Inside Kaelzar's base, the distant cries of tortured and violated women echoed through the dimly lit halls. Yet, in the deepest chamber, Kaelzar slept soundly in his chair, his mind lost in a dream—a memory from long ago. "Brother, Carlos and I are planning to get married!" Mikaela giggled, her eyes shining with happiness.

"What!? Carlos, you damn bastard! You're my best friend, and you courted Mikaela behind my back!?" Kaelzar exclaimed in mock outrage.

Carlos only laughed good-naturedly as Kaelzar lunged at him, putting him in a playful headlock, grinning in annoyance.

"B-Brotheeerr! Stop!" Mikaela protested, though laughter filled the air as the two continued their friendly scuffle.

The warmth of the memory shattered as another scene took its place.

"What!? Mikaela sacrificed herself to let Princess Elyssia escape from the demon horde!?" Kaelzar's voice trembled with disbelief as he confronted a soldier who had just arrived with a trembling ten-year-old Elyssia.

Kaelzar's heart pounded as he looked at the young princess, still in shock from witnessing Mikaela's ultimate sacrifice.

"Tsk!" Kaelzar clicked his tongue in frustration and bolted from the throne room, abandoning his post.

"Kael, wait! We can't leave! If we do, and the horde reaches the city, there will be no one left to defend the people and the royal family! Our knights need us!" Carlos called out, his voice torn between duty and his love for Mikaela.

"Shut up!" Kaelzar snarled, ripping off his knight's badge and throwing it to the ground.

Carlos paled. That single act was an undeniable sign of rebellion.

The king and queen were stunned. The king’s face twisted in fury. A knight’s duty was to obey his lord without question. But even Carlos knew the king’s command had been logical—their people needed them.

"Seize him! Carlos, take Kaelzar away!" the king ordered.

"Wait, Your Majesty! Please! Kaelzar isn’t thinking straight—his sister just died!" Carlos pleaded desperately.

"Silence! Do you dare defy me!?" the king roared.

Carlos clenched his fists. He had no choice. He pinned his best friend down, following orders. But when the time came to escort Kaelzar away with the other knights, he made a choice.

With a swift motion, he uncuffed Kaelzar. The two turned against the knights, fighting their way out of the kingdom.

Time was slipping away—four hours had already passed since Mikaela had volunteered to stay behind.

Together, they fought through the endless horde of demons—minions of the Dark Lord. With every step, they carved a bloody path, desperate to reach her.

Then, amidst the carnage, they found her. Mikaela’s body lay lifeless. Only her torso remained. Kaelzar who saw this felt Something inside him snapped.

The battlefield was a hellscape of fire, blood, and chaos. Kaelzar roared in rage, his voice echoing like thunder as he tore through the demon horde. His dark mana erupted around him, a swirling storm of shadows that even the demon general, a towering figure of obsidian armor and glowing crimson eyes, paused to witness.

"A human... blessed with dark mana?" the demon general growled, its voice a deep, guttural rumble. "Impossible!"

But Kaelzar didn’t care for its disbelief. His eyes burned with a mixture of fury and despair, his mind replaying the image of his sister, Mikaela, lying lifeless on the ground. "I’LL KILL YOU ALL!" he screamed, his voice raw with grief and rage.

He charged at the demon general, his twin daggers glowing with dark energy. The demon swung its massive axe, but Kaelzar dodged with unnatural speed, his movements fueled by pure adrenaline and hatred. He didn’t care about defense—every strike was a reckless, all-out attack, even if it meant taking a hit in return.

The demon general’s axe grazed Kaelzar’s side, drawing blood, but Kaelzar only laughed, his grin wild and unhinged. He retaliated with a flurry of strikes, his daggers slicing through the demon’s armor and drawing black ichor.

"You think you can stop me!?" Kaelzar shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "You took her from me! You took EVERYTHING!"

The demon general roared, its crimson eyes blazing as it unleashed a wave of dark energy. The ground around Kaelzar cracked and crumbled, but he didn’t flinch. He charged straight through the chaos, his dark mana clashing with the demon’s energy in a blinding explosion of power.

Carlos, fighting his way through the demon horde, shouted, "Kael!" But his voice was drowned out by the cacophony of battle. He clenched his teeth, his heart heavy with guilt and sorrow. He had known Mikaela was dead, but he had clung to the faint hope that she might still be alive. Now, seeing Kaelzar’s despair, he felt the weight of his own failure.

Kaelzar and the demon general clashed again, their weapons meeting in a shower of sparks. The demon’s axe came down with crushing force, but Kaelzar parried it with one dagger and drove the other into the demon’s side. The demon roared in pain, its massive hand swiping at Kaelzar, but he ducked and rolled, coming up behind it to slash at its legs.

