A palace covering an area of about five square kilometers.
The largest and tallest structure in human history, the Imperial Palace is the result of over 100,000 mages and more than 1 million laborers over 14 years.
It consists of a total of six palaces, and the First Emperor Palace (始皇殿), which rises at the innermost center, shows the true pinnacle of architectural beauty.
A place of splendor, grandeur, and nobility.
It was supposed to be the residence of the emperor, but it was currently home to the first crown prince.
And now a hound, freshly drenched from the storm and wind, stood in front of the First Emperor Palace.
Vikir.
The veteran, who had crossed countless lines of fire, looked up at the signboard of First Emperor Palace with a bitter expression.
The one he had once been blindly loyal to. The ultimate master. A majestic existence that even the great Hugo had paid allegiance to.
But now, this place was just a demon's playground.
BANG!
Vikir smashed through the massive front gate.
In the old days, this would have been a capital offense that would have gotten him executed immediately, but no one cared about that now.
No man's land, a desolate battlefield that seemed to have been cut off from human contact long ago.
Vikir walked through the chilly central hall and headed straight for the interior.
Soon, the Emperor's throne room came into view.
Up the craggy staircase, a figure sat on the throne, looking down at Vikir.
Red hair, pale skin. A pair of cold eyes and a high, sharp nose.
The First Crown Prince, Golding Jack Meridew, the little sun of the Empire, sat there.
Unexpectedly, he smiled broadly at Vikir and waved.
"Oh my– it's been a long journey and you've had a hard time, Mr. Demon Hunter."
His tone is casual despite his appearance, but the meaning behind his words is anything but casual.
Vikir did not reply, but Prince Meridew continued in his own jovial tone.
"I apologize for coming all this way and not being able to offer you a cup of tea. All the people are dead, and I'm the only one in this big palace. How lonely it is."
"...."
"This is the first time we've met in person, isn't it? I think I've sent you a few commendations, but the first time was when you saved Morg's life on the Red and Black Mountain, I believe?"
"...."
"Oh, yeah. What was her name? Camus? Camus, yes, Camus. She had a really pretty face and a really nice body. For a girl, she had skills. I fell in love with her at first sight, so I debated marrying her several times, but it all ended. Is there a guy who has already made up his mind? I'm so jealous of this~"
"...."
"Oh, I see, that's a sideways glance. Anyway, I thought you were dead then, though of course you came back alive and well. And when was the next time I saw you, when you were writing your thesis on Killer Ants at the Colosseo Academy?"
"...."
"Ugh- I tried to meet you in person back then, but I was turned down. Probably because you were undercover or something, right, right?"
"...."
"I wanted to go to the Colosseo Academy to check in person because I thought he was that friend of the Baskervilles, but I was so busy with work that I forgot. If I had known it would be like this, I should have gone and at least forced myself to meet you. right? huh-"
Vikir raised his hand to cut the crown prince off at the continued chatter.
teong-
Vikir pulled the chain and set the coffin on the floor.
The crown prince smirked at the coffin Vikir carried.
"What's with the coffin? Did you come prepared to die, or something? It's old-fashioned. You're a bit old-fashioned for your age, you know."
"I came to end the war."
At Vikir's words, the crown prince's mouth quirked up in an amused expression.
"End the war? Oh, you mean the civil war? Geez~ Why do you all keep looking for my brother when he's already missing?"
"...."
"Yeah, well, I've heard about the Leviathan family, I'm sorry to hear that, but the Second Prince that the other factions are pushing for is long gone. I'm the only one with legitimate ancestry, so who becomes the Emperor?"
"...."
"Why don't you come under me? It's better to be a public figure than to be a traitor, and the stigma of being a usurper is a bit much, don't you think?"
The crown prince's words were bizarre.
They were so far removed from reality that they felt foreign.
The lines that didn't fit the situation or the mood seemed to go on and on and on, like the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Vikir finally bared his teeth in response to a series of questions.
"I have no interest in quarrels between humans."
"Oh? A declaration of neutrality? But isn't it human nature to eventually take sides?"
"Yes. That's what humans are, and that's why they can't be demon dogs."
Vikir's words were decisive.
[....]
With that last line as a turning point, the black and white masturbation in the crown prince's eyes changed colors.
His voice, too, began to take on an eerie tone.
[Hohohoho- Okay, I've had enough of this bullshit for now].
"...."
[Oh, but one more thing. The Kraken is a rare creature, that guy is a rare species that is hard to find even in the depths of the world. Originally, I was planning to make it into a spirit beast, but I just released it into the sea.]
"...."
[Did it fight that spider? Wow, that would have been a great picture… It's rare to see a battle of that magnitude even on the mainland. When did that tiny spider get so big? Did it absorb the poison and fraud that were signs before destruction? I never thought it would grow bigger than its mother. ...]
The crown prince, showing his true colors, but still chatty.
Vikir, of course, had no intention of joining in the chatter.
