She vanished air bending where she once stood.
Then they both disappeared, streaks of light and shadow.
Alex, now cloaked in blazing aura, stilled his breath.
She was moving too fast warping reality itself.
"Where is she?" he thought, calming his pulse, observing like a predator.
Then there. A flicker.
He leapt, cleaving through her wing.
She snarled, grabbed him midair, and slammed him to the ground with enough force to shatter bedrock.
Her boot landed on his chest blows raining down.
Alex braced, barely holding on, fortifying his body with raw aura.
Then she revealed her second form.
Armor peeled away her body now etched in glowing black and crimson runes, pulsing with terrifying power. A demon queen, unchained.
"Where's your cockiness now, little light?" she hissed, hand gripping his neck.
But Alex smiled defiant.
He gripped her hand tighter.
And above them, the sky began to rumble.
Darcy roared. Storm clouds bloomed.
Lightning churned.
"What are you doing?!" she shrieked. "You'll kill us both!"
But when she looked around nothing.
Everyone had vanished. Teleported to safety.
She had no more leverage.
The first bolt struck like divine judgment.
She screamed, leaping away "You crazy bastard!"
But the storm didn't stop.
Lightning kept falling. Kept chasing.
Her senses screamed one word: Run.
She bolted across scorched ground until she looked back.
He was standing.
Lightning wrapped around him like armor.
A god cloaked in golden fire.
Then he vanished.
She gasped. Blood trickled.
A cut on her arm he was here.
Then gone again.
Then everywhere.
Alex, moving like lightning incarnate jumping from flash to flash, point to point.
Then right in front of her.
She froze.
His blade rose to the heavens.
The entire storm answered him.
The final strike hit like divine punishment.
She didn't even feel the blade pierce her heart only the fire that came after.
Lightning poured into her.
Ash took her.
"Who are you?" she whispered, voice fading.
Alex stepped forward, golden fire flickering in his veins.
"Son of Xander Bravelight and Anna Fostercane."
The demon laughed through burning lips.
"Then get ready. More will come for you."
Alex's blade ignited again now a golden inferno.
"And I'll be waiting. Happy journey."
He stumbled back, wincing.
"Damn… ribs still hanging in there. Shoulder's wrecked. Feet don't ask."
A smirk through the pain.
"I've got four stars left in me… but something still burns."
He closed his eyes.
And in the center of the battlefield, a giant ruin formed beneath him.
Golden fire erupted, searing the ground clean nothing left but ash.
Darcy roared again, her echo shaking clouds.
Then Alex raised one final spell.
Giant ruins blinked into existence across the continent every town, city, village he'd walked.
His voice thundered through them all:
"Hear me, people
Forget the chains...
or burn with them."
"This is your last warning.
No more buying lives with silver and gold.
If you raise a whip again
I will come for you.
You are not gods.
You are not kings.
You're cowards hiding behind coin."
"Every slave seal is gone.
You are free.
Now walk toward the light
or run from my blade."
"Go to the nearest Holy Order.
The Wandering Knights will shelter you.
This is not a plea.
It's a command.
From your captain."
"If anyone dares to trade freedom again
spread my words like fire.
And hear this loud "
"Every soul has the right to live.
With dignity.
With fire.
With hope."
"I'm leaving proof behind
a symbol carved in the capital."
"If anyone thinks they can still buy a life with money "
"Forget your gold forget your head.
It'll be severed and burned."
He carved his final message into the world
A giant sword, forged with his aura, drawn from earth's deepest minerals.
It stood, glinting under the dying storm, embedded into the heart of Archlight Capital.
Alex left behind a giant mark a symbol carved in the earth, glowing with the promise of freedom and hope.
But the act drained him dry.
His mana stars flickered dim, exhausted.
He fed what was left into his sword, eyes fluttering.
Breath shallow. Vision fading.
"Looks like... my body and mind finally gave in... damn," he thought
before collapsing, unconscious, and falling from the sky.
Darcy caught him midair, claws wrapping around his limp body.
She soared down, landing before a stunned crowd of freed slaves.
Without a word, she gently laid him on the ground beside Ruby.
Shrinking into her smaller dragon form , she looked at Ruby eyes full of worry, yet fierce.
"I'm taking him home," she said.
"Come find me once you've seen these people safe."
ruby stripped away his shattered armor, then lifted him onto Leo's back.
Ruby mounted behind him, holding Alex close as Leo took to the sky.
Darcy flew alongside protective, silent.
As they reached the palace, flying ships tried to block them
but Leo roared fire and tore through them like parchment.
No formalities. No permissions.
Ruby dashed through corridors, straight to her chambers.
There, she placed Alex on the bed.
She stripped away his bloodied clothes, hands trembling.
His body was torn, burned, bruised wounds carved deep like curses.
She fought back tears
no, she let them fall.
Pulling out the elixirs, she injected one straight into his chest,
then poured healing potion into every cut she could reach.
Then, without care for herself, she treated her own wounds
pain so sharp it knocked her out cold.
