The Demon Awakens
Deep within Herkalus Forest, Lucia sped through the trees at a pace almost impossible to follow.
Her crimson eyes remained fixed on a single direction.
She could still feel the bond connecting her to Noah.
It was faint, but strong enough to guide her.
Before long, a massive cave entrance appeared before her.
Cold air mixed with a sinister aura poured from within.
Lucia didn't hesitate.
She felt no fear.
Not even the slightest trace of doubt.
She stepped inside.
Far beneath the cave, an enormous chamber stretched into the darkness.
Its ceiling rose so high that it resembled an underground cathedral.
Hundreds of torches surrounded a massive stone altar.
Upon it lay Noah, Lee, and Lania, their hands and feet bound by black chains.
Behind their heads stood a gigantic stone monument resembling an ancient gravestone.
Its surface was covered in carvings written in an unfamiliar language.
Standing before the altar was Oroci, accompanied by several two-horned Demonics who appeared to be the elders of their race.
Slowly, they raised both hands.
Their voices echoed throughout the chamber.
"Demonia Liberta Araskus...!!"
In an instant...
The entire cavern fell silent.
The flames of the torches flickered violently.
An icy wind swept out from behind the ancient monument.
Then...
Dark shadows began to crawl from within.
Black tendrils slowly extended outward, wrapping themselves around Noah, Lee, and Lania.
Moments later, an enormous face emerged from the darkness.
Its eyes burned crimson.
Its mouth was filled with razor-sharp fangs.
Its body was nothing but shadow, yet it was large enough to dominate the entire chamber.
Lee's eyes widened.
"That's..."
"Jikales...!"
Noah turned toward her in alarm.
"What is that?!"
Astra immediately answered inside his mind.
Information.
Throughout Magnoran history, three True Demons have been recorded.
Jikales.
Hanales.
And one other True Demon whose identity remains unknown.
All three possess the highest recorded threat level.
Noah swallowed hard.
"What kind of world is this...?"
Oroci raised both arms high into the air.
"Today..."
"...this sacrifice will make me even stronger!"
The Demonics erupted into thunderous cheers.
Slowly, Jikales opened his mouth.
The black aura pouring from within made the air itself feel unbearably heavy.
The gigantic maw slowly descended toward the altar.
But then—
CRAAASH!!
Golden light suddenly flooded the entire chamber.
Every Demonic turned toward the entrance.
Lucia stood there with a golden sword in her hand.
Her white wings were spread wide.
Her expression remained perfectly calm.
Oroci gritted his teeth.
"Damn it!"
"We were so close!"
He immediately pointed toward Lucia.
"Kill her!"
Hundreds of Demonics charged at once.
Lucia never moved.
Every swing of her sword unleashed a wave of golden light that instantly obliterated her attackers.
The Demonics were hurled through the air in every direction.
Instead of retreating, Oroci accelerated the ritual.
"Hurry!"
"Consume the sacrifices!"
But...
Jikales no longer looked at the altar.
His gaze was fixed solely upon Lucia.
"You..."
His deep voice shook the entire cavern.
"At last..."
"...we meet."
Oroci froze.
"Lord Jikales?"
"The sacrifices—"
"Silence."
Jikales' voice turned ice-cold.
"A lesser creature has no right to interrupt me."
Oroci immediately fell silent.
Lucia seized the opportunity.
She raised one hand.
A stream of golden mana shot toward Lee.
The moment it entered her body, Lee's eyes flew open.
"My mana..."
"It's back?"
Her staff, lying several meters away, trembled.
WHOOSH!
It flew straight back into her hand.
"Ventus Cutter!"
Blades of compressed wind instantly severed the chains binding her.
Without wasting another second, Lee freed Noah and Lania.
The battle erupted.
Lee rained spells upon the Demonics.
Lania charged directly toward Oroci.
Meanwhile, Noah retreated behind the ruined stone structures.
He knew...
He would only become a burden if he tried to fight.
Amid the chaos...
Jikales never once looked away from Lucia.
"You..."
"...are not Lumina."
A deafening roar echoed through the cavern.
"RRRRAAAAGHHHHH!!"
The ceiling began to crack.
"But..."
"...your holy soul..."
"...possesses nearly the same power."
He burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha..."
"I'll devour you."
"And then..."
"...the entire world will belong to me."
Lucia gripped her sword with both hands.
Her expression remained perfectly calm.
"Lumina Exorsia."
In an instant...
A gigantic golden hand materialized above the cavern.
Noah immediately recognized it.
"That's..."
"The same attack I saw before."
The enormous palm slowly opened.
Dozens of golden chains shot outward.
Each one moved as though it possessed a will of its own.
The first chain wrapped around Oroci.
Then the other Demonics.
Lania, who had nearly been overwhelmed, finally managed to retreat.
But...
The true target of the chains was Jikales.
"No!"
"What is this?!"
Golden chains bound the colossal shadow from every direction.
Jikales roared in fury.
"You're not Lumina!"
"How can you..."
"...invoke the Hand of Exorsia?!"
Lucia gave no answer.
Her gaze remained cold.
More and more golden chains enveloped Jikales.
One by one, every Demonic—including Oroci—was dragged toward the enormous golden palm.
"No...!"
"LET ME GO!!"
Jikales' roar shook the entire cavern.
But it was useless.
The giant golden hand slowly closed into a fist.
In a single instant...
Every trace of black shadow vanished.
Silence.
The demonic aura was gone.
The voices of the Demonics had disappeared.
The Hand of Exorsia gradually faded together with the golden light that filled the cavern.
Noah and Lee could only stare in stunned silence.
Lee looked at Lucia with disbelief.
"You're not Lumina..."
"But that power..."
"...who are you?"
Lucia offered no reply.
Instead, she looked toward the cavern ceiling.
It was collapsing.
Massive boulders began crashing down one after another.
Noah immediately realized what was happening.
"We have to get out!"
He rushed toward the injured Lania.
"Lania!"
"Can you still walk?"
"I can, my Lord."
Noah then helped Lee to her feet.
"Come on!"
"The cave is collapsing!"
Without waiting for a response, Lucia spread her wings.
With one arm, she caught an enormous boulder that was about to crush them.
"Please leave first, my Lord."
"I'll hold this passage."
Noah nodded.
The three of them immediately ran toward the exit.
Behind them...
Lucia stood alone, holding back the collapsing cavern as the massive cave slowly buried the sacrificial altar beneath the darkness forever.