The warm glow of lanterns flickered as Artreus and Guinevere stepped into the inn. The scent of old wood, burning candles, and freshly laundered sheets filled the air. The small room they were given had two simple beds, a small wooden table, and a single window overlooking the town streets.

The moment they entered, Guinevere didn't waste time—she back-jumped onto the bed, sighing in satisfaction.

"Ah… a bed… a soft cushion…" she murmured, stretching across the sheets. "Finally, I can have a proper beauty sleep tonight."

Artreus stood by the door, chuckling at her reaction.

"You look way too happy for just a bed."

_"Hey! Do you know how long I've been sleeping on dirt and rocks?!" Guinevere shot back, her voice muffled against the pillow.

Artreus smirked, but before he could reply—

GROWL.

A loud rumbling echoed in the small room.

Artreus froze. His stomach betrayed him.

Guinevere sat up instantly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

"Hehe… you're hungry, aren't you?" she teased.

Artreus sighed, rubbing his stomach.

"Yeah… I'm starving."

He suddenly perked up, his eyes lighting up.

"I'm gonna have curry for dinner!"

Guinevere's ears twitched slightly at the mention of food.

"Me too! I'm hungry too!" she quickly added.

She hopped off the bed, dusting herself off.

"I saw a tavern nearby when we walked past earlier. Let's check it out."

Artreus grinned.

"Sounds like a plan."

Tavern

The tavern was lively, filled with the smell of roasted meat, beer, and spices. The sound of clinking mugs and laughter echoed throughout the room as men and women drank, sang, and chatted.

Artreus and Guinevere stepped inside, taking in the atmosphere.

But as soon as Guinevere walked in, a few pairs of eyes turned in her direction.

A group of rough-looking men at the corner table stared at her, their eyes lingering on her beauty.

One of them nudged his friend, smirking.

"Oi… look at her. What's a fine girl like that doing in a place like this?"

The other men grinned, exchanging glances.

Meanwhile, Artreus and Guinevere approached the barmaid to order their food.

"I'll take curry," Artreus said.

"Mine is vegetables with steak," Guinevere added.

The barmaid nodded, jotting down their order.

"It'll be right out, dears!"

Guinevere then stood up, brushing off her cloak.

"I need to go to the restroom. Wait here, alright?"

Artreus leaned back in his seat.

"Got it."

Guinevere walked off toward the hallway leading to the back of the tavern.

As she returned a few minutes later, one of the men from earlier stood up and approached her.

"Oi, missy."

Guinevere stopped, glancing at him warily.

"What would a fine-looking girl like you be doing in a place like this?" the man said with a smug grin.

His friends chuckled from their seats.

"How about you have a drink with us?"

Guinevere shook her head politely.

"Umm… no, thanks. I must go back—my friend is waiting for me."

The man scoffed.

"A kid? Relax, we can take care of him. Just have one drink with us."

Guinevere tensed, feeling the danger in his tone.

"I said no."

But the man suddenly grabbed her forearm.

"Don't be shy… let's have a little fun."

Guinevere's heart pounded as she tried to pull away.

But before she could say anything—

SLAM!

The man's face was suddenly smashed into the table.

Blood splattered across the wood.

Guinevere gasped.

The other men turned in shock.

And standing over him—fists clenched, eyes blazing with fury—was Artreus.

"You bastard."

Artreus didn't stop.

His fist crashed into the man's face again.

And again.

Blood dripped from his knuckles as he kept punching, his anger uncontrollable.

The man slumped, unconscious.

"OI, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" One of his friends roared, standing up.

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A group of men charged toward Artreus.

Artreus smirked.

"You wanna go, too?"

A man lunged at him.

Artreus sidestepped, then kicked him across the face, sending him crashing into a chair.

Another one swung a fist.

Artreus dodged, then punched his stomach, making him cough up air before launching him into a table.

A third man grabbed a glass bottle, raising it to smash on Artreus's head—

"ART! LOOK OUT!" Guinevere shouted.

Artreus ducked.

The bottle whizzed past him.

He immediately snatched it from the attacker's hand—then smashed it over his head instead.

The man fainted.

But Artreus wasn't done.

He turned back to the first man—the one who had grabbed Guinevere.

He was unconscious, blood dripping from his mouth.

But Artreus still wanted to keep punching.

His fist clenched again.

His rage burned.

But then—

"Artreus, STOP!"

