The Dawn of the Demon King
A thousand years ago. Four centuries before the founding of the Empire. The primordial darkness descended upon the world.
It was a single streak of shadow, steeped in every conceivable malice and misfortune. People called it the Demon King.
In just four years after revealing itself, it unified the Demon Realm—a land fractured by endless division and war. The monsters bowed in awe before the Demon King’s overwhelming might, and the demonfolk swore their undying loyalty. Having reached the absolute pinnacle of power in the blink of an eye, the Demon King began to writhe toward its true purpose.
It dreamed of a world set ablaze. A world without laughter, without happiness, without love. It longed for the arrival of hellfire that would extinguish even the faintest spark of hope. The Demon King desired the tears of every living thing.
That petty wish drove the world to the brink of annihilation.
The Demon King declared war upon the entire continent. It massacred every race that stood in its path and hunted countless humans. Wherever the army of extinction passed, mercy was nonexistent. Only death and corruption remained.
Those who survived were enslaved and exploited. Those who died rose as wraiths, bound to the Demon King’s legions. The allied forces of the continent clashed with the demon armies, yet even their valor could not withstand the primordial darkness.
Countless heroes became mere pages in history, and countless warriors were buried beneath blood-soaked earth. As the world slowly stepped into an abyss of black despair—
With those words, a single man appeared. His name was Ash Reynolds—the Primordial Hero.
Like the first light of dawn piercing through utter darkness, the man confronted the Demon King’s forces. The hero’s miracles repelled the demon armies time and again. Each swing of his blade painted the sky with brilliant radiance, granting hope to the weary allied forces.
Little by little, the hero and his companions drove back the darkness. Warm sunlight began to fall upon battlefields that had known only blood and shadow. The burning continent slowly found peace.
And then, on the final night of that long, long darkness—
Light and darkness stood face to face at last. They gazed at each other’s sorrow-filled faces and declared that this would be the end.
The Demon King and the Hero collided. Their duel shook the very foundations of the world. A single punch erased mountain ranges. A single sword strike split the seas. They fought for eight days and eight nights without rest.
Then, the Hero poured every last ounce of his life force into one final strike. It pierced the Demon King’s heart.
The primordial light, having fulfilled its duty, closed its eyes with a relieved smile. And the Demon King…
Even as its body crumbled into dust, the Demon King remained eerily calm. The primordial darkness cursed the world it had so desperately desired until its very last moment.
And so, with the mutual destruction of the Hero and the Demon King, the world regained its peace.
This is the tale of the Primordial Hero—Ash Reynolds, the idol of all.
. . .
And now, a thousand years later, there was a boy newly chosen as the Hero of this generation.
“Haa…”
Alan lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Suddenly, he let out a long sigh, then buried his face in the blankets and tossed restlessly.
Alan Reinhardt. A top student who maintained third place in overall grades at Reynolds Academy, the continent’s premier educational institution. A promising talent hailed as the student with the greatest potential in this year’s cohort. A boy beloved by all for his handsome features and sincere personality.
Yet this boy carried one secret.
“Status window.”
You have been chosen as the 'Hero' of this generation.
Gather your strength to prevent the impending resurrection of the Demon King.
Alan tapped the blue window that appeared before him a few times, then let out another sigh—this one even longer than the last.
His mind was a tangled mess of complicated thoughts. It had already been five years since he first gained that strange power known as the status window. Five years since he had been burdened with the fate of the Hero.
During all that time, Alan had never told a single soul about his destiny. The first reason was obvious—no one would believe him. Who would take the words of a twelve-year-old child seriously? They would simply dismiss it as a child’s wild imagination.
The second reason was far more dangerous. If word got out that he was the Hero, would the people around him be left in peace? The demonfolk would undoubtedly pour every resource into eliminating him. There was also the risk that others might try to use him for their own ends. For the safety of both himself and those around him, the fact that he was the Hero had to remain hidden.
Alan had guarded that secret with ironclad resolve for five long years.
But an entirely unforeseen variable had appeared before the boy.
