CHAPTER SIX — The Battle of Despair

The demon’s grin stretched wide, red eyes locked on Elen with feral hunger.
Ivan stepped in front of her, sword raised.
“Elen… stay behind me.”
She shook her head, voice trembling.
“Ivan, you can’t fight him—”
He didn’t let her finish.
“I won’t let anyone take you from me.”
The demon lifted a blade forged from black shadows.
“A powerless human protecting her? How amusing.”
Ivan charged.
Steel clashed against darkness.
CLANG!
A shockwave tore through the ground, sending Ivan skidding backward. The demon hadn’t even moved.
It tilted its head, mocking.
“Is that all?”
Ivan’s arms shook from the impact, but he gritted his teeth.
“Not… done yet.”
He rushed forward again—strike after strike—fierce, desperate, relentless.
But it wasn’t a fight.
It was domination.
The demon parried every blow effortlessly, countering with brutal precision—twisting Ivan’s arm, kicking him back, slamming him into the ground.
Elen screamed.
“IVAN! STOP! PLEASE!”
But Ivan refused to fall back.
Behind him was the woman he loved.
His reason to fight.
His reason to live.
He roared and swung downward with everything he had left—
The demon caught the blade between two fingers.
“…Pathetic.”
Then—
SLASH!
A black arc tore through Ivan’s chest.
Blood sprayed.Ivan collapsed.
Elen’s scream tore through the forest.
“IVAAAAAN!!!”
He lay trembling, breath shallow, vision blurring. His sword slipped from his hand.
The demon approached slowly, savoring his suffering.
“A human like you never stood a chance.”
Elen dropped to her knees, pulling Ivan into her arms.
“Ivan! Stay with me! Please!”
He looked up at her through fading eyes… and smiled weakly.
“…I’m sorry, Elen… I couldn’t… protect you…”
Tears streamed down her face.
“Don’t say that! You promised me—we’d live together… forever!”
His voice faded to a whisper.
“My only regret… is not making you happy… until the end…”
His head tilted.His eyes closed.
His chest stopped moving.
Ivan—was still.
For a heartbeat, the world stopped.
Then—
Elen screamed.
“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
Her voice shook the earth.