Warm air wrapped around Tucker's body. He could hear his heartbeat over the bones cracking beneath Serevoth's shifting form. Every second he spent debating what to do was a precious moment lost. Ray was burning out; his spirit essence was depleting at a rate he couldn't even begin to imagine. He was the very key to their victory that they desperately needed.

Tucker clenched his fist, tightening his hold around the hilt of his sword. They were running out of time. And the demon knew it. It knew that if it played its cards right, bided its time, then the watchmen would lose. Spirits, demons, hellspawns, and even the gods themselves all existed on some sort of dimension. Their source of power was drawn from their roots.

The same applied to Serevoth. They just needed to figure out how the demon had managed to manifest its power. How it was staying in this world. That's why it took out Rover, to suffocate the watchmen of their chances to replenish their reserves.

He channeled his spirit essence from his outer ring and sent it into his sword, manifesting an emerald bow of wind. There wasn't a way to find the source of Serevoth's power. Nor a way for him to directly take part in the fight with the searing heat from Ray's flames. But that wasn't going to stop him. Tucker leapt onto the bookshelves as Alex and Ray lunged forth. Their boots scraped against the broken fragments of stone.

Tucker drew the bowstring made of wind and focused on Serevoth as the fiend charged forth to meet the two watchmen head-on. Its steps were heavy, shattering the floor beneath the emerald carpet. The crimson robes it wore tightened around its body like thin strands of armor. And right before the two forces could collide, Tucker saw it.

Swirls of blue mana were manifesting just a few feet behind Serevoth. That was when it clicked. The demon wasn't as strong as them when it came to close-quarters. It was just that it had exceptional regeneration capabilities. He narrowed his eyes, harnessing his essence into four solidified arrows of wind. Each one rested on the spot right above the bow's riser. Without Gale, it was impossible to strike down all the magic circles before they formed, but he had to try. He needed to cover Alex and Ray as much as possible before they entered close-quarter combat.

Tucker's breathing steadied, marking each clump of mana in his sights. Four magic circles, four arrows, and one moment to make it all count. He planted his feet on the wooden frame of the bookshelves. Wind curled around his forearms like restless hawks waiting to be released. Flickering light made the chamber crackle as magic circles hung in the air above Serevoth. Their symbols rotated in rings with violet sparks descending onto the stone floor like embers.

Each translucent arrow hissed like a storm trapped in a fragile glass bottle. For a heartbeat, it felt like the world had shrunk to a single thread of focus. The crackling of flames roared in his ears. Ash danced in the breeze, and not a shred of hesitation existed within. Tucker had fought mages before. He knew the rhythm of their casting. The invisible snap just as the spells came to life.

The unnatural light steadied, brightening in an instant.

There.

Tucker exhaled and released the thread between his fingertips. The wind arrows tore downward with a silent howl, cutting through the ashes in the blink of an eye. Only three met their mark, striking the magic circle's dead center and shattering the runic rings like brittle glass. Violet fragments of energy whirled in disarray before dissolving.

And Serevoth, who was well aware of his antics, instantly redirected the fourth circle to him. But as the spell came to life, it was already too late. Tucker was already moving, boots thudding against the wooden tops of each shelf as he repositioned. He drew again, faster than any normal archer could, and focused on the violet magic missiles that sought to take his life.

His spirit essence flared, forming another set of arrows as he drew his bowstring. Too many were coming at once from different angles. His mind raced ahead of his muscles, calculating the trajectories and rotations. He could feel it—the currents of wind spiraling between the spells.

He whipped his bow sideways, firing one arrow at a time at the curving projectiles. Four of the magic missiles were all shot down as swirls of violet dispersed in the air. But the fifth came far too quickly, striking him in the shoulder as Tucker twisted his body. He gritted his teeth, aura rushing out like a beacon to counteract the eruption. But it was too late; the light overwhelmed his vision along with the tremors that struck his inner organs.

BOOM.

Ray glanced over his shoulder while clenching his jaw.

"Don't look back," Alex said with a sharp glare. "Don't waste this opportunity he created for us."

