The demon's body was covered in wounds.
One of them was especially deep.
Larriet's bite had torn through flesh and ripped away part of one of his arms.
Vordrak looked at the dark blood dripping onto the ruined streets of Norvind.
And smiled.
—Damn lion...
He slowly flexed his injured arm.
—You almost tore it off.
He raised his gaze toward Sofia.
—You're a worthy opponent.
Sofia didn't answer.
Larriet growled beside her.
Both of them were covered in wounds.
But neither had retreated.
Then...
Vordrak stopped smiling.
Something had changed.
Sofia felt it before she understood what was happening.
The demonic mana began to move.
At first, it was a single current.
Then another.
The corpses of the creatures that had fallen during the battle began emitting a faint dark glow.
The mana left their bodies.
And was absorbed by Vordrak.
Sofia narrowed her eyes.
—What...?
A nearby soldier dropped to his knees.
His body began to tremble.
—What's happening?!
The mana left his armor.
Then his body.
The soldier collapsed unconscious.
Another soldier ran.
He didn't get far.
A black current pierced through his chest.
His energy was ripped from him.
The members of the demonic cult began to scream.
—Lord Vordrak!
—What are you doing?!
—Stop!
Vordrak didn't even look at them.
One after another, the cultists began collapsing.
Their bodies withered as every bit of mana they possessed was absorbed by the demon.
Even the creatures that were still fighting began to weaken.
Vordrak spread his arms.
—I need more.
The dark mana throughout Norvind began converging toward him.
Black currents swept through the streets.
The corpses.
The monsters.
The cultists.
Everything was feeding the demon.
Vordrak's body began to change.
His muscles expanded.
His skin grew darker.
His wounds began to close.
And his presence...
grew.
Larriet took a step backward.
He recognized the predator before him.
A predator that had just become something far worse.
Vordrak raised his head.
—I lost ten years of my existence using this power.
A twisted smile appeared on his face.
—But when I bring your head before the Heralds...
His eyes gleamed.
—They'll give me divine mana.
Sofia tightened her grip on her spear.
—So all of this is for a few drops of divine mana...
Vordrak burst into laughter.
—A few drops?
His voice turned bitter.
—We work like slaves for them for a miserable few drops!
The mana around him exploded.
—And they still expect us to thank them!
Sofia didn't answer.
She watched the demon's body.
The pressure was different.
Much worse.
Vordrak no longer seemed to be fighting to conquer Norvind.
He was fighting not to disappear.
And that made him even more dangerous.
The ground began to crack.
Stones, corpses, and fragments of buildings slowly began rising around the demon.
The air itself warped.
The soldiers retreated.
Even the magical beasts began to grow restless.
Sofia understood what was happening.
—Fall back.
The riders looked at her.
—But, my lady...!
—Now!
Her voice cut through any protest.
—Take the wounded out of his reach.
She looked at Larriet.
The enormous lion bared his fangs.
Sofia briefly stroked his mane.
—We stay.
Larriet answered with a growl.
The riders began retreating.
Sofia looked back at Vordrak.
She wasn't afraid of dying.
She had never been afraid.
But there was one thing she couldn't accept.
Dying before seeing Lusian again.
Her son.
The only person she truly feared losing.
Vordrak vanished.
Sofia barely had time to react.
—Larriet!
The lion lunged forward.
BOOM!
A claw collided with Vordrak's.
The shockwave shattered the windows of the nearby buildings.
Larriet was pushed several meters backward.
But the demon didn't stop.
He appeared behind him again.
Sofia swung her spear.
Too late.
The claws tore through Larriet's side.
—GRAAAARGH!
Blood splattered across the streets.
Larriet roared and struck the demon with one of his paws.
Vordrak was forced backward.
Sofia dropped to her knees on his back.
She was breathing heavily.
Her armor was destroyed.
Blood ran down her arm.
But she stood again.
—Not yet.
Larriet growled.
Sofia raised her spear.
—Alpha Attunement.
Mana once again enveloped them.
—Pack Bond.
White light exploded around the Solar Lion.
Vordrak smiled.
—You still want to continue?
Sofia looked directly at him.
—As long as you remain here...
She tightened her grip on the spear.
—Yes.
The battle began again.
Vordrak attacked with monstrous speed.
Larriet responded.
Sofia directed every movement.
They weren't trying to defeat him immediately.
They were trying to survive.
An attack.
A defense.
An opening.
A counterattack.
Every movement was calculated.
Every second mattered.
Because Sofia had realized something.
Vordrak's body was growing more powerful.
But he was also consuming his own existence.
His movements were beginning to lose precision.
His breathing became irregular.
His attacks grew more violent.
More desperate.
—Damn it!
Vordrak swung.
Larriet dodged.
The claw destroyed a house behind him.
Sofia seized the opening.
—Now!
Larriet charged.
BOOM!
The demon was sent crashing through three walls before finally coming to a stop.
Sofia breathed heavily.
They had gained a few seconds.
Only a few seconds.
But they were enough.
Vordrak emerged from the rubble.
Half of his face was covered in blood.
—No...
He looked at his own hands.
His body was beginning to lose stability.
—I won't disappear.
His mana exploded.
—I WILL NOT DISAPPEAR!
A black storm engulfed Norvind.
Sofia raised her spear.
Larriet positioned himself in front of her.
They both knew what was coming.
Vordrak gathered all of his power.
There was no room left to hold back.
Then...
BOOOOM.
A bolt of lightning descended from the sky.
It struck the demon directly.
The electrical explosion illuminated all of Norvind.
Vordrak was sent flying and crashed through a wall.
—WHAT...?!
Sofia looked up.
Larriet did the same.
Through the smoke and ruins...
someone had just entered the battlefield.
And Vordrak realized too late that while all his attention had been focused on Sofia...
someone else had arrived.