The Young Demon Lord and her Maid-Knight

As Lilith entered the throne room, two shadows behind her watched her closely.

"Ella, be ready and stay close," Elara whispered. "I'll put this shrouding spell up around us so we blend into the surroundings better, but be on guard and still only whisper. I have an eerie feeling about that room. I'm not sure Lilith can handle this alone, and I might have to jump in and help her. If I do jump into the fight, do not join me. I will not be able to protect you both at the same time."

Ella flitted around and nodded in reply, then landed on Elara's shoulder to stay as close as possible without being in the way if Elara had to jump in.

"Welcome, young adventurer. I congratulate you on coming this far. To reach all the way here alone is a great deed. Well done," a shadowy figure spoke out while sitting on a makeshift throne.

"Who, who are you? Are you the reason the undead still stay animated?" Lilith replied.

The shadowy figure just smiled and then laughed. "Yes, I am. I'm here to defeat you! Lilith, rookie adventurer, the young Demon Lord that no one knows about. Well, almost no one..."

Lilith looked in shock at the figure who slowly rose from the throne. The throne disappeared as if it had never been there.

"How do you know my name? And more, how do you know who I really am? Only Ella and Elara know that."

As the shadowy figure walked toward her, she could see he was a tall man, around 2 meters, with lean and firm muscular arms and a black chest plate. His legs had some lighter black armor on them. He was not carrying any weapon.

"You can call me Jakinn, and I'm going to test your skills now. I see you are a spear user. Or should I call you a battle-mage?" He reached out his hand, and a shadowy spear formed in it. "I will use a spear as well then."

Lilith steadied herself, gripping her glowing spear tightly. The room was filled with a tense silence as the two faced each other. She knew this would be a challenging battle, but she was determined to prove herself.

Jakinn moved with incredible speed, his shadowy spear aimed straight at Lilith. She parried the attack, the clash of their weapons echoing through the throne room. Sparks flew as their spears collided, and Lilith quickly countered with a thrust towards Jakinn's chest. He deftly dodged, his movements fluid and precise.

"You've got spirit, Lilith," Jakinn taunted, "but let's see if you have the strength to back it up."

Lilith's eyes narrowed, focusing on her opponent. She chanted a quick incantation, and her spear's glow intensified. With renewed vigor, she launched a series of swift, powerful attacks, pushing Jakinn back. But Jakinn was skilled, matching her blow for blow.

From the shadows, Elara and Ella watched intently. Elara's fingers twitched, ready to cast a spell if needed. "Come on, Lilith, you can do this," she whispered, her eyes never leaving the battle.

The fight raged on, each combatant testing the other's limits. Lilith could feel her energy waning but refused to give in. She had trained for this moment, and she would not let Jakinn's taunts shake her resolve.

With a fierce cry, Lilith unleashed a powerful strike, her spear crackling with magical energy. Jakinn blocked it, but the force of the blow sent him staggering back. Seizing the opportunity, Lilith pressed her attack, driving him further towards the edge of the room.

"Impressive," Jakinn said, a hint of respect in his voice. "But this is far from over."

Jakinn tossed his spear at Lilith. While she dodged it, he disappeared. Then, out of nowhere, he was behind her, smashing his fist hard into her back. Lilith flew into the wall with a big bang. He blinked again right in front of her and picked her up by the neck.

"Oh, would you look at that. A demon lord that has this around her neck—a dragon soul. A trapped dragon soul. Tell me, little one, is the dragon awake or is she sleeping? Well, you don't really need to answer; I can sense that she is sleeping."

Lilith blinked, thinking, "How does he know all this? How can he sense Aurora? She is sleeping and not leaking out any mana."

"ELLA, STAY BACK AND BE READY TO HEAL LILITH!!" Elara screamed as she rushed toward Jakinn. He was too fast for her to notice that attack. "I would never have believed he knew blink magic," Elara thought to herself as she ran with her sword blazing, ready to strike Jakinn down.

Jakinn looked at Elara and said, "Finally, you came out to play." Then he dropped Lilith and blinked behind Elara. Elara was ready for that, though, and swung her sword wide as she turned around. Jakinn, looking amused, blocked her strike with his shadow blade.

"Is this all you can do, Maid-Knight? Or should I call you Elara the Valiant, hero of Eldoria? You disappoint me."

Elara looked in shock. She couldn't believe anyone would know about her former title. She distanced herself from Jakinn.

Jakinn just murmured a word: "DARKSPHERE."

Out of nowhere, Elara was trapped inside a dark sphere, and in the next moment, she was gone. The sphere dissipated, and Elara was no more.

