Chapter six

Laufey appeared in the midst of a strange landscape, on a planet so small that she could clearly see its horizon curve sharply downward. Everything around her was silent. There was no wind, no atmosphere—only a barren surface cracked and scorched, as if it had been burned long ago.

She looked up to see the boundless expanse of space, a canvas of vivid nebulas painted across the universe. The cosmos sparkled like a dreamscape, with stars and distant galaxies appearing closer than ever. She could make out the faint outline of the majestic Andromeda galaxy stretching across the darkness. Amidst it all, large pieces of metallic debris floated in the void near the planet. She noticed rust marks and scars of battles etched into their surfaces.

As she walked across the rough terrain, the low gravity made her movements slow and weightless, her steps feeling as though she were floating with every lift of her feet.

Eventually, she stopped as something began to emerge over the planet's curving horizon. Bit by bit, its form became clearer, a massive silhouette rising into view. The sheer size and scale of it were staggering.

It was a monstrous bat-like creature, its hulking body seemingly forged from nightmares. Thick muscles bulged beneath its tough skin, its back marked with scars and wounds. Gigantic bat wings were held in place by high-tech metal frames, which sparked and crackled with electricity.

Its eyes were closed, but even in its dormant state, Laufey could feel an immense, terrifying power radiating from it.

She looked around but found no signs of other life. It was just her and the monstrous creature.

Silence enveloped her, a cold chill creeping through her heart.

As she continued walking, she saw a large lever at the base of what appeared to be a control hub. The mechanism stood out clearly and seemed functional despite being coated in dust. It was the only part of the hub that appeared operational.

She stood before the lever, glancing back at the massive creature bound in chains. She had no idea who had created this or why the beast had been imprisoned here.

Her hand slowly reached for the lever…

---

Elsewhere, the crackle of electricity occasionally broke the silence as Tae and Aém worked diligently, setting up electrical traps around the area. Wires ran across tree stumps and fallen logs, intricately arranged like a hidden web of danger.

Aém wiped the sweat from his brow, muttering, "This plan better work. I've put too much effort into it."

"If it doesn't, you'd better be ready to run," Tae replied, checking the voltage on his holographic phone screen.

Princess Zan stood at a distance, watching Max as he sat on a large rock, arranging arrowheads in his quiver. She sighed softly before asking, "About Piana and you… Can you tell me what happened?"

Max froze briefly but kept his focus on the arrows. "I knew you'd ask one day…" he said evenly before looking up at her, guilt flashing in his eyes. "Princess, you and I have been friends since we were kids. We've never kept secrets from each other. But this time… I'm truly sorry. After this battle, I'll go apologize to her in person and promise to tell you everything."

Princess Zan held his gaze, her expression unreadable, before nodding slightly. "I hope you keep your word."

Just then, Tae approached them. "The traps are ready. You two—"

But before he could finish, a blinding white light appeared where Laufey had vanished.

"What the—?!" Aém exclaimed.

Laufey materialized in the center of the trap's circuit. The wires hissed and crackled as the electric current surged the moment her body made contact with them. Her frame shuddered slightly, but before anyone could react, a deafening roar shattered the air.

"What is that?!" Princess Zan screamed.

A colossal shadow loomed over them as the ground trembled violently. The massive bat-like creature emerged after Laufey, its towering frame like a mountain. Its glowing red eyes burned as they scanned the group.

The beast's gaze landed on Aém first. It roared again, flapping its enormous wings and lunging toward him like a storm. Aém barely dodged in time, rolling out of its path.

"Stay on your guard!" Princess Zan shouted, unsheathing her sword and rushing into battle.

Tae wasted no time. The silver nano-blade in his hand radiated a brilliant aura. He shouted before slashing at the demon's leg.

The demon retaliated by flapping its enormous wings, sending gusts of wind that forced everyone to retreat. Princess Zan lunged forward, driving her sword into the demon's side, but it flung her away with a powerful shake, sending her crashing into a tree.

"Is this supposed to be a demon? Looks more like a mutant bat!" Aém shouted while swinging on a web to perch on a high branch. He shot webbing at the demon's face to distract it, but the creature's wing swipes severed the threads effortlessly.

