Right in front of Nova's eyes, the gray hand around Elaine's head tightened. The veins on that monstrous arm bulged, writhing under its rough skin like living worms—
and then—
Crack! Squelch!
Splatter!
Blood exploded outward in a wet burst, spraying across Nova's face, neck, and the ground around him. The red warmth stung his eyes, its metallic scent filling his nose. The earth beneath him was already painted red here and there, but this… this felt different. This was hers.
Nova fell to his knees. His mind couldn't comprehend what had just unfolded right in front of him. His breathing turned ragged. His vision blurred between the red mist and his tears.
And then his eyes widened, trembling violently as if trying to tear apart. His chest heaved, but no breath came out right.
"ARGHHHHHH!"
He screamed with everything left in him, until his voice cracked and broke. But even that didn't matter. Nobody turned to look. Screams had become part of the battlefield's air now—mixed with fire, ash, and death.
He stayed there, kneeling, broken. His gaze drifted upward, unfocused, staring at the dark, smoke-choked sky. He couldn't look down at what was left of Elaine. He couldn't bear it. His mind froze somewhere between disbelief and madness.
He didn't know what to do.
Run? Fight? Die?
Every option felt pointless.
And then, from within the flames ahead, something moved.
A gray, veiny, inhuman foot stepped out of the fire. The flames licked its skin but didn't burn it. Another foot followed, heavy and deliberate, cracking the charred ground beneath.
The demon emerged fully.
He was massive—taller than any man Nova had ever seen, his shoulders broad enough to block the light behind him. His dark-gray skin glistened in the firelight, muscles coiled like steel beneath it. Two small black horns protruded from his skull. His face was emotionless, hollow, but his silence was somehow more terrifying than the mindless roars of the others.
Nova's body froze. His mind wanted to move, but his body wouldn't listen. Fear sank deep into his bones.
The demon looked down at him, then at the headless corpse beside him. He paused for a long second, as if studying the two. Then, his lips curled upward.
He smiled.
Nova's eyes widened again. His whole body trembled—not from fear this time, but from anger boiling beneath his skin. His teeth gritted, jaw locked tight. His heart pounded so hard it hurt.
"I'll kill you…" His voice cracked. He whispered again, louder, "I'll fucking kill you…"
The demon's smile widened slightly. He didn't answer. He simply pulled his right arm back—muscles bulging and veins twisting—and launched his fist forward.
The air whistled.
It was so fast that even the flames around seemed to bend with the wind of his strike.
Nova didn't even close his eyes. He just stood there, frozen, staring at his death coming straight at him.
And then—
Swoosh! Slash! Thud.
The gray arm was severed mid-punch. It spun once in the air before falling beside Nova, twitching.
"GRAHHHHHH!" the demon roared in agony.
A figure stood on Nova's left. A man—his back facing Nova—wearing light armor, mostly black but trimmed with dull gray. His right arm was extended, sword dripping with purple demon blood. As he turned around, Nova finally saw his face. He was average looking. The emblem of a shield was carved onto his shoulder plate.
Nova blinked, trying to understand what had just happened.
The demon turned toward the man, its single arm tightening into a fist. It swung, fast enough to slice the air with a sharp whoosh!
The soldier didn't move at first. Then, just before the strike connected, he stepped back with one foot, turning his body sideways and letting the massive punch glide past his shoulder. His movements were calm—measured, almost effortless.
The demon growled, raising its leg for a kick, but before it could—
Swoosh! Thud!
Its head dropped to the ground, rolling once before stopping at Nova's knees.
Another figure stood behind it, sword drawn, armor glinting faintly red from the firelight. His armor bore the same shield emblem.
"A brute…" the new soldier muttered, glancing at the corpse. "That's rare. The others are just lesser demons. This one's the first of its kind here."
"Yeah," the first replied, wiping the blood off his blade. "It sure is."
He then turned toward Nova. "Go away from here, kid. It's not safe."
Nova didn't move. His mouth opened, but no words came. His heart was still racing, his body trembling, and yet… his anger hadn't faded.
A voice from nearby soldiers broke through the chaos.
"Soldiers from the Iron Mantle!"
The villagers froze for a second—then hope flooded their faces.
"Soldiers from the Iron Mantle! We're saved!"
"They'll kill all the demons!"
"The Iron Mantle's here! We're saved!"
Their cheers echoed through the burning village, desperate and raw. Even amidst blood and fire, hope was powerful.
But the Iron Mantle soldiers didn't react. There were only two of them, and yet their calmness told everyone why they were respected.
"Hey, kid," the average-looking soldier said again, voice firmer now. "Are you deaf? Run."
Nova slowly turned his head toward him. "A few seconds…" he muttered.
The man frowned.
"If you came just a few seconds earlier…" Nova's voice broke into a shout. "If you came just a few seconds earlier, my mom would still be alive!"
The soldier who had killed the demon sighed. "Yeah… one second earlier, a few minutes earlier—we hear that a lot. But it's not our fault. There were people burning alive on the other side of that fire. We had to save them too."
The other added, "Besides, I can sense it—you're a cultivator too, aren't you? Why didn't you save her?"
Nova froze in place. His lips trembled. "I… I wasn't strong enough! That demon was beyond me! But you—you could've done something!"
"Yeah," the man said quietly. "You weren't strong enough. Just like we were late. You can blame yourself the same way you blame us. In the end, it's no one's fault. The world just doesn't care. Now go."
And with that, both of them vanished, their speed leaving behind a faint ripple of dust.
Nova stood there, staring at the spot they'd disappeared from.
His mind screamed. Every thought collided inside him—grief, guilt, anger, confusion. They were right. There were so many things he could blame. Elaine for not leaving sooner. The soldiers for not arriving earlier. Himself, for being weak. The world, for being cruel.
But blaming wouldn't change anything. Nothing could.
Slowly, he turned away. His walk turned into a jog, and then he broke into a sprint.
He ran through the burning village, tears mixing with the blood on his face. The sounds of battle faded behind him, replaced by the ragged rhythm of his own breath. Over and over he hissed through clenched teeth as he ran, "I'll kill you all! I will kill you all!." The words came out ragged, soaked in hate for the demons.
He stumbled, fell, scraped his knees on the ground—but didn't stop.
Huff… Huff… Huff…
When he finally reached home, he could see small groups of survivors far away at the edge of the outskirts—those who had fled earlier. There weren't many. The village that had once been full of life now looked like a graveyard.
He didn't care. He rushed inside.
Silence. Utter silence.
Nova's eyes widened. He froze mid-step.
He had forgotten—
He had a sister.
Mira was nowhere to be seen.