Demon Devouring

Imperial Calendar, year 328, the nineteenth day of the third month. The northwestern ice plains were graced with a rare spell of cloudy weather, yet few were willing to venture out in such conditions. Over a dozen days of heavy snowfall had already driven temperatures to extreme lows, and now a powerful, snow-melting wind pushed the outdoor chill to the freezing point.

But no matter how bitter the cold, soldiers bound by duty stood firm at their posts, carrying out their responsibilities with unwavering vigilance.

Deep within the ice plains, a fierce battle was underway. Every participant was an Imperial soldier in full armor, each mounted atop a formidable snow wolf—they were Snow Wolf Knights, the elite of the Empire's northwestern military. Across the entire Empire, every single member of this unit was worth a hundred ordinary men in combat.

Yet this extraordinarily fierce force was now encircling a single enemy in a seven-man squad formation.

No—the thing surrounded could no longer be called a man. Its body was dark, livid green and black, vaguely human in shape but moving on all fours. Its limbs were abnormally long, its bodily proportions grotesquely distorted, its features twisted until barely human at all. It was a fearsome fighter—immensely strong, lightning-quick, its ten fingers sharper than blades and laced with deadly poison. Black saliva dripped endlessly from its half-open mouth, hissing and sizzling as it struck the snow, eating fist-sized holes into the frozen ground.

With a heavy clang, a Snow Wolf Knight stumbled back several steps. The black figure drifted lightly, seemingly about to break free of the encirclement, when two arcs of sword-light slashed in from the side, forcing the creature to retreat even faster than it had charged.

Having failed to break out yet again, the black figure grew ever more frenzied. Its form flickered like a bolt of black lightning, crashing wildly in every direction. A rapid series of metallic clangs rang out within the confined space, and before long, two of the weaker knights could hold out no longer—they were sent flying by a single violent impact. The black figure shot upward like a specter, and at the same instant, two thin black streaks lashed out like venomous serpents, striking for the knights' throats!

None of the Snow Wolf Knights dared to hesitate. Three gave chase to the black figure, while the other two swung their swords in a desperate bid to deflect the lethal strike.

*Boom!*

Midair, the black figure was slammed violently by a figure that had appeared from nowhere, crashing back onto the ice plains with such force that the very ground shuddered. Almost the instant it landed, a blaze of fiery red sword-light descended from the sky, striking dead center into the creature's body. Amidst bestial howls, countless plumes of black smoke surged skyward, and the snow beneath instantly corroded away to nothing.

The seven-man squad hastily regrouped, gathering around the knight who had just appeared. The man radiated an overwhelming aura of murderous intent so thick it seemed to freeze the very air.

Had Theresa been present, she would have recognized him in an instant—this was Baman! Baman, the Sacred Snow Wolf Knight!

Though his strike had landed true, Baman did not let his guard down for even a moment. His eyes remained fixed on the spot where black smoke billowed, his sword blazing with fiery red battle aura like burning flames—fierce and untamed.

The smoke dispersed. All that remained on the empty ground was a single brilliantly colored orb resting on the ice, about the size of an infant's head. Whether judged by luster or form, it was a top-quality "Demon-Hunting Orb."

At the sight of the orb, everyone relaxed. Baman sheathed the battle aura from his blade and gave a slight signal to the knight beside him. The knight dismounted in one smooth motion, strode forward, and picked up the Demon-Hunting Orb. Cradling the orb, which weighed almost nothing, he approached Baman with careful steps and offered it up. Baman, however, did not take it. He merely reached out and patted the knight's shoulder. "Keep it as a gift for Tess. Remember to file the account with the unit later."

"A Demon-Hunting Orb of this quality is rare indeed. Thank you, sir." Knight Pedia smiled faintly, tucked the orb into his leather pouch, and vaulted back onto his wolf. He continued riding beside Baman, listening to the commander's assessment of the battle just fought.

One spoke with focused attention; the other listened with equal focus. The other seven formed a battle formation around the pair as they rode at a slow pace. Eight riders in all moved onward—until, without warning, the sky suddenly darkened. Everyone felt as though they had been plunged into a pitch-black night where one couldn't see one's own hand. Almost simultaneously, Baman let out a thunderous roar—

"On guard!"

In the darkness, Pedia gripped his sword hilt, senses stretched to their absolute limit, fully on alert. Yet somehow, a deep unease crept into his heart. Second by second, time seemed to stretch into eternity. The world became utterly silent, leaving only the pounding of his own heartbeat—*thump, thump*—resounding in his ears.

No one noticed that, in the very instant the darkness descended, a wisp of black oozed from Pedia's waist and spread rapidly up and down along his body. Within two or three seconds, Pedia was completely enveloped in that blackness.

When sunlight once again bathed the land, everyone felt as though they had been reborn. One after another, they could not help but ask—

"What happened?"

"Yeah, what in the world was that?"

"The heavens show strange signs... this year will not be an easy one..."

Amidst the clamor, a thunderous voice cut through like a bolt of lightning.

"Where is Pedia?" Baman's face was ashen as he glared at the others. Only then did everyone realize that only seven people stood upon the ice plains. Pedia, who had been at Baman's side, and his snow wolf had vanished without a trace.

In that instant, a chill seized all their hearts—to make a living man and his wolf disappear right at such close range... How was such a thing even possible?!

After a meticulous and painstaking search, an even more alarming conclusion emerged: no traces, no sound, no sign. Pedia and his snow wolf had simply vanished completely...

Baman's face was black as the bottom of a pot. He stared at the spot where Pedia had stood, his murderous aura exploding outward—so intense that even the veteran soldiers who had followed him for years were forced to retreat several paces.

Just when everyone thought Baman would lose his mind, his mount—the famed Snow Wolf God of the age—suddenly lowered its proud head, pressing its forehead to the ground and gently touching the spot where Pedia had stood. Under this influence, Baman's aura stalled, and the near-substantial killing intent vanished in an instant. He leapt down from the wolf and knelt on one knee, waiting in numb silence.

"Owooo!"

After a long moment, the Snow Wolf God raised its head and suddenly let out a howl. Every strand of fur along its body stood on end, and wave after wave of soft, milky-white light seeped from each upright hair, slowly swirling around the ground where Pedia had once stood. On the ice plains where nothing had been, faint trails of rainbow-colored light began to emerge, mingling with the white glow and flowing slowly until they gathered into a shape like a round mirror.

When it had finished all this, the Snow Wolf God seemed to have exhausted every ounce of its strength, collapsing into listlessness. Baman stroked its fur with deep tenderness, collected the round mirror, and raised his hand in a sweeping gesture. The company raced back to camp like a whirlwind! (To be continued)