Meanwhile, Laufey, trapped in an electric snare, began tearing the wires apart with brute strength. The cables snapped as if they were thin threads of silk.

"Foolish trap," she muttered, breaking the last wire with ease.

Just as she prepared to assist the bat demon, an arrow sliced through the air, embedding itself precisely into her shoulder. It was as if an invisible hand had guided it.

"Over here, rookie!" Max stood a short distance away, holding another arrow ready to fire.

Laufey pulled the arrow from her shoulder with ease, growling in fury before launching herself at Max with incredible speed.

Max barely had time to react before he was grabbed by the throat and slammed against a towering tree. The loud crash echoed as she hurled him to the ground with a thud.

"Oof!" Max groaned in pain.

"Ugh… so small but so strong!" he gritted through clenched teeth.

Hovering above, Laufey prepared to strike again, but Max rolled to his feet and fired an explosive arrow mid-air. The blast forced her to retreat slightly but caused her little harm.

She smirked and charged at him again. At the same time, the bat demon let out a deafening roar that reverberated through the forest as it continued to fight the other three.

Princess Zan darted in, sword in hand. The silver blade gleamed as she aimed for the demon's leg, searching for a weak point. But its claws deflected her strikes with ease.

"It's too strong!" Princess Zan yelled.

Tae, gripping his nano-sword tightly, called out to Aém from behind.

"Aém! Attack together!"

From the treetops, Aém shouted back, "Got it!"

He launched himself down with twin nano-daggers glowing faintly blue in the sunlight. His movements were swift and agile, like a shadow lurking in the dark.

Aém landed on the demon's shoulder and plunged the daggers deep into its skin. Before he could press down further, the demon bucked violently, flinging him into a massive tree.

"Aém! Are you okay?" Tae shouted while charging in to attack.

Aém got up, wincing in pain. "You said 'together,' didn't you?"

The bat demon lashed out with its claws, aiming at Tae. Tae countered with his nano-blade, the metallic clash ringing loudly. The force of the impact sent the demon's claws recoiling, but its strength remained unyielding.

Taking advantage of the moment, Princess Zan leaped forward and stabbed her sword into one of its legs. The demon howled in pain, thrashing its wings and sending her flying to the ground.

"Tae!" Princess Zan yelled. "Go with Plan B!"

Tae nodded firmly, planting his feet before issuing a command to the AI.

"SUNDAY! Code Red! Big target in front of me. Fire now!"

In orbit, a massive satellite aligned itself with Earth. Its AI activated, charging solar energy to unleash a high-powered beam aimed at the ground.

"What's Code Red?" Aém asked, baffled.

The answer was right before their eyes.

Veeeeeeooom!

A blinding red beam of energy shot down from the heavens. The explosion roared across the forest as the demon's body was struck, collapsing to the ground under the force of the beam. Its guttural roar echoed through the woods.

Princess Zan, standing at a distance, stared at the scene with a mix of shock and relief. "Oh my God! Thank heavens!"

But before anyone could let their guard down, the bat demon slowly began to stir. Its eyes glowed with an even fiercer intensity than before.

"We're doomed. Doomed for sure," Princess Zan muttered, her face pale with despair.

"We can't fight it anymore! We have to retreat!" Tae shouted, urgently commanding his AI to summon the airship.

However, before he could finish, the distant roar of engines filled the air. The airship appeared from behind the trees, and a familiar voice echoed through the loudspeaker. "Yo, folks! This is the temple kid speaking!"

"Piana!" Aém shouted with joy, seeing her standing at the rear door of the airship. Piana's face was filled with determination as she gestured for them to board.

"Get on quickly, everyone!"

Tae glanced at the descending airship and shouted, "Alright, retreat!"

The group sprinted toward the airship, but the bat demon roared furiously, chasing after them with terrifying speed, as if it intended to devour them whole.

"Hurry up! It's getting closer!" Aém yelled in panic.

Standing at the airship's rear door, Piana extended her hand, unleashing a radiant golden energy from her palm. The blast struck the demon, halting it temporarily, but the energy began to wane quickly.

"Get on now! I can't hold it back for long!" she shouted.

