While Zion struggled to find a way to close off the portal without killing Sloan, Iris, Willow, and Fae were desperately fighting the demonic invasion in their own territory.

 

Unlike the Beastkins and Featherlights who commanded entire armies, Iris, Willow, and Fae only had Berry and the loyal forest animals to help them fight the imminent threat.

 

Thanks to her recent training with Willow and her versatile nature magic, Iris was managing to fend off the demons with her allies, but the longer the fight went, the harder it became. It was only a matter of time before they were completely overwhelmed.

 

“Fae, I know you warned us ahead of time, but you didn’t mention anything about a portal full of demons!” Willow shouted in frustration.

 

“I-I’m sorry! There was nothing about demons in Princess Raya’s vision, so I didn’t know anything regarding this one! But now that I think about it, everything finally makes sense! After all, a demon separated me and my family,” Fae deduced, her eyes wide with realization.

 

“Ugh! After this, I’m gonna give you a very long lecture!” Willow huffed, irritated.

 

“P-please stop arguing and just focus on pushing back the demons! Our animal friends won’t last long!” Iris chimed in, her voice strained.

 

“Is there even a way for us to stop this? Is it possible to close off the portal and stop the demons from coming here?” Willow asked, seeking a solution.

 

“Yes, it’s possible! I’ve been in this exact scenario before with my family! We can close off the portal if we destroy its power source,” Fae relayed, her previous knowledge now crucial.

 

“W-Where do we find it?” Iris inquired.

 

“I-I don’t know, but it’s probably just around here somewhere,” Fae responded.

 

Without any lead on the energy source, they continued fighting, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of demons.

 

“T-this is bad, we can’t hold them any longer. If this continues, the entire forest will be destroyed,” Willow worriedly observed.

 

“F-Fae, what should we do?” Iris asked with a wavering, heavy voice.

 

Fae, who was usually bright and optimistic, was unsure this time and on the verge of losing hope. “I... I don’t know,” she answered with a heavy heart.

 

They were about to fall into despair when an opportunity disguised as hope arrived.

 

Suddenly, all the invading demons stopped moving and attacking.

 

“W-what is happening?” Willow whispered.

 

The moment the demons halted, a man appeared in front of them with an unsettling mix of professionalism and a chilling presence. His dark hair was meticulously slicked back, not a strand out of place. Behind simple, wire-frame glasses, his gaze was razor-sharp, with a glowing crimson red light.

 

His attire was an all-black suit. The sharp lines of his clothing gave him a severe and commanding silhouette. In his hand, he held a large, dark book.The man’s entire appearance suggested absolute precision and control, but this careful facade was overshadowed by the unsettling power that radiated from him.

 

The man stood still, reading his book without a care in the world. His presence alone was overwhelming, causing the girls to grow wary. The only person who felt overwhelming fear was Fae, who knew instantly that she was facing something very familiar, an intelligent demon of unimaginable strength and power, potentially even stronger than the previous generals.

 

Fortunately for them, the demon appeared rather chill and composed, unlike the wild, untamed demons they had faced before.

 

Gathering all the courage she could muster, Fae stepped forward and initiated a conversation. “Who are you?” She asked.

 

The demon stopped reading, closed the book, and answered in a very commanding and chilling voice. “I am Creed, one of the Great Demon Generals. I was sent here to deal with the Chosen One, but all I see in front of me are kids that have not matured and ripened yet.”

 

Seeing Fae's courage, Iris also stepped up to confront the demon. “W-What do you want from us?”

 

“I overheard your conversation earlier regarding the power source, so I’m saving you the trouble of finding it. The power source you are looking for is within me,” Creed answered with pure honesty.

 

“How can we be sure you’re not lying?” Iris pressed.

 

“I am offering you a chance by establishing fairness. I want to witness how much you can grow and how far you would go to win,” Creed responded.

 

“I don’t understand. Are you not here to fight us?” Iris asked, confused.

 

“I am no barbarian. I only find joy and thrill in things that are fair and bound by rules,” Creed explained.

 

Fae immediately grasped the demon’s intentions. “If that’s the case, then what is it that you propose?”

 

“Simple, I propose a high-stakes game with the Chosen One. An all-in game of cards where the winner gets everything,” Creed said, his true, menacing intentions finally revealed.

 

They knew that agreeing to the demon’s terms wouldn’t favor them, but at the moment, it was their only choice.

