The sudden BOOM that reverberated through the room shattered the tension that had lingered since Xue's confession. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and before anyone could react, demons poured into the room—horrifying, grotesque creatures that filled the air with a dark, suffocating energy. At the forefront stood one demon, tall and imposing, his eyes glinting with malicious intent.
He scanned the room, his gaze settling on the heads of the elemental continent with a smile that reeked of arrogance. "Greetings, greetings, esteemed guests," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "I am Raoul, one of the 12 seats of the Demonic Continent, and I follow the orders of the All-Mighty Demonic King. Today…"
Before he could finish his speech, Xue was already in motion. With a chilling flash, dark slashes tore through the air, slamming into Raoul's body with such force that he was sent sprawling to the ground. The room shook with the intensity of the strike, the darkness in Xue's eyes speaking volumes of the fury that was rising within him.
"Alissa!" Xue barked. "Barrier—keep the elders safe."
Alissa reacted instantly, her magic flaring as she summoned a powerful protective barrier around the leaders of the elemental continent. Seraphina stood by, her healing magic still tinged with concern for Xue's wounds.
Raoul slowly rose, his mocking laughter filling the room despite the injury. "Aren't you quite the rude person, Elite of Darkness," he sneered, wiping blood from his lips.
Xue didn't hesitate. With a burst of speed, he dashed toward Raoul, his sword raised and ready to strike. But before Xue could reach him, Raoul's form flickered, and in an instant, the demons vanished. The room went eerily silent, and Xue's eyes frantically searched the surroundings.
A mocking voice echoed in the distance, carrying with it an ominous laughter that seemed to reverberate through the very walls. "Looking for me? You can't find me, hahahahaha! And even though you were rude, I thank you for keeping these vessels preserved. They'll be quite useful for the other demons."
Xue's heart stopped as he realized what Raoul meant—the coffins.
His worst fears were confirmed as he turned, his eyes wild with panic and rage. "No," he whispered, then shouted, "Give the bodies back!"
Raoul's voice responded, cold and mocking. "Keep dreaming, Elite of Darkness. You won't get them back."
The room seemed to freeze, the demonic presence now replaced by an eerie silence. Raoul's voice faded into the distance, his cruel words lingering in the air like a taunt. As the last echoes of his laughter disappeared, Xue stood motionless, his expression twisted with a mix of disbelief and fury.
The air in the room became thick with a palpable killing intent. It was as if the very atmosphere had turned suffocating—no one could breathe, as if the room itself was filled with the pressure of Xue's rage.
Seraphina, her face filled with worry, slowly approached him. "Xue... what happened?" she asked softly, her voice barely cutting through the tension.
Xue's eyes remained fixed ahead, his gaze unfocused, the weight of his emotions suffocating him. His voice came out low, barely above a whisper, and yet it carried the full force of his anger and grief. "Body… body gone…"
Seraphina flinched, understanding immediately what he meant. The bodies of Iblis, Marina, and Corrine—his closest friends, his comrades—had been taken. The demons had not only desecrated their remains but had stolen the last remnants of their lives.
The room was silent again, the quiet broken only by the soft, sorrowful sound of Seraphina's breath. Alissa stood beside her, her expression grim. They all knew what this meant—Xue was no longer just fighting for justice; he was fighting for the souls of those he had failed to protect.
Xue's body was trembling, his emotions threatening to break through the carefully constructed facade he had built. And yet, in that moment, there was only one thing that mattered: getting them back.