Before she could argue, Asher suddenly shifted midair, his eyes narrowing as he sensed movement below.
Several figures in dark robes were moving rapidly across the terrain, riding warped beasts that resembled a grotesque fusion of wolves and lizards. Their bloodshot eyes gleamed in the moonlight, and even from above, Asher could feel their twisted auras.
"They're already here," Serena whispered.
"Hold on tight," Asher said, adjusting his grip on her.
Blood-red streaks burned through the air as Asher descended at breakneck speed, twisting to avoid incoming projectiles. Spears of black energy shot past them, crackling with unholy power.
"These guys don't waste time," Serena muttered, drawing one of her daggers.
"Neither do I," Asher replied.
At the last second, he twisted his body, flipping in midair before extending his blood-forged wings wide. A storm of crimson blades rained down on the pursuers below.
Screams echoed through the night.
But more were coming.
Asher clenched his jaw. They were still too far from the border.
"We can't keep fighting ," Serena said urgently. "If they slow us down too much, we'll never make it in time!"
"I know," Asher muttered, eyes flashing.
Then, his wings flared, and he shot forward at full speed, racing against death itself.
Asher pushed his speed to the limit, his blood-forged wings slicing through the air like twin crimson blades. The night blurred around them as he soared forward, but the cultists weren't letting up.
Dark streaks of cursed energy whistled past them, each one crackling with the same unholy power that Veyrn had used. These weren't just low-ranking zealots—they were elites.
"Shit!" Serena cursed as she narrowly dodged a black spear aimed directly at her head. "How many of these bastards are there?!"
"Enough to make this a problem," Asher muttered.
The cultists below weren't even slowing down. Their warped beasts snarled and howled as they chased relentlessly, bounding across the terrain with unnatural speed. Even in the air, Asher and Serena weren't safe—some of them could fly.
Black-winged figures were rising to intercept them, their bodies wreathed in Malfus's twisted energy.
Serena's eyes sharpened. "We're surrounded."
Asher gritted his teeth. "Then we break through."
With a single, sharp movement, he spun midair, his wings morphing into massive crimson scythes.
A wave of blood energy erupted outward in a wide arc, carving through the nearest cultists with merciless precision. Screams of agony filled the air as their bodies were torn apart, their twisted energy flickering and fading.
Serena took the opening. In a flash, she vanished, reappearing in the midst of the airborne enemies. Her daggers glowed as they tore through the throats of two cultists before they could even react.
A third tried to counter, but she was already gone, her movements like a ghost in the wind.
The battlefield was chaos.
"That's not gonna hold them for long," Serena called out, flipping back to Asher's side.
"I don't need it to," Asher said, his wings flaring wide once more.
Ahead, the Black Hollow Citadel's border was finally in sight.
But so was their final obstacle.
A massive warped beast blocked the way forward, its hulking form towering over the land below. Its flesh rippled with black veins, and its six glowing eyes locked onto them with pure, predatory hunger.
Serena inhaled sharply. "That thing is huge…"
Asher narrowed his eyes. "And in our way."
The cultists behind them were closing in fast. They couldn't afford to stop.
And then—he charged straight at the beast.
The monstrous warped beast let out a deafening roar, its six eyes glowing with unholy light as it braced itself. Update from Novel~Fire. (n)et
Its massive, clawed hands reached out, trying to swat them out of the sky like insects.
But Asher didn't slow down.
His wings morphed mid-flight, shifting from sleek, crimson blades into a barrage of razor-sharp tendrils, each one lashing outward with deadly precision.
The beast howled as multiple deep gashes appeared across its chest, black blood spraying into the air like ink.
If anything, it got angrier.
The air twisted and distorted around it as cursed energy surged, forming into a massive, black spear of condensed malice.
Serena's eyes widened. "That thing is—"
"Firing," Asher muttered.
The beast hurled the spear with terrifying force.
The attack tore through the air, a black comet of destruction aimed directly at them.
Asher's instincts screamed at him—
With a split-second decision, Asher wrapped an arm around Serena and folded his wings inward, diving straight down.
The cursed spear grazed past them, tearing through the sky like a vengeful god's judgment.
It exploded behind them, sending out a shockwave that sent the surrounding cultists flying like ragdolls.
But Asher had no time to admire the aftermath.
They were still barreling straight toward the beast.
"How do you wanna do this?!" Serena shouted over the wind.
He unfurled his wings, twisting midair as his scythe reformed in his hand.
Serena's daggers burst into flames, her grip tightening.
"Hit it at the same time?" she asked.
Asher nodded. "I'll go high, you go low."
Serena grinned. "Let's kill this thing."
With a flicker, she disappeared.
And Asher charged straight ahead.
The beast roared and swung its massive arm—
For a moment, it looked confused.
A deep, crimson line appeared across its throat.
A second later—Serena reappeared behind it, her blades dripping with dark ichor.
The beast stumbled, its black blood pouring out in waves.
And that was when Asher struck from above.
With a single, brutal swipe of his scythe, he split the creature's head in two.
It collapsed instantly.
The ground shook as its massive form hit the earth, dust billowing into the air like a storm.
Serena exhaled. "Damn. That was satisfying."
Asher landed beside her, shaking the blood off his weapon. "No time to enjoy it. The rest of them are still coming."
She clicked her tongue. "Yeah, yeah, let's move."
Without wasting another second, Asher took off again, Serena right behind him.
The border of the Black Hollow Citadel was just ahead.
They just had to make it.