Chapter 148: Blood & Blades
The land was dead.
Ruins stretched across the battlefield, the remnants of what had once been a grand city. Blackened stone, shattered towers, and streets littered with corpses. Abyssal energy hung in the air, thick as fog, curling in tendrils around the desecrated ground.
Kael clenched his fists, his vision blurring.
His body still hadn't recovered from the Celestial Sigil's backlash.Pain licked at his veins like fire, his mana refusing to stabilize. Every step felt like walking through water, his limbs heavy, his breath ragged.
Despite this, he kept moving.
There wasn't time to rest.
Before them, a summoning ritual was underway. A massive abyssal pillar rose from the ground, pulsating with dark energy. Lesser demons, greater demons, and at the heart of them all—a demon general stood guard.
Ilyra's sharp silver eyes flickered between the demons, her elegant but tattered armor stained with blood. Despite her noble lineage, her movements held the rigid grace of someone raised in servitude.
She turned to Kael. "You're struggling to stand. Can you even fight?"
Kael forced a breath. "I'll manage."
Raithon scoffed. "He'll 'manage,' he says, while barely staying upright. Typical human arrogance."
Kael shot him a look, but before he could reply, Saria rolled her eyes.
"Here we go again."
Raithon ignored her. Instead, his golden eyes drifted toward Vasaria.
"You. Leech. Help him."
Vasaria smirked, her fangs glinting. "My, my, Highborn. That almost sounded like a request."
Raithon's gaze hardened. "I'm not in the habit of politely addressing filth."
Thalric stiffened, his hand gripping his sword. "Watch your mouth, elf."
Raithon snorted. "Or what? You'll cry about it?"
Saria hissed. "Tch. You high elves are all the same. Arrogant bastards, the lot of you."
Raithon smirked. "And you're just like every other shadow-born wretch. Loud, crude, and irrelevant."
Thalric's knuckles whitened on his blade, but Kael held up a hand.
"Enough." His voice was steady, despite the pain gnawing at his nerves. "Focus. The demons aren't waiting for us to finish arguing."
The Demon Attack
The first wave of demons rushed forward.
They came in droves—twisted beasts with glowing abyssal sigils carved into their flesh.
Kael braced himself, exhaling.
Berserker Ascent.
Heat exploded through his limbs. The exhaustion was still there, but his muscles responded faster, sharper. His movements no longer sluggish.
A demon leapt at him.
Kael pivoted—his blade carved through its skull.
But before he could recover, another lunged.
His mana flared—
Arcane Sever.
A violet glyph ignited beneath his feet.
The demon's arm vanished mid-swing, severed from reality.
Kael moved to finish it off—
Pain stabbed through his chest.
His vision swam.
The backlash was worsening.
"Shit," he muttered.
Ilyra rushed in beside him, her twin blades flashing.
"Fall back!" she ordered. "You're slowing down!"
Kael gritted his teeth.
Slow? No. He refused.
But before he could force himself forward again, Vasaria's cold fingers caught his wrist.
"Enough," she whispered. "You're barely holding on."
Her red eyes glowed, hunger evident.
Kael knew that look.
He sighed. "Let me guess. You want another taste?"
Vasaria smirked, voice playful. "Want? No. Need? Absolutely."
Kael glanced at the battlefield.
Demons still surrounded them. The summoning circle pulsed, growing stronger.
They didn't have time.
"Make it quick," he muttered.
Vasaria didn't hesitate.
She pulled him closer—her breath ghosted against his skin.
Then—her fangs pierced his neck.
Kael's breath hitched.
The sensation was… different this time.
Not just pain, but a slow, consuming heat. A rush of something foreign but not unpleasant.
His pulse quickened.
Vasaria shuddered against him.
His blood was intoxicating.
She lingered too long.
Kael exhaled sharply. "Enough."
She reluctantly pulled away.
Her lips were flushed, her pupils blown wide.
"Holy hells," she whispered.
Kael wiped his neck. "You said that last time."
Vasaria grinned, licking her lips. "And I meant it. You taste—"
Raithon interrupted, his voice laced with disgust.
"Are you done letting the parasite suck on your neck, or do you need a moment?"
Vasaria tilted her head. "Jealous, Highborn?"
Raithon scoffed. "Hardly. I don't make a habit of consorting with vermin."
Thalric glowered.
Saria sneered. "Keep talking, elf. One day you'll choke on your own arrogance."
Raithon smirked. "Doubtful."
Raithon Unleashed
A greater demon charged at Raithon.
It was twice his size, wielding a massive abyssal cleaver.
Raithon simply sighed.
"You're in my way."
He raised his hand—
Aether Bind.
Golden chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around the demon's throat.
The creature choked, struggling.
Raithon smiled coldly.
"Stay."
His blade flashed—
A single clean stroke.
The demon's head rolled.
Blood splattered, steaming against the corrupted earth.
Raithon flicked his blade, uninterested. "Pathetic."
The battlefield was filled with corpses.
The only thing left was the summoning ritual.
Kael raised his arm—
Crimson Sigil.
Blood magic flared beneath the pillar.
Abyssal energy howled as the ritual imploded.
The air shuddered.
The summoning collapsed.
With the battle won, they had two greater demons left alive.
Kael, still recovering, approached them.
"You were guarding the summoning circle." His voice was calm, but edged with steel. "Why?"
One demon laughed darkly. "You'll find out soon enough, mortal."
Raithon tilted his head. "I tire of this."
He extended his hand.
A pulse of fire engulfed one demon's head—incinerating it instantly.
The second demon snarled.
"Wait! I'll tell you!"
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Then talk."
"The Abyss Gate… it's already opening in another region. You can't stop it."
Kael's blood went cold.
Another pillar was forming.
Raithon grinned cruelly.
"And now, we don't need you anymore."
The demon's eyes widened—
Raithon's blade flashed.
A clean, merciless execution.
Raithon smirked. "Good riddance."
Thalric scowled. "That was unnecessary."
Raithon snorted. "Spare me the moral lesson, under-elf. Filth belongs in the ground."
Kael, still struggling to stand, exhaled slowly.
Ilyra touched his arm. "Are you alright?"
Kael nodded.
"We have to stop the next gate."
Despite his pain, he straightened.
"We move at dawn."