Cain and Rowen
A deafening roar erupted from his fist, violently crushing the air. The collision of vicious magi and mana created a sonic boom alongside a massive, black-hole-like vortex. Splinters of dark light scattered in every direction. They rapidly expanded, greedily devouring Barbatos’s arm.
The mana possessed a hunger so ravenous that one could hardly tell who the true Demon King of Greed was. It was born from the highly purified mana of Valenos—a form forged specifically for the day they would clash again with the primordial demon, Barbatos. To defeat the enemy, one must become like the enemy. Yet, he had not lost his heart of light.
With those words of power, a surging army of spirits charged in unison toward Barbatos. Cain was not about to just stand by and watch. In an instant, he conjured soldiers from the shadows—yet another technique stolen from Abel. Shadow spearmen and ice spirit knights clashed violently against one another.
Rowen unleashed a rapid succession of sword strikes. *Clash, clash, clash!* Cain blocked them in an instant with shadow sword energy, but he couldn't deflect them all. Even with the power of a Demon King, the gap in sheer talent remained. And the greatest component of that talent was effort.
In his past life as Rian, his mana had been practically nonexistent. That was why he had honed his swordsmanship to its absolute limit, carrying not only the desire for his father's revenge but also the colossal burden of humanity. It was a curse, yet also a blessing under the title of Hero. That brand, etched deep into his soul, remained a shackle even now in his reincarnated life.
Blades of ice soared through the air, converging sharply. Aiming for a single target, their keen edges grew even sharper. The energy of nothingness—a pitch-black sword energy—flared menacingly. The dark aura flowing from Rowen's Core turned so deep and absolute that it completely crushed the surrounding magi. He lunged at Cain, who was busy trying to block Valenos. Dagger and longsword collided.
The pure white, translucent wings of Lea healed Rowen's minor wounds. His regenerative power was far superior to that of any Demon Human. Cain was thrown back, his body tilting as he lost his balance. *Throb.* A sharp ache shot through Cain's wrist from parrying Rowen's blade. It felt as though the bone had slightly fractured.
"You arrogant illegitimate bastard!" Cain spat.
"I hate to break it to you, but a mere duke's son has no business talking back to the son of the Imperial family," Rowen replied coolly.
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
Idiot. Doesn't he even know that the progenitor of the Dragnik family was of the Dragon race?
"Tsk, tsk. Just how few books have you actually read in your life?"
"You... you bastard! Are you done talking?!"
"Yeah, I'm done. What are you going to do about it?"
"You annoying piece of shit..."
They traded blows in a fierce frenzy. *Clang! Clash! Screeech!* Rowen swapped through various weapons as he slashed wildly. Naturally, the Holy Sword shone the brightest. At the same time, the assistance of Rosmerta—which was reinforced with dragon scales and infused with Lucius's blood—proved invaluable. Their movements surpassed the speed of sound. With every clash of their blades, a sonic boom shattered the air.
*Boom!* A massive hole tore through the back of Barbatos's descending arm. Rowen pivoted on his heel to dodge the blow. Seizing the opening, Valenos drove a fist straight into the demon's face.
The sight of the demon crashing headfirst into the ground was pathetic. Rowen could see Cain's mouth twisting in pain. *Grind...* Dark blood trickled from between his gums.
"Ice Burst."
Rowen detonated a flare of blue frost-fire. *Boom!* It shrouded the area like Cain's shadow barrier. Blinded by the sudden mixture of freezing cold and searing heat, Cain lost track of Rowen's presence. Seizing the moment, Rowen unleashed a wave of sword energy from his dagger. *Whoosh!* The flames parted down the middle, bursting to either side as Rowen charged through. Cain barely reacted in time, his dagger grazing past Rowen's eye. It was a hair's breadth away; he had almost lost an eye. Rowen had to admit it was somewhat impressive. It was just a shame that Cain's methods were so petty and vile.
"Joining hands with a Demon King just to gain power... Have you completely lost your mind?" Rowen asked.
"Of course not. I've never been saner."
"Father would never be proud of what you're doing."
"...Shut up!"
Having his nerves struck, Cain lashed out with wild, furious slashes. His swirling daggers whipped up a tempest of shadows with terrifying speed. Shadow Tempest—a technique Abel used when facing multiple opponents. *Abel, that bastard. What the hell is he thinking? What did he even say to Mio?* Rowen wanted answers, but now was not the time. *Dammit, if only I had reached the level of my past life, I could have killed him easily.*
"...No, that's not it."
