Echoes of the Past, Shadows of the Present

Karlena Balenos. She was a messenger who had been more devoted than anyone, running on her own two feet for the sake of her family. As the eldest daughter of Kajin, she was the family's finest spymaster. Raised by a doting father who absolutely adored her, she had never been allowed to learn swordsmanship. Kajin simply had not wanted her hands stained with blood. Yet, as long as the blood of Balenos flowed through her veins, taking up the sword to face demons was her inescapable destiny.

Her sword was far from ordinary. Though clearly forged of iron, it would extend and bend like a whip whenever she swung it. Blessed with legs swifter than any other, she ran freely across the ground, sliding as if skating on frost-infused mana. The harmony of her extreme speed and her freely moving whip-sword could only be described as the sword dance of a cold ice butterfly.

She had run for her dying husband. She had crossed the sea from the snowy fields of Winterer toward Rianode. Parting the surging waters, she had stained her hands with blood as she hacked apart the giant monsters leaping from the depths. She had simply pressed forward. Yet, in the end, she failed to save her husband. She could not rescue him from the endless torrent of demons.

Look at the hero fighting in the distance. He could not save every single human being. Yet, for the sake of those who would survive, he raised his glorious Holy Sword and stood against the enemy. Her husband must have sacrificed himself for that cause. If she did not believe that, she would never be able to bear the overwhelming emotions, the crushing weight of her grief. The cold ice butterfly collapsed on the spot. She embraced his lifeless body, feeling his silky black hair slip through her fingers. She convinced herself that his death had been honorable. Otherwise, there was no way he could have worn such a peaceful smile.

"How tragic..." Those memories of the past flooded into Rowen's mind. As if watching a story unfold, Rowen felt that honorable yet sorrowful moment. At the edge of the memory, he also saw his past-life father, fighting with the Holy Sword blazing. Clashing fiercely with Demian, the corrupted King of the Abyss, his blade, dripping with hatred, shed blood. Rianode had surely wept for someone's death. Even without words, Rowen knew exactly who that death belonged to.

He ran. Grit. He ran and ran, shattering every obstacle that rose in his path. His face contorted, and veins bulged on the hand gripping his sword. The slashes he unleashed tore through the earth and shattered mountain ranges, shredding the mocking laughter of the demons. He—the hero Lian Rose—had never wanted his companions to die. Because he didn't want it, because he knew they would die one day, and because he refused to accept that reality, he raged.

Rowen saw the very landscape Karlena had once gazed upon. A thousand years later, the son felt the exact emotions his father had felt. Everything was connected. Shedding a single tear, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Rowen's blade stained with a crimson hue. Leah's blood. The demons' blood. His body, screaming at him to run even now, propelled Rowen forward.

The frost beast ran, freezing the earth. It froze and shattered everything blocking its path. Pure white ice dust drifted around like snow. It was a beautiful sight, but mixed with the rising flames, it could not last even a second before melting into a downpour of rain. Soul synchronization allowed him to borrow the memories and experiences of his ancestors. However, enduring their tragic ends, memories, and emotions was entirely up to the caster. Rowen utilized the cold composure he had inherited from his ancestors. Yet, his trembling heart was a testament to the kind of person Karlena had been.

"Run." Steeling his heart, Rowen sprinted toward the harbor.

"Pant... pant..." Sira Yunseul looked at her decimated subordinates. Her breath was ragged. What on earth was the entity relentlessly pressing her? It was clearly a demon human, yet it felt closer to the very essence of a demon. The bursting greed radiating from it was utterly repulsive. What did it want to obtain so badly to act like this? Sira Yunseul bit her lip.

"To think you blocked my arrow. What are you?"

"Who the hell are you, showing up out of nowhere and acting like a lunatic?"

"You're the ones who trespassed on Myuron's land. Don't glare at me like that. I only came because I was ordered to."

"That power, that energy... it's the same as Lucrech. Are you a Prophet?"

"Heh, I wonder."

Thwip-thwip-thwip! Arrows of magi were unleashed, splitting into multiple paths. They spun sideways, gaining devastating piercing momentum. Sira Yunseul channeled holy power into both arms. The black-and-white forces of Yin-Yang manifested. Infusing it with astral force, she drew her back foot and charged straight ahead. She kicked away the downpour of arrows with a barrier of holy power, plunging directly into a brutal melee.

Boom-boom-boom-boom! It was not a sound that should have come from fists. As if facing a storm of countless strikes, the Prophet stared directly at the monster that was Sira Yunseul.

"You're just like me, aren't you?"

"Like you, my ass. That's blasphemy."

"The great Caliarun or whatever. It's none of my business."

"You're not wrong, but did you really have to say that right in front of me, you bitch?"

Sira ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Yunseul flipped her middle finger.

"Eat shit."

"Hah!"

Angelica of the Demonic Bow. She was one of the five leaders of the Demon Sect of Depravity, and she followed Nome's orders. Her arrows targeted the heart. Even before her corruption, she had earned the title of Master Archer. Perhaps because of that, Sira Yunseul, instinctively sensing the extreme danger of those arrows, had been shielding her heart from the very beginning.

"My instincts are screaming at me."

"Fufu..."

"How many other Prophets are there besides ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you?"

Myuron and Tecia were dead. Aside from them, the only name she had heard was Nome. She had no information on the entity before her. She only knew for certain that she was a Prophet, and the sheer pressure of facing such a powerful foe made the air thick with tension. Sira Yunseul recalled the infinite rain of arrows that had blanketed the sky the moment she thought she had the upper hand.

