—

Arvan – POV

Their condition was dire. Both of them were caught in the same dreadful state as Jack—wrapped in the serpents’ constricting coils. Their faces had turned pale, veins bulging around their temples. They were gasping, their breath coming in short, desperate bursts.

In a panic, I carried Jack and laid him near a moss-covered tree, far enough that the serpents couldn’t notice him. His body was heavy, limp—every breath he took felt borrowed.

“You bastards…!” I growled, gripping my sword tighter. “Hiyahhh!”

I charged toward the nearest serpent and plunged my blade deep into its scaly flesh. The steel tore through muscle with a wet, sickening sound.

A deafening roar exploded through the forest, shaking loose the rain-soaked leaves above.

One of the serpents that was coiled around Sandi turned its head toward me, its eyes glowing a poisonous yellow. It hissed, the sound like steam escaping a forge, and its coils tightened around him even more.

“Damn you all, filthy demons!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the forest corridor. The air reeked of blood and smoke; somewhere distant, a raven screeched.

The serpent released Sandi suddenly and slithered toward me, its massive body carving grooves into the mud. I raised my sword, but before I could swing, the creature’s tail lashed out, wrapping around my torso with crushing force.

Pain flared across my ribs. My vision blurred as the serpent’s scales scraped against my armor. I could barely move, barely breathe.

“Not like this,” I muttered through clenched teeth.

I reached for the knife strapped to my leg and hacked at its rough scales. Sparks flew as the blade tore through layer after layer until its grip loosened just enough for me to fall free.

I hit the ground hard, rolling over leaves and dirt. Without hesitation, I grabbed my sword and hurled it straight at the serpent’s eye.

The blade found its mark.

The creature screamed—a shrill, earsplitting sound that made the forest tremble. Its body convulsed violently before crashing into the ground with a thunderous thud.

Blood splattered across my face, hot and metallic. The serpent lay still, twitching once before going silent forever.

Panting, I wiped my face and turned to Sandi. He wasn’t moving. My heart sank.

Stumbling forward, I knelt beside him and pressed my fingers to his neck. There—a faint pulse. Weak, but still there.

“Hold on, brother…” I whispered.

I began performing CPR, counting each compression in my head, praying it would work. After several tense moments, Sandi coughed—his eyelids fluttering open. His breathing was shallow, but he was alive.

“Where’s George?” I asked quickly.

He turned his eyes to the side, weakly gesturing.

I didn’t waste a second. I dashed toward the direction he’d indicated. My legs burned, but adrenaline kept me moving.

When I reached George, I found him locked in combat with another serpent—this one far larger, its scales dark as midnight. Agis was entangled beside him, his sword lying uselessly in the mud.

“George!” I whispered harshly. He turned, eyes wide with exhaustion.

I raised a finger to my lips, signaling him to stay quiet. My plan was to strike from behind, but before I could move, the ground beneath me shifted. A shadow loomed.

A giant serpent, larger than any I’d seen, erupted from the thicket and coiled around me in an instant. Its scales were slick and cold, its strength immense.

I struggled, gasping as the pressure crushed my ribs. Every movement was pain.

We were all trapped—helpless. No one could move or fight back.

‘Depending on Sandi is impossible,’ I thought bitterly. ‘He’s just a soldier—George’s trainee. He won’t survive this.’

My thoughts started to fade as the serpent’s grip tightened, cutting off my breath. Spots danced before my eyes.

Then—

“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!”

My eyes snapped open. That sound—it couldn’t be.

“Is that… Lucky?” I croaked, barely able to speak. My vision was fading, darkness creeping in from the edges.

“George…” I gasped, forcing air into my lungs. “The dog… it’s here…”

Somewhere in the distance, I heard George’s broken voice, calling out faintly, “Lucky… I’m here…”

Then everything went black. My body went limp, my consciousness slipping away into silence.

—

Xanders – POV

Night had fallen quickly. The forest seemed to breathe around us—every tree a silhouette, every shadow alive. I kept moving forward, searching for Arvan’s trail.

Lucky trotted ahead, nose close to the ground, following a faint scent I couldn’t detect. The mist thickened the deeper we went, swallowing the moonlight whole.

Suddenly, the dog froze, growling low.

I glanced at the pendant hanging from my neck—it was glowing a deep, violent red. My chest tightened. I looked toward Michelle; she already had her bow drawn.

“Why—” I began, but my words died.

From the eastern fog, a figure emerged—twisted and skeletal, its eyes burning like coals.

“At last…” it hissed, voice slithering like oil. “I’ve found you.”

Michelle took aim, her hands steady despite the tremor in her breath.

“Hand over your life,” the demon whispered.

I smirked. “You should’ve stayed hidden, bastard.”

It laughed—an awful, echoing sound that made the forest itself recoil.

“Let me handle this,” I said, holding out my hand to stop Michelle. She hesitated, then nodded, clutching Lucky protectively.

“Keep the dog safe,” I whispered. “There might be more of them watching.”

I stepped forward, sword drawn. The demon’s grin widened.

“You’ll die tonight,” I spat, and lunged.

But before my blade could land, the ground erupted—five more demons slithered out of the shadows. My pendant pulsed violently, reacting to their presence.

Flames surged from within my chest, racing up my arms. My palms split open, and fire burst out into the darkness.

It burned—searing pain mingled with fury.

I closed my eyes, and for an instant, saw Grandma Wilona’s face—her calm, ancient eyes. The fire within me roared to life.

I unleashed it.

A wave of flame tore through the forest, consuming the first demon entirely. It screamed as it dissolved into ash.

The rest came at me in rage, but I was faster—stronger. My blade moved like fire itself, striking with precision.

When it was over, the ground was littered with burning corpses. The forest smelled of blood and smoke.

“Hah… pathetic,” I muttered.

I turned—Michelle stood frozen, her bow trembling.

“Who… are you?” she whispered.

“I…”

“You’re not Xanders,” she said, stepping back. “You’re the Ancient Flame… the true demon.”

I frowned, lowering my sword. “I’m still me.”

Her voice shook. “Do you even know what that means? When the Ancient Flame awakens, there are only two outcomes—peace… or destruction.”

“I know,” I said quietly.

“You… you won’t destroy the world, will you?”

I let out a faint laugh. “If I wanted that, would I be fighting to protect it?”

I reached out and took Lucky from her trembling arms.

“Come on,” I said gently. “Let’s find your master.”

Then I walked ahead into the mist.

Behind me, Michelle stood in silence, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Are you just going to stand there?” I called over my shoulder.

She blinked, then shouted, “Wait!” and ran to catch up.

We followed the dog deeper into the night until the trees opened into a clearing scarred by battle.

The ground was wet with blood. Shattered weapons lay scattered.

“It looks like a fight happened here,” I murmured, crouching to touch a splintered trunk. “And the blood’s still fresh.”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!” Lucky barked, darting forward.

I looked up as the dog bolted into the darkness.

“Come on! Don’t fall behind!” I yelled to Michelle.

“Forget about me—just follow him!” she shouted back.

I sprinted ahead, heart pounding.

Then I saw it.

“Arvan…”

He was there—wrapped tightly in the coils of a massive serpent, its fangs glistening in the moonlight.

“You filthy demon snake!” I roared, fire flaring in my hands.

“Xanders…” George’s weak voice trembled through the chaos.

Lucky barked again, drawing the serpent’s attention.

And the forest, once silent, erupted once more into battle.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep