They had been confronting each other for several minutes, and Kael was beginning to feel with brutal clarity the weight of that morality that once reigned in his first world... that inner voice that spoke of limits, of laws, of human rights, of not crossing certain lines.
But this forest was not his world.
And there were no judges here.
“// -- Stop this nonsense, we have to attack seriously, you won't be able to paralyze him! -- //”
The bandit leader, with surprising agility for someone of his size, launched an attack of rocks that emerged violently from the ground, propelling him forward as if the earth itself were catapulting him. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Kael.
The impact was brutal.
The bandit spun around and launched a kick charged with monstrous force. Kael barely managed to raise his left arm in a defensive position. The shock was so powerful that the air compressed with a sharp crack.
The boy's body was thrown into the air.
He flew through the air like a rag doll and ended up crashing into a thick tree. The trunk cracked, split in half, and fell with a crash to the ground.
Kael rolled in dust, leaves, and splinters.
The pain was immediate.
Overwhelming.
Blinding.
If he hadn't reinforced his body with defensive magic at the last second, he wouldn't have survived the impact.
He lay face down, breathing heavily. Every attempt to inhale felt like needles being stuck into his chest.
He barely lifted his head.
Through the dust suspended in the air, he could see the children hiding under the roots and twisted branches of a fallen tree. They were motionless. Trembling. Their eyes wide with terror.
And they were watching him die for them.
—// -- you have two choices, you stupid idiot... Either you run away and leave those children who are enemies, or you get up and kill that guy! -- //—
Kael tried to sit up.
His legs failed him.
He fell face down on the damp ground. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
His left arm hung at an unnatural angle.
Dislocated.
Every movement was a jolt of pain that shot through his body.
He tried to get up again. His fingers dug into the dirt, trying to push himself up... but his body wouldn't respond.
The bandit leader was already walking towards him.
Step by step.
Unhurried.
Savoring the moment.
And then something happened that Kael didn't expect.
A small figure moved out of hiding.
A girl.
Thin. Exhausted. Her presence seemed so fragile that it contrasted with the brutality of the surroundings. Her two-toned hair—pure white on one side, deep black on the other—fell in dirty strands that framed a thin face covered in dust and dried tears.
Her red eyes were large... too large for her face. But they did not shine with childlike innocence. There was something broken in them. Something that had learned too soon that the world was cruel.
Two small curved horns protruded from her head, still growing. Her pointed ears stuck out from her tangled hair.
She was dressed in little more than worn rags, tied with a makeshift rope for a belt. Her skin was marked by bruises, scrapes, and poorly healed wounds.
She was not a girl who had had a childhood.
She was a girl who had survived.
With unsteady steps, she approached Kael.
She crouched down beside him and, with what little strength she had left, tried to lift him up. Her arms trembled.
She couldn't do it.
Her hands slipped.
Then she grabbed a stick from the ground.
She stood in front of Kael, trembling but steady. The stick was just a piece of dry wood. It would be useless against someone like the bandit chief.
But she held it anyway.
“Get up and run... or he'll kill you... please, run away...” whispered the demon girl, her voice broken and barely audible.
Kael looked at her.
Confusion.
Bewilderment.
Terror.
He didn't understand why she was acting this way. He didn't understand why someone who had been his enemy by definition was now covering him with her own body.
But he knew what was going to happen.
The bandit chief reached her.
He didn't hesitate.
He kicked her in the stomach with the same brutality he had used against Kael.
The sound was sharp.
The small body was thrown back and crashed into a rock. The blow was so strong that the girl lay motionless.
A trickle of blood escaped from her mouth.
Her body bent over, almost lifeless.
—// -- Oh, how wonderful, you big loser!!!!! May your past morals kill you and prove a disgusting worm like that bandit right, and may an innocent girl trying to save you die!!!!! You are totally and completely ready for this world! Yes, let them all die!!! -- //—
Something inside Kael broke.
It was no longer a moral argument.
It was no longer a dilemma.
