The journey back to Silverfall City took three days, with the enchanted horses moving at a steady pace through the increasingly troubled landscape. Where once green meadows stretched to the horizon, they now saw patches of brown, dead grass. Rivers that had run clear were murky and still. Even the air felt heavy, carrying a faint smell of smoke and decay.
"This is getting worse," Maya said, looking out at a grove of trees that had turned black and brittle. "Malakor's corruption is spreading faster than we thought."
Aldric nodded grimly. "My father sent a messenger ahead—there have been attacks on villages just a day's ride from Silverfall. Creatures we've never seen before, twisted by dark magic."
As they approached the city gates on the evening of the third day, they found them closed and guarded by twice the usual number of soldiers. The guards' faces were tight with worry, and their armor was stained with dirt and blood.
"State your business!" one guard called out, his hand on the hilt of his sword. When he saw Aldric, his expression softened slightly. "Your Highness—we've been waiting for you. The city is on high alert."
"Open the gates," Aldric commanded. "We've returned with what we need to help strengthen the barrier."
Inside the city, the normally bustling streets were quiet. Shops were closed early, and families hurried home with their heads down. Magical lamps that usually glowed bright and warm now flickered with a faint purple tint, and shadows seemed to stretch longer than they should have in the fading light.
"What happened here?" Finn asked, his voice low with concern.
A merchant they passed on the street shook his head sadly. "It started three days ago. Strange things happening—people acting angry and confused, magical items going haywire, even some of the city's guardians have been corrupted by dark magic. The king has called all mages to the palace to help defend the city."
The group hurried to the academy, where they found Professor Thorne and other teachers waiting for them in the main hall. Their faces were serious, and the air was thick with tension.
"Thank goodness you've returned," Professor Thorne said, greeting them warmly but urgently. "The situation has grown critical. Dark magic is seeping into the city from the direction of the Dark Volcano, and we've received word that the barrier is beginning to crack in places."
"Instructor Grom and I have been working with the city's healers," Liana added, her usual calm demeanor replaced by worry. "We're seeing more cases of corruption every day—people and creatures alike twisted by Malakor's influence. Your healing methods from the tournament have already helped us save dozens of lives, but we need more."
Yuu pulled out his pack of healing herbs and medical tools. "We'll do everything we can to help. But first, we need to build Finn's device—it might be our only chance to stabilize the barrier."
The group immediately set to work. Finn had already prepared a workshop in the academy's Magical Engineering wing, with tables covered in tools, magical components, and diagrams. Borin began shaping the star iron into the device's frame, using a combination of his blacksmith skills and earth magic to forge it into the precise shape needed.
Maya and Elara worked together to purify the core crystal and spring water, using light and nature magic to remove any traces of corruption and enhance their natural power. Aldric used his fire magic to heat and mold the smaller components, his movements now focused and careful—no longer showing off, but working with purpose.
Yuu divided his time between helping with the device and assisting in the healer's wing. He taught the other healers how to recognize the signs of corruption, how to purify it with a combination of herbs and gentle magic, and how to care for those affected while their bodies recovered.
One evening, as he was treating a young girl who had been exposed to dark magic, Lirael appeared in the healer's wing—her silver wings folded neatly against her back, her face pale with worry.
"Yuu," she said quietly, pulling him aside. "I had to come. The barrier is breaking faster than we imagined. Malakor's minions are gathering at the base of the Dark Volcano, and soon he'll have enough power to break free completely."
"How much time do we have?" Yuu asked.
"Maybe a week," Lirael replied. "Ten days at most. You need to finish the device and get to the volcano before it's too late."
"I know," Yuu said, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "We're working as fast as we can. But we can't go alone—we'll need an army to face Malakor's forces."
"I've already spoken to the leaders of my people," Lirael said. "The fairies will stand with you. And I've sent messages to the elves of Silverwood and the dwarves of Ironpeak—they remember the legend of the Blade Guardian, and they're willing to fight to protect Aethermoor."
Yuu felt a surge of hope. With allies from all races, they might stand a chance against Malakor.
Over the next four days, the device began to take shape. Finn worked tirelessly, adjusting calculations and making small modifications to ensure it would work perfectly. On the fifth day, he finally declared it ready.
"It's done," he said, his voice filled with pride as he held up the finished device. It was about the size of a small chest, with the core crystal glowing at its center, surrounded by intricate star iron framing and tubes filled with purified spring water. "When activated, it will create a field of stable magic that can strengthen and repair the barrier. But we'll need to place it at the very heart of the barrier—inside the Dark Volcano itself."
The group looked at each other, understanding the danger of what they were about to do. The Dark Volcano was Malakor's stronghold, filled with his most powerful minions and saturated with dark magic.
"We'll need to assemble an army quickly," Aldric said. "I'll go to the palace immediately and speak to my father. He'll send the royal guard, and I can send messages to other kingdoms asking for help."
"I'll go to Silverwood," Elara said. "The elves will be ready to march within two days."
"Borin and I will head to Ironpeak," Finn added. "The dwarves have been preparing for this for generations—they'll have weapons and armor ready to go."
"I'll stay here and continue helping with the healing," Maya said. "And I'll coordinate with the academy's mages to prepare defensive spells for the city while you're gone."
Yuu looked at his friends, his heart filled with gratitude. "I'll take the device to the volcano," he said firmly. "Lirael will guide me through the safest paths, and we'll find a way to place it at the barrier's heart."
"That's too dangerous," Aldric protested. "You can't go alone."
"I won't be alone," Yuu said, drawing Shinrai. "The Blade Guardian never fought alone—he had allies from all races by his side. And neither will I. We'll all meet at the base of the Dark Volcano in seven days. Together, we'll face Malakor and protect our world."
The group spent the next two days making final preparations. Aldric returned with word that his father had agreed to send the royal guard, and that other kingdoms were already sending their armies to join them. Elara came back from Silverwood with a company of elf archers, their bows ready and their faces determined.
Borin and Finn returned from Ironpeak with wagonloads of dwarf-forged weapons and armor—each piece enhanced with magic to protect against dark corruption. Maya had organized the academy's healers and mages into teams ready to support the army, with supplies of potions, healing herbs, and defensive spells.
On the morning of the seventh day, the army gathered at the city gates. Thousands of warriors from every race stood ready—humans in polished armor, elves with their graceful bows, dwarves with their massive axes and hammers, fairies with their shimmering wings and nature magic. Even some higher demons had come from the Frostspire Citadel, their faces stern but their intentions clear.
"We stand together today," the king declared, his voice booming across the assembled crowd. "Not as humans, elves, dwarves, or fairies—but as citizens of Aethermoor. Malakor threatens us all, and together we will stop him."
Yuu stood at the front of the army, Shinrai at his side, the device secure in a specially crafted case on his horse. Lirael flew beside him, her wings catching the morning light. His friends stood around him—Aldric, Elara, Borin, Finn, Maya—each one ready to fight for their world.
As the army began to move out of Silverfall City, the people lined the streets to cheer them on. Children waved flags made of colorful cloth, and elders blessed the warriors as they passed. Yuu looked back at the city one last time, thinking of his parents in Greenhollow, of the academy that had become his home, of all the people he was fighting to protect.
The road to the Dark Volcano would be long and dangerous. They would face hordes of corrupted monsters, powerful minions of Malakor, and the dark magic that now covered the land. But as Yuu looked at the thousands of warriors marching beside him—bound by friendship and a shared purpose—he knew they could win.
The barrier was breaking. Malakor was coming. But the Blade Guardian had returned, and he was not alone.
The final battle for Aethermoor was about to begin.