The air was thick with the scent of celebration and the echoes of laughter. Amidst the revelry, the Ice Squad sat alongside the venerable Chief of the Spear Tribe, their shadows flickering against the hearth’s glow.

  ?"So," one of them broke the silence, "you are the sole healer of this village?"

  ?The healer nodded, her expression solemn. "Indeed. The power of restoration is a sacred mantle, passed from one generation to the next since the first of our kind walked these lands."

  ?"An inheritance of blood, then?"

  ?"Not quite," she corrected softly. "The gift chooses its vessel. It was merely destiny that both my mother and I were called to serve. In the city of Luminary, healers are as common as streetlamps, but here, our magic is of a different breed. Listen: our progenitor possessed power so vast she could mend a broken army in the blink of an eye. But her miracle carried a curse—each prayer of healing claimed a fragment of her soul. Her life was the fuel for her mercy."

  ?She touched the pendant resting against her chest. "To spare us that agony, she crystallized her essence within this stone. I draw from her strength, not my own life-force, though even this borrowed power leaves the bones weary."

  ?The mood shifted as the Ice Lord fixed his piercing gaze on the group. His voice was like a winter wind. "And you... you claim you want to be a hero?"

  ?"He already is," a voice chimed in.

  ?The Ice Lord ignored the sentiment, his eyes narrowing at the majestic eagle perched nearby. "Give me the bird. I have no use for your team."

  ?"Is this the prize you fight for?"

  ?"It is."

  ?The eagle, as if sensing a soul of true honor, stepped away from the Ice Lord and stood defiantly beside the girl. The Ice Lord’s face darkened. He turned to Sora, who stood nearby. "Get away from her, you fool! You’re blinded by affection!"

  ?Sora did not flinch.

  ?"Fine! Then no lunch for you!" the Lord barked, yet Sora remained a statue.

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  ?Losing his patience, the Ice Lord manifested a jagged blade of ice from the thin air. "It seems I shall be dining on roast eagle tonight," he hissed. But the bird was swift; it took to the skies, vanishing into the clouds.

  ?"He rejected you," Rose said, grabbing the ice knife and pointing it back at the Ice Lord’s throat. "You are cruel! He is a helpless creature—did you have to terrify him so?"

  ?The cold-hearted commander merely sighed, the celebration ending under a shroud of tension.

  ?Three days passed in a state of restless peace. The Ice Squad scouted the perimeter daily, but the horizon remained empty of demons—a silence that troubled the Ice Lord. On the sixth day, the silence broke.

  ?A rift tore through the sky, and a swarm of demons spilled forth like ink in water. At their head stood a leader, his lips curled in a sinister grin.

  ?"Finally," he whispered, "the stage is set."

  ?"The legions are ready, My Lord," his assistant reported. "Your orders?"

  ?"Ah, my faithful servant... I have waited an eternity for the rank this mission will grant me. Deploy the soldiers as planned. Leave the high-born to me."

  ?Inside his tent, the Ice Lord felt the sudden, oily chill of demonic energy. "They are here."

  ?"Listen up!" the Ice Lord commanded his team. "They seek to overwhelm the villages. We split—you protect the innocent; I head for the source."

  ?He arrived at the center of the demonic surge like a localized blizzard. With a roar, he unleashed an ice storm filled with crystalline blades, shredding the front line in an instant.

  ?The demon leader stepped forward, clapping mockingly. "The Ice Lord arrives at last. You've kept me waiting."

  ?"I wouldn't miss the chance to exterminate vermin like you," the Lord replied, drawing his sword.

  ?The battle became a blur of steel and frost. When a massive demon beast tried to crush him, the Ice Lord danced up its arm, freezing the gargantuan creature from the head down until it shattered into a thousand shards.

  ?"Impressive," the demon laughed. "But did you know? These 'demons' you've slaughtered aren't demons at all. They are constructs—manufactured from the flesh and blood of humans!"

  ?The Ice Lord’s blood ran cold with fury. "You used humans to create these... abominations?"

  ?"And the best part?" the demon leaned in. "The architect of this horror is a human, just like you!"

  ?A primal scream of rage erupted from the Ice Lord, his power flaring so violently it threatened to crush the demon’s lungs. But the demon only smiled as the ground began to heave.

  ?"It is time," the demon heralded.

  ?Eight colossal arms of ice burst from the earth, grabbing the Ice Lord with an inescapable grip.

  ?"The Great Suppressor Beast has awakened! And do you know why? It does not see me as the threat—it sees you and your chaotic power as the breaker of peace! Goodbye, Ice Lord."

  ?The arms dragged him down into the frigid depths of the water. As the surface closed over him, the demon turned toward the horizon. Five hundred true demons emerged from the gate.

  ?"Now," he commanded, "to the Spear Village. Let the harvest begin."