The shadows continued to slowly disappear.
The entire hall remained silent.
No one moved.
No one attacked.
It was as if we were all waiting for the same moment.
The complete revelation of the figure standing before the throne.
The pressure he released was overwhelming.
Even the most experienced adventurers seemed tense.
Some soldiers had already retreated several meters.
Others kept their weapons raised, but their faces revealed their nervousness.
I could understand them.
This was no ordinary enemy.
He couldn't even be compared to the demonic commanders we had faced over the past few days.
This was something different.
Very different.
The shadows finally disappeared completely.
Then I saw him clearly for the first time.
Vaelthor.
The First Demon General.
He was tall.
Much taller than an ordinary human.
He was probably over two and a half meters tall.
His body was covered by black armor that seemed to have been forged from darkness itself.
The plates bore crimson details resembling glowing veins that ran across the entire surface.
His shoulders were broad.
Imposing.
His presence completely dominated the hall.
His hair was long and dark.
It fell down to the middle of his back.
His eyes immediately drew attention.
Red.
Deep.
They seemed to carry centuries of battles.
But what caught my attention the most was not his appearance.
It was his expression.
He seemed completely calm.
As if nothing there represented a threat.
As if he were merely waiting for something inevitable.
As if he knew exactly how this story would end.
Vaelthor surveyed the entire hall.
His gaze passed over the soldiers.
The adventurers.
Drakarion.
The girls.
And finally stopped on me.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So you're Takumi."
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
It was calm.
Controlled.
Yet carried a natural authority that was difficult to ignore.
I kept my hand on my sword.
"So you already know my name."
"Of course."
He took a few steps forward.
The sound of his boots echoed across the stone floor.
"You defeated several generals."
"Destroyed fortresses."
"Ruined important plans."
He tilted his head slightly.
"It would be strange if I didn't know who you were."
Scarlett stepped forward a few paces.
"You talk too much for someone who's about to lose."
Vaelthor looked at her.
For an instant.
Just an instant.
But it was enough for me to notice something.
He didn't seem offended.
Nor irritated.
In fact, he looked amused.
"Interesting."
He said.
"Brave."
Scarlett smiled.
"I prefer strong."
Vaelthor simply turned his attention back to me.
"She reminds me of some warriors I fought long ago."
Rai'kanna stepped forward.
"If you're trying to intimidate us, you're wasting your time."
"No."
He replied.
"I'm simply observing."
Silence once again dominated the hall.
Then Drakarion spoke.
"The one responsible for thousands of deaths."
Vaelthor looked at the king of the demi-dragons.
"A war always produces deaths."
"You started this war."
"No."
Vaelthor replied.
"The war began long before any of you were born."
That sentence caught my attention.
But before anyone could question him, he continued.
"It doesn't matter."
"Discussions about the past won't change the present."
He raised one hand.
Black mana began spreading around his body.
Instantly, several soldiers became tense.
The atmosphere grew even heavier.
Liriel gripped her staff.
Elara gathered mana.
Vespera nocked an arrow.
Lyannis began constructing a magical barrier around us.
Everyone was ready.
But Vaelthor didn't attack.
Instead, he continued observing us.
As though analyzing every detail.
"You've come a long way."
He said.
"Farther than I expected."
"But you still arrived exhausted."
My gaze remained fixed on him.
He was right.
The last few days had been brutal.
We were all worn out.
Every single one of us.
Vaelthor noticed it immediately.
"Five days of battle."
He began walking slowly.
"Very little rest."
"Mana constantly being consumed."
"Injuries piling up."
He stopped again.
"You're weaker than you should be."
Scarlett clicked her tongue.
"Are you trying to convince us to give up?"
Vaelthor let out a quiet laugh.
"Quite the opposite."
He pointed at me.
"I want to see how far the hero can go."
That bothered me.
There was something strange about the way he spoke.
It didn't sound like ordinary arrogance.
It sounded like absolute confidence.
Like someone who truly believed victory was already in his hands.
And perhaps he did.
After all, his presence was terrifying.
Even standing still.
Even without attacking.
His aura surpassed every enemy I had faced until now.
So I decided to ask something.
"Why didn't you show yourself sooner?"
Vaelthor smiled.
"Patience."
"I wanted to observe."
"Observe?"
"Yes."
He spread his arms.
"I wanted to watch the hero in action."
"I wanted to understand your strength."
"Your limitations."
