"No, we cannot rush in blindly; we must defeat Merlin with a single strike," Jin thought, his brow furrowed in deep contemplation.
"Looks like you're afraid. Then watch as your companions die!" Merlin's hand suddenly surged with power, and Lisa's expression contorted with agony as her arms and legs fought against the invisible force.
"Damn it, where is that power? Where is that energy? Why can't I find that feeling anymore?" Jin cursed himself, regret gnawing at his heart.
At that moment, Jin envisioned a terrifying scene in his mind, imagining his friends and family dying one by one. For Jin, this was the most unbearable thought.
"No, this cannot happen!" With that, Jin's face transformed into an expression of ruthless determination—an expression only seen when the Red Dragon Aura had awakened within him. The Red Dragon Aura erupted once more, coiling around him like a dragon, and his skin and eyes turned crimson.
"Hmph, that red aura again. Even so, do you think you can defeat me now?" Merlin sneered, turning his head to gaze at Jin arrogantly.
"How could I know without trying?" Jin replied with a confident smile, his speed increasing as he charged toward Merlin.
"Take this punch!" Jin roared, raising his fist and charging.
"Come on!" Merlin extended his other hand, ready to receive Jin's blow.
So fast—so fast that only a red flash could be seen.
"You are truly naïve," Merlin said, gripping Jin's arm tightly while Jin's punch landed squarely on Merlin's face.
"You've failed. You've all failed. Hahaha!" Merlin laughed maniacally as he squeezed Jin's arm.
"Not... necessarily," Will, pinned under Merlin's foot, sneered, followed by cold laughs from both Lisa and Jin.
"Hm? Do you still think you have a chance?" Merlin scoffed.
"Your shield has been broken, Merlin," Jin said triumphantly.
"What?" Merlin exclaimed, realizing that the shield, created by the power of the Demon Stone, had been shattered by Jin's earlier punch.
"Merlin, it's over for you!" Jin shouted, standing tall as he raised his left leg and delivered a powerful kick to Merlin's abdomen.
Merlin staggered backward in pain, and Lisa, Jin, and Will seized the opportunity to break free from his grasp.
"Alright, let's go!" Will stood up, calling to the others. Jin immediately charged forward.
"Too naïve!" Merlin cried, extending his hand toward the oncoming Jin. A black shockwave erupted from his palm.
"Counter-shield!" Lisa quickly cast a red counter-shield in front of Jin. The black shockwave collided with the shield and was immediately reflected back toward Merlin.
"What?!" Merlin exclaimed, quickly ascending into the air.
"Don't think you can escape!" Lisa aimed at Merlin, and with a cry, a purple beam shot from her hand.
"Damn it." Merlin cursed angrily as the gravity field suddenly intensified a hundredfold, pulling him down at terrifying speed.
With a deafening crash, Merlin slammed to the ground. He now appeared as a stark contrast to his former arrogant self, looking battered and disheveled.
"How... how could I die at the hands of you three weaklings..." Merlin muttered, blood spilling from his mouth as he lay on the ground, his final words filled with disbelief.
"Look! What are these?" Will asked, noticing purple mist rising around Merlin's body.
"These must be the souls of those devoured by the Demon Stone. Now that Merlin is dead, the souls within the stone are released," Lisa explained.
Suddenly, Lisa touched the pouch at her waist, pulling out two small shards of the Demon Stone. After a moment of contemplation, she crushed the shards in her hand.
"Such a shame to waste such fine material," Jin remarked, watching her.
"Merlin is dead, and my mission is nearly complete. I no longer need this," Lisa said as she scattered the powdered Demon Stone around Merlin's body.
"Is it over? Is the Arus Kingdom safe now? Then the Paralar Empire should be safe too," Will asked, a joyful expression on his face.
"Yes, it seems so. Before we arrived, Merlin had already killed most of his own allies. Without that, the Demon Stone wouldn't have been so powerful," Lisa replied.
"Finally, it's over," Will sighed, collapsing to the ground in relief.
Five days later, in the city of Arus.
With the help of the King of Beggars, Shaoen, the riotous commoners finally regained their senses and believed Shaoen's words—that all the conspiracies had been instigated by the evil wizards from the palace, and that it was under their influence that Pikes had oppressed them.
Shaoen had also successfully hidden the King and General Lei's families safely, and after Will and his companions dealt with Merlin, he escorted them back.
After the near-collapse of the nation, King Li of the Arus Empire finally recognized his oversight. He heeded Shaoen's advice, lifting the restrictions between the commoner and noble districts. As a reward for Shaoen's efforts, the King decided to restore his former antique shop, though it seemed Shaoen preferred living underground now.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. But I've grown accustomed to living underground. I feel more at home down there than above," Shaoen said in the royal palace hall, tipping his patched cap to the King.
"Is that so? Regardless, the shop is yours again," King Li replied.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Shaoen said, bowing respectfully.
"General Lei, what would you like as your reward?" King Li turned to General Lei.
"Your Majesty, this was my duty, and I've already found my brother. I'm content, so I require no reward," General Lei answered.
"Fool, if you don't want it, you can give it to me," Shaoen whispered to Lei, who simply smiled in response.
"Ah, by the way, where are our three young heroes?" the King asked, scanning the hall but noticing the absence of the trio who had saved the Arus Kingdom.
"They don't seem to be comfortable in such settings, so they stayed out," General Lei replied thoughtfully.
In the rear courtyard of the Arus Palace, Will, Lisa, and Jin stood apart, seemingly discussing something. After everything had settled, they had finally changed back into their original clothes.
"Alright, Lisa, the matter is resolved. Now, can you tell us your story?" Jin asked. His hands were wrapped in bandages, having been burned by the Abyssal Beast during their battle.
Suddenly asked this question, Lisa lowered her head, seemingly reluctant to speak.
"Yes, Lisa, you promised us," Will said, looking at her with curiosity.
Sigh "Fine, fine," Lisa glanced at both Jin and Will, seeing their eager expressions. She had no choice but to comply.
Just as Lisa was about to speak, a massive explosion suddenly occurred not far from the palace. However, unlike a typical explosion, there was no visible fire or smoke, even though the sound and shockwave were unmistakable.
"What's going on?" Will asked, confused.
"Oh no, it's in the direction where Merlin's body was stored!" Jin exclaimed in horror, immediately dashing toward the source of the explosion.