Chapter 58 : Chapter 58

Chapter 058: Heaven-Breaking Cycle

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“…Maren. Maren Rockwell.”

Jewelina stared at the girl her father had brought from the Kingdom, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

The girl’s hair color was particularly striking.

It wasn’t quite silver—too faded for that—but neither was it gray, with a subtle sheen that made it hard to pin down.

“Can I touch it?”

Unable to resist, I asked.

I was raised as a pampered jewel, always getting what I wanted, my desires fulfilled the moment they arose.

The girl lowered her eyes in silence.

“It’s fascinating. So this is what happens when the dark hair of an Imperial and the light hair of a Kingdom native mix.”

“….”

“I’ve heard a bit about you.”

The topic shifted quickly.

My hand, which had been gently stroking the fine fabric of her hair, moved to my own, fidgeting restlessly.

“Rockwell? Isn’t that a bit… shabby? Still clinging to that name, I mean.”

The girl raised her eyes again, as if to ask, What do you mean?

I pressed on without pause.

“They say your father caved to the threats of the Langster Faction knights and abandoned you and your mother. So why hold onto that name? What, you think you’re still a noble or something? Like that’s such a big deal.”

Twisting her hair playfully, I smirked, my expression and every little gesture tinged with mischief.

My eyes, especially, carried a cunning glint—almost as if I harbored the schemes of an adult.

The girl thought to herself, Maybe it’s the result of practicing in front of a mirror every day.

“I’ll make it a condition of the contract. You’ll ditch that surname and while we’re at it, let’s change your name too. It’d be better that way. Hmm, what would be good?”

I tapped my puffed-up cheeks, pretending to ponder.

The girl, watching me, calmly shifted her gaze to the floor.

…A contract condition, huh.

Her mother’s dying words echoed in her mind.

She’d spoken of a debt from long ago, a favor owed to someone.

Since their family had received such grace across generations, her mother had asked her to live repaying that debt, carrying her share as well.

And so, her Imperial mother, in the desolate fields of a foreign land, entrusted her daughter to a merchant from their homeland and quietly passed away.

“Maserin. That’s nice. What do you think of Maserin?”

“….”

“You learned swordsmanship from a vassal while you were at that estate, didn’t you? And thanks to your father’s bloodline, you can even use magic.”

I grabbed the girl’s hand abruptly.

My vibrant smile was laced with a faintly sinister undertone in my large, gleaming eyes.

“Do you want revenge?”

The girl’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

The tangled, nameless emotion in her chest suddenly became clear, as if given a name.

The one who’d pointed it out merely chuckled softly, as if she’d expected it.

“Forget it. There’s nothing more useless than revenge. It only wears you out, exhausts you, torments you. How inefficient is that? Even if you succeed, what changes? Maybe you’d feel good for a few days, sure.”

“….”

“Waste precious time just to feel good for a few days? That’s a losing deal, don’t you think? Revenge is for pathetic people. People who need it to give their lives meaning. Or weaklings who can only muster the energy to do anything by dwelling on it, whipping themselves into action.”

The girl’s mouth gradually fell open, dazed.

I’d pinpointed feelings she hadn’t even fully grasped herself, and I layered my convictions atop them without hesitation.

It wasn’t about right or wrong—she was simply overwhelmed by my maturity.

“Listen well, Maserin. I have the wealth inherited from my family. I’m pretty sharp when it comes to business, too. What I need now is time to grow and martial strength. Time will sort itself out eventually, but strength isn’t so easy. The Empire’s swordsmen aren’t the kind you can just buy with gold.”

I narrowed my eyes, still holding her hand.

“From now on, you’re my bodyguard, Maserin.”

“G-guard? I’m not ready for—”

“Shh. If I say you are, you are. I’m destined to… rule both the Empire and the Kingdom.”

The girl’s eyes widened.

For some reason, it didn’t sound like the childish boasting of a kid.

“When my ambitions are realized, if we’re still bound by this contract, your revenge will already have been settled and then some, don’t you think?”

“That’s true.”

“Heh, good. The contract is sealed, Maserin.”

I gently released her hand.

My head tilted slightly, resting atop my hand with a sly grin.

