?Amidst screams that pierced the heavens and blood soaking an earth thirsty for death, a smile of triumphant ecstasy etched itself onto the face of the Demon Battalion Commander. Suddenly, the ground beneath him trembled. His grin widened as he whispered: "So, you still cling to life, Ice Lord! Do not blame me. Once it is finished with you, it will surely turn its fangs toward us, for we are all that will remain on this earth... but the hour of regret will have passed. You will not save your squad, nor your village; you won't even save yourself. What a cruel irony—the strongest stands helpless! Now... show me all you have."

  ?Returning to the Ice Lord; the "Beast of the Covenant" had tightened its grip, dragging him toward profound depths where no will could resist. The air withered in his chest, so he relied on an ancient device that had long allowed him to breathe underwater. As his vision cleared, a nightmare manifested before him: a colossal beast, eight-limbed and supple-bodied, poised to devour him.

  ?The monster swung a tentacle in a crushing blow, but the Ice Lord reacted, conjuring an ice shield that softened the catastrophe. Before he could catch his ragged breath, another tentacle ambushed him, pulling him toward a deeper abyss, followed by the rest of its limbs in an overwhelming assault.

  ?In a final moment of despair, the Ice Lord gripped his blade and shattered the watery silence with the "Zero Ice Strike." A glacial blizzard erupted in the depths, the frost creeping through the beast's veins until it was entirely frozen. Not satisfied, he followed with the "Thin Ice Strike," coating his sword in a transparent layer capable of cleaving the hardest metals.

  ?Yet, his victory was a mirage lasting only seconds. The beast broke free from its icy tomb and attacked again. Although the Ice Lord managed to sever one of its tentacles, the flesh regenerated and healed in the blink of an eye. The Ice Lord muttered in shock: "So... you can regenerate with such cursed speed!"

  ?On the other side, the region of "Volak" was drowning in a sea of terror. Demons ran rampant, harvesting souls without mercy. There, a demon seized an elderly man and struck him down before the eyes of his grandson. The young boy, Ryan, collapsed in tears, screaming with a broken heart before hurling his small body toward his grandfather's killer.

  ?The demon kicked the old man’s corpse with disdain and swatted the boy away with a cruel blow, mocking: "You foolish brat! Your power hasn't even awakened, and you hope to defeat me?"

  The boy replied, his voice thick with rage and tears: "I don't want to defeat you! I want to rip off your head and place it at my grandfather’s feet!"

  The demon guffawed with invincible arrogance: "Rip off my head? Don't rave, little on—"

  ?Before he could finish his sentence, his head flew through the air, severed from his body.

  ?"Do not mock the dreams of the young, for they may manifest into reality, you bastard."

  The boy’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at his savior: "You? How? You died, Volak!"

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  The savior asked with a calm smile: "And how do you know me, little one?"

  "Of course I know you! You used to come on guard patrols to protect us from the demons."

  "I see... Then why don't you take your grandfather to a safe place now?"

  The boy's tears fell again: "My grandfather? He... he's gone."

  ?Suddenly, a hand grasped Ryan’s cheek, and a trembling voice spoke:

  "Don't cry, Ryan... I am not dead."

  The boy flinched at the familiar voice. He turned to find his grandfather alive and well. His tears stopped in pure astonishment as he stepped forward with trembling feet to touch his grandfather's body: "Grandfather! Is it really you? How? I saw the demon..."

  The grandfather pulled him to his chest tenderly: "Don't worry, I'm fine... somehow."

  ?In that pivotal moment, a strange magical energy pulsed through the air, breathing life into the fallen. They rose amidst the utter bewilderment of the demons.

  ?What doubled the demons' terror was not just the return of the dead, but the cessation of their own regenerative powers. Their cries rose: "What is this? Regeneration isn't working! Has the humans' strength increased after their awakening? Impossible!"

  ?A demon lunged at a human warrior and severed his arms, but a mysterious energy manifested, rebuilding the limbs in seconds. Before the demon could process the shock, its head was rolling on the ground.

  ?Miracles followed. At "Julian’s" location, as the village gasped its last breath, that holy energy surged to revive the entire garrison. They fell upon the demons like a torrential flood. Julian awoke from his coma feeling a power surging within him ten times stronger; from the blood of the slain, he shaped predatory blood-eagles that tore the demons to shreds.

  ?In "Harold’s" square, his charred limbs healed. He rose and struck the earth with his fist, triggering volcanic lava that consumed the demons alive. "Iris" returned from death to grip her scythe and harvest enemy souls, while in "Rose’s" direction, the villagers revolted against their tormentors.

  ?The Demon Commander stood stunned, watching his army collapse: "How is this happening? They were dead! How do they return from nothing?" Then, he sensed a massive pulse of energy emanating from a nearby hut—the source of this miracle.

  ?The terrified Commander roared: "Now I understand! There is a healer with immense energy hiding in that hut, ruining all my plans!" He rushed toward the hut in a rage: "So it was you! I'll make you pay dearly! Do you realize how long this planning took me?" He raised his hand to smash the door and end the healer’s life.

  ?But a cold, calm voice stopped him: "The game is over."

  In a flash, "The Spirit" sliced the Commander's body in two.

  ?The Spirit pushed the door open and was staggered by the sight: a young girl, her hands completely shattered, gripping magical stones. Her broken, battered body was gasping its final breaths, clinging to life by a thin thread.

  The Spirit said in a voice full of sorrow: "Little girl... you have fought bravely, but it is time for your rest. You have fulfilled your mission."

  The Spirit drew his sword to cut the flow of energy and save what remained of her.

  ?The girl shrieked in a hoarse voice: "No! Stop! I haven't finished my work! There are still demons, people fighting, and wounded children bleeding! I must heal them all!"

  The Spirit gently held her shattered hand: "You say this while your hands are crushed and covered in deep scars? Enough! You have done your part. If you continue, you will lose your life... do you not fear death?"

  ?The girl squeezed her hands despite the agonizing pain, increasing the pace of energy absorption to double the village's strength, leaving the Spirit in total awe.

  She smiled weakly, tears glistening in her eyes: "I am afraid... for we here do not forget the dread of death. But... if I succumb to my fear, the children and everyone in the villages will perish. The demons are being eradicated, yes, but not all of them. Any wound that strikes a child, a mother, an infant, or an elder... is my responsibility. I will heal them... even if the price is my soul."

  ?The Spirit closed his eyes, his grip tightening on his sword hilt, and said in a voice heavy with regret:

  "Then... I apologize for what I must do."