After that silent meeting over the endless lake, all the heroes returned to the place where they had been before being summoned.
It was as if nothing had happened.
In an instant they were gathered on the water listening to that strange agreement… and in the next each one returned to their own path.
Now there were no rules, no orders, no one to tell them what to do.
The agreement they had made long ago had finally been remembered, and with it came a dangerous freedom.
Each group of heroes could do whatever they wanted.
Some thought of hunting the Demon King.
Others thought of seeking power.
And others… simply wanted to destroy everything in their path.
The world would soon change.
But far from all that, in another place in the world…
The Demonic Kingdom was in relative calm.
In an open area of the kingdom, surrounded by tall trees and ancient rocks, there was an improvised training field.
The ground was full of marks, cracks spreading across the soil, deep footprints from training and some split rocks.
There were clear signs of an entire day of training.
In the middle of that place two figures were resting under the shade of a large tree.
Agnitus and Kairou.
The day's training had finally ended.
The wind blew gently through the leaves as the sun began to descend slowly on the horizon.
Agnitus was sitting with his back against the trunk of the tree.
His arms rested on his knees while he breathed calmly.
In front of him, Kairou was sitting on the ground, looking at his own hands with a certain surprise.
His muscles trembled a little from the effort of the training.
But it wasn't pain.
It was adaptation.
Agnitus watched him for a few seconds before speaking.
—How does your body feel, Kairou?
His voice sounded calm, but there was curiosity in it.
Kairou raised his gaze.
Then he moved his arms slowly, as if testing his own body.
—I feel… too good.
He smiled slightly.
—My body has gotten used to all the training you've taught me, master.
Agnitus raised an eyebrow.
—Too good?
Kairou nodded enthusiastically.
—Yes.
He looked at his hands again.
—At first I felt like my body was going to break… but now I feel like every day I'm stronger.
Then he raised his gaze toward his master.
—Thank you so much, master.
His voice was sincere.
—The truth is… I don't know how to thank you for all this.
Agnitus listened to those words in silence.
For a moment he didn't respond.
But inside him, a warm feeling slowly appeared.
All the effort.
All the training.
The hours correcting movements.
The practice fights.
The falls.
Everything had been worth it.
The boy was growing.
Agnitus closed his eyes for a moment and let out a small laugh.
—You don't have to thank me for anything.
Kairou tilted his head slightly.
But after a few seconds he raised his gaze again.
It seemed he wanted to ask something.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
—Master…
Agnitus opened one eye.
—What is it?
Kairou took a deep breath.
—I want to ask you something… before the day ends.
Agnitus nodded slightly.
—Go ahead.
The boy hesitated again.
But finally he asked:
—Are there still more demi-humans in the world… besides you, master?
The question fell into the air like a stone in a calm lake.
Agnitus froze.
For a few seconds he didn't react.
His eyes opened slightly.
The silence between them became heavy.
—I…
Agnitus swallowed.
His throat felt dry.
His stomach churned slightly as a strange feeling began to appear in his chest.
He hadn't expected that question.
For a moment he looked down at the ground.
Searching for an answer.
But he couldn't find one.
—The truth is… —he said finally— I don't know.
His voice was lower than normal.
—But I think… there are no more demi-humans in this world.
Kairou watched him attentively.
—I…
Agnitus pressed his fingers slightly against the earth.
—I don't know for sure.
His gaze lost itself on the horizon.
—But I think there aren't any more.
The wind slowly moved the leaves of the tree.
—I think I'm… the last of my race.
His words weren't loud.
Nor were they weak.
But his tone was different.
More measured.
Rougher.
As if each word weighed more than it should.
Perhaps… deep down there was sadness.
A sadness he had kept for a long time.
Kairou lowered his gaze a little.
But before the silence became too heavy, Agnitus spoke again.
—But even so…
He raised his gaze again.
—I'm happy to be here now.
His voice regained a bit of strength.
—I've met many people who are now very important to me.
A small smile appeared on his face.
—Like His Majesty Kael…
—And the other Sins.
Kairou listened to those words and simply nodded.
—Yes… you're right, master.
He looked up at the sky.
—The other Sins… and the King.
He smiled a little.
—They seem like very good people.
Then he looked back at Agnitus.
—The truth is I want to meet the other Sins.
His eyes shone with curiosity.
—And I also want to see His Majesty again.
He made a small pause.
—Do you know when they'll arrive, master?
Agnitus raised his gaze to the sky.
He thought for a few seconds.
—I don't know.
He scratched his head a little.
—But I think they must already be on their way.
He looked at the horizon.
—It's been more than a week since they left.
Both remained silent for a moment.
Watching the sky.
The sun was already beginning to disappear slowly behind the mountains.
The sky started to change color.
First orange.
Then red.
Finally a darker tone.
The afternoon was coming to an end.
And little by little the night began to appear.
In the sky the two moons of the world began to be seen.
One was red.
Half full.
It shone like a ruby in the middle of the darkness.
The other was white.
Completely full.
It illuminated the sky with a soft light.
Kairou watched both moons with curiosity.
—Master…
Agnitus raised his gaze.
—Yes?
Kairou spoke in a thoughtful tone.
—Maybe there's still a village of demi-humans hidden somewhere.
Agnitus looked at him.
—A village?
Kairou nodded.
—Yes.
He pointed toward the distant forest.
—Something like the elf race… that lives hidden among the forests. Maybe the demi-humans are also hidden somewhere.
Agnitus remained silent.
He looked at the moons.
Then at the horizon.
—I don't know, Kairou.
His voice became calm again.
—The truth is… I don't know.
He slowly lowered his gaze.
—But I think not.
He sighed.
—I don't think there's anyone left from my race.
He paused.
—I think I'm the last one.
And then…
—And no…
He stopped.
His words remained incomplete.
It seemed he wanted to say something more.
Something important.
But after a few seconds he simply shook his head.
He decided to keep those words.
He stood up slowly from the ground.
Shaking a little dust from his clothes.
—Well.
He looked at Kairou.
—See you tomorrow.
Kairou raised his head.
—Huh?
Agnitus crossed his arms.
—Go rest.
His voice sounded firm again.
—You did very well today.
Kairou's eyes lit up.
—Really?
Agnitus nodded.
—Yes.
Then he began to walk away a little.
—Tomorrow I'll teach you something new.
Kairou stood up immediately.
His face showed a big smile.
—Yes, master!
The boy watched him leave while the two moons illuminated the training field.
Thus ending another day in the Demonic Kingdom.