At that very moment, Sergoth stopped his attacks dead in their tracks, for the first time feeling what fear was. He couldn't identify it, but his body knew. His hands and feet began to tremble, and he struggled to stay on his feet. He slapped his legs a couple of times to regain his composure and stepped away from Reik. He still didn’t understand what was happening, but his body was experiencing terrifying fear.

  "What are you? You're not human... are you?" asked Sergoth.

  Reik, still not moving a single muscle, didn't answer. In reality, he couldn't, as he was unconscious. However, his body rose in that state...

  "Hey... this is impossible... but you're not even conscious..." murmured Sergoth, terrified, as he stepped back.

  In less than a second, Reik ripped off one of Sergoth's arms without even using the sword, as if it were made of paper. That strength was completely inhuman...

  Sergoth screamed in pain as blood poured uncontrollably. He looked at Reik with wide, horrified eyes, and in his mind, he saw him as a colossal figure, an entity impossible to face. Next to him, he was nothing more than a tiny insect...

  "I am Sergoth, the Torturer, and this is my valley!" he shouted, forcing his body to move as he prepared to attack.

  His body was surrounded by a red aura, and his arm fully regenerated, while his entire body was covered in scarlet scales. This was his final form, a transformation rarely seen in demons, at least not in ones of his rank. His rage and impotence pushed him beyond his limits, turning him into something more than an ordinary demon.

  "Little one, you're going to suffer for making me bleed," Sergoth said with a laugh, admiring his own power.

  Reik, still unconscious, walked slowly towards Sergoth, who watched him with tremendous arrogance, assuming that now, with his superior power, he would have no trouble finishing off the boy.

  "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll just leave you legless, torture you later, and experiment on you. And of course, your friends too," Sergoth said.

  When Reik reached the demon, he raised his hand and, without touching him, unleashed energy, sending him flying and destroying everything in his path. The demon's body was completely shattered; even the highly resistant scales he had just obtained couldn’t save him. Reik's power was utterly overwhelming.

  Afterward, Reik regained consciousness and saw the entire basement corridor destroyed, with the demon lying dead in the distance.

  "What happened?" Reik wondered.

  Automatically, Reik collapsed to the ground. His body had sustained many injuries; he was completely exhausted, in pain, and had several broken ribs. It didn't take long for Fain and Kiran to arrive, who, fleeing from the lower demons, had descended into the basement hoping to throw them off their trail. As soon as they arrived, they found Reik lying on the ground.

  "Reik! Reik, respond!" Fain said, worried.

  "Is he alive?" Kiran asked.

  "Yes... but what happened here? Everything is destroyed!"

  "Fain... Fain... look over there," Kiran said, pointing to Sergoth.

  Fain was completely shocked when he saw the demon. He knew the strength of the lower demons well, so it was easy for him to understand that this one was completely different. Still, he couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

  "Kiran, use your healing magic and heal Reik, please," Fain said.

  "Yes, of course, I'll do everything I can," Kiran said.

  While Kiran healed Reik, Fain approached the demon to make sure it was dead.

  "Fain, come back here! It's better if we don't split up," exclaimed Kiran.

  Fain checked Sergoth's body and confirmed that, indeed, he was no longer alive.

  "I'm truly impressed... Was it Reik who killed him?" murmured Fain.

  "Do you think so? I don't believe Reik has enough power to defeat a demon like this. Even I, who's weak, can feel how terrifying it is... even being dead," replied Kiran.

  "Maybe you're right. Still, I'm sure of one thing: that was the leader of the valley, so now we have a chance... We need to find the slaves. If we free them and fight together, we can win!"

  "It’s possible... but it will be difficult to find them. They’re searching for us everywhere, and if they know we’re here, they’ve probably got them well guarded to keep us from rescuing them," Kiran said.

  "For now, we’ll wait for Reik to regain consciousness, then we’ll decide what to do," Fain said.

  Multiple footsteps began to echo from the end of the hallway, right where the demon's body lay.

  "They've found us..." Kiran said, swallowing nervously.

  "Shh... Don't make a sound," Fain whispered, his body tense and his gaze fixed on the darkness.

  "Hello? Is anyone there?" a voice said.

  "It can't be... Humans? Are they the slaves? Are they here?" Fain asked, trying to make out something in the darkness.

  Fain moved toward the end of the hallway, trying to see if the slaves were there.

  "Fain, don't go... I have a bad feeling about this," Kiran warned.

  "Here! Please, help us... we're locked up..." begged a weak voice.

  Fain approached the source of the sound. He could barely see in the darkness, but he heard several human voices behind a door.

  "Are you there?" Fain asked, his heart racing.

  "Yes... Please, get us out of here..." several voices replied in unison, full of desperation.

  Without hesitation, Fain broke down the door with a single blow. On the other side, he found more than twenty people locked in the basement, weak, almost dying, and completely dehydrated.

  In that moment, Fain realized that even though these people might have been great warriors in the past, they could do nothing to fight now. They could barely stand; escaping with them was practically impossible. He understood that the situation was even worse than he had thought and that they were at a terrible disadvantage. Still, he couldn’t leave them to their fate. His moral code wouldn’t allow it.

