Sanctuary: Safe Haven

Tonitrum's dragon breaths continued to fire off with terrifying force, each blast powerful enough to level entire cities. The archdemon, enraged and desperate, summoned every dark spell in his arsenal to fight back. Shadows erupted from his fingertips, dark flames, void bolts, curses—everything he had was hurled at the massive dragon. Yet, none of it seemed to land. Every spell, no matter how powerful, was thwarted by Tonitrum with effortless ease.

Tonitrum watched the demon's pitiful attempts with an air of superiority, his massive form nearly glowing with energy. "It appears you're injured, demon. That explains why your spells don't pack a punch." His voice was cold, mocking, as if the battle was nothing more than a game.

The archdemon snarled, seething with rage. One of the dark spells he cast could have incinerated an entire kingdom, but here he was, being insulted by this dragon. His eyes glowed with malevolent fury, and with a roar, he launched a final desperate barrage of dark magic. But just as before, Tonitrum effortlessly blocked it.

The great dragon let out a soft, amused chuckle before raising his head high. "Enough of this. Lightning Kingdom," he intoned, his voice booming across the hellish realm.

In an instant, the entire castle was bathed in glorious, radiant yellow lightning. The bolts of energy streaked through every corner of the castle, crackling with such intensity that the very air seemed to hum with it. The ground trembled beneath the raw power of the spell. In the distance, other demons could only watch in stunned silence. Whatever was causing their archdemon to howl in pain was a being of such immense power that they dared not even approach. They could only watch from afar, trembling in fear.

After what felt like an eternity, the lightning subsided. Tonitrum stood tall, unscathed, his giant tail sweeping through the castle and smashing the archdemon's grand throne into rubble. He stepped forward, placing one massive clawed foot on the archdemon's head, pinning him to the ground. With a flick of his tail, the remains of the throne were destroyed.

"You should consider yourself fortunate," Tonitrum growled, his voice rumbling with barely contained fury. "My physical body is trapped elsewhere, but my spirit can easily come here. How dare you touch something of mine, filthy demon."
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The archdemon, one of the most feared entities in hell, struggled beneath Tonitrum's foot. His face was pressed into the ground, and with great effort, he gasped out, "You... you can't kill me. You know the rules of Hell. If I die here, he will be trapped in this realm forever."

Tonitrum narrowed his glowing eyes and released the pressure on the archdemon's head slightly, giving him just enough room to breathe. "I know the rules well enough. Why do you think I've kept you alive this long?"

The archdemon dragged himself back, trying to put distance between himself and the towering dragon. His mind raced, desperately trying to come up with a plan. He knew of Tonitrum, one of the primordial dragons of legend, said to have once challenged the heavens out of sheer boredom. There was no way he could fight a creature of this caliber, especially not while injured from his recent battle with another archdemon.

"What do you want, dragon?" the archdemon asked, his voice trembling. "Surely you didn't come here just to beat me senseless."

Tonitrum smirked, his sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light. He flicked his tail and caught Canna's unconscious form, placing him between himself and the archdemon. "This mortal's soul belongs to me. You tried to take something of mine. How could I not be angered?"

The archdemon's rage flared again. He had no idea that Canna was connected to such a powerful being. If he'd known, he would never have toyed with him like this.

Tonitrum continued, his voice dripping with disdain. "But I know your kind and your rules. Either you fulfill the terms of his contract, or I'll keep you alive and toast you every day for the next millennia. I have all the time in the world."

Cold sweat dripped from the archdemon's forehead. The offering Canna had made when he performed the summoning ritual was absurdly large, enough to summon even the highest-ranking demons. But the archdemon had reversed the spell, summoning Canna into his realm instead. Now, he was stuck in a corner. A demon had to honor contracts, and the price for failure was too steep.

The archdemon's mind raced, searching for a way out. He gritted his teeth. "What if I give him a blessing instead? An archdemon's blessing is no small thing."

Tonitrum tilted his head thoughtfully. "Technically, you are still a god in your domain, weak as you are. Fine. Give him your blessing."

Relief flooded the archdemon as he quickly began chanting a spell, channeling dark energy into Canna's body. The ritual took nearly thirty minutes, with black runes circling Canna as the archdemon transferred a portion of his power to him. When it was over, Canna's wounds were healed, and his strength had increased significantly.

The archdemon sighed in relief, but before he could fully relax, Tonitrum spoke again, his voice sharp and commanding. "So, where is his demon?"

The archdemon's eyes widened in shock. "I just gave him my blessing! That should be enough!"

Tonitrum didn't even blink before unleashing another concentrated beam of lightning directly at the archdemon. The protective shield he hastily summoned shattered, and he howled in pain as the lightning scorched his skin. Tonitrum held the breath for a full minute, ensuring the archdemon was thoroughly weakened before finally relenting.

"You gave him your blessing. Good. But where is his demon?" Tonitrum asked calmly, as if the searing pain he'd just inflicted was inconsequential.

The archdemon gasped for breath, his skin charred from the repeated lightning strikes. This dragon was twisting his words, forcing him into a corner. He realized there was no way out of this except to comply.

"All of my subordinates have died with the recent battle, I have other demons you can choose from.," the archdemon stammered. "Some of them might be useful."

Tonitrum raised an eyebrow, his massive claws still ready to strike. "Do it. Now."

The archdemon's voice trembled as he called out, "IMP! IMP! BRING ME THE PRISONERS!"

From the shadows, an imp-like creature scurried forward, dragging a chain of demons behind it. Hundreds of them, all bound in chains, their powers sealed. They had been prisoners from the archdemon's recent raid against another archdemon.

Tonitrum finally lifted his foot off the archdemon's head, stepping back to examine the demons lined up before him. His eyes gleamed with amusement as he surveyed the prisoners.

"This is a good bunch," he said, his voice filled with dark satisfaction.