A desolate wind swept across the battlefield where the final confrontation between Runaan and Syria Sullion had concluded.
The living had departed, leaving only the fallen behind. However, because a foul, wicked energy had saturated the earth, neither scavengers nor monsters dared to venture near the remains.
As the moon reached its zenith in the obsidian sky, a light rain began to drum against the discarded armor of Syria Sullion and the scattered executives of Eden. The rhythmic tapping of water against dented helmets and plating echoed through the field, causing the blackened reeds to shudder ever so slightly.
From the midst of the leaning stalks, a figure wearing a bear-shaped mask slowly pushed himself upright. He used a flicker of magic to mend his fractured mask while his eyes darted frantically from side to side.
"Haah..."
The shaman known as Bear Fire Demon, who had received both his title and his Bearwolf mask from Eden, clutched the gashes on his throat and chest, exhaling a long breath of relief.
"I’m still breathing. Or rather, I’ve crawled back from the brink of the grave."
The moment Runaan Sullion’s frost shards had torn through him, he knew survival was impossible through conventional means. He had immediately cast a spell to induce a deathlike trance, feigning his demise.
Had anyone inspected his body thoroughly, he would have been caught. Fortunately, the Zieghart bastards were so preoccupied with Syria Sullion that they lacked the presence of mind to verify the deaths of the subordinates.
'I'm alive for the moment, but...'
Bear Fire Demon bit his lip until it bled as he applied medicinal salves to his torn flesh.
'The agony is unbearable.'
The strikes of Runaan Sullion were far removed from standard blade techniques. They were not only nearly impossible to parry, but the sheer cold and pain made it a struggle to remain conscious. It was no exaggeration to say that a single hit from her was enough to decide the fate of a duel.
"That moronic Evil Goat Demon. No—Syria Sullion!"
Bear Fire Demon gnashed his teeth, glaring at the corpse of Syria Sullion, whose eyes remained rolled back in death.
"He acted so arrogant, yet instead of taking Raon’s life, he was butchered by his own sister."
Syria Sullion had bragged that Runaan Sullion was a mere puppet in his hands, claiming he could dominate her utterly with his sorcery.
Instead, he had been cut down by Runaan’s blade and was now interred in a frozen purgatory, destined to suffer even in the afterlife. Even now, his soul was likely screaming in an endless cycle of torment.
"Should I head back to Paradise..."
Bear Fire Demon scowled as he pulled himself to his feet.
"No, that's out of the question. I’d likely face an immediate execution for defying orders."
The Heavenly Demon had commanded the ghosts of Eden to remain sequestered at the headquarters for a full year before entering a period of deep seclusion.
However, he had ignored the Heavenly Demon’s decree, following Syria Sullion into the world to harass Zieghart. If he crawled back to Eden in this state, those loyal to the Heavenly Demon would likely sever his limbs and toss him to the hounds.
"I have no choice but to utilize those brats."
To bait Runaan Sullion, he had imprisoned young children possessing spiritual sensitivity within a dream realm. If he presented those children as ritual sacrifices, he might buy his way back into favor.
'Yes. That is the way.'
Fleeing into hiding might save his skin, but it would never grant him his ambitions. He had joined forces with a creature like Syria Sullion specifically to fulfill a desire; he had to return to Eden and reclaim his standing.
"Haah..."
Bear Fire Demon stripped off his gore-stained robes and donned a fresh set he had stored away.
"I need to secure the children first."
He cast his bloodied garments onto the scorched soil and set off.
Wrapping his frame in a shroud of magic, Bear Fire Demon sprinted westward. He scaled a mountain bordering the battlefield and came to a halt before a cavern that reeked of the pungent, oily scent of an Ogre.
"I can never grow accustomed to this stench, no matter how often I return."
The foul odor served as a component for his magic and acted as a natural deterrent against beasts, but it was revolting nonetheless.
"Phew..."