Tae helped Princess Zan and Aém climb aboard, but as he turned back, he saw Max locked in fierce combat with Laufey.

"Max!" Tae shouted through his communicator.

"Max! Over here!" Aém called out, waving frantically.

Max caught sight of the airship descending and immediately broke away, sprinting toward it. But Laufey wasn't about to let him escape so easily.

"Do you think you can just run away?" she hissed, her voice cold as she floated after him.

Max ran toward the airship, but the distance was still too great. He reached into his bag and pulled out a warp pad, intending to teleport himself onboard.

Seeing this, Laufey flicked her hand, and a crimson spell shot straight at the warp pad with deadly precision.

"No!" Max tried to dodge, but it was too late. The warp pad exploded in a burst of sparks, rendered useless.

Stopping in his tracks, Max turned to glare at Laufey, anger blazing in his eyes. "Fine, then! Come at me!"

"Max!" Princess Zan screamed, ready to jump down to help.

But Max quickly shouted back, "Go! Don't come down here! Just leave!"

"But—!" Princess Zan started to protest.

Aém grabbed her arm. "There's no time! We have to go now!"

Piana ceased her energy attack as the golden light faded. The bat demon roared once more, beating its wings furiously as it tried to chase the ascending airship.

Everyone aboard the airship looked down with heavy hearts as the demon managed to lift itself into the air. But just as it reached a certain height, an unseen force yanked it back down to the ground.

Laufey hovered mid-air, watching as the airship disappeared into the horizon. Her eyes burned with unrelenting fury, glowing like an eternal flame of hatred.

"Why was it pulled back down?" Princess Zan asked, breaking the tense silence.

Piana, still watching the demon struggle from afar, answered, "Because Laufey unsealed it... The demon is bound to her. It can't stray too far from her range of power."

Tae listened intently, his face grim. He clenched his fists tightly, veins visible on his arms, before speaking with resolute determination.

"We have to go back for Max…"

Princess Zan turned to him immediately, about to say something, but her words faltered as Aém placed a reassuring hand on Tae's shoulder.

"Calm down, my friend," Aém said gently. "We can't do anything right now… We need to regroup and prepare."

"Prepare?" Tae snapped, his voice filled with conflict. "Max is down there alone, and you're telling me to wait until we're ready?"

Piana looked at Tae with guilt in her eyes. "I know you want to go back… I don't want to leave him either. But if we return now, we'll all die."

Princess Zan gazed at the now-quiet sky, taking a deep breath before speaking softly. "He'll find a way to survive… But we must hurry to make a plan and return for him as soon as possible."

Tae gritted his teeth, slamming his fist lightly against the wall in frustration.

…

Max panted heavily, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, his gaze locked firmly on Laufey. Laufey, floating slightly above the ground, stared back at him coldly.

"Why are you doing something so insane?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you. You'll never understand what I'm doing," Laufey replied with a mocking tone.

Max laughed. "The truth is, you're just someone's puppet!"

Laufey's brow furrowed immediately, her jaw clenched tight. "Shut up!" She raised her hand, red magical energy forming in the air, but she held back from attacking.

"You think you're saving the world, don't you? They're just using you to destroy it. Stop this madness!" Max smirked mockingly.

"I don't care what happens to the world!" Laufey shouted back. "I was awakened for this, and I will see it through to the end!"

Max looked at her calmly, though his eyes betrayed deep disappointment. "You may be a powerful witch, but you'll never be someone who can choose their own path... what a pity."

Without hesitation, Laufey lunged at Max with incredible speed. Max sidestepped and quickly fired an arrow in retaliation. The two clashed amidst the forest, the sounds of magic and metal colliding echoing through the air.

Arrows whizzed through the air, one after another. Max aimed for Laufey, hoping to stop her from unleashing her dangerous power. Her magic flared like an engulfing flame. He fired an arrow straight at her, but Laufey deflected it with a wave of her hand, the red energy exploding mid-air.

"You'll never defeat me, you pathetic mutt!" Laufey yelled, her voice cold yet filled with rage.

Max grabbed another arrow tipped with explosives and shot it at the ground beneath her feet, creating an explosion that sent dust and debris flying everywhere. Trees toppled in the chaos.

