The Devil of All Nations? Never.
Rai entered the warehouse with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, but no one answered him.
"Rai Instructor...?"
"Oh, there you were. I've been looking for you for a long time."
Gazing at Philia, Rai closed the door and walked toward her. Inside the warehouse, armed men glared at him, yet Rai paid them no mind. His leisurely, somehow slow footsteps drew every eye. As he passed, one man swung his sword at Rai's unprotected back.
**Whoosh.**
The man, convinced his surprise had succeeded, struck empty air and blinked in confusion, looking around for Rai. But he was gone.
"Ah, take a good look at your face. You practiced that hard, yet you keep getting hit when you go out?"
"That's what happened after I was captured. If it hadn't been such a low-life blackmail, I wouldn't have even a hair on my head damaged."
Rai touched his face and clicked his tongue. Philia, with her pride intact, turned away in irritation.
He had clearly been right there, yet somehow Rai was already at the very back of the warehouse. It wasn't just motion so fast it seemed impossible to see— he had been there all along, the kind of presence that made the warehouse men stare at his back in bewilderment.
Only Zaherio among them had properly witnessed Rai's movements.
**'He's using Illusion.'**
It was a despicable technique that exploited an opponent's fixation to strike weaknesses, perfected through endless combat trials. Even though formal knights could learn basic counters, few actually used it in practice.
The gaze of everyone focused on Rai's slow walk. By using that very gaze, Rai had stepped ahead of what they saw. A clumsy trick if noticed, yet anyone would falter if unaware.
Illusion at close range was a double-edged sword. The core of it required complete focus on a single point, and as skill rose, the chance of noticing the entire opponent decreased. Even if caught, it only granted minor openings, never a one-hit kill. It was more of a gamble, relying on the opponent's assumption of being struck, making it easy to counterattack.
It was normally reserved for those with overwhelming skill gaps or rare techniques meant to assassinate flank guards.
Zaherio, who had seen through the technique at a glance, relaxed the tension he had held.
"Since you've made me suffer, treat me to a meal. Something expensive. If not, I'll just leave."
"Now's the time to say that? Even as an instructor?"
"Ah, I'm off-duty. No overtime pay, so I have to grab a meal somehow."
Philia had tensed like a caged beast, showing only her sharp aura, but upon seeing the instructor she relaxed into docility. Yet Zaherio paid no heed.
No matter how much he trusted the instructors, he knew his own strength.
Most instructors were veterans retired from active duty. Zaherio knew of the few whose power still rivaled his own and had faced them in training. He had never heard of this particular instructor, not even his name.
Zaherio gave Talif a chin gesture to withdraw, and the man retreated with his subordinates.
"Are you the academy instructor?"
"Who are you?"
Polite words from Zaherio met a blunt reply in casual speech from Rai, accompanied by a scowl.
"Admirable devotion to protecting students, but perhaps you should consider timing and place?"
"Who the hell is this guy? Is he an actor?"
"He's a fool who thinks he's noble, calling himself Zaherio."
"Ah, those consumed by inferiority complex are common. You know your own identity, yet you still wear a mask. Or is your head empty?"
Zaherio's expression hardened as he overheard the exchange between Philia and Rai. Since rising in skill and status, he had never been looked down upon. His grip tightened on the sword in his hand.
"Sorry, but you lack perception..."
"Sorry? Bullshit. You're a total moron. Where did you pull that line from? Reciting a novel? Grow up, you bastard. You're not some righteous hero— you're just a trash who kidnapped a girl. Why the act?"
Sensing his patience reaching its limit, Zaherio poured mana into his sword and unleashed a devastating technique.
Crimson mana swirled like a hurricane toward Rai and Philia, exploding with screams.
**"Kyaaaaah—!!"**
**"Uwaaaah!"**
**"Kaaah!"**
The strike had clearly connected with both, yet multiple voices rang out. Zaherio startled when he heard the dozen screams. Looking to one side, he saw Talif and his men collapse, leaving him bewildered.
"Why are you attacking your own allies?"
"I don't know... maybe your mind's gone."
Philia asked, unable to grasp Zaherio's action, but Rai simply laughed and released the chain. Philia, still wearing the handcuffs, quickly checked the woman beside her.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yes... I'm fine..."
The woman's condition was poor after losing too much blood. Philia tore her own clothes to staunch the bleeding as the woman stared with dazed, unfocused eyes. Rai placed a hand on the woman's neck and helped her rise.
**"You bastard!!! What crude technique is this to humiliate me?!"**
"If you find it crude, don't hit me."
Rai mocked the furious Zaherio as he advanced.
Philia watched Rai's brief touch on the woman, whose wounds sealed instantly. She picked up the torn cloth and stared blankly at his back. Even as an assassin, he had been formidable, but this far exceeded expectations.
Though they used magic, warriors did not wield it as freely as pure mages. They relied on basic martial skill and added mana for explosive power.
Philia had believed the healer spell in Rai's hands was impossible even for high-ranking pure mages. Curious about his identity, she remembered a conversation with Leila.
Rai's technique had been beyond Leila's comprehension, so Philia had asked Leila what it was.
Leila, who had not been present, would know if she were a great knight.
Leila had closed her mouth and thought for a moment before replying.
*'Think it's an unknown technique and forget it. If you copy it unnecessarily, you'll only break your body.'*
At the time, Philia had understood it as advice to remain silent for the sake of keeping the incident a secret.
But now, even though she tried to peek, she could not see the realm beyond that. Philia finally understood Leila's words. The person possessed strength that stood alone even among the world's elite.
And no one knew.