 

“You think you can intimidate us? You picked the wrong Chosen One to mess with! Let’s show this demon what you’ve got, Iris!” Willow confidently encouraged.

 

Iris had improved her confidence since meeting Fae, but the stakes were too high. “I… I don’t know, Willow… What if I mess everything up? I won’t be able to forgive myself,” she whispered, her voice shaking with doubt.

 

Iris was shaking at the thought of shouldering the fate of everyone, but thankfully, Fae was there to calm her down.

 

Fae held her hand tightly to assure her. “Don’t worry, Iris. Everything’s gonna be okay, I promise,” she asserted, looking into her friend's eyes.

 

Fae and Iris had grown very close over the past months, and Iris recognized the look in Fae’s eyes, it was the look she got when she was thinking about something crazy and risky. Iris didn’t need to ask. “N-no, please don’t. Whatever you are thinking, don’t do it!” Iris said worriedly, gripping Fae’s hand even tighter.

 

Fae let her hand go and faced Creed with brimming confidence. “Please allow me to be her substitute. Let me play your game instead,” she suggested confidently.

 

Creed was shocked by the level of confidence and determination Fae showed. “Tell me, little girl… knowledge, emotions, memories… what are you willing to sacrifice to save the ones that are important to you?”

 

Fae fixed her composure and answered confidently with one word: “Everything.”

 

Her answer sent a palpable chill down Creed’s spine. It was the exact word he was hoping for, giving him the thrill he sought. “Good answer,” he said, smirking joyously.

 

Creed immediately started the game using his ability to summon an enormous, ominous chess-like stage. In the middle of the stage, a deck of playing cards appeared. Above Fae and Creed’s heads floated six glowing hearts, clearly indicating their lives in the game.

 

Before they started, Creed explained the rules of the game in detail.

 

“The game is simple. Each of us will have seven cards in total, and every time we use one, a new card will be automatically drawn from the deck to replace the used cards. To make things fair, I took the liberty of scanning your mind, so most of the cards we’ll be playing contain people that are familiar to you, people you’ve met throughout your journey.”

 

“The goal of the game is for us to initiate battles by deploying a card onto the stage, and the person in that card will be doing the fighting for us. The battle automatically starts the moment we both deploy our card. Once you’ve deployed a card and it loses, you can never use it again in the next rounds, so you must use your cards wisely.”

 

“The loser of each round will lose one heart. There will be twelve rounds in total, and the first one who gets to zero life loses. If you win, I will destroy the energy source within me, and the portal to the demon realm will be gone for good. But if you lose, I will take everything: your knowledge, emotions, and memories… all of it.”

 

“Do you have any questions before we start?” Creed asked for the final time.

 

“I just have one question, Mr. Creed. Are we only limited to using one card per round?” Fae inquired.

 

“Good question. There are special cases where you can use multiple cards during a round. That depends on the cards you are currently holding. If your current cards contain people who have special bonds with each other, you can unlock a synergy effect by deploying them together. Cards with special bonds glow golden as an indication, so you won’t get confused,” Creed explained in full detail.

 

“That’s my only question. Thank you.”

 

“All right then… let’s proceed.”

 

Creed snapped his finger to start the game. The two were automatically dealt seven cards each. Fae’s cards consisted of Keith, Amalia, Miguel, May, Stephany, Astrid, and Kedrick, while Creed’s cards were unknown.

 

“I will go first,” Creed announced. He chose a card without hesitation. “I’m deploying Mizzari, the Demon of Illusion, to the stage.”

 

The card Creed chose was automatically sent to the stage and transformed into an exact replica of Mizzari. Fae was shocked to see the demon who had terrorized them back in the Vermine Kingdom, but she remembered that he was once defeated by Komraad. Unfortunately for her, Komraad was not present in her current set of cards.

 

Think Fae, who’s strong enough to face Mizzari besides Mr. Komraad?

 

Fae went over her cards. At first, she had a hard time choosing the right counter, but after a long thought process, she came up with the best possible conclusion.

 

“I’m deploying Head Knight Keith to the stage,” Fae announced with determination.

 

The card she chose was sent to the stage and transformed into an exact replica of Keith. After the two cards were deployed, Keith and Mizzari automatically started fighting.

 

The fight wasn't even close. Mizzari's illusion ability was no match against Keith's Ice Magic and swordsmanship, earning Fae the first victory in Round One.

