The castle of the Human Kingdom stood at the heart of the capital, a vast structure of pale stone and ancient banners that once symbolized stability and order. Now, in the midst of war, it felt more like a monument to strain and exhaustion than to power.

The city surrounding it had lost much of its former vitality. Streets that were once crowded with merchants and travelers now lay half-empty. Workshops stood shuttered. Inns echoed with too much silence.

Those who could fight had enlisted, marching east and south to meet the advancing Demon Army. Those who could not had fled, abandoning homes that had sheltered generations.

Amid this turmoil, Crown Princess Kaeya von de Fontaine had announced her engagement.

The news spread faster than reports of fallen borders or burning towns. Some received it as a flicker of hope, others as confusion, and many as quiet outrage.

According to the rumors, the engagement was not born of romance but strategy— a political alliance between the Human Kingdom and a powerful force within the forest. A "Forest Guardian," some whispered. Others called him a druid, a barbarian, or a myth conjured to inspire morale.

Foreign courts were openly dissatisfied. Kings and princes from neighboring lands questioned the decision behind closed doors. Why would the crown princess bind herself to an unknown figure from the woods when alliances could be forged with established royal houses? Why reject centuries of tradition? Was that person even worthy?

Yet none of them pressed the matter too far. The Demon Army was moving, and unity —however fragile —was now a necessity rather than a luxury.

Delegations from many races arrived in the capital. Envoys from the Dwarf Kingdom with their rune-inscribed armor. Elven emissaries cloaked in silver-threaded robes. Messengers from smaller human nations bearing treaties and pleas. All sought audience.

And all were received by the princess alone.

The King and Queen of the Human Kingdom did not appear.

No explanation was given.

Then, on a day heavy with gray clouds and distant thunder, a mysterious guest arrived at the palace.

There was no formal announcement. No procession. No herald calling out titles. One moment the palace guards stood at their posts, and the next the guest was already inside, ushered through restricted corridors with quiet urgency.

It was Tyler.

Kaeya had sent her personal flying magic boat to fetch him, ensuring his arrival went unnoticed. The vessel slipped through the skies above the capital under layered concealment spells, descending into a secluded landing area hidden beneath the outer walls.

Tyler barely had time to glimpse the palace’s towering spires before he was guided underground, into passages known only to the royal family and their most trusted guards.

At first, Tyler felt a flicker of curiosity. He had heard whispers of the King’s Harem Palace, a place steeped in luxury, intrigue, and indulgence.

A part of him wondered— half amused, half incredulous— what sort of excess a human king indulged in during peacetime. If Tyler’s Girls heard his thoughts they would have rolled their eyes at him.

That curiosity faded quickly.

The corridors they passed through were dim, lit by only a handful of mana lamps. The air was stale, carrying a faint metallic scent that Tyler recognized instantly. Blood. Old blood, soaked into stone and wood, impossible to fully erase. Broken furniture lay pushed against walls. Torn silks trailed across the floor. There were signs of struggle everywhere.

"This place feels wrong," Tyler said quietly.

Kaeya, walking ahead of him, let out a tired breath. She was no longer wearing her disguise. Her blonde hair fell freely down her back, her posture straight but strained. The dignity of a princess clung to her, yet exhaustion weighed heavily in her eyes.

"Demons infiltrated here?" Tyler asked.

"Something like that," she replied, forcing a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

They continued deeper until they reached a pair of massive doors reinforced with layered seals. Two elite guards stood watch, their armor etched with holy inscriptions. At Kaeya’s presence, they straightened and saluted, then opened the doors without a word.

Inside was the King’s bedchamber.

Tyler stopped short.

The room was vast, but its grandeur had been reduced to something grim and oppressive. Heavy chains inscribed with sealing runes stretched across the chamber, anchoring two figures to the reinforced bed at its center.

The King and Queen of the Human Kingdom sat restrained, their once-regal appearances marred by crimson veins crawling beneath their skin. Small, curved horns protruded from their foreheads, unmistakable signs of demonic corruption. Their breathing was labored, their eyes clouded with pain and barely restrained madness.

When the door opened, both turned toward them.

"My daughter," the King rasped, his voice thick with strain. "Release us... please."

Kaeya froze.

Her composure shattered in an instant. Tears welled in her eyes, though she fought to keep her voice steady. She stepped forward, then stopped herself, fists clenched at her sides.

She felt her chest tighten.

"What happened to them?" Tyler asked quietly.

Kaeya wiped at her eyes and answered, forcing the words out. "Demon cells. They were infected with demon cells."

