Siestri chanted in a low voice, racing against time as the colour slowly faded from Björn's eyes. Taking a drop of Björn's blood, he drew a rune over his heart.
There was a flash of blue light that paled in seconds. In its place, Siestri cradled a naked Björn that held firmly onto his sword. On Björn's chest was a blue bracelet filled with threadlike cracks all over.
Siestri picked it up and glanced over it a bit before chanting a few words that caused it to disappear.
"I should still be able to fix it. I'll have a lot of work to do when this is finally over."
Siestri tried to stand, but Björn was too heavy. After trying twice more, he gave up. He also needed to rest.
In the noise of war, he heard the wind howling, and he hurriedly prepared a defensive barrier. But it wasn't necessary.
Rayla landed right beside him, supporting an exhausted Gregory.
"What happened to him?"
Even with his body screaming against every movement he made, he rushed to his brother's side as he questioned Siestri. He knelt beside Björn, checking his wounds with panic on his face.
"He activated the forbidden rune. Luckily, he did it with his left hand, causing a flaw in the flow of mana, which I was able to exploit and save him. So in a way, it's a good thing he lost his right arm."
Gregory stared at Siestri, mouthing voiceless appreciation as he cradled his brother amidst heavy sobs. He was so close to losing his brother, and nothing would have been able to pull him back from that level of grief.
He had no one else in the world, not even a wife. Maybe this was also a lesson in itself.
"You're a warrior, Gregory. You... do not have to... shed any... tears... on my behalf. I... still breathe."
Coughing blood before passing out again, Björn managed to comfort his brother.
"Where are the twins? They should know to rendezvous here after their battle."
Rayla's eyes scanned the battlefield, but she found no sign of them. Relieved from the burden of carrying Björn, Siestri stood up.
"I've tried contacting them, but there has been no response. And their weapons seemed to have lost the connection to their blood."
Rayla stared at Siestri, understanding exactly what his words meant. The twins were dead.
Before they had any time to linger on their feelings, there was a bright flash in the sky coming from the direction of the demon portal. An ominous air filled the area, and even with the Triform's renewed hope of killing the demon generals, they felt a chill caress their very existence.
"He's here."
Darren made his silent entrance, scaring his friends who thought they were already used to this.
His eyes looked over them, seeing their sorry state even as he held back tears. His best friend lay there with only one arm, and his cousins were absent.
"They are dead, right?"
The only answer Darren got was their silence as their heads hung low.
His eyes began to water, his lips quivered, and his heart ached within. His only relatives had left him alone in the world. Why did he always have to suffer like this?
He had lost his father. His mother had sacrificed herself to give him life. His father's brother had passed on, and his mother's sisters had given everything till their dying breath to make him the perfect warrior.
All for what?
To be left alone in the world?
His questions would only remain unanswered.
He walked forward, leaving the group of four behind. He took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions as he whispered a chant that even Siestri didn't understand.
In seconds, his black suit was replaced by golden armour that seemed to form from the void. It covered him to the base of his jaw, ending with a black cape that flowed seamlessly in the wind. There were black streaks all over his armour that caused the gold to shine even more.
On the cape and the left side of his chest was a crest that seemed to have been drawn with blood but still burned with a flame. A circle with half of it resembling a flaming sun and the other half, a moon filled with stars. Within the circle stood a crucifix that was guarded by two different pairs of fangs at the top and bottom.
A sword in its sheath appeared on Darren's left hip, a surprise to everyone around him.
He shut his eyes tightly as he gripped the hilt of the sword. He pulled the longsword out of its sheath, presenting the golden beauty in all of its glory.
Before any more admiration, there was a roar that swept across the battlefield and silenced everyone, Triform, and demons alike.
Everyone cowered and shivered but only Darren stood firm. In a second, suffocating pressure and bloodlust swept over his group, bringing them all to their knees.
Björn was startled awake and his healed wound started bleeding again. Gregory collapsed with blood seeping out of his ears and Rayla fell to her knees as her body was racked with a cough. Siestri sent a mental command to the witches at the back line as he managed to construct a barrier around his group, but it barely helped.
Darren could see the pain his friends were in and he was the only one who could save them.
He took a step forward and with all his might, he slashed the air before him. With a burst of golden light from his body and sword, a bright crescent cut across the field.
With his will and overwhelming presence, the demon king could bring anything to its knees.