Chapter 15 – Blood and teror
Blood dripped onto the stone floor like a crimson rain. The academy courtyard was no longer a place of learning — it had become a slaughterhouse. Screams shattered the night, the glow of magic clashed against the darkness, and death watched them from every corner.
Seryn swung his sword, severing the head of a black-skinned demon. Hot blood splashed across his face, but he didn't flinch. The sight no longer made him sick, nor did fear grip his heart. Death was an old acquaintance — and tonight, it had come calling again.
"The left flank is collapsing!" Elira shouted, struggling to maintain a protective barrier as her knees hit the ground. "Lucien!" Seryn barked sharply. "Reinforce them!"
Lucien lifted his blood-smeared face, eyes burning with focus and fury. "On it!" he yelled, dashing toward the faltering line. His sword danced through the air, carving into demonic flesh with sparks and steel.
Then the sky split open with a flash of blue. A thunderous roar followed as a massive spear of lightning crashed into the ground, vaporizing a cluster of twenty demons in an instant.
Seryn turned his gaze upward. Standing atop the academy library tower was a young man cloaked in blue, twin staves glowing in his hands.
Leon Thorne. In the original novel, he was known as the Herald of Thunder — one of the most brilliant tacticians in the hero's party. His magic had turned countless battles in their favor. For now, he was still a student, but the potential radiating from him was undeniable.
"Eyes up!" Leon's voice boomed like the storm itself. "B-class demon approaching from the east!"
Seryn's heart sank. A B-class… facing such a monster with their current strength was suicide.
"Fall back!" Elira cried. "We can't stop that here!"
But retreat wasn't an option. If they pulled back now, the unarmed students behind them would be slaughtered. Seryn drew a deep breath.
"We need a plan." "No time," Lucien snapped. "If we don't stop it, everyone dies." "Ardan," Seryn said, turning to the lightning mage. "Hit it from above. Lucien, go for the left leg. I'll look for a weak point." "Don't order me around," Ardan muttered, his voice cold. "This isn't an order," Seryn replied flatly. "It's survival."
Ardan said nothing but raised his hands. Lightning began to swirl above them, humming with lethal power. Meanwhile, Lucien and Seryn moved to intercept the monster.
The demon was enormous, standing over four meters tall, its body covered in armored scales. Each step shook the ground, and its breath came out as searing heat that scorched the stone beneath it. Its eyes burned with pure hatred.
Lucien lunged first, slashing at the creature's knee joint. The beast swung its massive arm, sending him flying several meters back. Seryn darted low, sliding beneath its guard and stabbing into the tendon. His blade sank into the flesh, and hot blood sprayed across his face — but the creature remained standing.
"Now!" Seryn shouted.
Ardan's hands dropped, and a column of lightning slammed into the demon's back. The beast roared in pain, staggering a few steps backward.
"Leon!" Seryn shouted. "Stun it!" "Got it!"
Leon unleashed another blast of lightning, stunning the creature. Elira followed up with binding spells, wrapping magical chains around its legs.
Lucien charged again, this time driving his blade into one of the creature's eyes. It howled, thrashing violently. Seryn leapt upward and plunged his sword deep into its neck. The monster stumbled — but it still wasn't dead.
"Damn it! It's still moving!" Ardan yelled. "It's a B-class demon," Seryn panted. "It won't die just from brute force. We need its weak point."
The beast roared, shattering the chains. Elira was thrown across the courtyard, Leon nearly fell from his perch. A massive claw swiped toward Seryn. He tried to dodge — too late. The blow struck his shoulder, sending his sword flying from his grasp.
Blood filled his mouth as he fell to his knees. But even on the brink of collapse, the fire in his eyes didn't fade. This wouldn't be the first battle where fear tried to stop him — and it wouldn't succeed.
"End this!" Lucien roared.
The four of them moved as one. Ardan unleashed a final storm of lightning, Leon poured every ounce of mana into his spell, Elira tightened the last of her binding chains, and Seryn — with his last ounce of strength — drove his blade upward into the demon's skull.
Their combined assault tore through the creature. It convulsed, let out a final shriek, and collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Silence fell over the courtyard. Only the hiss of burning stone and the heavy stench of blood remained.
Seryn steadied his breath. This wasn't just a battle — it was a warning. The gates of hell had opened.
And this was only the first day.
💠 If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a comment and add the story to your library! 💭 The gates of hell have opened… and the chain remains unbroken.