The moment they stepped into the chamber, the elves attacked.
A wave of dark figures surged forward, their movements unnaturally synchronized—as if controlled by a single will.
At the front, heavily armored knight-elves lowered their spears and charged.
"Brace!" John shouted.
The first spear came fast—too fast.
Clang!
John barely deflected it, the force traveling down his arms and into his shoulders. Before he could recover, another thrust came, then another, then another.
They didn't hesitate.
They didn't slow.
It was relentless.
John gritted his teeth as he blocked again and again, forced backward step by step.
Behind the front line, the second row acted.
Archers.
Dozens of them.
Their arrows flew in a constant storm, filling the air with sharp whistles. It didn't even feel like they were drawing arrows—just firing endlessly, as if their quivers would never empty.
"Watch the back!" Kane shouted.
Lily ducked as three arrows sliced past her head. Another struck the ground where she had stood a second before.
They couldn't stand still.
They couldn't advance.
They were trapped in pressure from every direction.
And then—
The third row moved.
Mages.
A line of dark-robed elves raised their staffs in unison. Purple-black magic gathered at their tips, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Not good…" Lily muttered.
A barrage of dark spells erupted.
Explosions of corrupted mana tore across the battlefield, distorting the air, breaking formations, forcing everyone apart.
And worst of all—
The mages weren't just attacking.
They were supporting.
Every fallen elf… every broken weapon… every exhausted soldier—
Was being restored.
"They're replenishing them!" Christina yelled from the back.
Her voice was tight with worry.
"I don't have any disruption potions left!"
That meant one thing.
They had to break through—now.
Benson stepped forward.
His sword flashed.
"Stay behind me!"
He charged straight into the spear line.
Clang—slash—crack!
One elf fell.
Then another.
Then three more.
But for every one he cut down, another stepped forward to replace it.
"Damn it…!"
Even Benson couldn't keep up forever.
Michael stood behind them, watching carefully.
Then he raised his hand.
Dark energy gathered around him—but unlike the elves, his magic felt unstable… incomplete.
He launched several dark shards toward the enemy mages.
They struck—but barely did damage.
"Still too weak…" he muttered.
He clicked his tongue in frustration.
Meanwhile, Lily and Kane fought side by side.
"Left!" Kane warned.
Lily spun and released a burst of fire, forcing back approaching elves.
But the moment her spell flew—
A barrier appeared.
One of the enemy mages blocked it effortlessly.
"They're countering everything!" Lily said.
Kane nodded, his expression serious.
"We can't win like this."
At the front, Benson finally broke through the spear line—
Only for the situation to worsen.
The archers… changed.
They dropped their bows.
And drew swords and shields.
"What—?"
A solid wall formed instantly.
Shields locked together.
Blades ready behind them.
A defensive formation.
"Are they serious?!" John shouted. "They can do everything?!"
The battlefield had become a stalemate.
No—
Worse than that.
They were being slowly overwhelmed.
Michael suddenly stepped forward.
"I'll handle the mages."
Everyone turned toward him.
"You?" Kane asked.
Michael smirked.
"I just need a distraction… not victory."
Then he looked at Lily and Kane.
"You two—make something big."
Lily froze for a second.
"…How big?"
Michael's grin widened.
"Big enough to end this."
They didn't hesitate.
Lily closed her eyes.
Mana began gathering around her—fire, wind, lightning… multiple elements swirling together chaotically.
Normally, it would collapse.
Explode.
Break apart.
But—
Kane stepped in.
His neutral magic wrapped around Lily's unstable mana, stabilizing it, shaping it.
"Hold it steady…" Kane murmured.
"I am!" Lily snapped, sweat forming on her forehead.
The mana slowly took form.
Not a sphere.
Not a blade.
Something… different.
A long, rigid shape.
Slightly bent.
Focused.
Compressed.
Lily opened her eyes.
"…I think I got it."
Kane looked at the construct, surprised.
"What is this?"
Lily smirked faintly.
"I call it…"
She raised it.
"A magic gun."
"Ready?" Michael asked without turning.
"Ready!" they both replied.
Michael moved.
This time, he didn't hold back.
Dark spheres.
Shards.
Waves of energy.
He unleashed everything he had toward the enemy mages.
Explosions filled the backline.
Several mages staggered.
Some even fell.
But more importantly—
All of them shifted their focus.
"Defend the front!" one of them shouted.
Barriers rose instantly.
Their attention—
Diverted.
"NOW!" Kane shouted.
"JOHN! BENSON! MOVE!"
Without hesitation, both of them leapt back.
The moment the path cleared—
Lily and Kane fired.
A beam erupted from the "gun."
Not a blast.
Not an explosion.
A pure, concentrated stream of mana.
It tore through the battlefield in a perfectly straight line.
Shields shattered instantly.
Armor melted.
Elves—
Gone.
The beam carved a path straight through the army, erasing everything in its way.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then—
BOOM.
The beam struck something.
Stopped.
At the far end of the chamber—
The Dark King stood.
Unmoving.
Untouched.
One hand raised.
Blocking the attack.
Benson's eyes widened.
He stopped it…?
All this time…
The king hadn't moved.
Not once.
Not even during the chaos.
Not even when his army was being destroyed.
It was as if—
None of it mattered.
Is he… mocking us?
The thought burned inside Benson.
His grip tightened on his sword.
Veins bulged.
His voice erupted.
"WE ARE NOT WEAK!"
The room shook with his roar.
"I WILL CUT YOU DOWN -JUST YOU WAIT!"
Behind them—
A strange sound echoed.
"…Ahh…"
Everyone turned.
The puppet.
Michael.
It stood up slowly.
Its body looked… fuller.
Stronger.
He was devouring the fallen elves
"…So full…" it muttered.
"I've finally recovered… about a quarter of my power."
Michael smiled in satisfaction.
Then—
The king moved.
He stood.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Then—
He stomped.
Once.
The entire chamber trembled violently.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Cracks spread across the walls.
Then—
A second stomp.
The air itself seemed to compress.
Christina nearly lost her balance.
"…This is bad…" she whispered.
Benson reacted instantly.
He slammed his sword into the ground.
THUD.
"OFFENSIVE FORMATION!" he roared.
Everyone moved without hesitation.
John took the front.
Benson beside him.
Lily and Kane positioned behind, preparing another attack.
Christina remained in the center, hands ready, eyes scanning for injuries.
Michael?
He stepped to the side.
Watching.
Smiling faintly.
" I'll support you from the sides."
At the far end—
The Dark King lowered his hand.
Dark energy began gathering around him.
For the first time—
He acknowledged them.
The real battle…
Was about to begin.