Quietly lying behind the dirt slope, Leon and Azerian struggled to catch their breath. They were gasping so hard it felt like their lungs might burst. Thankfully, the crazed roars of Lohak could no longer be heard; he had likely lost himself in the time-distorted forest.
If Lohak had merely been bewitched, Leon and Azerian might have found a way to subdue him.
But seeing him cleave thick tree trunks with terrifying strength and regenerate broken limbs unnaturally, they knew they couldn't confront such a monstrous force head-on.
"How did Lohak... end up like this?" Azerian swallowed nervously, still shaken.
"...He's possessed by a demon..." Leon wheezed, bent over with his hands on his knees. "Huff... I don't know exactly why, but listen... if you ever get possessed too... ha... just put me out of my misery with one clean strike, alright? I'm out of gas."
"...I'll... do my best," Azerian replied, his stiff smile failing to lighten the mood. He recalled Lohak's tear-streaked, horrifying face, and a shiver ran down his spine.
Suppressing his spiraling thoughts, Azerian clasped his hands together and silently prayed to the great Holy Sun, his faith growing more resolute after their brush with danger.
Leon flopped onto his back, the burning in his chest leaving him too exhausted to stand.
"Count yourselves lucky—it's just an anger demon. If it were a lust or pride demon, you'd have no chance of escaping," said a teasing, feminine voice in his mind.
"There are different kinds of demons?" Leon asked, surprised.
"Of course. But let's focus. You don't have much time to waste. The longer you stay in this realm, the more likely your mind will be corrupted by a spirit demon. And that boy, Lohak, doesn't have long before he's beyond saving."
"How can we bring Lohak back to his senses?" Leon sat up and scanned the dark forest. The eerie shadows of trees loomed on all sides, and the stream they had found earlier was now unreachable. He sighed, thinking of the magic circle he had painstakingly drawn under the girl's guidance.
"Wait, we've lost Lohak... doesn't that mean finding him again will be almost impossible?"
"No need to search. I'll make that demon come to us," the girl's voice assured him. "Remember the rune circle I taught you to draw earlier?"
"Vaguely. Wasn't that for gathering wandering souls? Can it also be used to banish demons?"
"With some adjustments, yes. The ritual meant for attracting spirits can also lure soul-craving entities like demons. Luckily, it's an anger demon, so tricking it into a trap shouldn't be too hard. But the bait will need to be different since simulated leyline energy won't appeal to a demon."
The girl paused briefly before continuing, "I'll guide you on how to modify the exorcism circle and recite the incantation. Once the ritual begins, I'll have to channel the chaotic energy of this realm through my spirit to power the ceremony and serve as the bait.
During that time, I won't be able to guide you verbally. You must memorize every syllable of the incantation beforehand. Understand?"
"Got it." Leon nodded. He trusted his memory.
"Don't underestimate this. Haven't you noticed I'm not speaking in your native tongue?"
Leon froze, realizing he had been conversing with the girl in fluent Chinese without noticing.
"To cast the ritual, you'll need to chant in Loralite, the ancient tongue. Translations into Ferrus or your unfamiliar language won't work. You must repeat the original pronunciation without error.
Now, listen carefully. While you rest and recover, I'll repeat the incantation for you. Pay close attention."
"Understood. I'll listen carefully."
Leon focused intently, adopting the same diligence he once had during grueling listening exams, and began softly repeating the girl's chant.
The Loralite incantation was short and rhythmic, almost melodic. Yet as Leon followed along, he quickly noticed subtle shifts in pitch and intonation, making the chant deceptively complex.
"...It's fine if you chant a bit slower," the girl explained, "just don't pause for more than three seconds between words, or the spell will break. But remember, any mistake means starting over, and we don't have many chances for that."
Time passed as Leon recovered his strength and memorized the two sections of the incantation—one for activating the soul-summoning circle and the other for the exorcism.
The girl meticulously guided him through every step of the ritual, explaining how they would reclaim Lohak's soul from the demon.
Lohak's soul hadn't yet been completely devoured. Using the soul-summoning circle, they could bait the demon with a simulated soul, tricking it into entering the ritual area.
Leon asked, "But won't the ritual attract more dangerous demons?"
"Relax. A simulated soul is made of magic, not a real one. It won't project into the spirit realm, so only the anger demon will be lured."
"And once Lohak is in the circle?"
"That's the first step. When he's inside, I'll activate the banishing runes to extract Lohak's soul. Without a soul to anchor to, the demon will manifest in its true form. That's when you'll chant the exorcism spell."
Leon's eyes widened. "Wait, extracting his soul? Won't that kill him?"
"Normally, yes," the girl admitted.
"What?"
"But this realm isolates life from death. Even if his soul leaves his body, it won't vanish. Once the demon is banished, I'll help you return his soul to his body. The process won't harm him."
Leon processed the steps of the plan, gradually piecing it all together.
With the girl's guidance, he would set up the soul-summoning and exorcism circles. She would then create the bait—a simulated soul—to draw the demon-possessed Lohak into the ritual.
Once inside, she would extract Lohak's soul, forcing the demon to reveal itself. Leon would then chant the exorcism to banish the demon and restore Lohak's soul.
The girl's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Still time to back out. This is risky. The ritual will draw more than just the demon—wandering spirits will come, too. Until Lohak enters the circle, we can't activate the banishing runes.
If weaker undead show up, you might handle them, but if stronger ones come..."
She hesitated before continuing, "...You don't owe Lohak anything. We could just leave, prepare a beacon, and escape this realm."
Leon paused.
He didn't owe Lohak anything. That was true.
But could he abandon him?
Finally, Leon broke the silence, a trace of clarity in his voice.
"Azerian and I chose to head north. We share responsibility for being here.
But Lohak... he followed my lead. I got us into this mess, and I can't let him suffer eternally for my decision.
I'd rather face the risk than live knowing I condemned him."
Leon rose and nudged Azerian, who had been silently praying. "I'm going to save Lohak. It's dangerous. We might die."
Azerian opened his eyes, puzzled but attentive.
After understanding Leon's intent, Azerian furrowed his brow.
"We've been in danger since the moment we fled." He gripped Leon's outstretched hand and stood up. "Besides, a Flarela never abandons his friends."