The first Crimson Court soldier moved like a blade being unsheathed.
One moment he stood perfectly still behind Varkhess, armor silent and posture disciplined. The next moment the distance between him and Kael vanished in a blur of crimson metal and black steel.
The curved blade in his hand cut through the air with terrifying precision.
Rethkar met it head-on.
The gatewarden roared as molten cracks across his stone-like skin flared bright orange. His clawed hand slammed into the descending weapon, diverting the strike just enough for the blade to tear across the side of his shoulder instead of cleaving through his neck.
Stone shattered.
Sparks erupted.
Rethkar answered with a crushing backhand that sent the soldier sliding across the cavern floor.
"Stay behind me!" Rethkar thundered.
But Kael had already moved.
Two more Crimson Court soldiers broke formation at the same time, circling outward like trained hunters closing in on prey.
Vaelith intercepted the one coming from the right.
Her blade flashed through the dim cavern light as she moved with graceful speed. Steel clashed against black metal, the impact sending a sharp ringing sound echoing through the cavern.
The soldier pushed forward with brutal force, but Vaelith twisted sideways and redirected the strike, her sword sliding along the edge of his weapon before slashing toward the exposed joint beneath his arm.
The blade bit deep.
Black blood splattered the cavern wall.
The soldier staggered but did not fall.
Kael faced the third one alone.
The demon soldier did not rush.
Instead, he approached slowly, weapon held low, golden eyes locked on Kael with quiet calculation.
This one was studying him.
Testing him.
Exactly what Varkhess wanted.
The system pulsed again.
[Combat Initiated]
Kael drew the hunter blade from beneath his coat.
The weapon was forged for fighting demons.
Tonight he was using it against one.
The soldier lunged suddenly.
Kael pivoted sideways, the curved blade slicing through empty air where his ribs had been a moment before. The speed of the strike was far greater than any low-rank demon Kael had fought in the Lower District.
These were trained fighters.
Kael countered instantly.
His hunter blade cut across the soldier's forearm in a fast diagonal slash meant to disable the wrist joint.
The steel connected—
And sparks burst across the cavern.
The soldier's armor absorbed most of the blow.
Kael stepped back quickly.
"Interesting," Varkhess said from behind them.
He stood several meters away now, watching the battle with open curiosity, arms folded behind his back like a noble observing a tournament.
"You're faster than I expected."
Kael ignored him.
The soldier attacked again.
This time the strike came low, sweeping toward Kael's legs.
Kael jumped backward just as the blade cut across the stone floor, leaving a deep groove in the rock.
The strength behind the strike was monstrous.
This wasn't a fight he could win with brute force.
Which meant he needed to win another way.
Across the cavern, Rethkar had already crushed his opponent against the wall with overwhelming strength. The gatewarden grabbed the soldier by the throat and slammed him into the rock hard enough to fracture the armor.
But even then, the Crimson Court demon kept fighting.
These soldiers did not retreat.
They did not hesitate.
They fought like creatures who had been trained to die if necessary.
Vaelith's opponent pressed forward relentlessly as well. Their blades clashed again and again in quick, violent bursts of steel. She was faster, but the soldier was stronger, each impact forcing her another step backward.
Kael saw the pattern immediately.
The soldiers were not trying to win quickly.
They were testing limits.
Strength.
Speed.
Reaction.
Everything Kael did was being observed.
He glanced briefly toward Varkhess.
The Crimson Court demon's golden eyes gleamed with interest.
Experiment.
Kael clenched his jaw.
Fine.
If Varkhess wanted to observe something—
Kael would give him something worth watching.
The soldier in front of him lunged again.
Kael stepped forward instead of back.
The move caught the soldier off guard for half a second.
That half second was enough.
Kael's hunter blade deflected the incoming strike while his other hand slammed forward, grabbing the soldier's wrist before the demon could recover.
The system pulsed violently.
[Demonic Energy Flow Detected]
The ring hidden beneath Kael's glove reacted instantly.
Energy surged through his arm.
Not visible.
But powerful.
The soldier's eyes widened.
For the first time since the fight began, the disciplined expression cracked.
Kael twisted his grip sharply.
Bone snapped.