  "Thank you... We thought no one would ever come to get us out of here. We lost hope a long time ago. My name is Jasper, I was once a general of the kingdom..."

  "I'm sorry to meet a general under such terrible circumstances. I'm Fain. Apart from you, is there anyone else here?"

  "We are the only survivors. They spared us only to make us work for them and serve as their entertainment... For us, the warriors, it's a shame to have had to survive this way. Many preferred to die, and others... others died being tortured or used in experiments... " Jasper said bitterly.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "We'll get you out of here, no matter the cost. As a warrior, I won't abandon you. I promise you will regain your freedom," Fain said.

  "How many demons are left?" Jasper asked.

  "I'm not sure... but there are too many," Fain replied.

  "I'm sorry we can't help... In this state, we're more of a burden than allies," Jasper said.

  "Don't say that. You’ve survived the unthinkable, and that in itself is an achievement," Fain clenched his fists, determined. "I won’t leave you behind."

  Jasper looked at his companions, seeing in their faces the exhaustion and suffering from everything they had endured. He took a deep breath and, with a firm voice, declared:

  "We've endured too much. I won't stay here for another day. We will leave this place, no matter the cost. If we have to risk our lives to do so, we will."

  The slaves exchanged uncertain looks. Despite their doubts, they all knew they couldn't stay there forever. This was not life... it was a sentence, an existence worse than death.

  "We're ready!" they exclaimed in unison.

  At that exact moment, Reik regained consciousness. Still aching from the battle with the demon, he opened his eyes with difficulty and, when he sat up slightly, he was surprised to see Kiran, Fain, and the slaves gathered around him.

  "Kiran... Fain... you've saved the slaves... "Reik murmured weakly.

  "Reik, how do you feel? Kiran has healed you as best as he could "Fain asked, approaching him.

  "The truth is, I feel much better. My ribs still hurt, but I'll recover.

  "I'm glad to hear that. Now that you're awake, we need to decide what to do.

  "What's the situation, Fain? Are the others alright? "Reik asked, struggling to sit up.

  "We have a lot of demons searching for us. I'm not sure how many, maybe fifty or more... "Fain replied, frowning". As for the others, I have no information. My group left the wall, so I imagine they're safe. Did Tharion and Laira manage to escape in time?

  "Yes, they should be fine for now... So, it's just us left here.

  As Reik and his companions tried to come up with a plan to escape with the slaves, whose bodies were in deplorable condition, a loud crash echoed from the upper floor, followed by heart-wrenching screams.

  "It seems something is happening upstairs... something we don't know about," Fain said, frowning.

  "We need to find out," Reik replied, struggling as he made his way toward the basement stairs.

  Fain stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Reik, you need to rest. We can't rush it; we need to be patient and avoid making noise. It's not the right time yet."

  "What if that noise means they've captured the others? Haven't you thought of that? "Reik replied, his face tense.

  "Guys, calm down "Kiran intervened, trying to ease the argument". Both of you are right. We need to be cautious, but we can’t ignore what’s happening upstairs. Let’s think carefully about what to do.

  Just at that moment, someone shouted Reik and Fain's names several times.

  "That voice... It can't be. Is it Kaiser? "asked Reik, his eyes wide open."

  "Yes... It's him! I don't understand how it's possible that he's here, but it's his voice "answered Fain, surprised."

  Without wasting any time, Fain approached the stairs and began to climb. Before advancing too much, he turned to the others.

  "Don't move from here and stay quiet. I'll make sure of what's going on."

  He opened the basement door and stepped out. As soon as he did, he spotted Kaiser in the distance, who had managed to get in with the whole group through the main gate of the wall, an entrance that was supposed to be impenetrable. The group was complete!

  They were all fully armed, fighting fiercely against the lesser demons infesting the place. Without wasting a second, Fain returned to the basement to warn the others. It was the perfect opportunity to join the battle and secure victory.

  "Guys, this is our best moment. The whole group has managed to get in, and Kaiser is in charge. They’re fighting the demons," Fain said with determination. "Reik, do you think you can fight? I know you're not fully recovered yet, but we need everyone to make this work, and you’re one of our best warriors."

  Reik flashed a defiant smile and stood up with effort.

  "Of course I can. After we win, I'll take the most deserved nap of my life," he replied confidently.

  Fain, Reik, and Kiran prepared to head into battle. Before leaving, Fain turned to the slaves and spoke to them firmly:

  "Follow our steps and stay together. If you do, we'll get out of here alive!"

  The slaves, though weakened, nodded with determination. They knew this was their only chance.

  "Reik, cover the left side, Kiran, the right side, and I'll go in front.

  They both nodded in acknowledgment.

  Kaiser and his group advanced fiercely, taking down more than half of the demons while searching for their comrades.

  "Kaiser! We're here!" Fain shouted. "We've freed the slaves, these are all the survivors left!"

