The Road Back to the FortressVictory for the Darkness—but at what cost?
The Dark Knights had triumphed over the Holy Knight, yet the taste of victory felt bitter. They knew they had drawn the attention of the gods. Though it was hard to guess what the divine response would be, one thing was clear: they wouldn't have to wait long.
Sephist, resting his heavy blade on his shoulder, walked on, gripping his wounded side.
Sephist(wearily): "This one... wasn't easy."
Casmir(taking a deep breath): "We took too many risks. Next time, we can't be so careless."
Sephist(nodding, eyes scanning the distance): "We need to hurry. No one said the road back to the fortress would be safe."
Leaving behind the field reeking of blood, ash, and smoke, they began their journey home.
Through the Forest
The road led them into a dense, shadowy forest. Here and there, dark shapes moved like ghosts through the gloom—but none came close. It seemed the creatures of the forest recognized who the knights were.
But suddenly, a cold breeze stirred, and the air grew tense with an eerie presence.
Casmir(suddenly halting, looking around): "What was that?"
Sephist(a seasoned warrior's instinct kicking in, gripping his blade): "We're being watched…"
Sephist(gazing into the darkness): "Who's there?"
No response. Only silence. Too much silence.
The wind picked up, shaking leaves and branches. Something unnatural stirred in the air.
Casmir(nearly whispering): "I don't like this…"
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the void.
???: "Did you think you could just leave?"
The Dark Knights froze.
Casmir(drawing his twin curved blades slowly): "Who's there?!"
A red glow shimmered through the woods, and the air grew heavy. They understood instantly—this was no ordinary foe.
Sephist(whispering): "Looks like we have a problem…"
Welcome to the Dark Forest…
Sephist: "Who are you?! Come out and face us!"
Casmir: "Did you think you were invisible?"
From the depths of the woods, two piercing red eyes watched them. Cold. Cruel. Then, something massive stirred between the trees.
Casmir: "Come out! Don't just hide!"
A heavy footstep echoed through the quiet. Leaves quivered. Something gigantic moved in the shadows.
When it finally stepped into the faint light, the air froze.
Even battle-hardened Casmir recoiled, muttering: "What… what is that? I've been a Dark Knight for 24 years, and I've never seen anything like this…"
Sephist (watching carefully): "He's not like us. He's not with them either. This… is the guardian of this mountain—the Forest Spirit."
The Forest Spirit
This being was no mere beast.
Two red eyes burned like flame, and a third eye—sealed—rested on its forehead, emitting dark energy even while shut. Its body resembled a gnarled tree, its head a skull, chest and arms human, but its veins twisted like roots, constantly leaking black smoke. Its legs were those of a predator.
Casmir took a deep breath and declared calmly: "We didn't come to fight. Let us go. We won't return to these mountains again."
But the spirit chuckled darkly: "You burned a quarter of my forest, and now you ask to leave?"
Sephist stepped forward: "Yes. But we used restorative magic. The forest will regenerate within three hours."
The spirit scoffed and growled: "Your foul magic means nothing to me!"
Suddenly, it released an aura even more powerful than Eliana's. Even Sephist, master of the dark arts, felt unease.
Sephist: "That aura… it chills the soul. It's on par with the Nine Holy Knights—no… perhaps even a dragon-lord or a god."
The Battle Begins!
The Forest Spirit roared, shaking the air and conjuring blazing orbs. Its fury spread like wildfire, burning the very air, shaking the land, and launching fireballs like bullets.
Casmir and Sephist dodged swiftly.
Sephist raised his massive sword as a shield, while Casmir spun and sliced through fireballs with his twin blades.
Casmir: "Where did it go?!"
Suddenly, the Spirit struck from behind.
Casmir countered with a blitz of strikes, his speed almost lightning-fast. Blades flew. Claws clashed. Sparks danced in the air.
Casmir: "Rrraaaaah! Fangs of the Fallen Tiger!!"
He unleashed a deadly flurry of attacks using the power of darkness.
The Spirit blocked with both arms, chuckling: "Impressive, boy. You are strong."
But now Sephist and Casmir struck together, attacking from both flanks.
The Spirit raised its arms and released a massive explosion, engulfing the forest in flames.
Massive Explosion!
Sephist: "He's strong… and just as fast as Casmir."
Casmir: "This spirit… truly lives up to the name 'Lord of the Cursed Mountain.'"
But Casmir stumbled—his leg was severely injured.
The Spirit smiled coldly: "You are powerful… It's been a long time since anyone challenged me like this."
Just then, Ayraa appeared.
Ayraa: "That's enough, Forest Spirit. We don't want to fight you."
Spirit: "Ooh? You're powerful too… I sense a rage in you, boy—like a storm waiting to be unleashed."
The spirit paused, thoughtful.
Spirit: "You know… when two beasts meet, they fight to see who's stronger. And the loser is always killed without mercy. That is nature."
Spirit: "But those are creatures with no mind. We are sentient beings."
It studied Ayraa and said: "Hmm. I underestimated you. You're quite the silver tongue…"
Then, with a cold tone:
Spirit: "Very well. I'll let you leave… this time. But if you ever return, I will kill you without hesitation."