The Lich's body began to crack.
For the first time since its summoning, the creature lost the stability that kept it anchored to this world.
The dark flames covering its bones twisted violently.
Its core...
the source of the mana sustaining its existence...
was collapsing.
A spectral wail swept across the village.
The armor shattered.
The bones turned to ash.
And finally, the guardian disintegrated into a cloud of black dust.
For a moment...
it seemed like they had won.
But then the mana accumulated inside it escaped all at once.
The air exploded.
Umber felt it before anyone else.
The distortion of energy triggered his instincts.
He lunged toward Lusian and covered him with his shadow-wrapped body.
The explosion reached them.
The shockwave shook the entire residence.
When the dust cleared, both of them lay among the ruins.
Lusian did not move.
Umber remained still for several seconds.
His fur was burned.
Dark blood poured from his wounds.
He tried to stand.
He failed.
He tried again.
This time, he managed to rise.
With one final effort, he carried Lusian onto his back and began walking away.
Each step left a trail of blood across the stone.
But he did not stop.
He searched for someone who could protect Lusian when he no longer could.
Finally, he found them.
Aureus stood motionless in front of Emily, Adela, Kara, and Isabella.
The Lich's body finished disintegrating among the black flames.
Its remains scattered beneath the rain.
For a moment...
the battlefield fell silent.
Jerges watched his creature disappear.
His pupils trembled.
He raised his voice.
—Retreat!
The cultists did not hesitate.
They immediately abandoned the residence.
They were not trying to defend it.
They fled through the side streets, following routes that had been prepared beforehand.
Some cult members fell back toward the basement entrance, abandoning any attempt to attack the masters.
They formed a wall of bodies in front of the stairs.
They were no longer fighting to win.
They were fighting to buy time.
Enzo gave them no chance.
His sword, wrapped in earth mana, pierced the first cultist.
Agustín crashed into the opposite flank like a battering ram.
Shields were thrown aside.
Bodies fell one after another.
But then, in the middle of the chaos...
Jerges disappeared.
No one saw when it happened.
No one noticed the exact moment he left the battlefield.
One moment he was there, maintaining the ritual.
The next...
only the runes remained, pulsing beneath his feet.
The village was a chaos of fire, steel, and roars.
The air trembled with every impact, every spell released.
The streets were covered in mud, blood, and the remains of shattered magic.
Allan could barely remain standing.
His breathing was heavy.
The mana inside his body burned like a flame moments away from dying.
In front of him, a commander of the demon cult smiled as he raised his sword wrapped in darkness.
Every strike had been heavier than the last.
Every defense more difficult.
Allan understood with brutal clarity.
If he fell...
the princes would be next.
—No... I... cannot... fail...
He blocked another strike.
His knees gave out.
The commander raised his sword to deliver the final blow.
Then...
a whistle cut through the storm.
A spear wrapped in golden light crossed the battlefield.
It pierced through the commander's head.
The body fell without making a sound.
A horse charged through the flames, kicking up mud and debris.
The figure riding it recovered the spear with a single movement and, without slowing down, decapitated another cultist who tried to intercept her.
Behind her...
a golden lion lunged at the enemies.
Its claws tore through armor as if it were paper.
The cultists instinctively retreated.
They recognized that beast.
They recognized that banner.
Allan raised his head.
The Grand Duchess Sofia Douglas had arrived.
Her presence alone was enough to restore the knights' morale.
—It's the Douglas!
The front line, which only moments ago had been close to collapsing, began to stabilize.
Sofia dismounted without taking her eyes off the battlefield.
—Report.
Allan breathed heavily.
—The academy was attacked by a stampede of monsters. During the evacuation, we were ambushed by the demon cult. They have prepared a massive ritual across the entire village.
Sofia scanned the battlefield with a single glance.
Destroyed houses.
Corpses.
Ritual markings carved into the ground.
Then...
her body stiffened.
A sharp pain pierced her chest.
The bond with Umber.
She closed her eyes for only a moment.
And she felt it.
Lusian.
Injured.
Gravely.
For the first time since the battle began, her expression lost its composure.
She turned her head.
There.
Several kilometers away.
Umber was still alive...
but barely.
At that moment, twenty riders bearing the silver banner of the Douglas arrived.
They had taken too long to reach her.
None of them had been able to keep up with her mount.
The warriors stopped before her.
Waiting for orders.
Sofia spoke without looking away from the forest.
—Split up.
Her voice was cold.
Precise.
—Hunt down the cult members.
Do not let any escape.
The riders struck their chests in obedience.
—Yes, Grand Duchess!
They departed immediately.
Only then did Sofia mount again.
She gave no explanation.
None was needed.
She spurred her horse forward and disappeared into the rain.
Allan watched her leave.
And for the first time since he had known her...
he saw something in the Grand Duchess he never thought he would witness.
Fear.
From a distance, Casandra watched her cross the village.
She wanted to call out.
She wanted to stop her.
But she found no words.
Sofia appeared through the rain like a golden arrow.
Her horse barely touched the ground.
The corpses and remains of battle were left behind as she followed the bond connecting her to Umber.
Every second...
the sensation grew stronger.
More painful.
Then she saw him.
Umber lay in the mud.
Breathing with difficulty.
And on his back...
Lusian.
The world seemed to stop for a moment.
Sofia dismounted before her horse had fully stopped.
She did not run.
She walked with quick,
steady steps.
Only when she reached him...
did her hands hesitate.
For the briefest instant.
She brushed aside his hair, soaked with blood.
She searched for his pulse.
There it was.
Weak.
But present.
Her shoulders lowered slightly.
Only she noticed that small relief.
Behind her arrived Emily, Isabella, Kara, and Adela.
None of them said a word.
They had never seen the Grand Duchess remain silent.
Sofia lifted her gaze.
—Who did this?
The question was calm.
Too calm.
Emily swallowed.
—It was... an explosion. Umber protected him.
Sofia looked at the wolf.
The beast's body was covered in wounds.
It had continued moving even after taking an impact that would have killed most creatures.
For a moment...
she placed a hand on his head.
—Well done.
Only two words.
But Umber slowly relaxed his body.
As if he had been waiting to hear them.
Then Sofia stood again.
All hesitation disappeared.
She looked toward the center of the village.
The demonic mana was still present.
Enemies remained.
—Adela.
—Yes, Grand Duchess.
—Take Lusian to the rear.
Do not allow anyone near him.
—Understood.
Sofia looked at Umber.
The wolf was still conscious.
Breathing with difficulty.
When he saw her approach...
he barely lifted his head.
Only slightly.
As if he wanted to make sure she had arrived.
Sofia understood.
She asked no questions.
She knelt beside him.
Placed a hand on his head.
—You protected him...
Umber's tail struck the mud weakly.
Once.
Then he lowered his head again.
He had fulfilled the command he never needed to hear.
Protect Lusian.
Until the very end.