"Where is Luci? We need to get her, professor."
The frantic voice echoed down the dark corridor, where shadows stretched in distorted shapes, as if the very walls were watching them.
"We don't need to. Look over there."
All eyes turned to the end of the hallway. On the cold, bloodstained floor, Ignis lay unconscious. His body, still tense, seemed to have instinctively placed itself between danger and a young girl with red hair. Her face was smeared with dried blood, but her breathing was steady—she had only fainted.
"Hold the amulet in Dravok's hand and summon the beast Tyrin."
Tyrin hesitated for a moment but did as ordered. As soon as he placed the amulet in Dravok's hand and murmured the creature's name, a tremor rippled through the air. Ignis's silhouette flickered like smoke before vanishing, as if sucked into something unseen. The path was clear.
"Well, I'm already carrying the father, so take the daughter."
"No problem, professor. But now what? How do we get out of here?"
"I have no idea."
Before they could think, a voice rose from the shadows. Familiar. Precise.
"Perhaps I can help you."
Their eyes met. Gertrude blinked, surprised.
"Darwin… is that you?"
"Yes, ma'am. I've found an exit. There's another soldier guarding the main entrance, similar to the one facing the queen. Take the first right, then the second left."
Meanwhile, in the now-ruined grand dining hall, two opponents faced each other. The air vibrated with tension.
"I didn't come here to fight…" The male voice echoed, dripping with disdain. "But you overestimate yourself… queen."
The silence was broken by the snap of fingers.
"Leonithar, step forward."
A biting cold filled the room. Behind Azrael, the darkness seemed to condense, and then, as if emerging from the void itself, a colossal five-meter-tall lion rose. Its presence was mesmerizing—its bluish fur shimmered under a spectral light, and a glow pulsed through its body. But when it roared, it was not just a sound… it was a call. A threat. Something that made every fiber of those present tighten.
The queen did not flinch. Her eyes shone, defiant.
"Do you really think this insignificant creature can turn the tide?"
Azrael smirked.
"I won't lie, I know I can't defeat your pet. It is ancient… millennia old. But I don't need to defeat it. I just need time."
He raised a hand.
"Soldiers, ignore the beast. Focus on the queen."
The air crackled around her, charged with electricity. Her golden armor, a gift from past generations, gleamed like a sun forged in metal. Her blade-like wings spread with a sharp, slicing sound—like swords being unsheathed all at once.
Two warriors lunged forward.
The first barely had time to raise his sword before one of her wings moved. The strike was silent. Lethal. He froze mid-attack, eyes wide. A moment later, his helmet split apart, and his body collapsed to the ground.
The second tried to retreat, but it was too late. The queen shot forward like a golden meteor. At the last moment, her wings folded inward, unleashing a gale of razor-sharp blades. The projectiles danced through the air before piercing the warrior, slicing through his armor as if it were paper.
He stumbled back, gasping for breath.
She appeared behind him in the blink of an eye.
A cold whisper brushed his ear.
"Too slow."
And then, her wings closed in. Metal screeched as it met metal. And when they parted again, the warrior no longer existed.
Silence reigned. The dust settled.
Azrael raised an eyebrow, bored.
"Now this… this gives me a reason to enjoy myself."
Meanwhile, in a dead-end corridor, Gertrude and Tyrin stopped, panting.
"This isn't right… where are we?"
Darwin remained calm.
"Don't worry. Pull the sconce on the right."
Tyrin hesitated but obeyed. As soon as the metal chain was pulled, a sharp click echoed, and part of the wall began to shift, revealing a passage to the outside.
But before they could escape, something blocked their path.
Silhouettes emerged from the shadows. Soldiers in dark armor, identical to those who served Azrael, raised heavy rifles in their direction.
The metallic clicks of weapons being readied thundered through the silence.
"None of you move."
The threat was clear.
The tension, palpable.
The next move could mean life… or death.
The battlefield pulsed like a living organism, every strike and roar reverberating through the thick darkness of the night. Two battles unfolded simultaneously—a brutal and mesmerizing spectacle of strength and cunning.
On one side, Igniselda, the colossal iguana, raised her scaly head in a silent challenge. Her scales, as tough as iron blades, reflected the pale glow of the flames consuming the wreckage around them. Before her, the ice-eyed lion—Leonithar—growled, muscles tensed before he lunged.
The feline shot forward like lightning, claws digging into the ground before leaping. His razor-sharp fangs clamped down on the reptilian creature's neck, but there was no blood. Igniselda didn't even flinch.
With a sudden, ruthless motion, the iguana jerked her head, flinging the lion through the air as if he were nothing more than a rag doll. Before the beast could recover, a sharp whistle cut through the air—CRACK!—her monstrous tail slammed down with a deafening impact, crushing the lion against a rock. Dust billowed in a choking veil.
