[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: The Great Forest]

"H–HUMAN AND FAIRY! FAIRY AND HUMAN! INVADED FOREST THEY HAVE!"

The cry tore through the canopy with shrill panic that bordered on frenzy, the words mangled by haste and fear. The sound carried, cutting through the forest, it was impossible to ignore.

The voice belonged to a flying form that streaked above the forest in an uneven flight pattern. Four black wings beat the air, feathers dark and brittle-looking, they seemed more like charred forms than plumage. Its body was larger than any common bird, closer to the size of a small hound, built lean and shaped for speed. Two bony tails trailed behind it like hooked whips, clattering with each violent turn. Beady red eyes burned with urgency as it flew.

Its cry rang out again, loud enough that it pulled attention from every shadow below.

Heads lifted.

Eyes—too many and too varied—tilted upward. Across the forest floor, Deseruit Beasts paused mid-movement. Some stopped feeding. Others halted their pacing. A few ceased their actions altogether. Several shared long glances, low growls rumbling from their chests. Others did not hesitate at all and began to move immediately, slipping between dead trees.

The flying Deseruit Beast did not slow. It descended sharply toward a massive cave entrance near a clearing where the forest thinned unnaturally, brittle trees bending away as though unwilling to stand in its path. The cave mouth yawned wide, thick stone framing an opening that swallowed what meagre light there was.

Inside, the cave opened into a vast, dark cavern. Rock formations rose and sank unevenly, crude pillars and broken ridges shaping the space. A stream of surprisingly clear water cut through the stone, its surface calm despite the chaos of those surrounding it.

Several Deseruit Beasts lounged near the water, lowering their snouts to drink. Others sprawled across the stone floor, sleeping or locked in pointless, snarling tussles that lacked any true malice. Farther in, more beasts fed messily on carcasses—deer torn apart, rabbits reduced to scraps, even larger animals left half-consumed.

"FAIRY AND HUMAN HAVE INVADED!"

The flying Deseruit Beast's cry echoed violently through the cavern as it swooped lower, wings beating hard to keep itself aloft amid the sudden attention. Heads snapped up. Conversations died. Movements slowed.

"Human invaded?" rumbled a burly, gorilla-like Deseruit Beast, rising to its feet. Four azure eyes narrowed as rows of sharp teeth bared instinctively. "A human… here?"

"A fairy as well?" growled a massive wolf-like Deseruit Beast, its white fur bristling as two scaly tails lashed against the stone. "In our territory?" Its voice was dangerous and thick with fury.

The more intelligent Deseruit Beasts began to murmur among themselves, voices overlapping in tense confusion and rising hostility.

"LET OUR BRAVEST LEADER KNOW!" the flying Deseruit Beast screeched again, circling higher now. "LET OUR BRAVEST LEADER KNOW!"

"Foolish plebes," snarled an enormous feline-like Deseruit Beast, patterned fur rippling as it rose, its bladed tail scraping stone. "Invading our home as if it were unclaimed."

"They will learn what it means to trespass," barked a thin, gaunt hound-like Deseruit Beast as it stood upright on its hind legs, chest heaving. "They will know the wrath of our most bravest lord."

"Our bravest lord will tear them apart," another voice added, feral and eager.

More Deseruit Beasts stirred.

Bodies moved as claws dug into stone. Low growls layered together into a unified sound—no longer a random noise, but the beginning of a rally. The cavern was filled with their shared intent.

Something had entered their forest.

And it would not be ignored.

-------------------

[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: The Great Forest]

"We'll probably be surrounded by snarling Deseruit Beasts any moment now."

The remark drifted from Puck carelessly, her voice light despite what she was saying. She floated lazily backward through the air, keeping her eyes on Grimm the entire time. He sat atop a naturally shaped rock, broad and smooth, his posture seemingly contemplative.

"We can but wait. This is better," Grimm replied, his voice untroubled. "Charging forward aimlessly would accomplish nothing. It is counterproductive to slaughter them haphazardly." He tilted his head slightly, as though considering the forest. "If every hostile one comes to us instead, then I need only do this once. I can kill them all cleanly."