"Your habits."
That confirmed something I had already suspected.
He had been studying us.
All this time.
While we fought thousands of demons.
While we advanced.
While we exhausted ourselves.
He watched.
Learned.
Analyzed.
Lyannis seemed to reach the same conclusion.
Her expression grew more serious.
Vaelthor noticed.
"An intelligent strategist."
He said.
"Now you understand."
My grip on my sword tightened.
That was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Because it meant he probably knew more about us than we had imagined.
Liriel stepped a little closer.
"You speak as though you're certain of victory."
Vaelthor turned his gaze toward her.
"So, you're the priestess."
Liriel didn't answer.
But he continued.
"There is a great difference between confidence and certainty."
Then he pointed at himself.
"I have certainty."
A new wave of black mana exploded throughout the hall.
This time far more intense.
The columns shook.
Part of the ceiling trembled.
Several soldiers were forced to retreat once again.
I felt the pressure strike my entire body.
It was overwhelming.
Drakarion immediately released his own aura to counter part of the impact.
Even so, the atmosphere remained suffocating.
Vaelthor lowered his hand.
The pressure vanished.
As though it had never existed.
That demonstrated terrifying control.
Scarlett narrowed her eyes.
Rai'kanna smiled.
They had noticed it too.
This opponent was different.
Very different.
Vespera watched his every movement.
Like a hunter studying its prey.
But for the first time since I had met her, she seemed cautious.
Very cautious.
Then Vaelthor looked at me once more.
"The hero."
His voice echoed through the hall.
"You crossed half the continent."
"Defeated my generals."
"Destroyed armies."
"Gathered allies."
He took another step forward.
"But now you've reached the end of your journey."
Mana instinctively began to gather around my body.
As a response.
I could feel it.
The battle was near.
Very near.
The girls also assumed combat stances.
Drakarion and the soldiers did the same.
But Vaelthor raised one hand.
"No."
Everyone became alert.
He then pointed directly at me.
"They didn't come here for me."
"They came here for you."
Silence filled the hall.
I immediately understood what he meant.
He wanted to fight me.
Scarlett stepped forward.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"He doesn't fight alone."
Vaelthor looked at her.
Then at the others.
Then back at me.
"Of course he doesn't."
He smiled.
"That would be unfair."
The confidence in his voice was unsettling.
It didn't sound like provocation.
It sounded sincere.
As if he truly believed facing all of us at once would still be an advantage for him.
Rai'kanna laughed.
"I'm starting to like him."
"You like anyone who looks strong."
Vespera replied.
"Because fighting weak people is boring."
For the first time, Vaelthor showed a slight sign of interest.
"You have the spirit of a warrior."
"I know."
Rai'kanna replied.
The First General began walking again.
He passed in front of the throne.
Then stopped in the center of the hall.
Now the distance between us was much smaller.
Much smaller.
I could clearly feel his aura.
The intensity of that energy.
It felt like standing before an immovable mountain.
Yet at the same time, something inside me remained firm.
Because I hadn't come this far to retreat.
Not after everything.
Not after so many battles.
Not after so many people had placed their trust in us.
Vaelthor seemed to sense my thoughts.
Because he smiled again.
"Good."
He said.
"That look is much better."
He reached one hand behind his back.
Then grasped the hilt of the enormous sword he carried.
The black metal reflected the torchlight as the weapon slowly left its sheath.
That single motion caused the mana throughout the hall to vibrate.
Everyone became completely alert.
The sword was gigantic.
Far larger than any ordinary weapon.
Yet it seemed perfectly balanced in his hands.
When he finally drew it completely, a wave of energy swept through the entire hall.
The torch flames flickered.
The walls trembled.
The floor vibrated slightly.
Vaelthor pointed the sword directly at me.
His smile disappeared.
Leaving only seriousness behind.
For the first time since we had arrived, he truly looked ready to fight.
"Let's find out."
He said.
"Whether you truly deserve to be called a hero."
I immediately summoned the power of my sword.
Golden energy erupted around me.
The girls gathered mana.
Drakarion raised his weapon.
The soldiers readied themselves.
And as two opposing forces faced one another in the heart of the Black Fortress, only one certainty filled my mind.
The hardest battle of my life was about to begin.
And none of us would leave that hall the same way we had entered it.
With Vaelthor's sword pointed at me and the pressure of his aura filling the entire chamber, the confrontation against the First Demon General finally began.