4th Form spewed out like breath.
kwakwakwakwang!
Vikir's blow smashed through the throne.
[What the hell, did you really come here to fight?]
But the crown prince was undeterred.
He clapped his hands in genuine panic and tried to calm Vikir down.
[Okay, okay, let's have a conversation!]
"Demons kill...."
[Demons kill, right? I get it, just calm down for a second, I've got something interesting for you to talk about, too!]
The crown prince was still chatty.
Finally, he brought up something that made Vikir stop in his tracks.
[You. I called you.]
"...!"
Vikir's eyes widened slightly.
The crown prince, not missing a beat, spoke up.
[It means I was the one who brought you back.]
Vikir was confused for a moment.
...A regression to kill a demon was caused by a demon?
At first glance, the logic didn't make sense at all.
But the crown prince seemed to be sincere.
[The reason I wanted to regress you to meet with me was because I have something to ask you.]
"Something to ask?"
[Yes.]
The crown prince nodded, and then spoke in a serious tone.
[My brother. Where is he?]
Vikir's eyes narrowed at the question.
The crown prince smiles wryly and continues.
[I thought you might know who and where my brother is, for when I looked into the future, I saw nothing but a dying brother. And you were the last link in his dying bond.]
"...."
[And there was only one scene in the future that brought you back: me waiting in the imperial palace, and you, dragging the coffin. You clearly said, 'I brought your half-body,' so I waited patiently, so that you would come here exactly as I had foreseen, with information about my brother.]
The point is simple.
Andras realized that his brother and Vikir were linked by a bond.
He foresaw that if he brought Vikir back, he would one day bring information about his brother to him.
That was the beginning of all this.
A strange superpower that allows him to see the future.
All descendants of the imperial family, descended from the first emperor who was a prophet and astrologer, have this kind of uncanny ability.
'I'm pretty sure that's what Hohenheim of Magic Tower told me when I played against him in the old university league.'
So there was a good chance that what the crown prince was saying now wasn't a lie.
Vikir thought to himself.
'...He's a good person.'
A strange sound flashed through Vikir's ears.
It was a voice he had heard many times before.
It was a voice that brought back memories of his pre-regression days.
And the moment Vikir heard it, the crown prince's expression changed drastically.
[Yes, the blood of the First Emperor boils in my veins. Oooh- I see it again, my brother's future. My brother's words as he lay dying miserably!]
"...."
[I can tell, you are definitely related to my brother. Who is it? Where is it? Just tell me that].
The crown prince repeatedly asked.
But Vikir didn't answer the questions.
"Why should I answer your questions? What is it you really want?"
[You're a fool. There's no reason for me to seek out my brother].
"Bullshit. I already know that your body is not a typical structure."
It's impossible to take his word for it.
The crown prince sighed heavily at Vikir's retort.
[You're right, I have two bodies, and it is my task to unite them.]
"...."
[Of course, I didn't expect you to just cooperate with me, so I had a reward in mind for your cooperation].
Then, the Crown Prince spoke up.
[I know because I have seen the future. That you were involved in my brother's final moments before his return. So, all you have to do is tell me the identity and location of my younger brother.]
"...."
[In return, I promise you one thing].
The Crown Prince then held a mirror before Vikir's eyes.
"...!"
Vikir's eyes widened.
Inside was a world after destruction.
The land had been scorched, but the trees had begun to grow again.
It rained, and there were oceans and rivers again.
There were people, though few in number.
They had overcome their miserable past and were rebuilding a happy life, spreading their offspring again.
Among them, of course, were familiar faces that Vikir knew.
They were comrades-in-arms who had crossed the line of fire together.
The original world was in the mirror. The original world that Vikir had lived in, before the regression.
The crown prince said.
[After your death, the world turned out just fine. In the final war, the demons lost and the humans won. The human realm is in ruins, but the survivors are rebuilding it].
"...."
[But it won't be easy, for too many heroes died during the War of Destruction, and now there aren't many people who can handle mana, and they need powerful heroes who can.]
People who can rebuild happiness after the end of the Age of Destruction.
If Vikir could return to his original world, he would be able to make a tremendous contribution to the humanity of his original world.
[I want to know who my brother is. Where he is now. Just tell me that. Then I will send you back to your original world. And I will allow you to see the faces of those you miss. I may even be able to bring some of them back to life, if you name them. It would be a stretch to bring the entire human race back to life, but it's certainly possible].
It was a radical offer.
However.
"I decline."
Vikir cut off the crown prince's offer with a single word.
The prince didn't even bother to look surprised.
"I am well aware that you are not capable of such a thing. 'Andras. Marquis of Discord'."
And at the same time.
[...Amazing].
One corner of the crown prince's mouth twitched.
And then.
Kurrrrr!
A black flame engulfed the crown prince's entire body.
Every trace of human skin had been burned, revealing the hideous malice that lurked within.