"You’re too slow!" Kaelzar taunted, his voice dripping with venom. "Is this all the mighty demon general can do?"

The demon general snarled, its crimson eyes blazing with fury. It unleashed another wave of dark energy, but Kaelzar absorbed it with his own dark mana, the power surging through him like a storm. He lunged forward, his daggers glowing with a sinister light as he struck again and again, each blow fueled by his rage and grief.

The demon general staggered, its strength waning under Kaelzar’s relentless assault. With a final, desperate roar, it swung its axe in a wide arc, but Kaelzar ducked under it and plunged both daggers into the demon’s chest.

The demon general let out a guttural scream, its body convulsing as dark energy erupted from its wounds. Kaelzar stood over it, his grin never fading, even as the demon’s life force drained away.

"This is for Mikaela," Kaelzar whispered, his voice cold and filled with sorrow. He yanked his daggers free, watching as the demon general collapsed to the ground, its body dissolving into ash.

Around him, the battlefield fell silent, the remaining demons retreating in fear. Kaelzar stood amidst the destruction, bloodied and battered but still smiling, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of victory—and the weight of his loss.

Carlos finally reached him, his chest heaving as he placed a hand on Kaelzar’s shoulder. "Kael... I’m sorry."

Kaelzar didn’t respond. He just stared at the ashes of the demon general, his grip tightening on his daggers. The battle was won, but the war inside him had only just begun.

"Absorb." Kaelzar's voice was cold and unwavering as he activated his dark mana. His dagger pulsed with an ominous energy, absorbing the ashes of the fallen demon general. The weapon began to transform in midair, its shape shifting into something far more sinister. A menacing, dark aura surrounded it—the birth of an Unholy Weapon.

Just then, Knight General Lizandra arrived with her squad. They had been tracking Kaelzar and Carlos but hesitated when they saw the two venture deep into demon-infested lands. However, after the demon horde inexplicably retreated an hour later, the knights resumed their pursuit.

"Knight Captain Carlos and Vice Knight Captain Kaelzar," Lizandra declared, her sword drawn. "You are both under arrest. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

Kaelzar turned to Carlos, his expression dark and twisted with rage. "What will it be, Carlos? They branded us criminals just because we dared to hope Mikaela was still alive—only to find out she wasn't. I have nothing left for the Kingdom of Naeva. I despise them. The royal family should die for abandoning my sister! For betraying us!"

"Kael, stop! It's not the royal family's fault—"

Before Carlos could finish, Kaelzar's dagger shot through the air, impaling one of the knights. The man collapsed instantly.

"Kael!" Carlos gasped, instinctively reaching for his sword, but he hesitated. His grip trembled, and his breath came ragged. He couldn't fight his best friend. Instead, he fell to his knees, his hands clenched into fists as he watched Kaelzar mercilessly cut down their fellow knights.

"I won't let you—ugh!" Lizandra gasped as Kaelzar’s darkened dagger pierced her side.

"Just die already, Lizandra," Kaelzar muttered, watching her cough up blood as she struggled to keep her balance. She swung her sword at him, but he nimbly jumped back, evading the strike with ease.

"Watch closely, Lizandra," he sneered. Then, with terrifying precision, he dashed through her ranks, cutting down her knights one by one—severing limbs before delivering fatal blows. Their agonized screams echoed through the battlefield.

Carlos could only watch, his face pale with horror. He wanted to stop him, but his body refused to move.

"Stop it!!" Lizandra cried out as she collapsed, helpless to do anything but bear witness.

Kaelzar stood over her, his dagger gleaming with fresh blood. He raised his weapon, prepared to strike the final blow to her heart—

"Charge! Protect them!"

A booming voice interrupted the massacre.

General Julius had arrived, leading a battalion of knights. The aging but formidable warrior had been a father figure to Kaelzar, Carlos, and Mikaela. Beside him stood Generals Stefan and Riverla, commanding 500 knights from their noble houses. They had come expecting to battle demons, only to witness Kaelzar cutting down their own men and leaving Lizandra crippled on the battlefield.

Kaelzar clicked his tongue in irritation. He turned to Carlos one last time, his expression unreadable. "Carlos, if you survive, we will meet again. Hopefully, by then, you will have made your choice."

And with that, he vanished. His dark mana surged, amplifying his speed as he disappeared in an instant.

Carlos remained frozen in place, his eyes hollow with grief, regret, and despair.

In the days that followed, Kaelzar’s name spread like wildfire. He became infamous—a notorious bandit, terrorizing villages and towns across multiple kingdoms. But his ultimate goal remained unchanged.

He returned to the territory of the Kingdom of Naeva.

And there, he began his plan for revenge.