V2C1: Carnage.

''Thanks, I owe you one.'' Jean spoke to François after he had recovered his breath. Once the demon knights were defeated, the morale of the rest fell apart and they were defeated after regrouping.

They may have better equipment and strength, they were seriously lacking something that makes up a proper army: discipline.

Promising to keep some of the demons alive, some decided to give up making the fight easier. Still, the losses were high.

[Cleppe's bloc - 66 (50 in your group, 81 at the start)

Captain: Jean. 65 troops, 43 under his command.

1st Lieutenant: Alain. 13 troops, all under his command.

2nd Lieutenant: Benjamin (dead). 8 troops, all under his command].

Despite what the system said, in their group, there were only 5 members left from Nirl, as well as Alain, and 2 members from Balbigny. The rest were the 41 soldiers from Cleppe and Jean.

The situation was catastrophic. They still had to deal with the prisoners while many of the survivors were wounded and morale was at its lowest, even for François.

Knelling before the corpse of Laure, a Cleppe's soldier he personally formed, he tightened his fist and murmured something.

''Sorry... it's my fault. I shouldn't have let you lead the vanguard.''

Touching one last time her now cold body, he raised himself, his hand still a little trembling.

In a macabre silence, Corine looked at Adrien's corpse. Shocked by the situation, she stayed still, opening her mouth just to make small and barely audible noises.

Sawing the dead bodies lying around her, their blood still leaking from their corpses, it was as if she was in hell.

Their limbs were twisted and broken in some strange way, their expression was either that of terror or pity, and none of them seemed to rest. As if they didn't merit it.

Even within death, they seemed to be suffering even though one may have mistaken them with sleeping people if only there hadn't been so much blood and wounds. That was the only visible difference between a live one and a dead one.

''Don't watch it. You better forget what happened.'' She didn't reply to Eloise's words.

No matter what she did, she would have trouble getting over it. It wasn't just the atmosphere, the dead bodies, or the thought that she would never see them again.

That their family would always be missing someone, perhaps crucial to their survival, and that even in death, they would have regrets. No, it was the same simple truth reversed.

The last looks of the enemies pierced her. Those who wanted to live, at the moment of death, were the most pitiful. She blamed them. People who weren't ready to die shouldn't participate in a war. A wave of anger she knew was absurd, knowing her emotions.

''There's still something to do before resting.'' François spoke to all of the soldiers. ''We need to decide what to do with the prisoners.'' He managed to hold himself together despite all his injuries.

''We should just kill them!'' Some voices of Anger shouted. Waiting for calm to return, François continued. ''The tests are becoming more and more difficult to clear as we progress. Soon, if we continue, the only result will be the annihilation of our squadron.''

A cold silence began.

''That's why, I propose the following idea: these dirty demons, let's use them to survive.''

''What do you mean ?''

''Do you mean we should just use them as cannon fodders, forcing them to fight before us?'' Jean asked.

''No… doing so would only bring us trouble. We need to be more cruel, even if that breaks some laws.''

A new silence settled down as everyone understood what he meant.

''Emilie are you okay with that ?''

Glancing at the corpses, she responded. ''I do not mind, but, do you have confidence in succeeding?''

''As long as you let me borrow your divine energy it should somehow work out.''

''So, what do you think ?'' François asked them.

''This isn't the same thing as torture !'' A Cleppe soldier told him. ''If this was heard…''<

''There won't be any problem as long as no one here told them. Of course, we'll get rid of them before any allies see us.''

The group finally accepted his proposal. Some were reluctant, but numbers carried immense weight, and the mere idea of encountering an accident silenced the villagers of Nirl and Balbigny. Never in the future would they ever dare reveal these violations of the rules of war.

Of the 7 Knights alive, only 2 remained to be enslaved. François also enslaved 40 or so demons that remained alive. As for the other demons - those too bad in shape to be of any use - their pain was swiftly alleviated.

''What a good body'' François said watching the demoness lying on the floor. ''Even in this state, she still isn't completely dead. Still, if we do nothing, she'll die.''

At a high level, the body of a fighter would do all its possible to live, sometimes even using all of the energy in its cells, all of its foundations to live another second.

As much as they wanted to kill her – as the demon's leader – there needed her badly. So, after François enslaved her – by using a usually forbidden rune that could bring instant death as long as the creator wanted it – Emilie healed her.

Then, she began to pray for the death.

''Please do not use any sacred words on Cleppe's soldiers, every one of them had signed a certificate which clearly indicates that if they were to die, they wanted to rest in this world.''

But as kind as Jean's voice seems, there was a bit of a threat mix with it.

(Emilie) Tenebre spoke in her mind.

'I know' She replied.

"… If that was their choice, then I will respect it. However, let me carry on this ceremony for the other.''

''Thank you.''

...

Arriving at the door announcing the third trial, the group sighed with relief. They had been trapped there for days and their morale was at an all-time low. Food was beginning to lack and there have been numerous discussions about whether to kill the demons or not.

Similar to the first door, a message in the ancient language was also there.

[Salle numéro 3 : ''Dernière épreuve'' – Compléter l'épreuve vous permettra de sortir d'ici vivant. Cependant, les dangers sont nombreux et vous avez le droit de rester ici en sécurité. Si vous y aller, vous devrez survivre jusqu'au moment où la porte s'ouvre. Des récompenses pourront être délivrées selon le nombre de personne encore en vie.]

''Room number 3: ''The last test.'' - you are close to the exit, and completing the test will get you out of here alive. You will have to survive until the door opens, as only the worthy enough merit to leave out of here alive.'' Emilie translated.

''Emilie? Can you explain something to me?''

''Certainly, what it is?''

''Why are you lying?''