The night did not bring peace.
Even after the battle had ended, the village remained restless. The destruction left behind refused to fade into silence. Broken homes, scorched earth, and the lingering scent of blood reminded everyone that what had happened was far from ordinary.
Faint lights from torches flickered across the damaged streets.
Shadows stretched across the ground, shifting with every movement of the flame.
Villagers gathered in small groups, speaking in hushed voices.
No one dared to raise their voice too much.
Because even though the demons were gone…
The memory of what they had witnessed remained fresh.
"…Did you see it…?"
"…That power…"
"…It wasn't normal…"
Fear and awe mixed together in every whisper.
Some looked toward the center of the village, where everything had ended.
Others avoided that direction entirely.
Because the image of that moment—
That overwhelming crimson power—
Refused to leave their minds.
Inside one of the repaired shelters, silence filled the room.
Ragna sat quietly near the window.
He wasn't sleeping.
He hadn't been able to.
The night air drifted in gently, brushing against his face.
Cool.
Calm.
Completely different from the heat he remembered.
His gaze lowered slightly.
His hand rested in front of him.
Still.
Normal.
No flames.
No power.
Nothing.
And yet—
He couldn't forget.
That feeling.
That moment when everything inside him had surged out.
The anger.
The loss of control.
The destruction.
Ragna slowly clenched his hand.
"…What… was that…?"
The question slipped out unconsciously.
There was no answer.
Only silence.
He leaned back slightly, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
But even in darkness—
He could still see it.
Flames.
Demons.
Fear.
And the way people had looked at him afterward.
Not just relief.
Not just gratitude.
But something else.
Something deeper.
Fear.
Ragna opened his eyes again.
His expression didn't change.
But something inside him had.
Outside, the village remained under quiet watch.
Royal guards were stationed across the area, maintaining order and ensuring no further threats appeared.
The night passed slowly.
Too slowly.
Because no one truly felt safe yet.
At the edge of the village, Leon stood alone.
His gaze was fixed on the distance.
The dark forest beyond remained still.
Unmoving.
But his thoughts were not.
They returned again and again to the same moment.
The same scene.
Ragna standing in the center of destruction.
Surrounded by flames.
Unstoppable.
Leon's hand slowly tightened.
"…That power…"
His voice was low.
Barely audible.
He wasn't afraid of it.
But he couldn't ignore it either.
That gap—
Between them—
Had never felt so clear.
Leon exhaled slowly.
His expression sharpened.
"…I see now."
There was no frustration in his voice.
No anger.
Only understanding.
And something else.
Determination.
Not far from him, Queen Elina stood beneath the open sky.
Her gaze was calm.
But her thoughts moved deeply.
The village had been saved.
The people had survived.
That should have been enough.
But it wasn't.
Because what she had witnessed…
Changed everything.
Her eyes lifted toward the sky.
Empty.
Clear.
As if the demon gates had never existed.
"…They appeared…"
Her voice was quiet.
"…and disappeared without a trace."
Her gaze slowly lowered.
"…At the same moment that power awakened."
There was no doubt in her mind.
The connection was too clear.
Too precise.
This was not coincidence.
This was not random.
Ragna.
Her son.
The flames he had released were not something natural.
Not something stable.
And definitely not something safe.
Elina's expression hardened slightly.
"…That power cannot remain uncontrolled."
The words carried weight.
Responsibility.
Not just as a queen—
But as someone who understood what was at stake.
"If that power turns…"
She paused.
Her eyes sharpened.
"…it could destroy everything."
The wind passed through the village, carrying a quiet tension with it.
Elina turned slowly.
Her hesitation was gone.
Only decision remained.
"Bring a messenger."
A royal guard immediately stepped forward.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Elina didn't waste a moment.
"Send a sealed order."
Her voice was calm.
But absolute.
"Summon them."
A brief pause followed.
Then—
"All eight."
The guard's expression stiffened for a fraction of a second.
Because that command…
Was not ordinary.
But he did not question it.
"…Understood."
He disappeared instantly.
Before dawn had fully arrived—
Messengers were already moving.
Across cities.
Across fortresses.
Across hidden strongholds within the kingdom.
Each one carried the same command.
Sealed.
Marked with the royal crest.
No explanation.
No detail.
Only an order that could not be ignored.
Return immediately.
The kingdom continued as usual on the surface.
People woke.
Markets opened.
Life moved forward.
Unaware of what had begun.
But beneath that calm—
Something was shifting.
Something powerful.
Something inevitable.
Far from the village…
At the outer limits of the capital—
The air changed.
It was not visible.
But it could be felt.
A pressure.
Heavy.
Unnatural.
Then—
It appeared.
A presence.
No sound.
No warning.
Just… existence.
Moments later—
Another.
Then another.
Until—
All eight had arrived.
They did not move together.
They did not speak.
They did not acknowledge anything around them.
And yet—
Their presence alone altered the atmosphere completely.
The guards stationed near the capital gates froze.
Their bodies reacted before their minds could.
Instinct.
Pure instinct.
Because what stood before them—
Was not something they could measure.
Not something they could understand easily.
This was not ordinary strength.
This was something far beyond that.
They were known by a single name.
Imperial Guards.
The eight strongest groups within the kingdom.
Forces that stood above all others.
Each one possessing power capable of dominating a battlefield.
Each one existing as a pillar of the kingdom's true strength.
They were not summoned for simple matters.
They were not called for minor threats.
Their appearance alone meant one thing—
Something serious had begun.
The massive gates of the capital slowly opened.
No orders were spoken aloud.
No resistance was given.
Because none was needed.
There was no one who could deny them.
As the Imperial Guards stepped forward—
The air grew heavier.
The atmosphere tightened.
And an unseen tension spread outward.
Like the beginning of a storm.
Far away—
Within the quiet village—
Ragna remained unaware.
Unaware that his power…
Had already reached beyond him.
Beyond the village.
Beyond control.
And with the arrival of the Imperial Guards—
The kingdom itself had begun to move.