The canyon reeked of fresh blood. Pratap, Sur, and Samar lay dead in the dirt.
"Hide behind the rock, Abhay. Now," Rudra commanded, stepping forward to face the monster alone. Abhay, crying silently, scrambled behind the massive boulder.
Vikraal, his hands dripping with the warm blood of Rudra's brothers, stared down at the short, heavily built soldier. "What toy will you use to kill me now?" Vikraal asked with a mocking smirk.
Rudra stood completely still. He said nothing.
"Not feeling talkative?" Vikraal tilted his head, his eyes glowing with a sinister red light. "Did my little massacre upset you? Come now. Just hand over the Princess hiding behind that rock, and maybe I'll let you live."
Rudra's throat was dry as bone. "I would rather die than give her to you."
Vikraal chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that shook the ground. "Such loyalty."
A faint, defiant smile touched Rudra's lips. "You have no idea, do you? The Princess is already safely on her way home. What will you do now... kill me?"
Vikraal's smile didn't fade. "I know the little Princess escaped back to her pathetic kingdom. I am only here to teach my useless dogs how to properly hunt."
"If you want to kill me, do it," Rudra spat. "But let the boy go."
"Ah, yes. The little insect in the black cloak without a single drop of Origin Energy in his veins," Vikraal sneered. "A bug like that should have been stepped on a long time ago."
"Will an Overlord of the Vyadh-Sangh really stoop so low as to murder a powerless child?" Rudra pleaded desperately.
"We are Demonic Cultivators," Vikraal stated coldly. "We do not leave loose ends. Whether it is a woman, a child, or a bug. We spare no one who is of no use to us."
Hearing those words, Rudra roared in fury. He channeled every single drop of his remaining Origin Energy into his iron mace and swung it with all his might at Vikraal's head.
Vikraal didn't even blink. He easily caught the heavy iron mace in his bare hand. With a simple squeeze, he crushed the solid iron head into warped, useless metal. "Did you really think this little toy would scratch me?"
Rudra tried to jump back to defend himself, but suddenly, he couldn't feel his legs.
He looked down in horror. Both of his legs had been cleanly severed just below the thigh. He hadn't even seen Vikraal move. The giant was already placing his massive black greatsword back onto his shoulder.
Rudra collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony, desperately dragging himself backward with his hands, leaving a thick trail of blood in the dirt.
"Give me a spear," Vikraal ordered his men without looking back. A hunter immediately ran up and handed him one.
Vikraal weighed the spear in his hands, preparing to execute Rudra.
Smack.
A small rock bounced harmlessly off Vikraal's broad shoulder.
Vikraal slowly turned his head. The boy in the black cloak was standing next to the boulder, his hands empty, shaking violently.
"I'm not afraid of you, monster!" Abhay screamed, his voice cracking.
Vikraal stared at him with dark, dead eyes. "Boy, are you that eager to die?"
Abhay furiously threw off his black hood, revealing his tear-stained face. "If you're going to kill me, just do it! No one in this world cares about me! Society calls me 'Tuchch', a worthless piece of trash! These soldiers were the only people who treated me like a human being, and you murdered them! You... you bastard!"
Vikraal paused, looking at the pure hatred burning in the boy's eyes. Such raw anger in such a weak vessel, Vikraal thought. If I can break his mind, a rat like this could be a very useful spy.
"Do you like living like a piece of trash, boy?" Vikraal asked, his voice suddenly smooth. "Why don't you join the Vyadh-Sangh? Become my disciple. You could have power just like mine. You have the perfect hatred to become a true Demonic Cultivator."
Abhay spat on the ground. "Never! I would rather die than join your filthy guild! You are all monsters, and I will never become like you!"
Vikraal sighed, genuine disappointment in his voice. "If you had just said yes, I could have taught you so much. What a waste."
Without another word, Vikraal casually thrust the spear downward, driving it straight through Rudra's heart. Rudra died instantly.
Abhay fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably as he stared at the lifeless bodies of his only friends.
Slowly, Abhay wiped the tears from his eyes. He looked up at the giant, his voice trembling but filled with an absolute, unshakable conviction. "Remember this, Vikraal... If I ever find a way to get strong... I swear, I will be the one to kill you."
Vikraal looked at the boy, his expression entirely unreadable. He pulled the bloody spear from Rudra's chest.
"If something looks like it might become a threat in the future..." Vikraal said coldly, pulling his arm back. "...you rip it out by the roots."
He hurled the spear.
It tore violently through Abhay's stomach, the sheer force lifting the boy off his feet and pinning him high against the hard canyon wall.
Vikraal turned his back on the bleeding boy. "Let's go," he ordered his men, walking away into the darkness, leaving the bloody canyon completely silent.