Covering his nose, Bear Fire Demon descended into the cave. After navigating a pitch-black tunnel for some time, the path opened into a vast subterranean chamber.
Under a faint, shimmering light that resembled a cluster of fireflies, several pale, gaunt children lay huddled on the jagged floor. Their skin was a map of bruises and raw scrapes from living against the unforgiving stone.
"They have some utility, I suppose..."
Bear Fire Demon clicked his tongue as he scanned the group.
"Though none of them can compare to Ruzel."
Ruzel had been a premier sacrifice for magic and possessed a natural gift for evasion, making him a perfect decoy when fitted with a helmet.
While these other children had talent, losing the finest specimen among them was a bitter pill to swallow.
"Still, they should be worth at least a low-ranking mask or a helmet."
With a heavy sigh, Bear Fire Demon struck the cavern wall with his staff.
A sharp sound, like glass shattering, radiated from the tip of the staff, and the children’s eyes snapped open in unison.
"Everyone, on your feet!"
Bear Fire Demon glared down at them, his voice harsh and demanding. He treated them not as human beings, but as head of cattle.
"Eup!"
"Yes, yes!"
"I-I’m getting up!"
Terrified, the children scrambled to stand, their movements frantic from past abuse. Several more scraped their limbs against the rocks in their haste to obey.
"We are vacating this location immediately. Prepare to move."
A chilling mist seeped from behind Bear Fire Demon’s mask.
"Yes...?"
"Moving?"
"Wh-where are we going?"
"Wait, where did the Evil Goat Demon go?"
The children blinked in confusion at the sudden, frantic directive.
"The Evil Goat Demon is dead. And..."
Bear Fire Demon reached out and clamped his hand over the head of the child who had asked about their destination.
"Do I truly need to explain myself to the likes of you?"
He snarled at them to cease their questioning and gestured toward the pile of mystical artifacts stacked in the rear.
"Ah, yes!"
"W-we’re sorry!"
"We’ll get ready right now!"
The children bowed their heads in fear and rushed to gather the magical tools that had been used to construct the dream world.
Reflecting the immense effort put into trapping Runaan, there were dozens of items to transport, each one pulsing with a malevolent aura.
"Hey."
Bear Fire Demon’s brow furrowed as he spotted one child who remained kneeling, motionless. This child, the smallest and youngest of the group, was staring into the void as if caught in a trance.
"Are you deaf? I told you to move!"
Bear Fire Demon leaned in, his masked face inches from the boy’s, and roared.
"......"
The child remained unresponsive, his gaze fixed on a point behind the shaman as if Bear Fire Demon didn't even exist.
"You little brat!"
Losing his patience, Bear Fire Demon raised his staff to strike the boy.
"Behind you..."
The child lifted a small, trembling finger and pointed over the shaman’s shoulder.
"What? Behind? What could possibly be..."
As Bear Fire Demon began to turn his head to follow the child's gaze, a sound like a mountain collapsing filled the air.
With a thunderous crash, Bear Fire Demon was hurled backward, slamming into the cavern wall.
"Gaaaah!"
Coughing up a spray of crimson, the shaman struggled to look up. A face that defied all logic stood before him—a strikingly handsome young man with locks of gold and eyes like burning rubies. The man who held the title of the continent's premier prodigy, the Sword Emperor who had achieved greatness before thirty, stood there with his crimson gaze fixed upon him.
"R-Raon Zieghart!"
Bear Fire Demon’s lips turned blue, his body shaking more from the shock of Raon’s presence than from his broken ribs.
"How are you here..."
He stammered, unable to comprehend the impossibility of the situation.
"So this is the hole where you worked your magic on Runaan."
Raon offered a frigid, predatory smile as he surveyed the interior.
"I can smell the rot. This place is nothing but filth."
The cave was vast, but it was a nightmare of sharp stones, hanging artifacts leaking death energy, and starving, shivering children. It was a pocket of hell hidden in the mountains.
"Stop touching those disgusting things."
Raon made a dismissive gesture, signaling the children to drop the artifacts.
