Some time ago, in the depths of the village.

Some distance away from the clearing that the Dire Sovereign used to rest in was its den—a cavern sculpted by violence.

Bones—human and beast alike—were piled like offerings around the entrance, half-buried in dried mud and ancient blood, as this was the place where it feasted upon humans.

A rancid, sulfurous breath drifted out with every exhale of the monster within.

Then, the Food Bringer stepped forward, guiding the trembling women forward one by one.

The first woman didn't even scream when the jaws closed around her torso. Only her legs twitched for a moment before falling limp.

The second tried to pray—her words were cut in half along with her body.

The third crawled backward, sobbing, but the Dire Sovereign extended one massive claw and hooked her like meat on a skewer before popping her into his mouth.

Crunch.

Snap.

Gulp.

The sounds echoed across the cave walls like slow, deliberate executions.

The Food Bringer stared at it all, engraving the names and faces of all those he brought to their death in his heart, as it was his sin to carry.

But he wasn't the only one who was staring at all this.

The girl—the orphan—watched each one vanish in wet, devouring darkness.

Her breath hitched.

Her heart hammered.

Her hand, small and trembling, tightened helplessly around the Food Bringer's fingers.

"I-I… I changed my mind…" she whispered, her voice cracking. "I thought… I thought I was ready… but… but I don't… I don't want to die…"

Her knees buckled as she watched the last of the women disappear between the Dire Sovereign's yellowed fangs.

She had thought that death would be easier, but now, as she was so close to death that she could smell it, she realized why everyone else ran from it.

Tears streaked down her cheeks.

"I don't… I don't want to die…"

The Food Bringer looked down at her.

His smile had never faltered—not once, not in two long years of offering lives to this beast.

But now…

Now there was something else in his eyes.

A softness.

A question.

A desperation he hid behind devotion.

He lifted his gaze skyward, as if looking past the jagged roof of the cavern.

As if addressing someone unseen.

"…My lord," he whispered silently. "What… should I do?"

No answer came.

Only the rumbling breaths of the beast that ruled this nightmare.

After a moment, the Food Bringer exhaled quietly through his nose.

Still smiling.

Always smiling.

He knelt before the girl, gently placing both hands on her shoulders.

"Go," he said softly.

Her eyes widened—shocked, confused, and terrified.

"W-What…?"

"Go back," he repeated with that same strange serenity. "You are not meant to die today."

Before she could speak again—

A deep, guttural growl rattled the cave.

The Dire Sovereign lifted his massive head, black horns scraping the ceiling.

"Food Bringer," it snarled. "Why is the final one still standing? Why are you not sending her to me?"

The Food Bringer stood slowly, his smile returning to full strength.

He opened his mouth—

But then—

ROAR!!

The sound rolled through the cavern like thunder—faint from distance, yet powerful enough to shake dust from the stones.

Beastly roars.

Dozens of them.

The Dire Sovereign's nostrils flared. His eyes narrowed.

More roars.

More chaos.

Coming from the village outskirts.

He tilted his head, listening.

But then—

"…Hmph."

—He snorted dismissively.

"Another scuffle among the mutts. They grow restless and kill each other every other day. Not worth my attention."

With no more interest in the distant commotion, the Dire Sovereign leaned forward, his crimson eyes burning holes into the Food Bringer.

"I do not enjoy repeating myself."

The Food Bringer inclined his head politely.

"She is not in today's list," he said gently. "I am sending her back."

Silence.

The Dire Sovereign blinked once.

Then twice.

His expression twisted in disbelief.

"…What did you say?"

"I said," the smiling man replied, "she is not in today's list."

The cavern fell utterly still as everyone there knew that there was no such list, and anyone brought here was food.

It was clear what was happening.

The Food Bringer was trying to save the girl by going against the Dire Sovereign.

However, instead of being angry, the Dire Sovereign's lips curled into something hideous and amused.

A slow grin that exposed rows of jagged, blood-stained fangs.

"…Hah."

"Hahaha…"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

He laughed—a sound like boulders grinding together.

"You are trying to save someone?"

"You, who has walked willingly into this cave for this long?"

"You, who have fed me more humans than I bothered to count?"

He leaned in, hot breath washing over them.

"Do you realize that you are digging your own grave… for a girl… a tiny one at that?"

The Food Bringer did not flinch.

Did not tremble.

His smile remained.

Seeing that, the Dire Sovereign narrowed his eyes, as he knew that the Food Bringer wasn't going to change his mind.

"Why?"

The Food Bringer clasped his hands together.