Lilith, still struggling to recover, saw Elara vanish and felt a surge of rage and despair. "No! Elara!" she screamed, her eyes blazing with fury. She forced herself to stand, her entire body trembling with the effort. Jakinn turned his attention back to her, a mocking smile on his face.

"You see, little one, you are out of your depth. Your friends are powerless against me," he taunted, his voice dripping with condescension.

But Lilith's fear and despair were quickly being replaced by anger and determination. "I won't let you win," she growled, clutching her spear tighter. "Aurora, hear me. I need your strength now more than ever."

A faint glow began to emanate from the dragon soul around her neck, growing brighter and brighter. Jakinn's smile grow wide as he noticed the change.

"Yes, yes you can do it Lilith," he muttered, taking a step back.

The glow intensified, enveloping Lilith in a radiant light. She felt a surge of power course through her, rejuvenating her body and mind. Aurora, the ancient dragon soul within her, was awakening.

"Lilith, I'm with you," a voice echoed in her mind. "Let's show him our true strength."

With renewed vigor, Lilith launched herself at Jakinn, her spear now blazing with a combination of her magic and Aurora's power. The battle was far from over, but Lilith was no longer alone. She had Aurora by her side, and together, they would fight to avenge Elara and protect what they held dear.

Jakinn's eyes widened as he realized the true extent of Lilith's power. The throne room trembled with the force of their clash, and the outcome of this battle would determine the fate of the ruins—and perhaps much more.

Lilith rushed at Jakinn with her spear in hand, striking at him with the full power of both her and Aurora. He blinked a short distance away and then clapped his hands.

"Well done, Lilith. Excellent. Now try to control this power. Don't let the anger consume you."

Ella, unsure of what to do, stood stunned in shock at how Elara had just vanished.

Jakinn formed his spear again and taunted Lilith to attack him. She did, but this time she used her magic, infused with Aurora's power. A brilliant light rushed out of her palm, straight at him.

Jakinn remained unfazed and murmured, "Darkbarrier." A black, transparent sphere surrounded him, absorbing the light attack.

Lilith didn't hesitate. She knew she had to be relentless. She channeled more of Aurora's power, her eyes glowing with determination. "I won't let you get away with this," she yelled, her voice echoing through the chamber. She thrust her spear forward, aiming to pierce the dark barrier.

Jakinn's expression remained calm, but a hint of annoyance flickered in his eyes. "Impressive, but still not enough," he said, reinforcing the barrier with a wave of his hand.

The room shook with the intensity of their clash. Lilith poured all her energy into breaking through the barrier, the light from her spear growing ever brighter. She could feel Aurora's presence guiding her, lending her strength and resolve.

With a final, powerful strike, Lilith's spear shattered the dark barrier. The force of the explosion sent both of them flying backward. Lilith landed on her feet, her spear at the ready, while Jakinn regained his balance, his calm demeanor now replaced with a look of genuine surprise.

"Very well, Lilith. It seems I have underestimated you," he admitted, his voice carrying a grudging respect. "But this is far from over."

Jakinn raised his hand, summoning tendrils of shadow that snaked toward Lilith. She dodged and countered with a wave of brilliant light, cutting through the darkness. The battle raged on, both combatants pushing their limits.

From the sidelines, Ella finally snapped out of her shock. She knew she had to do something. Gathering her courage, she began to chant a healing spell, ready to support Lilith in any way she could.

As the fight continued, Lilith and Jakinn exchanged blows, their powers clashing in a dazzling display of light and shadow. Each strike brought them closer to the brink, and Lilith could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on her. But with Aurora's strength and Ella's support, she knew she could overcome this challenge.

"Jakinn, your reign of terror ends here," Lilith declared, her voice resolute. "For Elara, for everyone, I will defeat you."

With a surge of energy, Lilith launched her final attack, channeling all her power into a brilliant, unstoppable force. Jakinn looked at Lilith with a wide grin, then blinked behind her and blasted her with a black fireball. Lilith flew into the wall close to Ella. Ella snapped out of her shock and cast a healing spell on Lilith.

Lilith slowly stood up, blood dripping from her mouth, and looked at Jakinn. "Who are you really?" she asked, her voice strained but defiant.

Jakinn's smirk widened into a sinister grin. "I am a TRUE DEMON LORD," he declared, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Then Lilith's eyes closed, and she fell to the ground with blood oozing out of her wounds. A faint glow surrounded her, a protective aura emanating from Aurora's power.

Jakinn, stared at Lilith's fallen form. "You've fought well, but it seems your body couldn't handle the strain," he said, his voice tinged with both admiration and pity.

Ella, seeing Lilith collapse, rushed to her side. She placed her hands over Lilith's wounds, her healing magic working desperately to mend the damage. "Stay with me, Lilith. You can't give up now," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.