Laufey dashed through the cloud of dust with lightning speed, disappearing in an instant before reappearing behind Max.

Max rolled to the side just in time, firing a close-range arrow at her. The arrow, laced with electricity, struck her, causing her to stagger backward.

"Electricity again?" Laufey sneered, pulling the arrow from her shoulder. She raised her hand, red magical energy swirling around her like a storm.

Max fired another arrow with precision, aiming to interrupt her magic charge. The arrow streaked toward her with immense force.

Laufey quickly dodged to the left, barely avoiding the arrow as it grazed her sleeve. The momentum of her movement caused her to lose her balance, her foot landing on a slope covered in loose gravel and soil.

"Ah—!" she let out a soft cry, trying to steady herself, but the force of her dodge caused her to tumble backward uncontrollably.

Thud! Her head struck a rock jutting out of the ground. Laufey lay motionless, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to remain conscious.

Max immediately lowered his bow, his expression filled with confusion. He cautiously approached her, his steps measured.

"Can witches even slip and hit their heads on rocks?" he muttered, though his bow remained firmly in his grasp.

Laufey raised a trembling hand to her head, wincing from the pain. A fog of dizziness clouded her thoughts, and fleeting fragments of memories surfaced like blurred reflections.

"I..." she tried to speak, but her voice faltered. She closed her eyes again as if trying to grasp something slipping away.

"Hey, are you... alright?" Max asked again, kneeling beside her. He gently shook her shoulder. "Don't die on me now. You've already tired me out enough."

Suddenly, Laufey's eyes shot open, her amber-green irises glowing faintly in the dark. She grabbed Max's collar, her breaths ragged and laced with urgency.

"I... I remember now..." she whispered, her voice trembling with an indescribable emotion.

"Remember what?" Max asked, his curiosity piqued as he kept one hand firmly on his bow.

Laufey didn't answer. She closed her eyes once more, and an unintentional burst of magic flared from her hand, creating a sudden flash of light.

The light enveloped them both in an instant, and they vanished without a trace. In the distance, the bat demon roared in confusion, its massive wings flapping wildly as it searched its surroundings. Just moments later, its body was abruptly warped along with them.

Crash! The bat demon landed heavily outside an old house, shaking the ground as it struck. Dirt and rocks scattered everywhere as it sniffed the air, trying to gather its bearings, its massive eyes scanning its unfamiliar surroundings.

Inside the house, Max and Laufey reappeared in the middle of a dusty wooden room. Max brushed off the thick dust covering him as he looked around in bewilderment.

"Where is this place?" he asked softly, his eyes scanning the room filled with straps and red ribbons tied between the furniture, as if it were an investigation site by a police unit.

Laufey stood up slowly, her gaze sweeping across the room. A painful sense of familiarity washed over her. "This is... my home," she whispered softly.

Max turned to her with a puzzled look.

Laufey took a hesitant step forward, memories beginning to flood back. The images in her mind grew clearer—men in black robes storming into her home, killing her mother. And she herself was murdered without ever getting the chance to ask why.

"I remember now..." she said in a trembling voice. "I died here... My mother and I were killed by people I didn't even know." Her voice was filled with pain and anger.

At the same time, Max snapped his head toward a strange sound coming from one corner of the house. "Did you hear that?" he murmured, before turning to Laufey. "A TV."

Laufey frowned and followed the sound of the TV with suspicion. "We never had a TV, not even a radio..."

The sound was coming from the basement. Max looked at the old wooden staircase leading into the darkness. He tightened his grip on his bow and looked up at Laufey. "Are you going down there?"

Laufey nodded. Together, they slowly opened the basement door. The stale smell of rotting wood and dust hung in the air, making it hard to breathe. They descended step by step until they reached an open room with nothing but an old black-and-white TV sitting in the center.

On the TV screen, a man in a lab coat was sitting for an interview with a host. "We have successfully developed a cure for the virus. The results are clear. Everyone will recover soon."

The host, intrigued, asked, "How confident are you that this will help everyone?"

The scientist replied with absolute certainty, "We are completely confident. This is what we've been waiting for."

Before the interview could conclude, the TV signal abruptly cut out, leaving the screen pitch black with only the sound of static filling the room.

