The Helper

Many sections within the Cula Tower are vast labyrinths. Some floors span over ninety percent of the area, constructed from smooth, flat, black volcanic rock to prevent any distinction between the walls, creating confusion for anyone who wanders in. They become trapped with no hope of escape before succumbing to the dark side and transforming into demons later. Keela lures Anya into this maze.

She knows that before long, the young girl must succumb to the darkness within her own heart, as if a spell constantly urges it. She feels that strange magic intensely, but her elevated spirit after being imprisoned keeps her mind steadfast and stronger than others her age. She grips her wand firmly, her gaze determined, her slender legs running swiftly and without hesitation into the labyrinth. She uses only instinct and listens intently to the sound of footsteps, where the difference in shoe soles is clearly audible.

"A little brat like you is the Demon Emperor's daughter?" The enemy's voice echoes throughout the directionless maze. Anya stops running before straining her ears, concentrating on pinpointing the direction. "Such a weak, frail, clumsy thing. Your magical power isn't much either. And you're just a child the Emperor kept as livestock to nourish himself into becoming a Demon God."

"..." The young girl says nothing. She stands still, gripping her wand tighter. The light from the tip of her wand shines brightly. "Ascendio!" At the same time, Keela sneaks up from behind, casting a binding spell.

"Fermale!" The Sin of Wrath waves her wand, instantly immobilizing the young girl under inescapable bonds.

"Le...let go, you old green-headed fly!" Anya struggles frantically, only fueling Keela's delight.

"Beg, beg me a lot. It feels so good that the Demon Emperor's daughter is pleading for mercy," the middle-aged woman sneers, but veins bulge on her forehead. "To hell with it! Killing you and gouging out your heart to eat is even better!! Die!!"

She flicks her wand once, causing the young girl's head to snap backward with a loud cracking sound. The young girl's body contorts and twists before going limp, her limbs no longer able to resist gravity. The middle-aged woman's eyes widen as she breaks into a joyful grin.

"Ha! Finally, the Demon Emperor's daughter's heart belongs to me!!"

"Just found out that the spell to stop objects can do that? Or do you use another spell to lift objects as well?" The young girl's voice comes from behind, causing the middle-aged woman to jump in shock, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest. "Wha...when did you get over there!? I just snapped your neck with a loud crack!!"

Keela casts the life-severing curse at the other Anya, but the young girl's body dissolves into dust upon contact with the purple beam.

"Oops! That one isn't the real one!" Another Anya appears behind Keela, creating chaos and confusion. Keela fires purple beams without hesitation. As one Anya dissolves, another appears in front. Now, countless Anya stand surrounding the Sin of Wrath, intensifying her fear tenfold. The young girl's icy gaze fixes on the middle-aged woman before pointing over ten wands, still glowing with light spell energy. "Cotello Volne!"

Numerous invisible flying blades shoot from the wand tips in rapid succession like a machine gun, slicing through the other woman's flesh, causing blood to gush out. The agonizing screams make Anya smirk wickedly, her eyes fixed on her enemy without blinking until she collapses to the ground in a pool of blood, still. All the clones of the young girl dissolve, leaving only her standing before the corpse. Demonic dark arts blood soaks her boots, staining them from white to bright red.

...........

Suddenly, Drogadres gains control of his own body, preventing him from harming me. His eyes widen before he leaps back several meters, greatly alarming the other four members of the Seven Sins.

"Drogadres broke free from the spirit puppet spell?" Luxuria says with a calm expression, one of the few who isn't too surprised by the situation. "Then that means Keela has been dealt with by the Demon Emperor's daughter."

At that moment, the demon minions begin to whisper and gossip. Their hearts sink further when Anya walks out, using a spell to lift Keela's lifeless body and toss it in front of the Demon Emperor. Seeing this, I feel a sense of relief.

"What's next, Drogadres?" I ask, ignoring the buzzing voices. "If you want to keep fighting, I'm always ready."

"Not anymore. Before, I had to fight because my master forced me to fight and kill constantly. Now... I am no longer that dragon. And I ask to fight alongside the wizards until all demons are eradicated."

"You're always welcome," I smile before transforming back into my corgi form. Anya walks over to join me, along with Drogadres, who has switched sides to face the entire horde of dark arts demons.

Boom!!

The ceiling above collapses unexpectedly, accompanied by the arrival of a number of wizards. They use levitation spells to float in the air and unleash a barrage of explosive magic projectiles. The Demon Emperor casts a large barrier spell, defending in time before using magic to teleport the location.

