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I hurl a lance of black fire. He tries to dodge, but it clips his shoulder, scorching the armor. He shrieks, dropping the spear. Before he can recover, Valentina drives her short sword into the gap at his side. Blood sprays. He collapses with a strangled cry.

More soldiers converge, fanning out in a semicircle to flank us. My tail whips in frustration. The courtyard stones quake under the barrage of external siege spells. Pillars in the upper galleries crumble, raining debris.

A voice echoes across the battlefield, magnified by arcane means: “Malphas, you stand condemned by the monarchy for treason and demon subterfuge. Surrender the Abyssborn or face annihilation!”

Valentina stiffens beside me. “They really do want me that badly,” she mutters, half in awe, half in horror.

I snarl a response, stepping forward. “You want her? Come take her.” My voice booms, amplified by my fortress’s wards. “I serve you no longer.”

A ripple of shock passes through the elf ranks. They know the contract should keep me in line. My open defiance cements their worst fears: that the chain is cracking. Furious cries erupt from their lines.They now see me as fully beyond redemption.

Arrows streak the air, some tipped with flickering runes to break illusions. We dodge behind a fallen statue, chunks of basalt shielding us. The fortress wards moan in protest, battered by unrelenting siege blasts.

Valentina peeks over the rubble, face drawn. “We can’t hold them off. They have siege weapons, spellcasters, and multiple demon thralls.” She nods toward a juggernaut Gilak demon charging through the breach, smashing a Trolvor underfoot.

My heart twists.They brought a Gilak?Juggernaut demons are nearly unstoppable in open war. And if it’s enthralled by the monarchy, it won’t relent until we’re crushed.

“Fall back inside,” I order, grabbing her arm. “We try to lure them deeper, force them through choke points, or at least buy time.”

She doesn’t argue. We dash across the courtyard, weaving around the bodies of lesser demons. Some still thrash in death throes, howling curses at the elves. The air reeks of blood, sulfur, and charred flesh. Each step sends jolts of agony along my side, the bandage soaked. My illusions waver dangerously.

We sprint through the cracked main doors, back into the grand hall. Soldiers are already inside, crossing swords with a few Trolvors. The throne stands at the far end, overshadowed by flickering braziers. I bellow a challenge, chaos flame swirling around me again. The soldiers turn, startled to see me so close. One rushes forward, arcane blade crackling with energy.

Valentina lunges, intercepting him while I conjure illusions of spiked walls to separate the other soldiers. They slam into intangible barriers, confused, giving us a momentary advantage. The soldier facing Valentina is skilled, but she blocks his strikes, countering with a slash that drives him off balance. I seize the opening, ramming a clawed hand into his breastplate. Chaos flame pours out, cooking him from the inside. He shrieks, collapsing.

Before I can recover, another wave of agony from the contract buckles my knees.King Grymlock’s wrath intensifies.My illusions flicker, the intangible walls dropping. The soldiers beyond them surge forward, shock replaced by renewed aggression.

“Malphas, behind you!” Valentina shouts.

I spin, parrying a spear aimed at my spine. My tail whips around, cracking against the attacker’s helm. He staggers, but more fill the hall.They’re flooding in.A Trolvor leaps from the balcony overhead, tackling two soldiers. The shrieking ball of limbs smashes into a pillar, toppling it. Stone fragments thunder to the floor.

A high-pitched squeal rings out from deeper within the fortress. My wards groan a death knell.They’re sabotaging the illusions from inside.The carefully placed runic lines I carved into the fortress’s heart must be under assault. If those wards fail completely, the entire structure loses its protective illusions, and more enemies can pour in with ease.

Valentina slashes another soldier’s leg, forcing him to drop. She whirls on me, panting, hair plastered to her temples. “We can’t hold them. They’re everywhere.”

She’s right. My illusions are too unstable. The contract’s torment saps my strength. The unstoppable Gilak demon is likely smashing its way through the fortress corridors. Soldiers roam unimpeded, slaughtering any lesser demon that tries to fight back.I can’t let them capture her.

I inhale, forcing calm. “We retreat. The fortress is compromised.”

She eyes me in shock. “This place is your home, your domain. You’d give it up?”

My horns dip, shame and fury mingling. “Better to escape and live than be pinned down and executed. I’ll… I’ll reclaim it eventually. But for now, we flee.”

Even as I say it, heartbreak gnaws at my gut. This fortress was my one bastion of independence, shaped by centuries of labor. But a single legion from the monarchy is forcing me out.Truly, the binding is not so easily shattered.

Valentina licks her lips, flicking a glance at the swirling chaos. “Then let’s go. Which way?”

I think fast. “There’s a side passage below the throne dais that leads to a hidden exit, a rift back into the marsh. The illusions might hold just enough to hide us if we slip away.”

She nods, scanning the battlefield. “We need a distraction.”

I clench my claws, forcing the last vestige of illusions into a towering image of a monstrous demon-lord, thrice my size, erupting from the throne. It roars, brandishing spectral flames. Soldiers reel back, startled. The illusions flicker dangerously, but it’s enough to buy a few seconds.

“Now!” I grab Valentina’s arm, dragging her behind the dais. A hidden mechanism triggers as I press a glyph etched into the stone. The dais shifts, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness. We plunge down, the thunder of battle receding behind us. My illusions fade the moment the dais realigns, sealing the passage overhead.

Our footsteps echo in the cramped tunnel, lit only by the faint glow of crystals set into the walls. The swirl of arcane wards drifts overhead, but they’re weaker here, as if the fortress can sense my imminent departure. My chest twinges with guilt.I’m leaving my minions behind.But they’d rather scatter than be slaughtered. A demon’s loyalty only lasts as long as it’s profitable.

Valentina tugs at my elbow as we round a corner. “I can’t see anything. Are you sure this leads out?”