The night was thick as ink, and the wind howled through the forest like a mourning spirit.The air reeked of blood and iron.The Twelve Stars retreated through the dense woods, their breaths ragged and heavy. Wounds marred each of them, blood dripping from their armor to paint grim trails across the earth.
They knew the Black-armored Demon General would not let them escape easily.Yet even more terrifying was the colossal shadow that had awakened deeper within the forest.That... was a Demon King.
Miexing gripped the hilt of her sword tighter, her knuckles turning white.She could feel her Starstone trembling faintly—a warning.
Ahead lay a natural ravine.If left undefended, it would be the perfect spot for an ambush.
"Scatter," the First Star commanded in a low voice.Despite the wounds riddling his body, he stood firm at the front, steady as an unbroken spear.
Miexing nodded, leading the Ninth and Tenth Stars into the cover of the woods on the right.The others fanned out swiftly, forming a semi-circle to prepare for the final stand.
—
The heavy footsteps of the Black-armored Demon General grew louder, each step making the earth tremble.He dragged a massive black war hammer behind him, its iron head scraping deep gouges into the rocky soil.
Behind him, legions of demon soldiers surged forward like a black tide.Under the pale moonlight, they looked like ghouls risen from hell, their eyes glowing blood-red, murderous intent saturating the air.
Miexing held her breath, her blood roaring in her ears.Never before had she felt such crushing despair—an oppression so fierce it threatened to tear her apart.
But she did not retreat.
Her Starstone pulsed faintly, a dim red light flickering inside it.A fragile, stubborn glow—her only remaining resolve.
"Move!"The First Star's shout tore through the suffocating silence.
Twelve Starstones blazed at once.In the darkness, it was as if twelve fallen stars had suddenly ignited.
Miexing leapt from the shadows, her sword flashing like cold lightning.Her target was not the Black-armored General—but the demon soldiers flanking him.
—Break their outer ring first. Only then would they have even a sliver of survival.
Blades clashed, blood splattered.The Sixth Star detonated his runes, a blast of flame lighting up half the ravine.The Seventh Star summoned thick vines, entangling several demons in a heartbeat.The Eighth and Eleventh Stars followed up immediately, cutting down the trapped foes.
For a moment, the mountains echoed with the violent clash of weapons.
But their disadvantage quickly became obvious.
The Black-armored Demon General swung his massive hammer, sending the Second and Fifth Stars flying like broken dolls.They crashed into the cliff walls with sickening thuds, coughing up blood.
Their Starstones dimmed perceptibly.
Miexing's heart twisted painfully at the sight.She charged toward a demon about to strike the Ninth Star, driving her sword through its throat.But its claws tore across her waist in a savage counterattack, blood gushing from the gaping wound.
The pain nearly made her drop her sword.
"Hold the line!"The First Star's voice rang out—hoarse, but unyielding.
Silver light flared around him as he faced off against the Black-armored Demon General alone.Each thrust of his spear shattered the air, forcing the monstrous foe to stay in place.
But at a terrible price.New wounds blossomed across his body with every exchange, and blood poured freely onto the ground.
The light of his Starstone, too, was fading.
—
On a distant peak, a solitary figure watched in silence.The Celestial Lord stood with his hands behind his back, moonlight cascading over his pale hair, his eyes deep as an endless abyss.
He gazed at the children struggling for their lives, his expression unreadable.
Deep within, a faint ache stirred.
They were still far too weak.Before true demonkind, they were like candles in a storm, flickering on the edge of extinction.
But he could not intervene.If he stepped in now, they would never become the blades he needed.
The Celestial Lord closed his eyes for a moment, fingers curling faintly under his sleeves.
—
The battlefield remained locked in brutal combat.
The Ninth Star's arm was crushed by a demon's jaws; he nearly blacked out from the pain.Miexing rushed to his aid, cleaving the demon in two—but in doing so, left herself open.A shockwave from the Black-armored General's hammer sent her sprawling to the ground, her lungs burning, her organs churning from the impact.
One by one, the lights of the Starstones began to dim.
It felt as if any moment now, they would all flicker out.
Blood drenched the earth, and in the crimson-stained mud, their pale, stubborn faces reflected.
And yet—no one retreated.
Clenching their teeth, supporting each other, they fought on.
—
Suddenly, from the distance came the sharp blast of a horn.A retreat signal—from the demons.
The Black-armored Demon General roared furiously but began to fall back, his hammer smashing the earth in frustration.
He turned once to glare at the battered humans—then melted away into the forest's shadows, his monstrous form vanishing as if it had never been.
The battlefield fell silent.
Miexing knelt in the blood-soaked mud, hands pressed to the ground, gasping for breath.Against her chest, the Starstone beat faintly, answering the stubborn will burning inside her.
"We're... still alive,"the First Star's voice rasped weakly nearby, yet filled with iron resolve.
Miexing lifted her head.Through the thick scent of blood and death, she saw her comrades—wounded, broken, but still standing.
The cold night wind swept over them, carrying the stench of blood and wet earth.
Had they won?
No.They had merely survived—for now.
The true war... had only just begun