Ray bitterly nodded as the explosion behind him shook the very tiles beneath his feet. Wood splintered to the side. Each step drove them closer to Serevoth. Closer to the demon that sought to take their lives. Salamander took the lead and rushed the fiend head-on. But just before his blade could land, Serevoth's right hand shot out, twisting the air as Alex's body was hurled to the side.

The one it was after wasn't the veteran. It was after Ray. With a powerful swing, the muscles in Serevoth's arm released a torrent of strength, cleaving towards the young watchman. The impact sent a violent shudder through Ray's arms as he desperately tried to defend. Yet with each trembling second, the reality was slowly coming to light.

He was being overwhelmed, pushed back with a single attack.

Alex clicked his tongue and darted back into the fray. He circled around the demon's flank, sword aimed to sever the demon's left arm, but Serevoth was already a step ahead. The demon followed through with the momentum of its first strike, widening the arc in one precise motion. The sweeping blow forced Ray to retreat and caught Alex's blade mid-swing, launching the veteran aside.

Once Alex was driven back, Serevoth extended its hand towards Ray and yanked him forward as a violet tether coiled around his waist.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"What—!" Ray struggled against the hold and twisted his body as the skeletal blade lunged for his chest.

In the nick of time, he deflected the strike into the air. Flames danced along the ivory surface, but just before he could catch his breath. The next strike was already in motion, carving down in a diagonal path that knocked Ray's sword low before rising in a vicious reverse cut across his chest. A flash of teal rose from the runes on his armor. The slash tearing a long gash across the black iron surface.

Ray couldn't believe it as the demon pulled one combo after another.

This wasn't the same demon as before. Its speed, endurance, and strength had all drastically increased.

He watched as Serevoth spun on its heel, lifting its blade high in the air. A shiver ran down Ray's spine. Violet energy erupted along the skeletal weapon, curving into a spectral edge, and with a single sweep. It sent a shrieking aura slash ripping through the chamber. The blast ripped the tiles apart and devoured the bookshelves just before slamming into Alex with a thunderous bang.

The veteran clicked his tongue in frustration as he was driven further away from the fight. The wave in front of him howled as if tormented souls were trapped within. Skull-like visages screamed for salvation, and the blade in Alex's hands trembled before finally splitting the attack in half.

It had just used the Everheart Kingdom's first sword form in perfect succession.

Ray narrowed his eyes. If he had completed the combo, then the next attack would've been…

In an instant, he snapped his left leg up, driving a lightning-fast front kick straight into Serevoth just as the demon mirrored the attack. Their legs collided with a bone-shaking thud, forcing both of them to stagger backward.

A throbbing pain shot through Ray's knee, causing him to wince. Serevoth was adapting, learning, and improving its tactics with every exchange. He knew his attacks were the only ones capable of wounding the demon... yet even that advantage felt thin. His comrades were constantly driven back by the demon's tactics, and in a duel between him and the demon, it felt hopeless.

What could he even do? He didn't have as much experience as Salamander, nor was he as clever as his commander.

The fiery essence within Ray's heart hammered with fury. Flames rippled along his blade as he clashed against Serevoth's skeletal sword. Their movements weaved through the chamber, and the occasional aura waves directed at Alex separated the duo further and further. It was like Serevoth and Ray were in their own little world, dancing to a tune that would only end with one's death.

No matter how many feints Ray tried, or whatever attack he launched. None of it could break through the demon's keen gaze, and he knew that one mistake, one misstep, would be the end.

Sweat dripped down Ray's chin as he focused solely on the battle before him. His arms were aching, knuckles white from holding his sword. He guarded against each strike with pure grit and instinct, retreating only when it was absolutely necessary for survival. But Ray knew he wouldn't last much longer. His essence was depleting with each clash, and he wanted to do more.

That was when a spark of emerald light cut through the space between him and Serevoth, moving far too fast for Ray to track. Even the demon froze in surprise. A mistake it would soon regret as a pair of talons tore across its teal eye, ripping out the flesh with ichor bursting from the wound.

