The small flame suddenly grew bright and took on a humanoid shape once more. Even standing beside Logan, it didn't burn him.

Unlike any creature he had seen before, the flaming figure dropped to one knee and lowered its head—like a knight kneeling before his liege.

"Right, well it's good to see someone so loyal, but we have work to do."

Logan thought he would need to hand over the few fire mana crystals he had to help the creature recover, but it proved unnecessary. The flames around the fiery knight intensified—and then, without hesitation, it launched itself at the demons.

Just like before, a dark figure flickered beneath the blaze, as if its body were formed from smoldering charcoal. From its arms, two blazing blades emerged, and it began to slash with an intense, burning aura.

Logan glanced at the hovering presence he believed to be the first spirit. It watched the fight in silence, drifting beside him.

[That one's not bad. Even though I marked the hydra as a Chosen, I gave that kid a particularly strong blessing too. It can now wield the powers of this world—something it couldn't do before. You see, when random creatures come from other worlds, they don't automatically receive our blessings. We have to grant them.]

The spirit paused, then added,

Logan glanced at the hovering presence he believed to be the first spirit. It watched the fight in silence, drifting beside him.

[Well, that's all I can do. I'll be keeping half of the firekin the kid brought. You take the other half—I believe you have a volcano, yes? A nasty one, if I may add. Keep them there, let them feed. Later, you might just have a good army.]

Logan looked back and saw the fire-kin following the fire spirit begin to melt the stone around the volcano as if they were rebuilding it. They hurled slabs of molten rock into place and then used their control over heat to drain the fire energy, hardening the stone once more.

He didn't understand why the fire spirit would bother, especially when Silis or one of his earthen creatures could have done the job faster—but Logan didn't question it. He turned away from the scene and sat down. His job here was finished.

[Thanks, Silvia. We're done here too... We should rest before heading to the empire. That's where the real fight will begin.]

Logan kept watching as his creatures wiped out the remaining demons. Since most of them were fire-aligned beasts, Luna—having spent most of her stored energy—walked up beside him and nestled her face against his shoulder.

"You did great this time too, Luna. I'm just sorry you had to use all the mana you had saved in this battle."

He kept gently patting her.

[It's fine, Master. I stored it for fights like this. I just need to get stronger.]

"Yes. It seems we all do. Even after gaining new power… it's still not enough. How about we keep pushing through the labyrinth until we reach the top? We need more levels, and there's still so much left to explore in that place."

Logan leaned back, lost in thought as he absently stroked Luna's fur. It seemed the fire spirit's domain was bound to the volcano—unlike the earth spirit's temple, he wouldn't be able to move it.

His thoughts drifted to the other great spirits. Darkness and Light were simply too powerful—too dangerous—to be kept nearby. Logan feared them both.

He hadn't even located the Water Spirit's temple yet, despite it having picked Wyver as its chosen.

As for the great wind spirit, Syralis, it was just as dangerous as Velmora and Elion. That floating island alone signaled the coming of a storm whenever it approached.

And the great electric spirit? Logan had no intention of inviting that spirit near him either. If wind brought hurricanes, then that one brought endless, violent thunderstorms.

This meant Logan likely wouldn't need to visit the spirits directly. The only exception was the water spirit. He still needed to find its location and complete Wyver's true blessing.

Logan then noticed that most of the demons had either been slain or fled. In the distance, Scorch let out a thunderous roar—one that echoed across the battlefield, signaling the fight's end.

At the edge of the scorched field stood his newly tamed fire knight, scanning for any lingering foes.

"It's time to return home, Luna. Gather with the others—we'll leave once I've recovered a bit more mana."

Logan pulled out a few wind crystals. He had more than enough on hand—mostly because wind-aligned creatures like Zephyr hadn't taken part in this battle. That meant he didn't need to distribute them. Thanks to the wind blessing he'd received, he could absorb their mana directly as he walked toward Charlie the pyromancer, and Halie the summoner.

The two looked exhausted, but they still stood tall.

"Nice work, you two. You held this place well," Logan said. "Are you coming back to Highrule with me?"

He noticed how close the two had grown in terms of power. They looked like a good pair now.

"Sure," Charlie replied with a tired smile. "I'm ready for a long shower and even sleep for much longer."

He helped Halie to her feet as they both looked toward Logan, expecting a portal soon.

"I'm also glad you sent help," Halie added. "We weren't ready for all this mess. We had just finished our quest when everything exploded into chaos."

She dusted herself off, then recalled her three creatures. Each one transformed into a smaller, pet-like anima. The electrical dragon perched on her shoulder, the fire beast became a small fox that walked beside her, and the large earthen tortoise they'd ridden into battle shrank into a small hare, nuzzling at her boot.

"That's interesting," Logan said, eyeing them with curiosity. "I thought my creatures were impressive, but to have spirits willingly follow you… I've never been able to do that."

"Yeah, well, don't get any ideas," Halie replied. "They only listen to me."

Logan chuckled and opened a portal just large enough for Cindra—the biggest of his tames in this fight—to pass through.

