Ye Tian hovered above the shattered remains of the city, his figure framed by an aura of darkness that swirled and crackled with power.
Below him, the city lay painted in splashes of red, as if death itself had taken a brush and swept it across every street, every building, every corner.
Civilians ran in every direction, their screams filling the air, their faces twisted in terror as they clambered over each other to escape the horror that had befallen their world.
From his vantage point, Ye Tian could see it all... the innocent scrambling to flee, the Justice Army soldiers cutting down any who stood in their way, and the blood that stained the streets like rivers of crimson.
The sight stirred something deep within him, a potent rage that simmered just below the surface, but even that fury was tempered by something darker, something older.
A strange sense of exhilaration, a thrill he hadn't felt in eons, crept into his being.
The chaos, the fear, the scent of blood... it was as though the air itself was thick with the essence of destruction.
Yet his face remained impassive, his eyes cold, detached.
Below, the Justice Army continued its relentless advance, soldiers clad in yellow armor flooding through the streets.
The laughter of the soldiers was cruel, hollow, as they swung their weapons with sadistic delight, their eyes gleaming with twisted pleasure as they tore through Ye Tian's people.
The streets were choked with bodies, and the ground itself seemed to bleed as the soldiers' blades cut down innocent after innocent.
But now, something had changed.
The city had fallen silent, as if the very air had frozen, held captive by a force beyond mortal comprehension.
In the heart of the chaos, the old man who had once served Ye Tian sat on the ground, clutching his unconscious grandchildren to his chest.
Though his face was pale, and his body weakened, there was a glimmer of something else in his eyes... a flicker of satisfaction, of long-awaited justice.
He knew that Ye Tian had awakened.
He could feel the raw power radiating through the city, pressing down on every living thing.
And as much as he mourned for the young lives he held in his arms, he also felt a grim satisfaction.
Those who had betrayed his king, those who had brought ruin upon his people... they would suffer.
Then, a deep, reverberating sound echoed across the city, cutting through the air like a blade.
It was a low, haunting hum that seemed to vibrate through every stone, every wall, every bone in the city.
The Justice Army soldiers froze, their laughter dying in their throats as they looked up, their faces filled with confusion that quickly turned to dread.
High above the tallest building in the city, a dark aura began to form, swirling in a circle of pure, malevolent energy.
It was black as night, pulsing with a force that felt ancient, untamed, as if it were the very embodiment of wrath.
The air grew cold, and a suffocating pressure settled over the city, pressing down on the soldiers, on the civilians, on every living soul.
The darkness thickened, coiling like a serpent around the building, casting long, ominous shadows that stretched across the city.
And then, from within the circle of darkness, a figure began to emerge, descending slowly through the thick veil of shadows.
The old man's heart pounded as he looked up, his eyes widening with recognition.
He knew that form, that silhouette... it was a figure he had once followed, once worshipped, a being he had believed lost to time.
The dust settled, and there, in the center of the city, Ye Tian appeared, his figure cloaked in a swirling, black aura.
He hovered above the ground, his eyes gleaming with a cold, unyielding light that cut through the darkness like twin stars.
His aura crackled with power, filling the air with a tension so thick it was suffocating.
The soldiers of the Justice Army, who had moments before marched through the city with arrogant confidence, now stood rooted to the ground, their faces drained of all color.
Their breaths came in short, shallow gasps as they looked up at the figure before them, their bodies trembling with a fear they could neither understand nor control.
Ye Tian's descent was slow, deliberate, as if he were savoring each second, each beat of terror that pulsed through the hearts of those who watched.
When he finally touched the ground, he paused, his gaze sweeping over the ruined city, the trembling soldiers, the broken civilians who lay in the shadows, their bodies bruised and bloodied.
But he said nothing.
Without a word, he began to walk.
The silence was as thick as the tension that filled the air, wrapping around the city like a shroud.
The civilians, huddled in corners and alleyways, their faces pale and tear-streaked, looked on with a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
Their lord had returned.
The Absolute Demon, the one they had worshipped and waited for, was here to save them.
For a brief, beautiful moment, that hope burned bright within them.
But that hope was short-lived.
Ye Tian reached the first civilian in his path... a young man with wide, hopeful eyes.
The man opened his mouth to speak, to cry out in relief, but before he could utter a sound, Ye Tian's hand shot out, wrapping around his neck with a grip that was as cold as death.
There was no hesitation, no mercy in his gaze as his fingers tightened, crushing the man's throat.
With a swift motion, he twisted, snapping the man's neck with a sickening crunch.
The man's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
A collective gasp echoed through the crowd as the reality set in. The horror that filled their eyes was beyond words as they realized what was happening.
