The red moon had sunk in the west. Dawn broke, and the sun was about to rise.
Bird, the demon, returned to the inn—excited yet exhausted after a long night of slaughter.
There was still one thing left here. A lovely boy. His hair was as black as the night sky, and his eyes matched in darkness. What wicked colors. If they had spent more time together, Bird thought he might have grown fond of the polite, timid child.
He was mine. Take him back to Hell? No, absolutely not. The boy had no means of defending himself. Wherever he went, he'd be nothing but a burden. The Abyss was no playground, and Bird had no intention of raising a child. More importantly, the boy was the last living soul in this city. Only by killing him could Bird claim a perfect massacre—no survivors.
If even one human lived, it would be a blemish on his honor. And Bird preferred flawless records.
When he entered the room, the boy was still lying there—limp as sludge, completely drained.
This place had been the starting point of the night's revelry. Now, it would be the end.
Escape was impossible. Before leaving, Bird had cast a "Weakening Curse" on the boy. Not the diluted version used by human mages, but a true Abyssal hex. Even if Bird didn't kill him, the boy would never stand again. He'd spend the rest of his life lying there like a pile of flesh.
Maybe that was better than death. "A swift kill is a mercy," Bird thought. But after a night of chaos, he had no desire to play. He just wanted to give Belric a quick mercy.
"What a pity. Can't even dodge. Killing someone like this is boring. But it can't be helped—he's just a pathetic little human."
Bird raised his greatsword—then lowered it. Using his treasured blade on someone like this felt beneath him. The boy couldn't even scream. So Bird chose a different method.
He pulled out a gemstone. Inside it was the soul of Belric's father. Bird began to chant.
"Soul Extraction" was a high-level spell, even for a demon. It tore the soul from the body without damaging it. But the beauty of it lay in its duration. The process could last dozens of minutes, during which the victim would experience unimaginable agony—pain that tore at the soul itself.
Belric convulsed violently. Every inch of his skin twitched. His blood felt like it was boiling. His soul was being ripped apart. His throat could only produce hoarse, broken screams.
No one could imagine such torment. Every second stretched into eternity. If Belric had the strength, he would've bitten off his tongue without hesitation.
Finally, the sun rose. A gray wisp was pulled from Belric's body and absorbed into the gemstone.
"Be grateful, little worm. You'll be reunited with your father," Bird said, scratching his ear as he turned to leave for the next town.
"Who the hell do you think you are, calling me a worm? Say that again—I dare you."
Someone stood in the morning light. Behind him were shattered walls and flickering embers swaying in the breeze.
Bird turned, stunned.
The figure's shadow stretched long in the sunlight, engulfing Bird.
A bad omen.
Belric stood before him—upright.
Impossible.
Bird frantically checked the gemstone. No mistake. Belric's soul was inside.
Then who was this? Or rather—what was inside Belric now?
Bird was filled with questions. But he quickly cast them aside. If he didn't understand, he'd capture it and study it.
He thought the party was over. Now, an encore had begun.
Bird smiled. He wanted to sing.
"Ha! Delightful. I love surprises. Careful, little worm—don't die too quickly!"
He swung his greatsword. The blow shattered walls, split the floor, and shook the entire inn.
When the dust cleared, Belric was gone. A massive crater remained, revealing the tavern below—and half a dwarf's body.
Bird searched. "Where is he? Did I squash him? The encore just started—don't tell me it's already over."
Belric's voice came from behind. But it wasn't Belric speaking.
It was cold. Commanding. Like a tyrant.
"You've got guts. Even Zeus didn't dare call me a worm."
Bird spun around.
Belric sat casually atop a broken beam, smirking, tossing a pebble in one hand.
Bird narrowed his eyes. That pebble was the soulstone. The one that had just been in his possession.
Danger.
Something had changed. Belric was still Belric—but stronger. Bird didn't know how he'd gotten behind him. Or how he'd stolen the stone.
A master thief? Perhaps.
This trip to the Prime Plane was going to be interesting.
Bird hated offbeat partners. This dance might not be so cheerful.
"Zeus? Never heard of him. What did he call you?"
Bird growled and swung his sword—not to slash, but to smash. He brought it down like a hammer.
Boom.
The wall collapsed.
Bird stared at the rubble, then chuckled. No one had escaped. No thief could survive that.
"Too bad. I asked too late. I'll never know who Zeus is—or what he called you. Shame. Squashed like a bug. A bug's death."
He laughed to himself.
"Zeus was just an annoying old man. He called me Mars."
Belric—no, Mars—stepped from the shadows. The soulstone hovered in his hand, glowing fiercely.
