CHAPTER 471: THE NEW MONARCH OF LIGHT

Roland wanted to believe everything was going his way.

Amid the chaos of battle, each ally did their part, and even some demons had turned against their own kind.

It felt almost too smooth, to the point he feared something might go wrong. Yet nothing did at least, not yet.

Time passed steadily.

His elites pressed the enemy hard, cutting down more of their king’s forces and forcing them back, buying the barrier the precious time it needed to recover. Without generals to lead them, the demons fell into disorder and were swiftly dealt with.

Roland had already slain thousands before deciding there was no reason to continue the chase. His tamed demons obeyed with unnerving loyalty, so much so that he feared if he ordered them to cut their own throats, they would.

He disliked having such power over them, though their usefulness was undeniable. They had no will, no voice of their own, and he often had to speak aloud just to recall them, for otherwise they would pursue the fleeing demons without end.

Roland had finished his part in the fight, at least for now, and was preparing to return when he felt a ripple run through the magic barrier.

He had never experienced anything like it before. At first, he thought it was something normal, until the voice of one of his most trusted companions echoed in his mind, crying.

Roland froze. He had never heard such a sound from him. Panic stirred, and he rushed toward the barrier, only to be stopped as though something refused to let him in.

"Elios? What is going on? Why can’t I pass through the barrier of light?" Roland shouted.

But there was no response. The voice that had once filled his head with such raw emotion was now silent.

"Elios? Answer me! Let me through, man, what is happening?"

He struck the barrier’s walls with his hands, frustration building. One by one, all those who were not spirits were expelled. Even Renar and the gathered humans were pushed back, their bewildered gazes turning to Roland as if he might have the answer.

With no other choice, Roland reached for his crystal and called Stella.

"Stella, you’re still in the fort, right? Do you know if your brother or father understand what is happening inside the barrier?"

For a few long seconds, Roland heard nothing. Then his palm pulsed with light.

"Everyone was forcefully ejected... something happened, something terrible, Roland..." Stella’s voice wavered, breaking into silence before returning.

"You should return with Renar and the others as soon as possible. It seems a few demons managed to breach the barrier... they may have killed Silmira... hurry, Roland... I don’t know what will happen here... my ability to use light magic is..."

Her words cut off, and the connection vanished.

Roland immediately tried casting several light-elemental spells, but not a single one responded.

"Renar," he called sharply, "can any of the troops use light magic?"

Renar raised his hand and attempted a simple spell to illuminate their path. Nothing happened. His expression darkened.

"Nothing, Roland... what did they tell you?"

Roland swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the barrier. Its glow twisted unnaturally, while his bond with Elios grew faint, like a candle guttering in the wind.

"Some demons broke through... they may have killed Silmira," Roland said grimly.

His words left not only Renar but the rest of the soldiers in confusion.

"I suppose that explains why we can’t enter," Renar muttered. "But how did they manage to pass? Even we struggled to move in and out, and we made certain none of those bastards slipped by us..."

"I don’t know, but they scattered themselves this time. I don’t think this was their main unit either... the ones stationed at the two forts weren’t important," Roland admitted, uncertain of the demons’ true intent.

Unsure what else to do, he led the group toward the nearest fort. All they could do now was wait until the barrier allowed them passage again or until Elios reached out to him.

But as time passed, the situation grew stranger. The barrier thickened, its golden surface turning opaque, until nothing inside could be seen.

By then Roland had reached the fort and immediately sought out Lucien. "Can you use your powers?" he asked.

Lucien shook his head grimly. Not even his teleportation, which relied on the power of the light spirits, would respond.

"No one can use the light spirits’ power here, at least not in this fort," Lucien said quietly. "As for the demons who slipped through... they haven’t moved either. They seem just as lost as we are. Some even speak of forfeiting their lives to appease the light spirits."

Roland shook his head. "They weren’t responsible. They’ll even help us in the fights ahead. What we need to focus on is finding a way to speak with the light spirits. Hopefully they’ll allow us audience soon. As for Elios... he has always spoken to me, but now he’s silent."

Not long after, Stella arrived with a group of Roland’s most trusted allies. The moment her eyes found him, she rushed forward and wrapped him in a desperate embrace.

"No news yet, Stella," Roland said softly. "We’re just waiting to see what happens."

"Lucien... where is my father?" she asked, her voice tight. "I need to see him, to make sure he’s safe."

She was quickly led toward the king’s study. Lucien and Roland parted ways soon after.

Exhausted, Roland returned to his chamber, seeking peace to meditate and recover.

Outside the castle gates, his five minions stood guard like silent sentinels. They were given food, lodging within the headquarters, and attendants to watch over them.

Roland entered meditation quickly, hoping for answers. In his search, he even reached out to Norelli, asking if he understood what was happening.

[I don’t want to be the one blamed for this, but it seems the demons planned it. Somehow, they realized we were working together. How... I don’t know yet. But I’ll tell you when I learn more. We’ll know who it is soon. Don’t worry. I only hope this doesn’t set me back more than it already has.]

"Keep me updated then... Let’s just hope Elios doesn’t send me to kill you, Norelli..." Roland muttered.

He wasn’t sure what the light spirit would do after learning of his friendship with a vampire, but he knew it would be drastic.

With little else to act on, Roland continued his meditation until Stella returned. When she did, the two lay together in bed, quietly trying to think of what they could do before sleep took them. Nothing came to mind, so they rested.

By the next morning, Roland still could not use his light-elemental skills. Looking out the window, he saw the dome remained the same, golden and opaque, still denying them entry. He called out to Elios, but again, there was no answer.

This pattern continued for a full week. During that time, not even the demons dared to approach.

Through Norelli, their lone contact among the enemy, they learned the demons were equally uncertain.

None wished to attack blindly, unsure what the barrier would unleash in response.

Still, they were readying themselves to march into the light spirits’ domain soon.

That knowledge only deepened Roland’s urgency.

He had to find a way through the golden dome. He needed to know if everything was truly all right if Silmira, the gentle monarch who had granted him power, had indeed fallen.

Elios weighed even heavier on his mind.

Over the past month, Roland had grown closer to this particular spirit than he ever expected, and now the silence was unbearable.

Each day without a response pressed harder against him. He meditated again and again, searching for a way to pierce the dome, yet nothing worked.

Then, on the seventh day, something shifted. The faint thread of his bond stirred to life. Roland sat upright, his pulse quickening as Elios’s presence finally returned.

But it was different. That was the first thing he noticed.

It was Elios he could feel it, but the spirits carried a new aura, an edge that hadn’t been there before. Even the cadence of his voice was altered, as though someone else spoke through familiar tones.

[Roland...] The voice resonated at last, but it carried a strange echo, deeper than before.

Roland’s breath caught. [Elios? Finally... Where have you been? What happened inside the barrier?]

There was a pause, as though the spirit searched for the right words. Then Elios spoke again, each syllable laced with a gravity Roland had never heard from him.

[The barrier collapsed inward that night. The demons found their way into the heart of our land. They simply tore space itself and teleported in. And Silmira... Silmira gave her life to shield the others. Yet her essence did not fade. It merged into me.]

[I am no longer the spirit you once knew. I carry her mantle now. I am the new monarch of the light spirits. A part of me will always remain with you, hero... but I have changed.]

[Now I ask this of you: take your role with the gravity it deserves. You swore to me that you would cleanse this world. Kill every demon you promised you would. Do not falter. Not now.]