"You are weak," the stranger began, his voice as cold as a whetted blade. "You need training, boy. Do not waste my time—I have old debts to settle."

  Andrei did not hesitate. He gripped his weapon, the Earth Stone clicking into place with a metallic hum. He swung with a guttural roar, striking the ground with such tectonic force that the terrain groaned and fractured. A jagged chasm tore through the earth, racing toward the stranger. Without pausing, Andrei swapped the catalyst for the Fire Stone. In an instant, his blade exhaled a torrent of infernal crimson flames, lashing out and forcing the man to leap backward.

  "Interesting..." The man chuckled, a predatory glint in his eyes. "You wield the elemental stones. This might provide some entertainment after all. I am Volak, and you are Andrei. Well then, Andrei—try to endure my storm."

  In a heartbeat, Volak vanished. He became a blur of impossible speed, flickering like a dying candle—appearing behind, to the right, and then directly in front of Andrei.

  I can’t even track him... Andrei’s mind raced. He’s faster than thought.

  "Enough!" Andrei roared, activating the Light Stone. A supernova of brilliance erupted from his weapon, a blinding flash designed to sear the retinas of his foe. He lunged for a strike, but Volak slipped through the light like a shadow. With a contemptuous grace, Volak delivered a kick that sent Andrei hurtling through the air.

  "That is your second lesson," Volak remarked dryly. "Your senses must precede your body. Instinct is the only eye that matters."

  Andrei spat blood, a defiant smirk tugging at his lips. "I see now. I didn't care much for you, Ice Lord... but is this truly the extent of your power?"

  "No," Volak replied. "Not nearly."

  In a move that defied logic, Andrei stripped the stones from his weapon and began to advance.

  "What?" Volak’s brow furrowed. "Attacking without a stone? At least use the edge of the blade you’re holding."

  "Why should I?" Andrei countered. "That is your fatal error—underestimating me. Thunder Stone!"

  The sky seemed to shatter as a pillar of lightning descended, striking them both in a deafening explosion of ozone and white light. Volak recoiled, scorched and wounded, but Andrei stood amidst the sparks, unyielding.

  "Andrei! Are you okay?" Emily cried out, rushing toward him.

  "Stay back, Emily!" he barked. "The stone absorbed the brunt of the strike before it shattered. I’m fine. Get to safety!"

  Volak’s face contorted into a mask of feral rage. "Little girl, move aside. I am done holding back." He turned his gaze to Andrei, a chilling aura beginning to radiate from his frame. "I admit, that surprised me. But prepare yourself. I shall use ten percent of my power. If you cannot withstand it, death will be your only mercy."

  Volak stepped forward, and the very foundation of the mountain cracked. He vanished. A split second later, a fist buried itself in Andrei’s stomach with the force of a falling meteor, launching him into a jagged stone wall. Pain, white and searing, flooded his nervous system.

  But deep within his consciousness, the Demon Lord was grinning. More! it whispered. Give me more of this exquisite agony!

  Volak gave him no respite. He seized Andrei by the hair, slamming his skull against the stone repeatedly before tossing him into the dirt like a broken toy.

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  "I may have been too heavy-handed for a rookie," Volak muttered, turning to leave. "But he needed to taste the reality of this world."

  Inside Andrei’s mind, the Demon’s voice dripped with venom. Look at you—groveling in the muck like a worm, painted in your own blood. Had you yielded to me from the start, this humiliation would never have been birthed. What a disgrace you are to my name! Sit back, boy, and watch how a true god fights.

  Andrei gasped for air, his fingers clawing into the earth. "Listen to me," he growled internally. "Everything you say is true. But I am the master here. Stay in your cage. I refuse to use you—even if I die. Do you understand? I will never let you out."

  Never?! Who do you think you are addressing, whelp? Without pride to move that fragile husk of yours, you lack even the right to speak to me!

  "And now..." the Demon’s voice echoed, no longer just inside his head. "Watch how I fight."

