Lucas had already endured enough for one day. First, he lost the war. Then, he was captured by the Dark Army. He was lucky enough—somehow, he was saved by two Dark Side experimental human children. And just when he thought he was finally safe, he and his squad were thrown into a monstrous beast wave—surrounded by his knights and those same Dark Side experiment kids.
At first, Lucas thought they were just normal demons. He readied himself, fully expecting a standard skirmish. But then he saw it.
A higher-class demon—towering, monstrous, with a presence so suffocating that his mind went blank for a moment. Panic almost consumed him. then one of the experiments stepped forward.Lucas's senses snapped back into place as he recognized the kid.
"Baldwin! What are you doing? Come back!" Lucas shouted. "Your memories… they're not everything! You can make new ones!"
He feared Baldwin might be marching to his death. Maybe the man was just throwing himself away, willing to become a sacrificial lamb. But deep down, Lucas also wondered—was Baldwin doing it because of him?
Behind him, Athan stifled a chuckle. "Oh man… One of them wants to test the beast's strength, and the other thinks he's found his meat shield," he muttered under his breath.
Baldwin, hearing Lucas's cry, decided to add a bit more flair to his performance.
"Sir Lucas! I understand! You're afraid! I've lost everything—I don't even know who I am anymore!" he shouted dramatically. "But I'll be your shield! Please, run! Form a team and survive! I—!"
Before he could finish, the beast's tail came crashing down.
Baldwin leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the impact. As the tail recoiled, he punched it—just enough to show restraint.
Lucas ran forward, panic in his voice. "You're not alone! We can defeat this thing! They're just demons—nothing to fear!"
Baldwin smirked to himself, still playing the role. "But what about the other knights? If you live, you can escape… but now, all of us might die!"
He didn't actually care about the knights, of course—but it made the scene better.
"Baldwin… whoever you were, whatever you used to be—you were someone who sacrificed himself for others. But not this time!" Lucas shouted.
He raised his sword, and from it blazed a radiant, white light. The demonic beast hesitated, stepping back as the glow cut through the air.
Watching from afar, Athan sat on a rock, his eyes fixed on the display of a new and flashy power. He seemed mildly intrigued.
"Is that... a soul weapon? Sure looks like one. As expected from a human knight," he muttered.
"Baldwin! I don't know how long I can hold my Soulful Arsenal! I have a plan—"
"Soulful Arsenal… is that what they call their soul weapon?" Baldwin mused, watching with faint curiosity.
"I guess this really is another world. Soulful Arsenal, huh… nice name," he thought to himself with an internal smirk.
"No time!" Baldwin interrupted. "I'll be the decoy! When the moment comes—strike it down with everything you've got!"
Before Lucas could argue, Baldwin launched himself forward, hand drawn back in a punch. The beast whipped its tail at him again, but Baldwin caught it mid-air, landing on it like a sprinting platform. He ran along the tail's length—too fast for Lucas to follow.
The beast twisted, trying to fling him off. Baldwin leapt, landing along its side, and threw a light punch. Nothing happened. the beast didn't even flinch.
It swung again—this time, Baldwin leapt far back. The beast turned its focus fully onto him.
Lucas suddenly understood.
"He's pulling the beast away from me."
Baldwin ran straight at it once more. The beast roared and charged. As it lunged, Baldwin jumped again. The tail swung upward—but he stepped on it mid-air and vaulted higher, flipping behind the creature.
Now behind the beast, Baldwin stayed in motion, keeping its attention.
Lucas, meanwhile, was already in position. The moment the tail lifted from the ground and exposed its vulnerable underside—
he struck.
The Soulful Arsenal gleamed with divine light as he cleaved downward. The beast tried to recoil, but it was too late. The blade severed the joint of the tail, then carved a deep line up to its forehead.
Still not done, Lucas pivoted and slashed at its thick leg—it parted like butter.
Then, with a final swing, he slashed at the creature's monstrous mouth.
The beast went berserk. before it could retaliate, Baldwin appeared, grabbed Lucas by the waist, and leapt away from the carnage.
Athan yawned as he watched from afar. "Nice fight… beast isn't dead yet though. Give it a few minutes."
Back on the battlefield, the massive creature stumbled back—its injuries causing chaos in its own ranks. It crushed low-ranking beasts as it staggered. Some tried to stop it, but it was no use. finally, the colossal body collapsed, flattening more beasts beneath it. The impact shook the ground.
Baldwin looked at the crater it left behind and tilted his head. Huh. About the size of my bathroom back in the castle, he mused casually.
Now, the remaining beasts had no fight left in them—they began to flee. the knights gathered around Lucas, who was kneeling, breathing heavily.
"We did it! The demons are retreating!" one shouted.
"They're not demons," Baldwin muttered to himself. "They're just beasts."
"Look!" another cried. "The boy and Lord Lucas defeated that demon—the size of a small castle!"
"A small castle?" Baldwin scoffed internally. That thing's the size of my bathtub. If they saw my real castle, they'd faint just from the shadow.
Lucas straightened, rallying the knights. "We're not done here. Prepare to collect the spoils. Move!"
As the beast's body slowly dissolved into glowing particles, a brilliant sky-blue crystal was left behind. It radiated a peaceful aura.
Two knights struggled to lift it, finally carrying it to the supply carriage.
Athan walked up to Baldwin with a grin. "So, how was it?"
"Good," Baldwin replied, smirking. "I see you slept through most of it."
"No way! Too much chaos to sleep!" Athan replied.
"Boys! Hurry up! We leave before sunset!" Lucas barked, already stepping onto the carriage.
"Why's he in such a rush?" Athan asked.
Baldwin shrugged. "Who knows."
And with that, the two followed, as the sun dipped lower and the battlefield behind them began to cool.