"Finally! We're here! Let's get rid of this little shit!" the fourth demon exclaimed, his voice dripping with relief and twisted excitement. After what felt like an eternity, they had finally arrived at the designated execution point—an eerie clearing deep within the heart of the Dark Demon Wood Forest.
The forest itself was unsettling, even for demons. An unnatural silence hung in the air, thick and suffocating, as though the very land rejected life. There were no birds, no beasts, not even the buzzing of insects—only the towering, ancient trees with bark as dark as ink, their thick, gnarled branches blocking out half the sunlight. The deeper one ventured, the dimmer the world became, as if the forest itself sought to consume all who dared to step foot inside.
Despite the soil being some of the most fertile in existence, nothing thrived here. No creatures, no monsters, no signs of life beyond the trees themselves. The reason for this was an enigma that had baffled even the wisest of scholars. Many had tried to claim this land—demons and humans alike—only to vanish without a trace. No bodies, no remains, not even a whisper of their existence left behind. The forest did not just kill; it erased.
After countless failures and inexplicable disappearances, both factions had learned their lesson. No one dared to challenge the forest anymore. It was a cursed land, one that devoured all who sought to conquer it.
"By the way… I'm getting a bad feeling about this," the first demon muttered, his unease growing as he glanced back at the path they had taken. But the trail had already vanished, swallowed by an endless stretch of identical trees. A cold shiver ran down his spine. "What if we get lost in this damned place?"
"Don't fret," the eldest demon reassured him. With a mere flick of his wrist, he made their footprints glow faintly, marking the path they had taken. "This will lead us back."
The first demon exhaled in relief. "That's good. The last thing I want is to disappear like the fools before us."
"Enough talking!" the fourth demon snarled, his excitement rekindled. His sharp claws glinted ominously as he turned toward the child in their grasp, his eyes burning with bloodlust. "Let's finish this already!"
The eldest demon gave a silent nod, signaling his permission.
Without hesitation, the first demon, who had been carrying the child all this time, stepped forward. He lowered the small, fragile body onto the cold ground before retreating, not wanting to be any closer to whatever was about to happen.
"Who wants the honor of executing the order?" the eldest demon asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
"I will!" the fourth demon volunteered eagerly, baring a devilish grin as he raised his claws in anticipation.
"You don't get to kill noble blood every day," he added, his tone laced with dark amusement.
His gaze fixated on the helpless child, the grin on his face widening. There was no hesitation, no remorse—only the thrill of the kill.
"But since you're the offspring of our lord," he sneered, "I suppose I'll make it painless for you."
He raised his claw, preparing to strike—
And then—
*BOOM!*
A deafening explosion shattered the silence.
*Splatter!*
Blood sprayed through the air like a grotesque fountain as the fourth demon's head exploded in a visceral burst, painting the surrounding trees in crimson.
For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence.
"Hey! Hey—what the hell is happening?! What is this?!" the first demon shrieked, his voice laced with sheer terror.
Then, the newborn stirred.
A deep, ominous crimson aura erupted from its tiny body, twisting and writhing like living flames. The energy surged violently, engulfing the child in its entirety.
And in that instant, the air grew thick with something terrifying.
The demons stood frozen in place, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief. The fourth demon had been annihilated in an instant—his head reduced to nothing but blood and fragments, with no warning and no apparent cause.
A suffocating pressure filled the air, radiating from the newborn's tiny body. It was overwhelming, crushing down on them like an invisible force, making it difficult to even remain standing. Their footing grew unsteady, knees trembling under the sheer weight of the aura that now surrounded the child.
"D-Don't panic!" the eldest demon barked, gritting his teeth as he fought against the suffocating force. His muscles tensed, his breathing labored, but he refused to falter. Though the pressure bore down on him as much as the others, he stood his ground with sheer willpower alone.
Unlike his subordinates, who were struggling just to keep themselves upright, he refused to succumb to fear. He didn't know what was happening, nor could he comprehend how the child had suddenly become so powerful—but none of that mattered.
Orders were orders.
He had been tasked with executing the newborn, and that was exactly what he intended to do.
Meanwhile, the aura around the child continued to expand. What had started as a mere energy field now grew into something far more sinister. The crimson mass pulsed and twisted, distorting the air around it as it gradually took shape—forming what appeared to be a humanoid figure.
At the center of it all, the newborn remained motionless, still with his eyes closed, as though he were completely unaware of the chaos unfolding around him.
Despite the ominous transformation taking place, the eldest demon did not waver. His mind was fixed on a single goal: the completion of his mission.
*Whiz!*
Without warning, the surrounding ground trembled violently as loose stones and chunks of debris were suddenly flung into the air. The force behind them was immense, sending them hurtling toward the demons at deadly speeds.
"ASTRA, WE NEED TO LEAVE! NOW!" one of the demons shouted in alarm.
The eldest demon—Astra—ignored the warning. Instead, he advanced forward, raising a shimmering magical shield just in time to deflect the incoming projectiles. Stones slammed against the barrier with explosive force, barely missing the others as they scrambled to avoid being hit.
"We cannot disobey the lord!" Astra growled, his voice unwavering.
"Retard! That thing is an anomaly! You saw what happened to the fourth!" the first demon snapped, struggling to get his words out under the relentless pressure suffocating them. His entire body was trembling—not just from fear, but from the sheer force pressing down on him.
*CRACK!*
A deafening sound echoed through the clearing as the pressure behind the airborne debris intensified. The rocks slammed harder against Astra's shield, cracks forming across its surface as the force behind each impact grew exponentially.
The other demons watched in horror. Yet Astra continued forward.
The others called out to him again, pleading for him to retreat, to report this anomaly to their lord instead of foolishly trying to complete an execution that had already gone horribly wrong. But Astra did not listen.