Not the instructors, not Vice Principal Bright who had served on the Northern Front. Even Leila, who seemed close to Rai, and perhaps even the headmistress knew his true identity.
Otherwise, an inexperienced Rai would never have been placed in the academy.
Despite opposition, Philia had heard that the headmistress had made Rai an instructor by sheer will. Quietly organizing her thoughts, she tried to deduce his identity.
Philia's family was deeply entangled in central politics, and the people she had met were all remarkable figures.
She had sparred with Supreme Commander Edelian, yet at her young age she had been unable to gauge his power.
She examined every legendary master of the world one by one, but none were related to Rai.
Some were of different gender, some of different ages, some with different physiques. Among men, the known strong ones were rarely lean like Rai.
After searching endlessly and finding no similar figure, Philia grew frustrated and stopped thinking.
No matter how she pondered, no answer came. The closest she could find in age and build were already dead.
If the **Devil of All Nations** or **Swift Retana** had returned, they would be around that age.
"... ..."
Philia shook her head, telling herself the dead cannot return. The sudden chill on her spine was absurd, yet if true, it was an utterly shocking possibility.
A legendary master, identity unknown, early thirties, connection to the Empire.
**Swift Retana** had no ties to the Empire; he had died young of illness, and only hundreds had witnessed his end. Moreover, he was a knight from the eastern Kuchenlan Kingdom, the opposite side of the Empire's territory from where the Empire had begun.
The only remaining possibility was the **Devil of All Nations**. Even the Empire had done as it pleased. It had been reported he was executed, yet such a figure being publicly executed would have been too risky. To avoid stirring the national hero to the citizens of the conquered kingdom, the execution had been kept secret.
What if the execution had never happened? What if he had lived on?
Philia looked at Rai, the questions trailing like a serpent.
"Why are you staring? Already tired?"
"You bastard!!"
"Furious? Angry? Are you angry?"
Zaherio swung his sword in a ragged, pathetic arc. Rai easily dodged and tapped his back with his left hand, mocking him.
It was not a heavy punch, yet the feeling of being hit would be awful. How many such hits would it take to reduce a man to this state?
Watching Rai keep punching without pause, Philia's eyes turned cold.
If the Empire had bullied such a human, blood would rise in her veins. Philia had held near-respectful fondness for the **Devil of All Nations**, reading his tactics and thinking of his breakthroughs, yet she had never imagined he could be this kind of man.
The **Devil of All Nations** had created dozens of strategies and turned crises into opportunities with brilliant insights. He had protected the kingdom's people against a corrupt center, and it was said he was beloved.
The Empire held him in ill regard, yet he had freed slaves, driven out monsters that preyed on humans, and aided other nations in need. He embodied the ideal knight.
His long-standing rivalry and affection with Supreme Commander Edelian was well known. They had exchanged gifts even in wartime, and the general had been respected by enemy commanders. The **Devil of All Nations** had been that man.
Philia sat before the fallen Zaherio in a childish pretense of concern, asking if he was alright. She concluded with certainty that he was no **Devil of All Nations**.
"Are we killing him? Or keeping him alive?"
"His heart is already dead. Let's keep him alive for now."
"Great job."
Rai patted Zaherio's head and approached Philia to look at the handcuffs.
"Where's the key?"
"If you know where it is, why didn't you unlock it yourself?"
Rai nodded and stared at the cuffs. Philia felt a bad premonition and asked.
"You're not thinking of breaking them with raw strength, are you?"
"Why such violent thoughts? We're cultured modern people."
Rai took out a pin and inserted it into the keyhole without hesitation. His movements showed he had done it many times.
"Such cultured knowledge."
"It's the cultured knowledge that frees modern people shackled by locks."
With a clever twist of his hand, Rai moved it a few times. A click sounded, and the cuffs fell away. Philia rubbed her sore wrist and stood, walking toward the group that had been knocked down by Zaherio's attack.
Most lay dead, but a few were still alive. Philia checked the face of one man and raised her leg high.
**Thud.**
"Uggh..."
The man hit was male, yet Rai made a small sound as if he had been the one struck and curled up.
The man whose crotch had been crushed by Philia's kick could not even scream before collapsing unconscious.
"Cruel."
"That's because of our motto: 'Always Repay in Kind.'"
Philia smiled and looked at Rai. The man who had mocked her body had saved his life, but as a man he had lost everything. Once in prison, he would have no use for it anyway.
"Um..."
"Are you alright?"
As the woman regained her senses, Rai gave her a charming smile and took her hand.
The woman, confused for a moment because she could not understand the situation, realized Rai had saved her and expressed gratitude.
"No need. Sophia saved her mother."
"Sophia! Is Sophia safe?"
"Yes, I'm taking good care of her. Don't worry. She's a remarkable child, full of energy. Raising her alone must have been hard, but you've done well."
"Thank you, really thank you."
Philia's eyebrows twitched when she learned the woman had no husband—somewhere in the conversation there was something odd about it.
"At Seria's Day, to be able to save such a beautiful woman, my luck is good too."
"Beautiful..."
Rai smiled kindly at the woman who blushed and looked away, gently touching the hand he held. Behind him, Philia approached with a fierce expression, yet he remained unaware.
"Sophia looks so much like her mother... They were both so cute— ouch—"
Rai's temple was struck by Philia's kick, and he fell over. The woman looked up in surprise, but Philia grabbed the back of his neck and smiled brightly.
"Let's go back."
"Y-yes... yes..."
The woman, startled by his scary expression, followed Philia out of the warehouse as she dragged the unconscious Rai.