Drex lay defeated on the ground…
yet from the empty air itself, something far more dangerous began to emerge with a vile laughter.The laughter didn't fade.
It lingered—low, distorted—spreading through the courtyard like something alive. No one spoke. Even the wind had gone still, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Alex's grip tightened instinctively, his eyes scanning the ruins. "This isn't normal…"
Richerd didn't answer. His gaze moved slowly across the empty space, sharp and searching, yet finding nothing. And that—more than anything—felt wrong.
Rudra stood frozen.
The sound… it didn't feel distant. It felt close. Too close. Like it was pressing against his mind instead of reaching his ears.
Lumi took a step back, her voice unsteady.
"Where is it coming from…?"Silence followed
Then—Something changed.Not violently. Not suddenly.Just… wrong.
The air grew heavy. The temperature dropped. The space around them felt tighter, suffocating, as if something unseen had stepped into the courtyard.
Richerd's expression hardened. "…Something's coming."Rudra felt it too.
A pressure. Deep. Unnatural.His fingers tightened around his sword.
And then—The space in front of them began to twist.
Alex's hand moved to his sword before his mind could catch up. He turned sharply, eyes cutting through the broken courtyard. "Who's there?"
The answer came as laughter.
Low at first. Then rising. Spreading. Not from one place—but from everywhere at once. The air itself seemed to carry it.
"...Well, well."
"How interesting."
The space at the center of the courtyard twisted, like heat bending reality. A dark ripple spread outward, warping the ground beneath it. Rudra felt it instantly—the pressure, unnatural and suffocating, crawling beneath his skin.
"So this is the child…" the voice continued, clearer now. "The one who defeated the leader of the mountain bandits."
The distortion widened. Then—something stepped through.
The laughter stopped.
"…Now let's see if you're truly worth all the trouble."
A black vortex, wrapped in flickering flames, tore open the air. From its depths, a figure emerged—human in shape, but wrong in presence. The moment his foot touched the ground, a violent gust exploded outward, ripping through the courtyard and tearing apart the already shattered walls.
Rudra turned toward him. His hands trembled. His legs felt heavy. Still—he forced himself to stand.
"Who… are you?"
The figure didn't answer immediately. He walked past Rudra, slow, unhurried… as if nothing here mattered. Then he leaned slightly, his voice brushing against Rudra's ear like a whisper from something ancient.
"I'm here… because of you."
Rudra's breath tightened. "I don't even know you."
"I know," the man replied calmly.
Behind him, Richerd's voice cut in, tense. "Be careful, Rudra… this isn't something we've faced before."
From a distant rooftop, Kael and Elden watched in silence.
"That's no ordinary presence," Kael muttered, eyes narrowing. "He wasn't even there a moment ago…"
Elden nodded slowly. "The situation just changed."
Kael's gaze hardened. "No. We don't interfere. If Rudra can't handle this… then he's not worth what father believes."
Below—everything shifted.The shadowed figure spoke again. "You intrigued me… when you killed Grave."
Alex's eyes widened. "Grave…?"
Before the thought could finish—The figure vanished. A blur. Then impact.
Alex's body was lifted off the ground and hurled across the courtyard, crashing into a stone pillar hard enough to crack it apart."Who said you could speak?" the figure said coldly, now standing where Alex had been. "Filthy humans… speak only when permitted."
"Alex!" Rudra stepped forward instinctively. "Stop—just tell us what you want!"
The figure turned—and in the next instant, Richerd felt cold steel at his throat. A thin dagger rested there, unmoving… precise."I already told you," the man said quietly. "I'm here because of him."
His eyes shifted toward Rudra."But if you want answers… earn them after all of that happens only because of you."Rudra clenched his fists. "I don't want any more bloodshed tonight."
For a moment—silence.Then the man laughed.
"Bloodshed?" he repeated softly. "A human child… talking about bloodshed?"The laughter deepened.
"If you truly want to avoid it…" his voice dropped, turning cold, "…then understand this.if you can't stand against me "A single finger lifted—pointing toward the rooftops."Including them… no one leaves alive."Even Kael's expression sharpened at that.
Richerd's mind moved instantly. This wasn't a fight for victory—it was survival. Alone, none of them stood a chance. Together… maybe they could last longer.He vanished.A flicker of light—and he reappeared beside Alex, pulling him up before the man could react again.
The figure watched, amused. "Ah… one of the kingdom's loyal dogs."His smile widened slightly. "Good. That makes this more enjoyable."
Richerd's expression hardened. "We might not survive this," he said quietly. "But if we fall… you're coming with us."