"Thou foul spirit!" Serevoth screamed in rage, glaring at the wind hawk that had flown into the chamber from the tunnels.

Ray's eyes ignited with purpose. This was the chance he needed, the opening he had prayed for. Without a shred of fear, he took a step closer to Serevoth. His sword came to life as the inferno enveloped the weapon. He could see Serevoth match his stance, raising his weapon towards Ray's neck. But Ray didn't care. It was all or nothing. The only way to kill Serevoth was to obliterate every trace of ichor inside the demon.

He had to aim for its heart and pierce through it while flooding his flames deep within its veins.

Ray released a battle cry with every fiber of his being. He thrust his sword towards Serevoth's heart, but as it struck, a violet aura crystallized around the demon's body. A final desperate shield to resist the blow.

Please! Just a bit more!

He begged with everything he had left, drawing every last bit of spirit essence from his heart. The demon's blade arced toward Ray's skull, but right before it could land, a crimson lasso snapped tight around Serevoth's sword.

The demon cursed as its attack halted with a violent jerk. It didn't even need to turn to know who it was. Alex was standing several meters away, gripping the rope with both hands as aura ran through the fibers. The old watchman had wrapped it around his forearms, bracing his legs against the shattered tiles. He was barely holding the attack back as he poured every ounce of strength into anchoring the demon's blade back.

But it still wasn't enough. Ray knew his limits, and even after absorbing the flame essence in the chamber, his attack wasn't enough to break through the dense demonic aura.

"Release me," Serevoth hissed, its voice shook the chamber. "Thy deaths are inevitabl—!"

That was when a figure hovering behind Serevoth caught Ray's eye.

Tucker had leapt across the chamber with Feather Step, appearing behind Serevoth without so much as a whisper. His armor had shattered, with large cracks crawling along his shoulder. In his left hand was an energy Ray had hardly ever seen before. A power that caused the demon's aura to shrink. It wasn't aura or spirit essence, but a golden light that belonged to only a few selected individuals in the world.

Divinity.

A power that the watchman shouldn't have, yet was clearly displaying, appeared before Serevoth, and for once, an emotion was filling the demon's heart. One it never imagined it would experience. Fear. Every instinct in the ashen fiend's soul told it to run, but it couldn't, for there was nowhere to go.

And with that, Tucker drove his fist into the back of its skull, shattering the protective layer of aura that had crystallized around its body.

"Ray!" Tucker shouted. "Finish it!"

Serevoth tried to jerk its sword free, but Alex roared, pulling the rope back while dragging the demon's arm down by sheer will. "Move!"

Ray didn't think. He didn't hesitate or even breathe. All he did was summon every ounce of strength left in him and plunge the flaming blade through the crumbling violet barrier. The blade pierced Serevoth's heart as a sound unlike anything they had ever heard escaped the demon's throat. The wails of agony raged as the flames shot through its veins. Black ichor convulsed beneath its skin, boiling and thrashing for a way out before the inferno consumed it.

But with nowhere to go, Serevoth could only stagger back, trying to pull free. It struggled with all its might, but Alex's rope held Serevoth's arm in place like a shackle.

"Ah…" Serevoth gasped as its torn eye widened in realization. "Thy kind… I remember thee now…"

The words hung on the demon's tongue. "Thou… art…" Its voice grew quieter as if fading into the distance. "Watchmen…"

A wave of violet and orange light rolled outwards as the shockwave sent debris flying through the chamber. When the flames vanished, only scorched tiles and a single exoskeleton remained in the blazing aftermath of their battle. Ray collapsed to one knee, gasping as his blade shattered into dust.

Alex dropped what was left of the rope and took a deep breath while Tucker knelt beside Ray with one hand on his shoulder.

"You did it," Tucker said. "Whatever you awakened… it saved us."

Ray looked up at both of them. Their helms hid their expressions, but he knew his comrades felt the same as he did—the exhaustion, shock, but most of all, the relief of surviving the impossible.

"No." Ray shook his head, staring at his comrades who had given their all to create the slightest opening for him. "We did it."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.