In the forest of Finan, cries echoed through the trees. Nearby, demon soldiers were returning from a hard-fought battle when they heard the cries, which sounded like someone in pain. Despite orders to ignore the noise, one soldier named Kahlid decided to investigate. As the cries grew louder, Kahlid pushed aside a bush and discovered what looked like a baby, nearly skin and bones. He lifted the baby, gave it some water, and carried it back to his comrades.
"Commander, what the hell is that?" one soldier exclaimed upon seeing Kahlid with the child.
"It's a dying baby, sir!" Kahlid replied.
"Didn't I tell you to ignore the noise!?" the Commander snapped.
"Yes, sir, but I knew you'd do the same, sir!" Kahlid responded confidently.
The Commander sighed, "I like you, Private. C'mon, we still have a ways to go before we make it back to the demon realm."
The Demon-Human war had been raging for years, long before any of them were born. Demons held the upper hand, but humans had overwhelming numbers. It took three humans to take down one demon, and the inverse was true as well.
As they neared the gate of the Demon Realm, or the Kingdom of Ragnar, the Commander's voice boomed from the front of the march.
"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" he yelled.
Explosions erupted everywhere. They were under attack by an unknown force, but Kahlid was sure it was the humans. He was ordered to protect the baby at all costs.
"I NEED SIX MEN ON KAHLID AND THAT KID. THE REST, WITH ME. YOU ARE TO REQUEST REINFORCEMENTS IMMEDIATELY! AFFIRMATIVE?"
"YES SIR!" the soldiers responded in unison.
In that moment, they were no longer just running for their lives but for the life of the child as well. They rushed to the main gates of Ragnar, pleading for reinforcements. Only fifty were offered, far fewer than needed, but they took what they could get and rushed back to the battlefield.
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Kahlid's suspicions were right. The humans had found the transfer portal and were attacking directly at its source. Despite the initial onslaught, the demons managed to fight back. Just when it seemed they were winning, the Commander was attacked by three humans simultaneously. Kahlid ran to assist but was struck down, leaving a mysterious mark on him.
In the end, they won the battle, which would go down in demon history as the "Battle of the Transfer Gate." After the daring fight with the humans, Kahlid proposed an idea of how the humans knew where the transfer gate was. The demons had a spy among their ranks, and whoever it might be, they would feel the wrath of the demon king himself.
Every soldier within a 5000-meter radius was summoned to the castle in the Kingdom of Ragnar. Everyone was told to get on their knees at once, and all did so.
"ON ALL FOURS FOR THE MERCY OF OUR KING!" a Royal Guard commanded.
After getting on all fours, Kahlid wondered why the humans would attack the transfer gate of all places. But it was too late to think...
"ALL RISE FOR THE 7th GENERATION DEMON KING QUTOTH THE RUTHLESS," the Royal Guard decreed.
There he was, the Demon King in the flesh. Despite his fearsome appearance, he was the kindest king the realm could ask for. He had been fighting the humans for years for his people's sake, not for his own honor. That is what a king should be all about.
"So you're telling me that we have a 'bug' among our ranks?" Qutoth said with annoyance.
"Yes, Sir! We have reason to believe someone in our ranks has been leaking plans, locations, and even dates to the enemy," a soldier said.
"Well then, let's get started," Qutoth smiled.
Qutoth started down the line of men, using his ability called 'Mind Reach,' which allowed him to pull the darkest secrets into the light of day. As he moved down the line, number 45 looked scared, and Kahlid noticed.
When Qutoth reached him, Kahlid stopped him.
"QUTOTH, MOVE NOW!" Kahlid yelled.
Qutoth jumped back as number 45 tried to stab him. It turned out he was a human in disguise. The rest of the men held him down as Qutoth looked at him and knocked him out.
"Take him to the 'room' now," Qutoth said with a smile.
Once taken, the man was never seen again, and no one dared to question his majesty. Days went by, and Kahlid realized there was something on his neck while bathing. It was a mark that led down to his heart. He went to the local clerk, who covered her mouth in shock after seeing it. The mark was a curse set by the humans after the Battle of the Transfer Gate. Kahlid's life took a sad turn; he retired from the demon king's army to focus on raising Kuro the best he could, and it turned out he was good as hell at it.