  Coils of abyssal shadow began to bleed from Andrei’s pores.

  "Wait—! You can't!" Andrei’s own voice fought through. "Do you hear me, Demon Lord?!"

  Just as Volak reached the mountain’s edge, a voice that sounded like grinding tectonic plates stopped him in his tracks: "Isn't it a bit early to crawl away? The fun hasn't even reached its zenith. Look at me—I am standing. Was that truly your strength? You call me weak, yet you run? Coward!"

  The words hit Volak like a physical blow. Instinctively, his power surged to seventy percent, and he launched a desperate, crushing attack, slamming Andrei back into the ruins. But Andrei emerged from the dust, a terrifying, hollow smile on his face.

  "Well done," the Demon-possessed Andrei purred. "Now, let us begin."

  Andrei gripped his weapon—now devoid of any magical stones. Volak’s heart hammered against his ribs. Why is my body trembling? It’s as if every instinct I have is screaming that this boy could unravel the world. His aura... it’s suffocating.

  "This is round two," Andrei said, his eyes glowing with an unholy light. "Shall we?"

  He moved. It wasn't speed—it was a distortion of space.

  "What? Lightning again?" Volak spat, but before the thought could finish, Andrei’s blade was resting against his jugular.

  "I simply wanted to show you," Andrei whispered, "the true definition of fear."

  A thin line of crimson appeared on Volak’s throat.

  "How?! I didn't even see him move!"

  Andrei hurled his weapon with a force that defied physics; it carved a deep, jagged furrow through Volak’s shoulder.

  "What is the matter, Volak? Has the leopard lost his stride?"

  Volak summoned blades of pure light in a frenzied retaliation, but Andrei—wielding a powerless hunk of metal—deflected every single one with chilling precision.

  "How?! How can a mundane blade stop the light?!"

  "Here is your first lesson," Andrei replied coldly. "When two warriors clash, the faster strike wins—because speed, in its purest form, pierces all."

  "You dare lecture me?!" Volak screamed, his pride shattered. "You were eating dirt a moment ago! You’ve scarred my face... I will end you for this! You want a contest of speed? Fine! One of us dies here!"

  Volak pushed his body to supersonic limits, circling like a whirlwind. But as he lunged for the killing blow, he froze. Andrei was standing perfectly still, smiling like a predator watching a trapped rabbit.

  What is this feeling? Fear? Impossible! I am Volak, the strongest of the Spear Clan! I will bury this feeling!

  "Enough!" a thundering voice commanded.

  The tension snapped. Julian stood there, his presence heavy and commanding. "Volak... I did not expect you to turn your blade against your own kin. Have you fallen so low? Are you a coward now?"

  "I am no coward!" Volak snapped, though his breath was ragged. "I came for you, but this boy stood in my way."

  Inside, the Demon Lord glared at Julian with simmering irritation before retreating, allowing Andrei’s consciousness to claw its way back to the surface.

  "That is no excuse," Julian said firmly. "Stand down, or face me."

  "Neither," Volak replied, regaining some composure. "I wish to speak with the Ice Lord—not as a foe, but as the former vice-captain of the Spear Clan."

  "If that is your wish," Julian sighed, "then let us go."

  "Kaito," Julian looked over, "bear the pain a moment longer. I will see you avenged, but not today."

  "It’s fine," Kaito groaned. "I’ve had worse."

  But Julian’s mind was elsewhere. That power... was that truly Volak? Or did it belong to something else entirely?

  "Andrei, are you okay?" Emily asked, throwing her arms around him.

  "Yes," he whispered, exhaustion finally setting in. "Don't worry."

  "Thank goodness," she sobbed. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."

  "Hush now. Your big brother is strong."

  From the shadows, Maurice watched the scene unfold with a serpentine grin. "I thought you were nothing but an empty vessel, Andrei. Since when did you grow a heart? No matte

  r... my plan is proceeding even better than I envisioned."