated.
He waited.
The demon attacked again.
Another strike.
Another.
Lusian dodged.
He was not trying to destroy it.
He was looking for the pattern.
The creature always protected the same point whenever it was attacked from the side.
Its chest.
Lusian waited.
Then the demon changed targets.
Its eyes locked onto Emily.
The sword descended.
—Emily!
Lusian stepped between them.
Dainslein absorbed the impact.
The blow sent him staggering several meters backward.
Emily fell to the ground.
The demon raised its sword again.
This time Lusian would not reach her in time.
Umber appeared.
The wolf leaped directly onto the creature's arm and sank his fangs into its corrupted flesh.
The demon roared.
A surge of dark mana coursed through Umber's body.
The wolf did not let go.
—Umber, get away!
Too late.
The demon grabbed him with its free hand and slammed him into the ground.
The stone cracked.
—UMBER!
Lusian lost control.
Darkness exploded around Dainslein.
The demon raised its sword to finish off the wolf.
Thunder appeared from the side.
Lightning coursed through his body and struck the demon's arm directly.
The sword was deflected.
The blow landed inches from Umber.
Lusian seized the opening.
A crack had appeared beneath the plates on its chest.
The same one he had been looking for.
He did not need to think.
He lunged in.
Dainslein pierced the core.
The demon's roar shook the entire temple.
The creature convulsed.
The obsidian plates began breaking apart from within.
And finally, it collapsed.
An explosion of black mana engulfed the hall.
Lusian barely managed to remain standing.
For several seconds, the only sound was the echo of falling stones.
Then he heard a noise.
A body hitting the ground.
Lusian turned.
Umber.
The wolf tried to stand.
He couldn't.
Lusian ran toward him and fell to his knees.
—No...
The corruption had advanced too far.
Cracks of mana ran across his body.
His breathing grew weaker and weaker.
Lusian placed a hand on his head.
—No, Umber.
The wolf opened his eyes.
He looked at him.
And slowly wagged his tail.
Once.
Lusian clenched his teeth.
—Come on.
Umber tried to stand again.
His legs trembled.
He couldn't.
Then something began to glow inside his chest.
Lusian froze.
—What...?
The mana concentrated.
A small dark core slowly appeared over the wolf's body.
The bond between them reacted.
Lusian felt Umber's pulse inside his own body.
It was not a forced transfer.
It was not something he could stop.
It was a choice.
—No...
Lusian shook his head.
—Don't do this.
Umber kept his eyes on him.
Calm.
Without fear.
As if he had already accepted what was about to happen.
The core began to dissolve into particles of darkness.
Lusian held it between his hands.
—Umber...
His voice broke.
—Stay with me.
The wolf slowly closed his eyes.
The last particle of his core disappeared inside Lusian.
And Umber's body became still.
Lusian remained on his knees.
Without saying anything.
For a moment, the entire temple seemed to fall silent.
Then he closed his eyes.
—I will never forget you.
The bond faded.
But the darkness it had left behind remained within Lusian.
Not as a new power.
But as a memory he could never lose.
Then he heard a sound.
A breath.
Lusian raised his head.
The ritual circle was collapsing.
The chains holding Elizabeth began to break.
—Elizabeth!
The princess's body fell.
Lusian lunged toward her.
He caught her before she hit the ground.
Elizabeth was barely breathing.
Her skin was pale.
A dark miasma ran across her chest like black veins beneath her skin.
Emily dropped to her knees beside her.
—Let me see her.
She placed a hand on Elizabeth's body.
Light appeared.
For a moment, it seemed to work.
Then the corruption reacted.
The miasma twisted around Elizabeth's chest and rejected the light.
Emily's eyes widened.
—No...
She increased the flow of mana.
The light struck again.
The corruption resisted.
—I can't...
Her voice trembled.
—It's too deep.
Lusian held Elizabeth tightly against his chest.
—Do it again.
—Lusian...
—Do it.
Emily swallowed.
She raised her staff again.
The light descended.
This time, Lusian extended his hand.
