Sol and Freya were on their way back to camp when they saw a troop marching ahead. The formation was split in half, and Martina was leading from the front. She noticed them immediately and jumped down, landing directly before them.

Her sharp eyes scanned the area until they stopped on a familiar face.

"Verion!" she shouted.

She turned toward the two beside her, ready to question them, but a desperate cry rang out before she could speak.

Verion's voice shook as he staggered forward. His face was pale, his body trembled as if all strength had left him.

"Sister… help me…" Verion cried aloud, his eyes wet with tears. Relief and despair mixed in his voice. He jumped toward Martina for support.

But Martina moved faster. She stepped aside and kicked him away.

"Stop fooling others with your act," she said coldly, her eyes narrowing.

She wanted to ask more, but suddenly realized someone was missing. Her breath caught in midair.

"Where is Kael?"

The question struck Sol and Freya like a blade. They froze, their hesitation enough to give away the truth.

"What!" Martina's scream tore through the air.

The weight in her voice made the soldiers tense. She rushed forward with Riley and Sol, panic shaking her tone.

"Why the hell did you let him engage?" Martina shouted at Sol, anger and fear mixing in her words. Her heart raced as her mind imagined the worst.

"But I really tried to stop him," Sol stammered, his eyes shining as if tears might fall. "He didn't listen…" His voice broke as guilt pressed down on him.

Riley walked beside them, his eyes calm but heavy. He spoke after watching them for a while.

"I can tell he's strong," Riley muttered, his voice low. "But fighting a demon army is no small thing. It's madness." He exhaled smoke, his words bitter.

He paused, then made a hard judgment. "Whatever it takes, we need to save him. A single S rank is worth more than an entire troop."

No one argued with him. The truth in his words hung heavy in the air.

The two decided to rush ahead.

Martina looked at Gare and spoke,"Gare take over.."

Martina and Riley ran toward the demon camp. The sky was dark, and the smell of blood grew stronger with each step. When they reached the edge, they stopped.

Demons were running wildly in every direction. Their eyes were wide with fear, and their bodies were covered in dirt and blood.

"Run!" one of them shouted.

"Damn…I can't believe I ran for my life from my own leader!" another screamed.

"DAMNNN…..Don't make me remember."

But when they saw Martina and Riley standing ahead, they froze.

"Damn it! Humans!" one hissed.

Another demon growled, "Krikkkk!"

"Bastard! I'll kill this woman and take out my anger!"

A few demons rushed toward Martina with loud roars.

Martina's eyes turned cold. She drew her blade and met them head-on. Her sword slashed through the first demon, cutting his chest open. Blood splattered across her face. She didn't stop. Her movements were fast and cruel.

"You want to die?" she shouted, cutting down another.

The demon screamed as his arm flew off. She kicked him to the ground and drove her sword through his skull. Another demon came from behind, but she turned and sliced his stomach open. His guts spilled onto the ground.

"Pathetic," Martina muttered under her breath. Her voice was low, filled with anger.

The last one tried to run, but she grabbed his horn and slit his throat. Blood poured out as the body fell limp. The ground was red around her feet. She wiped her blade and looked up, breathing heavily.

Riley stood nearby, holding a demon by the neck.

"Why are you running away?" he asked calmly.

The demon struggled. "Fu— do you think I'll tell you?"

"I might spare you," Riley said with a faint smile.

"Spare me? Hahaha! Would you really spare beings who eat your kind?" the demon shouted, then lunged at him.

Riley moved aside quickly. His hand caught the demon's throat. He squeezed hard. Bones cracked under his grip. The demon's body went limp.

Riley dropped the corpse and looked around.

"I wonder what they're running from," he said quietly as he looked at dead corpses falling rolling down onto the floor.

Only the wind and the smell of blood remained.

They looked at one another and nodded.

On the way,they met quite a number of demons who were running away for their lives.

They soon reached the edge of the camp. But the moment they stepped in, Martina's instincts flared.

"Careful!" she shouted, leaping ahead. Her sword flashed.

SHIIING!

BANG!

A ball of light shot toward them. Martina's slash deflected it away, and it exploded at the side with a deafening blast. The ground tore open, leaving a deep crater where soldiers would have stood.

Riley froze. He pulled hard on his cigar, taking in a long drag before his lips parted.

"Fucking hell," he muttered, the smoke escaping his lungs. His face grew grim.

"What a way to welcome us," he whispered as his eyes lifted.

The sky above them was a lit with chaos.Fireworks of light fell like burning rain.

Trails of destruction crossed the camp blasting the ground forming huge craters all around . Flames and smoke rose into the night.

Amid the wreckage, they saw him.

Kael's figure darted between blasts, weaving through them like a shadow. His sword glowed with crimson light as he clashed with the giant monster towering before him.

It was a huge giant Leviathan demon. His massive body tore apart the land with every move. His claws ripped the air, his fists crashed against the ground, and each strike split the earth.

Kael fought like a storm. He cut across Hal's arms, his legs, his chest. Blood poured like rivers, hissing as it hit the snow. Sparks flashed as sword and claw met, each clash louder than thunder.

Martina's eyes widened in disbelief She had never seen Kael fight with such force.

Riley's voice broke the silence. "He's holding his own quite well…"

But the fight was more than survival. It was destruction.

Hal roared in pain, his voice shaking the land. He swung wildly, mountains of snow collapsing under his rage. Kael moved faster, striking again and again. His blade left trails of red light across the demon's body.

Then, in one final burst, Kael closed in. His sword gleamed brighter than before. He leapt fo¹rward, his figure almost vanishing in the glare.

SHHHK!