Morana was located in the Empire's northern territory, an influential kingdom that contains a heavily guarded border. They are located near the demon's territory, making them the first line of defense against demons.

There was a village located close to the guarded border, however, it was now abandoned and desolate after the frequent demon attacks.

The trip would by land would have taken weeks but transportation magic was starting to become more advance it only took them a few days.

In the future, it would only take hours to travel this distance. Not that it would matter since Morana would be long overtaken by the demons.

The snow was thick and heavy, covering every inch of the ground. The houses of the village were made of stone so that they were protected against the cold weather.

A once lively village was now filled with bitter regrets and resentment of lives cut short. They were all silent and the only noise was the continuous sound of their shoes crunching on the snow.

Felix shivered beside him, it was much colder than what they were used to; the cold prickling his skin like needles. Sorin could see puffs of white each time he took a breath, the icy air felt like a burn in the lungs.

"Are you okay?" Sorin comforted Felix with a worried look.

The fox beast-man was still under his human disguise, making him use more mana in his appearance rather than regulating his temperature.

If Felix was his in normal form, he wouldn't even bat an eye at the cold.

"I'm okay, Your Holiness." He grinned. The redness in his cheeks and nose does not say the exact thing.

Sorin shook his head in exasperation, placing a gloved hand on top of the redhead's shoulder. Using a bit of his mana to warm the younger man.

Felix was about to thank him but he stopped him before he could even speak– he stopped dead in his tracks.

Sorin's breath stopped at the sight, he saw a body buried underneath the snow. The only thing that stood out was the pale-colored coat of the corpse.

"Give me a moment." he kneeled, trying to dig through the layers of snow with his fingers. The temperature was pitiless but Sorin was not affected by it.

"Your Holiness!" The other hunters called out to him in shock and worry.

Sorin uncovered the body of a young man under the snow, blood coated him like a second skin, preserved by frost. His hand was reaching out towards something unseen, forever locked in that position until he would be laid to rest.

"We'll look for more bodies after the hunt, your Holiness." One of the hunters told him, grief evident on his face as he eyed the corpse.

"They should be given a proper burial."

He stood up from the ground, shaking off the snow from his cloak "Let me offer a prayer." he whispered solemnly, the lie burning through his throat.

He clasped his hand together in false sorrow and reverence–

"O Divine beings, please welcome this lost soul in your warm embrace." He felt the same feeling of divinity inside his core, it was supposed to be his connection with the Gods.

A sign that they could hear his plea.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It wasn't. They never once addressed any of his prayers, Sorin's worship and reverence were worthless.

"May they find solace and salvation at your side."

He hid the sarcasm in his voice, masking it with grief. Still, he honored the people's death, Sorin etched it in his heart that their deaths wouldn't be in vain.

Soon, their blood would be spilled, forever staining these lands with their memories. That way, the world would never forget them.

Sorin turned to the other hunters with a smile, hidden behind his mask of a compassionate saint giving one final prayer to the departed.

His heart ached at the deceit.

"Let's go." he proceeded.

Their travel toward the border's garrison was grueling, especially how close they were to the end of the territory. There was no time for rest, the danger of a stray demon attacking them was always at the back of everyone's mind.

Felix's gaze on him was unsettling.

He gave the younger man a knowing smile. Felix nodded in response.

Hunters and knights assigned to the garrison knew the danger it entailed, they were always close to death fighting demons that threatened the empire.

It was a sacrifice they'd chosen to protect the lives of the people.

The cold got worse, almost intolerable to everyone but he couldn't back down now. The hunters look agitated, he could trace their unease after seeing the lifeless bodies along the way.

The skies had turned dark and the trees that surrounded them were twisted and sharp; covering every inch of their way.

"It's here." One of the hunters whispered, his bow already drawn "Stay behind us, Your Holiness."

He nodded his head and eyed his surroundings sharply; the lack of demon presence around the area was more than suspicious.

It was as if their arrival was anticipated.

A shiver ran through his spine.

Something snapped from a far distance, the well-trained hunters snapped into position. They were the top hunters of the empire, only those who can fight higher-ranked demons were chosen.

His heart dropped, multiple footsteps were running toward them at a high speed. Even if they tried to retreat those demons will still catch up to them. They had no choice but to fight against them.

Time had slowed them when he saw the demons.

They looked sickening. Absolutely grotesque. They don't even look remotely close to a humanoid figure. They resembled a beast. A horrific beast with dead eyes and rows of sharp teeth.

He found them beautiful.

Beasts formed by the sins of humankind, all the filth and suffering condensed in their core... Sorin's breath was caught in his throat.

They were not normal demons.

Felix cut through one of the hideous demons, not even batting an eye when he flicked the blood away from his dagger. It dyed the snow a familiar shade of red, and the stench of decay filled his nose.

The demonic energy forming around them was thick and exhilarating. Almost reminding Sorin of Lucifer's presence.

Amongst the chaos, one of the demons lunged for him, only for it to freeze at his presence.

–These creatures know. How smart.

He reached out to touch the demon's multiple heads but Felix had already slashed its neck cleanly, a gurgled sound filled Sorin's ears before it fell to the ground with a dull thud.

The deafening screech of the demons was a sound he could never forget.

The adrenaline that rushed through his veins made the scenery around him feel like a blur. He was snapped out of his state when he heard a loud—

CRACK

The scream of his comrade echoed in his ears.

The demon's sharp teeth dug unto his neck as he tried to pull himself away, his screams dying down into a muted groan. Before another crunch as the demon severed his head from his body.

It all happened in an instant that nobody could reach fast enough to stop it from mutilating the hunter's body.

Sorin used his divine magic to kill the demon before it could react to him.

It was the last of the demons. There were a lot of them but a single mistake had caused the life of their colleague.

Silence stretched between them as they mourned his death. They couldn't even grieve at that moment, no one had the time to do so. Not when they're all dancing on death's hands. They left his body but placed a sign for when they finished the mission.

They moved farther away, and the number of trees dwindled. A sign that they left the forest and entered the mainlands of the demons.

A thought lingered at the back of Sorin's mind '...Should I get rid of everyone?'

Except for Felix, Of course.

Their death would just prove the fragility of human life, their loss is only fleeting in an indifferent world. A part of Sorin still felt pity for them, they were people who would sacrifice their lives for others.

In the past, Sorin had actively participated in the hunt, he was weaker and younger, which resulted in the mission being a complete failure after they decided to retreat.

A lot of the hunters present here had perished in a cruel way. It caused a lot of guilt and torment to Sorin, not being able to save everyone.

This was his second time here.

'Should their fates be changed?' he wondered

Sorin would play the role of puppet master, this time.