Chapter 663

Chapter 663: Demon Soul

The black dragon laughed as it casually tossed the aged male red dragon among the rubble. The fallen red dragon crashed against the opposite side, stirring up another great cloud of dust. The black dragon flapped its wings and soared into the sky, charging straight for the Red Dragon Queen high above, smashing through her flames head-on…

Deathwing scorned using magic; he would crush every enemy here with his own body again and again. Another deafening thunderclap boomed from above. Jesse covered his ears while hiding among the debris. Just the shockwaves from these dragons’ collisions felt as if his innards were being torn apart.

"I know you have the Demon Soul, Seso…" A spell-like voice echoed around him. "Come out, come out. Stop hiding. Hand over the Demon Soul and accept your fate…"

The Restorative Potion steadily cleansed the chanting and the darkness’s oppressive weight. Jesse didn’t respond, merely scratching his head before struggling free from the rubble.

He pulled out the disk to confirm it remained with him. Beyond this, the explosions and gales had stripped him of nearly everything—his magic wand, pack, and even one boot.

Azuresong Mageblade lay cracked and useless, though still sheathed at his belt.

At least the Blade of Eternal Darkness remained tightly bound within his robe—Jesse’s final defense. Yet he doubted its worth against the demon, the mountains of flame, and Deathwing…

"Jesse, where are you? Greed! Where are you?!"

Vereesa’s voice rang nearby. Jesse whirled toward it, scrambling past shattered orc supply crates. "Here, Vere—"

"Jesse!"

Vereesa turned. "That demon vanished. Damn it."

"I’ll find him," Jesse said. "Molofeel must be tracking. I sense her."

Squinting, he focused on the Soul Link’s pull, then pointed to a distant hollow. "There."

Vereesa darted forward like a hunting cat. Jesse stumbled after her shadow, glancing up at the churning black clouds where few red shapes remained.

Both Greed and Vereesa seemed to forget their purpose.

Nekros had given them fresh reason to fight…

Having freed the Red Dragon Queen, their mission was technically complete. Whatever came next was desperate struggle.

But the Demon Soul?

Jesse eyed the disk in his hand, then the cloud-like shadow laughing overhead. It must be destroyed.

At the canyon’s base, molten stone giants rose from lava only to collapse inexplicably. Those standing longer either brawled or hunted surviving drakonids and wyrmkin before crumbling mid-charge.

Frenzied earth elementals wreathed in violet fire shrieked while pursuing flightless dragonlets and fleeing orcs.

Vereesa shut her eyes briefly at the horror before turning. "Where is she now?"

"Ahead on the ridge," Jesse answered. "Molofeel’s shadow is almost visible…"

Vereesa pressed onward. Near a burning orc watchtower on the ridge, Jesse spotted a red dragonlet battling a demonic shadow in the sky!

"I cannot reach him, Master," Molofeel materialized, frustration in her voice. "He stays airborne. Wings prove useful sometimes…"

From this height, Jesse considered striking the demon with a long-range Shadow Bolt. But hitting the dragonlet might free the demon to soar higher—dooming them all to his Shadow Bolts.

No cover remained on this ridge.

"Give me your enchanted dagger, Jesse," Vereesa commanded. Without question, he drew and passed her the blade.

Vereesa tossed the dagger once, studied it, then downed her second Fire Protection Potion. She sprinted toward the blazing tower.

Jesse suddenly understood her plan. He lunged forward but couldn’t match her speed. Vereesa scaled the inferno, dodging flames as she reached the summit. Standing in billowing smoke, she eyed her target, retreated two steps, and leaped…

Mid-air, she hurled the Blade of Eternal Darkness with full strength. The dagger shot like a bullet past the dragonlet’s ribs and wings—piercing the demon’s jaw and embedding in its skull!

Dark energy erupted from the blade, twisting the demon’s will and magic. Nekros howled, instantly overpowered by the dragonlet’s strength!

“Vereesa!”

Jesse’s shout was drowned out by the dragon’s screeches overhead and the valley’s furious roar of flames.