His own darkness began surrounding Elizabeth's body.
Emily tensed.
—What are you doing?
—Containing it.
The black mana did not attack the corruption.
It surrounded it.
The demonic pressure diminished.
Emily understood.
—Your darkness...
—It's not purifying it.
Lusian slowly closed his hand.
—It's stopping it.
The corruption stopped spreading.
Emily concentrated her light again.
This time, she managed to penetrate a small portion of the miasma.
Elizabeth breathed.
Weakly.
But she breathed.
Emily released the breath she had been holding.
—She's stable.
Lusian did not respond.
He simply adjusted Elizabeth in his arms.
Behind them, the temple began to collapse.
The columns split.
The ceiling groaned.
Fragments of stone fell onto the destroyed altar.
Lusian stood.
—Then we're leaving.
Emily walked beside him.
—And the others?
Lusian looked back one last time.
The heroes were still fighting.
The cultists were fleeing.
The City of Peace was burning.
And where Umber had fallen...
only a small dark mark remained on the stone.
Lusian looked away.
—They can get out on their own.
And he began to walk.
Elizabeth remained unconscious in his arms.
In the distance, the drums of war began spreading through the ruined city.
The troops had finally arrived.
Thousands of Imperial and Kingdom soldiers advanced through the smoke and morning mist. Banners appeared between the collapsed buildings as the columns slowly entered the city.
Albert was at the front.
But even he slowed his pace when he saw what lay before him.
No one had been prepared for this.
The streets were covered with corpses.
Cultists.
Demons.
Monsters.
Soldiers.
The temples had been opened from within, revealing underground chambers that should never have existed beneath a place considered sacred.
A soldier stopped.
He looked toward one of the gardens.
The flowers had disappeared beneath the disturbed earth.
Bones lay underneath.
Dozens.
Perhaps hundreds.
Ritual circles covered the ground.
The man fell to his knees.
—By the gods...
His voice trembled.
—What happened here?
No one answered.
The soldiers continued advancing in silence.
Some avoided looking.
Others could not tear their eyes away.
The City of Peace had ceased to exist.
Or perhaps it had never been what everyone believed.
Lusian continued walking through the ruins.
He did not look at the soldiers.
He did not look at the corpses.
Elizabeth remained in his arms.
Emily walked beside him, exhausted, maintaining a constant stream of light around the princess's body.
The other heroes followed them in silence.
No one spoke.
After what they had seen beneath that city, there were no words sufficient to describe it.
Then a figure appeared among the ruins.
Deidara.
She stopped when she saw them.
Her gaze slowly swept across the area.
The corpses.
The destroyed temples.
The demonic symbols.
The bloodstains covering the streets.
For a moment, the calm expression that always seemed to accompany her disappeared.
Then her eyes found Lusian.
And finally descended to Elizabeth.
Unconscious.
Pale.
But alive.
Deidara remained motionless for several seconds.
—What... happened here?
No one answered.
She looked around again.
She had seen destroyed cities.
She had seen battlefields.
But this was different.
This had not been a battle.
It had been a purge.
Lusian walked past her.
He did not even raise his eyes.
Deidara followed him with her gaze.
For a moment, she seemed about to say something.
She didn't.
Lusian continued walking.
Emily followed him.
The other heroes did as well.
Albert watched them disappear into the distance.
Then he turned his gaze back toward the city.
His expression hardened.
—Search every temple —he ordered—. I want to know what happened here.
The soldiers began dispersing.
Some entered the buildings.
Others descended into the underground chambers.
The first screams began shortly afterward.
They were not screams of battle.
They were screams of horror.
Albert closed his eyes for a moment.
For generations, the City of Peace had been presented as one of the most sacred places in the Empire.
Now everyone could see what had been hidden beneath their feet.
And as the troops began uncovering the truth...
Lusian continued walking away.
Elizabeth breathed weakly in his arms.
The darkness contained the miasma within her body.
Emily kept the light stable.
But neither of them knew how long they could maintain it.
The battle was over.
The real crisis had only just begun.