And at that moment, above the roar of the rain, above the crackling fire and the weeping of Telan, a voice rang out:
— DE-MON!!!
The word ripped through the night like a blade cutting the darkness.
And after it — sounds.
Heavy steps. The rhythm of boots on wet stone.
The clash of metal. The scrape of weapons against armor.
Harsh commands tearing through the storm:
— Forward!
— Move!
On the outskirts of the city, soldiers of the World Army appeared. Their arrival immediately drew the attention of both the demon and the people of Telan. The soldiers quickly entered the city, but at first could not understand the cause of the chaos. Only after hearing the survivors' stories did they realize: this was no riot. A demon had appeared.
The World Army, under the command of the World Government, was the elite. Each soldier endured brutal training, received the highest military education. Their duty was to be the shield, protecting humanity from the monsters of the peripheral lands.
In every city served the regular troops, commanded by captains. And above them stood the one responsible for the order of the entire city — the counter admiral.
— That's the World Army?! — someone shouted in the crowd.
— It's over now, isn't it? — a crying woman clutched her child.
— Look! It's Counter Admiral Ragon Syler! He's come to stop the monster! We're saved! — an old woman cried with joy.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with harsh square features, Ragon stepped forward. His thick black hair gleamed under the rain. On him was the black military uniform — shihakusho. No sword, no spear, no weapon at all. But his voice — deep, commanding, used to giving orders — left no doubt: before them stood a warrior who could not be ignored.
— Captain Vergo, Captain Iston — handle the evacuation! Get the civilians out of the city!
— Captain Linda, Captain Unter — with me. We must stop the demon at once.
— Yes, Counter Admiral Ragon! — the captains answered in unison.
Ragon stepped forward, eyes fixed on the demon.
— Stop, you damned demon!
— Ha-ha-ha! — the demon's vile laughter drowned out the rain. — Humans… you think you can oppose me? I am a being from the spirit world, one who has lived for centuries! You are nothing but dust!
His wings spread wide, raising a storm that tore the roofs from houses. Soldiers dropped to the ground, shielding their heads.
— Linda! Unter! — Ragon's voice cut through the thunder. — Forward!
From the shadows stepped two captains. Both clad in black shihakusho, soaked through but standing firm like warriors.
Linda — tall, with a massive hammer slung over her shoulder. Rain streamed down her face, her breathing steady, her eyes burning with resolve. Energy coursed through her body, muscles tightening as if ready to explode.
— Time to show that this hammer smashes more than just walls…
Unter — young but hardened, with a long blade. His movements were swift, like a predator. He ran his hand along the edge, and the blade flared with crimson light.
— Captain Linda, strike first. I'll cover you.
— Don't teach me. — She smirked and strode forward.
The demon laughed, a disgusting sound, like a thousand flies buzzing at once.
— Foolish humans… Do you think your rags and steel can stop me?!
He dove from the sky. The street erupted in chaos.
Linda roared and slammed her hammer into the ground. Stone exploded upward, a shockwave rolling against the demon's wings. The assault halted. She surged forward. The hammer swung and smashed into his claw. Bone cracked, and the night split with a roar of pain.
The demon crashed to the ground, claws rending the street apart. In the same instant, Unter darted forward like lightning. His blade slashed through the wing — thick black blood sprayed across the streets.
— Die! — he shouted, driving his second strike.
But the demon's tail whipped through the air, sending Unter crashing into a wall. Stones shattered. Blood spilled from his lips, but he rose again.
And then Ragon stepped forward.
Slowly. Heavily.
Rain streamed down his shoulders, his shihakusho clung to his massive frame. No weapon in his hands — only fists wreathed in red smoke, igniting into flame.
— I said… stop. — His voice thundered like a storm.
The demon lunged, claws glinting like blades.
Ragon's fist blazed. The strike landed. The air hissed and cracked. His punch crashed into the demon's chest, sending it flying into a stone wall. Half the street collapsed with it.
— You don't understand what it means to serve the World Government, — Ragon growled, clenching his fist. — We are not humans who break easily. We are the shield.
The demon hissed, dragging itself from the rubble. Its wings grew blacker, runes crawling across its body. Faster now. Stronger.
— Ha-ha-ha! Good… Then I'll kill you for real!
It soared upward and came crashing down on the trio.
Linda met the strike with her hammer, sparks exploding in all directions. Unter slipped into the shadows, his blade cutting at the monster's legs. And Ragon stepped forward — each strike of his fists ablaze, leaving scorched brands across the demon's flesh, as if chaining it down.
The battle raged.
Rain fell harder.
Every blow thundered like the sky.
Every cry roared like lightning.
And the people, hiding in the ruins, felt for the first time that night: they had a chance to survive.