I observed the demon camp from the top of the hill while the cold mountain wind slowly passed through us. The village below was practically destroyed.
Burned houses.
Broken roads.
Black marks spread across the walls and the ground.
The demonic corruption was so strong that even the air felt heavier in that region.
Scarlet kept her eyes fixed on the camp.
"They really spread quickly."
I nodded slowly.
There were demons patrolling the entire area.
Some were carrying boxes full of the corrupted stones that the giant king had mentioned.
Others seemed to be organizing weapons and supplies.
That didn't look like just a simple improvised camp.
It looked like an occupation base.
"How many?"
Scarlet asked.
I kept analyzing.
"More than five hundred."
She let out a small sigh.
"So it's going to take a while."
I ended up smiling slightly.
"You talk like you're complaining."
"I'm not."
She replied while slowly unsheathing her sword.
"I just hope there are some left for me."
I looked again at the destroyed village.
Even without civilians present, it was still possible to feel the despair that place had gone through.
The giants must have had to abandon everything in a hurry.
I slightly clenched my fingers around the sword hilt.
"Let's end this quickly."
Scarlet stepped forward.
"What's the plan?"
"We go straight in."
She raised an eyebrow.
"No complicated strategy?"
"We don't need it."
The amount of demonic mana in that place was too high.
If we let them spread out, they could escape to other regions.
We needed to eliminate everything at once.
I took a slow deep breath.
Then I felt the power of the Dragon's Breath circulate through my body.
A small golden flame appeared around my hand for a few seconds before disappearing.
Scarlet quickly observed it.
"Your control has improved."
"A little."
"Don't blow up half the village."
"I'll try."
She let out a quiet laugh.
In the next moment, we jumped down from the hill.
The impact on the ground destroyed part of the village's main road.
The demons immediately turned toward us.
For a few seconds there was silence.
Then the shouting began.
"ENEMIES!"
"KILL THEM!"
Several demons rushed toward us at the same time.
I didn't waste any time.
I moved forward immediately.
My sword pierced the first demon's chest before he could even raise his weapon.
I twisted my body right after and cut another one in half at the waist.
Scarlet advanced beside me without slowing down.
Her sword pierced three demons almost at the same time.
The fight began brutally.
But the enemies were too weak compared to what we had faced recently.
Still…
The numbers were absurd.
More creatures began to emerge between the tents.
Larger demons.
Some carrying giant axes stolen from the giants themselves.
Others using black spears wrapped in demonic mana.
Scarlet dodged a heavy strike before cutting off the enemy's arm.
"They're more organized than the other groups."
"I noticed."
I replied while dodging two blades at the same time.
A demon tried to attack me from behind.
Before he could get close, a sword pierced his neck.
Scarlet calmly pulled the blade back.
"Pay attention."
"I am paying attention."
More demons began to surround the main square of the village.
I quickly looked around.
The black stones were scattered near the tents.
Those things really emitted a strange energy.
Even I could feel a slight pressure coming from them.
Now I understood why the giants were suffering so much.
For a gigantic, naturally physical race like them, that thing must function almost like a poison.
A larger group of demons then emerged from the center of the camp.
Unlike the others, they wore more durable black armor.
Probably local commanders.
One of them pointed his sword directly at me.
"So you are the adventurers hired by the guild."
I didn't respond.
The demon gave a grotesque smile.
"It doesn't matter."
"You will die here as well."
I let out a slow sigh.
"You really talk too much."
In the next moment, I moved.
The ground exploded beneath my feet.
The commander widened his eyes the moment I appeared in front of him.
My sword pierced through the black armor without difficulty.
The impact sent his body crashing into a destroyed building.
But the others were already advancing at the same time.
Scarlet intercepted two of them immediately.
Their blades clashed violently.
She quickly spun her body and opened a deep cut across one demon's chest.
Then she drove her sword into the other's neck.
Meanwhile, dozens of enemies kept coming from all directions.
I gripped my sword tightly while slowly releasing mana.
Heat began to rise around my arm.
Golden flames appeared again.
I still didn't have full control over that power.
But I could already use it much better than before.
One of the demons noticed the flames.
"The draconic fire…"
I didn't let him finish.
I swung my sword.
A wave of fire rushed through the street, destroying several enemies at once.
The flames consumed tents, weapons, and demonic creatures almost instantly.
Scarlet quickly looked at the fire spreading through the village.
"You said you would try not to destroy half the village."
"I am trying."
She let out a small laugh even during the fight.
Other demons began to retreat slightly.
For the first time, I felt hesitation from them.
Fear.
Then they realized they had no chance.
But even so, they kept advancing.
As if buying time was the only thing that mattered.
That bothered me.
A lot.
Why insist so much?
Why sacrifice so many weak soldiers?
While fighting, I noticed some demons trying to carry boxes and escape through the northern part of the village.
I narrowed my eyes immediately.
"Scarlet."
"I saw it."
She moved before I even finished speaking.
Her speed increased drastically.
In a few seconds she reached the fugitives.
Her sword strikes were fast and precise.
Their bodies fell one after another.
I ran to the boxes left on the ground.
When I opened one, I immediately felt the foul energy emanating from it.
Black stones.
Dozens of them.
Much more than I expected.
Scarlet approached.
"So this is what they're spreading."
I carefully picked up one of the stones.
The demonic mana inside it was extremely dense.
Lyannis would probably love to analyze it.
But something caught my attention.
There were symbols engraved on the surface.
Runes.
Far too complex to be created by simple demon soldiers.
"This was made by someone specialized."
I said quietly.
Scarlet crossed her arms.
"Magic?"
"Yes."
I looked again at the camp.
Or rather…
What was left of it.
The flames were still consuming parts of the structures.
The last surviving demons were desperately trying to escape.
None of them succeeded.
After a few minutes, everything finally went silent.
I slowly observed the destroyed village.
The smell of smoke still filled the air.
But the demonic presence was slowly fading away.
Scarlet cleaned her sword before sheathed it.
"So…"
She looked around.
"…I guess we're done here."
I nodded slowly.
But something was still wrong.
Very wrong.
I slowly walked toward the center of the destroyed camp.
In the middle of the rubble there was a partially buried structure.
A kind of black altar.
I immediately frowned.
I approached slowly.
Demonic symbols covered its entire surface.
And in the center…
A stone much larger than the others.
The energy emanating from it was absurdly stronger.
Scarlet stopped beside me.
"What is this…"
Before I could answer, I felt something strange.
Mana.
Very distant.
But extremely heavy.
I immediately looked toward the horizon.
Toward the north.
Scarlet noticed my expression.
"What is it?"
I kept staring at the distant mountains.
Then I slowly replied:
"…there's something much bigger in this kingdom."