“There’s too many of them!!!” I yelled, lowering my head as an explosion went off.

With a final hoist, I pushed myself to the top of the cliff, where I lay breathless for several seconds. I was exhausted, not just physically but mentally. I’d been fighting for hours without rest. Every part of my body was hurting, with the muscles on my neck competing against the pain in my broken leg.

“GET BEHIND ME!” Cassius roared, his voice reverberating through the chaos.

A wave of mana brimmed in the air, coursing through Cassius’s body as he brandished his spear. Noticing the increase in strength, the group of demon knights blinked in surprise, slowly backing away in apprehension.

Are they scared of us? No, that can’t be it...

As if the very air itself knew what was coming, it started to grow thick and oppressive, making it harder to breathe. I could feel my heart pounding against my ribcage like it was trying to escape, a sense of dread settling deep in my stomach.

Within the span of a heartbeat, the shadows parted around us, giving way to the ominous emergence of a figure— one of the seven grand demon lords. The demon lord wore a gray cloak, its hood drawn low over his face.

Slowly, he lifted the hood, to reveal a white mask that hid everything but his piercing cold gaze. My instinct was to retreat, but when I tried to move back, I couldn’t. It was like my body was frozen in place.

“Stay back, Victor,” Cassius growled, his voice low and menacing. “This one’s mine.”

I wanted to protest, to tell Cassius I could fight too, but I knew deep down I would only get in his way. So I stayed behind him, clutching my fists, praying he would emerge victorious.

The demon lord ignored Cassius completely, his gaze shifting in my direction. My heart felt like it was going to burst as he spoke my name, his words dripping with malice.

“You are a long way from home, Victor Drake,” the masked demon said. Judging by the overwhelming aura radiating from him, I knew was no match for him.

Get a hold of yourself, damn it! You’re a Master Class Mage, now act like one...

“Oh, so you’ve heard about me, demon.”

The demon lord shrugged, his gaze unwavering, as his eyes traced over my body.

“If you’ve heard of me, then you must know what I’m capable of,” I said, hoping to plant a seed of doubt.

“What an unfortunate situation you find yourself in, Mr. Drake.”

“Why is that?” The moment the words left my mouth, my confidence slowly began to fade. Something felt wrong. I didn’t know what, but something felt amiss. Had I missed something?

Summoning every ounce of my willpower, I fought hard to project a strong front. I knew better than anyone, that showing weakness in front of a demon was lethal. I needed to exude confidence to the utmost regard to make these fuckers wary of attacking me.

“I’m afraid you still haven’t realized what’s happening. How sad.”

Is that pity I see in his eyes?!

The rest of the demons that stood behind him, glanced at each other before they burst into laughter. I looked at Cassius for answers but saw that he was as confused as me.

What is so funny? Why are they laughing? Am I missing something?

Just as I turned my attention back to the demon lord, I saw Cassius’s body vanish before a jolting pain spread through my back.

“AARGHHH!” I hissed in pain, as the tip of a spear, bolted out of my chest.

I looked down in bewilderment, confusion clouding my thoughts and vision.

“I’m sorry about this, Vick.” I heard Cassius’s voice whisper into my ear.

What is going on? Why did Cassius stab me?! What in the world is happening?

The pain was excruciating, like nothing I had ever felt before. It was as if a hot poker had been shoved through my back, tearing through my flesh and piercing my heart. My body shook uncontrollably as my muscles tensed, trying to fight off the pain.

My hands clutched at the wound, trying to stem the flow, but it was no use. Blood gushed out of my body in a torrent, staining the ground beneath me.

The world around me began to spin, my vision blurring as my consciousness slowly slipped away. I could hear the sound of Cassius’s voice, but it was distant and muffled like I was underwater.

The moment he pulled out the spear, I fell to my knees, gasping for air. Using what little strength I had, I turned to look at the man I considered my greatest friend, no even more than that, my brother.

“W-Why?” I tried to speak, but my voice came out hoarse as I began to cough blood. I could feel my mana pooling out of me.

“I made a deal. A deal that would guarantee my survival... I’m sorry it came to this,” Cassius said.

I shook my head in anger and confusion. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t real. I was dreaming. I had to be dreaming. The Cassius I knew would never in a million years make a deal with the demons. Cassius was the ray of hope for humanity, the hero who drove the demons out of our world and gave us a chance to fight. Without him, the rebellion would have fallen years ago.

“D-Don’t y-you see what they’re trying to do?!” I asked, coughing a chunk of blood. “T-They want to enslave humanity... They want to take away our f-f-freedom!”

“How is that my problem? Am I supposed to feel bad because humanity is weak?”

I locked gazes with Cassius and saw something I hadn’t seen before. Greed. Pure and utter greed.

