My heart slammed hard against my chest as I stared in horror.
Slowly, her body began to change, twisting into something hideous and unnatural. Her skin darkened, her face stretched, and within seconds, she was no longer Queen Emily.
A monster stood before me.
Not a regular demon.
A shape-shifter.
I gulped.
Outside, Dylan had already been surrounded.
Sharp blades were pointed at him from every direction.
"Seize him," Zadek ordered coldly.
The guards around him transformed at once, revealing their true forms.
Demons.
The king stared at the horrifying sight before him, his face draining of color before he collapsed to the floor in a dead faint.
"We're here!" Gina shouted as she rushed toward Dylan, Bruno right beside her.
Dylan gave a single nod.
Three against hundreds of demons.
"I think you and your crew should surrender, Lord Dylan," Zadek said confidently.
Dylan's expression remained unreadable.
"And what if I refuse?" he asked.
Zadek laughed.
"Ignorant. Just as they described you."
He stepped forward, pride and mockery gleaming in his eyes.
"Your victories have reached my ears. You defeated Ray, Jared, Ruben, and even the former General Bradley. I have long looked forward to testing your strength."
Dylan's lips curved into a faint smirk.
"And I won't bat an eye adding you to my collection."
"Let's see you try!"
With a furious roar, Zadek lunged at Dylan.
Their clash shook the palace.
The force of it sent a violent wave through the air, making everything around them tremble.
And then the battle truly began.
Bruno and Gina fought side by side, each watching the other's back.
Bruno's sword flashed through the air while Gina moved with deadly precision, using her fists and legs to strike down every demon that came too close.
But the demons were endless.
The fight grew more intense, and soon both Bruno and Gina were struck hard, their bodies thrown against a massive iron structure with brutal force.
They hit the ground hard.
Weakly, they pushed themselves back to their feet.
The demons had already surrounded them again.
"The palace isn't barrier-free," Gina said between heavy breaths. "The demons can use magic here… but we can't."
"And there are too many of them," Bruno muttered, tightening his grip on his sword.
They looked at each other.
No words were needed.
They understood immediately.
Then they both nodded.
"Run!" Gina screamed.
At once, they split in opposite directions, dividing the pursuing demons.
Gina dashed out through the palace gates, a swarm of demons racing after her.
Then suddenly—
She stopped.
She turned around slowly, a smirk spreading across her face.
"Take that."
She leapt high into the air and brought her foot crashing down into one of the demons, sending him flying across the courtyard.
She landed gracefully, brushing a hand through her hair with satisfaction.
"Now let's get this done."
And with that, the fight began again.
Bruno vaulted over the palace fence, landing hard on the other side as the demons chased after him.
When they finally cornered him, he was forced to stop.
"You guys are really starting to get on my nerves," he cursed.
Then he exhaled sharply.
"But since we still have to get this done…"
He drew his sword.
Lightning crackled around the blade, wild and dangerous.
The demons lunged at him all at once.
Back inside the palace, the fight between Dylan and Zadek had intensified.
Zadek attacked with full force, but Dylan dodged each strike with effortless precision.
Then Dylan countered.
His blow sent Zadek crashing to the floor.
Zadek rolled hard before collapsing weakly, struggling to rise.
Dylan stared down at him with a dark smirk.
"You said you wanted to see me try," Dylan said coldly. "Make sure you greet General Bradley for me in the underworld. You're my gift to him."
He stepped back.
Dark energy mixed with silver light began to gather around him, swirling violently as his power built.
Zadek's eyes widened.
"You can use magic inside the barrier?" he asked in shock.
His voice trembled.
"What… are you?"
Dylan's gaze turned colder.
"Bradley will tell you when you get to the underworld."
He raised his hand, preparing to strike the final blow.
Then Zadek laughed weakly.
"You aren't worried about your human girl?"
Dylan froze.
Clover.
The blackness in his eyes faded at once, his pupils returning to normal.
He turned sharply.
And there—
He saw her.
Clover was being dragged forward, a knife pressed tightly against her neck.
The energy around Dylan vanished instantly.
Zadek took the chance to crawl away.
Dylan stood still, his expression unreadable as he stared at the girl in the demon's grasp.
"What is your game?" he asked coldly.
Zadek smiled.
"My offer is simple. Offer to die in her place."
Dylan let out a low, mocking laugh.
"Who would want to die for a mere human?"
At that moment, Bruno and Gina returned.
The second they saw Clover being held captive, they froze.
"Save me, Dylan! I don't want to die!" Clover cried desperately.
Dylan tilted his head slightly.
"I'll agree to your condition," he said. "But only if you get on your knees and beg me."
Clover's eyes widened in shock.
Still, trembling, she lowered her head.
"Please… save me…"
Dylan's expression didn't change.
"You should know by now that I wouldn't spare you, Clover."
Her face turned pale.
"I changed my mind," Dylan said icily. "You can kill her. And after that… I'll kill all of you."
"My Lord—!" Bruno and Gina exclaimed in shock.
"I don't want to die!" Clover cried again. "Save me, Dylan!"
Dylan drew his sword and pressed it against Zadek's neck.
"Do you dare?" Zadek asked confidently.
The demon holding Clover pressed the blade harder against her throat, drawing a thin line of blood.
Dylan's eyes darkened.
"I dare."
Then his voice dropped into something far more dangerous.
"You really thought you could deceive me, shape-shifter?"
Before anyone could react—
A dagger flew through the air.
It buried itself deep in Clover's chest.
Shock spread across her face.
Even Bruno and Gina went pale.
Clover collapsed to the floor.
Dylan didn't even flinch.
He turned his attention back to Zadek.
"Now… back to you, General."
He pressed the sword harder against Zadek's neck.
"Any last words?"
Zadek glared up at him, breathing heavily.
Dylan's smirk deepened.
"I thought so. Don't forget to send my greetings to General Bradley."
Zadek let out a weak, bitter laugh.
"Whether you kill me now or not… you still won't stand a chance against the demons. The demons will reign—"
His words were cut short.
With one swift strike, Dylan severed his head.
It rolled across the floor.
Silence followed.
Bruno and Gina rushed toward the fallen Clover.
"Dylan…" Clover whispered weakly.
Dylan didn't move.
"Since when did we become so familiar with each other?" he asked coldly.
Then—
A blinding light flashed.
The body lying on the floor changed.
Clover vanished.
In her place was a grotesque creature, small and twisted, bleeding out onto the palace floor.
Bruno and Gina stumbled back in shock.
"How…?" the shape-shifter rasped weakly. "How did you see through me?"
Dylan said nothing.
A moment later, the creature's body dissolved into black particles and vanished completely.
"What happened?"
I stepped out from the inner palace, Queen Emily beside me.
The real Queen Emily.
The king, who had finally regained consciousness, stared around in confusion.
"Y-Yes… what happened?" he asked weakly.
Bruno and Gina looked at us, clearly unsure where to even begin.
Dylan turned away.
"Off to the next."