Kill Or Be Killed..

With a thought, Kae called upon the power of the Demon Eyes. Instantly, his vision shifted. The world around him slowed, and his perception sharpened. His irises glowed red, though invisible to the others, and he felt a surge of power flooding through him.

The statue moved to strike, but Kae saw the attack in advance before the blade reached him. He sidestepped effortlessly, his sword moving with newfound fluid as he deflected the blow and countered with a powerful slash. His blade connected with the statue sending a spray of wood chips flying around. The once chaotic and unpredictable attacks were now clear as day.

The statue lunged forward, aiming for Kae again but he spun out of the way just in time, bringing his sword down in a sharp arc, slicing through the statue's shoulder. It staggered but recovered quickly, launching a rapid flurry of strikes. Kae danced around them, his Demon Eyes allowing him to read the attacks with ease.

Around him, the other consorts still struggled against their own statues, the sounds of swords clashing filling the training ground. They were bloodied and battered, their faces twisted in pain and determination

With a fierce cry, Kae closed in, his sword moving like a blur. He struck again and again, each blow carving into the statue's wooden form. The enchanted figure faltered, its movements growing slower, more desperate.

Finally, Kae saw his opening. With a powerful downward slash, he cleaved the statue's head clean off. The wooden body crumpled to the ground and dissapeared.

Kae stood over the fallen statue, his chest heaving with exertion, but a victorious grin spread across his face. He had done it. The Demon Eyes faded, and his vision returned to normal.

Just as Kae had defeated his statue and it disappeared, the other consorts' statues vanished into thin air. Kae wiped the sweat from his brow, his body still aching from the fight, but he knew this was just a small victory in a much larger war.

"Did he defeat the statue again?" one of the consorts muttered with disdain. "Are you really sure this man has no magical affinity whatsoever? It's obvious he does, or else how does he keep defeating the statue while we can't?"

"Having magical affinity would eventually result in death," another chimed in, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Remember? It's happened countless times before. Queen consorts practicing magic after it was forbidden. Eventually, it leads to their death."

"He's going to learn his lesson soon. Doesn't he know you have to tread carefully in the palace to avoid putting yourself in danger? I hope he gets in trouble soon," another consort added.

Commander Aethera and Teacher Vynessa approached the group, their faces beaming with satisfaction.

"Congratulations on defeating the statue again," Commander Aethera said. "Although it was Kae who discovered the moves again, I believe you all learned something while fighting. Isn't that right?"

"Yes!" the other consorts chorused, though some of their voices dripped with resentment.

"What if he has magical affinity?" one of them complained bitterly. "That could explain why he keeps defeating the magical statues while we can't."

"We checked all of you and found no magical affinity in anyone," Commander Aethera replied, her voice edged with seriousness. "Kae defeating the statues means he's gifted. He has talent. Instead of complaining, you should learn from him. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Commander!" they responded in unison, their heads lowered in shame, still wincing from their injuries.

"Good. You're all terribly injured, but we've prepared some healing medicine for the consorts. These may look like normal potions, but they've been enchanted with magic to heal your wounds in one go. The bruises, the injuries, they'll disappear. The pain in your body will vanish," Commander Aethera announced, prompting surprised gasps from the group. Kae, however, remained unsurprised.

Commander Aethera then casted a spell, causing blue lightning to spark from her hands. Moments later, small white bottles appeared in the hands of each consort.

"You can all take the medicine now. Once you're healed, we'll move on to the next phase of training," she continued.

The consorts quickly opened their bottles, eager to relieve their pain. But their smiles of anticipation quickly turned to confusion.

"What's going on? There's no pill in my bottle," one consort said, raising an eyebrow.

"Same here. What is this?" another asked, clearly puzzled.

"Of course, there's no pill. The medicine inside is something only the queen who made it can see. Just inhale from the bottle, and you'll be healed," Commander Aethera explained with a smile.

The consorts inhaled from their bottles, and soon, the pain and injuries faded. Their bruises and deep wounds vanished, and their faces lit up with happiness.

"It worked!" they exclaimed in unison, filled with relief.

Kae, however, hesitated. He gazed into his own bottle, his eyes widening in shock as he saw a red worm wriggling inside.

'What's this? The others claimed not to have seen anything,' Kae thought, his bewilderment growing.

Ding!

{You can see the red magical worms because of the demon lord's soul inside you and, of course, the Demon Eyes.}

'What are the worms for?' Kae asked internally.

{They're healing as well as controlling worms. Once inhaled, they start feeding on the consorts' blood. You'll need an antidote every six months to prevent death.}

'What?! Why would they give us this?' Kae's body tensed with anger.

{To control you, of course. If consorts try to flee during palace duties, they'll eventually die. The queen planned this to keep you all under her watch and control.}

'This is despicable!' Kae seethed. 'And what about Commander Aethera? Isn't she under my control? Why is she still carrying out the queen's orders?' Kae asked.

{She's under your control, yes. But she can't see the blood-sucking worms with her eyes? Only the queen knows about this practice.}

'This is insane!' Kae thought bitterly. 'Do I have to take this too?'

Ding!

{Yes, but don't worry. Your blood is poisonous enough to kill the worm instantly. It won't affect you. Once inhaled, the worm will die immediately because of the demon lord's soul inside you. The queen's tricks won't harm you.}

A smirk spread across Kae's face as he inhaled the worm, which entered through his nose.

"Alright," Commander Aethera continued once every consorts are done inhaling the blood sucking worms. "Now for the next stage of training. You won't be fighting statues anymore. This time, your opponent will be someone different."

The training ground erupted into murmurs as the consorts exchanged confused glances.

"Group yourselves into pairs," Commander Aethera commanded with a smirk.

The consorts hesitated but eventually began pairing up. However, no one wanted to pair with Kae. Finally, Tharros agreed, smiling widely as she joined him.

"Are you satisfied with your opponents?" Commander Aethera asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!" the consorts responded in unison.

'What is the queen up to now?' Kae thought to himself.

"The training will only end when one of you dies," Commander Aethera said coldly. "It's either kill or be killed. There's no mercy on the battlefield, and now you'll learn that."

The consorts stood frozen, waves of shock coursing through them.