Laufey stood still, staring at the TV as if searching for answers. But what caught her attention even more was an old notebook sitting on a nearby table.

She picked it up and flipped through its pages with a strange feeling. "This is... my notebook," she said, her eyes scanning its contents.

Max turned to look at her. "What's written in it?"

Laufey closed the notebook and slipped it into her bag. "Why should I tell you?"

The room fell silent except for the static of the TV, which continued to buzz in the darkness.

Then suddenly, soft footsteps echoed from upstairs. Max and Laufey exchanged cautious glances.

"I'll go up first," Max said, preparing the arrow in his hand.

Laufey nodded. Together, they climbed the creaking wooden stairs carefully.

"Be careful," Max whispered.

Laufey nodded again. When they reached the upper floor, they scanned the abandoned house.

Max was about to step outside to investigate further, but just as his face neared the doorway, a white mist from a tranquilizing spray shot out from a device in someone's hand, spraying directly into his face.

"Ugh!" Max tried to raise his arms to block it, but the spray worked too quickly. His body collapsed to the ground instantly.

"Max!" Laufey cried out, her voice trembling as she saw him fall to the floor.

"Who the hell is this guy?" a voice sneered. It belonged to the prince, who was now examining the unconscious Max.

Laufey clenched her teeth, her eyes blazing with fury. She turned on her heel, hoping to escape through another door.

But as she pushed it open, she came face-to-face with an elderly man in a tattered cloak, his weathered face revealed. He stood tall, staring at her with an expressionless gaze.

"You... Uncle Pol!" Laufey's voice wavered, a mix of anger and shock. "Why are you here!?"

Wizard Pol said nothing. He stepped into the house as Laufey instinctively backed away.

She had no time to react. She tried to flee once again, but the vampire prince was faster than she anticipated. He flicked his wrist, tossing a small spherical device onto the ground. It exploded into thin cables that wrapped around Laufey's arms and legs.

"I'm not a fan of mind control, but I promise this won't hurt much," the prince said coldly.

"Let me go!" Laufey struggled with all her might, trying to break free from the cables binding her limbs. But the harder she fought, the more the electric currents within the cables suppressed her magic. Her amber-green eyes burned with hatred as she glared at the vampire prince.

Here's the translation of your text into English:

---

**Despite this, she turned to look at her uncle who was standing nearby, watching her with an impassive face, as though devoid of emotion.**

"Please, uncle, let me go," her tears flowed down her cheeks in sorrow.

Wizard Pol did not respond. He simply stood there, watching the scene unfold without any concern for his niece.

The prince took a small device out of his cloak. It was a transparent, spherical object with glowing red inscriptions on its surface. He held it in his hand and began chanting words that sounded like an ancient language.

"Tenebris Lumen, Cor Fractum Recluditur..."

Laufey trembled, her eyes widened as she felt a strange energy begin to seep into her mind. She tried to resist again, but the force of the cable and the resounding words left her powerless.

The prince circled around her slowly as the red inscriptions on the device began to shine brighter and brighter.

"Vincula Fracta, Animus Noxus Vevet..."

Laufey's vision started to blur. She breathed heavily, and soon everything stopped. Her eyes became vacant, but still calm.

The hypnosis had worked... The vampire prince watched the outcome eagerly.

"I... I... Where am I?" her voice was faint, but filled with confusion.

The prince smiled with satisfaction. "Welcome back."

The vampire witch slowly lifted her head to look at him. "What... happened to me?"

Wizard Pol, who had been standing nearby, nodded approvingly at the prince before his form slowly faded into the air.

The prince turned and began disconnecting the nano cables from Laufey's body before gently taking her arm.

"Let's go. It's time to conquer the world."

Laufey nodded as though still under hypnosis, following the vampire prince out of the old house without asking any questions, leaving Max, who lay unconscious on the floor, as the only body remaining in the darkness of the house...

…

The airplane touched down lightly on the royal square of the city of Chopia, an open space surrounded by ancient buildings and intricately carved stone columns. As soon as the airplane came to a stop, a group of female knights in silver armor rushed towards it with anxious expressions. The sound of their shoes hitting the stone ground echoed through the area.