This was not his old world.
There were no courts here.
There were no prisons.
There was no social reintegration.
Here, the weak died.
And so did the indecisive.
Kael pushed off the ground with his only functioning arm and propelled himself upward.
He jumped.
In midair, magic enveloped him like an invisible flame. His staff spun in his right hand as he channeled energy with brutal precision.
The bandit leader backed away, preparing to launch another rock attack.
He didn't have time.
A projectile pierced the rock before it was fully formed and embedded itself directly in his chest.
The impact knocked the wind out of him.
Another projectile pierced his arm.
Another pierced his leg.
Then another.
And another.
And yet another.
More than thirty steel projectiles pierced him in a matter of seconds.
Kael had compressed and launched them with pressure and velocity comparable to a large-caliber weapon from his previous world. Each impact exploded flesh and bone, tearing tissue with brutal violence.
The bandit leader died without even understanding what had hit him.
The forest fell silent.
Kael landed with difficulty.
He didn't analyze.
He didn't reflect.
He ran to the girl.
She was unconscious.
Vomiting blood.
Her breathing was irregular.
“// -- since the mission failed... the girl will most likely die... -- //”
Kael clenched his teeth tightly.
Kael thought: Shut up. I don't care about the mission. I won't let her die.
His eyes burned.
Pure determination.
He concentrated all his neutral magic to the maximum.
The air vibrated around him.
Kael was breathing heavily. Each inhalation burned his chest, but he couldn't stop now.
His left arm hung at an impossible angle. The pain throbbed as if it had a heart of its own.
And yet, he forced himself to move.
—// -- What are you going to do? -- //—
Kael looked at his own dislocated arm. The skin was swollen, the shoulder out of place. If he didn't fix it, he wouldn't be able to channel magic steadily.
He spread his neutral magic over the joint. The sensation was like inserting thousands of invisible needles under his skin. He manipulated the bone, searched for the right fit, measured the angle with almost surgical precision.
And then, with a sharp burst of energy...
CRACK.
The bone snapped back into place.
The pain was so brutal that his vision turned white for a second. His whole body shook. Adrenaline exploded inside him, and suddenly, he could no longer feel the pain clearly. Not because it had disappeared... but because his mind had decided to ignore it.
He took a deep breath.
He didn't have time to faint.
He picked up the girl with extreme care. Her body was light. Too light. As if the world were already letting her go, little by little.
He approached the other children, who stared at him, paralyzed.
“Excuse me... I need your help...” Kael said, his voice broken but firm. “If I lose consciousness, try to keep her in this position until I wake up. It's very dangerous to try to move her.”
The children nodded fearfully. Some had tears in their eyes. Others could barely hold his gaze.
Kael gently laid the girl on the ground, positioning her head and torso with pinpoint accuracy. Then he knelt beside her and focused all his neutral magic on her again.
“// ”What the hell are you going to do? You don't have light magic, you idiot!" //
Kael closed his eyes.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Kael thought: I don't have light magic... but I can move matter. Neutral magic doesn't allow me to create life or real healing, but I can modify physical structure without breaking the link to the soul. If I can't heal... at least I can stabilize.
The first thing was to diagnose.
He extended his magic as if it were thousands of tiny invisible hands, entering the girl's body with extreme care. It wasn't a violent invasion. It was a delicate exploration.
Fractured ribs.
Micro perforations in the right lung.
Slow bleeding in the stomach.
Multiple internal bruises.
It was a disaster.
The blow would have been lethal for someone of her size.
Kael thought: Manipulating the body on a macro level is useless... I can't weld bones as if they were metal. But on a cellular level... I can adjust, join, press, stimulate. I'm not healing... I'm just helping the body to carry out its process in the best way possible so that it doesn't die prematurely.
He began.
His magic entered like a gentle, precise pressure.
He joined the edges of the torn tissues, compressing them enough to stop the bleeding.
He adjusted the fractured ribs just enough so they would no longer pierce organs.