Guinevere grabbed his arm.

Artreus turned, his blue eyes still blazing with anger.

"Tch… but he hurt you, Princess." he growled.

Guinevere shook her head.

"Just let it go."

Around them, the tavern fell silent.

The crowd murmured, watching the scene unfold.

"We need to leave." Guinevere whispered urgently.

Artreus gritted his teeth—but he knew she was right.

The guards would be coming soon.

"But… our food!" Artreus protested.

"Forget the food, RUN!"

And with that, Guinevere grabbed his hand—

And they bolted out of the tavern, disappearing into the night.

Artreus and Guinevere finally stopped running, far enough from the tavern scene to catch their breath.

They found themselves in a quiet alley, the glow of lanterns flickering against the walls of stone buildings. The sounds of Eldoria's nightlife carried in the distance—music, laughter, and merchants calling out their wares—but here, it was just the two of them.

Guinevere whipped around to face Artreus.

And she was not happy.

"Artreus!" she snapped, hands on her hips.

Artreus, still panting, wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Tch. What now?" he muttered.

Guinevere glared at him.

"You just beat up half the tavern!"

Artreus crossed his arms, frowning.

"And?! He grabbed you! What was I supposed to do—let him?"

Guinevere sighed, rubbing her temples.

"No, but—violence isn't always the answer!"

Artreus scoffed.

"It is when they don't listen."

Guinevere stomped her foot.

"Now we're on the run in a town we JUST arrived in! What if the guards start looking for us?!"

Artreus shrugged.

"Then we leave. It's not that deep."

Guinevere let out a frustrated groan.

"Artreus…" she warned, her purple eyes narrowing.

"What?!" he said, throwing his hands up.

"You need to control your temper!" she scolded.

"Tch. Why should I?"

Guinevere marched closer to him, poking his forehead.

"Because I said so!"

Artreus grumbled, rubbing his forehead where she poked him.

"Ow! Quit that!"

"Then listen to me!"

"Tch… fine."

There was a brief silence between them.

Artreus sighed, looking away.

"…I was just trying to protect you. That's what a knight would do. It's my job."

Guinevere's eyes softened a little.

"I know," she admitted.

She exhaled, shaking her head.

"I appreciate it, Artreus. Really. But you can't just go punching every idiot we meet."

Artreus grumbled.

"Fine… I'll try."

Guinevere raised an eyebrow.

"Try?"

Artreus looked away.

"That's the best you're getting, princess."

Guinevere huffed but smiled just a little.

"You're impossible."

Artreus smirked.

"I know."

She sighed, finally letting it go.

"Anyway, we still haven't eaten." she reminded.

Artreus groaned dramatically.

"I KNOW! I'm starving!"

"Well, whose fault is that?!"

"Theirs! If they just let us eat in peace, I wouldn't have had to wreck their faces!"

Guinevere facepalmed.

"We'll figure something out. Let's just find another place to eat—quietly, this time."

Artreus sighed but nodded.

"Fine. But if someone else messes with you, I'm throwing hands again."

Guinevere shot him a look.

"No, you're not!"

"…Maybe."

"Artreus."

"…Okay, okay, fine! But if I see one more creep—no promises."

Guinevere sighed again.

"I swear, you're going to give me gray hair at 112 years old."

Artreus smirked.

"Hah. Too late for that, old hag."

Guinevere's eye twitched.

"What did you just call me?"

Artreus realized his mistake.

"Uh—nothing!"

Too late.

SNAP.

Guinevere grabbed his ear and twisted it.

"A-AHHH, WAIT—!! OW, OW, OW!!"

"What was that, dear Artreus?" she asked sweetly, still twisting.

"Y-YOU'RE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND YOUTHFUL ELF I'VE EVER MET—!!"

Guinevere smiled, finally letting go.

"Good boy."

Artreus rubbed his ear, grumbling.

"I hate this…"

Guinevere giggled.

"Now, let's go find food before you pass out."

The two continued walking, disappearing into the streets of Eldoria.

The Coming Darkness

The group of beaten and bruised men staggered through the dark alleyways of Eldoria, cursing under their breath.

One of them, a man with a broken nose, wiped the blood from his face.

"Damn that brat… He broke my nose!"

Another man gritted his teeth, rubbing his sore ribs.

"Crap!! We got kicked out by the bartender! And we're the ones who have to pay for the damages?!"

His voice seethed with rage.

