The carriage rumbled through the deepening shadows of the northern woodlands.

The landscape here was different from the human empire. The trees were colossal, ancient redwoods and silver-barks that towered hundreds of feet into the air, their canopies blotting out most of the sun. The air was crisp and smelled of pine and old magic.

Inside, the atmosphere was heavy.

Damien sat with his arms crossed, eyes closed, his breathing rhythmic but shallow. To an observer, he looked asleep.

In reality, he was walking a tightrope. He was circulating his mana and aura simultaneously, forcing two opposing power systems to coexist within his meridians.

The Dual-Core state was powerful, but volatile. Every minute he held it was a minute his meridians screamed in protest.

"Stabilization is at 15%," he noted inwardly.

"If I push it to 100% output for more than five minutes, my body will tear itself apart. I need more endurance. Or more DP."

Opposite him, Lyra stared out the window. Every few miles, the once majestic scenery was destroyed by the Twilight Association's passage.

A scorched clearing was where the dryad grove used to be, on the ground slaughtered pack of mana-wolves lay listless,

Wherever they passed, a symbol of the Eclipse was deeply carved into the bark of every tree.

"They aren't just marching," Lyra whispered, her voice tight.

"They're purging. They are burning the roots of the forest as they go."

Isabelle, sitting next to Damien, flinched. She pulled her cloak tighter, trying to shrink into the seat.

"Isabelle," Damien spoke without opening his eyes. "Stop shaking."

"I… I can't help it, Young Master," Isabelle stammered. "This energy… the magic they left behind. It feels like it's directly aimed at me."

Damien opened his eyes. The blue and gold heterochromia swirled.

"It's Holy Magic," Damien explained. "Or a twisted version of it. The Twilight Association worships 'Purity.' To them, anything mixed, like Half-Demons or Dragon-Beasts, is a stain."

"Human supremacists to be exact"

He glanced at the driver's seat through the partition, where Leona was guiding the horses.

"Leona feels it too. But she channels it into rage. You channel it into fear. That's the difference."

Looking at his loyal maid, Damien knew she still had a long way to go.

Isabelle looked down. "I'm sorry. I just feel… exposed here."

"You are," Lyra said bluntly. She turned from the window.

"The Twilight Inquisitors are trained to hunt the demons. Your concealment technique might fool normal mages, Isabelle, but to them, you are a beacon."

Isabelle paled.

"However," Lyra continued, her tone softening. "That is why we are here. You are the darkness. I am the nature. And he…" She pointed at Damien.

"He is the calamity that eats them both."

Damien smirked. "High praise from someone who almost burned down a fortress with rage."

Lyra looked away. "Don't remind me. I… I almost lost myself."

"You were close," Damien pressed. He needed to understand this. "Back at the fortress. You said you felt your heart 'snap.' What happens, exactly?"

Lyra sighed.

"Elves are born from the World Tree. Our mana is pure Life Nature. But Life has a shadow. When an elf is consumed by absolute despair, when we reject the world, our mana inverts."

She held up her hand. Green wind mana swirled around her fingers.

"If I had turned… this wind wouldn't cut. and my mana heart would stop beating, the World Tree would cut me off."

She looked at Damien.

"You saved my squad. You stopped the despair. So… thank you. Again."

Damien waved his hand. " No need for thanks, I prefer my allies sane."

Suddenly, the carriage swerved.

SCREECH!

"Young Master!" Leona's roar came from the front. "Roadblock!"

Damien kicked the door open before the carriage stopped. He leaped out onto the mossy forest floor, Isabelle and Lyra flanking him.

They weren't alone.

Ahead, the ancient road was blocked by five figures in white robes trimmed with blood-red fabric. They wore featureless silver masks with the Eclipse symbol.

Twilight Inquisitors.

Behind them was a massive, chained Forest Guardian Bear, its fur matted, eyes glazed white, controlled by a glowing collar.

"Halt," the lead Inquisitor spoke, his voice metallic. "This path is cleansed. No filth may pass."

He turned his masked head directly toward Isabelle.

"I smell… sulfur," he said, drawing a jagged silver sword glowing with blinding white light. "A demon hides in human skin."

Isabelle trembled. The light made her skin sizzle.

"Filth," the Inquisitor spat. "Purge it."

He pointed his sword. The four others raised their hands. A massive circle of white light seared the moss beneath Isabelle's feet.

"Holy Art: Judgement Chain!"

Chains of light erupted from the ground.

"Leona! Shield!" Damien barked.

Leona jumped from the driver's seat, slamming her massive shield down in front of Isabelle.

CLANG!

The chains wrapped around the shield, burning Leona's hands.

"It burns!" Leona growled. "Master! It ignores armor!"

"It's conceptual magic," Damien analyzed. True damage to non-humans.

"Isabelle. Fire."

"B-But Young Master, what about Leona!!"

"Just Do it!" He Yelled.

Isabelle screamed and unleashed a torrent of crimson flame. The Inquisitor Leader didn't dodge. He raised his hand, and the white light swallowed the fire.

"Pathetic. Such flames cannot touch the light of the Twilight."

He raised his sword to strike Leona.

"Is that so?"

A voice whispered right next to his ear.

The Inquisitor froze.

Damien was standing beside him, draped in the Midnight Tome's darkness.

"Light beats Fire," Damien whispered, his hand coated in vibrating black mana. "But do you know what beats Light?"

"Shadow Art: Black Hole."

Damien slammed his hand into the Inquisitor's chest.

CRUNCH.

The white light flickered and died, consumed by the vacuum. The Inquisitor's chest collapsed.

Damien kicked the body away.

"Shadow beats Light," Damien said coldly. "Because light cannot escape a black hole."

The other four froze.

"Monster!" one screamed. "Kill him!"

They unleashed the chained Bear.

"Lyra. The collar."

Twang.

An arrow sheared the collar. The bear stumbled, confused.

"Isabelle," Damien commanded. "Gravity. Pin them."

Isabelle's fear turned to anger.

"Gravity… Down!"

BOOM!

The four Inquisitors were slammed face-first into the earth.

Damien walked up, Golden Aura flaring on his right side.

"You called her filth," Damien said.

He raised his boot.

"You should look in a mirror."

STOMP!

.................

[Ten Minutes Later]

Damien wiped his blade. He checked the bodies.

"They were the rearguard," Damien said, reading a scroll found on the leader.

He looked North, through the gaps in the giant trees where the sky was turning an ugly purple.

"The main Twilight Army has reached the border," Damien said. "They are sieging the Elven Capital."

"We can't drive in," Leona said.

"We ride," Damien said, unhitching the horses. "Fast and hard."

He looked at Isabelle.

"You okay?"

"Yes, young master!" she whispered,

Damien mounted his horse.

"Trust me! everyone, we don't have much time to waste"

He pointed his sword North.

"To the Border."

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