From the stories, Dreu expected heavy storm clouds in the sky blocking out all the light from above with the occasional lightning. Terrible creatures would roam the ground and sky as they established their dominance over their territories. After stepping out of the cave, the sun shone down with no clouds to be seen. A mountain could be seen in the distance and, like any untamed wilderness, there was a massive forest that stretched out in all directions. The cave entrance was too low of an elevation to give him a chance to gauge the size of the forest.

“Tragthan is here,” shouted a demon.

Upon hearing the old demon’s name, many demons gathered around him. They shared their concerns about their future but Tragthan responded with confidence that they could start anew within the demon realm. Even Dreu could tell the demon’s presence calmed the survivors, as though he was the anchor for them during these dire times. Since the demons paid him no heed, Dreu looked around the clearing where the demons built a temporary base. Except for a handful of tents, most of the demons had nothing above their heads. A lot of demons held the perimeter as they kept watch of their surroundings. Then, Dreu noticed Jonoxod gesturing to him to follow. A short walk later, the young man found himself near the group of demonic children and a big demon. Jonoxod had dematerialized into a shadow while Dreu recognized the other demon as the one he encountered in the tunnels below Berkton. The demon, upon spotting him, walked over.

“We meet again.”

Dreu wasn’t sure how he should greet the demon so he merely nodded.

“You have nothing to fear. We’re on the same side this time. However, don’t give me a reason to mark you as an enemy.”

Dreu was unsure how he felt about his reunion. Jonoxod said nothing and stayed in the shadows the whole time. The other demon made him tremble violently simply by standing before him.

I wish I have Bayard’s immunity to fear right now.

Luckily, the demon walked back to its position after its comment. Then, Dreu felt something tapping his feet. He lifted Zog and Aggich before holding them tight. He feared they would struggle but they simply snuggled against him.

I wish Ilveroz was still here. That demon hound would be a great addition to our team.

When he caught sight of the demon worms who served as playmates earlier to the demonic children, the creatures gathered around a small rock. No one paid them any attention and they seemed hesitant to leave their spot. Taking a deep breath, Dreu walked over to one of the demons near the demon worms.

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“What’s going to happen to those demon worms?”

The demon stared down at him with a puzzled look.

“They’ll be abandoned. They are a bunch of useless creatures who will only slow us down.” The demon then noticed Zog in Dreu’s arms. “If you collect trash, none of us will stop you.”

Without another word, Dreu walked over to the demon worms. The group cowered at his approach but they calmed down once he placed Zog near them.

Let them know I’ll accept them as my summoned creatures.

With a nod, Zog turned to its kind and started waving its tiny claws wildly. If it was saying anything, Dreu couldn’t make out any discernible sounds. Once Zog finished, the other demon worms swarmed around Dreu’s feet.

< Congratulations! Seven demon worms have joined your roster. >

I know the other demons look down at these guys. If I can evolve them, they may change their minds.

The demon worms reminded Dreu a lot about himself. They were non-combatants who were thrusted head first into a war they never asked for. Both he and the demon worms had no real talents so they had to work hard to even survive in the harsh world they lived in. While he had Bayard as his mentor, Dreu knew he couldn’t fill such an important role. However, he could at least give the demon worms a chance to grow stronger. Evolution might be the key to his companions' growth. For the time being, the potential of the demon worms wasn’t on his mind. Dreu just wanted to welcome his seven new companions to his party.

I hope we can work together and get through the war together.

The seven demon worms all wiggled their tiny legs. Just as Dreu was about to give all of the demon worms a hug, a scream came from nearby. Everyone turned to see Jonoxod ambushing a holy knight with his claw through the man’s throat. The demon dematerialized into his shadow form before a beam of light could hit him. Dozens of holy knights emerged from the forest and engaged with the demons at the perimeter. The demons initially held the line but, being outnumbered, they eventually lost ground. Before the demons suffered too many casualties, Tragthan stopped beside Dreu.

“Flee with the children! We’ll hold them off for as long as we can!”

The demon ran over to the children and knelt down to them. They spoke a tongue Dreu couldn’t understand but the young man could infer what the old demon was saying. Most of the children were crying but one of them stood out with her calm demeanor. Once Tragthan finished, the children all ran in the opposite direction of the battle. The old demon walked over to Dreu with a sad expression.

“I’m leaving you the future of the demon race on Ittoroth. Please take good care of them! I doubt I’ll be surviving this upcoming battle so let me say that it was an honor to meet the second emperor. For the sake of all the races on the continent, please surpass your predecessor!”

“I will do my best,” said Dreu with the most conviction he could muster. “Thank you for everything!”

Dreu ran past the old demon with his companions in tow. He was about to take his first step into the demon realm without someone strong to protect him. He also had to live up to the last wishes of Tragthan and protect the demonic children.