"Your Majesty!" one of the knights knelt before Princess Zan, her face pale and covered in sweat. "There has been an incident at the royal prison. The vampire prince has escaped!"

Princess Zan paused briefly, her sharp eyes filled with concern. "Take me to see it immediately!"

The large iron doors of the royal prison were opened by the guiding knight. Princess Zan entered with two more female knights, followed closely by Tae, Aém, and Piana. Inside, chaos reigned. The two female guards who had been watching the prison lay unconscious near the door, their faces pale and marked with bruises on their necks.

"Help them out first!" Princess Zan ordered sharply. The female knights quickly moved to support the unconscious guards.

Tae scanned the now empty prison, noticing some strands of cable left on the floor along with scratch marks from a struggle on the iron doors.

"He'll come back with her for sure. We need to prepare for what's coming," Tae said.

Princess Zan nodded, took a deep breath, and swept her gaze around. Small traces of blood remained in the corners of the room, indicating the severity of the recent struggle.

…

In the royal meeting room.

Princess Zan called for an urgent meeting. In the small room, a map of Chopia was spread across the table. Tae, Aém, Piana, and several female knights gathered around.

The head knight pointed to a spot on the map. "We have three machine gun posts near the city entrance and on the southern hill. These can provide some defense, but the ammunition is limited. We need to use it carefully."

Tae stood, looking at the map, tapping his chin. "What about the warplanes? How many are left?"

"Two," the female knight replied firmly. "But one of them has engine trouble. We're working on repairs."

"Two warplanes and three machine gun posts... we're still at a disadvantage," Aém sighed.

"That's not the biggest problem," Princess Zan spoke up, her eyes filled with worry. "The problem is the townspeople. We must evacuate everyone as quickly as possible. The convoy will head east and take refuge behind the mountains."

In the city of Chopia, once bustling with preparations for the New Year celebration, an eerie silence had begun to fall. Many homes still had paper lanterns hanging in front of their doors, with dim lights reflecting off the snow-covered rooftops. The tavern at the corner of the street still had its carved wooden sign swaying in the wind, but the voices and music inside had ceased.

In the middle of the square, which had once been filled with vendor stalls, now lay empty and deserted. At that moment, a bright blue light flashed in the center of the square, and the half-body hologram of Princess Zan appeared. She stood with a steady posture, her gaze sharp.

"I repeat, this is not a drill," her voice was clear and cold. "Everyone in the city, please follow the evacuation plan immediately. Head to the designated assembly points. All knights will assist you."

A notification message appeared on people's phones, and the vibrating alarms from their wristwatches rang out through the streets. People looked at each other with shock and fear, but no one hesitated. Everyone hurriedly gathered their necessities and left their homes.

An elderly woman slowly rose from her chair, gripping her cane tightly, while a small boy helped carry a bag of clothes. "Grandmother, over here!" the boy called out. She nodded and began walking slowly.

A young man carried a small dog close to his chest. The dog barked excitedly, but its owner gently stroked its head to calm it. "It's okay, we'll be safe," he said as he walked with the group heading out of the city.

A group of female knights in light armor worked diligently to assist the civilians. "Grandmother, I'll help," one knight said as she reached for a heavy cloth bag from the elderly woman, while another knight supported her as she walked.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the main street as people walked along, their faces filled with anxiety, but there was a hint of hope in their eyes. They all headed toward the path the knights directed them to.

…

The afternoon sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm glow across the heavens. The massive bat demon soared through the wind, spreading its wide wings to catch the cool breeze. It didn't appear particularly terrifying; instead, it felt more like a giant pet carrying its owner on an aerial adventure.

The vampire prince wasn't being taken away in a struggle but was securely cradled in the bat demon's claws. His arms were crossed lightly over his chest, resembling a child being lifted onto a carriage without having to walk. His cape fluttered with the wind, while his expression remained calm, showing no signs of fear or distress over this journey.

Higher up, the vampire witch clung to the bat demon's shoulders, gripping tightly with both hands. Her body swayed in rhythm with its flight as the wind rushed past her face. They soared toward the distant horizon, their destination unmistakable—the conquest of Chopia.