The valley had already begun to echo with the sounds of battle by the time the first demon fell beneath Eren Thorne's blade. Steel clashed against claws and armor as the adventurers fought desperately to hold their line against the demon army pouring down from the cliffs. The gray sky above seemed to press down on the battlefield like a lid closing over a boiling pot, trapping the noise of war within the rocky basin. Dust, blood, and cold mountain wind mixed together as the clash intensified.
But this time was different.
Eren had already seen how this battle ended.
And he had already died once in it.
Cassian Voss fought beside him, his sword cutting precise arcs through the air as he blocked and countered attacks from two demons at once. Sparks flashed with every strike while the creatures hissed and growled in their strange language.
"You were right about the formation," Cassian said between strikes.
Eren cut down another demon that lunged toward them and stepped back into position.
"They're testing us," he replied.
Cassian frowned.
"Testing?"
Eren glanced toward the cliffs again.
The violet-eyed demon lord still stood there, unmoving.
Watching.
Observing every movement.
"Yes," Eren said quietly.
Cassian followed his gaze.
"That thing hasn't joined the fight."
"Because it doesn't need to."
Another demon rushed forward with a spear.
Eren stepped inside the creature's reach and drove his blade upward through its chest before it could strike. The demon collapsed at his feet.
The first wave of enemies was beginning to thin.
But Eren knew what came next.
The horn.
Right on cue, the deep sound rolled across the valley again.
The ground trembled faintly as more demons climbed from hidden tunnels carved into the surrounding cliffs.
Cassian cursed under his breath.
"More?"
Eren nodded.
"This is the part where things get worse."
Bram Calder roared as he smashed through another demon with his massive sword.
"Hold the line!" Bram shouted.
The adventurers tightened their formation again, pushing back against the second wave of attackers. Bodies began to pile across the rocky ground as steel flashed again and again.
But despite their effort, the demons kept advancing.
Eren moved through the battle carefully, studying everything.
How the demons attacked.
Where they positioned themselves.
How the army shifted around the battlefield.
Every detail mattered.
Because he knew this fight might take many attempts to win.
Cassian parried another strike and stepped closer to Eren.
"You're thinking again."
Eren smirked slightly.
"I always am."
Cassian glanced toward the ridge where the demon lord stood watching.
"That thing is the real problem."
Eren nodded.
"Yes."
Cassian wiped blood from his blade.
"So what's the plan?"
Eren didn't answer immediately.
Because the truth was simple.
There wasn't a plan yet.
This battle was still a lesson.
A demon rushed toward them with twin blades.
Eren dodged the first strike and countered with a slash across the creature's arm, but the second blade slipped through his guard and cut across his ribs.
Pain burned through his side.
Eren gritted his teeth and finished the demon with a thrust through the throat.
Cassian noticed the wound immediately.
"You're bleeding."
"I'll survive."
Cassian shook his head.
"That's not comforting when you say it like that."
The battle continued to rage across the valley.
Alric Stormhall fought near the center of the formation with terrifying strength, his sword cutting through demon armor as if it were cloth. The guild master's presence kept the adventurers from breaking under the pressure.
But even he was starting to tire.
And the demons still had numbers.
Eren looked around the battlefield again.
Two adventurers were already down.
Three more were wounded.
This fight was slowly turning into the same disaster he had seen in the previous timeline.
He looked up at the demon lord again.
The creature still hadn't moved.
Its violet eyes watched the battlefield with cold patience.
Waiting.
Eren suddenly understood something.
"That's it," he muttered.
Cassian heard him.
"What?"
Eren pointed toward the ridge.
"It's controlling the fight."
Cassian frowned.
"You mean commanding the army?"
"No."
Eren shook his head.
"It's studying us."
Cassian glanced back at the ridge again.
"Why?"
Eren's eyes narrowed.
"Because we're the threat."
Cassian laughed once.
"Flattering."
Another demon charged toward them, interrupting the conversation.
Eren blocked the strike, but the impact pushed him backward several steps. The creature was stronger than the previous enemies, its armor thicker and movements more disciplined.
This one was different.
"Elite," Cassian said quietly.
Eren nodded.
"Yeah."
The demon attacked again with a brutal overhead strike.
Eren barely managed to block it.
The force rattled his arms.
The creature followed immediately with a second attack that forced Eren to drop to one knee.
Cassian stepped in and drove his blade through the demon's back.
The creature collapsed.
Eren stood again, breathing harder now.
"You okay?" Cassian asked.
"Yeah."
But Eren knew something was wrong.
The headache from earlier had returned.
The pressure behind his eyes pulsed again.
And with it came another flash.
Darkness.
An endless void stretching beyond time.
And something moving within it.
Watching.
Eren blinked.
The vision disappeared.
Cassian grabbed his shoulder.
"You just froze."
"I'm fine."
Cassian didn't look convinced.
"You're lying again."
Eren pushed forward into the fight before Cassian could question him further.
He cut down another demon.
Then another.
But the battle continued to spiral.
More demons appeared from the cliffs.
More adventurers fell.
Eventually the line broke.
Cassian stumbled backward as two demons rushed him simultaneously.
Eren moved to help, but another spear struck him in the leg before he could reach his ally.
He dropped to one knee.
Pain shot through his body.
Cassian shouted his name.
"Eren!"
But Eren already knew how this moment ended.
He had seen it before.
The demon army closed in from every direction.
Above them, the demon lord finally stepped forward.
Its massive blade slid slowly from its sheath.
The creature leapt down from the ridge and landed among the battlefield with a thunderous crash.
The adventurers froze.
Even Alric Stormhall turned toward the new threat.
The demon lord's violet eyes scanned the battlefield until they landed on Eren.
"You again," it said softly.
Eren forced himself to stand despite the spear still lodged in his leg.
"Yeah."
The demon lord smiled.
"You are persistent."
Eren raised his sword.
"Occupational hazard."
The creature moved faster than anything Eren had seen before.
The blade struck.
Eren tried to block.
The impact shattered his defense instantly.
His sword flew from his hand as the demon lord's weapon cut deep across his chest.
Eren collapsed to the ground.
Blood spread across the stone beneath him.
The demon lord stood above him calmly.
"Your ability is interesting," it said.
Eren coughed weakly.
"Still… learning."
The demon lord raised its blade again.
"Then learn from this."
The strike fell.
Darkness returned.
Eren's eyes opened.
Cold wind brushed against his face.
The mountain path stretched ahead again.
The expedition had not yet reached the valley.
Cassian walked several steps ahead just like before.
Time had reset.
Eren slowly stood straighter.
The headache remained.
But now he understood something important.
This battle was not meant to be won in one life.
It was a puzzle.
And every death revealed another piece.
Cassian glanced back at him.
"You look determined."
Eren smiled faintly.
"Because now I know something."
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Eren looked toward the distant valley where the demon army waited.
"The demon lord can bleed."
Cassian blinked.
"…how do you know that?"
Eren started walking again.
"Because next time…"
His smile widened slightly.
"I'm going to make it happen."