The abysmal portal writhes within a ring of a glowing red cloud, eerily whispering like echoes within a deep cave. It hovered, exuding malevolent auras, behind the she-demon.
Give up? She loathed his words. It mocked her whole being and her entire purpose.
Moulin didn't even flinch at the vicious gaze directed to him. She couldn't wait to swallow him whole, bone and all. Tear his skin, maul his flesh. He could already sense her twitching with imnse urge.
One of the children, hovering above the circle, moaned in pain, tearing up as his eyes refused to shut.
"Let them go." Moulin spoke. When her eyes narrowed, he continued. "You have nowhere to run."
"Hah!" She scoffed. "I am almost finished! No matter what happens to , my brothers and sisters will descend upon this land and ravage your city. There will be nothing left! And there will be nothing you can do!"
Once her speech ended, she raised one of her claws to the clouds and plunged it into her chest. Blood splattered unto the grass and stread down her grotesque demonic body. She cried out in pain. Expression, contorting. The veins on her face bulged, twitching abnormally.
Moulin raised his crystal bow as a foreboding feeling settled down his gut. The sentinels around them raised their guards, warily eyeing the demon they surrounded.
"Aghaghahh-Ahhhh!"
Nara pulled out her hand from her chest and shakily raised it before her face. A beating black heart, pumping endlessly. It was alien, inhumane. She laughed as black blood dripped from her fingers and stread down her arms.
Dark liquid washed away the whites of her eyes. And her whole body trembled uncontrollably. Suddenly, under the eyes of her enemies, dark spikes of bone sprouted from her shoulders and joints, wrapped in her flesh and veins, splurting blood. A single horn grew from her forehead, ponting at the heavens as though in accusation.
"HAHAHAHA! You are going to die! All of you are going to die!" She yelled despite the pain of tearing her heart from her body.
Moulin watched in shock as the heart within her hand levitated from her palm, crystalizing with an ominous deep red glow like a red star that would end all life.
The earth beneath their feet tremble!
Sounds of confusion circulated within the n as they struggled to keep their balance.
BOOOM!
Nurous spikes bursts out from the ground, nearly impaling the sentinels near Moulin. But it did not stop there.
Trendrils that bursts from the thorns, latched unto any living thing around them. A warrior cried out as a tentacle pierced his leg, hooked the bone, and dragged him back screaming.
Swoosh!
After a flash of light, the tentacle was cut into pieces, wriggling before it lted into the ground. However, the thorn only produced more and more tentacles to attack them.
Ghana flicked the sli off her spear before glancing at the n around her, "Destroy those spikes!"
A fire burned inside each sentinel's chests. The tendrils would only stop once they've destroyed the huge demonic spikes that surrounded the magic circle.
Weapons were drawn and mana was released. A battle cry echoed into the night.
Breathlessly, Moulin cut down the tendrils reaching towards him with his crystal bow. The ice shimred, burning off the devil's creations from its surface. It glowed beautifully and dangerously.
"The portal's almost complete!"
Moulin flinched, turning to Erik who successfully destroyed a spike with his bare hands.
Heaving, the bulky masked man explained. "Break the circle and take her down. The enchantnt feeds on the children's vitality and their fragile minds."
Moulin's gaze settled on the ten children hovering lifelessly above the magic circle.
"She took out her own heart to complete a curse. However, it weakens her physical body. She won't be able to fight back. She is finished." Erik continued.
"I'll shatter her heart. Pave the way."
Erik nodded, grinning. "Yes, young master."
Boom!
Erik's hands are tough as the hardest tal on the land and with a sword, he wreaked havoc on the ground infested with huge demonic thorns. A burst of mana exploded at every thrust of his fists shattering spikes before its tentacles could even touch him. Shards of dark crysals flew around him, disintegrating in re seconds.
In the distance, Ghana watched impressed as she led her n nearer, destroying the thorns that blocked their paths.
Threatened, Nara took a step back. Her faith wavered as she watched them took down her defenses. Her confidence collapsed the more thorns they took out.
"Impossible..." Her eyes widened, trembling.
