The Uncomfortable Art of War

Damian the elf stood at the edge of reality, his dark aura causing stars to dim in his presence. He had destroyed countless civilizations, unmade entire systems, and yet this one lazy tiger had managed to disturb his eternal conquest with nothing more than casual indifference and an offer of tea.

In the Department of Harmonious Rest, Mingyu was actually standing. The sight was so unusual that several Night Beasts checked their shadows for signs of apocalypse.

"Master," Li Xuan ventured, "what exactly are we facing?"

"Someone who has forgotten how to rest," Mingyu replied, his usual drowsy tone carrying an ancient weight. "Very dangerous, forgetting that. Makes beings do desperate things, like unmaking stars because they shine too cheerfully."

The first sign of Damian's arrival wasn't a grand explosion or reality-shattering display - it was silence. Pure, heavy silence that made even the air hold its breath. Villagers collapsed as he walked through the streets, not from any direct attack, but simply from the weight of his existence. His elvish troops followed, each step leaving small craters in the earth.

"Interesting architectural choice," Damian commented, his voice making reality shiver. "Your buildings lack proper fortification." A casual wave of his hand caused several structures to age a thousand years instantly. "So fragile. So... temporary."

Mingyu watched from the Department's entrance, his Tiger's Mark glowing with steady golden light. "Most things are temporary. Makes them more precious. Like a good nap - valuable because it ends."

Damian's dark eyes fixed on Mingyu. The elf's armor seemed to be made of condensed darkness, and his sword appeared to be cutting through time itself with each subtle movement. "You mock existence with your peaceful methods. Power should dominate, not rest."

"Very traditional viewpoint," Mingyu nodded. "Though have you considered that domination is just exhaustion wearing fancy clothes?"

The elvish troops spread through the village, their presence causing plants to wither and water to age into ancient ice. Each soldier carried weapons that looked like they had been forged from dying stars.

Night Lord Wei's shadows trembled. "Their power... it's like looking into an abyss that's already consumed other abysses."

"Show them to the waiting room," Mingyu instructed calmly. "The one with the extra-comfortable chairs. Very hard to maintain proper apocalyptic fury in a good armchair."

Damian's presence could have curdled any galaxy just from him existing. He kept advancing towards the biggest entrance settled at the centre of the village.

The Department staff watched in horror as reality began to crack around the elf lord. But Mingyu simply yawned, though his eyes remained sharp.

"Quite a performance," he said. "Must be tiring, maintaining all that dramatic energy. Tea?"

"Aunt Bao, offer this menacingly looking elf a cup of tea" Mingyu muttered loudly.

As soon as Aunt Bao stretched out her hand with a smile on her face thinking it was going to walk against this current enemy of theirs, her right hand dropped to the ground with the tea cup making a clashing sound as it broke—it had been severed off just by the fact that Damian the Elf looked at her.

The fresh scent of blood rented the air. She had lost an arm. AUNT BAO HAD LOST HER ARM!!!

In an instant intense terror reared in everyone's eyes. Damian the Elf hadn't even fully approached the palace yet when he perpetuated such act.

As if that wasn't enough he turned towards Elder Yan whose mouth was agape and trying to process what had just occurred. In less than a second Elder Yan felt his back feel lighter. He had no idea that his spinal cord had been pulled out.

The atmosphere had become sickening. Everyone froze cause time had stopped momentarily. Only Damian the Elf moved. He tossed Elder Yan's spinal cord to one side and wiped his hand clean on the old man's robe.

Rui Lin had set up an emergency fire engulfment just in case a situation like this occurred cause she had a feeling. A strong feeling that this day would approach.

None of the fire outlets responded to this emergency. In fact this was no ordinary emergency. Damian's murder intent made all emergency fire engulfment to cease to work.

Gao Mingyu Couldn't move as well. The villages protector couldn't make a move when it mattered most. He just stood like the lazy tiger he was, his heart racing. It had nevered happened in his Life.

Damian the Elf decided to unpause time to have a chat with Mingyu.

"Your Friends are lousy...I think you should do something about them".

How many friends were left that he was referring to?

Because by now Rui Lin's head rolled casually towards Mingyu's fat legs. He stared at it in disbelief. No one had seen this. The issue wasn't that Damian moved too fast, but cause he moved in ways the mind never could imagine. The people he had sent to the astral world barely knew how they lost their bodies. They just knew they could float, which was unusual to them.

Li Xuan knew how to make a white portal. Even though this had taken her lots of years to learn but this was the right time to deploy such skills.

They had to RUN!!!

She drew a circle behind her back and muttered some inaudible words. Of Course Damian heard it. He lurched for her neck but Mingyu stepped in hence Damian held Mingyu's fat neck instead.

"Oh So you can moved alas". Damian ridiculed

The white Portal took more time than usual to open because it had to accommodate two people not only Li Xuan as usual.

[30 Seconds Left]

The White portal echoed in Li Xuan's head. That was how it was tethered to her.

Gao Mingyu finally opened his mouth to speak but instead blood flew out onto Damian's face. As soon as he blinked and opened his eyes to see Mingyu and to probaly crush his throat, they were gone. The portal was already closing.

That was brave of Mingyu. It was a childish prank but was well executed by the helpless and lazy tiger of Zhenbei.

Blood mixed with saliva dripped down Damian's face. He turned around and left the palace, while his troop of elves rounded up the humans therein to join his conglomerate of slaves.

Damian was unimpressed. "SO THE TIGER RAN!!" he muttered softly.