I felt it first.
Even before clearly seeing any movement, the pressure changed. It didn't increase in a brute way like before. It concentrated. It became denser, more directed, as if the entire field had narrowed into a single point.
Him.
The figure advanced slowly, unhurried, like someone who didn't need to chase anything. Each of his steps made the air around him ripple slightly, as if space itself was being forced to adjust.
No one spoke for a few seconds.
Not even Lyannis.
Scarlett tightened her grip on her weapon beside me. I noticed by the faint sound of metal. Rai'kanna leaned her body forward, ready to advance, but didn't move. Liriel and Elara held their positions, attentive to every detail. Vespera remained steady, watching without looking away.
I kept staring.
When he finally stopped at a visible distance, it became clear.
It wasn't just presence.
It was absolute dominance.
His appearance was different from the other demons. There was no excess, no exaggeration. Everything about him seemed controlled. His form, his posture, his gaze. Nothing was wasted.
His eyes.
That was the first thing that held me.
There was no anger.
No haste.
Only… analysis.
"So you're the human," he said.
The voice wasn't loud.
But it echoed as if it were everywhere at once.
I didn't respond immediately.
He tilted his head slightly, as if confirming something to himself.
"Interesting."
Rai'kanna stepped forward. "He talks too much."
"Wait," I said.
Lyannis let out a light laugh. "I want to hear this too."
Scarlett remained at my side. "He's evaluating you."
"I know."
The general looked at each of them, one by one, without hurry. When his gaze passed over Vespera, Liriel, Elara, Rai'kanna, Lyannis, and Scarlett, it became clear he wasn't just seeing.
He was understanding.
"An unusual group," he said.
Liriel replied coldly. "And still sufficient."
He didn't react to the provocation.
He simply turned his gaze back to me.
"You lead."
"Yes."
"But you're not the strongest."
Rai'kanna smiled. "He's enough."
"We'll see," the general replied.
Silence returned for a moment, but it wasn't empty. It was heavy.
I felt it.
Something was wrong.
"He's not attacking yet," Elara said.
"Because he doesn't need to," Vespera replied.
"No," I said.
Everyone looked at me.
"He's choosing."
Scarlett understood first. "How to start."
"Exactly."
The general took another step.
And in that instant…
The pressure shifted again.
But this time…
It was directed.
Straight at me.
My body reacted automatically. It wasn't fear. It was instinct. Something within me recognized the level of that.
Rai'kanna moved slightly forward. "He chose."
"No," I said. "He's testing."
Lyannis smiled, but without lightness. "Then let's show him."
The general slightly raised his hand.
And the field responded.
The air distorted around him, creating an area where perception became unstable. It wasn't a direct attack. It was something deeper.
"This is… control?" Liriel said.
"More than that," Elara replied.
"It's territory," Vespera finished.
I felt the impact immediately.
Movement heavier.
Breathing harder.
Reaction time reduced.
"He's limiting us," Scarlett said.
"Yes."
Rai'kanna advanced anyway.
"Then I'll break it."
She attacked directly, without hesitation.
The impact came fast.
But…
She didn't hit.
The general didn't dodge in a normal way. He simply… wasn't there at the moment of the strike.
"Fast," Lyannis said.
"No," I replied. "Precise."
Rai'kanna pulled back instantly, blocking a counterattack that was almost invisible.
The impact was strong enough to make the ground give slightly beneath her feet.
"Now this is it," she said, smiling.
Scarlett advanced alongside me, trying to pressure from another angle.
But the same thing happened.
He didn't fight like the others.
He didn't react.
He simply… controlled the flow.
"This isn't normal," Liriel said.
"He's not following patterns," Elara added.
Vespera watched with maximum focus. "He's always one step ahead."
I stepped back slightly, analyzing.
This wasn't speed.
It wasn't strength.
It was reading.
Absolute anticipation.
"He's seen all of this before," I said.
Scarlett looked at me. "So the problem isn't power."
"It's experience."
Lyannis gave a faint smile. "Then we change the game."
Rai'kanna advanced again, this time combining movement with Lyannis.
Two directions.
Two rhythms.
But even so…
Nothing.
The general blocked, dodged, and countered with the bare minimum.
No visible effort.
No waste.
"This is ridiculous," Rai'kanna said, stepping back.
"No," I replied. "This is total control."
Silence returned for a second.
And then…
He spoke again.
"You understand."
I didn't answer.
But he already knew.
"Then you also understand that this… is not enough."
Scarlett tensed beside me.
Liriel clenched her fists slightly.
Elara maintained focus.
Vespera remained calm.
Lyannis smiled, but without playfulness.
Rai'kanna took a deep breath.
I kept staring.
Because he was right.
The way we were…
It wasn't enough.
The general took one final step forward.
And this time…
The pressure fell over everyone.
It was no longer a light test.
It was a clear warning.
"Show me more," he said.
The wind swept strongly across the field.
And in that moment…
I understood.
This wasn't the final confrontation.
It was the beginning of something worse.
And we still weren't ready to win.
But…
We weren't going to retreat without fighting.
I took a step forward.
And faced him directly.
"Then watch closely," I said.
Because from that point on…
It was no longer about measuring strength.
It was about surviving what was coming next.