4 - Nokemono-tachi No Yoru

The air grew heavy. This was the moment of reckoning for the outcasts.

Wisteria stepped forward, her sightless eyes facing the direction of the voice. She did not tremble. "Marbas is not a monster to be purged," she said, her voice small but steady. "He is my eyes. He is my family." Nokemono-tachi no Yoru 4

"Step aside, humans," the Commander’s voice boomed. "And surrender the girl. The demons will be purged." The air grew heavy

"You are walking too fast for a human, you old rug," Naberius scoffed, looking at Wisteria’s pale face. She did not tremble

The bitter chill of the English winter did not bother Marbas, but it seeped deep into the bones of the blind girl holding his hand. Wisteria pulled her worn cloak tighter around herself, listening to the crunch of snow beneath the great demon’s feet.

Their lighthearted rivalry was abruptly cut short as the dense forest gave way to a clearing. Standing in their path, bathed in the silver glow of the moon, was the elite force of the Sword Cross Knights. At their center stood the Commander, his armor reflecting a cold, ruthless light.