"F*** those brats!!"

The man with the broken nose clenched his fist.

"Next time I see that little punk, I'm gonna gut him and sell his insides to the black market!"

His eyes burned with vengeance.

But as they walked deeper into the alley, the air suddenly grew cold.

A strange presence lurked in the shadows.

And then—

A sultry voice called out to them.

"Hello, boys~ Care for a lady who's lost in the alley?"

The group froze.

Standing in the center of the alleyway was a mysterious woman.

Her long, raven-black hair cascaded over her shoulders. She had piercing crimson eyes and lips the color of blood.

Her curves were accentuated by a form-fitting black dress, too perfect, too alluring—too dangerous.

The men exchanged grins.

"Oh? Well, well… hello there, sweetheart," one of them said, stepping forward.

"Are you lost, my lady?"

The woman pouted, placing a delicate hand on her chest.

"Ah, yes… I was so lost… and so hungry."

Her voice was honeyed, seductive—but there was something off about it.

One of the men licked his lips, stepping closer.

"Well, lucky for you, I can take you for dinner at my place. What would you like for dinner?"

The woman's lips curled into a smile.

Her eyes snapped open.

And in an instant—her pupils turned into glowing DEMONIC SLITS.

"You."

A long, barbed tail shot out from her back—

PIERCING STRAIGHT INTO THE MAN'S STOMACH.

SHRRRKK!

The man froze, his body twitching violently.

"K-KWAH—!"

Blood splattered from his mouth.

His companions stumbled back, horror flooding their faces.

"W-WHAT THE HELL—?!"

The woman's form twisted and shifted.

Her skin darkened, curling into black demonic tattoos.

Horns sprouted from her head.

Her nails elongated into razor-sharp claws.

Her beautiful human face melted away—revealing the TRUE MONSTER beneath.

An Archdemon.

She licked the blood from her fingertips, her smile turning wicked.

"Mmm~ You taste delicious, little worm~"

The other men screamed, scrambling backward.

"S-SHE'S A DEMON!!"

"RUN!!"

The Archdemon tilted her head, grinning.

"Oh… but our fun is just getting started."

Before they could escape—

SLASH!

One of the men's heads rolled off his shoulders, hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

The remaining men shrieked in terror.

Another man turned to flee—

But the Archdemon was faster.

She lunged forward, sinking her fangs deep into his neck—

And tore it apart.

Blood sprayed.

He gurgled, collapsing onto the ground.

The demoness sighed in delight.

"Ha… Tasty…"

Suddenly, from the darkness of the alley, another figure stepped forward.

A tall man with sleek white hair, dressed in a long black coat.

His crimson eyes gleamed like burning embers in the night.

Amon.

He leaned casually against a wooden standpost, arms crossed, watching the slaughter unfold.

"Tch. Asmodina…" he muttered, sighing. "It's too early to be playing by yourself."

The female Archdemon, Asmodina, pouted, licking the blood from her lips.

"Awh… Amon, I just couldn't wait~" she teased.

She twirled a finger through her jet-black hair, smirking.

"The look of fear in their eyes… it's simply overwhelming joy for me~"

Amon sighed, rolling his neck.

"Just don't make a mess before our real fun begins."

Then—

A third figure emerged from the darkness.

A man with jagged demonic tattoos, his silver hair wild and untamed. His eyes burned red, and his grin stretched too wide

Nero.

"Tch… spare something for me, Asmodina." he grinned wickedly.

Asmodina rolled her eyes.

"Tch… Nero."

Nero chuckled.

"You're not happy to see me? Come on~ you can't just take all the fun for yourself."

His demon golden eyes glowed hungrily as he surveyed the blood-drenched alleyway.

"Marvelous… This town will be ours."

Asmodina crossed her arms.

"Tch. I hate seeing your ugly face again, Nero."

Nero smirked, licking his fangs.

"Harsh words coming from your mouth, my dear… but I forgive you~"

He gestured to the town beyond the alley, where the people of Eldoria still laughed and drank, oblivious to the horrors in the shadows.

"This town… brings a feast to us."

He let out a low chuckle.

"And soon… thanks to our Lord Abaddon…"

His smile twisted into something monstrous.

"There will be no hero left to protect them."

Asmodina grinned, her bloodied fangs gleaming.

"Then let's get started."

The three Archdemons disappeared into the night, their sinister laughter echoing through the dark streets of Eldoria.