"LORD DYRROTH!!!" Sorca screamed as she watched the blessed arrow pierce the darkness of the night and descend upon the sky like a cataclysmic comet. Dyrroth was stupefied by a binding spell and he can merely watch as the arrow sought his death.

A scream of fury erupted from his throat. A death like this is unacceptable. He will not allow himself to be defeated by mere insignificant elves! He mustered his strength and released a surge of malevolent energy from his body that easily broke the binding spell. He lifted his hand and focused all his strength to deflect the arrow but it proved to be stronger than it ought to be.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" He roared as the darkness shielded him. The arrow broke the first layer of his defenses and proved to be formidable as it continues to fight through his darkness. Sorca tried reaching his side however Estes and Karina kept her pinned. Miya moved again to take a better vantage point and aimed another arrow at the prince, albeit a little weaker than the one he's fighting off.

Dyrroth did his best to hold off the arrow but with the blessing of fairies and mythical spirits, it proved to be almost indomitable. Miya has taken position west of him and continues to shoot arrows to weaken him. Dyrroth used his demonic tail to wipe them away but there's only so much it can swat so a few pierced his shoulder making him groan in pain. He didn't let the simple injury deter him and continues to fight the damned sacred rod even though his energy briefly flickered due to the shot.

"Ru-Ruby... I'm coming home to Ruby!" he declared with determination as he pushed against the arrow. It was so powerful that it seemed to him like divinity smiting him but he fought on. The blasted elf king had placed a curse on him as well preventing him from unleashing his Abysmal Strike. Without his ultimate skill, this would be a lot harder but he doesn't care. Brute force and sheer willpower is the only thing keeping him alive so he made sure to live up to his name of the Abyss' strongest fighter.

"This is nothing!" Unexpectedly, an arrow was shot to his tendons making his eyes widen as the wound brought him to his knees. His barrier flickered and it was enough for the blessed arrow to pass and strike him down. Dyrroth's eyes widened as he felt the rod pierce through his flesh. It impaled itself in his chest and he could only gasp as blood suddenly poured from his mouth. The arrow vanished into golden dust leaving a gaping wound on his chest. Blood gushed out from the puncture wound like a crimson river.

"MY LORD!!!" yelled Sorca as she immediately went to his side. Reinforcement demons finally arrived to control the situation and Dyrroth wondered where the fuck those bastards were in the first place. One of them should have taken the shot for him. Fuck them.

"So--Sorca..." He began as the demoness cradled him in her arms. She tore her cape from her back and used it to stop the bleeding, tying it around his chest and applying pressure.

"So-Sorca... Tell Ruby that I love her very much every day. I don't care if she doesn't want to hear it but do it anyway. And then take care of her for the rest of your life... D-devote all your strength in protecting her a-and make s-sure th-at she's... She's well cared for. Everything I have is now h-hers. Promise me Sorca that you will do that. P-please..." Dyrroth said as he groaned in pain. He tried masking his agony but his face twisted into grimaces as he talked.

"No, no, my lord you will not die. You will not die. You--you will live through this and then you'll be reunited with Ruby. You'll go home. You'll make love to her and she'll give birth to your children. You should watch your children grow together until you die of old age. But you will be together. Collect yourself, my lord. Th-there's no use for these ramblings. You-- you won't die here. Please. Think about Ruby. You haven't won your wager so you should get back to her and finally make her confess that she loves you too."

"You are my loyal friend, Sorca. I know you can do it. This was a possibility... and we all knew it. So g-g-go in my stead and protect my wife. Keep her safe and let her live the rest of her life the way she wanted to. S-Sorca, I would gladly die knowing that Ruby is safe and happy. And also... I want to th-thank you for serving me with all your loyalty. You are the most wonderful friend anyone can ask for." Dyrroth said as his lids grew too heavy.