“I’m glad you’re a sensible girl. I was a little worried, you know. That you might mistakenly think our Gunbel family was helping you without any conditions or reasons.”

“…I understand now. Thanks to the bond between my mother and your father, my life was saved once, but from here on, it’s entirely up to me, right?”

“Exactly. One more thing: I bought this chance to negotiate with you from my father. It wasn’t free. Wouldn’t you rather make a deal with me than be my father’s servant?”

“I’ll prove my worth.”

“Wow, you’re really sharp. You’re exceeding my expectations.”

The two girls exchanged glances in place of a handshake.

In the late autumn, with winter approaching, the noon sunlight filtering through the window softly settled on their shoulders.

* * *

Drip, drip, drip.

It was the sound of water droplets falling.

It almost sounded like the clear chime of a bell.

“….”

Maserin opened her eyes.

It felt like waking from a long sleep.

“Maren.”

A chill ran down her spine.

The voice echoing from somewhere unmistakably belonged to the Blood Devil—or, as the Kingdom folk called it, the Blood Mage—a monstrous entity.

“This seat has been designed to call your name.”

With leisurely steps, it emerged from the shadows.

The wounds inflicted by Eugene were still raw.

Holes riddled its face and torso, unhealed and gaping.

“Aren’t you curious? How I know your name.”

Maserin let the question slide past one ear.

The sensations grew sharper: her wrists bound wide apart, her ankles fused together, and the pressure constricting her neck.

She was tied up, standing somewhere.

She hurriedly scanned her surroundings.

Beneath her feet lay tiered stone steps, like a platform.

Flickering torches sparsely illuminated a damp-stained stone wall, giving the impression of an altar deep underground.

The atmosphere was familiar to Maserin.

It resembled the lairs of the Crimson Flame Cult.

“Maren, why no response? I asked if you’re not curious. Why I know your name.”

Only then did Maserin’s gaze shift downward.

The Blood Devil stood below the platform, arrogantly tilting its chin.

“H-how…”

“This seat has allies. No, not allies—peers of equal standing, rather. Among them, there’s one whose tastes align well with mine. It taught me a certain technique. It’s modest but sufficient for a bit of amusement…”

The Blood Devil waved its hand in the air.

Ashen smoke, reminiscent of Maserin’s hair color, rose faintly and then dissipated.

“Maren, it has become this seat’s ritual before claiming humans with your kind of spirit. I can peer into the traces of a sacrifice’s life. Your memories were quite intriguing.”

Maserin turned her head aside. Perverted bastard.

“That brazen wench, Jewelina Gunbel—once my vigor returns, I ought to pay her a visit. She’s as clever as befits my descendant.”

“….”

“Look. Your life’s end is near, and not a single soul extends a hand to save you. Such is the nature of humans—so selfish, so lonely. What do you think, Maren? Was that girl’s words not true after all?”

“…Stop yapping and get it over with.”

The Blood Devil sneered.

How disappointing.

It would’ve been better if she’d fiercely denied reality or wailed in fear… if only she’d struggled a bit more.

Resignation, of all things.

“It’s gotten dull.”

To claim a mana wielder, even a Blood Devil must expend considerable effort.

Mana’s nature is notoriously tricky to handle.

The quantity, whether great or small, doesn’t matter.

The yield is meager compared to the labor, and when the prey slumps like this, even the slight thrill vanishes entirely.

Step.

The moment the Blood Devil took a step forward—

“…?”

It froze.

A cold sensation suddenly pierced its back.

The Blood Devil slowly turned its head.

Crack-crack-crack—

A fracture spread through the air.

From the web-like cracks, a bluish gas surged violently.

…!

The Blood Devil’s pupils flickered for an instant.

From within the dense mist, a faint silhouette gradually took form.

“You, you… How are you here…!”

Of course, it was Bihen.

Shaking off the blue vapor enveloping his body, he rolled his neck once.

The crisp sound of bones cracking echoed lightly.

“Got the right place.”

He smirked, his face still caked with dried bloodstains.

* * *

…That’s what I said, all high and mighty, but honestly, I’m in no shape to be cocky.

The shadows creeping into the edges of my vision are growing darker and closing in.

