Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Elion sank down the dark corridor, the air getting heavier and heavier as they went. The stone walls were engraved with ancient symbols, their faint glow throbbing to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Veyla and Eridan walked silently behind him, their steps echoing against the stone floor.

"This aura..." whispered Veyla, brushing an engraving with her fingertips. "It's raw mana."

Elion nodded.

"This shrine is steeped in ancient magic." The telluric lines that converge here are the source of this energy."

Eridan looked at the walls with a suspicious eye.

"Do you think there are other guards?"

Elion stopped in front of a heavy black steel door, decorated with a broken moon symbol. He put a hand on the cold surface of the metal.

"Probably." But what worries me is the kind of energy I feel behind that door."

He closed his eyes, concentrating his Ki to probe what was on the other side. An icy wave ran through his back.

"A creature... ancient."

Veyla backed up slightly, the daggers ready to be drawn.

"From level 7?"

Elion opened his eyes, a shard of steel in his eyes.

- "Minimum."

He took two steps back and raised his sword. The silvery aura that surrounded him pulsated violently.

"Get ready."

Eridan raised his shield, a golden light forming around him.

"We're covering you."

Elion planted his foot in the ground, a wave of Ki spreading around him. He fell his sword on the door.

A scarlet light bursts from the point of impact, the shockwave shaking the ground. The door exploded in a crash of metal and stone.

On the other side, a large circular room opened up in front of them.

The ground was covered with ashes, and in the center of the room, a massive figure rested on an obsidian throne.

A humanoid creature, measuring more than three meters, slowly straightened up. His black skin as at night was criss-crossed with glowing veins. Two bent horns adorned his skull, and his red eyes opened in a malevolent glow.

" Intruders "

The demon's voice echoed through the room like a sinister echo.

"The Fallen King has granted you his power, but the true inheritance can only be passed on after the test of blood."

Elion stepped forward, his silver aura intensifying around him.

"If it's a test, then I'll pass it."

The demon opened his mouth in a carnivorous smile, revealing a row of sharp fangs.

"All right... King of heaven."

The creature disappeared in a burst of flames.

"He's fast!" cried Veyla.

Elion pivoted just in time to ward off a vertical attack. The clash of Elion's blade against the demon's claws caused a shockwave that threw Veyla and Eridan back.

The demon raised an arm, a sphere of black fire appearing in his palm. He projected it right onto Elion.

Elion leaped forward, cutting the sphere of fire in two. Both halves exploded behind him, burning the stone walls.

"His power is different from that of the knight," whispered Elion.

He concentrated his Ki in his blade.

"Lunar Crescent!"

He swept the air of his sword, sending a silver sharp wave towards the demon.

The creature attacked with a reverse of claws, but the shockwave cracked the ground beneath its feet.

The demon disappeared again.

Elion felt a presence in his back. He turned around just in time to ward off a claw shot at his neck.

The demon threw it back, dragging it several meters.

"Elion!" cried Eridan.

Elion straightened up, wiping the blood that beaded on his lower lip.

"Not bad..." he whispered.

The demon stood still, a dark glow in his eyes.

"You have potential... but it won't be enough."

A wave of black flames bursts from the demon's body, filling the room with suffocating heat.

"Watch out!" cried Veyla.

Eridan formed a golden barrier around them, blocking some of the flames.

Elion stepped into the fire, his silver aura protecting him from burns.

"Your fire is nothing compared to my Ki."

He raised his sword, the silvery light shining like a star.

- "Lunar Awakening... Second Phase."

A halo of light surrounded Elion. His silver Ki turned into a white flame that enveloped his body.

"Perforating Lunar Crescent!"

He knocked. The blade released a wave of silvery energy that spread throughout the room, cutting the black fire and hitting the demon with full force.

The creature retreated, its torso blackened by the burning of the attack.

"Impossible..." whispered the demon.

Elion approached, raising his sword.

"It's over."

The demon raised his hand.

- "Wait..."

Elion lowered his sword.

"What do you want?"

The demon knelt before him.

"The power of the Fallen King... You are now the only legitimate heir."

Elion stepped back slightly.

"What does that mean?"

The demon looked up at him with a dark look.

"The Fallen King... never disappeared." He was locked up in this sanctuary by the gods themselves. If you want to unleash the full potential of this power... you'll have to find it again."

Elion squinted his eyes.

"Where is he?"

The demon smiled faintly.

"In the heart of the Kingdom of Shadows. But be warned... This power is not without price."

Elion sheathed his sword.

"We'll see."

The demon disappeared into a black flame.

Eridan approached.

"Elion... Are you really going to look for this Fallen King?"

Elion looked at the door that had just appeared at the back of the room.

"If I want to protect my kingdom... I have no choice."

Veyla joined him.

"Then we'll come with you."

Elion smiled faintly.

"In that case... let's get that power back."

He walked up to the door with his hand resting on the pommel of his sword.

Behind him, Veyla and Eridan followed him without hesitation.

The path to the true power of the Fallen King had just opened.