In his hand is a golden locket clenched so tightly. Inside it is a picture of a girl with a perpetual smile on her beautiful pink lips. He lifted the image to his face and wept as he knew that this is the last time he'll see her face. So he closed his eyes and engraved her memory in his soul. In his dreams, he saw Ruby taking his hand with a smile and leading him through a meadow.

"R-Ruby? Where are we going?"

"Let's run away... Let's go somewhere far just the two of us. Are you coming?" she said.

"Of course..." He replied as the darkness finally welcomed him like a friend and the cold of nothingness accepted him in its embrace.

"MY LOOOOOORD!!!"

🌹

Ruby walked quietly as she traversed the maze-like hallways of the Abyssal palace. A number of Sorca's soldiers guided her through the corridors and shielded her from any unwanted onlookers. No one really dared to approach her, not even spare a single glance her way. Maybe they are still afraid of Dyrroth's wrath. She never expected that she would ever return here after Dyrroth exiled her and yet here she is again going back to his side.

She had come straight from the party in Devas after Martis confessed to her and now her mind is in complete disarray between the two warlords. Even though her heart is aching for Dyrroth, her mind couldn't stop thinking about the events that unfolded before she left Devas. She can still feel the sensation of Martis' lips on hers; they tasted sweet but her guilt was bitter. She likes Martis, she will admit that she even has a little crush on him but what about Dyrroth?

Gods, her feelings for Dyrroth are so conflicting. She likes him but she also hates him for everything that he's ever done to her and now Martis as well confessed his feelings for her. She feels like she's in the middle of two boulders about to crush her into a pulpy mess. Her mind kept replaying Martis' confession and she couldn't deny the butterflies that had fluttered in her chest when he spoke those sweet torturous words.

"I'm in love with you, Ruby of Vanargand." Martis declared while kneeling in front of her. Words left her lips as her heart hammered loudly in her chest. Frankly, she doesn't know what to do with this knowledge nor what he wants to have with her.

"I..." Her voice trailed, finding the perfect words to reply to his sincere feelings.

"Well maybe there's--" her words were suddenly interrupted when a blackbird landed on the terrace. She recognized it as Dyrroth's courier bird, Alzeroth, a vantablack eagle that travels as fast as the speed of darkness. Which she guessed was equal to the speed of light since darkness settles once the light leaves. The bird stared at her with judgemental eyes making her glare at it.

"I should probably get that." she mumbled before walking towards the bird who scrutinized her sardonically as if calling her a slut.

"Oh, you prejudiced piece of shit. No wonder you're Dyrroth's pet. Both of you are assholes." she said to him, making him squawk at her with indignation. Ruby immediately retrieved the parchment attached to the bird's feet and read it carefully.

Seconds passed, minutes passed as she carefully read and reread the letters.

"I--I actually don't know how to read this. The letters are demonic." Ruby admitted shamefully as she handed the paper to Martis. It was a bit awkward but she waited patiently while he read the whole thing. She didn't miss the astoundment that crossed his face and the sullen look he had afterward.

"Is-- is something wrong?"

"Dyrroth was struck down during the war..." was all he uttered and the color drained from her face.

When the words left his mouth, Ruby didn't think about it anymore. Her body just acted before she could even think about it.

Dyrroth's demise implies her freedom. She could have chosen to stay on Devas or she could have chosen to run away but instead, she immediately left the palace to rush to the portal and beg Martis to activate it for her. She didn't waste a single second on making her way back to Dyrroth.

"Mistress, we are here." announced one of her guards.

"Alright, thank you."

Her lips pursed as she finally reached the room where he is being kept. The guards opened it up for her and she was immediately assaulted by the pungent smell of blood. Although she's well accustomed to this odor, knowing who the owner of it makes her limbs feel weak. Bile wanted to rise up her throat but she held it in. It felt like she was treading thin ice as she slowly and quietly made her way inside the room, scanning it and avoiding looking at Dyrroth.