 

Mizzari’s card was permanently destroyed, and Creed was down to five lives.

 

Instead of getting worried about the loss, Creed was smiling and seemed to be enjoying the game. “Do you mind telling me why you chose that card?”

 

“Head Knight Keith prepared to topple the demons that invaded their kingdom for years so he could save his one and only best friend. That kind of resolve is something that won’t be broken so easily,” Fae proudly answered.

 

“I see… well played. Let’s proceed to the next round then.”

 

Just like the first round, Creed didn’t take long to choose his next card. “I’m deploying Head Witch Helen of the Witch’s Isle.”

 

Round Two started as soon as Creed deployed his card. The fight was close at first, but Keith’s Ice Magic eventually lost to Helen due to being countered by her Flame Magic. 

 

Fae lost in Round Two and was down to five lives as well.

 

Fae knew how powerful the Head Witch was, but Rein, who defeated her before, wasn't present in her current set of cards. She struggled to choose a card strong enough. Thankfully, after Keith's card was destroyed, a new card replaced it, and it was glowing golden, signifying an active synergy.

 

“I choose to deploy Ms. Stephany of the Adventuring Guild,” Fae decided with confidence.

 

Creed, who had scanned Fae’s mind before the game, was confused as to why she deployed her weakest card against one of his powerful ones.

 

Round Three started and, as expected, it was one-sided. Stephany was no match against the Head Witch. Fae was about to lose the round when something happened. Stephany’s card was about to be destroyed when the golden card Fae had recently received was automatically deployed to the stage and transformed into an enormous creature: Nessie, who shared a special bond with Stephany. This was the synergy Fae had been expecting, which fueled her confidence.

 

It was one-sided at first, but with the combined synergy between Nessie and Stephany, they easily defeated Head Witch Helen, securing Fae the victory for Round Three. 

 

Creed’s life was now down to four.

 

“Interesting. How did you come up with that idea?” Creed asked, intrigued.

 

“When Ms. Stephany is in trouble, Nessie is always there to save her because they’re best friends,” Fae answered.

 

“I see… so it’s a delayed synergy. This is the first time I’ve encountered one,” Creed responded with a huge, creepy smile.

 

He had played multiple games before, collecting knowledge, memories, and emotions from his opponents, but nothing had ever satisfied him. He got bored because all of his games were one-sided. His fight with Fae at the moment was the only game he had ever felt joy and thrill from playing.

 

“Shall we continue the game?” Creed asked excitedly.

 

Round Four continued, and to counter Fae, Creed deployed Alecks, the Elite Guard and right hand of King Zayke of the Featherlight race. Alecks easily disposed of Stephany and Nessie, securing Creed the victory for the round.

 

Fae and Creed were now tied with four lives each.

 

Round Five followed soon after. Thankfully, Fae didn't take long to choose a card. After Stephany and Nessie's cards were destroyed, they were replaced by Erica and Rein. Fae had witnessed firsthand how Erica was able to defeat Alecks, so she deployed her without a second thought, securing her the victory for Round Five. 

 

Creed was now down to three lives.

 

For Round Six, Creed used a synergy for the first time. He deployed Zion when he was still possessed by a demon, together with Princess Raya. By combining their strength, the siblings were able to defeat Erica, securing Creed the victory for the round. 

 

Fae was now down with three lives as well.

 

Fae was worried because she knew how powerful the demon-possessed Zion was, he was the person who had managed to kill me before, a tragedy she witnessed firsthand. Also, Raya was with him, wielding the power to strengthen someone and heal their fatigue. She knew it wouldn't be easy to defeat such a duo. Adding to her worry, the card that replaced Erica after she was defeated was Jacob, who couldn't fight at all.

 

The only way she could move forward was by sacrificing her current weaker cards and hoping they were replaced by stronger ones. With no other choice left, Fae decided to sacrifice Amalia and Miguel’s cards by deploying them to the stage, but even with their synergy active, they were still no match against Zion and Raya's synergy, finally reducing Fae’s lives to two.

 

Two new cards were added to Fae’s set, and thankfully, one of them was the Chief of Kurrbryde, Nilda. She also had an active synergy with her husband, Kedrick, making them the strongest cards Fae currently possessed.

