Aiden and Maya dropped into fighting stances, bracing for the demon's charge.
"Ever fought a demon before?" Maya asked.
"I took down one, but this one looks way more dangerous."
"Well, you'd better toughen up those fists, because… here it comes!"
The demon launched its attack, barreling toward Aiden and Maya at full speed, each step sending tremors through the ground.
They dove to opposite sides, narrowly dodging the enemy's assault.
But the demon didn't stop—it kept charging, leaving a ring of fire that scorched everything in its path.
"Hey, your enemies are over here!" Maya shouted. "Where's it going?"
"That direction… it's headed for the village."
"We've got to stop it!"
"Wait!"
Maya shot Aiden a glare, but her frustration faded when she saw him rush to where Lyra lay.
Aiden cradled Lyra in his arms and gently shook her awake.
"Aiden… am I dead?"
"No… thankfully, you're not," Aiden said with a smile. "Don't you dare die yet—our journey's far from over."
Lyra chuckled at Aiden's words, and with his help, she managed to stand.
"Sorry to break up the romantic moment, but if we don't want that demon trashing the village, we need to move now," Maya said.
Lyra glanced at Arcan, still unconscious on the ground, and decided to make him vanish.
"A demon?" Lyra said, still shaking off her daze. "How are we supposed to fight that thing?"
Aiden took Lyra's hand, trying to erase the uncertainty he saw in her face.
"Relax… we'll handle this together."
. . .
When the demon reached the village, its presence didn't go unnoticed for long.
The village's fighters armed themselves with bows and arrows, while the rest of the villagers hid in their basements.
The warriors did what they could, but the demon's flames spread with uncontrollable ferocity.
Its fists and charges were lethal, and arrows bounced off its body without a scratch. The sheer force of its attacks wreaked havoc, leaving houses in ruins.
The demon had plunged the village into absolute chaos, and Leonia, as mayor, wasn't about to stand idly by.
'I never thought the day would come when I'd have to resort to this… but it's the only way to save my people,' Leonia thought as she entered the abandoned house.
She snapped her fingers, and the hidden trapdoor in the floor swung open.
"So this is where you were hiding it."
Before Leonia could react, she felt the cold edge of a sword against her shoulder.
"Don't move, or I'll cut your head off before you can say your last words," Ruan said.
"What the hell do you want?"
"You know what I want. Don't waste my time—hand it over."
. . .
When Aiden, Lyra, and Maya returned to the village, they found a scene of devastation: unconscious fighters littered the ground, and flames spread by the unstoppable demon raged everywhere.
"Princess, got anything you can fight with?" Maya asked Lyra.
"No… I could summon a beast, but I'm almost out of magic power."
"Then stay back and let us handle this."
Lyra started to protest, but Aiden placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her.
"It's okay… Maya and I will take care of this," Aiden said. "I don't want you getting hurt again."
Lyra blushed at Aiden's words.
"Alright… but be careful."
Lyra moved away from the combat zone, and Aiden turned to Maya with uncertainty.
"You ready?"
"That's my line," Maya said. "Your aura looks weaker than it did earlier."
"I still don't fully control my magic, and it's fading by the second."
"Got it… then take this."
Maya grabbed one of the blue-liquid vials hanging from her thigh and handed it to Aiden.
"It's a recovery potion," she said. "It'll restore all your magic power."
"Just what I needed."
Aiden popped the vial open and downed its contents in one gulp.
He tossed the empty vial to the ground, letting the rush of adrenaline flood his body. His aura flared back to its earlier intensity, his fists primed for action.
"Alright," Maya said, tightening her grip on her knives. "Time to hunt this demon down."