Numerous blood orbs are floating around him. Ruby could only guess that these serve as his sustenance or a means of healing. There are sages and healers around the room discussing his condition or preparing strange concoctions. And then she finally saw Dyrroth laying deathly pale on his bed. His chest has a gaping wound on it and the sight immediately drained the colors from her face. Thankfully he doesn't seem dead, at least not yet. Ruby noticed him breathing weakly and this fact gave a small relief to her but it wasn't able to lift the heavy feelings that crushed her chest.

"D-Dyrroth?" she mumbled, calling out his name.

"How is he?" she asked one of the sages overseeing his treatment.

"He retained serious injuries that might paralyze him for a while. The arrow punctured his lungs and caused severe blood loss but luckily it didn't as much as graze his heart. His physical injuries can be easily repaired however the curse embedded in him was another matter. We may be able to fix his body but his opponent also casted a death rune that executes the wicked. The only thing keeping him alive was his own will and something akin to affection that hinders the curse from fully activating. I suspect that without even a wit of love inside him, he would have died hours ago. Perhaps the curse acknowledged that he's capable of loving which confuses it from fully terminating his existence. To put it bluntly, even if he recovers from his wounds the spell is too lethal to come out of it unscathed."

"Is there anything you can do to break this curse?"

"It was very potent but with all our efforts combined, I think we can remove the spell to allow the prince to recover." answered the hooded alchemist.

"I see. Thank you. May I see him? Will that be okay?"

"If you are brief about it, mistress, then it wouldn't be much of a problem."

Ruby went to Dyrroth's side and gently took his cold fingers in her hand, squeezing it tenderly hoping to get a response yet none came. Tears cascaded down her eyes as she watched him drawing shallow breaths. Each one seeming to be his last. For the first time in a long while, Ruby has never felt more afraid of losing someone.

"You lying bastard..." she muttered.

"You said I should wait for you to come back. You said you would return. You said you won't ever let me go... so why the fuck are you LEAVING ME!!!"

"Oh, Ruby..." Sorca said as she entered the room. The demon captain immediately pulled the girl in her arms and encased her in a tight embrace. Ruby doesn't know how to react to everything that is happening. Earlier she was just having fun at the festival and then Martis confessed to her and now Dyrroth is dying. Tears poured from her eyes and they wouldn't stop gushing out as everything finally sank into her brain.

Dyrroth is dying and he might not even survive the night. She cried out in despondency, unable to do anything. If he disappears, she will never see him again, she will never feel him again, and she will never laugh at his jokes and teasing ever again. Suddenly the thought of losing him feels so devastating. She doesn't want to lose him. She doesn't want him to die. She wants to spend more time with him and make more memories with him.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. If only I was stronger. If only I was smarter. If only I was better I could have protected the prince! I should be killed! I'm weak! I should have jumped in there and taken the shot for him. I'm sorry, Ruby." Sorca cried out as she poured all her tears on the girl's shoulder.

"What happened?"

"We--we were surveying the grounds and taking over the castle. Then they came. The elves. I fought Karina and the prince fought the remaining forest guardians. The elf king arrived and then restrained him. I thought he could handle it himself but then there was a bright light..."

"An enchanted arrow was aimed at Dyrroth. He tried stopping it but it was powerful. He could have repelled it but--but this bitch... Miya was her name. She shot his shoulder and then his tendons. He fell and then the next thing I knew... He's--he's... Oh, lords! This is all my fault." moaned the demoness as she broke down.

"No... This is not your fault. It was hers... It was Miya." Ruby mumbled spitefully.

"Where is she?"

"We've seized the Moonshire so she's most likely in custody. Alice is currently the one presiding over things in Lord Dyrroth's absence but they made a deal that she would give Miya to Dyrroth so he can give her to you as a slave. If Alice was to keep her end of the bargain then she's probably in the dungeons as we speak. What do you want to do?" Ruby gritted her teeth.

"I want to make that bitch pay for what she did. I want to make her feel the pain that I am feeling and I want to do something worse. I will show her that this rose has the sharpest thorns."