The Strongest With Nothing Left

As Li stood by a nearby river, his plain clothes soaked in demon blood, he dipped his hands into the cold water and began to wash his hair. His long, messy black hair clung to his face as he ran his fingers through it, letting the water rinse away the blood and sweat from the fierce battle. Despite his clothes looking ordinary, they were reinforced with powerful enchantments allowing him to withstand devastating blows without the need for armor.

The sound of water splashing filled the air as the soldiers behind him were silently resting — or at least trying to.

It was then that Li pushed his hair back, slicking it up and away from his face, revealing his sharp, chiseled features underneath the mess. His piercing purple eyes, his well-defined jawline, and his cold yet breathtakingly handsome face something no one expected to see beneath his usual rugged and terrifying demeanor.

The moment he did that, the entire atmosphere around him shifted.

One of the female medics who was tending to the wounded nearby turned her head and the second her gaze fell upon Li, her hands froze. Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape as she struggled to comprehend what she was seeing.

"W-Wait… he's actually…?" she mumbled to herself, blinking rapidly.

Another soldier noticed her reaction and chuckled. "Heh… don't tell me you're falling for The Living Nightmare now?"

"N-No! It's not that, I just… I-I didn't expect him to look like that underneath all the blood and mess!" she stammered, flustered.

The soldier smirked. "Yeah, we all kinda forgot he was human too. Damn shame his face was always hidden behind that cold look and messy hair."

Li, now tying his hair back neatly, remained oblivious to the reactions behind him. His intention was never to appear appealing in fact, he couldn't care less. But the moment his hair was fixed, his cold and menacing appearance transformed into something else intimidatingly attractive.

"Tch…" the female medic's face turned red as she looked away. "Why does someone like him have to look like that?"

Another soldier leaned over and whispered to his comrade. "Y'know… if he smiled like a normal person, he'd probably charm half the kingdom…"

"Yeah, but he's still Li Vrak. You wanna risk flirting with him?"

"…Fair point."

The female medic, still flustered, quickly turned away, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. The sight of Li Vrak — the feared "Living Nightmare" — looking so effortlessly handsome and calm was something she never anticipated.

General Venkur, noticing the awkward tension, couldn't help but smirk. "Heh… you ladies better be careful. Wouldn't want the 'Living Nightmare' to give you a heart attack, huh?"

The other soldiers nervously laughed, though their eyes still subtly darted towards Li.

Li, completely indifferent to the stares, finished washing his hair. Without saying a word, he grabbed his long black coat, putting it back on before walking away from the camp, his signature cold demeanor settling back in place.

As he walked, General Venkur caught up to him. "You know, they really don't expect someone like you to be… well, like that. You're scaring them for a different reason now."

Li didn't respond, only glancing sideways before continuing his path.

General Venkur chuckled, "Heh… though I have to admit, it's good seeing you like this. That kid really did change you, huh?"

Li froze for a second before brushing it off. "…I just did what any master would do."

Venkur scoffed, "Oh please. Five years ago you were ready to throw your life away. Now you're talking about being a master? Yeah, right."

Li halted for a brief moment, his hand slightly tightening into a fist. "…I'm heading out for patrol."

As Li continued his patrol, his sharp senses immediately caught the sudden shift in the air. In a blink of an eye, a figure appeared right in front of him a young man with messy brown hair, a confident grin, and a sword strapped to his back.

Li didn't even flinch, his expression as cold as ever. "…Ken?" Li's voice was as calm as if he expected him. "What are you doing here?"

Ken chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Tch, still as lifeless as ever, huh? I just wanted to check up on you, y'know? Thought I'd see how my old buddy's doing after being dragged into a war."

Li narrowed his eyes slightly. "You came all the way here just for that?"

Ken grinned wider, shrugging. "Heh, not exactly. I was nearby after finishing a job, heard some terrifying rumors about you annihilating thousands of demons alone… figured I'd see if you finally turned into a complete monster."

Li didn't respond, merely brushing past Ken. "…I have a patrol to finish. Don't get in my way."

Ken snorted, following alongside him. "Yeah, yeah. Same old Li, huh? Still pretending you don't give a damn about anything." He glanced sideways at him. "But, you know… it's kinda funny hearing the soldiers talk about you. They're terrified of you, but the way you fight now…"

Li's eyes shifted slightly toward Ken. "…What about it?"

Ken grinned. "It's different. You're not throwing yourself into death anymore you actually fight to stay alive. Five years ago, you would've let yourself get killed, no doubt about it."

Li halted. Ken, realizing he hit a nerve, smirked. "Heh… must be because of that student of yours, huh? What was his name again? Arin, right?"

Li remained silent, his gaze fixed forward. "…Why are you really here, Ken?"

