The battlefield lay in ruins.
The crimson aura around Adexander slowly faded, but the air still trembled with the remnants of his awakening.
Ash floated like black snow. Silence hung heavy.
Adexander knelt for a moment, gripping his sword tightly, blood dripping from his fingertips.
"Tch... not yet," he muttered, forcing himself to his feet.
From the smoke, two figures approached — cautious but resolute.
Kael'Rith was first to speak, his deep voice cutting through the silence.
"That... was not human," he said, folding his arms. His crimson eyes gleamed.
"Tell me, Adexander — do you even realize what you just unleashed?"
Adexander wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
He gave a tired, lopsided grin.
"Maybe not... but it felt damn good," he said, his voice rough but alive.
Velessia joined them, her black cloak swirling behind her like a second shadow.
She eyed him carefully, her sapphire gaze filled with a rare softness.
"You touched something ancient," she said gently.
"Something that was sealed inside you for a reason."
Adexander met her gaze — unflinching.
"If it means I can fight... if it means I can protect this world... then I'll break every damn seal if I have to."
Kael'Rith chuckled — a low, rumbling sound like boulders grinding together.
"Foolish," he said, but his grin betrayed his pride.
"And yet... that's exactly why you might survive."
Before Adexander could respond, the ground trembled again.
A presence — cold, suffocating — began to approach.
Footsteps echoed across the shattered battlefield.
A towering figure clad in blackened armor stepped forward, his violet eyes glowing like dying stars.
General Morvain.
One of the Demon King's deadliest servants.
He stopped a few meters away, surveying the destruction with a mixture of amusement and disdain.
"So... you're the one who slaughtered my hounds," Morvain said, his voice deep and mocking.
Adexander gripped his sword tighter, his instincts screaming at him.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded.
Morvain tilted his head slightly.
"I am Morvain," he said simply.
"One of the Seven Generals. Servant to the true King of this world. And you... are an insect that has crawled too close to the flame."
Kael'Rith stepped forward, dark energy coiling around his fists.
"Insect? Careful, demon," he said coldly.
"This 'insect' just erased your army without even knowing how to use his full power."
Morvain smiled — a terrible, knowing smile.
"And yet... he stands broken before me."
He raised a gauntleted hand, and the air around him rippled with black magic.
Velessia placed a hand on Adexander's shoulder, steadying him.
"You're not alone," she whispered.
"We'll fight together."
Adexander's crimson eyes locked onto Morvain's glowing violet ones.
"Good," Adexander growled, stepping forward.
"I've still got some strength left... and you're the perfect test."
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he charged, Kael'Rith and Velessia moving in perfect unison beside him.
The battle had just begun.