Alan Reinhardt. Third son of the Reinhardt family… and the chosen Hero of this generation.
Raiden Lisite. Eldest son of the Lisite ducal house, the infamous scoundrel who had terrorized the Empire. The very villain Alan had slain through a quest. That man knew his identity.
“How on earth…?”
Alan muttered quietly, frustration tightening his chest. There should have been no one who knew his secret. He had never breathed a word of it—not to his childhood friend Clara, nor to his family.
Yet Raiden Lisite knew. How?
That wasn’t the only strange thing. While others seemed oblivious, Alan—with his Hero’s Eyes—could see it clearly. The horrifying aura radiating from the boy. It felt like a pressure born of pure, seething resentment. The sheer violence of that twisted power was enough to make one wonder if such strength could even exist.
That was why Alan’s body would freeze every time their eyes met. Those empty pupils, like bottomless abysses, were simply too terrifying.
“He definitely wasn’t like this half a year ago.”
Alan remembered the old Raiden—frail, pathetic, and utterly unremarkable. His mana had been pitifully weak, and his body had looked ready to collapse at any moment. But the Raiden who returned was an entirely different person.
In truth, not much had visibly changed. At most, a bit of lean muscle had begun to form. Even that was barely noticeable. Yet the moment their eyes met, Alan felt every nerve in his body stand on end.
“……That man must have obtained some kind of dangerous power.”
A power so overwhelming that it could even suppress Alan, who possessed the A-rank passive skill Hero’s Will. And yet it remained completely hidden from the eyes of ordinary people. Alan instinctively sensed that the situation was turning far more serious than he had anticipated.
And then there were those ominous words.
The boy had spoken as if he knew exactly what was coming. His cold, spine-chilling declaration had left Alan with no choice but to nod obediently.
“Just what is about to happen…?”
Alan rubbed his dry face, his mind swirling with unanswered questions. The academy was peaceful. The status window offered no warnings.
“Status window, is something going to happen in a week?”
No relevant information exists.
“Haa…”
The fact that even the status window—which had never once failed to provide answers—remained silent only deepened his frustration. Alan felt as though he were standing in the calm before a terrible storm.
“……For now, I suppose I have no choice but to follow that man’s words.”
Alan muttered to himself and let out a low groan. His worries continued well into the next day.
Three days remained until the assassination of the First Imperial Princess.
I spent my days in the same routine as always. Most of my time was devoted to training. Occasionally I would leave the academy to obtain various items, but such trips were infrequent. Since my pockets were already quite full, there were no particular obstacles in the purchasing process.
What I focused on most was raising my proficiency with Blink. It had been difficult to get used to at first, but with time it had begun to feel more natural. I had finally grasped the rhythm of it. I still made mistakes when my concentration slipped, but compared to the beginning, I could now execute fairly clean combinations.
Yesterday, I had even earned the title “Mace Slayer” from Gold Tae-yang. The guy had rolled around on the ground, whining about how much it hurt. In the end, I had to hand him a few more potions.
Yeah. The synergy title is complete, preparations for the assassination incident are going smoothly, everything’s going well…
…And then something strange popped up.
“Good to see you, Raiden.”
A green-haired man greeted me with a bright smile. It was Lucas Landranto, the head instructor.
I stared at him with a slightly stiff expression. Taking it as a response to his greeting, he smiled even more warmly.
“Working hard again today, I see.”
“Ah, yes…”
What the hell? Why is he acting so friendly?
Well, Lucas had always been sociable and kind to the students, but there was no need for him to be this way with me.
“Haha, are you being a bit too wary? I am your homeroom professor, after all…”
“……”
Honestly, it wasn’t so much wariness as discomfort. When I thought about what the original Raiden had done to this man, it was impossible to face him comfortably.
……Fuck. I hate Raiden. I always did, but right now I hate him even more. That son of a bitch. How could a student slap his teacher? Especially one who had been worried about him.