He applied internal pressure to the lung to stabilize it and prevent it from collapsing completely.
Every movement required absurd concentration. One tiny mistake and he could tear more than he was trying to repair.
Sweat began to run down his forehead, mixing with the dust and dried blood.
The children watched in absolute silence, as if even the wind had decided to be quiet.
And then he felt something.
Deep inside the girl's body, a faint vibration.
A core.
Kael thought: Come on... wake up, damn thing... I know demons have a core of life... if I can stimulate it, her body will finish the job.
He directed his magic toward that point. He didn't force it. He just stimulated it, as if tapping lightly on a closed door.
A pulse.
Weak.
But real.
The girl's breathing stopped plummeting. It was still irregular, but it was no longer fading away.
She was still in danger.
But she was no longer dying.
Kael exhaled for the first time since he had begun.
He hadn't cured her.
He couldn't cure her.
But he had done enough to keep her alive.
Then his own body took its toll.
The strain of sustaining magic with such precision tore him apart inside. A violent cough shook him. Blood spurted from his mouth and fell onto the damp earth.
It was the same feeling as when he had tried to separate iron from a stone using pure molecular manipulation. The same extreme exhaustion. The same feeling that his brain was burning from within.
The children looked at him in terror.
“Calm down... I'm fine...” Kael murmured, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand.
He wasn't.
The children, unable to bear it any longer, began to cry. They hugged each other desperately. They had been kidnapped. Forced to march through the forest for days. Without enough food. Without rest.
They were children.
Kael looked at them with a mixture of guilt and determination.
“I know it's hard to take in...” he said in a steadier voice, “but you must stay calm and strong, please. We'll find a way to fix this. The important thing is that you're alive... and the bandits are out of commission.”
He knew they needed energy.
Quick.
Easy to absorb.
He opened his dimensional cube. The opening glowed with a faint blue flash, illuminating the clearing for an instant.
He took out chocolate.
The sweet aroma mingled with the damp smell of the forest, breaking the tension in the air for a moment.
“Look... kids... have this.”
He gave each of them a piece.
They hadn't eaten in two days.
When the chocolate touched their mouths, their eyes opened wide in surprise. The sweetness, the creamy texture, the immediate energy. They devoured it desperately, barely chewing.
Then he took out water.
She gave them a drink carefully, making sure they didn't choke.
She applied herbal medicines to the superficial wounds of some.
He cut strips of leather to improvise rudimentary shoes.
He handed out blankets to cover their shivering bodies.
He hoped to regain a little more energy to throw a booger launch into the sky and announce their location to the guardians.
But he was exhausted.
His body trembled without his being able to control it.
And then...
The worst happened.
The bandits who had been paralyzed began to regain mobility. Their fingers moved. Their eyes blinked.
And from the thicket of the forest emerged a horde of goblins.
Small. Green. With rusty weapons and hungry eyes that glowed with greed.
Chaos returned.
Kael stood up with difficulty.
“Stay under the shelter of the roots,” he ordered the children. “Don't come out, no matter what happens.”
Then he shouted with what little voice he had left:
“Damn vermin! I'm here! Follow me and we'll fight somewhere else!”
He was willing to lure them away.
He knew he would probably die.
But at least the children would have a chance.
He prepared to run.
And then the sky changed.
And then the sky changed.
An icy pressure descended from above.
The air became sharp, dense, as if thousands of invisible needles were suspended above the clearing.
Suddenly, a huge number of ice stakes began to fall like deadly rain. It was not chaotic rain; it was precise. Calculated.
They pierced bodies.
They drilled through skulls.
They pinned goblins to the ground as if they were insects.
The bandits who tried to get up were pierced mercilessly, with no chance to react.
The forest was filled with screams that lasted only seconds.
Then... silence.
A heavy silence.
Dense.
Kael stood motionless.
On guard.
He didn't know who had cast that spell.
And that was worse.
A female voice echoed among the trees, soft but with a sharpness impossible to ignore.
