The figure emerged fully from the shadows, revealing himself to be Sir Aldric, the head guard of the manor. His imposing presence was unmistakable, clad in his signature steel-plated armor engraved with the Earldred family crest. His stern expression softened as soon as his eyes landed on me.
"Master Lucius!" he called out, his voice laced with both relief and urgency.
I rushed toward him, and he embraced me tightly, his armored gauntlets were cold to the touch, but his presence was reassuring nevertheless. Sir Aldric had always been fiercely loyal to the Earldreds, treating us with respect and caring deeply for the family.
"I'm so glad you're safe... Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked hurriedly, his hands patting my arms and shoulders as though confirming I was in one piece.
"I'm fine, Sir Aldric. I really am," I reassured him, though my voice shaky but steady enough to convey relief. Seeing a familiar face amidst the chaos was like catching a lifeline in a raging storm.
But before I could even begin to calm down, my heart sank as that ominous sensation returned. The demonic presences were closing in fast, and their vile energy prickled the edges of my awareness.
'Oh no... They must have escaped the spell!' I thought, panic seizing me.
I turned to warn Sir Aldric, but he was already staring intently down the corridor where the demons were coming from. His sharp eyes narrowed, and his expression hardening.
"Master Lucius, please stand back. I'll handle this," he said with a calm but commanding tone as he stepped forward with practiced precision.
The sound of their claws scraping against the stone floor grew louder, and moments later, the demons came into view. They bounded down the hallway on all fours with their twisted and grotesque forms, and their yellow eyes glowed and were fixed on us like prey.
Sir Aldric calmly unsheathed his longsword, the steel gleaming even in the dim light. He moved into a disciplined stance—legs aligned and steady, his sword held high in one hand, while his free hand rested behind him, almost in a gesture of respect.
His presence exuded confidence, despite the chaotic situation we found ourselves in.
Sir Aldric suddenly shifted his stance, planting his feet firmly apart. He raised his sword before him, angling it toward the oncoming demons. His other hand moved forward, fingers lightly brushing the hilt of the blade as if guiding its power rather than gripping it.
He began chanting in a low, resonant voice, the words imbued with a strange energy that seemed to hum through the air. His free hand slowly traced along the side of the sword, gliding toward the tip with deliberate precision.
As the chant concluded, his voice rose sharply, and he called out, "Thundra's Wrath!"
The blade began to glow faintly, a pale blue hue emanating from its core. The light grew steadily brighter, pulsating like a heartbeat until it shone brilliantly.
Then, lightning erupted.
Sparks crackled along the edges of the sword before leaping outward, small tendrils at first, but quickly transforming into full bolts of electricity. The bolts danced around the weapon, lashing out at the walls, leaving scorched marks, and shattering a nearby window with a sharp crack. A powerful electric aura surrounded the blade, humming with magical energy.
Sir Aldric gripped the sword with both hands now, steadying it as the lightning danced wildly, his armor glowing faintly from the reflected light.
He turned to me, and with a reassuring look on his face, nodding once. I nodded back, my heart racing as I took a step back to give him the room he needed.
The demons were closing in fast, now just a few meters away, and their savage growls echoed through the corridor. Aldric turned to face them, sword held firm, the arcs of lightning around him striking out like a storm ready to be unleashed.
Sir Aldric held his ground as the demons lunged toward him. With a sharp intake of breath, he launched himself forward.
The first demon struck with both claws in a wide arc. Aldric sidestepped smoothly, his blade crackling as it sliced through the creature's extended arm. The severed limb dropped to the floor, twitching as sparks from the blade danced across its surface. In one fluid motion, Aldric pivoted, and swung, the tip of his sword carving through the demon's torso.
A second demon leaped at him, jaws wide open and claws poised to strike. Aldric leapt up met it mid-air, raising his blade and thrusting it straight through the creature's chest.
Lightning surged through the demon's body, and it began shrieking wildly in pain as he flung it aside with a powerful twist of his wrist.
Two more charged at him simultaneously, swinging wildly. Aldric ducked under the first swipe, his blade arcing upward and severing one demon's legs. The other attempted to claw at his side, but he spun to evade it, the sword humming as it cleaved through its head in a single stroke.
The final demon hesitated for a split second, its dark-yellow eyes glaring. Aldric gave it no chance to recover, surging forward with a decisive slash that split its body in two.
He stood on the far side of the hallway now, his chest rising and falling as the decapitated corpses of the demons crumpled to the floor behind him.
For a brief moment, only silence reigned, broken only by the faint crackle of electricity still sparking from his blade. But then, sounds of cracking bones and squelching flesh filled the air.
The demons began to stir.
Aldric turned sharply, watching as the creatures' limbs reattached and their bodies regenerated with unnatural speed. Their wounds sealed over, leaving no trace of injury, and their glowing yellow eyes fixated on him once more.
"Just as I expected," he muttered under his breath, tightening his grip on the sword.
'The only way to kill a demon is by destroying their hearts or obliterating them entirely,' he thought. 'Aiming for their hearts one by one will be tedious... Better to take them all out in a single blow.'
He straightened, raising his blade. The lightning surrounding it seemed to intensify, and the lightning bolts grew longer and more erratic. Aldric began to chant, his voice echoing through the entire hallway:
"Thunder of the heavens, strike down with unyielding force.
Let your light carve through the darkness, unstoppable and true.
Grant me a blade worthy of your storm!"
As he chanted, the sword in his hands began to change. It appeared to swell, the lightning growing into a shimmering aura that made the blade look enormous. Bolts of energy lashed out, scorching the walls and floor, the very air humming with raw power.
"Lucius! Get down!" he screamed, his voice carrying a weight of urgency.
I dove to the ground just as Aldric roared the name of his spell.
"Stormcleaver's Judgment!"
With a mighty swing, Aldric brought the blade down in a wide arc. The lightning erupted from the sword, forming a massive slash of pure energy that surged forward like a tidal wave.
The hallway was instantly illuminated with blinding blue light as the slash tore through the demons. The force of the attack was overwhelming; the ground quaked, and the walls on either side crumbled under the sheer pressure.
B000000000000MMMMMMMM!!!!!!!
The explosion of energy shattered the remnants of the windows, sending shards of glass flying outward into the night. The blast engulfed the demons completely, their forms disintegrating into ash as the lightning consumed them, leaving nothing behind.
As the dust and debris settled, Aldric stood tall, his sword still crackling with faint sparks. The demons were gone, erased from existence, and the hallway was left in ruins, scorched and broken but eerily quiet once again.
Lucius stared wide-eyed, his heart pounding in awe as he took in the aftermath of the destruction. The hallway was barely recognizable, scorched and ravaged by the sheer power Sir Aldric had unleashed.
'So this is the strength of Sir Aldric... the "Thunderblade of Earldred." The nickname felt fitting for him, a testament to his mastery of lightning magic and his skill with the sword.
As the air crackled faintly with residual energy, Sir Aldric turned and hurried toward Lucius, with an expression of concern on his face.
"Master Lucius! Are you unharmed?" he called out, his voice steady but edged with urgency.
Lucius nodded, pushing himself to his feet. "I'm fine, Sir Aldric. That was... incredible."
But as Aldric reached Lucius, his expression shifted. Something felt wrong.
His eyes darted to the ground where the demons had been annihilated, to the charred marks left behind by their forms. Four scorch marks marred the floor.
'Four?' he thought.
Aldric's stomach sank as realization struck. He had faced five demons.
Before he could fully process the discrepancy, an ominous sound filled the air.
SPLOOOSH!!!!
The wet, visceral sound of flesh being pierced, followed by the sickening splatter of blood.