After the sword finally fell silent, the atmosphere inside the mansion never felt the same that night.
Even though the girls tried to act normally, I could tell they were all thinking about the same thing.
The First General was on the move.
And this time it didn't seem like just another isolated attack.
It felt like something much bigger.
I stayed awake for a long time, watching the city through my bedroom window. The streets of Vailor were almost completely empty at that hour. A few lanterns still remained lit in the distance, partially illuminating the silent streets.
Everything looked peaceful.
But now that peace was beginning to feel fake.
Behind me, I heard soft footsteps.
Liriel quietly entered the room.
She gently closed the door before walking over.
"You're still awake."
"I couldn't sleep."
She stopped beside me, looking out over the city.
"The demonic mana is still increasing."
I sighed slowly.
"Can you tell where it's coming from?"
"Not exactly."
She closed her eyes for a few seconds.
"But it's closer than before."
That didn't help reassure me very much.
Liriel noticed my expression.
"You're worried."
"It would be strange if I wasn't."
She remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again.
"You don't have to carry everything alone."
I looked at her.
Maybe in the past I really had tried to do that.
But now... not anymore.
"I know."
She smiled faintly.
After a few minutes, Liriel returned to the bedroom with the others while I remained there alone for a little longer.
The midnight breeze slowly drifted across the balcony.
I closed my eyes, trying to organize my thoughts.
Kingdoms.
Demons.
Alliances.
The First General.
Everything seemed to be moving inevitably toward a massive war.
And perhaps it was already too late to stop it.
Some time later, I finally decided to try to sleep.
The room was silent as I lay down beside the girls.
Scarlet was sleeping against my arm. Elara was completely out. Rai'kanna still maintained that serious posture even while sleeping. Lyannis held a closed book against her chest. Vespera slept quietly near the window. Liriel was as peaceful as always.
I watched them for a few seconds.
Then I closed my eyes.
And almost immediately, I realized something was wrong.
The silence disappeared.
When I opened my eyes again... I was no longer in the room.
Everything around me was darkness.
A deep, oppressive darkness.
The ground beneath my feet seemed to be made of cracked black stone.
There was no sky.
Only shadows.
I took a deep breath as I immediately placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.
"Another vision..."
That feeling was familiar now.
But this time it felt different.
Much heavier.
I began walking slowly through the darkness.
Then I heard sounds.
Screams.
Explosions.
Metal clashing.
And soon the images began to appear before me.
Cities burning.
Walls destroyed.
Dead soldiers scattered across the ground.
Entire villages consumed by demonic fire.
My expression immediately turned serious.
Vailor appeared before me shortly afterward.
But it wasn't the Vailor I knew.
The city was surrounded.
Thousands of demons advanced against the walls while black smoke rose into the sky.
The streets were destroyed.
The castle in the distance appeared to be partially engulfed in flames.
I clenched my fist tightly.
"So this is the future you want to show me now?"
A voice emerged from the darkness shortly afterward.
"No."
The magical pressure appeared instantly.
My entire body tensed.
I recognized that voice.
Slowly, a figure began to emerge from the shadows.
Tall.
Covered in black armor.
An overwhelming presence.
Red eyes shone intensely within the darkness.
The First General.
Simply looking at him made the air feel heavier.
The demonic mana surrounding that being was overwhelming.
Far greater than that of any demon I had faced until now.
He stopped a few meters in front of me.
Then he smiled faintly.
"So we meet again at last, Hero."
I kept my hand on my sword.
"So you've finally decided to show yourself."
"Not completely yet."
His voice was calm.
And that made everything worse.
"Did you enjoy the vision?"
I looked once more at the burning Vailor surrounding us.
"You talk too much."
He let out a soft laugh.
"Still arrogant."
"And you're still irritating."
The demonic pressure increased slightly.
Even knowing this was a vision... my body reacted as though it were real.
The First General began slowly walking around me.
"Do you truly believe you can stop all of this?"
"Yes."
"Even after seeing how the world is changing?"
I didn't answer.
He continued:
"The giants."
"The cyclopes."
"The demi-dragons."
"The humans."
"Your alliances are fragile."
I looked directly at him.
"And your army will fall just like all the others."
He smiled again.
But this time the smile was different.
Colder.
"You still don't understand."
The demonic mana exploded violently around him.
The images changed instantly.
I saw dozens of different cities being attacked at the same time.
Demon armies emerging like shadows.
Entire kingdoms descending into war.
Then I heard his voice again:
"This time... there will be no peace."
The pressure increased even further.
The ground beneath me began to crack.
Even though it was only a dream, the sensation felt unbelievably real.
I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly.
"Then come."
The First General stared at me silently for a few seconds.
Then he spoke calmly:
"You still believe you're strong enough."
"I know I am."
He stopped walking.
"The problem is that you still haven't witnessed true despair."
The darkness spread even farther around us.
The flames consuming the cities grew stronger.
The screams became louder.
Then I noticed something.
On the horizon of the vision... enormous shadows were moving.
Much larger than ordinary demons.
My expression immediately became serious.
"What are those things?"
The First General smiled.
"You'll find out soon enough."
That didn't seem good.
Not at all.
The demonic mana began to surge even more violently.
Then he slowly pointed at me.
"I'm coming, Hero."
An overwhelming pressure struck my entire body.
For a moment, I could barely breathe.
"And this time..."
His red eyes blazed intensely.
"I will destroy everything you love."
The darkness exploded all around me.
And then I woke up.
I quickly sat up in bed, breathing heavily.
The room was still dark.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
I could feel it.
Demonic mana.
Real.
It wasn't just the dream.
The pressure was coming from outside the mansion.
Scarlet woke immediately when she noticed my movement.
"Takumi?"
The other girls also began waking up quickly.
Liriel sat up in bed and immediately became serious.
"You felt it too?"
I nodded.
Rai'kanna was already on her feet.
"This isn't normal."
Vespera immediately drew one of her daggers.
Lyannis closed the book that had been beside her.
"The mana is very close."
Elara looked toward the window.
"What the hell is happening now?"
I quickly stood up and walked toward the balcony.
As soon as I opened the door, I felt the night wind strike my face.
Then I realized.
The demonic mana truly was surrounding the kingdom.
Still faint.
But present.
And much closer than before.
The girls appeared just behind me.
Liriel closed her eyes for a few seconds.
"They're close."
Scarlet placed her hand on her sword.
"Then it's begun."
The city of Vailor remained silent in the middle of the night.
The people were still asleep, unaware of anything.
But I knew.
The First General was no longer far away.
He was coming.
And for the first time...
It truly felt as though the war had reached the human kingdom.