 

With her confidence back, Fae deployed Nilda and Kedrick to the stage. Even with Nilda and Kedrick’s years of experience, they still struggled against Zion and Raya. Round Seven was a close fight, but eventually, the couple managed to overpower the siblings, securing Fae the victory for the round.

 

Creed and Fae were finally down to two lives. From here on out, every decision they made would determine not only their fate but everyone around them.

 

The thrill and joy Creed felt from the game were beyond comparison. Before they started Round Eight, Creed clapped his hands in awe and complimented Fae for her resilience and determination.

 

“How amazing! You’re the only opponent I’ve ever faced who managed to survive until Round Eight and even reduce my life to two. For that, you deserve my utmost respect,” Creed said while bowing his head. His words were genuine but still carried a hint of pride and disdain.

 

“Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Creed, but I don’t have time for small talk. The sooner we finish the game, the better it is for us,” Fae responded, fully determined to win.

 

“All the opponents I’ve defeated so far only had despair in their eyes. You are the only one whose eyes were burning bright with hope and determination. I wish to see more of it, but sadly, that ends now. From here on out, I won’t lose anymore,” Creed responded confidently.

 

Fae was confused about where Creed was getting his confidence until she saw it with her own eyes. Creed didn’t have to say a single word afterward. His cards were enough proof to back up his claim.

 

Fae felt powerless and lost all hope when she noticed that the seven cards Creed currently possessed were all glowing golden, signifying that all his cards had synergy with each other and could be deployed all at once.

 

“I choose to deploy all of the Chosen Ones on the stage,” Creed announced.

 

All seven cards he was holding were sent to the stage and transformed into a real-life replica of the Seven Chosen Ones. Their combined presence alone was enough to even put a crack in the stage Creed had created using his cursed technique.

 

They were so powerful that the moment Round Nine started, they managed to one-shot Nilda and Kedrick with ease, giving Creed the victory for that round and reducing Fae to one life.

 

Fae was so overwhelmed that her knees gave out. Her eyes, which had been burning bright with hope and determination, suddenly held complete and utter hopelessness. The Chosen Ones were the absolute power and epitome of strength in the world, and she was supposed to defeat all of them combined. Because of this, she couldn’t see a way to win the game anymore.

 

“Checkmate, little girl. Now that you’re down to one life, I’ll give you a major hint. The strength of your cards lies in your mental image. Even with your weakest card, if you believe they are unbeatable, then they will be unbeatable, but only if you believe in it will it come true. Even so, you cannot betray your own memories. You only believe in things that your eyes have witnessed, and if you cannot imagine someone strong enough to defeat the Chosen Ones, then your chances of winning are zero,” Creed explained.

 

Even with the hint given to her, Fae couldn’t find a way to win. The cards that replaced Nilda and Kedrick were of a random witch and a member of Stephany’s traveling guild. No matter what or who she thought of, she didn’t have any cards left powerful enough to face the Chosen Ones.

 

Her mind was about to break from the intense stress when Iris decided to intervene and bring her back to her senses.

 

“Fae, this is all my fault. I’m sorry for letting you shoulder all the responsibilities. If only I was confident enough to step in, then you wouldn’t have had to risk everything you cherish… That’s what the old me would’ve said, but for some reason, you managed to change the old me and my perspective in life. When I’m with you, everything seems to be so interesting and full of color,” Iris shouted, her voice ringing with sincerity.

 

“Iris is right. You even changed mine as well,” Willow chimed in.

 

“I knew we were in good hands when you decided to step in. Even without powers, I believed you’d do better than me, so please, don’t give up yet! I know you’ll find a way out of this like you always do!” Iris cheerfully added.

 

Their words touched her heart, and Fae managed to calm down and sort out her thoughts. Having their support helped her regain the confidence and hope she had lost. This time, she was more determined than ever.

 

Fae stood up, and her eyes were burning even brighter than before. “Mr. Creed, I have a proposal that you’re gonna like,” she suggested.

 

“Hmm… let’s hear it,” Creed responded.

 

“Even with all my cards combined, I have no chance of defeating you, so here’s my proposal. I would like to bet everything with a gamble. I’d like to discard all my current cards in exchange for a single, random card,” Fae said.

 

Was it her unwavering determination, or was she just an utter fool? Creed had no idea, but her proposal was so intriguing that it left him astonished. “Did I hear it right? You’d like to bet everything… your memories, knowledge, and emotions for a gamble?” He asked.

