The kingdom, once humble and peaceful, had grown weak and corrupted. Standing before a stunned crowd, the old commander raised his voice.
"What has happened to this kingdom-so rural, so fragile? Is this why we sacrificed ourselves for freedom?" he asked, his voice echoing with restrained fury.
The crowd slowly turned, gasping as they recognized the figure before them.
"Are... are you the commander who once fought against angels in the Great War of old?" one man asked, stepping forward in disbelief.
The commander gave a solemn nod.
Another voice cried out, "But that's impossible! You're supposed to be dead! You must be an imposter... a demon!"
A wave of fear spread through the crowd.
"Yes! He must be a demon!" they shouted in panic.
The commander raised his hand. "If you doubt me," he said calmly, "bring me the commander of today. Let us speak face-to-face."
A weary voice from the crowd spoke up. "The commander of today... he's nothing like you. He's corrupt, greedy, and ruthless. He defies the law and commits terrible acts against the people."
Upon hearing this, a flicker of rage passed through the commander's eyes.
"Bring me that bastard," he growled. "How dare he make my kingdom weak and unsafe."
"You'll find him in the castle," another citizen said. "All the officials are there."
"Thank you for your help," the commander replied.
"Please... save us," the citizen begged.
The commander gave a firm nod, his eyes burning with resolve.
---
At the Castle...
"Time for taxes," Harry, the current commander, barked from his throne. "Soldiers, collect every last coin. If anyone can't pay... sell them to the slave traders."
"Yes, sir," a soldier responded without hesitation.
Just then, the castle gates exploded open with a thunderous crash. Dust swirled through the hall as a figure emerged through the smoke.
It was him.
"A pest has infested this kingdom," the commander said coldly. "Looks like someone needs to die."
Harry's face twisted with rage. "Kill him!" he shouted. "NOW!"
But the old commander summoned his soul soldiers-veterans from forgotten wars. They clashed with Harry's guards, and despite being spectral, the soul warriors proved vastly superior, seasoned and relentless.
In the chaos, Harry lunged at the commander with a massive hammer, enhanced by the Bear's Blessing. The force behind the swing could crush stone.
But to his horror, the commander raised his long one-handed sword and blocked the blow with ease.
With a growl, the commander swung his blade, slicing into Harry's back and leaving a deep gash. Harry screamed, staggering backward.
The commander followed with a brutal kick to Harry's gut, then smashed his palm into his chin, shattering his jaw. With a final blow-a devastating punch to the ribs-Harry collapsed, coughing blood and pleading for mercy.
"Freedom is wasted on creatures like you," the commander whispered coldly... and ended him.
Behind the throne wall, the king had witnessed everything. He tried to flee in terror, but the commander was faster. With a swift motion, he unleashed his Soul Chain, binding the king in place.
"You failed your people," the commander said, and with that-ended the king's life too.
The remaining human soldiers, trembling, dropped their weapons and fell to their knees.
"You could've protected this kingdom," the commander shouted at them. "You had strength-but no will! You followed a tyrant instead of justice. But now, I, the Commander of the War Legion, return to reclaim my throne. From today on, I will punish all who betray this land!"
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Justice...
"This is our headquarters," said Whisper. "Shadow, welcome."
Shadow stepped into the room, scanning his surroundings with quiet intensity. His presence was silent, powerful-observant but unreadable.
On a pedestal lay a glowing image. Shadow Whisper moved toward it, eyes wide in disbelief.
"These... these are divine artifacts," Whisper whispered, almost reverently. "Artifacts created and blessed by the gods."
Miko nodded. "Yes. These are the Divine Relics. But sadly, no human has ever been able to wield them."
Whisper turned, his voice firm. "You still possess them. Good. Take us to them. You don't need to question us humans."
Suddenly, the doors creaked open. A small demon girl appeared, the one Shadow had rescued days earlier. She waddled over sleepily and tugged on his cloak.
Without hesitation, Shadow picked her up, and she instantly drifted off to sleep in his arms.
Whisper spoke softly. "Let's place her in bed first. Then, we'll go to the artifact chamber."
---
At the Artifact Chamber...
Arthur eyed the relics with suspicion. "Why are we here? Are you really going to try and use them?"
Miko stepped forward. "It's not possible... not for us. Humans can't handle their power."
But before they could say more, Shadow stepped forward and, without hesitation, reached out to touch the Artifact of Sun and Moon-a sacred weapon of immense power.
A surge of divine energy erupted as the artifact responded, glowing brighter with each second. Gasps filled the chamber.
Whisper stepped forward with a proud smile. "You've done it, Shadow. You've claimed the artifact of Sun and Moon. Good. Now we'll train the humans. They must learn to wield these relics... and prepare to stand against the gods without falling in a single breath."
Miko tried to speak, but suddenly the room was bathed in golden and silver light. The sun and moon themselves seemed to appear overhead, as if acknowledging the new bearer of their blessing.
Shadow stood beneath the light, already channeling divine power with calm mastery.
Whisper whispered in awe, "As expected from the God of Darkness... you wield the blessing with ease."
Miko stepped back, astonished. "That power... it feels like I'm witnessing a being capable of conquering both heaven and hell."
"That's enough," Whisper said, turning toward the others. "You humans-your training begins now."
Miko and Arthur straightened and responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Back at the Commander's Fortress...
The commander stood silently, gazing into the sky.
"This presence... it's an angel."
To be continued...