Arthur's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

A grotesque Demon had appeared at my side and ran me through. Pikes had replaced her hands. Its head was thrown back as the hilt of a sword stuck out of its mouth. The grip and pommel were both covered in a red wax. A flame burned at the top of the pommel as wax dripped out of her crusted-over eyes. Wax also seemed to cover her body in parts that seeped from existing wounds.

It sobbed as I brought my sword across to my right side. The blade connected, I and was able to push it back, so the pike left my chest. However, as my sword cut through her, it came to a sudden stop as a dull ringing could be heard. Evidently, the hilt coming from her mouth wasn’t just for show. Backing away, she wailed before the flame went out, and she disappeared.

“So, you weren’t alone.” I commented as I turned back to the other Demon.

The flame flickered in and out throughout the room as he responded. “I never said I was.” He replied and gestured to my hunched-over body. “That looks alarming.”

This was bad. One was getting stronger each time he reappeared after his supposed deaths, while the other was definitely close to a Demon Lord. Maybe not quite as powerful, but still enough where it would be problematic to fight in this form. Whatever magic they had cast, illusions, or something else entirely, I couldn’t track the grotesque female Demon.

“Don’t worry.” I told the Demon as my wound healed. “I’ll be fine.”

Chuckling, he then nodded to the group behind me. “Always so quick to protect those behind you. Even they seem overly ready to have you stand in front. Doesn’t it bother you?”

Lucia's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

“Better behind me than beside me.”

“Ah, yes. We wouldn’t want a repeat of what happened to those beside you two thousand years ago.” Arthur turned to make sure we were safe and seemed convinced we’d be fine with many of us generating shields. “After all, you never were able to rescue Mara, were you?”

My blood ran cold as Arthur’s expression turned livid. A burst of energy filled the room from the Knight as he slowly turned back to the Demon. Everything felt foul as waves of bloodlust poured from him, and I felt my knees tremble from the power output.

Falling to my knees, I tried to call out to him. “Arthur-“ It was too late.

Dryritt was the one who spoke in a harsh whisper. “Nobody move!” I felt someone’s on my shoulder and turned to see Aydalia nodding in agreement. “That is a Demon most foul…” The Dragon stated as he turned to someone else. “Make sure you keep up your barriers, Priestesses.” I didn’t hear a response.

“Someone’s upset. Did I perhaps touch a sore spot?” The Demon taunted. “Didn’t you ever wonder who it was? Sure, Tor helped escort her away, but I was the one who did all the dirty work.” He then spat slightly. “And it was absolutely filthy. Beheading all your advisors and sending them to the Queen was also my work. I wish I could’ve seen it when she presented you their heads. She told me you were quite upset.”

The entirety of the ceiling exploded into the sky along with the male Demon. Arthur quickly followed, but there was an issue with that. We could still hear sobbing and softer wails coming echoing in and out around the room. Even with several barriers all put up, none of us dared move. Like a banshee appearing out of nowhere, the grotesque Demon appeared in front of us, screeching.

“Arthur!” I called out to him as wax began to coat the barriers. “Arthur!!!” She started slashing at the barriers, and cracks began to form immediately.

There was no response from Arthur as the entire ground started shaking with an explosion sounding in the distance. This only seemed to agitate the Demon as her entire body began slamming into the barriers wildly. My eyes widened as it didn’t take long for them to start cracking.

Elincia summoned one of her swords outside the shields and tried to impale the Demon. It failed. While the sword did pierce its skin, it was quickly absorbed in the strange wax that coated its body. Dryritt and the other Dragons shot flames over our heads that engulfed her. Everything went silent as we prayed that they were successful in fending off the Demon’s attacks.

They weren’t. It rapidly became more aggressive as several barriers broke as the flames on the pommel was larger now. All of us were at a loss. Magic from the Priestesses didn’t work, Dragon fire only seemed to worsen the situation, and our barriers were quickly disappearing. We needed Arthur.

“We need to lower the barriers and fight back.” Arceana finally spoke. “If anymore break, more magic casters will be unable to do anything. However, should we all band together…” She trailed off.

Dryritt replied. “That Demon is far beyond any of us. Had any one of us been able to face it, we would’ve already done so.”

Elincia strained with her magic, as did many of the other Elves. “Be that as it may if we all-“ Everything happened so fast.

She didn’t get to finish as someone shoved me down suddenly as I fell onto the floor. Looking up confused, I assumed someone was trying to run, but my eyes widened, and my lower lip trembled at what I saw. One of the Demon’s pikes had pierced all the shields and struck where I was. In my place was Aien Farro. His throat had been pierced from the front, all the way to the back.

“No!” I heard Aydalia screech in horror as my ears rang.

I could only watch as his face contorted in pain, and after a moment, he opened his mouth. Part of me expected blood to come out of it, but I was wrong again. His body started melting as hot wax poured from his mouth and his throat. The Demon wrenched her pike clear of his throat as his head tilted backward. Wax bubbles out of his mouth and over his face. He couldn’t even scream in pain as his face melted and began to cave in.

It was impossible to look away from as his entire body became encased in the wax. Even as it spurted from his body violently and what was left started to fall over me, all I did was stare. Completely lost and unsure of what to do. Aien Farro, a man who had done everything for his family and treated me like a daughter, had been killed in such a horrendous way. Right in front of me.

My mistake was not protecting myself. Because of this, the two people who dove on top of me to protect me started screaming horribly with me under them. Frozen and unable to do anything.