He felt exhausted, his body completely drained of stamina and mana as he stirred awake. He was on his back, lying on cobblestone ground. The cool, rough surface was a stark contrast to his aching muscles. "Ugh," he groaned, blinking rapidly to clear his vision and taking in the smoky, debris-filled air.
"You're awake!" a voice said in relief. "Are you okay?" The voice was familiar—not overly familiar, but he had heard it before.
"Why the fuck are you watching over me?" Even asked as he slowly sat up, massaging his temples, his vision clearing up gradually, bringing the chaotic scene around him into sharper focus.
"Wow, rude, but I don't know what else I should have expected," replied Xain, letting out a sigh. With his vision now cleared, Even turned to look at Xain.
"You look like shit," he said bluntly, noticing the dark circles under Xain's eyes and the dirt smeared across his face.
"Yeah, thanks. You don't look much better," Xain replied, looking over Even, who was scanning the area for his rifle. "Where the hell?" Even muttered, frustration edging his voice as he failed to find it.
"If you're looking for your gun, it got crushed under rubble probably," Xain said with a shrug, gesturing towards a pile of debris nearby. Even grimaced, running a hand through his dust-covered hair as he properly looked around, seeing the destruction surrounding him. Piles of debris and shattered glass were scattered everywhere.
"How did things get wor—" he got cut off mid-sentence as he heard a roar emanating from above. "What the fuck!?" he exclaimed, looking up to see the dragon above the mansion, coiling around itself rapidly with its terrifying maw open as if trying to bite down something.
"What is, what, how, what even—" Even was unable to finish a coherent sentence out of complete shock, his mind struggling to process the sheer chaos unfolding above.
"Calm down, that thing won't bother with us," said Xain, trying to calm him down.
"How the hell would you know that!? What even is that thing!?" Even exclaimed, not calming down in the slightest.
"A dragon apparently, but just trust me, that thing won't try and attack us. It's currently busy fighting someone," Xain explained before pausing for a moment and saying, "...I think. It's kind of hard to tell from down here."
Even shook his head, his thoughts still clearing up. "By the goddess, what the hell's going on? Wait a sec," he turned back to Xain, his brow furrowed with suspicion. "Why are you here?" he asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.
"What do you mean?" Xain asked back, looking genuinely confused.
"I mean, why are you helping me? I tried to kill you, if you forgot," Even clarified, his tone sharp, his eyes never leaving Xain's face.
"Oh," Xain responded, then shrugged. "I don't have a reason, and I don't need one. I'm not letting someone die if I can help it."
Even stared at Xain like he was an idiot, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Damn weirdo," he muttered under his breath, his hand absentmindedly rubbing the back of his head as he tried to shake off the dizziness. Suddenly, a thought struck him like lightning: *Oh shit, Lia and Dirk!* Despite the exhaustion weighing him down, he attempted to push himself up, determination etched into every line of his face. But his body betrayed him, and he collapsed flat on his face, his legs feeling like they were made of rubber.
"What are you doing? You shouldn't try to push yourself after getting knocked out," Xain advised, his voice tinged with concern, as he knelt down beside Even. But Even refused to listen to the warning, his stubbornness pushing him to try and rise again. "I have to get to the front. I have to make sure they're okay," he insisted through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing with determination.
Xain closed his eyes briefly, exhaling a sigh of exasperation mixed with resignation, before reaching out to help Even up. "What the hell are you doing?" Even snapped, his frustration evident in his tone.
"Agh, don't yell in my ear!" Xain shot back, momentarily flustered by the sudden outburst. Regaining his composure, he continued, "Helping you move. Can you even fight anymore?" His concern for Even's well-being was palpable, despite the exasperation in his voice. He steadied Even, supporting his weight as he stood.
Even paused for a moment, locking eyes with Xain, before redirecting his gaze forward. "I'm fine, just suffering from a bit of mana exhaustion. I'll be fine after a few minutes," he explained and Xain nodded, though his expression was uncertain. He had extremely limited knowledge of magic, after all, and Even's condition was beyond his expertise.
While they began making their way to the front-garden, the battle in the front-garden continued as Bilmoth slowly stood up, his voice dripping with malice. "Congratulations, you figured it out," he said, his eyes fixed on the demon. Mar barely contained his rage, resisting the urge to charge at Bilmoth from behind especially now that he knew attacking him one at a time would be pointless. Despite his restraint, his lycan body remained tensed, ready to attack in an instant. Meanwhile, Orian narrowed his eyes on Bilmoth. *So that's why. But if that's the case, how did he trick the eyes of my spirit?* he wondered. There was clearly more going on with this demonic butler, something the demon caught on to.
"There is more to you, isn't there?" it asked calmly. Bilmoth raised an eyebrow, his expression stern. "Catch on quick, don't you, fledgling?" he remarked before all of them saw slowing orbs begin floating around him. *So that's how it is, a spirit user, huh?* Orian thought to himself as he felt the connections to all his spirits besides Draven get forcefully severed, joining Bilmoth's side.
"Is this your trump card?" the demon questioned, morphing both its arms into deadly blades. "It is," Bilmoth replied bluntly, the end drew closer.