The soldier's blade fell from his hand.
Kael drove his hunter blade into the gap beneath the demon's helmet.
Black blood sprayed across the stone.
The soldier collapsed.
Silence fell across the cavern for a moment.
Even Vaelith and Rethkar paused.
Varkhess slowly began to clap again.
"Excellent."
His voice carried clear approval.
Rethkar ripped the head off the soldier he was fighting and tossed the corpse aside.
"You're enjoying this," the gatewarden growled.
"Of course."
Varkhess stepped forward again.
"You have no idea how difficult it is to find interesting subjects."
Vaelith finished her opponent with a swift slash across the throat. The soldier dropped to his knees before collapsing fully.
Three Crimson Court soldiers now lay dead across the cavern floor.
Yet Varkhess did not look concerned.
If anything—
He looked pleased.
"You see?" he said calmly. "Pressure reveals truth."
Kael wiped black blood from his blade.
"You sacrificed three soldiers for curiosity."
Varkhess tilted his head.
"They were loyal."
"That's not the same thing."
"No," Varkhess agreed. "But it is useful."
Rethkar stepped forward, molten cracks blazing.
"You're next."
Varkhess smiled again.
"You believe this was a real attack?"
The ground trembled slightly.
Kael felt it immediately.
The system pulsed again.
[Additional Demonic Signatures Detected]
More.
Far more.
Kael's eyes moved toward the tunnel entrances surrounding the cavern.
Shapes shifted in the darkness.
Not three soldiers.
Not five.
Dozens.
Rethkar saw it too.
His expression hardened instantly.
"You brought an army."
Varkhess spread his hands.
"Now you're beginning to understand."
Vaelith stepped closer to Kael.
"This cavern is surrounded."
"Yes," Varkhess said calmly.
"And yet I gave you a chance to leave."
Kael looked at him carefully.
"You never intended to kill us here."
"Correct."
Varkhess nodded.
"Dead subjects reveal very little."
The Crimson Court demon's golden eyes glowed brighter.
"But living ones…"
He stepped closer.
"…can change the world."
Kael's grip tightened on his weapon.
"What exactly do you want from me?"
Varkhess stopped only a few steps away now.
His voice dropped lower.
"The same thing your hunters want."
Kael frowned slightly.
"And what is that?"
Varkhess smiled.
"To understand what you are."
Silence settled across the cavern again.
Rethkar growled softly beside him.
"You're done talking."
The gatewarden lunged.
His massive fist crashed toward Varkhess with enough force to shatter bone.
But Varkhess moved faster than anything Kael had seen yet.
The Crimson Court demon stepped sideways like a shadow slipping out of sunlight. Rethkar's punch slammed into empty air as Varkhess reappeared several steps away.
"Impressive strength," Varkhess said calmly.
"But strength alone is rarely enough."
Rethkar snarled.
"You're not leaving this cavern."
Varkhess looked almost amused.
"Oh, I am."
He raised one hand.
The surrounding tunnels suddenly filled with movement as more Crimson Court soldiers stepped into view.
A wall of crimson armor.
Too many to fight.
Vaelith's voice dropped to a whisper.
"…We need to leave."
Kael understood immediately.
This had never been a battle meant to be won.
It was a demonstration.
And the demonstration was over.
Varkhess looked directly at Kael one last time.
"You passed the first test."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Test?"
The Crimson Court demon's smile returned.
"The Court will be watching you very closely from now on."
He began stepping backward toward the darkness.
"Continue growing stronger, Ashbound."
His golden eyes gleamed.
"Because the next time we meet…"
The shadows swallowed him.
"…the stakes will be far higher."
The soldiers vanished with him moments later.
The cavern fell silent again.
Rethkar cracked his knuckles slowly.
"I hate that demon."
Vaelith sheathed her blade.
"That wasn't a victory."
Kael looked down at the three fallen Crimson Court soldiers.
"No," he said quietly.
"It wasn't."
Because Varkhess had learned exactly what he wanted tonight.
And somewhere above the city, Inquisitor Malrec was still searching for answers of his own.
Kael Veyrin now stood between two powers that were both beginning to understand just how dangerous he might become.