Discovered

"Arena?" The emperor's eyes sparkled in surprise. The elders and most of his council died spectating that fight. There was only him and the survivors that day. Thinking back to those who were present, Darion could only guess the identity of the man before him. His suspected demon king!

Although that demon never answered his question, Darion knows that there are only a handful of demons who have kept their eyes. Those who were of royal blood from the demon clans or those who were half-bloods and are outcasted from the species. "You were THAT demon? I can feel that this red-haired girl was the champion of my tournament, but I never expected that she would be the one you were trying to protect that day. This is getting more and more interesting. A demon protecting a lowly human."

Lucien's own thoughts made him smile. His white teeth with two fangs at the sides sparkled under the sun's rays. He looked magnificent with his white teeth contrasting his black overalls. "So?" Lucien asked.

"I will get her from you whatever it takes," Darion's determined voice reached Midel's ears too.

His eyes landed on the unconscious empress beside him. "We have to do something," he muttered under his breath.

"As I've told you, you will not be able to touch her." Lucien raised his shoulders preparing to launch an attack at Darion. He looked at Darion's red eyes. Lucien could smell the greed that was inside the emperor's soul. It was a foul stench that can be compared to rotting flesh.

Darion whispered near his sword and it glowed a purple hue. He slashed his sword to his side to get rid of the blood on it. The thick red liquid squelched. The was blood in the grass. There was blood on Lucien's shoulder. And there was more blood dripping from Lucien's staff.

Lucien leaped, turning into a flash of black light directed at Darion. In a matter of seconds, sounds of metal clashing against each other reverberated in the air. A staff and a sword fought against each other with neither one of them holding back.

"Shadow serpents,"

"Shield of Light,"

"Bone Crusher,"

"Spell Breaker,"

With each special technique, either of them uttered, the other would mercilessly counter the attack. The minutes turned into hours and both of their life forces started to deplete. The blood flowing out of Lucien's staff stopped dripping while the glow from Darion's sword started to flicker. When they realized that they were on par with special techniques, the battle went physical. With a kick and a push, Lucien managed to hit the emperor on his gut. He then leaped out of their brawl and put a distance between them.

Both were gasping for air when they parted. Sweat and blood filled the air around them. And they were both painted with black and blue bruises all over their body.

Midel watched them from aside. He tried touching Yllana to pull her out of her unconscious state but all he received was a glare from Lucien each time his fingers touched her. Midel then realized that somehow the pendant floating around Yllana's chest must be a charm that Lucien gave her and is somewhat connected to Lucien directly. 'I wish someone was concerned about me like that,' he sighed.

After trying again and again to move Yllana's floating body, he gave up. Lucien will not even let her be touched by other men. How possessive could he be? And they are still not labeled at that point. What more would he do if she becomes…Midel shook his head and berated his own brain for thinking up to that point. He has seen the future. It was bleak and gloomy. If it should go about that way, then they must survive this emperor's wrath first.

Seeing the weakened state of both men, Midel summoned his crystal ball. Lucien is at most already in the Holy rank, but Darion is fighting on par with him. So, it means that without external help, Lucien might lose in the fight. Midel sat cross-legged on the forest floor and placed the crystal ball in front of him. With his hands placed on either side, he started to chant an ancient language that only oracles could understand.

The chanting continued until silver beams of light flowed out of his body and went inside the crystal ball. The crystal glowed mildly with the life force that Midel directed into it. He should at least make a back-up plan if worse comes to worst.

Darion coughed when he jumped back from Lucien's kick. It was the first time that Lucien had touched him, and the feeling was different from other people's hits. Something was amiss. There was a heart-wrenching pain in the spot where Lucien kicked him. Something in his mind lighted up. It was all clear to him now. That kind of power can only be possessed by just one specific being on this mainland. And he knew it well. His assumptions are leading him to a definite answer. And it is driving his senses into a frenzy. Someone who is this powerful can only be the person who is worthy of being his opponent!

"Now I am more eager to get her from you, someone like her can make you this muddle-headed? Hehe, I wonder what kind of woman she is." Darion began biting his lip. The regal image he displayed in front of his constituents was gone. It disappeared in front of Lucien and it only disappeared when he learned of Lucien's relationship with Yllana.

Lucien eyed him warily. There was something in his mind that reflects in his movements. He was getting agitated. He was getting impatient. When Darion noticed this, he saw an open opportunity. He ran quickly on the side and leaped into the air. He disappeared. Lucien did not see where Darion went. His heart throbbed.

Tightening the grip on his staff, he summoned his shadow serpents. The shadows crawled on the ground and went back to Lucien empty-handed. His eyes scanned his surroundings. When he thought that Darion gave up, he started to walk back to Midel. His gait showed the pain he was in when his shoulders move even just a little.

Midel also noticed that the emperor disappeared but he did not stop filling life force inside the crystal ball. With enough life force, the crystal will be powerful to blow up who will encounter it. He felt relieved seeing that Lucien was walking towards them. Has the fight ended? He did not know since he was keeping an eye on the women and the crystal ball.

When he stood up…

BOOM!

A dark figure appeared beside Yllana and was blown away from the force that Yllana's body released. When the explosion happened, Lucien felt his body go weak. His knees dropped to the floor and more blood gushed out of his wound. He saw two red eyes in the dark figure's face. Its long slender arms were as black as charcoal. A black liquid was trickling down on both its arms resulting from the explosion.

"Lucien!" Midel shouted. He rushed to Lucien's side. "Your life force is nearing its end! We have to get you treated. Where are your potions?" Midel rummaged through Lucien's clothing and pockets. But Lucien shoved him and grabbed him by the collar.

"Go…to…Yllana!" he bellowed with a wavering voice. When he uttered the last word, he collapsed.

Midel peered over at Yllana's floating body. She was still unconscious. Her eyelids were shut tight. He looked at the side and saw the emperor's complete transformation. His upper body was black as a demon's. His eyes were bloodred and gawking at the floating girl but there was hesitation in his eyes. And Midel knew why.

"Hey demon!" Midel tossed the crystal ball to Darion. But the demon was completely unaware of the crystal approaching him from above.

Another thunderous explosion resounded. Midel's crystal broke into a mist of powdery material. Darion howled at the pain. His left arm which was nearer to the crystal ball was split into two. Midel looked at the terrifying scene beside Yllana. 'Yllana!' that was when he realized that he threw the crystal near to Yllana too. When the powdery mist dissipated, Yllana's glow was still and undisturbed. The shield around her protected her from the explosion.

Bloody flesh was hanging loosely on the bones of the arms of the demon. The bone can be seen in plain sight. Midel gulped. Darion was still standing up after two explosions. "You…lowly human!" The low menacing voice swayed Midel's confidence. He wanted to run to the two unconscious women, but the emperor-turned-demon being was still there staring at him. "I…will…come back!"

Poof!

Black smoke appeared from where Darion was standing. The smoke covered his entire body starting from below. His gasps slowly quietened down until the smoke disappeared.

The South Kingdom's emperor, Darion, who was also a demon, retreated. True to his words, Lucien protected Yllana by binding his life force with hers using the enchanted gemstone. The stone had a special effect of protecting the wearer if the life force of its benefactors were not depleted. Once the life force was completely consumed, the enchantment will wear off making the wearer vulnerable again.

Midel surveyed the three people and decided to take care of Lucien's wounds first. He stood up for all of them in this battle. His crystal was only a small sacrifice and can be replaced. But life, if sacrificed at this point, nothing can bring it back. Not even the power of the heavens can turn it back.

Now that Yllana's life force was discovered by the South kingdom's emperor, what will happen to them?