"Ah, yes..."
"I... I understand."
Seeing Raon easily overpower the man they feared as a god, the children found a spark of hope. They dropped the sinister items and nodded.
With a flick of Raon’s finger, pillars of scarlet flame erupted from the ground, incinerating every magical tool in the cavern.
"N-no! Those are irreplaceable..."
"Quiet."
Raon brought his boot down, crushing Bear Fire Demon’s face into the dirt as the shaman tried to protest.
The Bearwolf mask shattered for the second time, revealing the pig-like features of the man beneath.
"Gaaaah..."
The shaman convulsed as shards of the mask were driven into his skin. His limbs were useless; it felt as though every bone in his torso had been turned to powder.
"Ahh..."
"Huu..."
The children watched with wide eyes, tears streaming down their faces as they saw their tormentor brought low and the source of their misery turned to ash.
"I didn't expect one of the little ones to see through my presence."
Ignoring the broken man at his feet, Raon walked over to the child who had noticed him and knelt to meet his eyes.
"You have a keen sight."
He spoke softly, taking the boy’s hand, which was as rough and calloused as old bark.
"Will you..."
The child’s bruised lips trembled as he spoke.
"Will you bring us pain too?"
He tilted his head, his eyes eerily vacant, as if he had already accepted that pain was the only constant in life.
"......"
Raon offered no verbal answer; instead, he pulled the child into a gentle embrace. That single question told him everything he needed to know about the horrors they had endured.
"It might still be difficult. I can’t claim I’ll solve every problem you’ll ever face, but..."
Raon rubbed the boy's back and shook his head.
"I will, at the very least, ensure you can live as human beings."
He had briefly considered training them for Zieghart, but seeing their trauma, he decided he wanted them to have the freedom to choose their own paths.
"Evelyn."
As Raon called out, Evelyn stepped from the darkness.
"These children..."
"Say no more. I already know what's on your mind."
Evelyn gave a warm smile, indicating she understood his intent without a single word.
"I’ll be extremely gentle. I’ll get them back to Zieghart safely, without a single scratch or scare."
She told him to rest easy and approached the group.
"Everyone, come over to your big sister!"
As Evelyn beamed and held out her arms, the children recoiled, leaning away from her.
-Naturally! Even the children can tell! That woman is a lunatic!
Wrath let out a mocking laugh, finding the reaction perfectly logical.
"They still seem a bit timid. Well, I did just appear out of nowhere."
Evelyn clicked her tongue and made a circular motion with her finger. Suddenly, candies and sweet treats began to rain down from the air.
"Huh...?"
"That’s..."
"C-candy?"
"There’s food!"
Lured by the sight of the sweets, the children’s eyes lit up, and they cautiously edged toward Evelyn.
"Sugar always does the trick with little ones! Imagine them ignoring a beauty like me until I brought out the snacks."
Though her vanity was slightly wounded, Evelyn laughed it off and continued to distribute more treats to the huddling children.
-Honestly...
Wrath shook his head in disbelief.
-It is a tragedy that the only person available to guard these children is that madwoman!
He sighed, noting that even Martha would likely have been a more nurturing choice.
'That wouldn't be a bad alternative.'
Raon watched the children begin to eat with a small, genuine smile.
'Now that they are looked after...'
His expression hardened as he turned back to Bear Fire Demon, who was paralyzed by a terror so profound he couldn't even twitch.
"I-I'm ignorant of everything!"
The shaman couldn't bring himself to look at Raon, keeping his head pressed into the dirt near Raon’s boots while shaking frantically.
"Syria Sullion was the mastermind! I was just a tool, following his commands to use the magic..."
"The Light Wind Palace has already dealt with that matter."
Raon dismissed his excuses with a wave of his hand.
"You..."
He looked down at the mangled face of Bear Fire Demon, his red eyes burning with a cold fury that eclipsed the shaman's fear.
"You mentioned something about returning to Eden, didn't you?"