Then in a blur, a white figure flashed by Eric's side and took the lead ferociously, instantly penetrating the magic circle and pressed a sharp ice blade onto the she-demon's neck. At the blink of an eye, her defenses disintegrated, her thorns, treated like toys, destroyed until not even ashes were left.
However, Moulin paused.
His daring silver eyes, glead like a butcher's knife, cleaver of her soul. He pressed unto her, filled with murderous intent.
But why did he stop? Sohow, his unexpected actions threatened her more.
What will he do?
Moulin coldly stared at her expression, watching the blade threaten to decapitate her in swift one move. There was fear in her eyes.
In the next second, he grabbed her arm and dove into her mind. Plunging himself into the demon's terrifying mindscape.
He needed clues, hints to lead him towards answers.
A dark void sucked him inside, dragging his whole soul into a forbidden and isolated mory. The only one there is, he realized hovering into nothingness.
He expected grotesque bodies probing him and mindless voices urging him to join the dark forces and preach to him his tragic fate.
However, there was none.
He found himself standing in a gigantic cold and dark hall. A place that seed familiar after many nightmares. Huge columns that looked too ancient, damp stone floors, thunder roaring and lightning flashing from stone cut windows.
Moulin furrowed his brows curiously. When he faced front, a gigantic stone structure was reflected in his bright silver eyes.
The three-headed snake lood over him in its full glory. Scrutinizing him from above like a god appraising a re mortal.
Beneath its platform stood a dark creature, slender and tall. Bowing its head before its God in silent worship.
Suddenly, it raised his head as though sensing the unknown presence behind him.
Moulin moved to summon his enchanted weapon. However, he could not sense even a slight flicker of mana from his body. Powerless and vulnerable.
He stood as he watched the creature turn to him. An ominous silence stretched between them. It already felt like an eternity.
As though he was looking through water, he could not clearly note the creatures facial features. A blur, morphing into shapes he could not discern.
Who... is this?
"So you have co for a brief visit." It spoke.
Even its voice, Moulin could not describe it. Like a series of voices all mixed together, sounding terrifying and deep, echoing in his ears. Perhaps, it was because of the large hall.
"So co so far now, our soul... It won't be long now..."
It spoke as though he knew Moulin's fate.
This ti another voice spoke. Like a whisper ahainst his ear.
"Don't go there..."
Abruptly, he was yanked back from Nara's mind all too soon. And a torturous piercing screech filled his ears.
Moulin blinked, shocked when he realized Nara was screaming, struggling beneath his grip. She sound as though her vocal cords would burst at any mont. She struggled so hard that Moulin had a hard ti keeping her near.
Moulin clenched his jaw and decisively gave a hard elbow jab into her stomach. The force of mana from his attack, ultimately was enough to knock her out for her strength had completely vanished.
Her horrific features receded, revealing a nude grey-skinned woman. Her flesh shriveled up like a person who hadn't eaten for many months. Her skin dull and wrinkled and her hair was white and long.
"Moulin..."
Keeping a tight grip on the demon in his arms, Moulin turned his head to et a pair of worried eyes, one blue and one white.
A few ters from him, Erthyl was lying in Sarion's arms trembling. His elbows and knees were covered in scratches. There was also a particular large bruise bruise around his left ankle.
"..."
It took Moulin a few seconds to realize that the enchantnt was broken the mont Sarion took Erthyl from the magic circle. The other children were lying on the ground unconscious.
Then the portal...
Moulin hurried turn his head to face a rapidly shrinking portal. Like a full bloom flower reversing into a dainty bud. But it is like a hurrricane, sucking all the pure mana it could find. Its life is brief and in the next instance everything is still as it vanishes.
The crystal heart shatters within Erik's grip. Shards of it lted off his calloused skin, seeping through his fingers and dripping from his palm. At the sa instance, the giant thorns surrounding the courtyard shatters loudly. The tendrils die off, disintegrating with the breeze.
n who are tired and injured exhales in relief, slumping on the ground for a brief rest.
It is finished...
.....