They both slept side by side, unmoving, like warriors in a quiet tomb.
Outside, Leo and Darcy stood guard all night.
Still. Silent. Watching over their fallen.
Later that night, a shadow crept into Ruby's room
soft, elegant, dangerous.
Persious.
Leo growled. Darcy narrowed her eyes.
But he simply raised a hand, and began to heal Alex in silence.
No words. No theatrics. Just quiet, practiced magic.
When it was done, he vanished like mist, like guilt.
Leaving only the slow, steady breathing of a boy who wasn't ready to die yet.
Royal Palace – Morning
As the sunlight spilled across marble floors, Prince Luke stirred awake.
He washed, dressed, and like always walked the familiar path to his sister's room.
Even though she was missing.
Even though hope was thinner than fog.
He still came.
It was routine.
A thread of belief he refused to cut.
He opened the door
And froze.
A crimson lion sat like a throne of fury. A dragon coiled beside the bed, eyes narrow and glowing.
Their stares hit him like spears.
Luke immediately shut the door.
"Nope. Not today," he muttered, backing away with wide eyes.
Just then, footsteps echoed rushed, armored.
The Prime Minister, Klaner, came charging down the corridor with Grandz and Matthew.
Luke stepped in front of them, flustered.
"There are two beasts inside! Guarding the room!"
Klaner barely slowed. "Prince, step aside. I need to see how the kids are doing."
Grandz didn't wait. He gently pushed Luke out of the way, flung the door open
And paused.
Leo, the crimson lion, rose slightly. Darcy, the dragon, lifted her head.
Grandz calmly removed his sword and tossed it to the corner of the room.
"I come in peace," he muttered and approached the bed.
Alex lay unconscious, wounds across his chest, wrapped in torn bandages and dried blood.
Beside him, Ruby Rebecca was curled up, sleeping.
Klaner and Matthew followed, eyes scanning the wreckage left on their bodies.
Matthew approached Leo, stroking his mane.
"They'll be fine, big guy… you did well."
Luke stepped forward.
But Leo stared him down, muscles tensing.
Luke panicked drawing his sword on instinct.
A mistake.
Leo growled. Deep. Dangerous.
Then a voice broke the tension.
"Luke... drop your sword."
The prince turned.
It was Alex barely awake, barely breathing, eyes half-lidded, lips cracked.
Ruby still clutched his side in her sleep.
Luke's sword lowered.
He saw Alex's battered body sword laid across his chest, wounds on his hands, red burns along his ribs and feet.
"What happened to you?" Luke whispered, horrified. "And why is my sister with you?"
Alex tried to rise. His ribs screamed. A groan escaped his lips.
Matthew was there in a flash, helping him into a chair.
Alex winced, caught his breath like it was a dying bird in his chest, then locked eyes with Luke.
"Come closer, Luke. There's a lot you need to hear."
Luke hesitated.
His eyes drifted to the bed where his sister Rebecca lay sleeping. Peacefully. Next to Alex.
He took a step toward her.
But Leo stood.
The crimson lion unfurled one massive wing and blocked Luke's path. Its head moved slow, deliberate, shaking side to side. No.
Frustrated, Luke clenched his jaw and marched to Alex instead.
"Tell me what happened. Where's my mother?!"
Alex coughed hard. Blood spilled from his lips.
Luke froze. Shocked.
"Alex… what the hell's going on?! I'm dying for answers here!"
Alex raised a shaky hand.
"Grandz… grab the infinity pocket. And the injector. Please."
Grandz nodded and dashed off, returning with the small magical pouch and metallic syringe.
Alex filled the injector with glowing elixir mana thick and volatile then plunged it into his back, near the spine.
His body convulsed. Breath stuttered. Four long minutes of shaking, his fingers clutching the chair like he was drowning on land.
Grandz and Matthew hovered close. Ready to jump in.
"I'm fine…" Alex rasped. "It's… normal."
Then, slowly, painfully, he told Luke everything.
The fight.
The lightning.
The teleportation.
The demons.
The truth about Rebecca.
Luke's fists trembled.
"Am I just worthless, Alex? Is that why you hid her from me?"
Alex let out a dry laugh.
"It's not that… I just don't trust anyone. Not anymore."
Luke's eyes narrowed.
"Then what the hell is this? Why were you cuddling with her in bed? Why's your jacket on her side?
I want answers, damn it!"
Alex grinned through the pain.
"Relax, Your Highness. i just reach fight to death fighting, bleeding, surviving. You think I had energy left to flirt?"
"Besides…" he added, smirking, "my grandfather knew I'd end up like this. He healed what he could before it got worse."
Alex leaned back. The weight of his own bones too much to bear.
"I need rest, Luke. More than your questions."
Grandz helped him back to bed.
Alex lay on the bed, unconscious, one hand still gripping his blade like it was part of him.
Outside the room, silence fell. Luke remained behind just sitting there, watching. Waiting.
Hours passed.
Finally, Ruby woke up after hours of sleeping .