He probably pushed people away even harder because they were kind to him…
Still, this was a bit much. Couldn’t he have thought about the person who’d have to clean up the mess?
“Don’t worry. I only came today as your homeroom professor to offer some advice.”
“Advice…?”
“Yes. Advice regarding your unique talent, Raiden.”
“Hmm…?”
Advice about my unique talent—Blink. The unexpected topic piqued my interest. It was only natural. Records of those blessed by space were incredibly rare no matter how thoroughly one searched the continent. Moreover, there were no known precedents of anyone possessing an ability like mine—an extremely short-range spatial movement.
That was why I had no choice but to pioneer my own abilities rather than rely on others. So when someone offered advice, it was impossible not to be intrigued. It was an incredibly attractive subject.
Lucas Landranto…
Yes. If it was this man, he might actually be able to help.
A genius who had participated in the Empire’s civil war at the youngest age in history and achieved great merit. The living legend among assassins who had established an entirely new class called Magic Assassin. The disciple and lover of Korn Ronesia, the greatest archmage of the current era.
Oh, and just for reference—the last part is a secret. If people found out that the academy principal had a taste for younger men, they’d probably look at her with utter disdain. Even if she had reached a high realm in her youth and maintained the appearance of someone in her early twenties, a nearly twenty-year age gap was still…
Anyway.
A veteran with this kind of track record might have come up with new ways to utilize my ability after watching me. With a mixture of hesitation and anticipation, I nodded. It was a sign that I wanted to hear what he had to say.
“You’re being quite obedient today, unlike before?”
“……”
“Haha! Just kidding. I’ll go get some equipment, so wait here a moment.”
……Was he more vindictive than I thought? Maybe I’d stepped on the wrong landmine.
. . .
Contrary to my worries, Lucas didn’t seem to mind the past at all. His expression didn’t change in the slightest; it was almost as if he had completely forgotten what had happened.
“I’ve been watching you during class. You only ever use Blink for movement or escape, Raiden.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“May I ask why?”
I nodded without hesitation at Lucas’s question.
“Because I judged it to be the most efficient application.”
Short-range spatial teleportation—Blink. At first glance, it sounded like an incredibly overpowered unique talent. But my ability came with several restrictions.
First, the target I wanted to move had to be in physical contact with my body. Unlike Bluetooth, I couldn’t affect objects that were far away.
Second, if another object already existed at the destination coordinates, the ability would fail. In simple terms, I couldn’t move to overlapping coordinates.
Finally, Blink had no effect on the target’s state. For example, even if I teleported a dagger ten meters forward, it would simply fall to the ground. Since its kinetic energy was zero, simply changing its coordinates wouldn’t make it fly around or stab into anything.
The problem is that it’s just useful enough to be annoying.
It was completely useless at long range. At close range it displayed incredible performance, but the difficulty of magical control rose in proportion to that power. If only there were some way to counter long-range attacks…
“Hmm. From what I see, that ability could also be used against long-range attacks.”
“Pardon?”
“And quite effectively as a counter, at that.”
How?
I widened my eyes and stared at Lucas. The green-haired young man grinned back at me.
“It might be a little difficult… but would you like to learn?”
“……If you’re willing to teach me, Professor, I would gladly accept your guidance.”
“Good.”
Lucas nodded in satisfaction at my answer. He pulled out various throwing weapons from his waist and began his explanation.
“The technique I’m going to teach you is a counter and survival skill mainly used by Magic Assassins. Have you ever heard of a spell called Reflect?”
“It’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
“I thought as much. It’s a spell I developed myself.”
Lucas, who had been lightly juggling the throwing weapons, tossed them to me. They were lightweight training darts.
“It’ll be faster to show you than to explain. Raiden, would you mind throwing those at me with all your strength?”
“At you, Professor?”
“Yes. Don’t hold back.”
I hesitated for a moment, but since he said it was fine, I pushed the doubt aside. He must have something in mind. I gripped one of the darts tightly and hurled it like a baseball with all my might.
—Swish!
