The forest had grown restless.
Even the wind felt uneasy.
Lira, Kai, and Umbra moved swiftly along the narrow path, their senses sharpened by instinct alone.
"…Do you hear that?" Lira asked quietly.
Kai nodded. "…Yeah."
Umbra's eyes narrowed. "…That's not just noise."
Then it came again—
Screams.
They didn't hesitate.
They ran.
The trees broke open—
Revealing a village in chaos.
Flames consumed rooftops.
Creatures tore through homes.
Villagers fled in terror.
"Move!" Kai shouted.
They charged in.
Lira's staff flared with light, striking down the nearest creature. Kai followed with swift, controlled strikes, cutting through another. Umbra moved like a shadow, eliminating threats before they reached the villagers.
For a moment—
They held the line.
Then—
Everything stopped.
The creatures froze.
Not defeated.
Not dead.
Waiting.
"…Why did they stop?" Lira whispered.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
Umbra's expression darkened instantly.
"…No…"
From the smoke—
A figure emerged.
Tall.
Armored in jagged darkness.
Its presence alone bent the air around it.
Kai felt it immediately.
"…What is that?"
Umbra answered, voice low and serious.
"…A Demon Lieutenant."
Silence fell.
"…The demons aren't random," Umbra continued.
"…They have ranks."
The figure stepped forward.
"…At the lowest level—beasts," Umbra said.
"…Above them—Commanders."
A pause.
"…Then Lieutenants."
The air grew heavier.
"…Ten of them," Umbra added.
"…Each one leading destruction."
The Lieutenant gave a faint smile.
"…Correct."
Its voice echoed through the burning village.
"…Above us…"
"…Ten Captains."
The ground seemed to tremble slightly.
"…And above them…"
A brief pause.
"…Four Head Captains."
Kai tightened his grip.
"…So you're not even close to the top."
The Lieutenant's eyes sharpened.
"…And yet…"
"…you struggle to stand."
It moved.
Instantly.
CLANG!
Kai barely blocked—
The force sent him sliding backward.
Umbra attacked—
Caught.
Thrown.
Lira struck—
Blocked effortlessly.
"…Pathetic," the Lieutenant said calmly.
Then suddenly—
It stopped.
Mid-battle.
Its gaze shifted.
From Kai…
To Umbra…
To Lira…
Then—
It focused on their weapons.
"…Those swords…"
Silence tightened around them.
Kai instinctively raised his blade.
"…What about them?"
The Lieutenant stepped closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"…Where did you find them?"
No one answered.
Its eyes narrowed slightly.
"…That presence…"
"…That design…"
A pause.
"…I've seen something like it before."
Umbra's gaze sharpened.
"…Where?"
The Lieutenant's voice dropped.
"…In the records of the Dark Realm."
Silence fell instantly.
"…A blade once held by…"
A longer pause.
"…the Demon King."
The air froze.
Kai frowned. "…That's impossible."
"…No," the Lieutenant replied calmly.
"…Not impossible."
Its gaze remained fixed on their weapons.
"…Fragments… echoes… successors…"
Then—
It straightened.
"…Interesting."
But instead of attacking—
It spoke.
"…Tell me," it said.
The three tensed.
"…Why do you fight?"
Kai frowned. "…What?"
"…What is your purpose?"
"…What do you gain from saving them?"
It gestured toward the villagers.
"…And who are you…"
"…to stand against something beyond you?"
Silence.
The question lingered.
Heavy.
Kai stepped forward despite the pressure.
"…We don't need a reason like that."
"…Then you are fools," the Lieutenant replied.
Umbra wiped blood from his mouth.
"…Maybe."
He stepped forward.
"…But we fight anyway."
Lira stood beside them.
"…Not for gain," she said quietly.
"…Not for power."
Her eyes sharpened.
"…But because we can."
Silence.
Then—
The Lieutenant moved again.
Faster.
Stronger.
The battle resumed.
Kai blocked—forced back hard.
Umbra struck—countered instantly.
Lira attacked—overwhelmed.
They were losing.
Badly.
"…This is the gap," Umbra muttered.
Dark energy gathered around the Lieutenant.
"…This ends now."
Lira's eyes sharpened.
"…NOW!"
All three attacked at once.
Kai high.
Umbra from the side.
The Lieutenant blocked both—
But Lira broke through.
Her staff struck—
A scratch across its armor.
Silence.
The Lieutenant froze.
Slowly…
It looked down.
"…You…"
The air shifted.
"…You managed to touch a Lieutenant."
It stepped back.
"…Impressive."
Then its voice turned colder.
"…But do not misunderstand."
A pause.
"…Among the Ten Lieutenants…"
Its eyes locked onto them.
"…I am the weakest."
Silence crashed down.
"…And this…"
It gestured toward their wounded bodies.
"…is your limit."
Lira clenched her staff.
Kai's jaw tightened.
Umbra's eyes darkened.
The Lieutenant looked at their weapons one last time.
"…Blades resembling the King's…"
"…Wielded by unknown humans…"
A brief pause.
"…This is beyond me."
Kai frowned. "…What do you mean?"
The Lieutenant turned away slightly.
"…This will be reported."
Its voice was calm.
Certain.
"…Decisions like this…"
"…are not mine to make."
Dark energy began to gather around it.
"…You are no longer just intruders."
A final glance.
"…You are variables."
Its form began to fade.
"…Await judgment."
And then—
It vanished.
Silence fell over the village.
The remaining creatures retreated immediately.
Lira dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
Kai leaned on his sword.
Umbra exhaled slowly.
"…The weakest…" Kai said quietly.
Umbra nodded.
"…Ten Lieutenants…"
"…Ten Captains…"
"…Four Head Captains…"
Lira looked toward the dark horizon.
"…And now…"
Her voice was steady.
"…they know about us."
The wind moved again.
But this time—
It carried something heavier.
Not fear.
Something far worse.
War..