Puck let out a small breath that was half amused and half wary. "Right… and as much as I do want to see what you're capable of," she said, folding her armored arms loosely, "maybe don't go completely overboard and maybe don't turn the forest into a crater." Her eyes turned over him, curiosity sharpening. "That said… just how destructive can you be, really?"

"As destructive as required," Grimm answered without hesitation. "No more, no less." There was a faint pause before he continued. "That said, I find excess inelegant. There is no virtue in it for its own sake. I prefer my own skill over bright spectacle. Finesse is always more effective over indiscriminate force." His gauntleted hand shifted slightly. "Hence the blade."

"I see," Puck murmured, thoughtful now. "You were honestly really good with a sword." Her gaze lingered on him. "So where did you actually learn to fight? You mentioned the man who raised you was a researcher, so I'm guessing he didn't teach you that."

"You would be correct," Grimm said simply. "Once Descendants like me are discovered, we are claimed and conscripted into the empire's military. Age is irrelevant." His tone never changed. "Training is mandatory. An individual's combat, discipline and control—everything needed to refine what we are."

Puck blinked, hovering a little closer. "Wait—claimed?" Her brows knit together. "You mean you didn't even get a say in it?"

"No," Grimm replied flatly. "We are not given one. For choice is not extended to assets. Individuals like me are considered strategic objects. Valuable cards." He continued on idly. "If you are not aligned with the empire, then you are its enemy."

"That's…" Puck hesitated, then frowned. "That's awful." She shook her head slowly. "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. That kind of system breeds that sort of depravity. It's not exactly rare, I suppose." Her voice softened. "Still… did you enjoy it? The military. The fighting."

Grimm shifted slightly, armor creaking as he adjusted his stance. "Enjoyment is not the word I would use," he said after a moment. "At times it was stimulating. At others, tedious." His voice lowered ever so slightly. "Fighting for most of your life dulls the sensation. When it is all you do, it loses meaning. Even so, with no greater purpose afforded to me, it remained my only constant."

"Huh, that's weirdly sad." Puck murmured, eyes narrowing with interest rather than judgment. "So you have all that power, and you don't even like fighting."

"I do not despise it," Grimm corrected. "But if battle vanished from my life entirely, little would truly change." He paused. "Power does not demand cruelty. It can exist without it. Unfortunately, it is rarely acknowledged unless it destroys something." A beat. "I simply find that, more often than not, it is only valued when used that way."

"I don't know," Puck said quietly. "Couldn't you use it to protect people? To actually help them?"

"Perhaps," Grimm allowed. "But I find no interest in playing the role of a savior."

Puck sighed, drifting in a small circle. "You say that," she said slowly, eyes studying the dark silhouette before her, "but I can't help noticing something." Her gaze sharpened. "You're clearly bored. And yet you're still here—still willing to wipe out every hostile Deseruit Beast in this area for the sake of the porcelain people."

"If you believe that to be altruism," Grimm said calmly, "then you are mistaken."

"Then what is it?" Puck pressed.

Grimm was quiet for a moment. Then, "I can respect a ruler who bows her head for the sake of her people," he said simply. "That alone warrants acknowledgment."

Puck stared at him. "Really?" Her brows drew together in disbelief. "Just… that?" It didn't align with the image she had built of him at all. ("He just keeps getting more and more confusing.") Puck frowned ever so slightly, as a fairy she naturally lived a long life, longer than most.

She had encountered a myriad of individuals, be they human, Deseruit Beast, or her fellow fairies. Yet they did not compare to Grimm in being so vague. That alone did not seem to be the right word for the General. He was inconsistent, someone you would find a hard time beginning to grasp.

She once again questioned what went on in the head of a man like this. Someone who would abandon something as soon as he lost interest. But also someone who fought to assist others despite his interest waning long ago.

With every moment she spent with Grimm, her interest only grew more.

"Yes," Grimm replied eventually, rising from the rock at last. His posture shifted to readiness. "Now," he added, "it seems we have visitors."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.