The battlefield slowly grew quiet.
The wind carried the fading echoes of battle through the ruined streets, as if the land itself was still remembering the violence that had just taken place.
The violent clash that had shaken the entire village had finally ended, leaving behind only destruction and fear.
Broken houses stood along the streets like wounded giants. The ground was cracked and scorched from the fierce battle, and the bodies of demons lay scattered across the village road.
Some corpses still emitted faint smoke, their forms twisted unnaturally. Others lay motionless with hollow eyes, their presence alone enough to make the villagers tremble.
But something strange was happening.
The air felt unstable, almost as if space itself was slowly calming down after being violently torn apart.
The dark gates floating in the air—the portals that had released the demons—began to tremble.
The black energy surrounding them slowly weakened.
A deep humming sound echoed through the sky.
The sound sent a chill down everyone's spine, making even the bravest hesitate.
Everyone looked up.
Fear returned instantly. No one knew if this was truly the end—or the beginning of something worse.
The gates were beginning to close.
The dark cracks in the air slowly shrank as if an invisible force was pulling them shut.
One by one, the portals collapsed into small fragments of shadow before disappearing completely.
Each collapse echoed like a distant crack of thunder, shaking the hearts of those watching.
Within moments, the sky returned to normal.
The demon gates were gone.
The unnatural pressure in the air vanished, leaving behind only silence.
A heavy silence spread across the village.
It wasn't peaceful. It was suffocating, filled with shock and disbelief.
Villagers slowly stepped out from their hiding places.
Some trembled.
Others stared in disbelief at the demon corpses scattered everywhere.
Only a few hours ago, those monsters had nearly destroyed everything.
But now they were all dead.
Not a single demon stirred. The air was silent except for the faint crackle of residual magic. Every monstrous form that had rampaged through the village lay motionless, their crimson blood staining the ground. There were no snarls, no frantic movements—nothing. Each of them had been struck down completely, leaving behind only the unmistakable proof of the boy's power. The villagers' wide eyes reflected the horrifying truth: every last demon had been utterly annihilated.
Killed by someone no one had expected.
Whispers slowly began to spread.
"…It was him…"
"…The prince…"
"…That power…"
In the center of the destroyed street lay a young boy.
Ragna Grimheart.
The sight of him drew everyone's attention like a silent command.
The crimson flames that had once covered his body had completely disappeared.
Now he looked like nothing more than an exhausted child lying on the cold ground.
His small frame contrasted sharply with the destruction around him.
His breathing was weak but steady.
Each breath sounded fragile, as if his body was barely holding together.
Nearby, Leon stood silently with his arms crossed.
His eyes never left his younger brother.
Though he appeared calm, a storm of thoughts raged within him.
That power…
I couldn't even step in…
Not far from him stood Sylphiya.
Her body had already been healed by the healing mages, but her eyes were still filled with worry.
She kept staring at Ragna.
Her fingers tightened slightly, remembering the moment blood had stained her arm—and the moment everything changed.
Meanwhile, Queen Elina stood beside the sealing mages.
The elder mage slowly looked around the battlefield.
"The gates have closed."
His voice was calm but serious.
"But this event is extremely unusual."
Elina nodded slightly.
"Yes… demon gates appearing in the middle of the kingdom is not normal."
Her eyes slowly shifted toward Ragna.
"…And neither is the power we witnessed today."
A faint concern flickered in her eyes, hidden beneath her calm expression.
The sealing mage followed her gaze.
"The power of Infernos."
Leon clenched his fists slightly when he heard the name again.
Even now it felt unreal.
The word echoed in his mind like a warning.
The elder mage continued speaking.
"What Prince Ragna released today…"
"…was less than half of Infernos."
Sylpy's eyes widened again.
"Less than half…?"
The shock in her voice reflected everyone's thoughts.
The mage nodded.
"Yes."
"His body is still too weak to withstand the full power."
"If he released everything…"
He paused.
The silence after his pause felt heavier than any words.
"…his body would not survive."
A cold realization spread among them.
Silence spread among them.
Leon looked down at Ragna.
Even with only a fraction of that power…
Ragna had slaughtered demons like they were nothing.
If he ever controlled the full strength of Infernos…
Leon slowly shook his head.
"…Unbelievable."
But deep inside—
I need to get stronger.
At that moment—
Ragna's fingers suddenly moved.
Sylpy noticed it first.
"Ragna!"
Everyone quickly turned toward him.
Hope and tension filled the air at once.
His eyelids slowly trembled before opening.
The sky above him was already turning orange as evening approached.
For a moment, his vision was blurry.
Shadows and light mixed together as his senses slowly returned.
Then he saw Sylpy standing above him.
"…Sylpy?"
Relief instantly appeared on her face.
"You're awake!"
Ragna slowly sat up, holding his head slightly.
His body felt extremely heavy.
A deep exhaustion weighed down every part of him.
Memories slowly returned to him.
The stones.
The anger.
The flames.
The demons.
Each memory struck harder than the last.
He quickly looked around.
The destroyed houses.
The demon bodies.
The frightened villagers staring at him.
Their eyes… filled with fear.
Confusion filled his eyes.
"…What happened?"
No one answered immediately.
The silence itself became the answer.
Many villagers slowly stepped backward.
They had all seen the terrifying figure Ragna had become during the battle.
To them, the memory of that crimson monster was still fresh.
Some lowered their heads.
Some couldn't even meet his gaze.
A few slowly dropped to one knee, bowing slightly—not just out of respect, but from the instinctual fear of that terrifying power.
Sylpy noticed their fear.
Without hesitation, she stepped closer to Ragna.
"You defeated the demons."
She spoke clearly.
"You saved everyone."
Her voice was firm, as if trying to anchor him back to reality.
Ragna looked at her quietly.
Then he looked at the villagers again.
Their expressions were mixed.
Some looked grateful.
Others looked terrified.
The same people who had called him a curse child earlier were now staring at him like they didn't know what he was anymore.
Ragna slowly lowered his gaze.
His chest tightened slightly.
Before the silence could grow heavier—
Sylpy suddenly hugged him.
"You idiot."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"You scared me so much."
Her grip tightened, as if afraid he would disappear again.
Ragna froze in surprise.
For a moment he didn't move.
Then he slowly relaxed.
The warmth of her presence calmed the chaos in his heart.
Nearby, Leon let out a small sigh.
"At least you didn't die."
His tone sounded annoyed, but his eyes showed relief.
At the same time, his gaze sharpened.
Next time… I won't stand still.
Queen Elina also walked closer.
Her silver hair moved gently in the evening wind.
She looked at her son quietly.
Relief filled her eyes.
But behind that relief… was understanding.
Something had changed.
The disaster that had nearly destroyed the village had finally ended.
But deep inside her heart, she understood something clearly.
This was not the end.
The power hidden inside Ragna had finally revealed itself.
And from this moment onward—
Fear… power… and destiny would begin to intertwine.
The villagers remained silent.
Some still bowed.
Some still watched from a distance.
None of them would ever forget what they saw today.
The fate of the kingdom would slowly begin to change.