''Keep up!'' Raegar called over his shoulder, his voice teasing as he vaulted over a gap between buildings, his boots skidding on a slanted roof.

Selene laughed, her yellow eyes full of excitement. ''You're dreaming if you think you'll outrun me!" she shot back, her fiery Aether sparking as she launched herself forward, overtaking him.

Their laughter echoed, blending against the city's hum, as they weaved through spires and ducked under banners. As they neared, the towering stone wall loomed ahead. Raegar slowed, his gaze flicking to Selene, who nodded with a fearless grin.

''Ready for the grand exit?'' he asked excitedly.

''Born ready,'' she replied, her ears twitching as she braced herself.

Together, they sprinted toward the final rooftop, their Aether flaring in unison, his wind swirling, her fire crackling. They leaped from the edge, soaring over the city wall in a breathtaking arc, the ground far below a blur of fields and winding paths.

The wind roared in their ears, and Selene's laughter rang out, wild and free, as they descended, landing in a crouch on the soft grass beyond the city. Raegar straightened, brushing dirt from his cloak.

''Now let's go look for your uncle,'' he said.

Following that, the two of them started walking down the northern road Namaah mentioned. While walking, Selene kept watching him from the corner of her eye before asking. ''Did you mean what you said to my big brother?''

Raegar didn't answer and quickly moved in to kiss her, making the Demoness shiver in delight. When they separated, he gave her a charming smile. ''Yes, I do, I like you girls and want to see where we go.''

The red-skinned girl couldn't help but smile as they dodged a merchant caravan that sped down the road. Afterward, the duo continued until they saw a camp in the distance, prompting Selene to comment. ''Looks like a Dawnfire soldier camp, must be hunting something.''

As they drew nearer to the scene, Raegar's senses caught a whiff of something metallic and foreboding, the unmistakable scent of blood hanging heavy in the air. Instinctively, his fingers twitched as he summoned his daggers.

Moments later, Selene mirrored his movement, a sword materializing in her hand. A flicker of concern crossed her face, her eyes narrowing as they darted toward the source of the grim odor.

The Demoness' expression betrayed a rare moment of unease that contrasted sharply with her usual air of confidence. The weight of the moment settled over them. ''What's wrong, Rae?'' she questioned.

''I think the soldiers have been attacked,'' he replied.

Raegar and Selene charged toward the ravaged camp. His senses, honed by countless battles, prickled as the foul stench of a group of Devils appeared. His aura erupted, a warning of his power.

In a split second, he shoved Selene aside, his instincts screaming as a monstrous claw sliced through the air where she'd stood moments before. Raising his daggers, he met the ambushing Devil head-on, the clash of steel sending a cascade of molten sparks.

A roar tore from his throat, a challenge to the fiends as he surged forward, his blades flashing. When getting close, he activated Fusion Overdrive, his body igniting. Aether coursed through his veins, amplifying his strength far above his own.

The air crackled, drawing the baleful gazes of every Devil in the vicinity. Their glowing eyes locked onto him, a swarm of malevolent intent. He let out a defiant shout that echoed across the battlefield. ''Selene! Get to the soldiers! I'll carve through these fiends!''

Chaos erupted like a storm unleashed. A horde of Tier Eight Devils surged toward Raegar in a tide of snarling fury. Undaunted, he smirked while summoning the Hydra Blades, a duo of Aether weapons that materialized in a whirl of shimmering light.

The blades danced around him, striking as the Devils closed in, as they protected his back. Raegar moved like a storm, a blur of motion that defied mortal limits. His dagger and Hydra Blades slashed through flesh.

Each swing stabbed through a Devil's eye, slashing open a gaping throat, or cleaving through bone. The ground beneath him grew slick, the air filled with the shrieks of the damned and the metallic clang of steel.

The Hydra Blades whirled in a deadly dance, intercepting any creature that dared flank him, their strikes synchronized. The battlefield became chaotic thanks to Raegar slaughtering everything that got in his way.

A towering Devil lunged, its claws aimed for his chest, but he sidestepped, driving his dagger into its throat and twisting. Another beast charged, only to be met by a Hydra Blade that sliced through its skull, sending it crumpling in a heap.

