Lust...Lost...Last Survivor.

"LIES!" Jin's shout cut through the tense silence. "I see it now!" He pointed at Wu, his face twisted in rage and disbelief. "You've been pulling the strings, stopping us from winning! The demons—everything—it's a trick to weaken us!" His voice cracked, and his legs buckled slightly, but he pressed on, stumbling closer.

Another soldier stepped forward cautiously. "Commander Jin, you're hurt. You've lost blood—"

"NO!" Jin spun around, eyes wild with desperation. "You're all blind! He's controlling us! I won't let him!" His gaze snapped back to Wu. "I won't let him turn us against our people!"

Without warning, Jin lunged, grabbing a sword from the nearest soldier's belt. The soldier, caught off guard, stumbled back as Jin wrestled the weapon free, nearly collapsing from the effort, his broken leg dragging behind him.

Wu's eyes remained cold. His voice carried a warning. "Put down the sword, Jin."

But Jin wasn't listening. "You think I'm done? You think I'll let you betray us all? I'll end this!" He dragged his injured leg, face twisted in pain and fury, the sword raised high.

Wu stood firm. His men watched, paralyzed, unsure of how to act. Their commander was falling apart in front of them.

"Jin!" Wu's voice sliced through the air. "You're not yourself. Stop. Think."

But Jin's eyes were wild, lost to madness. His scream tore through the battlefield, "TRAITOR!" He stumbled forward, dragging his shattered leg behind him as he charged at General Wu, sword raised high.

The attack was sloppy, reckless—Wu barely had to move. With a swift, practiced motion, he disarmed Jin effortlessly, sending the sword clattering to the ground. Before Jin could react, Wu stepped forward and brought the hilt of his own sword down hard against the back of Jin's head.

The commander crumpled to the ground, unconscious, his body hitting the dirt with a dull thud.

The soldiers stood frozen with a heavy sense of pity and fear. Many lowered their gazes, unable to look at their fallen commander. Jin had been one of their best, a hero they all admired. But hatred had eaten away at him, driving him to madness. His downfall wasn't just a tragic end—it was a warning, a bitter lesson for each and every one of them.

"Hatred," General Wu growled, standing over Jin's limp body, "will make you lose everything, even yourself."

The chained demon began to laugh, a slow, mocking sound that echoed across the battlefield. "Oh, Commander Jin… what a performance." It sneered, its voice thick with amusement. "Such passion, such devotion to your cause! Too bad it's all gone to waste, eh? You wanted revenge so badly, and now look at you. What's left of your 'heroic' rage?" The demon glanced at the soldiers, a wicked grin spreading across its face. "And the rest of you… thought he was right, didn't you? Thought he was the answer?"

The soldiers shifted uncomfortably, looking at Jin's unconscious form with regret and pity.

"Fools," the demon hissed, breaking into a low, mocking laugh. "Hatred will eat you alive. It consumes everything, leaves you broken, lost, and pathetic." The demon slurped, savoring the moment. "That's what makes it so delicious to watch."

The men stood frozen with shame heavy on their chest. Jin's fall had made the danger clear for everyone, even those who agreed with him. They felt it—the same thirst for vengeance that had driven their commander to madness. It lurked within each of them, simmering just beneath the surface of their grip on reality, their sanity. Now, they feared it. Fearing what it could turn them into.

General Wu's voice rang out, sharp as a blade. "Look at yourselves!" he barked. "Are we going to become animals, no better than the demons we swore to destroy?"

His words cut through as he pointed to Commander Jin's trembling form.

"We are not like this," he growled, fierce. "We are not beasts driven by blind hatred."

The soldiers shifted, casting sidelong glances at Jin. A few dared not meet Wu's eyes, shame creeping into their features.

"Commander Jin lost more than most of us in this war," he said, sadness heavy in his tone. "We should have been more vigilant. We should have stood by him, shared his pain, eased his hatred."

Jin, barely conscious and bloodshot, mumbled something incoherent.

"Don't let that be you. Don't let hate twist you into something you would not recognise yourself." His words resonated with their own similar thoughts. "We fight for more than vengeance. We fight for our homes. For our people."

His gaze swept across the weary men, some bloodied, others tired. "You may think this is about revenge," he said, quieter now, almost intimate. "You may think that slaughtering demons is enough, but it's not. We are soldiers. We have honor."

He paused, daring anyone to defy him.

Wu glanced at Jin. "Commander Jin made his choice. He let his hate consume him."

He turned to the soldiers. "Don't make the same mistake. Remember who we are. We are not demons. We do not fight for destruction—we fight to protect. That is our strength."

He paused, letting his words settle.

"We fight for the living," Wu finished, resolute. "Not for the dead."

Silence filled the air, different this time—one of resolve. Slowly, the soldiers nodded, understanding. In desperation they followed Jin's rage. Now, they would follow Wu's call to honor.

Seeing the light of the reason returned to everyone's eyes, General Wu turned to the chained demon, the Demon Keeper, who is enjoying the scene unfold with a glint of amusement in its eyes.

Wu's voice was steady but edged with suspicion. "What's your game here?" he demanded, stepping closer. "Speak. What is your plan?"

The chained demon tilted its head, a sly grin spreading across its gaunt face. "Ah, General Wu, ever the vigilant soldier. It's amusing. After all these years of hatred, you still managed to prevail. You've dragged your men out of madness. Commendable."

"Enough with the games!" Wu snapped, his patience wearing thin. "What is your plan?"