The entire prison shook with the sound of iron doors being forced open. From above the staircase, a group of High Paladins descended. Their armor was made of Mythril blessed with holy oil, and their swords emitted a dazzling white light.
"The Demon Lord!" shouted the leader of the paladins, Sir Galahad. "I don't know how you survived, but this is where your resurrection ends!"
Valerius didn't speak. He remained standing in the middle of the cell, while behind him, Ignis' shadow grew larger. The blue flames emanating from Ignis' hands began to melt the cold concrete of the prison.
"Lord, let me cleanse this filth," Ignis whispered. Her voice was like the crackling of burning wood.
"Don't spare them, Ignis," Valerius ordered.
In an instant, Ignis charged. Unlike ordinary fire, her blue flames didn't produce smoke; they were pure heat that turned anything they touched to ash.
Sir Galahad swung his holy sword, but before the blade could hit, Ignis caught it with her bare hand.
CRACK. The supposedly unbreakable holy sword began to crack from the intense heat.
"Impossible!" Galahad shouted. "The Anti-Magic Field should be weakening you!"
"Our rage is not magic, mortal," Ignis said as she pressed her palm against the paladin's chest. "It's punishment."
A burst of blue flames engulfed the group of paladins. The entire corridor of the Hero's Sanctuary became an inferno in seconds. The screams of the soldiers were abruptly cut off as they turned to ash inside their own armor.
As the battle raged, Valerius approached the end of the corridor. He sensed something unusual about the wall behind Ignis' cell. A wall with seven seals engraved on it.
"Lord, that's the Chamber of Souls," Malphas said, appearing beside him. "That's where the physical bodies of your other generals are kept. Their souls were separated from their forms to prevent them from rising again."
"So the ones imprisoned here are just shadows?" Valerius asked.
"Yes, except for Ignis who managed to keep her form due to her Everlasting Flame. The others need to find their souls scattered in the seven corners of the world."
Valerius realized the extent of what the Union of Light had done. They didn't just defeat his army; they fragmented them to ensure Infernum would never rise again.
"Then we'll take their bodies first," Valerius said.
He touched the seal. Using the power of the Ring of Despair and the energy flowing from Ignis' victory, he crushed the first seal.
A strong wind burst from the chamber. Inside, Valerius saw six crystal coffins. Each contained a general who looked like they were merely sleeping—Vorgath of Earth, Zale of Water, and the others.
"Malphas, take their bodies to our hidden stronghold in the Border of Shadows," Valerius ordered. "Ignis, finish this place. I don't want a single stone of this Sanctuary left standing."
"As you command, my King!" Ignis replied joyfully.
She raised her hands and a giant Fire Pillar erupted from the depths of the earth, collapsing the entire fortress of the Hero's Sanctuary.
From afar, the people of the nearby towns saw their "Holy Temple" fall. The smoke, blue and black, served as a warning to the entire continent.
As Valerius walked away from the ruins, he was no longer alone. Beside him stood the loyal Malphas and the fiery Ignis. His power had risen to 8% with the recovery of his General.
"Our next target is Vorgath's soul," Valerius said, looking at the map. "It's being kept by a Duke in the capital of the Union of Light."
"Lord," Ignis said, looking at her hands. "I sensed another powerful being before we left. A being that's not human... and not one of us either."
Valerius stopped. He looked up and saw a white bird with golden eyes watching them from above.
"The Heroes," Valerius whispered. "They're starting to awaken."