Despite their numbers, the Devils could not overwhelm him; his Fusion Overdrive burned brighter, fueling his ever-growing power. Every movement was a declaration of defiance, every strike a promise of their doom.

In the distance, Selene's silhouette darted toward the survivors, her power flaring as she fought to protect the fallen soldiers. But Raegar's focus remained absolute, his world narrowed to the rhythm of battle.

The clash of blades, the roar of his heartbeat, and the unyielding will to vanquish the infernal tide. The Devil's numbers dwindled, yet their ferocity only grew, each one driven by a primal hatred for the mortal who dared stand against them.

His lips curled into a grim smile as he met their charge, his Hydra Blades spinning faster, his dagger a streak of death.

***

Selene sprinted toward the smoldering camp. The air was thick with the stench of sulfur and blood, and her eyes darted toward the chaos unfolding behind her, where Raegar stood alone against a horde of Devils.

When she saw this, her breath caught as she witnessed him transform into a whirlwind of destruction, a spectacle that both awed and unnerved her. His daggers flashed like a streak of lightning, carving through flesh.

The flying blades, those spectral swords shimmering with Aether, spun around him in a deadly orbit, slashing and piercing any creature that dared draw near. Each movement was impossibly fast, a dance of death that left trails of black ichor and severed limbs in its wake.

Selene's eyes widened, her pulse quickening as she watched Raegar dispatch a towering Devil with a single strike, his blades plunging into its chest before he spun to cleave another in half.

The sheer speed of his attacks blurred the boundaries of mortal capability, his form almost vanishing into a streak of light and shadow. A chill ran through her, not from fear but from the raw, overwhelming power he exuded.

A force that seemed to bend the battlefield to his will. She had fought alongside him countless times, yet this display of ferocity was something else entirely, a reminder of the warrior's unyielding spirit that anchored her.

Tearing her gaze away, Selene forced herself to focus on her task. She weaved through the wreckage of the camp while the acrid smoke stung her eyes as she reached the handful of survivors, bloodied and trembling, huddled behind a shattered barricade.

Their faces were pale, their eyes wide with terror as they glanced past her toward the maelstrom of violence where Raegar fought. ''Stay low!'' she barked.

Her hands moved swiftly, weaving spells to stabilize the wounded, but her attention flickered back to Raegar, unable to fully resist the pull of his battle.

***

As Raegar approached the camp, the last Devil's corpse still smoldering behind him, an older woman strode forward, her face etched with a stern glare. Her voice cut through the air like a blade. ''Where were you? We needed you an hour ago when the ambush hit!'''

He tilted his head, the glow of Fusion Overdrive fading as he waved a dismissive hand. ''I'm not your errand boy, lady. A little gratitude wouldn't hurt.''

The commander's expression darkened, her voice rising as she demanded answers. Her tone grated on Raegar, and he spun to face her, eyes flashing. ''Keep talking, and I'll leave you to rot out here.''

She took a step toward him, fists clenched, but Selene materialized in a blur, blocking her path. Moments later, her hand cracked across the older woman's face, the sharp slap echoing through the tense silence.

The Demoness stepped forward, her silver eyes blazing as she faced the commander and the gathered survivors. ''Enough!'' she snapped, her voice sharp and commanding. ''Raegar cut down those Devils single-handedly. Without him, you'd all be dead in the dirt.''

She swept her gaze across the camp, daring anyone to argue. ''You owe him your lives. Show some damn gratitude.''

''Let's go,'' Raegar suddenly said, his tone low and final.

He turned, his cloak snapping in the wind as he started walking away from the camp. Selene fell into step beside him, her movements fluid and purposeful, not sparing the soldiers a second glance.

The commander called after them, her voice tinged with desperation. ''You're just leaving us here? After everything?''

Raegar didn't break stride. ''You're alive. Figure it out.''

Selene's lips curved into a faint, approving smile as they left the camp behind, the soldiers' protests swallowed by the rustling of the wind and the distant cries of the wasteland.