Ash drifted like snow through the broken towers of Avenus.
Elven bodies lay scattered. Their magic extinguished.
The Tree of Life—gone.
Its trunk, shattered.
Its roots, bleeding miasa into the dying earth.

And from that ruin… Samuel rose.

Clad in cursed knight armor, a black halo of chains floating behind him, he stared down the three witches standing in his way.

Cathy dashed ahead, sliding to her knees beside the crumbled altar.

Sasha lay unconscious—bloodied, armor cracked, her staff split in two.

Satori dropped beside her, breath shallow.
“Sasha… no…”

Her chest still rose—barely.

Satori stood. Her legs trembled. Her aura flickered—unstable.
Adel’s power still surged beneath her skin.

No time to think. Only fight.

“Cathy. Dorothy.”

That was all she needed to say.

They nodded.
Witches didn’t need words when hearts were aligned.

Samuel stepped forward, blood dripping from his fingers.
“Didn’t I tell you? This war is over. Your master has fallen. Why do you still fight?”

Satori flinched.

But Cathy moved first.

She slashed her spear through the air—
A compressed wave of water magic surged forward, slamming into Samuel’s armor with a hiss of steam.

Satori followed.
Light spears rained from the sky like falling stars.

But Samuel vanished into the mist—
Then reappeared above them, blade raised like a black comet.

“Too slow.”

Satori raised her hand.

Her miasa raged—unstable, boiling inside her veins—
She didn’t think. She felt.

“Light Bind!”

Chains of golden light erupted from the earth, catching Samuel mid-fall and slamming him into the dirt.

BOOM.

Dust erupted. Trees cracked. The forest screamed.

But then—

A surge of dark miasa burst outward, shattering the chains.

His armor hissed as corrupted energy flowed through the cracks.
His mask split—revealing a man in his prime.

Eyes not of fury…
But of grief.

Satori and Dorothy flanked him—light and water weaving together in seamless rhythm.

Cathy froze his feet with spiked ice.
Satori cast broken shields to intercept slashes—each blow rattling her bones.

Samuel was faster. Stronger.
Every strike carved out centuries of pain.

But the witches didn’t fall.

Dorothy, panting:
“We don’t need to beat you.”

Satori, lips bloodied:
“Just delay you.”

Samuel growled:
“Until what?”

Satori grinned.
“Until you start slipping.”

And finally—he did.

A second of hesitation.

Satori’s miasa ignited—burning her from the inside.

She reached forward.
“Light Scatter!”

A blast of raw light tore from her hand, striking Samuel and tearing chunks of shadowed armor away.

He dropped to one knee.

Satori collapsed beside him, coughing blood.

Samuel looked up.
Not with hate.
With heartbreak.

“I see her in you. Adel… She knew the truth. But still tried to stop me.”

Satori whispered,
“I don’t know what happened back then… but I won’t let you kill Sasha.”

Samuel's eyes widened.
“You’d still fight… after this?”

“As long as I can stand.”

Dorothy activated a teleportation sigil beneath Sasha.

“Now!”

She and Cathy grabbed Sasha and vanished in a flash of light.

Samuel didn’t move.

He stared at where Satori vanished.

“Sorry, Master. This is the only way I can repay you...
Don’t hold back on me next time. I’m not that child anymore.”

The Demon King’s Throne

A hall of endless night.

At the center, the Demon King—a being of shadow and flame—sat upon a jagged obsidian throne.

Samuel knelt before him.

“My King. The Tree of Life is destroyed. The world’s foundation crumbles.”

The Demon King’s voice echoed like molten stone.
“Celtus… god of creation. If you’re watching, your precious world will fall. Just as you let it.”

He laughed—a sound like burning cities.

“You did well.”

Then:
“But you didn’t kill the witch.”

Samuel bowed lower.

“Forgive me… I hesitated.”

The Demon King’s eyes flared.

“Because you still care for her.”

He stood, towering like a mountain of smoke and steel.

“I’ll allow it. Just this once.”

“But fail me again… and I’ll rip the last of your humanity from you.”

Samuel’s fist clenched.
“As you command.”

“Find the witch.”

In the Witches' Sanctuary

Light pulsed faintly in the forest’s heart.

The three witches returned—Sasha unconscious in Dorothy’s arms.

Iris and Marie Lee rushed forward to tend to her.

Satori’s hands still trembled. Her eyes couldn’t meet anyone’s.

Dorothy spoke gently.
“She’s alive. Barely.”

Iris frowned.
“All across the continent, kingdoms are falling. Demon Lords have attacked in unison.”

Marie added,
“We’ve survived. But the worst is coming.”

“Rest now.” Iris looked out to the darkened horizon.
“There won’t be many chances left.”

In the Distance

Horns howled across the mountains.
Villages burned. Cities collapsed.
The world shook.

The war wasn't just in Avenus.

It had already spread.