Ken's smile faded slightly as his tone dropped. "…I heard rumors from my client. Something's brewing in the demon territory something big. They say an Archdemon stronger than any we've faced is gathering an army."

Li's eyes finally narrowed. "…Another Archdemon?"

Ken nodded. "Yeah. And they ain't like the one you killed five years ago. This one's different — smarter, more organized. They're planning something massive."

Silence fell between them before Li finally mutter

Ken scoffed, grinning again. "Man, you haven't changed one bit. Still acting like the world's weight is on your shoulders."

Li ignored him and continued walking. "…It's not my concern until it threatens the kingdom."

Ken watched him go, a faint look of pity in his eyes. "…Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Li."

As Li was heading back to the camp, his sharp senses immediately picked up a dense, sinister aura in the air. His pace quickened, his instincts screaming that something was wrong.

The moment he reached the outskirts of the camp, his eyes narrowed. Smoke was rising, the sound of clashing weapons and desperate shouts filled the air. The camp was in complete chaos bodies of soldiers littered the ground, tents destroyed, and fires spread like wildfire.

Without hesitation, Li moved. His footsteps were silent, but his presence was as suffocating as ever. His piercing purple eyes darted around, analyzing the situation.

In the middle of the chaos, he spotted General Venkur. The man was panting heavily, his armor battered, blood leaking from multiple wounds but what caught Li's attention was the five high-ranking demons surrounding him, each radiating immense bloodlust.

Yet Venkur stood his ground, his blade raised. "Tch… damn bastards…" Venkur gritted his teeth, already struggling to keep up with their attacks.

Li didn't waste time. Without hesitation, he vanished.

In a blink of an eye — SLASH!

One of the high-ranking demons' head flew off its body as Li appeared next to Venkur, his katana dripping with demon blood. "Five against one, huh…?" Li spoke in a cold, menacing tone, his gaze locked onto the remaining four demons. "Not very fair, is it?"

Venkur, despite being in pain, managed to crack a grin. "Hah… took you long enough…" he muttered. "Thought you were still out there slacking off."

"Tch." Li ignored him. "Rest. I'll handle this."

"Hah… like hell I'll let you have all the fun." Venkur spat out blood, tightening his grip on his sword. "I can still—"

Before he could finish, Li grabbed his shoulder and shoved him back. "I said, rest." His tone was colder than ice. "You'll just get in my way."

Venkur was about to protest when one of the demons lunged. "DIE, HUMAN!" it roared.

But Li was faster.

CLANG! — Li effortlessly parried the demon's claw with his katana, his gaze empty yet burning with suppressed rage. "…Annoying." In a flash, he brought his blade up, slicing the demon clean in half. Blood sprayed everywhere.

"…Two." Li muttered.

The remaining three demons hesitated for a split second. "Tch… he's dangerous!" one of them growled. "Fall back—"

"Like hell you will."

Before they could react — Li appeared behind another demon, his hand grabbing its neck. "Where do you think you're going?" Without hesitation, he crushed its throat, causing it to writhe and choke before it dropped lifeless.

"Three."

The remaining two demons were now terrified. "T-this human… he's a monster!"

"NOW YOU NOTICE?!" one screamed. "IT'S THE LIVING NIGHTMARE!"

Li's gaze sharpened. "…Four."

In a blink — he vanished.

The fourth demon barely had time to react before Li's katana pierced through its chest. Blood splattered as the demon gasped in horror. "N-no… impossible…"

Li ripped his blade out mercilessly. "You're too slow."

Only one demon remained. It was already backing away, trembling. "P-please… spare me…" it pleaded, dropping its weapon. "I-I was only following orders—"

"Spare you?" Li muttered coldly. "Did you spare them?" He gestured toward the burning camp and fallen soldiers. "Did you hesitate when you slaughtered my people?"

The demon's eyes widened in horror. "N-no, wait—"

A single swift slash. The demon's head hit the ground.

"Five."

Silence fell as only the crackling fire and dying groans filled the air. Li stood there, blood dripping from his katana, his eyes void of any pity.

"Damn…" Venkur coughed, limping toward him. "You really haven't changed when it comes to demons, huh…"

Li sheathed his katana. "…They deserved worse."

Venkur glanced around the camp, the damage was severe, but thanks to Li's timely arrival — the remaining soldiers were able to hold their ground. "…If you didn't come when you did… we'd all be dead."

"I only came because I smelled blood." Li replied coldly. "Next time, don't be careless." 

Venkur chuckled bitterly. "Tch… yes, yes. Sir Living Nightmare."

Li turned his back, his gaze lingering on the remaining wounded soldiers. "Gather the remaining men. We need to reinforce the perimeter."

"You giving orders now?" Venkur smirked. "Thought you hated leading."

Li paused briefly. "…I still do."

But in his heart a single thought emerged.

"I can't let another town fall like the one I left behind… not again."