"It seems we've found our demon," the officer muttered, rising to his feet with a hardened expression. Then, raising his voice to a commanding roar, he barked, "Remember your mission! Capture the demon by any means necessary! Do not let it escape again!"
The knights and mages responded with a unified cry, slowly tightening their formation around the target. The mages began casting, their staves glowing as they formed a circle. Knights drew their blades, banging them against their shields in anticipation.
With a prideful smirk, the officer gazed skyward, hands clasped behind his back. Without looking at Jacob, he spoke coolly, "You'd be wise to take cover in your home. And… don't forget your daughter—unless," he turned slightly, casting a sidelong glance, "you want her blinded for the rest of her life."
Jacob didn't understand, but instinct moved faster than thought. He stood and stumbled toward his daughter, each step more uncertain than the last.
"H-Hey… Bella, Bella, come. We need to get somewhere safe before we—before we get hurt."
He reached for her shoulder, but Bella screamed—a wail of rage, grief, and betrayal. She shoved him back and glared through her tears.
"Bella, please, we need to—"
[Shroooooosh]
A barrage of radiant bolts lit the sky. Light poured down upon the village, intense enough to turn night into blazing day.
Jacob staggered, shielding his eyes with a trembling hand. Regaining his balance, he rushed forward, grabbed Bella, and hoisted her over his shoulder.
"Whether you want to or not, we're leaving! I won't lose you too!"
But Bella thrashed violently—punching, kicking, screaming.
"I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU! How could you just stand there and watch Mother die, you—you monster!"
Jacob said nothing. He gritted his teeth, eyes forward, and kept running, his steps wobbling under the weight of heartbreak and fury.
…
[Drip]
[Drip]
Blood trickled down Sirus's arms. He flicked his wrist, trying to shake it off.
"Ugh… it's everywhere. I need a bath—what no? I need to get out of here before more of them show up."
He glanced at the sky, winced, and looked away as nausea surged. Reaching for a branch to steady himself, he missed and collapsed to the ground.
[Bang]
"Ugh… I think I'm gonna—"
He vomited violently, then wiped his mouth, slapped his own face, and tried to pull himself together.
"FUCK. I have to move. Something's wrong with my body. Shit—I'm gonna puke again—no, no… swallow it down!"
He forced it back, acid burning his throat like fire and needles.
Then he noticed his hands. They were twitching—moving on their own.
"What the hell…"
Across the river, a wave of armored knights advanced. The metallic clanging of their steps only worsened his panic.
"I need to get out. Figure out what's happening after I escape."
Staggering between trees, he grew more disoriented with every step. The world spun. Then—the ground beneath him glowed.
Turning slowly, he witnessed the sky rain down with dozens of brilliant bolts of light.
Panic overtook him.
His body felt impossibly heavy, his vision dimmed, and with one final stumble, he collapsed.
…
Somewhere nearby, a mage shouted, "Sir! We've hit the target. The demon's mana signature is fading rapidly. Reporting—demon neutralized!"
The officer grinned with delight. "Excellent work. Knights! Retrieve the body. I want it back here within five minutes!"
The knights roared and surged forward. The mages halted their spellwork and cleared the field.
Unconscious, Sirus's small horns shimmered with faint golden light. The trees around him stirred. Groaning creaks echoed as they bent, twisted, and reached toward his body.
The trees leaned over the river, their leaves falling in unison. Branches grew sharp like spears.
They moved—alive and aware.
The knights noticed the odd motion but pressed forward, hearts pounding. A warning pulsed through their instincts.
One knight stepped into the river. Then another. Then another.
The trees quivered… then struck.
Sharpened branches shot forward, piercing armor like paper. Screams tore through the woods as knights were hoisted into the air, impaled.
The remaining soldiers froze in horror—only to feel warm blood spill across their bodies as they too were pierced by living wood.
Branches blackened, their tips turning a deep crimson. The trees danced and stabbed, impaling knight after knight.
The river ran red.
The officer's jaw fell open. Shock rooted him in place. Then, snapping back to reality, he shouted, "Set the forest ablaze! Now!"
The mages hesitated, trembling.
'What just happened?' The officer's thoughts spiraled. 'Trees can't move like this… this isn't the demon's power. Someone else—something else—'
Madness crept in.
These weren't normal trees. These were Monster Forest trees.
"Sir!? Sir?" A mage tapped his shoulder. The officer spun with wild eyes.
"WHAT?!"
The mage flinched. "P-Please, sir… what are your orders?"
The officer drew a deep breath, trying to suppress the panic.
"…Burn it all. The entire damn forest. If we don't, we'll never recover that demon."
"But sir," the mage hesitated. "If we ignite the forest, the Lords of the Wild may retaliate. And the demon might—"
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" the officer roared, grabbing the mage by the shoulders. "He killed our men with TREES!"
The mage nodded quickly, trembling. "Y-Yes, sir!"