“Well, well... this is a unique and fortuitous event. Such a small human using magic... and on top of that, taking care of demon children...”
Kael gripped his staff.
“I don't know who you are... but I still have enough energy to fight anyone,” he spat defiantly. “Leave the children alone and come face me. Because you're going to need more than two hands to beat me, old woman.”
A blink.
Nothing more.
And the sorceress was standing in front of him.
She grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground as if he weighed nothing.
Her fingers were cold.
Inhumanly cold.
“Quite rude and impolite, child,” she said in a soft but sharp voice. “Do you even know who I am?”
Kael could barely breathe. The air entered his lungs like knives.
“You're... my bitch. . .” he growled.
He gathered what little magic he had left and tried to kick her.
The sorceress stopped him with absolute ease.
As if she were stopping the movement of a rag doll.
"I will reward your effort and courage, boy... and I will not kill you. But I will take those children.
She let him go.
Kael fell to his knees.
And then he saw her clearly.
Kael fell to his knees, coughing violently. The air returned to his lungs like cold blades that burned as they entered.
And then he saw her clearly.
She was the kind of beauty that unsettles you even before your mind understands why. Her pale skin contrasted hypnotically with her long black hair, which fell like a curtain of living shadow over her body. It wasn't just hair: it seemed like an extension of the night itself.
Her eyes were an intense, supernatural blue. Not a common blue, but one that seemed to glow from within, sharp, almost feline. The way they looked at him was not simple curiosity... it was evaluation.
When she smiled, it was with a dangerous mix of charm and contained cruelty.
Two crystalline, bluish horns arched from her head. They weren't rough or wild; they looked precisely carved, almost ornamental. They emitted a faint glow that vibrated in tune with the magic that still permeated the air.
Her earrings and pendants, adorned with blue gems, were not mere jewelry. Arcane energy flowed through them as if they were conduits of her power.
She wore a tight-fitting, elegant black dress that revealed more than it concealed. It was not vulgarity. It was mastery. Every fold, every cut, conveyed absolute confidence.
She didn't need to raise her voice.
Her presence was imposing.
Kael looked at her intently, analyzing every detail.
“You're a demon too...” he murmured.
She nodded slightly.
“But what a clever boy. How did you figure it out?”
Kael spat blood to one side.
“Ahhh... your nails, no doubt. They're demon nails. Impossible the horns... I know plenty of well-horned men…”
The demon raised an eyebrow.
"Wow... you're about to pass out and you still have the energy to joke around.
Kael watched her tensely.
“Please tell me you've come to rescue these children... because I really don't know what I could have done to protect them in Cautares...”
The demon looked at him with an almost amused expression.
"Yes, I have. I came to find them. I wanted to kill the bandits cruelly... but you beat me to it and had already subdued them. You're so mean...“ Her lips curved slightly. ”Why did you help and protect them?
Kael looked at her as if the answer were obvious.
“Well, they're children. I don't think they did anything wrong to deserve being kidnapped.
She tilted her head.
”But they're demons. We're your enemies.
Kael frowned.
"Enemies? Don't be ridiculous. Those children have nothing to do with the war that happened years ago. I have even less to do with it. They shouldn't have to suffer the prejudice and xenophobia generated by the previous generation.
Silence stretched out for a few seconds.
The demon looked at him with growing fascination.
“You're a very interesting boy... so young and casting spells like a veteran. Well... may I know your name?”
Kael settled himself as best he could.
“My name is Kael. I'm almost four years old. And you?”
She smiled.
“My name is Cerva.”
Kael's heart skipped a beat.
He couldn't hide it.
Cerva narrowed her eyes.
“Oh... it seems you know my name, little one. I'm sure your history books portray me as a ruthless monster. One of the great generals of the demon king.”
Kael swallowed hard.
“Um... well... something like that. I mean... I don't remember much...”
Cerva took a step closer. Her presence was cold, but not in temperature. It was cold in intention.