In truth, it wasn't a matter of whether he could kill him easily. Rowen was conflicted. Deep down, he knew Cain had to die, but his body was resisting the urge. Even so... he had to do it.
*Crash!* Cain lunged first. A heavy vibration rippled through the air before their blades could even meet.
"What the..."
"Could it be..."
It was then. For a fleeting second, an illusion of Kael—someone who shouldn't be here—flickered before them.
—I love you, my brother.
"Ah..."
Clad in iron armor of ice, half-consumed by the freezing cold. A cold corpse turned undead king, who had once led the armies of darkness as the Death King. Kael Valenos manifested in the twilight. His whisper carried a profound, heavy weight. Though their time together had been brief, they had undoubtedly shared a bond. And this bizarre apparition was visible to Cain's eyes as well.
"...Brother?"
It was a memory from the distant past. Kael was one of the few who knew of my hidden strength.
"Whew, *pant, pant*..."
"Let's call it a day here."
"I can't believe it ended in a draw..."
"Here, have some water."
"Thanks, Rowen."
Naturally, the match had ended in a draw due to the difference in physical strength. In a duel between a twenty-year-old adult and an eleven-year-old boy, the gap in raw power was impossible to ignore. Yet, an eleven-year-old boy had managed to hold his own against an adult and force a draw.
The way Kael looked at me changed completely.
Awe. Surprise. Delight.
Geniuses are always lonely. They are forever solitary because there is no one who can truly satisfy them. That was why Kael was so incredibly happy right now.
Rowen tapped the ground twice with his sword before helping Kael to his feet.
"Keep your head up, Brother."
"Huh?"
"Always scan your opponent's entire body. Predict their direction of movement. Keep your eyes fixed on the tip of their blade."
"Like this?"
In an instant, his posture shifted into perfect alignment. Kael's swordsmanship was already close to perfection. Yes, close—but never truly perfect. Yet, the moment he moved according to Rowen's instructions, his form clicked into place, unleashing a flawless strike.
"You can't let go of your sword like you did earlier. The sword has to become an extension of your body. It shouldn't feel like it's in your right hand or your left hand; it has to move as a part of you."
"I get it. But are you really not going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"Father strictly forbade you from picking up a sword. So how..."
"How did I learn to wield it?"
*Gulp.* Kael swept back his white hair, which had fallen over his eyes. He swallowed hard, waiting expectantly for my answer.
I gave a simple reply.
"I just studied the textbooks."
"...What?"
"I found it in the study. The manual written by the Sword Saint, Rian Rose."
"Just from that?"
"Do you think I'm lying? It's all about effort. You know I contracted with spirits, right?"
"Yeah."
"I just honed my skills by sparring with them. That's all."
Kael began to chuckle, and before long, his quiet laughter erupted into a hearty roar.
"Pwahahaha! What kind of explanation is that?!"
"It's the truth. You know it too, Brother. I don't have a master."
"I suppose that's true."
"Keep working hard, Brother. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be able to manifest sword energy too."
"I hate hearing that from a kid..."
"I don't think a brother who just lost to that kid has much room to talk."
We wiped away our sweat and looked at each other. Rowen could feel it. The deep-seated inferiority complex Kael had harbored was gone, completely dissolved. Instead, the shallow bond they once shared had grown remarkably deep.
They say men grow closer through fighting. My brother, who had once avoided speaking to me because I was an illegitimate child, was now talking to me with ease.
"I'm exhausted."
"Me too..."
"Let's go wash up."
"Can I come with you?"
I had been anxious. My brother was always so busy, and we rarely had time to spend together.
"Why wouldn't you? We may have different mothers, but we're still brothers."
"Oh, really? Is that why you were so reluctant to talk to me before?"
"...Well, you're still better than Cain."
"Pfft, that's true."
...Yes. This was a fragment of a precious memory.
"Brother."
"What is it?"
"You've been hanging around that half-breed bastard a lot lately, haven't you?"
Cain spoke to Kael with a sullen pout. It simply irritated him. He hated seeing his older brother act kindly toward a mere illegitimate child. Rowen couldn't wield a sword, couldn't use magic, and only had muscles to show for himself. In Cain's eyes, Rowen was nothing but a pathetic loser.
"Cain. You need to start being nicer to Rowen."
"Me? Why should I?"
"You two are the same age. You were born in the same year, so why do you fight so much?"
"You ignored him too until recently, Brother."
"Not anymore. Now, I see him for who he truly is."
