Silence.

Cold sweat dripped down faces. Some of the weaker races—the goblins, the fairies had collapsed entirely, their bodies trembling, their minds overwhelmed.

The dragon queen’s face was pale. Her pride had been wounded, yes, but more than that, she was afraid.

She had never—not once in her long life felt so completely outclassed.

But she was not one to back down.

"E-Even if we can’t take you one on one..."

She said, her voice steady despite her trembling hands.

"...what if every single one of us pounced on you at once? What would you do then?"

The other leaders stirred.

The ogre queen raised her weapon. The centaur leader shifted into a combat stance. The vampire queen’s daggers gleamed.

The beastkin growled. The lamia queen’s coils tightened. The dryad’s vines writhed.

Luca looked at them, and his smile widened.

"I’m sorry to say...but that won’t work either."

Boom!

Pressure—intense, overwhelming, suffocating crashed down on them like a physical force.

It was as if gravity itself had multiplied, pressing them into the ground, stealing their breath, crushing their spirits.

The goblins collapsed.

The fairies dropped like stones.

The harpies’ wings faltered, and they tumbled to the earth.

Even the strongest warriors—the dragon queen, the ogre leader, the vampire queen found their knees buckling, their weapons slipping from their grasp.

It wasn’t magic. It wasn’t a spell. It was fear.

Pure, primal, uncontrollable fear.

Their bodies had recognized, in that moment, that they were prey.

That the man standing before them was a predator beyond anything they had ever encountered.

And their bodies had responded the only way they knew how—by freezing, by submitting, by begging for mercy.

And then—two voices cut through the silence.

"Stop it, Luca!"

Luna grabbed his arm, her eyes blazing with frustration.

"What do you think you’re doing? We’re here for peace talks, and you’re trying to start a war!"

Lulu bounced up and smacked his head.

"Have you gone stupid from thrusting every day? Instead of making them like you, you’re terrifying them!"

She gestured wildly at the trembling races.

"Look! They’re about to pee their pants!"

It was true. Some of the younger members were, in fact, on the verge of losing control of their bladders.

The elves beyond were also exasperated with his behaviour.

"Dammit Luca! Was that really necessary!"

"I know you like to show Luca, but this is childish!"

"I swear, he doesn’t let our daughter win when they play games. He’s so petty!"

Luca scratched his head, looking sheepish.

"Oh right. I totally forgot about that."

The pressure vanished completely.

Half the demi-humans collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Others leaned on their weapons, their hands shaking.

Even the leaders, those who had managed to remain standing, couldn’t shake the feeling that had washed over them.

The vampire queen’s hands were still shaking.

The dragon queen’s face was ashen.

The centaur leader’s legs were trembling so badly she could barely stand.

And they all realized, with a sickening certainty, that what they had just experienced was not a spell or an ability.

It was simply Luca’s presence.

Their bodies had broken down in genuine, utter fear, screaming at them to stop, to not approach, to not provoke the monster before them.

This was killing intent.

The mythical term they had heard but never truly understood.

They had felt it before, faintly, in the presence of powerful enemies. But never like this. Never so overwhelming that it consumed their very beings.

The lamia queen, who had remained composed throughout, felt her coils loosen against her will.

The vampire queen, who had survived countless betrayals, felt her fangs retract in submission.

They had heard the tales. They knew the Hero had slaughtered his way through the human continent.

But tales were just tales. This—this was real.

Leona pinched the bridge of her nose, her voice tight with irritation. "Luca."

He winced. "Okay, okay. Sorry. I messed up a little."

"A little?" Leona gestured at the trembling races. "Look at them! Some of them are literally crying!"

It was true. A fairy was sobbing quietly. A goblin was rocking back and forth. Even the ogres, who prided themselves on their bravery, looked shaken.

Luca had the decency to look sheepish.

"I wanted to show off a little. I went too far."

"And what are you going to do about it now?" Leona demanded. "You’ve made everything worse."

Nyx stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Leona’s shoulder.

"Now, now. Let’s calm down. I’m sure the Hero has a plan."

Luca shot her a grateful smile. "As expected of Nyx. You truly understand me best."

He turned back to the crowd, his expression brightening.

"And you’re right. I do know how to make everyone trust me."

The races stared at him in utter disbelief. They were already on guard. They had seen his power, felt his presence, understood what he was capable of. How could they ever trust him now?

"What could you possibly say to make us trust you?" The vampire queen asked the same question on everyone’s mind.

Luca stepped forward, shaking his head with a knowing smile.

"I’m not going to say anything special right now."

He said, his voice carrying across the silent valley.

"It’s more like I’m going to show you something. Something significant. Something that will most definitely make you trust me."

The moment he said this, Leona’s eyes widened. She understood immediately where he was going.

Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and she tugged on his sleeve, her voice urgent but hushed.

"Luca...are we really doing Plan B right now?"

She glanced at the crowd, then back at him, her expression pleading.

"Please don’t say it’s true. I don’t want to reveal something like that so openly. I-I’m the matriarch, after all. Everyone will look down on me after this."

The demi-human leaders exchanged confused glances.

What was she talking about? What could possibly be so embarrassing?

Luca frowned at her. "What is this, Leona? Are you actually ashamed of what we did together? Of what was produced?"

Leona shook her head frantically, her blush deepening.

"No, no, no! That’s not it at all."

She wrung her hands, struggling to find the right words.

"It’s just...revealing it like this makes it seem like the elves are an easy race. Like we were completely conquered by a single human."

Behind her, the other elves nodded. Selma, Ivy, and Alia shifted uncomfortably.

The elder elves looked like they wanted to disappear into the stage. Even some of the younger ones were blushing, though whether from embarrassment or excitement, it was hard to tell.

Before Luca could respond, Luna stepped forward, her chin raised, her expression bold.

She placed a gentle hand on her belly and said, her voice clear and steady.

"No, Mother. What Luca is doing is correct and I’m not ashamed of what we’re about to show."

She looked out at the gathered races, her eyes soft but determined.

"If this is what it takes for them to trust him, then it’s absolutely necessary."

"We were going reveal anyway...so why not now?" Lulu shrugged.

Nyx draped an arm over Leona’s shoulder, her smile teasing.

"Stop worrying about everything, sister. No one has considered you a proper matriarch for the past few decades anyway. So it really doesn’t matter."

Leona’s shoulders slumped. She couldn’t argue with that.

Behind them, the other elves despite their embarrassment straightened their postures.

They were ready.

Noticing this, Luca turned back to the crowd, his gaze sweeping across the assembled races.

All of them watching, waiting, wondering.

"Before I show you." Luca said. "Let me ask you one question."

He paused, letting the suspense build.

"Out of all the races present here and even those that aren’t—which one do you think is the least likely to interact with humans? The most reluctant to associate with me before I arrived?"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"That’s a strange question."

"Why is he asking that?"

"Still...which race would be the most reluctant?"

The leaders pondered. Some whispered among themselves. Others stared at the ground, deep in thought.

Finally, the dark elf matriarch stepped forward, her single visible eye gleaming with mischief.

Her smile was almost identical to Nyx’s—playful, knowing, and slightly dangerous.

"The vampires. Those bloodsuckers over there."

She said, pointing dramatically at the cloaked figures.

"They’re the first that come to mind. They would never normally interact with humans—hell, they barely interact with the rest of us. They keep completely to themselves."

She rolled her eyes. "A bunch of dark, gloomy women who always wear cloaks and never have any fun."

The vampire queen didn’t react. She didn’t even blink. Because, well, it was true.

The other leaders nodded thoughtfully. It made sense. The vampires were reclusive, secretive, and notoriously difficult to approach.

If anyone would avoid humans, it would be them.

But then the dark elf matriarch shook her head.

"But then I remembered—those same vampires have been associating with humans for a very long time. Assassinations, you know. Killing human nobles for profit."

"So that argument is completely shot down."

More nods. Also true.

She tapped her chin, pretending to think.

"That leaves the other race I had in mind." She pointed toward the stage. "The elves."

Heads turned. Eyes fixed on Leona and her kin.

The dark elf matriarch continued, her tone almost clinical.

"The elves aren’t like the vampires—they don’t seclude themselves entirely. But they have a certain...bearing. A noble upkeep. They move with dignity and grace, almost as if they’re on top of the world."

She chuckled. "You could even call them narcissistic."

Leona’s glare could have melted steel.

"But because of that predisposition..." The dark elf went on. "...they’re the most likely to never associate with humans. Even if a proper peace treaty were established, they’d seclude themselves and have minimal contact."

She turned to the others. "Don’t you think I’m correct?"

A chorus of agreement rose from the crowd.

"That makes total sense."

"I agree. The elves are friendly, but interacting with humans? I just can’t picture it."

"The dark elf is right. Completely right."

Even the other leaders nodded. The driad queen inclined her head. The dragonkin queen shrugged. The ogre leader grunted in affirmation.

Meanwhile, Luca’s eyes lit up. He had heard exactly what he wanted to hear.

"That’s what I thought too." He said, his voice warm. "Before I arrived, I’m certain that not a single elf in this village would have dared to even speak with a human. They would have kept to themselves at all costs."

Behind him, the elves shifted uncomfortably. They couldn’t deny it.

His smile widened. His eyes gleamed.

"But that is exactly why what I’m about to show you will make you understand why you can trust me."

He clapped his hands.

"Ladies—initiate Plan B."