He tried to sprint toward the tower to catch the falling elf, but couldn’t match her descent… Should’ve trained harder, run faster—maybe then…

A ghostly figure materialized mid-air and violently seized the falling ranger—Molofeel!

Both tumbled to the earth, rolling downhill. That desperate grab had cushioned the fall; they should…

Above, the blood-drenched young dragon swiftly gained dominance. Screeching while diving, it slammed the helpless demon into the dirt.

Jesse yearned to check their condition, but time was scarce. The Demon Soul must be destroyed.

He chased toward the dragon’s landing spot, shouting in Draconic: “Wait!”

The young dragon roared furiously at him, claws poised to shred the demon’s heart.

Jesse recalled Draconic only enraged it. Switching to Common, he urged: “Don’t kill him! Trust me—I’ll save Alexstrasza!”

The fury in the dragon’s eyes faded. Seizing its hesitation, Jesse gulped a Mana Potion, pointed at the demon, and chanted: “Vita, Taho Tohqi, Milon, Taho Totani…”

Hearing this, the pinned Nekros laughed wildly.

“You’d enslave me, madman? We’ll all die here! Even if you vile thing follow me into the Twisting Nether, I’ll devour your soul there!”

Thunder cracked as Deathwing seized the Red Dragon Queen’s skull, wrenching her horns like he’d snap her neck. She could only whimper feeble curses, powerless to resist.

He was winning—the black dragon was winning. Wicked magma bled from fissures across his chest, back, and neck, resembling cracks in the night sky itself. Still he howled triumphantly, roaring victory.

Jesse completed the chant. Without the Flask of Distilled Wisdom, without the young dragon’s aid, he’d have failed. Yet he strained to enslave Nekros.

He knew the binding wouldn’t last. As Nekros’s demonic avatar devoured surrounding shadows to regain strength, and as the Flask’s power waned, the demon’s will would overwhelm him. But he didn’t need long.

Sensing the demon’s subjugation, the young dragon retreated. Nekros clutched his dagger-pierced jaw, sneering: “Order me, you self-righteous one! Show the slightest weakness, and I’ll tear you…”

Enslaving the demon inflicted crushing shadow pressure—whether from Nekros’s will or… It didn’t matter. No time remained to ponder.

Then—crumbling earth and rolling stones approached. Jesse glanced back: flaming earth elementals had noticed his shadow magic channeling…

Why now?!

He had to focus, maintain the straining enslavement—couldn’t afford…

The lead elemental spat fire—shattered mid-air by a lightning strike!

Greed charged from the flank, his axe obliterating one elemental while his hammer’s backswing crushed another, scattering their formation.

Surrounded, he swung hammer and axe in wide arcs, keeping every stone beast at bay! “Do what you must, Jesse!” he bellowed. “I’ll deal with this trash!”

Jesse nodded, inhaled sharply, and locked eyes with the demon. *-Eat it.*

Chanting the command, he raised the golden disk. Nekros stared, shadowflame flickering in his eyes.

*-Swallow the Demon Soul. Obey your master!*

“Obey… the master!” Nekros rasped, seizing the Demon Soul. Chains and all, he swallowed it whole.

The palm-sized disk went down like candy for the hulking demon. Jesse gritted his teeth against Nekros’s mental onslaught…

*-Now. Kill Deathwing.* “Kill Deathwing!”

The demon’s wings snapped open. He launched skyward, his shadow melting into the blackness…

At this moment, Jesse felt his heart about to leap from his throat. He didn’t know how this bewildering idea had surfaced; he only knew it was his final attempt.

You want the Demon Soul? Then I’ll give you Deathwing.

"Hit him with a Curse of Weakness… no… cast Fear on him! Terrify him!" Jesse muttered. "Make him taste your mighty power, Nekros!"

"Test my strength, Deathwing! Sample the magic of the Dragonmaw Warlord! Dragonmaw will enslave dragons! Dragonmaw will slay dragons! Not the other way around! You’ll never intimidate or enslave me!"

Nekros laughed wildly as he raised his arms, soaring higher. For an instant, Jesse sensed this wasn’t just about obeying commands—Nekros had secretly yearned for this confrontation.