At this rate, it's exactly as that illegitimate brat said. I have to send a signal. But how? All the exorcists were incapacitated. Though there were survivors, most had collapsed with magi corrupting their hearts. Blood stained the ground. Sira Yunseul felt a burning, tearing hatred. These were the people she had been laughing and drinking with just yesterday. As the branch leader of the Exorcist Association, she felt responsible for their deaths. Her body moved on its own. She fell into a stance. Though her eyes trembled, her gaze was locked dead-on Angelica. Only a single thought occupied her mind. I will—

"Kill you."

The running frost beast ground to a halt. It was a level of dread that even a magic-born spirit could feel. Rowen felt that overwhelming power as well. It was an aura so immense that it could easily be mistaken for a Demon Legion Commander. The commander of the corrupted, who had long since abandoned his humanity, looked down at Rowen while holding a demonic sword embedded with a crimson eye.

"...Kadan's bastard."

"Nome."

Rowen glared back at him. He could tell by instinct. This guy was indeed Nome of the Magic Sword, whom Tecia had mentioned. The worst-case scenario had unfolded. Rowen's mind raced. Caliarun was supposed to send word once they secured the harbor, crossed the ridge, and reached the capital. Yet, there was no news—only massive pillars of fire filling the horizon. In the midst of this, Nome pointed his demonic sword at Rowen.

"...Damn it!"

There was a high probability that the other Prophets were with Sira Yunseul. Nome showed absolutely no emotion as he stared at Rowen. Rowen was the only one shaken. To Nome, the Balenos family was an obstacle that had to be eradicated for his future plans. Although he put forward the grand goal of unifying the Demon Sect, Nome's true intentions were different. He desired a direct contract with Lucifere. Therefore, the Balenos family, born to slay demons, was nothing but a nuisance blocking his path. They are in the way, so I kill them. That was all there was to it. The same applied to Rowen. He is in the way, so I kill him. That was the beginning and end of it.

Nome stepped lightly onto the ground. Rowen slid forward on his reinforced legs, charging at Nome. The black sword qi, which had once briefly overwhelmed the Demon King in his past life, flared up as if swallowing his arm.

"I'll kill you."

"...Come."

Rowen simultaneously conjured energy spheres of every element, letting them orbit around him as he ran. Several runic words manifested in the air. Nome's demonic sword was dangerous—at least, his instincts screamed so. If he were slashed by that thing and lost an arm, immediate regeneration would be impossible. Leah, who had protected and healed him on the battlefields of his past life, was no longer here. The hero had no Saintess by his side. Instead, a reunion with her awaited him. Therefore, defeat was not an option. He could not lose. Rowen erased the very word 'defeat' from his mind. He would endure to the bitter end, survive by any means necessary, resolve everything, and ascend to the realm of angels. No, even if he couldn't become an angel, he would meet God himself and bring her back to life.

His Core went into overdrive. Whirrrr! The pulse of mana vibrated through the air. At the same time, his heart pounded with a deafening, explosive rhythm. Nature embraced Rowen. Mana welcomed the contractor of the Spirit King. From this moment on, Rowen unleashed the full power of the Spirit King. He could not hide his strength. He could not drag this out, nor could he hold back. The world of combat was cold and unforgiving. Even if one was stronger, at a certain point, those rules ceased to matter. If your neck or heart was pierced, you died. That was all there was to it. That was combat, and that was war. And now, facing the root of all evil behind everything he had suffered since his reincarnation, Rowen unleashed the brilliant radiance of the Holy Sword.

"...Hmph."

A tempest of mana. A storm of blades. Magic spheres that overwhelmed the demonic energy. An armor of ice and all manner of weapons supporting Rowen. Haste magic and ancestral power synergized, launching him toward Nome. At a speed that seemed to transcend time, Nome slashed his demonic sword, Carta, in the shape of a crucifix. Facing the horizontal and vertical slashes, Rowen charged forward, raising his Ice Shield. He shattered the crucifix of magi. Nome's weapon was a longsword; thus, it would be easiest for Rowen to face him with a longsword as well. Rowen ran. Nome ran. They clashed, blade meeting blade. The collision of magi and mana triggered countless explosions. Rowen cast a barrier, and Nome raised a barrier of magi as well. Neither took damage. Rowen thrust forward with a devastating black sword qi that devoured everything in its path. A tiny black dot formed at the point of the thrust, expanding into a miniature black hole. Nome took a step back. Rowen was not slow enough to miss that opening. However, he calculated the numerous variables that would arise if he pursued, and chose to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠act cautiously. Rowen also backed away. But Rowen was not one to simply retreat. With blue flames—the blazing, freezing fire of frost—he recreated hell itself.

It was a prison of raging icy flames.

Yet, Nome easily deflected the mass of blue flames and fired dark bullets of magi. Rowen countered with bullets of multiple attributes: fire, water, lightning, earth, wind, light, and darkness. Without Rowen even realizing it, the aura of the Imperial Family began to flow out of him. The crimson eyes unique to the Balenos family and the golden eyes of the Imperial Family—both bloodlines began to shine. And then...

Even gravity itself was bent to his will.

Nome glanced up at the opening sky and pinpointed the location. He injected magi into the rift and leaped backward to evade. Though it was the power of gravity, it was ultimately composed of mana. When mana collided with magi, it triggered a massive explosion. The magic circle of the Gravity Hole Rowen had summoned turned into a zone of continuous detonations.

"Tch, useless tricks!"

"...The Balenos bloodline must be eliminated. For His sake."

A flurry of clashing blades. Clang! Clang! Neither allowed the other an opening, their weapons locked in a desperate struggle to protect their lives. The moment either showed a single gap, the other would seize the initiative. They both knew all too well that as wounds accumulated, strength would fade, putting them at a disadvantage. However, that only applied to 'humans.' Though Nome's face remained expressionless, his very essence was likely wearing a mad, twisted grin. His crimson eyes flashed. His right eye squirmed. And then...

Nome opened his demonic eye.