“No. You have the face of someone who has seen something more of me. You're more nervous than you should be. Do you know something about me that makes you uncomfortable?”
Kael forced a smile.
“Oh, no, no... not at all...”
Cerva leaned toward him, as if they were sharing a secret.
“Oh, come on, little one. Tell me what you know or what they've said about me.” The truth is, I'm very curious.
Kael looked at her with growing tension. He felt that every word could become his sentence.
“Well... it's just that I... I remember her because my mom said she punched you pretty hard
Cerva's expression changed.
Her smile disappeared.
Now her gaze was deeper.
More analytical.
“So your mom said she hit me… ohhh…” Her eyes sparkled. “Don’t tell me you’re Caria’s son…”
Kael nodded nervously.
“Yes…”
Cerva let out a soft laugh.
“So that stinky gorilla had a son… hahahaha! How interesting…” She looked him up and down. You know... I could have taken you with me and done a lot of things to make your mother suffer...
Kael felt a real chill run down his spine.
But Cerva smiled again.
“But you said it yourself. Our conflicts are between our generation. The children are not to blame...” She looked at the little demons. “And I must thank you for saving and caring for our children.”
Kael exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding.
The children began to cautiously emerge from their hiding place. Upon seeing her, some burst into tears of relief.
“General Cerva!” several whispered with respect and hope.
Cerva extended her hand slightly.
“Fine. I'll take these children. Unfortunately... I can't take her. She'll probably die.”
Kael looked at her suddenly.
“You can't do that! Don't abandon her! She's innocent!”
Cerva looked at him with a cold, almost clinical calm.
“I understand your position. But she won't survive the journey. And from her clothes... she's probably from some impoverished village where her parents sold her. It's better for her to die peacefully here, without pain or suffering.”
Kael felt something break inside him again.
“I won't let her die! She ended up like this to save me!”
Cerva stared at him.
“Well then, if she gave her life to protect yours... it's your duty to take care of her and stay with her.”
Kael wanted to argue.
But he knew she was right.
The road back to the demon realm would be long.
Hard.
Dangerous.
The girl would not make it.
Kael looked down for a few seconds.
“How long will it take you to reach the demon realm?
”At a fast pace... a week, perhaps," Cerva replied casually.
Kael opened his dimensional cube.
The opening glowed again, illuminating his exhausted face.
He began to take out large quantities of food, clothing, water, and medicine.
The children stared at him with wide eyes.
So did Cerva.
“Wow... what an incredible ability you have...” she murmured with genuine interest.
“That doesn't matter. Please take all of this with you.”
“All these resources? Why?”
Kael looked up.
“I don't care about you... but the children need to regain their energy and heal. Otherwise, they will die on the way back.”
Cerva watched him for a few more seconds.
Then she nodded seriously.
“Well, thank you very much, Kael. I think you're the only good thing your gorilla mother has done so far... ha ha ha.”
Just as they were preparing to leave...
The air changed.
Three powerful presences descended into the clearing.
And one more.
Lyris was the first to speak.
“Young Master Kael! We have come to rescue you!”
But it wasn't joy that dominated the atmosphere.
It was pressure.
Holley stepped forward, her eyes burning with contained fury.
“Cerva... you damn, disgusting general...”
Cerva smiled with dangerous amusement, as if this were merely entertainment.
“But look who we have here... the trio of fools who were Mexas and Nagon's playthings...”
The tension became palpable.
Magic began to vibrate in the air, charged, ready to explode.
And the focal point of the conflict...
Was Kael.
The magical pressure began to burn in the atmosphere as if the entire forest were holding its breath.
The three guardians took a step forward. Their presences expanded brutally, causing the leaves on the trees to vibrate and the weaker branches to creak. It wasn't just power.
It was contained rage.
Cerva, for her part, didn't back down an inch.
Her icy aura spread elegantly, without visible explosions, but with a density that crushed the surroundings.
Kael was in the middle.
Literally.
And if anyone made a mistake...
He would be the first to die.