Dawn creeps into the sky and people slowly into the streets. Jagra's neigborhood, however, remains deserted. A barrier surrounded the area for cleansing. Malevolent mana was a difficult thing to purify, it would take ti. The sentinels silently hides and scours the surrounding of evidence of demonic presences. It would take a while to reopen the area for the public.
Moulin silently sat on the porch of the house's sub entrance. He is stuck in a trance, lost in his thoughts. The n wondered what happened for him to act like this. Unfortunately, they could only whisper to themselves.
Moulin lowered his gaze. Oblivious to the attention.
He couldn't help but feel bothered. Nara's defeat seed a bit... too easy.
"Moulin..." Erik approached.
The young man blinked and raised his gaze. "Yes?"
"You've fought well. A warrior must rest his mind and body..." He suggested. Although, his words ant sothing else.
"I am fine." Moulin spoke with a sigh. "My mind is well..."
"I see." Erik nodded, placing his hands on his waist. "Of course, the young master is always fit for battle. Our great war is coming. One must always be ready."
Confusion filled Moulin's face. "Great war?"
Erik nodded. In a quiet voice, he spoke, "Our final battle."
Our final... battle?
"Moulin!"
Ghana hurried towards him after dismissing her n. "Are you alright?"
"I... am fine." Moulin replied and stood up while glancing at the Grekellian man standing before him.
"Good. The teleporter has been prepared. We will be transporting the prisoner into the dungeons. His lordship, Lord Fraunces, will be expecting you in his office."
Eldest brother?
Moulin furrowed his brows.
The n hurried to wrap thing up. The grass stained with demon's blood is disintegrated with fire and the charred earth was cleansed with holy mana. Moulin heard Jagra was taken away for treatnt, he remained unconscious. He hoped he would be fine. What bothered him now was the hooded man who saved his friend's life. Where was he now?
"I see you are well..." A familiar voice spoke from behind Moulin.
Glancing behind his shoulder, Moulin saw Sarion, the Morfaer clan's successor, walked by his side. His bright gaze scrutinized Moulin deeply.
Moulin greeted him and spoke, "Thank you for your help."
Sarion's brows rose. The young man's sincere and gentle voice surprised him. "I... did what I could."
Moulin nodded with a faint smile and both of them watched the scene in silence.
Moulin was about to get comfortable. However, a particular person's gaze kept him from relazing his mind.
"Is there sotthing you want to say to ?"
Sarion blinked, straightened his back and cleared his throat. A slight embarrassnt showed on his face.
"What did you do to that demon?"
Moulin furrowed his brows. His glanced at the man beside him.
Before Moulin could answer, Sarion imdiately spoke. "I an no offense, young master. I am rely curious. Everyone watched as she writhed and scread in agony. It startled most of us. And I could not get my thoughts into it...
Do you have other abilities we are not aware of?"
"Can't you simply stay curious?" Moulin frowned.
Sarion smirked, "Man's curiosity must be sated. Aren't we all so similar? Her mana was all over the place. You must have done sothing to her mind."
Moulin opened his mouth but Sarion imdiately interrupted him.
"I believe an ice-wielder has its limits. Or was it an enchantnt you did?"
Moulin frowned. He forced himself to remain calm and released a breath. For a mont, he closed his eyes.
"All will be unveiled in ti. I suggest you keep your 'curiousities' to yourself."
With his final word, Moulin gave him a nod before approaching Ghana and Erik, standing not far from them.
With serious eyes, the elite morfaer silently stared at the young man's departing back. His gallant feathered wings twitched as he frowned.Sarion grew up to be given everything he wanted and people would always fawn all over him. And even until now, his status was quite high.
This young master is quite hard to please. Didn't he already expressed his apologies to him?
He paused. But... perhaps, he, himself, was being a bit too intrusive.
Sarion could only turn away and leave sulking.
Note to Readers: Chapter 418 was upload much later than Chapter 419 and 420. The dates got mixed up. I apologize for this (ToT). Please head to Chapter 418 in CHAPTERS so as to avoid confusion. I will be trying resolving this issue.
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