CHAPTER 25

"William!"

The call of his name had William whip around, but before he could even process what was happening, a sinister hand plunged through his chest, seizing his heart. The pain was excruciating, a searing agony that engulfed his senses. It felt as if the breath had been snatched from his lungs and replaced with an icy shock, coursing through his body.

In that dreadful moment, time seemed to slow down, and William's world became a swirling whirlpool of pain and disbelief. His daughter, so close, was now held in the balance, his own existence hanging by a thread. The battle raged around him, the noise and chaos becoming distant echoes as the darkness closed in.

"Dad?" The voice was filled with innocence, a stark contrast to the chaos and darkness surrounding them.

William grunted, teeth grinding together, as he swung his sword, severing the head of the demon general whose hand had been gripping his heart. However, in its final act, the demon had pulled back on his heart, causing immense pain.

Coughing up blood, William turned to his daughter, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination to live for her. As he looked down at his chest, he understood that this wish might not come true. His hands, trembling, reached for his daughter's cheek, and he managed a smile - a rare sight known only to Raine.

"Don't worry, Little One... I'm here," William whispered as his voice began to fade, and the fire in his once cold white eyes dwindled. His daughter looked into his fading gaze, seeing not the legendary Ghost Swordsman but her loving father, the only parent she had ever known. Unbeknownst to her, tears welled up in her eyes and fell freely.

Wiping the tears away, William made a feeble attempt to smile, but his body was no longer under his control. He had no choice now. 

"Goodbye, Little One," he murmured as his body started to lean sideways and eventually tumbled to the ground. His daughter, disoriented and frantic, leaped down from the altar, clutching his lifeless body to her chest. She called out to him, her voice filled with despair, but received no response. He was gone.

Raine, her eyes filled with determination and anger, swiftly severed the arms of a demon lieutenant that stood in her way. Her gaze then turned towards the harrowing scene where William's lifeless body lay in the arms of the young girl who could only be his daughter. Without hesitation, she sprang into action.

Raine rushed toward the last demon that had been part of the ritual, her fingers tightly gripping its head. She sprinted towards the location of the girl, a clear signal for her squad to form up around her. As she moved, Raine knew that the demons had one final objective: to kill the last living kin of William. The urgency of the situation weighed heavily on her, and the battle was far from over.

The demons, driven to a frenzied madness, unleashed their dark red aura as they charged toward Raine. The ground beneath their feet quaked and decayed, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Their assault was relentless, and they showed no signs of relenting.

Once more, the protective shield appeared behind Raine, shielding her from the onslaught of sneak attacks. But this time, another force joined the fray. Red vines erupted from the ground, entangling any demon that came too close. These voracious vines drained the lifeblood from the demons, leaving them weakened and defeated. Raine fought like a true warrior, her determination unwavering as she defended herself and the girl.

Raine, with her squad now assembled around her, stood protectively over the white-haired girl. In her arms, the lifeless body of William remained, a stark reminder of the cost of their battle. The girl's tears fell freely as she clung to her father's body.

The demons had them surrounded, closing in with their eerie, menacing presence. Above, the fledglings soared in the sky, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike with their savage and relentless attacks. The situation had taken a dire turn, and the odds seemed stacked against them.

Raine's mind raced, considering their options. The girl had to be protected at all costs. With William's sacrifice fresh in her memory, she knew she couldn't let anything happen to the girl. Her squad, too, understood the gravity of the situation and stood ready, their determination to fight clear in their eyes. It was a battle they couldn't afford to lose.

A powerful pulse surged from the altar. Raine, staring at the demon in her grasp, impaled himself through the heart using the stump where his hands had been severed. In shock, she hurled his lifeless form at the approaching demons. Turning to her team, incoherent words escaped her lips as the air around them responded to her commanding will. Within moments, she opened her eyes and issued a prompt and forceful directive.

"Take cover!" The command echoed across the battleground. Raine's squad, trained to follow her orders without hesitation, scattered to find refuge behind the remnants of the stronghold or any structure that could provide cover.

As they sought shelter, the atmosphere crackled with energy. The remnants of the demon she had killed served as a catalyst for an impending burst of power. Raine's eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity, a manifestation of the potent force she was about to unleash. The air itself seemed to vibrate in response to the impending release of magical energy.

The demons, sensing the imminent danger, hesitated in their advance. Even the fledglings above, usually bold and aggressive, faltered in the face of the unknown power that Raine was about to unleash. The girl, still holding her father's lifeless form, looked up at Raine with a mix of fear and hope.

In the next moment, the pulse erupted.

An explosion of magical energy radiated from the altar, sending shockwaves in every direction. The demons caught in the blast were thrown back, their forms disintegrating into shadows. The fledglings in the sky were scattered like leaves in the wind, their shrieks of agony piercing the air.

The ground itself shook from the force of the magical release, and a shockwave rolled outward, clearing the immediate area of any remaining demons. Raine, standing at the epicenter, bore the full brunt of the unleashed power. Her form flickered in and out of visibility as the magical energies coalesced around her.