 

“That’s right. That way, the result would be more fun and satisfying in the end,” Fae responded. Her determination and will didn’t waver one bit.

 

Creed couldn’t help but laugh in awe. “Ha-ha! You really are interesting. Very well, I approve of your proposal.”

 

With the snap of Creed’s finger, Fae's current cards were discarded and dissolved into thin air, being replaced with a random one.

 

All Fae could do was hope and pray that the card she needed the most would appear. By some miracle, her prayer had been answered.

 

Fae couldn’t help but smile and tear up from joy. “Even when you’re not on my side, you always end up saving me,” she muttered to herself.

 

After receiving her final card, she wiped her tears and finally continued playing the game. “I choose to deploy the kindest and warmest person in the world, my mom,” she announced.

 

Her card transformed into an exact replica of me in my human form after deploying it to the stage. Round Ten immediately started. All the Chosen Ones combined forces and defeated my card easily, causing the replica to disintegrate and fade away.

 

“What a disappointing end. I was expecting a grand finale, but all I got was a one-sided massacre. It seems I’ve overestimated you,” Creed said in a discouraged tone.

 

In an instant, Creed secured the victory not only for Round Ten but for the entire game… or so he thought.

 

After defeating Fae, the game should have ended instantly, but for some reason, it kept continuing. Creed was so confused until he saw above Fae that she still had a single life remaining when it should have been gone the moment she lost Round Ten. Not only that, every card that loses should be permanently destroyed, but for some reason, my card reappeared on the stage and transformed back into my replica once again.

 

“H-how is this possible? You should’ve lost already and have no remaining life anymore! Why is your card back on the stage when it’s supposed to be permanently destroyed? That’s the rule I’ve set for this game, and it is impossible to break that… so how? How are you doing this?!? How are you able to rewrite my rules?!?” Creed demanded, completely confused.

 

“You’re wrong, Mr. Creed. I don’t have the power to rewrite your rules, but the hint you gave me earlier helped me understand your game fully. You said it yourself… The strength of my cards depends on my mental image of those people close to me, and for me, my mom is the most resilient and most dependable person I know. Sure, she’s not the strongest or the brightest, but no matter what kind of situation I could think of, I can’t imagine my mom ever giving up. She always stands up and comes back stronger than ever,” Fae responded with confidence.

 

After their exchange of words, the game automatically started and proceeded to the next round. The Chosen Ones defeated my card once again, but just like last time, Fae’s life wasn’t reduced to zero, and my card, which was supposed to be permanently destroyed, came back to the stage once again, ready to keep fighting no matter what. This happened multiple times, and every time my card came back, it kept on learning and improving until it was getting harder and harder for the Chosen Ones to defeat my card. It took over a hundred rounds until Fae finally managed to secure a victory against Creed, reducing his life to one.

 

Creed still had one life remaining, but he realized that no matter what decision he made, he had a slim chance of winning. He decided to finally give up and end the game.

 

“I surrender. You win," he announced. He snapped his finger to undo his cursed technique, and his game disappeared, giving Fae the victory and letting her keep her emotions, knowledge, and memories.

 

Iris, Willow, and Berry rushed towards Fae to hug and congratulate her.

 

“I never doubted you for a second,” Iris said, smiling genuinely.

 

“Hmph… I did, but I knew you’d figure something out eventually,” Willow chimed in, pouting slightly.

 

Instead of getting disappointed, Creed was actually very satisfied even though he lost. The thrill and joy he was seeking his whole life had finally been fulfilled.

 

“You gave me a satisfying and wonderful game. You delivered just like you said, so I’m keeping mine as well. As promised, I’ll be destroying the energy source within me this instance,” Creed said.

 

He was about to crush his own heart with his bare hands when Iris decided to stop him by wrapping him using her nature magic. She summoned vines from the ground and immobilized Creed to stop him from taking his own life. “What are you doing? You’re only prolonging your suffering,” Creed said, annoyed.

 

“If that’s the solution to ending the senseless fighting, then we don’t want it at all. Just watch, we’ll find another way to stop this war and keep the demons in check without you resorting to destroying yourself,” Iris chimed in with determination.

 

“Then you better find a solution soon. The clock is ticking, and if you’re not fast enough, then it will eventually catch up to you,” Creed advised.

 

Only a few minutes remain until the total solar eclipse, and now that three of the Demon Generals have been subjugated, the chances of stopping the great catastrophe are just within reach.