A gray wisp shot from the stone, piercing Mars's forehead.
Mars tossed the stone back to Belric.
"This child is mine. I'm taking him back."
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Belric screamed. He'd seen everything from inside the stone—but hadn't known how to react. Or how to process the being now controlling his body.
Mars.
The ancient god of war.
"You're Mars?"
"No need to lie."
Belric shrank into his soul, watching silently—like an audience member at his own execution.
Their exchange lasted only a moment. But in that moment, Bird felt something shift.
Danger.
He wouldn't hold back.
Chapter 008: The Counterstrike
"Mars? What's that? Some kind of bug?"
Bird's eyes flashed. Two black beams shot forth—pure negative energy.
His greatsword ignited with green flame. He lunged, thrusting the blade forward.
The beams struck Mars with a hiss.
Nothing happened.
Bird's power was meaningless—like starlight in the sun. Against a god, his magic was dust.
Mars leapt—landing atop Bird's sword. The flames licked his boots. He didn't flinch.
Bird nearly lost his mind. Was this mockery? Provocation? No—humiliation.
He wanted to tear Mars apart. But he wasn't stupid. This man was fast—untouchable. Immune to fire and low-level magic.
What else could he do?
Bird weighed his options. He was a prince of the Abyss—but young, and not yet strong. He knew when to retreat.
He stepped back, forced a smile.
"No tricks. I surrender. I'm not your match. I won't attack again. I'll leave."
Mars blinked—then smiled.
"Fine. Go."
Bird didn't hesitate. He turned and leapt away. But he wasn't careless. He cast Mage's Eye—watching his back.
And he saw it.
Mars moved like lightning. A blade appeared in his hand—gleaming, deadly.
Bird twisted midair.
Too late.
The blade flashed.
Bird's feet separated from his body—cleanly severed at the ankles. He didn't even feel it at first.
Then came the pain. The blood. The crash.
Mars stood over him, head tilted.
Bird struggled to rise. He couldn't sing. The music was gone.
"You lied! You tricked me! You worm!"
"I didn't lie. I let you go," Mars said innocently. "But now you've got no feet. How will you walk?"
He chuckled.
"You think you can insult me and walk away? The world doesn't work like that."
"Screw you!" Bird roared. He didn't care about the mockery. He cursed until Mars raised his blade again.
Bird shouted:
"Kill me? Fine! But think of your father. If I die, he'll suffer! His soul will be tortured for a thousand years! Ten thousand! The pain—unimaginable! Think! Think carefully!"
Mars felt Belric's soul tremble violently. For a moment, he lost control of the body. His arms raised the blade—but Belric stopped it.
Bird saw it. He seized the moment.
He slammed the ground, launching himself backward—spinning like a top. With every ounce of strength in his body, Bird swung the greatsword toward Mars in a vicious arc.
It was the same move he had used just nights ago to cleave a mage tower from its foundations.
The blade howled through the air, tearing at the wind, trailing the scent of death as it descended upon Mars.
Mars furrowed his brow. At that moment, the ancient god sensed that Belric's soul had finally gone quiet within him.
Good. Stay quiet, Mars warned internally. You'll get us both killed if you keep interfering.
Belric didn't respond. He simply retreated into silence.
Mars watched the greatsword descend. He had time to smile.
As long as Belric didn't interfere, Mars feared no one.
But then—his smile froze.
On the sword's hilt, a grotesque eye snapped open.
A wicked, demonic eye.
It stared directly at Mars.
"Gaze of Stasis."
The spell activated.
Mars couldn't move.
The Gaze of Stasis was a high-tier enchantment, embedded into the sword by Bird's father—the Abyssal King himself. Anything caught in its gaze would be paralyzed. Archmages equated its power to "Time Stop."
Mars felt it instantly.
Not just his body—but the air around him, the dust in the wind, the flicker of light, even time itself—froze.
It would only last a moment.
But for Bird, a moment was enough.
The sword slammed into Mars, sending him flying like a cannonball.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
Mars crashed through wall after wall, demolishing half the town before finally hitting the ground.
A final explosion echoed as the last building collapsed.
Bird didn't relax.
This was the first time he'd landed a hit on Mars. The man was fast—unnaturally so. Bird doubted he was dead.
But still… that kind of impact? No human could survive it.
Bird decided to focus on the present.
He summoned his severed feet.
One foot obediently hopped toward him. The other tried to escape.
Bird growled, threatening it.
Reluctantly, the rebellious foot returned.
Once reattached, Bird stood again.
Then—an explosion erupted from the far side of town