"If we're going to fight with this many people, my tower will surely collapse."

Within moments, both wizards and dark arts demons are teleported to a desolate wasteland with only sand, rocks, and withered plants that seem beyond revival. Dark clouds obscure the sky. In the distance, the only visible structure is the jet-black tower that the Demon Emperor calls his 'tower,' standing tall and prominent against the horizon.

"You succeeded in getting Anya out, right? Sorry I'm a bit late. It was quite difficult to request soldiers from the Ministry," Master Aek walks over to stand beside me and Anya. He places a hand on the young girl's shoulder and crouches down to affectionately pat my head. "You two are the students I'm most proud of, including those two over there."

Carlos and Raymond walk into the 'battlefield' with their arms around each other's shoulders. Both are severely injured. I assess the situation and realize that the two of them won't be able to fight. So, I ask Drogadres to return to his dragon form and take them to the hospital. At first, he seems reluctant, but eventually agrees. Jack and Cher-Tam volunteer to join this decisive battle, along with dozens of top students from the dueling club. All the teachers from Escuria Academy hold their wands and step onto the battlefield fearlessly. The rearguard consists of conscripted soldiers from the Caronia Ministry of Defense. Their weapons are nothing more than a single wand each.

Sola walks over to stand beside Anya. The two embrace affectionately. The mother strokes her daughter's head before exhaling with relief that Anya is back in her arms. Anya hugs her mother, tears finally flowing after enduring so much.

"Don't be afraid anymore, dear. Mommy is here now. Mommy won't let anyone hurt you again..." She pauses briefly before glaring at the Demon Emperor. "Not even your father."

"The body is Virgo's, but the one inside isn't," Master Aek says, frowning. "But it's what's inside Virgo's body that turned him into a demon like me. If you weaken him until he can't move, use the soul-snatching spell to pull the 'demon spirit' out of his body. Once it's out, destroy it with every spell you have to prevent it from possessing anyone else."

"Like what you did to yourself, right?" Master Dufrick nods in understanding. "Then now is the time to deal with the demon in Virgo's body."

"I'm going to deal with him severely, especially that woman in black," Sola says, her anger blazing, her eyes glowing bright red.

"We don't know many attack spells, but we will fight with all our hearts for you and the magical world," Cher-Tam says confidently. "And we'll fight for Raymond and Senior Carlos too."

"Be careful of the four members of the Seven Sins standing behind the Demon Emperor. They are much stronger than the other demon minions," I warn.

"Raymond, Senior Carlos, and I each took care of one of them. That's almost half the enemy forces reduced," Anya continues, looking at the demon army, which has finished forming ranks and is ready to charge at any moment. "If we don't gang up on them, we'll have to face them one-on-one."

"I have my eye on one already. Can't be mistaken," Sola cracks her knuckles loudly, her gaze fixed on one of the tall, agile female members of the Seven Sins, looking as if she wants to devour her whole. I'm certain that there's something suspicious between these two.

The atmosphere becomes tense and oppressive. The dark arts demons and the wizards stand facing each other warily, ready to pounce at any opportunity. Master Aek says that a portion of their forces is stationed to protect Escuria Academy, along with Headmaster Conner. If this side falters, he will teleport in to help immediately. That's one of the reliefs I have. At least the creator of the system doesn't interfere too much with the affairs of the world he created.

The Demon Emperor stands behind his army, with four of the Seven Sins lined up at the very front. Each of them has its own unique characteristics and exudes an indescribable strength.

I hold my wand in my mouth, standing beside my comrades, fully prepared for war. Neither side makes a move to attack until the dark clouds are blown away, and crimson light from the sky shines down on the ground. The wizards and dark arts demons look up at the sky almost simultaneously. A massive, crimson moon appears prominently and spectacularly in the heavens, bathing the entire land within a radius of dozens of kilometers in red. When my skin touches the crimson moonlight, it feels as if magical power is beginning to surge and overflow. My heart beats rapidly and forcefully, almost bursting from my chest. 

My instincts tell me that my corgi form cannot handle this immense latent power, so I decide to transform into a human, which alleviates the internal pressure. Both the wizards and demons show similar reactions, but they are able to endure and accept the latent power. Especially Anya, who is now forcefully controlling the overflowing power with her mother standing beside her, giving advice. Although some soldiers die from their own power overwhelming them, we don't have time to pay attention to that right now. Because even if the wizards gain power from bathing in the moonlight, so do the demons.

The Night of the Scarlet Moon Sacrifice has begun.

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To Be Continue Ep.37