“Fire Spirit Lord, are you hurt?” Onneas asked, gentling voice when saw how drained the immortal looked. The Fire Spirit Lord drew a shaky breath. “I will recover. The cost was steep, that is all.”
“But the Fire Demon Lord escaped with the Soul Devourer, and they will flee to level nine. From now on, peace up there will be only a memory.”
The weight of that future settled over the group, dimming every face. No one dared imagine what vengeance those two might unleash once the Ninth Heaven lay in their grasp.
Yuliana’s voice quavered. “Then… What do we do now?”
Drawing courage into his lungs, the Fire Spirit Lord said, “First, we heal. I will summon a few old allies, if any still live, to stand with us.”
“Until you hold absolute power, stay clear of level nine.” His words landed like a seal across their hearts. Each person nodded. Aside from Onneas, none possessed strength to challenge that realm.
“I must depart as well,” the Fire Spirit Lord murmured. “After this battle, I may need a decade, perhaps more, to mend my essence.”
With that became a pillar of living flame and vanished into the sky, leaving only a fading heat in the air.
“Time to move…” Onneas whispered, turning away before the chill of what lay ahead could settle into bones.
Everyone gave a silent nod, then followed Onneas away from the ruined valley. The moment they stepped beyond the cleft in the cliffs, awe stopped them cold. A wasteland stretched for leagues, nothing but pulverized rock and silent, ashen earth.
Chasms split the ground like bottomless scars, mountains lay in crumbled heaps, riverbeds ran dry, and the air itself tasted of burnt metal. Above it all, thin ribbons of dull crimson and faint gold still drifted, curling through the sky like mournful streamers, lingering echoes of a battle no mortal should ever witness.
“So… This is the power ancient legends spoke of?” Aurelius whispered, his voice quivering as though the ruins themselves might answer.
Artemis turned as pale as bone. “It’s unimaginable. The leftover shockwaves alone could erase a kingdom.”
Flaxseed shook his head, dread furrowing every line on his face. “Without that Dragon Bell shielding us, we’d have been vaporized before we even knew what killed us.”
Yuliana stared at the desolation, terror widening eyes. “This place… It’s hell made real.”
Onneas’ gaze roamed the charred horizon. “If more demons descend upon level six,” murmured, “All of it might soon look exactly like this.”
They returned to Celestia City. The capital had been battered during the fighting, walls scorched, towers cracked, but compared with the outer realms, it still resembled a haven. Even so, more than half the kingdom’s cultivators had fallen. The survivors would need time, years, perhaps, to mend body and spirit.
“I must head back to level eight,” Onneas announced once they reached the palace gates. “Whatever upheaval brews in level nine will ripple straight into the Celestial King Palace.”
Aurelius bowed deeply. “Ms. Dusko, thank you for saving us. Celestia will remember your grace for as long as it stands.”
Onneas’ expression hardened as faced Jared. “Be on your guard. The Third Hall’s master, Enaricus, wants you dead, and the treasures you carry will only paint a larger target on your back. Keep them hidden, or they’ll bring your grave to you.”
Jared dipped his head. “Your warning is appreciated, Ms. Dusko…”
Onneas began, “And about Malevolent Path Hall, they…”
Jared suddenly stiffened. “Did anyone see Stebarin of Malevolent Path Hall?” Heads shook all around; in the chaos, none had noticed the shadowy elder slip away.
An icy knot tightened in Jared’s chest. Stebarin knew far too much about the magical items carried, if the man had escaped, danger would haunt Jared’s every step.
“Avoid provoking Malevolent Path Hall,” Onneas pressed on. “Their influence reaches everywhere, now even inside our own palace. The king himself loses sleep over them, and with the strength you wield today, you are no match for their blades or their schemes.”