His eyes met Rudra's. That was enough.Rudra tightened his grip on his sword.The courtyard changed.It no longer felt like a place—it felt like pressure. Heavy. Crushing. Like the world itself was holding its breath.
The demon stood at the center. Calm. Untouched.
Richerd didn't hesitate."Together."One word. And they moved.
Alex surged forward first, his blade cutting through the air in a direct killing strike aimed at the demon's throat. At the same time, Rudra vanished from sight, circling from the blind side, his sword already mid-swing before his presence could even be sensed. Behind them, Richerd raised his hand a magic circle appeared around his hand with a mysterious pattern on it, and the ground answered. Stone erupted violently beneath the demon, jagged pillars rising to crush and bind him in place—but there was nothing there. The attack struck empty space.
A shift. That was all.
A shockwave tore through the courtyard, throwing both Alex and Rudra back before they could react. Their boots scraped against broken stone as they forced themselves upright, but Richerd was already moving. Flames of hell roared to life, collapsing inward from all sides, swallowing the demon's position in a blazing inferno. Heat surged, distorting the air itself. "Now!" he commanded.
Without hesitation, Alex and Rudra charged straight into the flames, their silhouettes cutting through fire like shadows. Steel flashed—fast, relentless, precise. Their movements aligned perfectly, one forcing an opening while the other aimed to end it. For a moment, it looked like pressure. Like control. Like they were pushing him back.
Then everything stopped.Both blades were caught mid-strike.Not blocked—held.
The demon stood between them, one hand gripping Alex's sword, the other stopping Rudra's. No strain. No effort. Just stillness. His eyes moved between them with faint amusement. "…is this it?" he asked quietly.
The next instant, neither of them remained where they stood.
Rudra was slammed into the ground hard enough to crack stone beneath him, his breath knocked from his lungs blood comes out from mouth . Alex was thrown across the courtyard, his body crashing through a pillar as it collapsed around him. The flames vanished as if they had never existed.
Richerd stepped forward, his expression tightening. "Then try this."
Lightning eagle split the sky. A blinding bolt took the shape of a large eagle in instents it crashed down upon the demon's position, followed instantly by a surge of water erupting from beneath the shattered courtyard, spiraling upward to bind and crush. The ground itself folded inward, layers of earth collapsing with immense pressure while violent winds screamed through it all, compressing every force into a single point of destruction.whole court yard got covered in dust and flames the merchant town of capital turned into a deadly battle field.
For a moment, everything shook.Then silence followed.Dust filled the air as the attacks settled. Richerd's breathing grew heavier, his focus unbroken. That level of force should have ended it. It had to.
A step echoed.From within the dust, the demon walked out slowly, brushing debris from his shoulder. Not a mark on him. Not even the slightest injury.
"…impossible," Richerd muttered under his breath.
"Better," the demon said calmly. "But still meaningless."
Rudra pushed himself up, blood trailing from his lip, his hand tightening around his sword again. Alex stepped beside him, breathing heavy but steady. No words were needed this time. They moved together again—faster, sharper, without hesitation.
Alex struck low, forcing movement. Rudra came from above, his blade descending with full force, speed pushing beyond what the eye could follow. At that exact moment, Richerd unleashed everything—compressing lightning and wind into a single piercing force and firing it straight through the opening they created.
Perfect timing. Perfect coordination. Their strongest attack.
For a fraction of a second, everything aligned.
Then the demon gets pierced.
The attack connected—and passed through with a deadly wound on that mistrious figure body. but just when all of them had a little hope His hand was raised. Then they saw the mysterious man was smiling and said "Not bad… for something so weak."
and just then he started regenerating. The lightning. The wind. It was deadly but it was like it was nothing. Just a breeze for him then ." too slow," he whispered.
What followed wasn't a counterattack. It was a collapse.
Rudra felt the impact before he understood it—his body lifted and thrown across the courtyard, his sword slipping from his grip. Alex was forced to his knees, blood spilling from his mouth as an unseen force crushed down on him. Richerd's barrier shattered in front of him like glass, the recoil sending him stumbling back.
All three of them—down.
The demon stepped forward slowly, unhurried, untouched. "You fight well," he said, almost thoughtfully. "For humans."
Rudra struggled to rise again, his vision shaking, his body screaming at him to stop. But he forced himself up anyway, empty-handed now, standing purely on will.
The demon watched him with interest.
"…and yet," he continued, "you never had a chance."
The courtyard fell silent once more.
But this time—
it wasn't tension.
It was a defeat.
And for the first time, Rudra understood it clearly.
This wasn't a battle they could win.