Orcs appeared from nowhere to protect Thalor. Thalor laughed heartily and shouted, "Look closely, this is true power! He lost his mind because of greed."
Elowen, Sylas, Garrick, and Kaelan appeared as well, accompanied by orcs and goblins. "Thalor, we have completed our mission," Elowen said.
"Very good," Thalor replied, laughing so hard he suddenly stopped and looked back at Zariel and Lyra. "I wonder how much dark mana Caden and Cyra are gaining right now."
Lyra's eyes widened. "What did you say? Is that true?"
"Sister, pull yourself together," Zariel urged.
Thalor began explaining everything to Lyra while Zariel assessed the situation and planned their escape. "We're surrounded," Zariel thought.
Zariel then asked Thalor, "Where are the other students?"
Thalor replied without hesitation, "The students? They are safe. Do you want to see them?" From the darkness, the remaining students, now undead, emerged, trapped in a dark barrier.
"Look closely, this is true power," Thalor gloated. "Velgrim and Lyra, if you want to live, join us. The Herald of the Abyss will accept you."
"Disgusting bastard," Zariel thought. "This dark mana is part of Cancer's divine power. So, they are the famous lunatic cult, huh?"
Thalor's voice cut through his thoughts. "So, what's your answer?"
In a fit of rage, Lyra released her aura and, with one swing of her sword, beheaded many orcs and goblins. Thalor shouted, "ATTAAAAAACK!"
In his mind, Thalor was in disbelief. "Impossible! How can she be at the peak of the 3rd aura circle at her age? And Velgrim is...!" His thoughts stopped abruptly in shock. "Impossible! How can he possess both mana and aura? The mana is dark, but not exactly. What is that?"
As the battle raged, the army of orcs and goblins began losing. Thalor shouted again, "What are you doing? Attack at once!"
Zariel thought, "It's getting complicated." He used magic, focusing his shadow mana into his sword, combining it with an inferno spell to create a massive shadow fire. The army of orcs and goblins was wiped out in an instant, and the forest was filled with shadow fire. Lyra, Thalor, and the others were shocked by what they witnessed.
"I can't accept this," Thalor muttered, losing his mind. The undead started attacking, and even the orcs behind him joined. "These orcs are not ordinary; they're boosted by the pills. If I give them a little amount of dark mana, they will become stronger," Thalor thought.
Lyra killed many undead, reaching her limits. Seeing her condition, Zariel cast Hellfire to create a temporary safe zone. "Sister, are you okay?" Zariel asked.
"Yes, don't..." Lyra began, but she couldn't finish her words.
"Sister, sleep well. Forgive me, but I can't go all out if you are watching," Zariel said gently. He put her to sleep with a spell to ensure she wouldn't see what was coming next.
Minutes passed, and as the fire weakened, Zariel appeared, using shadow mana to transform his body into armor. He cast a shadow barrier around Lyra, who was lying on the ground for protection.
Zariel moved with precision, slicing through orcs and goblins with his shadow-imbued sword. Each swing was a blur, cutting down foes left and right. Despite their efforts, the enemy numbers seemed endless. Thalor watched in disbelief as his forces dwindled. Zariel, now armored in shadow, charged through the ranks, his sword igniting with dark flames as he struck down any who stood in his way.
"We must end this," Zariel thought, focusing his energy. He unleashed a final, devastating attack, combining shadow and fire into a colossal wave of destruction. The remaining enemies were engulfed, the dark mana dissipating in the aftermath.
Breathing heavily, Zariel looked at Lyra, who was peacefully lying behind the barrier. "We need to move," he thought, preparing for what lay ahead. This was far from over.
YOU ARE READING
Twilights of the Gods
Fantasy"Centuries ago, the battle mage who dared to challenge the gods was sealed away in eternal darkness, his name erased from history. But prophecies whispered of his return, and now, after ages of imprisonment, he has been reborn in a world dominated b...
