Pho stood at the window of his throne room, his blank white eyes fixed on the crimson sky beyond the fortress walls.

The first thunder strike had caught his attention.

A massive bolt of blue lightning that had torn through his fortress like it was made of paper instead of black ice and stone.

Now there were more.

Thunder echoed across Floor 24 with rhythmic precision, each strike accompanied by a flash of blue light that illuminated the frozen wasteland.

The bolts came down from the sky itself, striking different sections of the fortress with devastating accuracy.

One hit the eastern wall. Another struck the barracks. A third obliterated part of the outer defenses.

Each impact sent tremors through the structure, shaking foundations that had stood for centuries.

Ice cracked and stone shattered beneath the assault.

And with each strike, Pho could feel demons dying.

Their essence snuffed out in an instant as the lightning's power overwhelmed them.

"Impressive," Pho said quietly.

He was smiling, to the point where he looked genuinely impressed. "The Soul Warden is finally showing what he's capable of."

Another bolt struck, this one close enough that the windows rattled in their frames.

The blue light reflected off Pho's pale skin, giving him an almost ethereal appearance as he watched the destruction with the fascination of someone observing a particularly interesting experiment.

He'd been waiting for this. The moment when Jack would reveal his true power.

The thunder strikes were a declaration.

A message that said the Soul Warden was done with subtlety.

Pho turned from the window, his massive three-meter frame moving with fluid grace despite its size.

He raised one hand, and frost gathered in his palm before shooting outward in a pulse of magical energy.

The pulse traveled through the fortress like a beacon, a summoning call that would be felt by every demon of sufficient rank to understand its meaning.

Within seconds, a small figure appeared in the doorway.

Ashira, the Vile-rank administrator, her pointed ears pressed flat against her head and her small horns barely visible beneath her dark hair.

She looked terrified, her entire body trembling as she bowed low.

"M-Master Pho," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "You summoned…"

"Find the generals," Pho interrupted, his tone carrying absolute authority. "Loryn, Kaedor, and Rynath. Tell them to prepare for combat. Tell them the Soul Warden has revealed himself, and I want him brought to me. Alive if possible."

Ashira's eyes widened, her face going even paler than usual. "The Soul Warden? But I thought…"

"Now, Ashira. Run."

The command in Pho's voice left no room for questions or hesitation.

Ashira bowed again, deeper this time, and fled from the throne room with surprising speed for someone so small and frail.

Pho returned his attention to the window, watching another thunder strike obliterate a section of the western courtyard. Blue lightning danced across the ground, scorching black ice and leaving glowing cracks in the frozen ground.

"Show me everything, Soul Warden," Pho said to the empty throne room, his smile was far too cold and too frightening for what was happening outside.

"Show me why you thought you could challenge a lord in his own fortress."

---

Ashira ran through the fortress corridors with her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst from her chest.

Her small frame made navigating the crowded passages difficult as demons rushed in every direction, some trying to reach defensive positions, others simply fleeing from the destruction.

Thunder echoed again, closer this time, and the entire structure shook from the impact. Ashira stumbled, catching herself against the wall as chunks of ice fell from the ceiling.

Dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to breathe.

She had to find the generals.

Master Pho's orders were absolute, and failing to deliver his message would be worse than death.

She pushed through a doorway leading to the outer courtyard, thinking it would be a faster route to where the generals maintained their operations.

The moment she stepped outside, she realized her mistake.

The courtyard was chaotic.

Demons were everywhere, all of them screaming, running or trying to find cover from the lightning strikes that continued to fall from the crimson sky.

Each bolt was preceded by a moment of terrible silence, a pause where the air itself seemed to hold its breath.

Then the thunder would come.

Ashira saw a group of Dread-rank demons huddled near the eastern wall, their weapons drawn but useless against an enemy they couldn't reach.

One of them looked up at the wrong moment, and a bolt of blue lightning struck him directly in the eye.

The demon didn't even have time to scream.

He simply ceased to exist, his body vaporized in an instant by the sheer power of the strike.

The other demons scattered, abandoning their position in a blind panic.

Ashira forced herself to keep moving, her legs shaking with each step.

She had to cross the courtyard. The generals' quarters were on the other side, and there was no other route that wouldn't take twice as long.

Another bolt struck, this one hitting the ground perhaps twenty feet to her left.

The impact threw her off balance, the shockwave strong enough to lift her small frame off the ground for a moment before she crashed back down onto the frozen stones.

Her ears rang.

Her vision started to blur.

But she pushed herself back to her feet, driven by pure terror and the knowledge that failing Master Pho's orders would be infinitely worse than anything the thunder could do to her.

She ran faster than she ever had in her life.

The air crackled with residual electricity, making her skin tingle and her horns ache.

Demons continued to die around her, some from direct strikes, others from debris, a few simply from being too close when the lightning hit and having their bodies overwhelmed by magical pressure.

A thunder bolt struck directly ahead of her, so close that she could feel the heat radiating from where it struck.

The ground split open, a massive crack appearing in the black ice that formed the courtyard floor.

Steam rose from the superheated stone, mixing with the freezing air to create a fog that made it even harder to see.

Ashira veered around the crater, her pointed ears picking up the sounds of more demons dying in the distance.

How many had been killed already? Dozens? Hundreds?

The fortress felt like it was falling apart around her, each thunder strike bringing them closer to complete destruction.

She finally reached the far side of the courtyard, diving through a doorway and into the relative safety of the interior corridors.

Her lungs burned from the exertion, her entire body trembling from fear and adrenaline.

But she was alive. And she still had Master Pho's message to deliver.

The generals had to be warned.

The Soul Warden was declaring war.

-----

Deep beneath the fortress, in the holding cells where thousands of demons had been imprisoned, Jack stood in the center of a circle of destruction.

His eyes glowed red.

Not the normal red that came with his demon disguise.

This was something different, a crimson glow that seemed to pulse with each heartbeat, bright enough to cast shadows in the dim chamber.

[Blood Frenzy Activated]

[25 enemies killed within 90 seconds]

[Strength increased by 25%]

[Agility increased by 25%]

[HP -5%/sec]

[Duration: Until HP reaches 10%]

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