Elarion stood at the edge of the ruined city, his silhouette sharp against the blood-red dusk. His long black hair, tangled and wild, clung to his gaunt face, framing skin so pale it seemed almost translucent under the dying light. But it was his eyes that truly unsettled—deep crimson pools, glowing with an eerie, unnatural intensity. They held no warmth, no trace of humanity, only a silent promise of something ancient and relentless.
Elarion walked slowly through the ruins, smiling as he spoke to himself:
"It has all come to ruin."
A moment later, Elarion found a small girl lying on the ground.
He rushed toward her, shaking her roughly while shouting:
"Hey! Wake up! What happened here?"
The little girl opened her eyes faintly. Elarion examined her—there was no blood or wounds on her body, but her breathing was weak. Without another word, he carried her to a nearby house, though it was nothing more than skeletal remains.
Elarion took off his shirt and placed it over the girl. Smiling, he stroked her hair.
"It will be all right. Just hold still for a moment."
Covering her with his shirt, he whispered softly:
"I have sworn my loyalty to you. My body and soul are yours. Please, grant forgiveness to this soul."
Golden motes of light hovered in the gloom, flickering and fading. The small girl opened her eyes in surprise.
"Where am I? Is this heaven?"
Elarion chuckled quietly.
"It's hell, actually."
The little girl gasped, her expression filled with worry.
"Who are you? And why are you naked? Are you trying to rape me?"
Elarion squeezed her cheeks while smiling, trying to hide his sharp glare.
"Is that how you talk to your savior?"
The little girl hesitated before speaking, her hands trembling.
"T-thank you… but can you put some clothes on? Your bare chest is really uncomfortable to look at."
I smiled while grabbing my shirt.
"Are you sure? I mean… look at yourself."
The little girl glanced at her torn clothes, realization dawning on her. She shrieked and quickly hid her body with her hands.
"I'm sorry! Give it back!"
I threw the shirt at her with a grin.
"Told ya."
She put it on—it was long enough to cover almost her whole body.
Elarion lifted her onto his shoulder. She struggled briefly before giving up.
"Hey! Where are you taking me?"
Elarion walked through the ruins once more, this time with the little girl.
"Can I ask you now? What happened here?"
The little girl's expression darkened. Her hands, which had been gripping my shoulders, trembled. She spoke in a barely audible voice.
"It came here too…"
Elarion smiled and whispered quietly:
"Now that's something interesting."
The little girl shouted angrily.
"What are you talking about?! That's not funny!"
I put her down, still smiling.
"I'll kill it. And when I do, will you tell me your name?"
I handed her my bag and pointed to a hut that looked undamaged.
"You can hide there. I'll be back soon. No matter what happens, don't you dare come after me."
The little girl clung to my leg, tears streaming down her face.
"Please don't leave me alone! My parents said that too… but they died."
Elarion ruffled her hair.
"Don't worry. I can't die, even if I want to."
I walked away slowly, stealing glances over my shoulder until she entered the hut. Once she was inside, I smiled like a fool before running toward the castle.
"Hey, you crazy kid! Can you send out some of your servants before I fight you? It's boring otherwise."
In front of the castle gate, two figures stood.
One was a man covered in fur, wielding a mace. The other was a dark elf, holding a long bow with a sleek wooden frame, its end feathered with soft fletching.
I whistled, grinning at them.
"What do we have here? An elegant elf and a mere animal?"
The fur-covered man dashed toward me, swinging his mace at my shoulder.
"Take this, you cocky human!"
I dusted off my shoulder with a smirk, grabbed his head, and drove my knee into it, causing him to collapse to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Hey, I don't want to get dirty."
The elf shot an arrow straight at my eyes.
"Take this, you insult!"
I caught the arrow mid-air and threw it back at his head, but the elf leaped high to dodge.
Jumping after him, I grabbed his shoulders and hurled him to the ground. The elf began chanting:
"Our Father from above, grant me the strength of the wind, bestow your power upon me!"
The wind gathered beneath him, making his body float.
I smiled and shouted:
"Hey, little kid! Is that all you got? Last chance—bring out your real servants before I lose my patience."
As I spoke, skeletons began rising from the ground, forming a circle around me.
A boy stood above the gate, smirking.
"If you can kill them all, I will face you in battle."
The elf turned to the boy and bowed slightly.
"My master, you don't need to fight this human. I will kill him myself."
The boy chuckled, brushing the hair from his forehead.
"This isn't an ordinary human, you stupid elf. They say elves have some intelligence, but I guess dark elves are different."
He glared at the elf and the fur-covered man.
"Don't embarrass me, you two."
The fur-covered man and the elf began chanting together.
"Lord of Destruction, grant us your—"
Before they could finish, I dashed toward them, grabbing their faces and lifting them high while smiling.
"Listen, I'm done playing around. I don't have all day for you."
The skeletons stabbed me from behind with their swords. I smiled as I looked back.
"Thanks, guys! I needed a sword."
I threw the elf and the fur-covered man against the wall, stepping forward just enough to seize a sword from one of the skeletons.
"This is going to be fun," I said while dashing toward the boy.
The boy floated in the air, hurling fireballs at me while laughing.
"You cheater! I told you I'd fight you after you killed them!"
I smiled, slashing through the fireballs with the sword.
"You can't blame me, kid. It's your fault—your servants are weak."
The boy glared, his lips curling.
"Cheeky too… I love it."
He threw a dagger, but it wasn't aimed at me. He laughed, his cheeks flushed red. Biting his lip, he whispered, his voice barely above a breath:
"Did you really think just because you hid something, I wouldn't take it from you?"
Elarion licked his lips and laughed hard, dashing toward the dagger. He caught it just before it could hit the hut. Smiling knowingly, he covered his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter.
"Are you jealous or something? Don't worry, kid. I'll take care of you too—I'll pamper you, starting with your hair."
The boy shook his head in anger, his eyebrows twitching.
"I'll look forward to it. Anyway, isn't it impolite to fight without introducing ourselves? I am the lowest of the devil lords—Hadeon."
I smiled, a soft, knowing smile, and bowed my head slightly.
"I am the Perverted Fighter. Nice to meet you, little lord."
Hadeon's expression darkened, his whole body trembling as he screamed:
"Kill him, you useless servants! This isn't fun anymore!"
As Hadeon ran away and his servants charged toward me, I licked the edge of my sword.
"I love a good chase. Run, little kid, run—after all, it wouldn't be fun otherwise."