The village was dead quiet. No livestock made a sound, and the windows of the small stone houses were shuttered tight.
"The villagers are terrified to step foot outside," Leon whispered, looking around grimly.
"Because of Gluttony?" Eidolon asked.
"Well, yeah. Word of the disappearances spreads fast."
Their conversation was interrupted as a group of pale, nervous villagers hurried toward them. "Sir Leon! Thank the heavens you are here. Please, come with us... the village elder is waiting to brief you."
Leon looked at Eidolon. "Alright, you go scout the perimeter of the village. I'll meet up with you as soon as I'm done talking with the elder."
"Me? Alone?" Eidolon sighed. "Fine."
As Eidolon walked toward the edge of the village, the air grew heavy. "Man, this place is creepy. And I am incredibly thirsty."
He pushed through a dense patch of trees and spotted a clear, flowing river. "Wow, finally some fresh water. Reminds me of the week I spent in the woods when I first got here."
He knelt by the bank to drink, but froze when he heard splashing. Through the mist, he saw a girl bathing in the water.
What the hell? Eidolon thought, his heart skipping a beat. A girl bathing in a river at night in a monster-infested village? Impossible.
The girl quickly stepped out and pulled on a simple dress. Eidolon gripped his invisible hilt. This is my chance. I need to check her out. She's definitely not a normal human.
"Hey you!" Eidolon shouted, stepping out from the trees. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"
The girl turned around. She had long, light pink hair and glowing pink eyes. She didn't look scared. Instead, she walked right up to Eidolon and leaned in, smelling his clothes.
Eidolon's throat went dry. "W-what are you doing?"
"You were watching me the whole time, weren't you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with a look that was half-angry, half-playful.
"No! Really, trust me, I didn't see anything," Eidolon stammered, holding up his hands.
The girl relaxed, a small smile touching her lips. "I'm just teasing. I'm from this village. My name is Emilia. I always bathe at night because it's peaceful."
"But it's dangerous here!" Eidolon warned her. "You need to be careful. Monsters are roaming around."
"And who are you to tell me what to do?" Emilia purred, stepping closer.
"I'm a Royal Knight from the Capital. Personal guard to Princess Seraphina... and a magic wielder. My name is Eidolon Kage."
"Wow," Emilia gasped softly. "I love knights. They're so big and strong. Thank you for protecting us."
"Yeah, yeah, it's my job," Eidolon muttered, feeling flustered.
"Wanna eat some berries?" she offered, holding out a handful of bright red fruit.
Reminds me of my first day here, Eidolon thought. "Sure." He took one. "Tastes good."
"So, what brings a handsome knight to our little village?" she asked.
"Just scouting to make sure everything is okay."
"Well, everything is perfectly fine here with me," Emilia smiled, her pink eyes locking onto his. "You are so funny, Eidolon. Your purple eyes are beautiful, and your hair reminds me of the moon."
Eidolon coughed, looking away. "Uh... don't try to flirt with me."
"Hahaha!" she laughed, a sound like ringing bells.
"Let's get you back to the village," Eidolon suggested.
"No, I want to spend more time with you out here," Emilia insisted, grabbing his arm.
Eidolon felt a chill. Why does she want to stay out here in the dark? Something is wrong. I need to get away.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the night air.
"Help me! Don't eat me, please! I beg you—!"
"What was that?!" Eidolon gasped, turning toward the sound.
A flash of pure, cold anger crossed Emilia's face for just a second. Why is he hunting now? Damn it, he's going to ruin everything, she thought. But she quickly masked it. "Nothing! It's nothing, probably just wild animals."
"I have to go. Go back to the village, Emilia!" Eidolon didn't wait for her reply. He dashed off into the woods with his enhanced speed.
The Predator Becomes the Prey
When Eidolon reached the source of the scream, he was too late. All that remained was a puddle of blood.
Suddenly, the bushes rustled violently behind him. A massive, S-rank goat-like monster lunged out, its eyes bloodshot and hungry.
Eidolon smirked, summoning his shadow-blade. "You think you're going to eat me?"
With one fluid motion, he swung his blade, slicing the S-rank beast's face clean in half. It collapsed to the ground.
"How disappointing," Eidolon sighed. "I wanted a real fight."
But then, the monster's flesh began to bubble. It stood back up, its wounds knitting together as it grew larger and more grotesque.
"Okay, I take my words back," Eidolon muttered.
The monster lunged with blinding speed, its jaws snapping down on Eidolon's leg. Pain flared, but his Divine Protection immediately kicked in, healing the torn muscle.
"You're going to pay for that!" Eidolon roared. He raised his sword and pulled. Hard.
He pulled every single ounce of mana out of the surrounding environment and channeled it into his blade. With a massive swing, he unleashed a wave of dark energy that sliced the monster's legs clean off. It crashed to the dirt, unable to walk.
But suddenly, a wave of intense dizziness hit Eidolon. He fell to his hands and knees, gasping for air. Damn it... that's the first time I drained all the mana from the air. I'm completely out of energy. If I fight any more like that, I'll destroy the whole village.
The legless monster was still alive, crawling toward him with its jaws wide open. Eidolon tried to stand, but his muscles felt like lead.
The Two Generals
Before the monster could reach him, a massive shadow fell over the clearing.
A giant, morbidly obese figure stepped out of the dark. He wasn't human—he was a demon with gray skin and rows of razor-sharp teeth.
The giant reached down, grabbed the S-rank monster, and shoved the entire thing into his mouth. CRUNCH. "Wow... that was delicious," the monster-man groaned, blood dripping down his chin. He looked down at the paralyzed Eidolon. "Oh! This human looks even more delicious. I want to eat his skull so bad!"
Eidolon's blood ran cold. He couldn't move.
Suddenly, a woman stepped out from behind the giant. Eidolon couldn't see her face clearly in the dark, but her voice was smooth and commanding.
"Enough, Gluttony," she said coldly. "You've already eaten your fill tonight."
Gluttony?! Eidolon's heart hammered against his ribs. One of the Seven Demon Generals. And who is the girl? Am I going to die here?
"But I'm still hungry, Lust!" Gluttony whined. "I want to taste his bones."
"I told you, we are not eating humans today," the woman, Lust, commanded. "Go back to the camp."
"Fine, Lust! I'm going, but you'll regret letting this one go," Gluttony growled, before disappearing back into the bushes.
The mysterious girl walked up to the exhausted Eidolon. She leaned down, and in the moonlight, Eidolon caught a flash of light pink hair and glowing pink eyes. It was Emilia.
"You shouldn't have come here, Eidolon," she whispered, her voice sending a shiver of both fear and pleasure down his spine. "You drained the environment of mana, but you still need a lot of practice."
"L-Lust...?" Eidolon choked out.
She stroked his white hair gently. "You belong to me now. No one else is allowed to harm you."
"Eidolon!! Where are you?!" Leon's voice suddenly boomed through the woods.
Lust smiled, stepped back, and vanished into thin air just as Leon burst through the bushes.
Leon ran over and helped Eidolon up. "Here you are! I told you not to wander off too far. Are you okay?"
"Where did she go?" Eidolon gasped, looking around frantically.
"Who? There's no one here but us, kid."
"I swear, there was a girl! And a giant monster!"
Leon looked at Eidolon's pale face and heavy breathing. "You're delirious. Come on, first thing we are doing is getting you to the village medic. Let's go!"