The Grand Forest of Monsters was not an ordinary forest. For centuries it had remained isolated and uninhabited, a terrifying domain ruled by unimaginably powerful beasts.
Its towering trees were so dense that sunlight could barely penetrate through them. The thick canopy swallowed the light of the sky completely, leaving the forest in a permanent state of dim twilight. An eerie silence hung in the air, heavy and unsettling, as if the forest itself was watching every movement within it.
In the depths of this darkness, three shadows slowly moved forward.
The Supreme Leader of the Westland, Hayato Shizukami.
His most trusted companion and Grand General, Kazuki.
And quietly walking between them… the five-year-old prince, Takashi.
This was no ordinary journey.
A strange conflict was visible on Kazuki's face. His expression carried unease, as if a heavy burden was pressing against his heart.
Takashi, on the other hand, walked silently as usual. He looked distant and quiet, carrying a sadness far beyond his age. Yet somewhere inside his heart, there was a small sense of comfort.
His father was with him.
Hayato walked ahead of them.
Today he was not simply walking as a father.
He was closer to the form the world once feared and whispered about…
The War Demon.
A man whose mere presence on the battlefield could change the outcome of entire wars.
Hayato remembered well what happened when the darkness of power swallowed a human soul. When that darkness took over, peace disappeared from both day and night. Life became unbearable. A person slowly walked toward destruction without even realizing it.
Hayato had once fought that darkness and escaped it.
And now, no matter what it cost him, he would never allow that darkness to consume his son.
He was confident that he had trained Takashi well.
The hypocritical life of royal palaces where power meant everything and every person wore a polite mask on their face was something Takashi had already begun to understand.
Despite being only five years old, his way of thinking had already matured to the level of a fifty-year-old man.
Far behind them, inside their palaces, three new lives were about to enter the world.
But Hayato was unaware of this.
Instead, he had begun a journey from which there was no guarantee of return.
As they moved deeper into the forest, the surroundings grew darker and thicker.
The monsters of the forest could sense the overwhelming energy radiating from Hayato's body. Because of that terrifying aura, most beasts stayed far away from him.
Hayato also had no intention of wasting time or energy fighting them unnecessarily.
"My Lord…" Kazuki finally spoke, his voice filled with concern.
"We have already confirmed its existence, but we still don't know its exact location. It's possible that it may have moved from its previous position."
Hayato stopped.
He turned toward Kazuki and gave him a calm, gentle smile.
Then he activated his Tracker Eyes.
A mysterious ancient pattern appeared within the green pupils of his eyes.
Within moments, his vision extended far beyond the forest.
Several kilometers away…
At the peak of an extremely tall mountain…
Hayato located an enormous concentration of energy like a mountain of pure power resting at the summit.
"That way."
Hayato quietly pointed forward and continued walking.
The journey was far from easy.
As they approached the mountain, Upper Rank monsters began appearing. These creatures were strong enough that Hayato's aura alone could not intimidate them.
But today, the War Demon had already made his decision.
Whenever a monster attacked.
FLASH!
Hayato's sword moved with lightning.
A single strike.
One slash.
And even the most powerful beasts collapsed instantly.
Kazuki and Takashi watched from behind like silent spectators, witnessing Hayato's unbelievable speed and destructive impact.
Takashi's five-year limit was approached.
The seal inside him could break at any moment.
Hayato had no time to waste.