I couldn't think of any way to get out of this situation. I only had ten points of magic left, so I used another spell to see if it would work.
Earth Binding Spell
I lost my magic, but nothing happened except for some sparks going out. But then, Lika jumped in front of me and tackled the guy to the ground. Just as I was about to feel happy, a huge emptiness suddenly filled my heart, followed by a profound sense of loss. I could no longer feel Lika.
A red sword pierced Lika's neck, and the man pulled it away, nearly beheading her. The world seemed to freeze. In my eyes, everything was still. A profound sense of loss and emptiness began to engulf me, swallowed by the rage surging deep within me. Then, I felt that red membrane again. Everything turned crimson, but this time I didn't move away from it. I used my last bit of magic to pierce through it, and it burst like a balloon.
On the other side of the membrane was a raging inferno of hellfire. It began to enter my body like an endless ocean, trying to devour my Magic Heart. I was furious, but I was not consumed by it as before. I began to draw magic from the atmosphere, and after stirring up this flowing inferno in my Magic Heart, I guided it outward, preventing it from settling.
A ring of fire began to form around me, like a heartbeat, incinerating all the soldiers around me. But this was not enough to expel the hellfire from my body. Its flow was not fast enough. This caused my body to begin to burn. I could almost feel my body temperature rising by one degree. I used all the magic I could gather from the environment to draw the hellfire out and make it flow faster.
In this way, the hellish waves began to focus on a single point instead of spreading in all directions. At the same time, the man who had managed to lift Lika's body struggled to his feet, but the spreading flames also began to burn him.
The flames burned slowly, relentlessly assaulting me, but I focused them all on his location and pushed them away with all my might. I directed all my willpower and magic towards that person.
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!"
It was so painful, I had no strength left, and my vision started to go black. I thought I heard Lika's voice, and her image appeared in my mind. She was looking at me, sticking her tongue out of her mouth, turning her head from side to side as she looked at me. She looked so stupid. I looked up and saw her corpse. In the mist, I was filled with anger again, and then the mist cleared.
With one hand, I focused the hellfire onto the man, while with the other, I drew the rune of " Sacrifice " on the ground, offering up Lika's corpse. At that moment, some of the hellfire left my body, transforming into a small sun-like sphere before the man, while the rest began to revolve around my Magic Heart before stabilizing.
Clearly, the man wielding the red sword was struggling to withstand the heat and flames emanating from the small sun, but his armor began to glow a scorching red. Suddenly, the sun before him cracked open like an egg, and then a wolf-like creature composed entirely of dancing flames appeared in the center, accompanied by a massive beam of light. It was small, only about 40 centimeters long. In that instant, the man was incinerated to ashes amidst a agonizing scream.
All of this happened in less than a minute. Seeing their commander dead, many Ironborn began to flee, but some Ironborn at me, seeking revenge.
Seeing this, the fire wolf began to run towards them and started breathing fire. It was like Small Fireball Spell, but it would explode upon contact. My other familiars also rushed over, but by then, I had run out of strength and passed out.
When I came to my senses, I was in a cave. Suddenly remembering what had happened, I said...
" Lika!"
Seeing that I was awake, my familiars gathered around me, and Bo asked.
"Dad, are you alright?"
" Lika, is she really dead?"
Yes, she died saving you.
For several days, I didn't speak or do anything. I just sat there, looking at the sea, thinking I could have done better. That way, Lika wouldn't have died. Four more days passed, and I was really depressed. All I could do was blame myself for being so arrogant.
To me, she was more than just an animal. To me, none of my familiars are animals; they are all integral parts of me. When Warg form bonds with their animals, they may feel their pain. I may not feel the pain that Lika feels, but where her bond lies, there is now an emptiness, a profound sense of loss. My pain stems from our emotions and bonds. I can still feel traces of her adoration and love for me, but now all of that is gone.
Meanwhile, my other family members must have sensed my negative emotions, so they came to me one by one. I felt more anger than sympathy from Bo, and then Bo said angrily.
"Enough! Enough! You are our father or master, we all love you, and we would rather die than let anything happen to you. What you are doing now is an insult to Lika's great sacrifice."
Then Yimu said.
"It would be an immense honor for us to save your life. If it meant giving our lives in return, we would do so willingly."
Berus said:
"Thanks to your power, we have all gained reason. We are no longer just ordinary animals. If we must fight for these wonderful gifts, then we will."
Erebus said.
"You know we are not your slaves. We obey you because you deserve our respect and obedience. She sacrificed herself not because she had to, but because she wanted to. You treat us like your children and your friends; you love and respect us, and in return, we love and respect you."
Sith said:
"Master, please stop. I don't like it when you do this. Lika will be very sad if she sees it."
The love and understanding each of them showed was like a slap in the face, waking me up. I had to stop wallowing in self-pity; at the very least, I shouldn't wallow in it.