The demon straightened his posture and placed a hand over his chest in mock politeness.

"Ah, where are my manners?" he said with a crooked grin. "You should know the name of the one standing over you."

He looked directly into Amon's eyes.

"My name is Zerath Vornak," he said calmly. "Captain of the Demon Interrogation Unit."

The title alone made Amon's stomach sink. He could guess what this bastard was trying to do to him now.

Zerath snapped his fingers. At the snap, a sharp metallic sound rang out as the lock on the cage clicked open.

The bars slid apart.

Amon's heart pounded violently.

Before he could react, Zerath reached inside, grabbed Amon by the collar, and dragged him out like a sack of trash.

Amon's injured body scraped across the cold ground as he was pulled forward. Zerath was in no mood to show mercy to a human.

"Gah—!" Amon cried out as pain exploded through his back and shoulders.

He tried to resist. He tried to grab the bars. He tried to pull away.

'Fuck! Shit! This is bad! This is bad!' Amon thought gravely.

But it was all useless.

His strength was gone. His mana was sealed. His body barely listened to him anymore.

Zerath threw him onto the ground outside the cage.

Amon landed hard on his knees and hands, coughing violently.

Before he could even lift his head.

BAM!

A heavy fist slammed straight into his stomach.

"UGHH—!"

All the air rushed out of his lungs at once. His body folded instantly, saliva dripping from his mouth as he gasped for breath that wouldn't come. Pain shot through his whole body.

Zerath didn't stop. He just looked at Amon with a smile.

CRACK!

A second punch smashed into Amon's face.

Pain exploded across his nose and head. A sharp sound echoed as something broke. Warm liquid ran down his face.

Amon screamed.

"AAAAAAGH—!"

He collapsed sideways, clutching his face, his entire world spinning. The bone of his nose was broken. Blood streamed down his nostrils.

Zerath stepped forward and grabbed Amon by the hair, forcing his head up.

"Now then," Zerath said casually, as if speaking about the weather, "let's talk."

He slammed Amon's head back down and kicked him hard in the ribs.

Amon cried out again, his voice hoarse and broken.

"Ahhh!"

"Tell me everything you know about the human base," Zerath said. "Their defenses. Their commanders. Their plans. What they are planning next. Is there another base? Any backup coming for them?"

Amon shook his head weakly.

"I… don't know…" he gasped. "I swear…" He couldn't think straight. He really didn't know a shit. Though he knew that more soldiers were coming in some days, he had no plan to tell this bastard.

Amon knew that even if he told him something, this demon wouldn't stop torturing him.

The expression filled with excitement told everything. That this demon was enjoying torturing people.

And it was not like the demons he had met before. They were arrogant. They didn't like humans. But they didn't look like sadists who enjoyed torture this much.

Even Kalrik was just enjoying battle and killing them instantly rather than torturing.

Zerath chuckled.

Another punch came down on Amon's back.

"I don't like liars."

"I'm not lying!" Amon shouted, coughing. "I'm just… a student… I don't know anything!"

Zerath grabbed him again and slammed him against a metal pillar inside the tent.

Amon's vision blurred.

"You were on the battlefield," Zerath said coldly. "You fought one of our knights. You survived. That alone makes you valuable, you liar."

He punched Amon again.

"And valuable things are meant to be used."

The beating continued.

Punches. Kicks. Blows that came from every direction.

Amon lost track of time.

Each strike sent waves of pain through his already broken body. His arms trembled. His legs gave out. He couldn't even scream properly anymore. Only weak, broken sounds escaped his throat.

"Talk," Zerath demanded again. "What are the humans planning?"

"I don't know…" Amon whispered.

Another kick.

"Who commands your forces other than Galahad?"

"I don't know…" Amon kept repeating the same words. His face was bloody now. But he wouldn't tell anything.

Then another punch came.

"Are reinforcements coming? If they are, how large might they be?"

"I don't know!" Again, the same response.

Zerath laughed loudly.

"Oh, this is fun," he said. "You really don't know anything, do you? Your other teammates also said the same thing. They don't know… well, rather, they have no wish to disclose anything in the first place."

Amon collapsed completely, his body barely moving.

His breathing became shallow. His vision darkened at the edges. He heard Zerath's blabbering about his teammates, but his mind was working too slowly.

He was reaching his limit.

Zerath crouched beside him and tilted his head.

"Hm. Looks like you're about to pass out."

Amon barely heard him.

"Can't have that," Zerath continued cheerfully. "We're just getting started. I thought you looked young… so you would blurt out everything. That's why I didn't take you to the other tent."

Zerath reached into his belt and pulled out a small vial filled with glowing liquid.

A healing potion.

Amon's eyes widened slightly in confusion and fear.

Zerath grabbed Amon's jaw and forced his mouth open.

"Drink."

He poured the potion down Amon's throat.

Amon choked, coughing violently as the liquid burned its way down. His body reacted instantly.

Pain twisted into something else.

Bones shifted back into place. Cuts closed. Strength slowly returned.

The agony faded—but not the exhaustion.

Zerath watched closely, amused.

"Oh?" he said. "That worked faster than expected."

He pulled out another potion.

"Let's make sure."

He forced the second potion into Amon as well. He needed Amon in better condition.

Warmth spread through Amon's body again. His breathing stabilized. His vision cleared slightly.

He was still weak. His body was still hurting. Pain was throughout his body.

But he was still conscious. Zerath stood up and stretched.

"Good," he said. "Now you won't die too quickly."

Amon's eyes widened in horror.

'Don-don't tell me… he healed me so he could beat me more,' Amon thought with a pale face.

Before he could say anything.

BAM!

Zerath's foot slammed into Amon's side again. The beating started all over.

Amon screamed.

"Gaah—!"

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