But as the demon chanted his spell, the black smoke suddenly parted layer by layer, pushed aside by something colossal approaching from afar. A tail as massive as a cathedral spire swept through, shattering the demon’s shadow…

The strain of controlling Nekros vanished abruptly. Jesse staggered backward, nearly collapsing before catching himself on the scorching ground.

Gasping for breath, he heard Deathwing utter low, menacing chuckles.

"Insect… Pity. I’d planned a crueler end for you. To dare this…"

Deathwing’s voice cut off as he spotted golden mist where his tail had struck. Jesse lifted his head, staring dumbfounded at the haze…

Vereesa limped to Jesse’s side, clutching her stomach while coughing. Then she too looked up.

Nearby, Molofeel gazed toward the light. Greed leaned against a boulder, panting after repelling waves of earth elementals. Noticing their stares, he followed their eyes.

"Strange… what power is that…?" The imp darted from Jesse’s robe.

Under their collective gaze, the golden mist radiated brilliant hues—yellow, blue, red, green… The Dragon Kings’ power.

It worked. Against all odds, it worked. "What trickery is this?"

Deathwing gripped the nearly lifeless Red Dragon Queen, wings beating as he glared at the glow. "What sorcery is this? Is my treasure not in your possession?"

"Not anymore," Jesse whispered.

He didn’t know if Deathwing heard. The dragon gave no reply, simply released the Red Dragon Queen. She plummeted as he hovered, watching the light fade.

Crashing onto Grim Batol’s ruins, the Red Dragon Queen lifted her head and chuckled softly.

Jesse couldn’t suppress a grin at their scheme’s success. Yet he knew shattering the Demon Soul wouldn’t harm Deathwing—it would only force him to fear the Dragon Kings’ combined might. He could no longer defy them alone…

The black dragon suddenly stretched its neck and swallowed the dissipating light. Instantly, the sky darkened. Nothing remained. "Wh—?"

All Dragon Kings…

Jesse froze, his mind seizing up.

Deathwing’s laughter boomed like doom itself, purple light blazing from his scale-seams.

"After pouring my life into this work—countless hours—how dare a mortal destroy it? Still laughing, Alexstrasza? Did you think I’d surrender? Did you think I’d await my end…?"

He inhaled deeply, then spewed a violet beam at distant Thal’dor. The dragon’s lower half vanished instantly.

The multicolored energy…

—Ha! I should’ve done this sooner! Why did I hesitate?—Laugh, Alexstrasza! I’ll shatter everything you cherish!

Amid the ruins, Deathwing’s roars jolted Jesse awake.

The black dragon dove toward the dying Red Dragon Queen. The earth trembled again; Grim Batol’s ruins crumbled into lava, sending fiery waves skyward…

This time, it truly seemed over.

Jesse saw no path forward. Every effort worsened the nightmare, deepened the disaster.

Perhaps he should just… stop. Wait—one thing remained.

"Vereesa." He turned to her. "I must tell you something now, or—" "I know."

She silenced him with a kiss, eyes closed.

Tears traced her cheeks, mingling salty and cold on their lips, tinged with blood. Jesse pulled her close, his frantic heart suddenly still.

"We’ll die together, Jesse. Quel’dorai or human—it doesn’t matter. This is all we have left."

Her words should have carried sorrow, but Vereesa smiled.

Not a forced smile—genuine joy. Jesse felt it.

Though… perhaps the strain had broken him.

He held her tighter. One more second. Just one.

Deathwing’s laughter echoed across the darkened sky—growing frenzied, chaotic, hollow.

Jesse sensed a shift. He looked back as Deathwing seized the Red Dragon’s throat, preparing to breathe fire… but cracks split his jaws and skin.

Purple flames erupted from his fissures. Deathwing’s roars drowned in shrieking, wild magic. Alexstrasza wrenched free of his mangled claws, crawling aside to watch the Dragon Kings’ power rip him apart…

Blinding fire geysered from his corpse like a dying volcano’s last gasp. The father of black dragons stumbled forward once before collapsing. His fortress-sized head tilted, hellfire fading from his eyes.

Greed gaped, muttering, "That was pure madness."