(Within the slums of the capital, whispers of fear spread like wildfire. Several knights and informants investigating Vile Serpent have vanished overnight. Those who speak against them meet untimely deaths, their bodies found in alleyways, branded with an unknown sigil.)

  Rogue Knight: (whispering to a contact) "They’re cleaning house… anyone who knows too much disappears. The kingdom refuses to see it. The nobles—"

  (A sudden gust of wind. A shadow moves. The rogue knight gasps, blood dripping from his lips. A dagger is embedded in his back. His contact watches in horror as a cloaked figure steps forward—one of Vile Serpent’s enforcers.)

  Vile Serpent Assassin: (softly) "Loose tongues are liabilities."

  (The body drops, and the assassin vanishes into the night. The kingdom remains blind, unaware that corruption grows from within.)

  (In the depths of the White Flame’s training grounds, Hanzo stands bruised and exhausted, panting heavily. Garrick towers over him, unimpressed.)

  Garrick: "Speed means nothing if you can’t fight head-on. Again."

  (Hanzo grits his teeth and charges, using his Godspeed to strike. But Garrick anticipates, countering with brutal force. Hanzo barely blocks the attack, his hands shaking from the impact.)

  Hanzo: (frustrated) "I’m doing everything right! Why am I still losing?!"

  Garrick: (watching him closely) "Are you? Or are you only using what you think is right?"

  (Hanzo moves instinctively this time—dodging in a way that feels unfamiliar, his body acting faster than his mind. He counters with a movement he never trained for, slashing precisely at Garrick’s exposed side. Garrick barely evades and smirks.)

  Garrick: (muttering) "It’s in your blood… just like them."

  (Hanzo halts, confused.)

  Hanzo: "What do you mean? Who are ‘they’?!"

  Garrick: (turning away) "If you’re not ready to face the truth, you’ll never be strong enough to survive."

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  (Hanzo clenches his fists, frustration burning through him. A mystery he never knew existed lingers just beyond his reach.)

  (At the Guild Summit, the strongest guilds gather, tension thick in the air.)

  Obsidian Fang Representative: (slamming the table) "White Flame knew about human traitors, yet they withheld information! Roland’s squad suffered for it!"

  Elena: (glaring back) "And what would you have done? Declared war on our own kingdom? We need proof, not reckless accusations!"

  (The room erupts in arguments. Only one guild remains silent—Vile Serpent.)

  (Sylvaine of Azure Tempest finally speaks.)

  Sylvaine: (coldly) "If we delay any longer, there won’t be a kingdom left to protect. The demons are moving faster than we are. We must act now."

  (The tension doesn’t fade, but the urgency is clear. War is no longer on the horizon—it’s already here.)

  (A noble steps into the Grand Plaza, his hands ablaze with unnatural black flames. The crowd gasps in horror.)

  Corrupt Noble: (smirking) "Why should we resist power? The demons have shown us the truth. With them, we will be gods."

  (He hurls a flame toward the guards, burning them instantly. The once holy magic of fire has been twisted into something sinister.)

  (Cain watches from the shadows, eyes narrowing.)

  Cain: (muttering) "So they’ve finally shown their hand… corrupted magic. This is worse than I thought."

  (The Corrupt Noble turns—only for his twisted flames to be extinguished instantly. A crimson blaze erupts from the darkness, swallowing him whole. He screams as Cain steps into the light, his fire magic consuming the corrupted man effortlessly.)

  Cain: (coldly) "There’s only one fate for those who abandon their humanity."

  (Across the city, more nobles quietly join the corrupted ranks, their power growing as fear spreads.)

  (Meanwhile, the kingdom’s hidden watchers—The Crimson Veil, a guild tasked with overseeing the safety of villages and tracking potential threats—observe the unfolding chaos. Their Guild Master, an S-rank assassin, remains in the shadows, calculating the guild’s next move.)

  (Deep within the demon stronghold, a shadowy figure watches the flames rise from the kingdom’s noble district.)

  ??? (amused) "The kingdom is rotting, just as planned."

  (A hooded figure kneels before them, whispering something. The shadowed figure chuckles softly.)

  ??? "The son of the fallen has survived… how amusing. But does he remember who he is?"

  (The figure turns, gazing at an ancient battlefield where charred ruins remain. In the distance, an engraved sword lies buried—a relic of a war long past, belonging to a family erased from history.)