Sitting at the desk in his study, Thrax shook his head after he finished scanning through an ancient text. Like the piles of other historical documents piled on his desk, this one contained scant information about demons. He still hadn’t found the answer to the question that mattered the most - how to defeat a demon lord.

In the distant past, someone was able to seal the Demon Lord within an orb. Considering how important the event was, one would think that records of it would be easy to find. However, after spending countless hours combing through ancient texts in Ferdania’s archives, he couldn’t find any. Had the event occurred so long ago that all records of it were lost with time? Or did someone intentionally erase the records?

He also looked for items that could seal away demons. The ones he found were only capable of sealing lesser demons. They were unable to seal more powerful demons, such as demon generals or demon lords. He found it hard to imagine that mortals could produce an item that could seal a being as powerful as a demon lord. But there existed an orb that could do just that. Perhaps it hadn’t even come from this world.

His attention was drawn to the sound of footsteps from the hallway.

The door was flung open.

"Clan Leader!" Valco barged into the room.

For a pack leader to look this rattled - something big must have come up.

"What's the matter?"

“Kreed.” Valco stopped to catch his breath. "He’s coming.”

“What do you mean he’s coming? Did you receive a notice from him?”

“Well, that’s the thing. I didn’t. And he’s not coming alone. Deo, Koga, and many members of the Doomfist Clan are with him.”

Thrax’s eyes widened. “What?”

“One of my scouts spotted them heading this way.”

“How long do we have?”

“A few days at best.”

Thrax closed his eyes and sagged into his chair.

He had expected that this day would come, but he hadn’t expected it to come so soon. "Gather all the pack leaders."

"Understood!" Valco rushed out of the room, as quickly as he had come.

***

The great hall was the main meeting area in Thrax’s manor. It was a large rectangular room with a high ceiling. The strongest werewolves of the Firesong Clan were gathered inside. Many of them had battle scars across their tough bodies. Ironically, the smallest among them was also the most powerful.

He stood at the end of the room, facing the crowd of pack leaders. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. The situation is urgent, so I'll make this quick. Kreed is on his way here and he has brought along a small army. They will arrive in a few days."

The crowd of pack leaders broke into anxious chatter.

Thrax gestured for silence. "Please let me finish. I’ll answer any questions afterwards."

Once the chatter died down, Thrax continued. "Make no mistake, he’s not coming in peace. I’ve long been a vocal opponent of his allegiance with the Demon Lord. That’s the most likely reason why he’s coming for me."

"Then let him come! The Firesong Clan is not afraid of the Demon Lord's lapdog! If he wants to pick a fight with us, then let's give him one he’ll never forget!" Valco thrust his fist into the air.

The other pack leaders cheered in approval.

"We all share the same opinion of the werewolf lord. He's nothing but the Demon Lord's pet. If he wants to lay a finger on you, then he'll have to get past all of us first!"

There were more cries of agreement in response to Valco’s outburst.

Thrax gestured for silence again. "I admire your resolve, but we must be realistic here. I've fought Kreed once before, and it didn’t end well for me. I know his strength better than any of you. Even if he came alone, our chances of victory wouldn’t be great. But he didn’t come alone. He brought along a clan leader. Defeating them is impossible for us."

Ronja, one of the pack leaders, stepped forward. "Then what do you suggest we do, run like cowards?"

Thrax pointed his staff at her. "That's exactly what you’ll do! Take your werewolf packs and flee from this city. I’ll stay behind."

Valco pounded his chest. "Let me fight with you! I’ll gladly give up my life for the clan!"

Thrax shook his head. "It must be me. I'm the one he's after. However, there's a chance that even my life won't be enough to appease him. He may come after the entire Firesong Clan. That’s why I'm asking you to retreat, to preserve our clan's future."

"Let us fight with you!"

Thrax slammed his staff against the floor. "You’ll obey! This is the last order from your clan leader - survive. I understand that many of you would rather die than run from an enemy. Bearing the shame of retreat is a thousand times more difficult than dying in battle. But you must endure! Our clan's survival is far more important than your selfish pride!"

His speech silenced the room.

The pack leaders lowered their heads.

Valco looked as though he was on the verge of tears.

“Do not despair, Valco. I feel proud to be able to die for what I believe in. But rest assured, I will not go quietly into the night. I’ll give them hell before I go.”

Valco nodded.

“Valco will be your next leader. Any objections?”

None of the clan leaders protested.

“It was an honor to be your leader. Now let’s get our people out of this city.”