All at once, everything clicked in my head. From the moment I met him, I knew all too well that there was something Cassius cared more about than humanity. Power. Cassius craved power. But in all the years I’d known him, I thought the reason he trained so hard, the reason he fought so hard and wanted to be stronger was for humanity’s sake.

No, maybe I knew all along but didn’t want to recognize it. He was someone I admired. Someone I idolized. He was my world, and for him, I was willing to do just about anything. Maybe because of my deep love for him, I’d become blind to his greed. To that darkness, I’d seen glimpses of and decided to ignore.

Betrayal. The word echoed through my mind as I stared up at Cassius, my heart heavy with sadness and anger.

I guess this is what I get for being an ignorant bastard. I’m such a fool...

“Don’t hate your friend,” said a deep and commanding voice from the shadows. A chill ran through my dying body as the familiar voice reached my ears. It was a voice that haunted me in my dreams.

My heart sank as a dark figure emerged from a portal. The air around me grew heavy with the stench of evil as the Demon King stepped into view. For years, I had dedicated my life to hunting this monster, training my body and mind for the sole purpose of bringing him down. But now, as I laid my eyes on him, I felt a sense of overwhelming despair wash over me.

Valtair’s mere presence sent shivers down my spine. He was a towering figure, with pale white skin and piercing dark eyes. His black cloak swirled around him as he stepped forward, his aura radiating with raw power that threatened to crush me and everything in the entire world.

I could feel my hands trembling at my sides as I stared into his cold gaze, realizing at that moment that all my efforts had been for nothing. The gap in our power was too wide. It was an insurmountable chasm that not even a hundred lifetimes of training could hope to bridge. My muscles tensed and my breaths came in short gasps as I struggled to control my fear.

The pain was overwhelming, every breath felt like shards of glass piercing my lungs. I tried to move, but my body felt heavy, almost lifeless. The betrayal, the pain, and the realization that the world as I knew it was about to end weighed heavily on me. I felt helpless, like a fly trapped in a spider’s web, unable to break free from the inevitable death that awaited me.

“Don’t worry, Victor Drake,” he said, his voice laced with amusement. “Your death will not be in vain. You will serve as an example to those who oppose us.”

I clenched my fists, trying to summon what little energy I had left to fight back. I refused to go down without a fight. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me cower in fear.

“You think you can defeat us?!” I spat out, my voice hoarse and weak. “You may have won this battle, but the war is far from over!”

Valtair chuckled, leaning down to meet my gaze. “Oh, you humans and your futile resistance. Your arrogance and stubbornness will be your downfall. Fortunately, one of you was able to see the truth in my words. Thanks to him, I will spare your race.”

He’s talking about Cassius...

I glared at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. But deep down, I knew he was right. Our rebellion was failing, our numbers dwindling, and with Cassius’s betrayal, our chances of survival were slim to none. Besides Cassius and I, only a handful of humans had the power to fight back.

No, wait! They’re all dead.

Anyone who was strong enough to fight was dead. They'd all given their lives so that Cassius and I could get here. This was supposed to be the final attack to kill the Demon King and put an end to this war.

The pain in my chest intensified, my vision blurring as I felt my life force ebbing away. Memories flashed before my eyes, of my childhood, of my training, of the people I’d lost along the way. I wished I could have done more, fought harder, and loved deeper. But it was too late now.

As my consciousness began to fade, I thought of Cassius. The man I had trusted with my life, the man I’d loved like a brother. I wondered if he felt any remorse, any guilt for what he’d done. Did he realize the gravity of his actions? Or was he blinded by his thirst for power?

Cassius had made us believe we could win. He’d fed us a lie and led us to our death. This attack was never supposed to be a win for us. It was our end game. In just a couple of hours, Cassius had eliminated anyone who could pose a threat to not only his betrayal but the Demon King. Thinking back on it, I couldn’t help but admire his genius. It was a master plan, one that was so well orchestrated, that we all fell for it.

A part of me wanted to hate him. To curse his name and his existence. But another part of me felt sorry for him. Sorry that he’d lost his way, sorry that he’d let his greed consume him. Sorry that he’d become a pawn in the demons’ game.

The darkness consumed me, and I felt myself slipping away, my body growing cold and numb. But as I took my last breath, I promised myself that I would not let my death be in vain...

This wasn’t the end. I wouldn’t let it be the end. This was only the start. I didn’t know how or why, but I knew that this was nothing but a small hurdle. No matter what, even if I had to crawl from the depths of hell, I was going to come back. Maybe I couldn’t save humanity, but I could avenge us.

Just wait for me, Cassius. Just wait, because nothing can or will stop me from getting my revenge!!!