Where moments ago the black Domain of Blackwood Palace had collapsed, dust was still hanging in the sky. Inside that dust, the Gate of the Underworld had closed and was sinking back into the ground. The rising dust blocked Royal Knight Alexander Stuart's vision.
Alexander frantically scanned the area, when he saw a shadow within the haze—the silhouette of a creature charging at full speed toward Roshan's Monster form.
Without hesitation, Alexander turned his voice into a command through the dust:
"All Royal Knights, get away from that monster!"
The Royal Knights could not see Alexander, but hearing his authority and willpower, they all retreated.
As the Royal Knights moved away, Roshan—now in Monster form—did not understand what was happening. At that moment, a massive Aurum Eater Fox attacked him. Without giving him any chance, the Fox sank its teeth near the muscle of the Monster's left arm.
The Monster did not even get time to react. He tried to push the Fox away, but when that failed, he prepared his right hand to punch. Surrounded by flames, that hand became a Fire Punch and struck the Fox.
The Fox's head slammed into the ground, but it did not release its grip. It was still clamped onto a chunk of the Monster's left arm muscle—black bones were now visible there. The Fox tore that mass loose, tossed it into the air, and swallowed it.
The Monster was filled with rage. He tried to heal the injury in his left arm, but it would not heal. This was one of the Aurum Eater Fox's abilities: the prey's healing factor is temporarily disabled.
The enraged Monster grabbed the Fox's mouth and struck it again with a Fire Punch from his right hand. The Fox was knocked back a short distance.
In this micro-pause, Alexander issued another order:
"Hide behind anything solid!"
The Monster attacked the Fox again, but the Fox dodged and once more bit into the Monster's left arm. The Monster countered by biting into one of the Fox's legs.
Alexander, Narco Desk, and the remaining Royal Knights hid behind a collapsed, sturdy wall of the Palace.
Without letting go of the Monster's arm, the Fox created an Energy Ball inside its mouth and discharged it directly into the Monster's arm. The attack forced the Monster to recoil in fear, and smoke poured from the Fox's mouth.
Then the Fox attacked again, but despite being in pain, the Monster grabbed its head and slammed it into the ground, pinning it there with his knee.
Behind the wall, Narco Desk asked Alexander about the power behind this attack.
Alexander said, "According to the information I received before coming here, this was done by the Order Eye Group."
Narco thought, "Order Eye? This group doesn't attack this recklessly. If they attacked, it means they planned a full invasion."
Narco asked Alexander, "Has there been any attack anywhere else in the Empire?"
Alexander replied, "Probably not."
Narco felt some relief, but doubt crept in. "What is Order Eye trying to prove by attacking just one place? Were they trying to kill all the nobles? Order Eye never attacks like this. So is this really their work?"
Then a new thought struck him. "Could this be the work of the Giant Black Eye? But how is it using Roshan?"
Narco remembered that Order Eye's true headquarters was hidden in an Ancient Temple in the Aravali Mountains, where the Giant Black Eye was worshipped. That temple was a maze that reshuffled every day.
"If Roshan was a member of this group, he might have been wandering alone inside the temple and found a passage no one had ever discovered. On that path, he may have encountered a corrupting entity, and that's where he obtained that eight-Rudraksha Hallowed item. And now he came here to attack without telling his group."
Narco concluded that this scenario had the highest probability.
Roshan, still in Monster form, was holding the Fox. To escape his grip, the Fox used its unique ability—its fur hardened and shot out in all directions like arrows. These hair-arrows pierced deep into Roshan's monstrous body, forcing him to scream and stumble back.
But this deadly attack caused collateral damage. Four Royal Knights who were not behind strong cover had their armor ripped apart by the Fox's hardened fur. The hairs pierced straight through their bodies, killing them instantly.
Alexander and the remaining Royal Knights were filled with despair.
The Fox was now free. It unleashed a flamethrower-like attack on the Monster. The Monster responded with his own flamethrower, and the two attacks collided. The heat inside the Domain rose rapidly.
The Fox launched a direct attack and forced the Monster into a corner of the Domain. Once again it bit into his left arm and created an Energy Ball in its mouth. This time, when it detonated the Energy Ball inside its mouth, the Monster's left arm was completely torn off from his body.
Alexander immediately noticed that Roshan's Monster Form was no longer fighting with the same ferocity. This was due to the Fox's second ability—the longer an opponent fought it, the faster their Aurum (or Mana) was drained at double speed. The Monster was now barely able to resist.
The Fox grabbed his neck, slammed him to the ground, and slashed his chest with its claws. The Monster was defeated.
After winning, the Fox began tearing into the Monster's body and eating it.
Alexander ordered Narco, Vyuk, and Victoria to begin the ritual to send the Fox back to the Underworld.
They formed their formation, knelt, and placed their hands on the ground. The same pattern appeared, and the Underworld Gate emerged again—but this time not to bring something out, but to take the Fox in.
As the Gate opened, many giant hands came out from inside. Their nails were huge, and their hands were covered in wounds and bloodstains. They grabbed the Fox. The Fox resisted, but the hands kept pulling.
Narco's Aurum was nearly depleted, but he somehow maintained the ritual. The struggle between the Fox and the hands continued.
After a short while, the Fox gave in—but it was dragging the Monster's body with it.
At Alexander's signal, a Royal Knight went to the Monster's abdomen, which the Fox had already torn open. Using his sword, he cut the spot Alexander had indicated.
There, the Royal Knight found the eight-Rudraksha Hallowed item. He picked it up and withdrew.
Then the Fox, carrying the Monster's body, was dragged through the Gate into the hell-like world beyond. The Gate closed and sank into the ground. The ritual ended.
Inside the Domain, a strange silence spread. Where moments ago there had been fire, screams, and clashing powers, now only scorched ground, broken stone, and burned air remained.
The Aurum Eater Fox was gone.
Roshan's monstrous body had been pulled into the Underworld with it.
But the stench of war still lingered.
Darius released control of his Domain. It slowly shattered and dissolved into the air. Royal Knights began standing up, adjusting their armor. Many lay on the ground—some wounded, some… forever silent.
Alexander Stuart steadied his breathing. His fingers were trembling.
This was not a victory.
It was only damage control.
Narco Desk came out from behind the wall. His jacket was burned, and a thin line of blood ran down his face. He came to Alexander without speaking.
The two looked at each other.
No smiles.
No relief.
Victoria Demetri was kneeling on the ground, trying to catch her breath. Her eyes were still fixed on the place where Roshan had last stood.
"So much power…" she murmured.
"For a human… it is a curse."
Vyuk Dalho stood silently. The moonlight glow in his eyes had faded. He was looking up at the sky, filled with stars and strangely beautiful. Alexander looked at it too, with tired, calm eyes.
The Royal Knights had escorted the Noble Families to a safe distance for the final time. The city was now on High Alert. People only knew one thing: tonight, the capital had been one breath away from death.
But the truth was far more terrifying.
On the roof of Blackwood Palace, beside the broken statue, Rowan Blackwood stood.
"Roshan…" he muttered.
"You were only a pawn."
He looked toward the sky.
"And the real player… is still hiding somewhere."
Far away, in the dark layers of the Underworld—
the Aurum Eater Fox was chewing on Roshan's scattered remains,
breathing slowly, in satisfaction.