Cain's jaw dropped, a hollow laugh escaping his lips. His brother, who used to find Rowen so annoying, was actually saying this? It made no sense. That half-breed monster must have done something. Surely, he had...
"Cain!"
"Eek!"
"You're plotting something bad again, aren't you?"
"N-no, I'm not!"
"Don't lie to me. It's written all over your face."
Cain rubbed his face quickly. Then he looked down at his arms. Nothing was written on them. He checked a mirror. Still, nothing was written there.
"There's nothing written on me!"
"Of course not, you dummy. Did you think it would literally be written on you?"
"Argh!"
"Even though Rowen was born after you, he acts much more like an older brother. He's mature."
That was the one thing Cain hated hearing most. The implication that his brother relied more on that half-breed than on him. *That pig-headed muscle monster...!* Cain ground his teeth, glaring toward Rowen's room.
Kael lightly tapped the back of Cain's head.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"For thinking bad thoughts again."
"Can you really see what I'm thinking, Brother?"
"Aha, so you really were thinking of something bad? That's another tap."
"Ow!"
Kael sighed as he looked at his younger brother.
"Cain, if you discriminate against others, you'll never grow up to be a knight."
"What does that have to do with wielding a sword?!"
"It has everything to do with it. What do you think a knight is?"
"Hmph, do you think I wouldn't know that? They're guardians who protect the people."
"Exactly. So, should a guardian who protects the people discriminate against others?"
"He's an exception!"
Kael flicked Cain's forehead again—this time, much harder.
"Seriously, stop it!"
"You need to be disciplined."
"Why?! Ow! *Sniff*... *Waaaah!*"
"You practically beg for it, you know."
"Waah! This is all Rowen's fault!"
*Sigh...* Kael thought to himself. *This kid is beyond saving.*
A new wrinkle formed on Kael's forehead at the thought.
Cain recalled that memory. Yes, it was a time when his brother was still alive, his father hadn't died, and countless people hadn't perished because of him. A time when he didn't have to stand unfairly at the threshold of death.
It was a memory of those peaceful days.
The sudden, shimmering figure was nothing but a mirage. It vanished. Cain and Rowen, who had been a split second away from severing each other's necks, leaped backward in unison. Both of them had pulled back their blades.
"...Dammit."
Rowen was bewildered. Since Kael was not a divine apostle, he shouldn't have been able to enter the Soul Spring. A reunion was impossible. That was why this situation made no sense. It felt as though his beloved brother had manifested to stop their fight.
Ever since they were young, Kael had always stepped in to break up their fights. Whenever Kael returned from a military campaign, he would find them at each other's throats, making his intervention a regular routine. Yet, those were happy memories. Back then, even as Cain huffed and puffed in anger, a faint smile would play on his lips whenever he bickered with Rowen.
How... how did things turn out this way? Just when had Barbatos set his sights on Cain? Was it in the Albrin Forest? When Arkanthia reclaimed Snowfall? Or... had it been from the very moment Kadan died?
Rowen and Cain stared at each other. He knew he had to kill him, but his body refused to move. The image of Kael shedding tears remained vividly etched in his mind.
"...Hey, Cain. Can I ask you one thing?"
"Speak."
"Do you... not want to become human again?"
Cain let out a smirk. As if that even mattered.
"Are you kidding me?"
A sinister malice curled the corners of Cain's mouth. It was the laugh of a demon, of one who had utterly abandoned his humanity.
"Of course you don't."
Rowen chuckled softly, his shoulders shaking. *I guess it was a foolish thought.* Their brother wouldn't want them to fight, but...
"...I'm sorry, Brother."
If he didn't kill Cain, he could never fulfill Kael's dying wish. He could never carry out the great expedition to stop the King of Frost. Because he was a king now. Just as Kael had said, Rowen had become the symbol of Valenos.
—You are Valenos.
"Yes, I have become Valenos. Two minds dwelling within a single body."
That was why he could say it now.
"I'm sorry."
I have to kill Cain. It's the only way—for everyone, and for you, Brother.
With that resolve, Rowen channeled the black sword energy seeping from his Core, letting it envelop his entire body. *The space of this castle is too narrow? What of it? If the ceiling blocks the way...*
"...Whew."
*I'll just break through it.*
"Are you... coming at me?" Cain sneered.
No. It wasn't about coming at him.
"I'm just expanding the stage."
Every single spirit lined up in perfect formation behind Rowen.
He declared once more:
"If the sky is blocked..."
Sky Slash.
"...I'll just pierce through it."