"I see," Andras said quietly.
"Beela managed to fulfill his dream."
"Greenwood will never forget his sacrifice," David replied,
his voice filled with respect.
Floralys nodded sadly.
"This battle demands too many lives.
Eagle Claw… that sword won't be missed.
But the knights who died today…
their lives cannot be replaced."
Once everyone had shared their news,
Andras, Christina, and Floralys stepped aside
to plan their next move.
Christina folded her arms.
"So the three Clan Leaders are dead."
"And the magical beast as well," Floralys added.
"Yes," Andras nodded.
"The Demon‑Toad must have been their secret weapon.
But now that it's gone, only the Demon General remains: Wildfire."
Christina looked at them thoughtfully.
"What do we do?
Wait for Eris and Andrea to arrive,
or form a team from those here
and go after Wildfire ourselves?"
"And what if Andrea's group is already fighting him?" Floralys asked.
"Yeah… then waiting would be pointless," Andras admitted.
"And what about the forest fire?" Floralys continued.
"We can't just stand by and watch the entire forest burn."
Aurelyndra stepped forward, her voice ringing clear.
"The forest spirits and I can stop the wildfire.
But first, you must defeat the great Fire Demon
who is causing the most destruction."
"She says," Fireburp translated,
"that if you defeat Wildfire,
the forest's guardian will extinguish the flames."
"Thanks for the translation, Burp," Christina muttered.
Andras turned to Aurelyndra.
"Can the forest spirits tell us where Wildfire is…
and where the Hero is?"
"Yes," Aurelyndra replied.
"The demon and the Hero are in the same place.
One hour to the north."
"She says," Fireburp echoed,
"they're to the north, an hour away."
"Then we have no time to waste," Andras said.
"Noelle and I can reach them in twenty minutes with Water‑Step."
"Should we follow after you?" Christina asked.
"No." Andras shook his head.
"Head toward the castle.
Floralys and David know the way,
and Ironclaw can smell demons from far away.
Christina, protect those who can't fight.
Anita — hunt down every demon you see."
"I agree," Floralys said.
"We don't know if the city is safe.
As Greenwood's leader, the townspeople's safety comes first."
"Understood," Christina nodded.
"So be it."
Noelle and Andras set off north,
following the trail of the Hero and the Demon.
The others turned west, toward Greenwood Castle,
to protect whatever could still be saved.
Judgment
Andrea Wolf moved slowly through the forest
when she came upon the bodies of the five elite female Silver Knights.
The same women who had fought beside her against the Blue Ogre,
who had trained with her, laughed with her,
shared drinks and victories with her…
now lay motionless on the ground.
Among them was a Fire Demon, half‑charred,
yet still terrifying even in death.
Andrea knelt down, leaning closer to examine the scene.
The smell of blood was thick in the air,
soaked into the earth,
splattered across the bark of the trees.
She was just about to stand
when she noticed one of the knights was still breathing.
Barely — but alive.
She immediately lifted the dying Silver Knight into her arms.
The woman's eyes fluttered open,
and when she saw Andrea,
a faint smile crossed her face.
"What happened to you?" Andrea asked,
her voice low, heavy with restrained pain.
The knight's lips trembled as she spoke.
"That Fire Demon… it was so fast.
It said… it wasn't the strongest…
but the fastest demon.
It cost the lives of all five of us… to stop it.
Are we… weak?"
"You defeated the fastest demon," Andrea said softly, firmly.
"You fell in battle as true knights — bravely."
The woman's eyes slowly closed,
but she spoke one last time.
"Go… north.
Wildfire is there.
Long live… the Silver Wolf Alliance…"
Her voice faded.
Her body went limp in Andrea's arms.
The Champion of the Wolf Knights sat in silence over the fallen knight.
She did not cry.
She did not scream.
The pain burned deep inside her —
a quiet ember that would never die.
At last, she rose.
She lowered the knight gently to the ground beside her sisters.
Then she drew Wolf Fang.
The blade slid from its sheath with a cold, ringing whisper.
Andrea spoke no words.
She didn't need to.
Her stance, her eyes, her very presence said everything:
From this moment on, she would be the hunter.
She turned north,
toward the Demon General —
toward Wildfire.
Her steps were neither rushed nor hesitant.
This was no longer a battle for her.
This was judgment.
Wildfire's Path of Ruin
Wildfire's path was pure destruction.
Wherever he walked, charred corpses littered the ground —
knights and demons alike.
The blazing giant no longer cared about anything:
he made no distinction between ally and enemy.
He wanted to burn everything that lived, moved, or breathed.
In the end, no one remained who could stand in his way.
No one except the two warriors he had been hunting from the very beginning:
John Scarlett, Captain of the Royal Knights,
and beside him,
Eris Scarlett, the Hero.
Father and daughter stood side by side, swords in hand,
as the towering Fire Demon's flaming form slowly approached.
John stepped forward, his voice echoing with fury through the forest.
"How many of my comrades have you slaughtered, you cursed monster?!"
Wildfire shrugged, as if the question were trivial.
"I didn't count.
Maybe… all of them?"
Eris's eyes narrowed.
"If the Princess is hurt, I won't be responsible for what I do to you."
"Princess?" Wildfire tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Doesn't ring a bell.
Though perhaps one of the Fire Demons already dealt with her.
If your knights burned so easily…
I wonder how long a Princess takes to burn alive."
"You rotten demon!" Eris shouted, surging forward —
but John grabbed her arm.
"Wait, Eris! Don't let him provoke you!
He's a Demon General!
Against him, every move counts!"
"I know that!" Eris hissed.
"But no matter how hard I strike…
my sword passes right through him!"
John stared at her in shock.
"Even the Dragonslayer is useless against him?!"
Wildfire laughed mockingly.
"Dragonslayer?
That's the name of that legendary sword?
Well… I am no dragon.
I am a Demon."
John tightened his grip on his blade.
"He doesn't even use a weapon.
His entire flaming body is a weapon."
"It's like fighting fire itself," Eris said.
"Is he immortal?"
"Impossible!" John shook his head.
"Even Demon Generals aren't immortal!"
Wildfire nodded with satisfaction.
"I am honored that the Hero herself calls me a Demon General.
It proves I am right…
and worthy of becoming the third Demon General."
John stared at him in disbelief.
"That can't be…
You're saying you're not a Demon General?!"