Chapter 441: Fallen

Lilith POV

Questions flooded my thoughts, but there was no time to dwell. Instead, a spark of realization ignited a chance, a new strategy. If Perseus could channel my abilities, we could combine forces against Isfrid, exploiting his blind spot.

The air crackled as enchanted arrows surged forth, a barrage Isfrid hadn't anticipated. Caught off guard by the unexpected unity, he struggled to defend against the onslaught from two fronts. Since we looked identical and ran around a lot, he couldn't differentiate between the arrows.

I even baited him with weaker arrows on purpose and had him focus on Perseus, once he let his guard down against me, I shot a powerful one and hit him to deal critical damage. His once unyielding posture faltered, a glimmer of uncertainty flickering in his eyes. The tide of battle shifted, our synchronized assault proving too overwhelming for his singular focus.

Perseus then charged close, and as Isfrid was about to cut him, he transformed into Leilah, her face was enough to give him a half-a-second hesitation, just enough for my arrows to pierce through his right leg. A grunt of pain escaped his lips as the arrow struck, inflicting critical damage. His stance wavered, the once indomitable ice god now visibly shaken.

Isfrid staggered his control over the wintry elements momentarily faltering. The battlefield echoed with the clashing forces of magic and power as he struggled to regain his footing.

"Yield, because it won't be painless otherwise!" Perseus shouted over the windy blizzard

Isfrid's gaze hardened with a glint of defiance in his eyes despite the pain. His grip tightened on his spear, his jaw set with unwavering determination. The howling winds seemed to carry his disdainful laugh.

"Never!" His voice boomed

Despite the injury, he summoned the frigid elements with renewed intensity. The air crackled with a chilling aura as Isfrid's power surged, the wintry storm intensifying around us. We continued the fight, and...Perseus was actually impressive, even though he knew that he couldn't hurt Isfrid, his quick transformation into different people helped.

Like turning into Mom and using her healing flames while turning into Saber to melt and counter Isfrid's ice, quite annoying for Isfrid. At this point, Isfrid fought with a primal ferocity, his attacks coming in relentless waves, each strike more potent than the last. It was no longer calculated and precise, but...ferocious like some sort of cornered animal.

Amidst the chaos of his assault, I seized a momentary opening. Channeling the last reserves of my strength and focusing every ounce of magic I possessed, I aimed for his weakened flank.

It was my strongest arrow yet, it tore through the air, finding its mark with accuracy. Isfrid's roar of pain resembled a cry...even I felt a slight pity for the monster that once tormented me. His stance faltered, the once mighty ice god stumbling backward.

For a fleeting moment, time seemed suspended as Isfrid teetered on the edge of defeat. His ferocity waned, replaced by a raw vulnerability. The ground trembled as he crashed to his knees, the blizzard around us momentarily quieting. Isfrid's gaze, a mix of fury and disbelief, locked onto us, his pride refusing to yield even in the face of imminent downfall.

Perseus threw the net to temporarily weaken him and slow his healing. And despite being in such a position. Isfrid clawed at the ground, attempting to push himself up. His movements were feeble, his strength drained by the fatal blow that had shattered his resilience.

Each attempt to rise was met with failure, his limbs betraying him as they trembled uncontrollably. His voice, once booming with fury, now wavered, broken by pain and defeat.

"The demons... they must pay... for the pain inflicted... for the betrayal," he muttered, "I trusted them, I trusted them...I...betrayed them...if only I killed him sooner."

Tears mixed with the frost on his cheeks as he muttered ceaselessly, his voice a desperate echo in the chilling silence of the aftermath. I can hear the voice of Rowan screaming, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the roses holding him back as he tried to force his way through...

"I swore an oath... to protect... to avenge," he muttered, "I must endure... for their sake... for the honor of our kin."

Mom...Dad...wept while Maple just looked away and cried silently.

"It can't end like this... vengeance... demons..." His words trailed off into incoherent murmurs.

With a final surge of desperation, he attempted to push himself up again, but his body betrayed him, and he collapsed once more, a defeated cry escaping his lips.

"No...I can't fail them...I promised them." he cried.

"Look...I know that you tormented me before and I hate you with every fiber of my being...but if it's for family, can you just...stop this? I don't want to end you."

"Please...don't do this." I pleaded

"Don't look at me!" he screamed, "Help me up! Fight me! End me!"

His gaze remained fixed on some unseen horizon as if refusing to acknowledge my presence. The anguish etched on his face seemed to cloud any clarity of thought or reason. But after what felt like hours...

"I don't expect you to understand, Lilith," he responded, his voice carrying the weight of a tortured soul. "This is bigger than you, than me. It's about something greater, something you can't comprehend...if you know what's good...end me here...or else...I will too, come for your children."

"Lilith, it's your choice." Perseus said in his true form while holding the part where Isfrid hit earlier, "The replacement issue isn't hard if you decide to kill him...but if you don't, no one will either...the rest of us can't kill him, others for emotional reasons, me...I'm not a god...so the choice is yours."

"I...I've already made my decision."

"Do you want me to stay here with you? Or would you rather do this alone?"

"...Stay with me...please..."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For trusting me enough and letting me stay by your side...we're in this together, right?"