When Zaigar and his group were sleeping in the middle of the night inside the elf forest, the elves captured them. When Zaigar and his companions woke up, they found themselves locked inside a cage. The King of the Elves came forward and said:
"You have entered my land without permission."
At that very moment, Zaigar calmly spoke out the king's name. The King of the Elves was completely shocked, realizing that a foreigner knew his true name. With suspicious eyes, he asked:
"Who told you my name?"
Zaigar replied with confidence:
"Not only do I know your name, but I also carry a mark of entrance to the lands of the elves. I know you well. You are the close friend of Queen Lilith. She herself told me about you."
The King of the Elves fell silent for a moment, then sighed deeply and said:
"Release them immediately."
The guards obeyed, and Zaigar and his companions were freed. The King then looked at them and said:
"Come to my private chamber. We need to talk."
They followed the king into his personal hall. After they sat down, the King of the Elves bowed his head slightly and said:
"I apologize for having you captured without asking questions first. Forgive me. Now, tell me, what has brought you to this hidden land of mine?"
Zaigar answered honestly:
"We came here to rest for a while, to walk around a little, and also to gather information about the son of Queen Azaroth."
The King of the Elves narrowed his eyes and muttered:
"So, that is your goal…"
Zaigar nodded.
"Yes. We want to defeat Azaroth."
The king shook his head.
"If I were you, I would never even think of investigating him. Because the moment anyone dares to gather information about him, one of the Five Great Demons will immediately appear and burn everything to ashes."
Zaigar's eyes widened.
"Do you really not know which of the Five will appear?"
The king shrugged.
"It could be the first, or the second… No one truly knows."
Zaigar felt both relieved and frustrated at the same time. Relieved, because if one of the demons came, it meant fewer enemies remained. But frustrated, because their sudden arrival would put the elves themselves in danger.
In his mind, Zaigar whispered to the Pen:
"If one of them comes, we might be able to defeat it."
The Pen answered coldly:
"I am not certain… but I strongly recommend you do not seek information about Azaroth here."
Zaigar nodded slightly and said to the King:
"We do not wish to gather information on Azaroth anymore. Just allow us to stay here for today."
The king agreed and ordered one of his assistants:
"Guide our guests to their rooms."
Zaigar and his group followed the servant. While walking, Zaigar suddenly asked:
"Does the king have a son or daughter?"
The servant answered without hesitation:
"Yes, he has a daughter. But for several days, she has not been seen either in the palace or in the forest. Some say she has hidden herself somewhere… but strangely, even the king himself does not seem worried about her."
Zaigar frowned and thought to himself:
"Suspicious…"
When they finally reached their room, Zaigar turned to Lord Eylan.
"What do you think? Isn't the king acting a bit strange?"
Lord Eylan nodded firmly.
"Yes. It feels as if he is afraid of someone… and he is hiding the truth from us."
That night, Zaigar couldn't sleep. In the middle of the night, he silently slipped out of the window of his room, hiding his presence as he moved through the shadows. He reached the king's chambers and saw the King of the Elves, still awake, secretly moving toward a hidden place.
Zaigar followed him quietly. When the king arrived at a secluded location, a terrifying man with overwhelming magical power appeared. That man was none other than one of the Five Great Demons—the First Demon, the most powerful being after Azaroth himself.
Zaigar froze for a moment, unable to recognize him at first. But soon, the chilling aura confirmed it.
The demon looked at the king and spoke in a dark voice:
"So, they have arrived…"
The King of the Elves bowed and said:
"Yes, my lord. They are here. If you allow me, I will go right now and kill them."
Hearing this, Zaigar's blood boiled with rage. But he didn't reveal himself, remaining hidden in the shadows, listening carefully.
Before leaving, the First Demon asked coldly:
"Your daughter… she is still unharmed?"
The king trembled and replied:
"Yes… she is safe."
The demon smirked.
"Good. Then after you kill Zaigar and his group, your daughter will be set free."
Zaigar's eyes widened in shock at this revelation.
The king lowered his head and whispered:
"Please… just keep your word."
The demon vanished into the shadows. The King returned to his chamber and sat heavily on his throne, his hands shaking.
At that moment, Zaigar canceled his concealment and revealed himself. The King, however, did not flinch. Instead, he said with a broken voice:
"Forgive me. But I have no choice. I must save my daughter… As a father, I cannot lose her. She is my only child."
Zaigar clenched his fists.
"You don't need to kill us. We are here to defeat him. Let us fight Azaroth instead."
The king looked at him in shock.
"You… you cannot possibly defeat him!"
And then, in that tense silence, the First Demon appeared once again, emerging from the darkness like a nightmare.
"Oh, oh…" he said mockingly. "I see. I should have killed you right here from the beginning."
Zaigar glared at him.
"So… you saw me."
The demon smirked.
"Yes. It was too easy."
The king fell to his knees, trembling, and cried:
"Please, my lord! Forgive me… I didn't mean to betray you!"
The First Demon's eyes glowed red with cruelty.
"Perhaps I should kill your daughter too. That way, you will truly be left alone."
The king wept, begging desperately.
"No! Please, not my daughter!"
Zaigar shouted furiously:
"Hey, demon! Fight me instead!"
The First Demon turned his gaze toward him and sneered.
"Very well. But you are too weak."
Zaigar raised his weapon and growled:
"Just attack me!"
The demon lunged forward with incredible speed, his dark aura consuming the chamber as the clash began.
To be continued…
---