My breathing is erratic, too.

But I can’t back down.

I forced my eyes wide open.

“Blood Devil, you damn mosquito bastard. Don’t think you’ll die easy. I’ll crush you to a pulp.”

“Ha, haha…! Truly, a fine son of the Empire. Yes, that’s the spirit!”

All bravado till the end.

As I drew my sword, I finally noticed.

Maserin?

…Why’s she here?

Did she sense my gaze?

The Blood Devil spoke.

“No need to worry, descendant. I don’t stoop to something as vulgar as holding a sacrifice hostage.”

A sacrifice… I see.

Among our group, Maserin’s the only one with mana.

It seems mana greatly aids its regeneration.

She was kidnapped, then.

I’ll deal with the aftermath later.

Holding my sword, I locked eyes with the Blood Devil.

I can feel it—the pull.

My Ghost Eye slowly heated up.

Of all times, the burning pain in my eyeball struck when I needed to use my Eye Techniques.

Still.

If I endure this searing heat, I’ll find the answer, as always.

It’s been that way every time.

Frost Sword, Quake Earth.

Ghost Eye has always shown me the path of life and death, answering my desperate wishes.

Even before I lost consciousness, it was the same. I burned with obsession to uncover the secret of this bastard’s regeneration…

And for a moment, I glimpsed it.

Zzzzt.

I barely swallowed a groan.

A searing pain shot through me, as if the nerves connected to my eyeball were burning and snapping.

My body instinctively flinched.

I ended up covering my left eye with my hand.

Damn it, I can’t afford to go half-blind again.

“Hahahahaha! Yes, yes. Those wounds aren’t shallow. This isn’t something you can overcome with grit and willpower alone.”

“…What’re you blabbering about, you idiot?”

“Pfft, your tongue’s as sharp as ever.”

Come to think of it, I’ve never seriously pondered it.

What exactly is Ghost Eye?

The release of a grudge from my past life as a one-eyed man.

A new eye gained.

A miracle triggered only when my deepest desires and selfless will perfectly align?

That’s not all.

In that fleeting moment I attribute to heaven’s design, I add my own ingenuity.

Through Ghost Eye, I don’t just observe phenomena—I strive to pierce their essence.

Frost Sword came from understanding mana’s flow through Maserin’s ice magic.

Quake Earth from countering the malevolent energy rising from the ground.

The Blood Devil…

Ultimately, it’s a being made of blood.

For blood to flow, it needs a path.

That path is the flow of meridians.

So, its immortality ends when that path is severed.

I lowered the hand covering Ghost Eye.

Finally, I see it.

Over the dark silhouette, lines connected like constellations.

And at the end of those lines, a brilliant white Six-Pointed Star.

That’s it—the orbit connecting those Six-Pointed Stars…

That’s its lifeline.

Grip!

I tightened my hold on the sword and advanced.

The blood-soaked world finally turned upside down.

Whoosh—Stab!

I pierced the center of its forehead.

The Six-Pointed Stars at its neck, shoulders, chest, waist, and limbs were either faint or shattered.

This one was the only intact one.

…Eugene.

I gritted my teeth.

With my other hand, I supported the sword’s base and drove it deeper.

“Blood Deviiiiil—!”

“Krrghhh…!”

I gripped the hilt firmly, embedded in its forehead.

Blood dripped from the blade’s tip, which protruded through the back of its skull.

“Hmph, h-heh…”

Then it happened.

The cold laughter spilling from its lips sent a shiver through me.

“…Hahahahahahaha!”

The Blood Devil quietly placed its hand over mine, which clutched the hilt in its forehead.

Its expression was suddenly serious, as if it hadn’t just been cackling.

“Is this the end of your little tricks?”

“…!”

“Yes, that’s it. Those eyes, swollen with hope only to crumble in an instant. All this seat desired was to gaze upon your despair-filled eyes up close.”

Crunch.

Pressure surged from my hand. I couldn’t move.

“Can you even call that a sword? Your blade is useless against this seat. Earlier, I was merely inconvenienced by that bothersome old man. What good is seeing if you can’t reach?”

The Blood Devil’s lips slowly curled upward.

“The will of heaven granted to you ends right there.”