She drew in a slow breath. "Someone infiltrated the harem. Disguised as a concubine. By the time we realized what was happening, the corruption had already spread—to my father, my mother, and others."

Tyler’s gaze swept the room again. "And the rest?"

"They’re dead," Kaeya said softly. "The infection drove them berserk. They killed each other before we could intervene. We managed to stabilize my parents with sealing arrays and holy artifacts, but it’s only temporary."

The Queen lifted her head, eyes flickering with something between recognition and despair.

"How long?" Tyler asked.

Kaeya shook her head. "Days, maybe less. If the demon cells fully awaken, the seals will fail."

Silence settled over the chamber, heavy and suffocating.

"Is there a way to save them?" Tyler finally asked.

Kaeya turned to him, her expression hardening into resolve. "That’s why I called you here."

She met his gaze without hesitation. "There is an antidote. Or at least, a method to purge demon cells completely. But it requires someone to capture someone."

Tyler understood immediately.

"You want my help," he said.

"Yes," Kaeya replied.

She bowed deeply, a gesture no crown princess should have made lightly. "Please."

Tyler looked past her, at the King and Queen bound by chains and fate alike. Then he nodded once.

"I’ll help," he said.

---

"The Demon General Tarantula," Kaeya said, her voice low and measured. "Commander of the spider legions."

They were seated in the palace dining hall, though the word dining felt misplaced now. The long table was set with careful restraint rather than indulgence. There were no musicians, no attendants hovering nearby, only a few silent guards stationed at a respectful distance. War had stripped the palace of its former extravagance.

Tyler sat opposite Kaeya, eating steadily while listening. He looked relaxed, almost casual, but his eyes never left her face.

"Unlike most demon generals," Kaeya continued, "Tarantula is both the strongest and the weakest among them."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "That’s a contradiction if I’ve ever heard one."

Kaeya nodded faintly. "It is. In direct combat, he’s terrifying. His spider armies are endless, his control over them absolute. He can drown entire cities in silk and venom before anyone realizes what’s happening. But that same strength is also his greatest flaw."

Tyler swallowed his food and leaned back slightly. "Let me guess. There’s a catch."

"There is," Kaeya said. "According to our intelligence, Tarantula possesses the antidote to demon cell corruption. The one we need to save my parents."

Tyler’s gaze sharpened. "So killing him solves our problem?"

Kaeya shook her head. "If only it were that simple. Tarantula doesn’t die the way other demons do. Even if you destroy his body, he revives. Again and again."

Tyler frowned. "That sounds like an advantage, not a weakness."

"At first glance," Kaeya agreed. "But his immortality has a condition."

She reached for a rolled parchment beside her and spread it across the table. The inked diagrams showed grotesque spider forms linked by lines to a single, larger symbol at the center.

"Among his spider legions," Kaeya explained, tapping the parchment, "there exists an Alpha Spider. It never appears on the battlefield. It hides, constantly moving, constantly protected."

Tyler studied the diagram. "And that’s the real Tarantula?"

"Yes," Kaeya said. "His consciousness—his true mind—is housed within that spider. The body that people see, the demon general who commands the armies, is little more than a vessel."

Tyler let out a slow breath. "So as long as that Alpha Spider lives, he can keep coming back."

"Exactly," Kaeya replied. "Kill the body, and the Alpha Spider simply weaves a new one. But if we capture and destroy the Alpha Spider itself, the entire spider army collapses. Every spider. Every construct. All of it."

Tyler’s lips curved into a thoughtful smile. "Now that sounds manageable."

Kaeya watched him closely. "It won’t be easy. The Alpha Spider is cunning. It hides among millions of lesser spiders, constantly shifting its position. And Tarantula will sense the moment we get close."

Tyler nodded. "Which means we won’t be walking in uninvited."

"No," Kaeya said. "We’ll be walking into a nest."

Silence settled between them for a moment. Then Tyler folded the parchment and slid it back toward her.

"So," he said calmly, "when do we leave?"

Kaeya hesitated, then met his eyes. "Tonight."

Tyler didn’t blink. "That soon?"

"I’ve already traced Tarantula’s movements," Kaeya replied. "He’s currently in the city of Soway. If we wait, he’ll move again. Or worse—he’ll disappear entirely."

Tyler finished the last of his meal and stood, stretching his shoulders. "Then there’s no reason to delay."

Kaeya rose as well, her expression resolute. "Once we begin, there’s no turning back."

Tyler smiled faintly. "Good. I never liked wasting my time...."