“// -- Hey, animal, say something or this will be a massacre!!!!! -- //”
Kael stepped forward, staggering from accumulated fatigue and the pain that still coursed through his body.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAA! Calm down, everyone!” he shouted desperately. “Insults are not necessary, nor is it necessary to relive memories!”
The guardians looked at him in surprise.
Enta stepped forward firmly. His voice, deep and authoritative, cut through the air.
“Young master, come here this instant.”
Kael shook his head vigorously.
“NO! Calm down, everyone! The only enemies here were those bandits who were trafficking children.”
Ken stepped forward. His gaze was a mixture of fury and concern.
“My lord is extremely wounded!” Do you realize the danger you put yourself in?“
”There were children in danger!" Kael replied without hesitation.
The guards looked past him.
The demon children were beginning to emerge from their hiding place among the roots. Some carried the blankets Kael had given them. Others held food in their small, trembling hands.
Cerva spoke calmly, but without lowering her guard.
“Indeed. I only came to rescue these children who were kidnapped by bandits of your race. They entered villages, massacred innocents, and stole children. If I have done nothing against you, it is because this foolish child had already rescued and protected these little ones with his life.”
Holley clenched her teeth.
Ken exchanged a glance with Enta.
They knew that fighting a general of the demon king was no game.
They knew that the outcome was not in their favor.
Kael took advantage of the silence.
“You see... the important thing here is that the children, including me, go to a safe place... and that they return to their kingdom. There is no need to fight.”
It took a few seconds for the atmosphere to relax.
Finally, the guardians relented.
Cerva looked at Kael with a crooked smile.
“Well, dwarf, it was nice meeting you. You certainly show more intelligence and awareness than your foolish parents.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
”Do you even know who my dad is?
Cerva laughed softly.
“Of course. You're a carbon copy of that fool Laret.”
Before Kael could respond, Cerva took a black rose from her dress. It was no ordinary flower. Its petals seemed to absorb the light around it.
She casually tucked it into Kael's belt.
The touch was cold.
Kael looked at her, confused.
“What's this rose for?”
Cerva winked.
“Ahhh... it's nothing bad, don't worry... well, it is bad... but only for your mom.”
Kael didn't understand the exact meaning, but the intention was clear: it was a direct provocation.
Cerva turned away.
The demon children began to gather behind her.
Without ceremony.
Without dramatic farewells.
They disappeared into the bushes and trees of the forest, moving with supernatural agility until they were completely lost in the thicket.
Silence returned.
Ken sighed deeply.
“Oh, sir... you'd better get ready. Because you're going to get a punishment I can't even imagine.”
Kael, still standing despite the pain that threatened to bring him down, replied firmly:
“I know. I will accept whatever punishment is imposed on me.”
Without another word, he walked toward the root hideout.
The demon girl was still unconscious.
He bent down with effort and carried her on his back. Each step was a challenge for his exhausted body.
Enta frowned.
“Young master... who is that girl? She's a demon. Why didn't Cerva take her away?”
Kael adjusted the weight on his shoulders.
“She said she wouldn't survive the journey because of the damage she received...”
Lyris approached with a concerned expression.
“What happened to her?”
Kael looked down for a moment before answering.
“She tried to defend me from the bandit leader... and was brutally beaten.”
His voice no longer held anger.
It held guilt.
With a look full of importance, pain, and resignation, he added:
“She suffered because of me... because I didn't have the determination to kill a thief when I should have.”
Ken watched him silently for a few seconds.
“Did you kill the bandit leader, my young master...?”
Kael nodded.
"It was him or me. Now I must pay for my insubordination... and save this girl.
There was no arrogance in his words.
There was acceptance.
And determination.
With a steady gait—even though his body was at its limit—he began to walk along the path where the guards had come from.
The forest seemed different now.
Quieter.
Heavier.
Kael moved forward carrying not only an unconscious demon girl...
But the weight of having crossed a line that his old world would never have allowed him to cross.
And he knew there was no turning back.