Boom!

I kicked off its torso, creating distance.

It let me go, calmly raising its single remaining arm before its face, as if in prayer, and began to chant.

“Blood Beast, Rakshasa.”

With the incantation, the Blood Devil’s body collapsed.

In place of its form, only a coagulated mass of blood remained.

The blood swelled rapidly, soon transforming into the shape of a massive fiend.

“Heaven-Breaking Cycle. The power gained by defying the heavens. You, who haven’t even reached the heavens, dare to challenge me?”

“….”

Its outline shimmered like blood boiling at high heat.

Its voice was the same, pressing down on the entire space.

Swish.

My sword arm went limp.

…The heavens, huh.

“I warned you, didn’t I? It’s only meaningful if you can change the outcome!”

Brandishing a scythe forged from blood, it charged.

I fixed my gaze on the Six-Pointed Star, which had shifted from its head to the center of its torso.

Well, I half-expected this.

Even with my Eye Techniques, a single strike might not land.

Honestly, it wasn’t just a possibility—it was a certainty.

Still, I had no choice.

I had to come here, and I don’t regret it one bit.

—Boss, I don’t know what’s gotten into you all of a sudden…

—This is straight-up treason, you know.

—Will this end the war? This isn’t some kids’ game.

—Ugh, a saint in the middle of a war. Just because you’re the Dragon in the Fog doesn’t mean you get to turn your comrades-in-arms into criminals.

—We’ve done enough. Let’s give up. If the Legion Commander finds out…

—Even if we do this,

—Nothing changes.

.

.

.

—Why choose a meaningless death?

Meaningless?

No. I just did what I’ve always done.

So, the answer was always within me.

Whoosh—!

“…!”

Its glowing eyes flickered for a moment.

I raised the sword, now blazing white, beside my face.

The warmth of the Sword Aura’s heat felt comforting against my skin.

“The will of heaven is right here.”

Downward slash, horizontal slash, thrust.

Steadfast, honest, upright.

No need for flair or deception.

First strike, I severed its arm.

Second strike, I cut its leg.

Third strike.

The blade, trailing a white light, tore through the blood.

…It evaporated. The Six-Pointed Star along with it.

That was the end.

·

·

·

Thud—

Like a lie, all traces of it vanished, leaving only a fist-sized ruby in its place.

“Haa, haa…”

I was on the verge of collapse.

No, half-dead might be more accurate.

Anyway, the eerie glow of the ruby irritated me in my fading vision.

For some reason, I suddenly thought it might be the Blood Devil’s true form.

Crack!

In my dazed state, I shattered the ruby.

Spitting out the blood pooling in my mouth, I picked up the two broken pieces and examined them closely.

The sheen was gone, but the color remained vivid red.

“Imperial…!”

Maserin approached just then.

She must’ve been freed when the Blood Devil was destroyed.

I had a lot of questions, but I didn’t have the energy for them now.

For now, I handed one of the ruby fragments to Maserin.

She took it, bewildered, her eyes asking why I was giving it to her.

“Go tell the Young Lady. The subjugation’s over.”

“…What? Th-then what about you…?”

“No energy to talk, so don’t argue.”

Your worth’s pretty high, isn’t it? I thought to myself. Gotta give the Young Lady, who’s probably wallowing in despair, some comfort, even if it’s just this.

Muttering internally, I grabbed Maserin by the scruff and dragged her to the Spatial Transfer Gate.

Even that took every ounce of strength I could muster.

“W-wait a second!”

“Shut up and go. I’ll handle myself.”

After all that trouble killing the Blood Devil, I wasn’t about to die now.

Maserin, who’d been resisting, suddenly turned back.

“…Thank you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh… Yeah, I’m already half-dead, and this girl’s spouting sappy nonsense.

That’s all it is.

Just that.

“She was looking for you desperately.”

“Huh?”

I shoved her in.

The Spatial Transfer Gate swallowed Maserin and vanished without a trace.

“…Your friend.”

Collapse.

The screams, the stench of blood, the clashing of blades…

The violent world faded as if it had never existed.

It’s quiet.

Is silence supposed to feel this heavy?

…Damn, it’s cold.

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