The castle loomed ahead of them, silent and oppressive.
Its black stone walls seemed to swallow the fading light, and the air around it felt… wrong. Heavy. Like something was watching.
A big piece of the building was destroyed before and there were debris everywhere.
They crouched behind a cluster of jagged rocks just beyond the clearing.
From here, they could see them.
Dark elves.
Tall, pale figures with silver-white hair moved along the castle walls and gate. Their movements were sharp, alert—yet strangely stiff, like predators that relied more on instinct than thought.
Benson narrowed his eyes.
"Dark elves…" he muttered quietly.
Everyone leaned in.
"They're not very intelligent," he continued in a low voice, "but don't underestimate them. Their magic is strong—dark magic. And more importantly…"
He paused, watching one guard turn its head sharply toward a faint noise in the distance.
"They have strong kinship. Hurt one…" his voice dropped further, "…and the rest will come."
A brief silence settled over the group.
Then Benson smirked slightly.
"Which is exactly what we want."
John grinned immediately. "Finally."
Benson pointed toward the castle gate.
"John—you go in. Make as much noise as you can. Draw their attention, then lead them out here."
He glanced at the others.
"Lily, Kane—you'll prepare a wide-area spell near the gate. Hit them the moment John passes through."
"Christina, stay close. Be ready with potions."
"And me…" Benson rested his hand on his sword.
"I'll make sure nothing goes wrong."
Everyone nodded.
No hesitation.
John slipped into the shadows and disappeared toward the castle.
Moments later—
Crash!
A loud metallic clang echoed from inside.
Then another.
And another.
A flash of bright golden light burst through one of the broken windows.
"Oi! Ugly bastards!" John's voice rang out from inside. "Come and get me!"
A pulse of holy light followed—sharp, radiant, and infuriating.
The reaction was instant.
Screeches echoed from within the castle.
Dark figures surged toward the sound.
Outside the gate—
Lily and Kane stood side by side, staffs raised.
Mana swirled around them, thick and visible.
Lily's eyes were focused, her breathing steady as she channeled energy into the ground.
Timing… don't rush it…
Beside her, Kane remained silent, but the air around him trembled slightly. Wind gathered, faint at first—then sharper, more violent.
Benson stood behind them, watching the entrance without blinking.
Christina clutched her potions tightly, her gaze darting between the gate and John's expected path.
Then—
"COMING THROUGH!"
John burst out of the castle gate at full speed.
Behind him—
A horde.
Dozens of dark elves flooded out, their eyes glowing faintly, hands already forming spells.
Dark bolts and shadowy projectiles shot toward John.
He dodged left, then right, barely avoiding them.
"NOW!" he shouted.
Lily slammed her staff down.
"Earth Spikes!"
The ground ahead of the gate erupted.
Jagged spikes shot upward in a dense field—
At the same time—
"Water Pool!"
A wave of water spread across the ground, turning the area slick and unstable.
The charging elves hit it at full speed.
They slipped—
Lost balance—
And fell directly onto the spikes.
Several were impaled instantly.
But not enough.
Many scrambled back up, injured—but still coming.
Kane stepped forward.
His voice was calm.
"Kamaitachi."
The air screamed.
Invisible blades of compressed wind exploded outward in all directions—
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Dark elves were cut down mid-step, their bodies torn apart by the barrage.
Yet still—
A few remained.
Then—
A single step forward.
Benson.
He raised his sword slowly.
For a moment—
Everything seemed to quiet.
Then he swung.
A single, clean slash.
A faint aura traced the blade's path—
And the remaining elves…
Were cut apart in an instant.
Clean.
Precise.
Effortless.
Silence returned.
Only the faint sound of wind and dripping water remained.
John bent over slightly, catching his breath.
"...There," he said between breaths, "was way more than I expected."
Christina hurried over, handing him a potion.
"You're okay, right?!"
"I'm fine," he said, taking it. "Barely."
Lily lowered her staff, scanning the battlefield.
Kane said nothing, but his gaze had already shifted back toward the castle.
Benson sheathed his sword.
"Good work," he said simply.
Then he turned toward the towering entrance.
"Let's rest for a bit."
He glanced upward, toward the higher floors hidden in darkness.
"This was just the entrance."
His voice grew more serious.
"There are more inside… and they'll be stronger than these."
The group followed his gaze.
The castle no longer felt distant.
It felt like it was waiting.