Dark Mission (1)

Two months had passed since they fled Silver School. The world had not been kind to them. They were still hunted, their names whispered as traitors and monsters. Their parents—if they were still alive—were left in fear and uncertainty.

Vikas' arm had finally healed, though scars of the past battle remained. Varek, however, had changed more than anyone. His right arm, once flesh and blood, had been replaced with a mechanical arm, forged from mana-infused metal. It whirred softly as he clenched his fist, a constant reminder of the cost he had paid.

Keiran had changed as well. The once arrogant, confident fighter now carried a colder, more focused demeanor. There was no more reckless pride, only the weight of responsibility.

The three of them had taken up a dark mission—one no one else dared to carry. Hunting demons.

Any demon who walked among humans, anyone who tried to invade their world, they would kill. It was a path of blood and shadows, and they had already made enemies of both humans and monsters alike.

The ground shook beneath them as a massive demon giant swung its colossal blade, carving through the forest like a god of destruction. Beside it, another giant demon, clad in black armor, raised its hands, summoning a horde of smaller demons from the shadows of the abyss.

The three warriors ran—not in fear, but to position themselves. From opposite ends of the battlefield, they shouted out their plan while dodging falling trees and massive shockwaves.

Keiran shouted: "We need to separate them! If we fight both at once, we're dead!"

Vikas gritted his teeth: "The summoner needs to die first! But that sword bastard won't let us!"

Varek didn't answer immediately. His eyes glowed with cold determination. Then, he spoke.

"We don't fight them at the same time. We make them fight each other."

Keiran and Vikas exchanged glances, understanding exactly what Varek meant.

The hunt was on.

Varek sprinted forward first, his mechanical arm humming with energy. His Bronze Mana surged, enhancing his speed as he dodged a massive sword swing. The blade slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave of destruction, but Varek had already vanished.

From the left, Keiran launched a beam of Light Mana at the summoner demon's eye, blinding it for a moment.

"Now!" he shouted.

Vikas raised his hands, and frost spread instantly. A layer of thick ice erupted beneath the sword demon's foot, causing it to slip slightly. The small opening was enough.

Varek leaped off a falling tree, twisting in mid-air, and landed on the sword demon's massive arm. His mechanical hand latched onto its armor, digging deep.

The demon roared, shaking its limb violently to throw him off. But Varek held on.

And then he whispered.

"Hey, you big idiot… your real enemy is behind you."

The sword demon barely had time to react.

Keiran fired another Light Mana blast, but this time he aimed at the summoner demon—making it stumble back. But to the sword demon, it looked like an attack meant for it.

The giant sword demon turned its burning red eyes toward the summoner, its rage growing uncontrollable.

And just like that—

They had made the demons fight each other.

The sword demon, now furious, lifted its massive blade and charged toward the summoner, mistaking it for the main threat.

The summoner roared in confusion, raising its arms to summon more demons, but before it could—

SLASH!

The sword demon brought down its blade, cutting through the summoner's arm. Black blood sprayed into the air, and the summoner screamed.

The smaller demons panicked, losing control, turning into a chaotic, mindless horde.

From below, Varek, Keiran, and Vikas watched their plan unfold perfectly.

Keiran smirked. "Man, you're evil."

Varek cracked his neck. "Not evil. Just smart."

Vikas, breathing heavily, shook his head. "We're still not done. We need to kill the last one standing."

They nodded. The battle was far from over.

---

The two demons tore into each other, massive strikes shaking the ground. The summoner tried to spawn more creatures, but with one arm severed, it was weakening.

The sword demon, however, was still powerful—but it had let its guard down.

Varek saw the opening first.

"We end this now," he said.

With one final push, they prepared for the final strike.

The two demons were locked in a brutal battle, their roars shaking the battlefield. The summoner demon was bleeding out, weakened beyond saving, but the sword demon still stood strong.

Varek, Keiran, and Vikas knew they couldn't let it live.

"One final attack." Varek's voice was sharp, his mechanical arm whirring as he clenched his fist.

Keiran and Vikas nodded.

"On my signal," Varek continued. "Keiran, blind it. Vikas, freeze its leg. I'll finish it."

They got into position.

---

Keiran gathered every ounce of Light Mana he had. His body glowed like a star, radiating an intense brightness.

"Light Flash—MAX OUTPUT!"

A brilliant explosion of light burst forward, blinding the sword demon completely. It roared in pain, covering its eyes, stumbling back.

This was the moment they needed.

---

Vikas slammed his hands onto the ground.

"Frozen Chains!"

Thick ice erupted, crawling up the demon's legs and arms, locking it in place. The ground beneath it froze solid, preventing any movement.

The sword demon struggled, but it was too late.

---

Varek charged forward, his mechanical arm pulsing with Bronze Mana.

He leaped, twisting in the air, pushing his mana to the limit.

His fist—enhanced with two Mana Surges—glowed like burning metal.

"END OF THE LINE!"

Varek's punch slammed into the demon's skull, shattering its armor and bone, sending a shockwave through its entire body.

The demon let out one final, deafening roar—then collapsed.

---

Silence After the Storm

The battlefield went quiet.

The massive corpse of the demon lay still, its once-destructive presence now just a broken body.

Keiran, breathing heavily, laughed. "We… actually did it?"

Vikas collapsed onto his knees. "I thought we were gonna die."

Varek stood over the corpse, his mechanical hand smoking from the impact.

He exhaled sharply. "One mission down."

Keiran grinned. "And a million more to go."

They had won