"As everything that happens is written," he said softly, "there must be a reason why I felt the urge to spare her life."

His smile widened just a fraction.

"That is all."

For a long moment, the Dire Sovereign merely stared, considering whether he should just kill the Food Bringer.

But then it decided against it.

The Dire Sovereign always wanted to see the Food Bringer break down, and it didn't want to eat him before that.

That was when, suddenly, the beast had an idea.

'If I were to eat that girl in front of his eyes, maybe he will break...'

With that thought, it growled at the Food Bringer. "…Move."

The word rumbled like an earthquake.

"Move aside and let me eat her."

"She looks tender."

The Food Bringer didn't move.

Not even a finger.

The Dire Sovereign's eyes twitched.

"…Did you not hear me?"

Still smiling, the Food Bringer bowed his head slightly.

"I heard you."

"Good."

"Then—"

"I decline."

A single breath of silence.

Then—

CRASH.

A claw slammed into the floor beside the Food Bringer, cracking the stone and sending shards flying.

The girl screamed, stumbling backward.

The Dire Sovereign leaned down, nose almost touching the man.

"Do you think this is a joke?"

"Do you think your faith protects you?"

"You are a human standing before a Sovereign. Your life belongs to me."

The Food Bringer looked up at him.

And smiled.

A smile full of sorrow… and resolve.

"I know."

The Dire Sovereign stared.

Then his lips peeled back.

Slowly.

"Very well," he rumbled, voice dropping to a murderous whisper.

"If you wish to die first…"

His jaws opened wide—

"Then I shall eat you before the girl."

The roar that followed shook the entire cavern.

The girl fell to her knees, hands over her ears.

The Food Bringer only closed his eyes, waiting for whatever was going to happen.

And that is when—

The cavern froze.

The Dire Sovereign's jaws—still open wide enough to swallow a grown man whole—clicked shut as its crimson eyes shifted toward the entrance.

Footsteps echoed.

Calm. Unhurried. Almost bored.

A smooth, lazy voice drifted in, rolled through the cavern like a warm breeze cutting through rot.

"Now, what's going on here?"

Kael stepped out of the shadows, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed as if he'd wandered into the wrong room and was mildly inconvenienced by it.

Behind him came Evethra, silent and predatory as always, her crimson eyes glowing faintly.

Selene followed with quiet composure, golden irises shimmering in the dim light. And beside her—

Lyratheia.

The Dire Sovereign's pupils constricted the moment he saw them… no, not all of them.

Her.

The dryad.

In her humanoid form, with hair like flowing emerald silk and eyes bright as living sap.

A slow grin crawled across the beast's monstrous face.

"Well, well… look who crawled back," it purred. "Lyratheia. I see you finally stopped running."

Her breath caught.

Kael glanced at her, catching the tremor in her steps.

The Sovereign leaned forward, fangs glistening.

"Are you over that little grudge?" He continued, amused. "You were always too sensitive. I merely tried to claim what I wanted. A silly thing to get upset about because, in the jungle, the strong take what they will. The weak endure. That is the law."

His grin widened.

"I let you live back then only because I still fancied you. And now…" His tail lashed, cracking stone. "Now you've come to me willingly. How considerate."

Lyratheia stiffened—jaw clenched so hard that veins pulsed down her neck. Her fists balled at her sides, nails biting into her palms.

Kael felt the flare of her mana spike with memory and fury.

He had asked her before why she held a grudge against this creature, but now he could somewhat tell what must've happened.

But before he could say anything, movement flickered in the corner.

The Food Bringer.

His eyes were wide—not fearful, not relieved… confused. As if seeing Kael struck some chord he didn't understand.

The girl tugged at his sleeve, still trembling.

He blinked, snapped out of whatever trance he'd slipped into, and gently pushed her behind him.

"Come," he murmured. "We… we must go."

They began inching toward the cavern wall, trying to slip into the shadows.

Kael's gaze drifted toward them, and his eyebrow rose in faint surprise.

'Huh. Is something like that possible?'

His foot shifted half a step, instinctively wanting to stop the man—there was something he had to verify, but before he could—

Crunch.

Lyratheia's fists tightened again, bark-like cracks forming along her golden knuckles as she glared at the Dire Sovereign with hatred sharp enough to bleed.

Kael sighed softly, expression shifting.

"…Later then," he murmured under his breath, watching the humans slip out of sight. Probably better if they leave anyway.

Things were about to get messy.

He lifted his head, golden eyes focusing fully on the beast now.

The air thickened.

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