With a small gust of wind, the dagger left my hand and flew straight toward Lucas’s face. I had thrown it with the maximum power my strength stat could produce, yet Lucas watched the incoming projectile without the slightest hint of disturbance.
“Reflect.”
As soon as the chant left his lips, a green aura burst from his already outstretched hand. The moment Lucas lightly tapped the dart that had reached right in front of him—
—Clang! Whoosh!!!
The dark blade bounced back in the opposite direction, grazing my cheek as it flew past. The dart that had reversed course finally stopped after embedding itself in the wall.
“……”
……What the hell was that? What just happened?
My mind froze in momentary shock.
“How was it? Did you see it clearly?”
Lucas chuckled, clearly amused by my reaction. He shook his hand, still lingering with mana, and said,
“That is Reflect. A unique spell I created.”
Amazing, isn’t it?
Lucas shrugged as he spoke. I wanted to nod, but my head wouldn’t move. My mind was completely captivated by something else.
That just now…
My brain kept replaying the intense scene I had just witnessed. The incoming dart. The fingertips that lightly touched it. The attack that was instantly sent flying back.
……No. It looked like it was deflected, but that’s not the principle.
In that instant, I had definitely seen it. The moment the dart touched the green mana, its trajectory had reversed 180 degrees. It wasn’t a forceful deflection using raw power. It had simply reversed the direction, sending the attack back exactly where it had come from.
An unexpected application of magic. The fact that he had shown me this meant…
“……You’re telling me to use Blink in that same way.”
“You understood immediately. As expected of a talented student.”
Reflect. It was an ultra-high-difficulty technique based on the extremes of wind magic and exceptional dynamic vision. But I had a way to perform it in a crude, makeshift manner.
Blink could replace the high-level wind magic that required precise control. And Super Sensory could substitute for the exceptional dynamic vision that demanded high physical sensitivity.
“It’s a technique that suits you perfectly, Raiden.”
“Yes… It really does.”
“Actually, I wanted to teach you this ever since we first met last year… but your reactions were so prickly that…”
“……I’m sorry.”
“Ah, I wasn’t trying to get an apology.”
When I lowered my head in guilt, Lucas made an awkward face. Then he smiled brightly again.
“Still, thank you! I never expected to receive an apology. It seems you really have changed, haven’t you?”
I scratched the back of my head, feeling a bit embarrassed. This person was kind, gentle, and all-around good… but a little overwhelming. His kindness was so excessive that it felt burdensome.
Whether he knew how I felt or not, Lucas extended his hand for a handshake.
“Then let’s get along from now on. You’ll keep coming to learn from me, right?”
“Yes… I’ll be in your care.”
With complicated feelings, I took his hand.
Meanwhile, in a building whose exact location was unknown.
In a space filled only with darkness and silence, several robed figures had gathered. They exuded a dangerous aura at first glance. They stood around a round table, staring at one another.
“It’s almost time.”
The robed figure at the center muttered those words. Though he said nothing more, his comrades quietly nodded.
“We kept our heads low for a while… but now the time has come to spread our wings once more.”
In three days, the entire continent will know our name. No one will be able to stop the march of progress. The world will be twisted by the hidden truth.
Let us walk together, my brothers. For the new world that we and our comrades envision.
“In three days, we shall assassinate the imperial princesses of the Empire.”
—Bang!!
With those words, the robed figure drove a dagger into the imperial family crest spread across the table. The others immediately followed, stabbing their own blades into the emblem.
The imperial crest tore apart with a faint scream, ripped to shreds. Watching the scene, the lead robed figure twisted his lips into a grotesque smile. In his mind’s eye, he could already see the princesses’ corpses drenched in blood.
His body trembled with ecstasy racing down his spine as he raised his blade high.
“How could a butterfly be allowed to crawl upon the ground?”
The time has come to soar. Spread your wings, seekers of truth.
“For truth, inquiry, progress, and the new world.”
“For truth, inquiry, progress, and the new world.”
In a space filled only with darkness and silence, danger was quietly spreading its wings.