  Hearing his voice, Kaiser turned towards them and, without hesitation, began to carve a path in their direction, eliminating any demon that stood in his way. Once they were reunited, they prepared together to finish off the last twenty enemies still standing.

  "I'm glad to see us together again, even if it's at a time like this!" Kaiser exclaimed, knocking down another demon with a precise strike. "Let's finish off the ones left; there aren't enough of them to worry about!"

  "Yes! Let's defeat them all!" Fain shouted, encouraging his companions.

  The battle raged on fiercely. Amidst the fight, Laira managed a smile upon seeing Reik alive, but her distraction cost her dearly. A demon, one she hadn't seen coming, struck her brutally in the head, knocking her to the ground instantly.

  Reik, seeing her body fall, felt a jolt in his chest. Without thinking, he broke formation and, despite the pain still lingering in his ribs, charged furiously at the demon before it could finish Laira off. With a roar of rage, he swung his sword with all his might, cleaving the enemy in two with a single blow.

  Kaiser, watching the scene, was impressed by Reik's ferocity and determination.

  "Laira! Laira! Respond!" Reik said desperately, kneeling beside her and holding her carefully.

  Reik, seeing that Laira wasn't responding but was still alive, searched for Tharion with his gaze.

  "Tharion! Please, take care of her, she's unconscious. I'll keep fighting to end this as soon as possible.

  "Alright, don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens to her "Tharion replied, ensuring that Laira was in good hands.

  The group continued fighting against the demons, and after a while, the battle ended with the humans' victory. For the first time, the humans had managed to defeat the demons and reclaim a territory.

  "Victory!" they all shouted, grinning from ear to ear. Later, when they tallied the wounded and the dead, they realized they had lost three comrades, including Sarep. There were five wounded, but fortunately, none of them were in serious condition.

  "Sarep didn't deserve this. Instead, you two should be in his place," Kiran said, looking at Lior and Zarek.

  "I'm sorry, we were scared, but in the end, we came back and fought as soon as Kaiser arrived. We truly apologize," Lior replied.

  "Let it go, Kiran, I understand how you feel. He was a good friend of yours," Fain said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  Still angry, Kiran walked away and went straight toward Reik, who was sitting next to Laira's unconscious body.

  "Reik, thank you for everything! You fought and gave it your all, we don’t even know each other, but I know I can trust you. Don't worry, I'll take care of Laira’s head. The others said I should treat her first since, while it's not serious, it's a blow to the head. Also, everyone agrees they owe you one, because without you, this wouldn’t have been possible."

  Reik looked at Kiran, not fully understanding why he was being thanked, and replied:

  "Thank you very much, I leave her in your hands. But I haven't done anything special, really."

  "You defeated that powerful demon in the basement, right? I'm sorry, I thought you weren't that strong, but when I saw you go after Laira and cut that demon in half with a single strike, I just assumed it couldn’t have been anyone else."

  "I really don't remember much of that, I only remember that I couldn't even touch him..." Reik said.

  Kiran was surprised to hear that Reik couldn't do anything against the demon, and even more questions arose in his mind. Kaiser, who had been listening to the conversation, approached Fain.

  "Fain, can you take me to where that powerful demon is?" Kaiser asked.

  "Yes, of course, follow me!"

  Fain and Kaiser went down to the basement and approached the demon's corpse. Kaiser, with a twisted smile, observed it closely.

  "Interesting... If Reik really defeated this demon, he must be truly powerful."

  "So, do you think it was Reik?" Fain asked.

  "It's very possible, I doubt anyone else could have done this."

  "Then why doesn't he remember anything?" Fain asked.

  "No idea."

  "By the way, how did you survive in the forest against that huge demon?" Fain asked.

  "I didn't survive, I defeated it!"

  Fain wore a surprised expression upon hearing that not only had he survived, but he had actually defeated that demon.

  "Re... really? You’re incredible, Kaiser."

  "Don't be so modest, you're strong too!"

  "Not that much, I wouldn't be capable of that."

  They returned to the group, and Kaiser approached Reik with a smile.

  "Hi, Kaiser, sorry for not saying anything earlier, I'm really glad you're in one piece!"

  "Thanks, Reik. I really defeated the demon, but it wasn't easy. But hey, you’re no slouch either, you took down that demon down there, and trust me, from what I've noticed, that one is stronger than the one I faced."

  "When I saw you, I was sure that if you were here, it was because you'd won. You're not the type to run away. As for the rest, honestly, I don’t remember anything. I couldn’t tell you what happened in the basement, just that it appeared and told me its name was Sergoth the Torturer, and that's about it."

  Kaiser paused, deep in thought, upon hearing the demon's name.

  "Well, what matters is that we're fine and we've accomplished a feat, something no human has ever achieved until now, and we've saved over twenty people," Kaiser said with a smile.

  "Yes, you're right. But I need to get stronger. It's clear that I'm still weak, and along the way, I'll encounter enemies much more dangerous than Sergoth," Reik said, with a sad look.

  "I have the solution for that," Kaiser replied. "I know the perfect place to train you and improve your skills. You'll get stronger, and so will the others!"