The chapter begins in the dimly lit tower of Castle Lior, where the atmosphere was thick with tension. Mammon, disguised as King Canvos, embodied the coldness of betrayal. His piercing gaze was locked on Aelion, who hesitated to release the barrier.
- Mammon: "Lower the barrier, Aelion," Mammon commanded, his voice laced with a power that seemed to vibrate through the castle walls. "The Village of the Silvinos is under attack by demons. They need you!"
Aelion, feeling the weight of those words, looked toward the distant horizon where shadows stirred.
- Aelion: "But... the protection of the Kingdom of Lior..."
- Mammon: "There's no time to waste! Disable the shields!" Mammon (still disguised as Canvos) insisted, his expression a mask of urgency that hid his true nature.
With a heavy sigh, Aelion obeyed the call, his trembling fingers deactivating the barrier. The Sosen Baria staff slipped from his hands, a symbol of protection bidding farewell. A cry of despair echoed in his heart.
Roughly 13 hours after the fall of the Protective Shell, Mammon's demonic hordes began to invade the Kingdom of Lior. The shadows became an unstoppable tide, and the cruel ambush orchestrated by Mammon led to the decimation of the Holy Knights' forces. The Kingdom plunged into deep darkness, where cries of panic and despair echoed endlessly.
As chaos spread, a distant light began to shine. Lilya arrived in the Kingdom of Lior, her unwavering determination reflected in her eyes. Without hesitation, she unveiled one of the powerful forms of her Spiritual Halberd, Bastion. The Eighth Form, Moon Lily – Burst, manifested as a beacon of hope amid the destruction.
- Lilya: "You're all too noisy!" — And with a precise strike, a wave of energy surged from the halberd, annihilating most of the demons and briefly restoring hope among the people.
As the dust settled, she moved swiftly, using Bastion's Ninth Form to heal the wounded civilians. The revitalizing energy of Moon Lily – Healing Mist spread like a gentle breeze, mending wounds and restoring life to the hearts of the afflicted.
- Lilya: "Please evacuate!" — she pleaded, her voice firm yet full of emotion. Sir Aric, the last remaining of the Divine Auras, observed the scene with a puzzled expression.
- Sir Aric: "Why is the Queen of the Fairies helping a human kingdom?" — he asked, disbelief evident in his tone. "I thought you despised us!"
She looked into Aric's eyes, her heart pulsing with a truth she now embraced.
- Lilya: "Despite everything that's happened between us, in this moment of crisis, we are all affected. The weight of life falls upon our shoulders—humans and fairies alike. I cannot stand idly by while lives are at stake!"
Sir Aric nodded, understanding the dilemma they now faced.
- Sir Aric: "Then what should we do?"
- Lilya: "Cross the mountains to the East. The Minotaur's Labyrinth is the safest place now. You must lead the civilians and the remaining knights." — Lilya replied, the resolve in her voice lighting the path ahead.
With one last glance toward the East, Lilya turned toward the castle, where Mammon awaited in his true form, seated on the throne that once belonged to Canvos. His laughter echoed through the hall, a macabre symphony reverberating off the stone walls.
- Mammon: "Ah, Lilya," — he said with a sadistic grin. — "What a pleasure to see you. Have you come to surrender?"
- Lilya: "Where did Lucifer take the fruit?" — she asked, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her.
- Mammon: "It doesn't matter. By now, he's probably at Mount Olympus." — Mammon replied with disdain.
Immediately, a surge of urgency overtook Lilya.
- Lilya: "I have to go after him!" — She turned to leave, but Mammon tried to intervene, his ominous presence casting a dark shadow over her.
It was at that moment that a portion of Bastion's true power awakened within Lilya. A radiant light surged through her being, allowing her to wield two forms of the Bastion Halberd simultaneously.
- Lilya: "You won't stop me!" — she cried out, summoning the Second Form: Makura-Bastion.
With a swift motion, she soared at supersonic speed atop Makura-Bastion toward Olympus, while the Third Form: Divide manifested, creating a barrier of fragments that blocked Mammon's path.
Mammon screamed in fury, but the light of the halberd shone brighter. The battle between light and darkness was about to escalate—and amidst the storm, the hope of a new dawn began to form.