"We'll see you later then, Logan," Halie called as she stepped through. Charlie gave a short wave before following.

Logan waited as the last of his creatures entered. Once they were through, he turned to the general of the Red Iron Republic, who had quietly approached.

"We'll find a way to repay you, Hero. Let the others know," the general said. "My lord may even extend a formal invitation. I know you're busy, but if possible… make time. We've yet to welcome you to our capital."

Logan shook his hand with a nod.

"When I have time sure, but I will need to help the empire soon, that is our next destination after a little bit of training."

The general was a weathered man with a bald head. Deep scars traced down one cheek and over his jawline, proof of countless battles he had been able to survive. His armor, though well-kept, bore the dents and scorch marks of recent combat.

"As you wish, Hero of Taming. Our doors will always be open to any of the heroes."

The general's eyes—sharp and cold—lingered on Logan for a few seconds before he turned away and began barking orders to his camp.

Logan, meanwhile, returned to the portal and made sure all his creatures had passed through. His eyes settled on his newest one—the flaming knight, once known as Ifrit. Its body had shrunk slightly as if to allow Logan a clearer view of what lay beneath. Beside him were the embers—each one a miniature version of the knight. At least fifty of them stood around, but unlike their leader, they lacked control over the heat they emitted.

Standing near them felt like being beside the sun.

Their leader, on the other hand, looked like a man in his twenties—sturdy and imposing—but his entire form was made of fire. He stood motionless as if awaiting Logan's command.

"That was some good cleanup you did," Logan said. "Let's get you home. We won't be going through this portal…"

Instead, he opened another—one that led directly to the volcano Serana and Silvia had claimed as both their lab and living space.

Upon entering, Logan was greeted by the sight of Serana and her minions. The vampire girl looked up from her conversation with them and quickly walked over, her expression filled with relief.

"Thank goodness you're safe, Logan."

She threw her arms around him, and he returned the embrace.

"No need to worry," he murmured, meeting her gaze. He gave her a quick kiss to ease the tension in her eyes.

"I brought some new guards for this place. These fire-kin needs a volcano to live in—and we just so happen to have one ready."

Serana turned toward the creatures, her eyes landing on the knight. The largest among them stepped forward and bowed respectfully to her.

"Seems you've found a loyal one," she said, her hand finding Logan's and lacing her fingers through his.

"He'll be a great addition to the team. I just need him to recover before I take him out on missions. I was thinking of making him one of my main guards."

She smiled softly and tugged him deeper into the caverns, where the gentle mushroom giants continued tending to the glowing crystals embedded in the stone.

"How's our production?" Logan asked. "I used quite a number of crystals this time…"

"We have just enough for when it really matters," Serana replied. "Just make sure to bring Kryst after all this is over—she needs to verify that everything's still running properly."

Logan followed her deeper into the heart of the volcano, where the air grew hotter and a river of magma glowed beneath the stone walkways, casting flickering light across the chamber.

"Well then," Logan said, turning to the flaming knight at his side. "This is your new home."

He gestured toward the flowing river of lava.

"Ifrit, have your soldiers rest and recover. We'll be needing them again soon."

The knight gave a firm nod and stepped into the molten fire without hesitation. One by one, his legion followed. The emberlings moved in organized lines, their flickering bodies vanishing into the lava's glow until the entire tribe of fire-kin had submerged—each finding warmth and refuge in the heart of the volcano.

Logan took the opportunity to check Ifrit's stats before leaving. He still needed to gather everyone and finalize their next steps. This was a crucial moment—for all of them. If they could truly unite, then maybe, just maybe, they had a real chance at defeating the demons, whose greatest forces now loomed over the empire.

The greatest threat now was the new demon king, who united all the demons, at least those who were not like Rubina.

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Name: Ifrit / Species: Flamebound Warlord / Level: 82 / Blood Mark: Left Chestplate / Loyalty: 91/100

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Attributes:

Strength: 108 / Agility: 97 / Dexterity: 102 / Constitution: 84 / Intelligence: 81 / Charisma: 61

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Skills:

Blazing Dominion: Ifrit emits a powerful aura of flame, increasing the attack power and aggression of nearby fire-aligned allies and emberlings. Enemies within range suffer continual burn damage.

Warlord's Flameguard: Forms a molten barrier that shields Ifrit and his forces from magical damage while igniting melee attackers on contact.

Infernal March: Channels flame into his armor and limbs, allowing him to charge forward with explosive impact. The path he crosses is left ablaze, erupting moments later.

Ashbind Chains: Conjures fiery chains from hardened ash, binding a target and inflicting searing burns over time. Reduces movement speed and magical resistance.

Cauterize Field: Drives his blade into the ground, sending a pulse of purifying fire through nearby allies. Heals minor wounds, removes corruption, and grants temporary resistance to poison and disease.

Ability:

Ember Rebirth (Passive): Once per battle, Ifrit can reignite from his core flame after falling. He revives in a burst of fire, weakened but alive, his emberlings drawn instinctively to protect him.

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