Leonithar struggled to rise, staggering, but Igniselda would give him no chance. Her enormous claws closed around the feline's body, pinning him to the ground with an irresistible force. Then, her colossal jaws parted, revealing teeth as sharp as ceremonial daggers.
The lion's final roar faded as the creature's maw snapped shut.
On the other side of the battlefield, two unstoppable forces clashed.
Thalyzara, the warrior in golden armor, was a whirlwind of blades. Her razor-sharp wings sliced through the air in a dazzling display of light and steel. Her opponent, a man with blue hair and a serene gaze, raised his hand, and a spiral of energy crackled around him, dissipating her initial attacks.
She did not hesitate. Spinning midair, propelled by her own strength, she unleashed a storm of golden blades at him.
The warrior moved like a shadow, dodging with superhuman speed. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind her. Energy flared in his hand, and before Thalyzara could react, a brutal strike hit her back.
BOOM!
She was hurled across the battlefield, sliding across the cold stone floor. Her breaths came heavy, the taste of blood sharp on her lips. But instead of despairing, she smiled.
"Not bad…" she murmured, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
Before he could reply, she vanished.
SHING!
A golden blade sliced past his skin. He dodged at the last second, only to feel a second blade graze his cheek. A thin cut appeared, and the predatory glint in his eyes sharpened.
The battle became a ballet of light and shadow. Strikes and counterstrikes. Neither gave an inch. Every burst of energy, every spinning blade was met with lethal precision.
Time passed. Both were wounded, their bodies slick with sweat and blood. Then, without a word, they leaped back at the same moment. They landed together, like distorted reflections of each other.
Their eyes met.
It was a draw.
Thalyzara knew she had to take this fight seriously. But the cost would be immense.
And then—the world shattered.
From above, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky, striking between the two combatants. The explosion made the earth tremble, and sparks danced like ghosts in the air.
Thalyzara instinctively shielded her face. The acrid scent of ozone and smoke clung to everything. And then, a deep, commanding voice cut through the silence.
— Thalyzara. You are as strong as your father… and just as stubborn.
At the center of the arena, where there had been only dust and debris, a colossal figure now stood.
Orion.
Nearly four meters tall, his presence made the very space around him feel small. Unlike Azrael, his hair was silver, like freshly forged steel. His eyes—cold and calculating—swept across the battlefield with a dangerous calm.
Thalyzara recognized that man.
— Lord Orion… What are you doing here?
His voice was firm, but unhurried.
— I must apologize for my recklessness. I did not intend for things to escalate this way. I assure you, Azrael will be punished for what he has done.
Azrael himself scoffed, irritated:
— But sir, she was the one who started—
— Shut up.
Orion didn't need to raise his voice. But the weight of his words made the air grow heavier.
— Do you think I didn't see? Do you think I am unaware of what happened? Stay silent… if you wish to keep breathing tonight.
A deadly silence fell over the black stone hall.
Then, Orion turned to Thalyzara.
— Lady Thalyzara, despite everything, we did not come here to fight. We must unite against a common enemy.
He paused.
— I admit our initial approach was less than ideal, but I believe the two men you killed have already satisfied your thirst for blood. Am I wrong?
She crossed her arms, studying him.
— I see you still have a way with words, Lord Orion.
Her eyes narrowed.
— But I am in the middle of a fight. Your subordinate made mistakes, and now he is paying for them. If you don't mind, step aside.
The room seemed to freeze.
Orion did not smile.
— I did not become the emperor's right hand by being fair and merciful. I became it by being strong.
His voice rumbled like distant thunder.
He raised his hand. His eyes glowed with something dark.
— Malaya.
The ground trembled.
A deep, guttural roar reverberated through the chamber. The walls shook. Something colossal stirred beneath the earth, like a nightmare rising from its grave.
And then, it emerged.
The serpent.
Malaya.
A massive shadow slithered out from the depths, devouring the light around it. Its coiling body could wrap around the entire castle. Its black-and-gold scales gleamed under the dim torchlight.
Its yellow eyes, cold as soulless blades, locked onto Thalyzara.
A chill ran down her spine.
Behind her, Igniselda growled—but for a fleeting moment, even the fiery beast seemed to hesitate.
Malaya opened its mouth.
The air filled with a monstrous hiss, so deep it made reality itself tremble. Curved fangs, as large as spears, glistened as a toxic mist began to seep out, spreading like creeping death.
Orion's voice echoed, laced with deadly irony.
— So then, Lady Thalyzara… do you still wish to test your strength?
The fate of the battle hung on a single choice.
And time was running out.