"Infernal was defeated?"
"He's gone?"
"N-no way."
"That's absurd!"
"He's an ancient demon from the noble line of Abyssalwrath. How could he be vanquished and killed?!"
"Just who are they?!"
The confusion lingered for what felt like an eternity, a heavy fog of uncertainty enveloping the demonic army.
Questions echoed among them — who were these women, and how could they kill a demon of Abyssalwrath?
It took a minute, a suspended moment of disbelief, before the demonic forces could process the reality of the situation.
Panic set in, spreading like wildfire among the ranks. The once-coordinated army now crumbled into chaos, the realization that Infernal, the powerhouse of their forces, had been vanquished sent them in disarray.
The retreat began with a panic urgency, demons and devils scrambling to distance themselves from the now uncertain battleground.
Salister's absence and the defeat of Infernal had shattered the foundation of their morale. The sense of impending doom loomed over them, and the once-confident army had transformed into a disorganized and panicked mass.
With Salister and Infernal gone, the battlefield was a canvas of disorder, the remnants of their forces fleeing in all corners.
Infernal's defeat sent shockwaves through the abyssal forces. The reality of their vulnerability against forces from realms they had deemed inferior struck a crippling blow to their confidence.
As the chaos ensued and the demonic entities retreated, the volcanic battleground bore witness to the aftermath of a decisive clash.
The two women, Elena and Lorelai, stood amidst the dissipating echoes of battle, their victory echoing louder than the roars that had once heralded the onslaught of Salister and Infernal.
The battlefield, once a maelstrom of conflict, now lay in a disheveled calm, punctuated by the distant sounds of the retreating demonic forces.
"Looks like you've lost," Desira mused at Malifira. "It's not too late to give up, you know. Pledge your allegiance to Lord Azazel once more, and all of this transgression and betrayal will be forgiven."
Malifira only stared at Desira before she burst into laughter. "Betrayal? Forgiven? Don't make me laugh. I have an important mission that I must do and I don't have time to play house with you all."
She then vanished abruptly, leaving Desira and Vivi in bafflement of where she went.
Meanwhile, the chaotic aftermath of Infernal's defeat left the battlefield in disarray.
Lorelai, Elena, and Azazel were still recovering from the intense battle against the ancient demon. The air crackled with residual magic and the acrid scent of burning sulfur.
Amidst the lingering smoke and scattered debris, the attention of those still standing was abruptly drawn to an unexpected disturbance.
Malifira, seemingly out of thin air, appeared atop the colossal dragon Iraelyn.
The dragon was still agitated and breathing fire, continued to wreak havoc with its fiery breath and thunderous roars.
Lorelai, Elena, and Azazel, still grappling with the aftermath of their battle against Infernal, could only watch helplessly as Malifira manipulated the enraged dragon for her own purposes.
The fiery wrath of Iraelyn disrupted the battlefield, causing chaos and confusion among the onlookers.
Ren and Evie was caught off guard by the reappearance of Iraelyn. They momentarily forgotten about the threat that the corrupted dragon posed.
Their attention had been consumed by the confrontation against the demon and devil army, and the surprise attack by Malifira added another layer of complexity to an already tumultuous situation.
Malifira was perched atop the dragon, and held a strange item in her hand — a giant syringe-like contraption.
"What is he up to?" Evie asked, shielding her eyes from the dust and debris stirred up by the dragon's wings.
"Whatever it is, it won't be good. Let's stop her," Ren said.
However before Ren and the others could make their move, without another word, Malifira drove the device into Iraelyn's back, extracting the corruption that had tainted the dragon from within.
The corrupted essence flowed through the tubing of the syringe, transferring into a containment vessel that Malifira held.
Ren and the others attempted to intervene and stop Malifira. But, their efforts were abruptly halted as mysterious objects fell from the sky, creating barriers and traps that prevented them from reaching Malifira.
It seemed as though the very battlefield had turned against them, obstructing their every move. But everyone knew that it was Malifira's doing.
"Looks like I have to do everything myself," Malifira declared with a sinister smile. "Good thing that Infernal had already weakened Iraelyn, or I would have a problem approaching her."
Despite Desira's desperate shouts and Avaris's cries for Malifira to return his body, the alchemist vanished into thin air after extracting the corruption from Iraelyn.
She left behind a trail of uncertainty and frustration, leaving the onlookers bewildered and agitated.
"Hoi! Malifira! Come back here!" Desira's voice echoed in the chaotic aftermath.
"Malifira, give me back my body!" Avaris pleaded, his tiny snail-
like form expressing a mix of frustration and desperation.
However, before anyone could fully comprehend the situation, Iraelyn, now freed from the corruption that had gripped her, succumbed to the strain.
The massive dragon lost consciousness and began to revert to her humanoid form, plummeting from the sky.
Azazel, quick on his feet despite the recent battle, sprinted toward the falling figure of Iraelyn. With nimble precision, he caught her before she could crash onto the scorching, unforgiving ground.
The impact would have been disastrous, but Azazel's timely intervention averted a potential catastrophe.
The battlefield, once filled with the tumultuous clash of magical forces and the roars of dragons, now fell into an uneasy silence.
The remaining army dissipated amidst the chaos, and Ren and the others decided not to pursue and waste senseless energy and mana.
With Malifira gone to who knows where, and Iraelyn incapacitated, the immediate threat seemed to have subsided.
However, the unpredictable nature of the unfolding events left Ren and the others on edge, wondering about Malifira's goals and what she intended to do with the corruption.
"That traitor . . ." Desira hissed. "I will never forgive her for betraying us and Lord Azazel. I despise betrayals, especially if I don't know about them."
Vivi refrained from commenting and simply sighed. "Let's regroup first and assess our injuries."
