The world had become a nightmare. The stench of blood mixed with the acrid scent of burning wood and flesh, settling like a thick fog in the square. My muscles screamed in protest, my breath ragged and shallow. Each step I took felt heavier, like the very air was pushing back against me.

  Another demon lunged, its claws swiping through the air with terrifying speed. I barely managed to dodge, my body moving on instinct, but fatigue was setting in. My mana had dwindled to 231, and with every spell and swing of the Shadow’s Sword, it felt as though I was pouring myself into an endless void. My vision was starting to blur, the world spinning just slightly as I forced my focus to stay sharp.

  Focus, Sam. Keep it together.

  I turned just in time to see one of the villagers—an elderly man I recognized from the market—screaming as a demon snatched him up. The creature's claws sank deep into his body, lifting him effortlessly into the air. His cries were cut short as the demon’s jaws closed around his throat, snapping it like a twig. The silence that followed was chilling, the man’s life snuffed out in an instant.

  Rage flared in me. But there was nothing I could do. Nothing I could do but keep fighting.

  “Sam!” Isonorai’s voice pierced through the chaos, but her tone was different now. Desperate. “We need to pull back! It’s too much!”

  I caught a glimpse of her, struggling against two demons at once. Her twin swords were flashing with deadly intent, but even she was starting to slow. The blood on her armor wasn’t just from the demons—some of it was hers. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes, the same weariness gnawing at me.

  “I know!” I barked, trying to block out the frustration building in my chest. “But if we pull back now, we lose everything.”

  “We’re not winning, Sam!” she shouted, narrowly dodging a demon’s strike. She kicked the creature back with her heel, but it only seemed to enrage it more. “We’re dying here!”

  I couldn’t argue with her. My mana was almost gone, and the demons were relentless. Their numbers seemed endless, each one stronger and faster than the last. But then, a new sound split through the chaos. A horn blast. Low and deep, it vibrated in my chest, and my stomach sank.

  The officers were here.

  From the shadows of the burning village emerged a new wave of demons. These weren’t like the mindless creatures we’d been fighting. These demons were organized. Armored. Their eyes gleamed with cold intelligence. And at the front of them was a commander—a towering figure clad in black armor, his red eyes gleaming with malice.

  I froze.

  No… It can’t be.

  The memory flashed before my eyes like a violent storm. The battlefield when I was just a baby. The demons I had killed. The commander whose blood had stained my hands. This—this was his brother. He had come for revenge.

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  “Formation!” The commander's voice rang out, cutting through the chaos. The demon officers snapped into position with military precision, their weapons gleaming in the firelight. Behind them, the remaining villagers stood no chance. They were falling faster now, torn apart by claws, crushed by overwhelming force. A woman I recognized from the bakery was impaled by a spear before she could even scream.

  The pain of helplessness burned through me. I clenched my jaw, trying to ignore the nausea that rose in my stomach.

  “Isonorai!” I shouted over the din. “We have to take out the officers first! If we don’t—”

  “If we don’t, we die.” She finished my sentence with a dark, exhausted laugh, her voice tinged with the bitterness of reality. Another demon fell beneath her twin blades, but she was growing slower, each movement more labored.

  I turned my attention back to the commander. His eyes locked onto mine, and the smile that spread across his face made my blood run cold.

  “You killed my brother, child,” he sneered, his voice full of venom. “And now, I will watch as you die.”

  A chill ran down my spine. No. I won’t let that happen.

  I lifted the Shadow’s Sword, the blade flickering weakly in my grasp. Mana: 231/355. The number continued to fall as I held the sword, but I couldn’t hesitate. Not now.

  The commander moved, a blur of motion, and before I knew it, his colossal blade came crashing down toward me. I raised the Shadow’s Sword to block, but the force of the impact was overwhelming. My arms felt like they might shatter, and I staggered back, barely managing to keep my footing.

  Mana: 210/355.

  Another swing. This time I dodged to the side, the wind from the blade brushing past my ear. But the demons were closing in, their officers flanking the commander. I was outnumbered. We were both outnumbered.

  “We need to break their line!” Isonorai’s voice cut through the chaos again. But her words felt distant, as though we were already being pulled apart by the weight of the battle.

  “I’m trying!” I shouted back, swinging the Shadow’s Sword in a wide arc, but my blow was weak. The officer in front of me barely flinched as the blade glanced off his thick armor.

  Mana: 198/355.

  The officer countered, swinging his massive axe at me. I parried, but the impact rattled my entire body, pain shooting up my arms.

  Health: 285/317. Mana: 185/355.

  Each blow, each movement felt like it took everything from me. The commander was circling, his eyes never leaving me. He was toying with me. He knew I was running out of time.

  I swung again, and again, each strike growing weaker. The Shadow’s Sword felt heavier with every passing second, the dark energy within it flickering dangerously. My health was ticking down, my mana draining faster than I could recover. The battle was slipping away.

  The commander raised his sword, his grin widening. “Is this all you have, child? You killed my brother, but now—”

  I gritted my teeth, forcing my sword up to block. But the strength of his blow was too much. I was forced to sidestep, my foot slipping on the slick stone, my balance faltering. I stumbled back, barely keeping on my feet.

  Mana: 178/355.

  The officers were closing in, their weapons raised. Isonorai was fighting with everything she had left, but her movements were becoming erratic. Blood was dripping from her side, but she wouldn’t stop. She couldn’t.

  Think, Sam. Think!

  I scanned the battlefield, desperately trying to find a way out, a way to turn this around. The demon commander was circling, and every second I wasted meant more people died. I had to act.

  With a roar, I pushed every last bit of energy into the Shadow’s Sword. Dark energy surged around the blade, its black edge flickering with destructive power. My mana was low, but I had one last shot. One last chance.

  I stepped forward, aiming for the commander’s exposed side. The blade cut through the air, a streak of darkness.

  Mana: 130/355.

  The sword connected, but the blow was weaker than I hoped. The commander’s grin didn’t falter. He raised his blade again, ready to strike.

  Mana: 120/355.

  Not enough.

  The commander’s sword came down, and I had no strength left to block.