Ye Tian was not here to save them.
In silence, Ye Tian moved to the next person... a young mother holding her child close to her chest.
Her eyes filled with terror as she held her child tighter, her lips trembling as she looked up at him, her voice lost in her throat.
But Ye Tian's expression remained impassive as he reached for her, his hand moving with deadly precision.
With a single, brutal motion, he tore her head from her shoulders, her body collapsing to the ground in a spray of blood as the child's cries echoed through the air.
One by one, he walked down the street, his hands slick with blood, his face blank as he tore through the crowd.
It didn't matter who they were... man or woman, young or old, noble or poor.
Each life was taken with the same cold efficiency, each body discarded without a second thought.
The civilians' cries turned to shrieks, their voices filled with desperation as they scrambled to get away, to escape the nightmare that had become their reality.
But there was no escape. The Absolute Demon was awake, and in his path, there would be no salvation.
But as he moved, ripping through the innocent with merciless intent, there was something strange... he had not touched a single soldier of the Justice Army.
The soldiers, who had moments before reveled in their slaughter, now stood paralyzed, their breaths shallow, their bodies trembling as they watched him pass by.
It was as if his very presence had rooted them to the ground, as if even breathing too loudly might draw his attention.
He walked past them without so much as a glance, his steps slow and deliberate, as though they were nothing more than ghosts in his path.
Finally, he reached the old man, who knelt on the ground, his hands wrapped protectively around his grandchildren.
The old man's face was pale, his body weakened, but his eyes shone with a fierce loyalty, a devotion that had never faded, even in the darkest of times.
Ye Tian stopped, his gaze falling on the old man, a faint glimmer of recognition flickering in his crimson eyes.
He looked at him for a long moment, as if searching through memories long buried. Then, a small, almost imperceptible smile curved his lips.
"Ah... Who would have thought you were still alive, old friend?" he said, his voice soft, edged with a strange mix of nostalgia and respect.
"The valiant, ruthless demon of the battlefield... the Fist Demon."
The old man's heart pounded at the sound of his lord's voice, his body trembling with a mixture of pride and reverence.
Once, he had fought by Ye Tian's side, had shared in his lord's triumphs and conquests.
But now, he was nothing more than a shadow of what he had once been, his power sacrificed in loyalty to Ye Tian's dream of peace.
With great effort, he lowered his head, his voice thick with emotion as he greeted his king.
"My lord..." he whispered, his voice choked with gratitude.
"You have returned."
Ye Tian looked down at him, his gaze softening, if only for a moment.
"You have always been loyal. Tell me, old friend... what do you wish for?"
The old man's hands shook as he held his grandchildren close, his voice filled with a sorrowful pride.
"Please... save these children, my king," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Let them live."
Ye Tian regarded the children, his face unreadable. Then, in a motion so swift it was almost gentle, he raised his hand.
Dark energy swirled at his fingertips, a soft, ominous glow that cast shadows across the old man's weary face.
The old man watched with bated breath, his heart pounding as he placed the last of his hope in his king. But in an instant, his heart sank as the truth became clear.
The dark energy enveloped the children, and, without a moment's pause, their bodies began to dissolve, their small forms disintegrating into fine particles of dust.
They crumbled away, their forms vanishing until nothing remained but the faintest wisp of ash carried off on the wind.
The old man's eyes glistened with unshed tears, his heart heavy with the weight of what he had just witnessed.
But beneath that sorrow, there was acceptance. He was grateful, grateful that his king had spared them the horrors of this world.
His lord's mercy was a swift end.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze to meet Ye Tian's eyes, his voice choked with gratitude as he forced the words past the lump in his throat.
"Thank you... my king..." he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Ye Tian's gaze softened, almost imperceptibly, as he regarded the old man who had once fought beside him, had once pledged his very soul to his cause. His hand reached out, resting atop the old man's head, a gesture of farewell.
"I hope to see you again... on the other side, old friend."
With those words, Ye Tian's fingers curled slightly, his hand shifting with a smooth, lethal grace. And then, with a swift motion, he beheaded the old man, granting him the final peace he had long awaited.
The old man's head fell forward, his face serene, as his body crumpled to the ground beside the traces of ash left by his grandchildren.
Around them, the soldiers of the Justice Army watched in silent horror, paralyzed by the scene before them.
They could not move, could not scream.
The terror that filled their hearts was suffocating, a crushing fear that coiled around their souls, leaving them feeling both ignored and utterly insignificant in the presence of this being they had once dared to defy.
Ye Tian, the Absolute Demon, now turned his gaze upon them, his crimson eyes gleaming with a deadly light.