In desolate, dark fields ravaged by the chaos of battle, a solitary Knight sat silently on the ashen ground. Before him were thousands of dismembered Demon bodies with gallons of blood scattered throughout the scorched earth. The sky above had been dyed in a deep, velvet red, covering the stars and Moon.
It was fitting that the skies were covered by red dust as it covered the eyes of heaven while the deadly bloodshed was executed. The Knight was drenched from head to toe with dense, putrid blood, and the stench coming from his grimy armour would paralyse the noses of any living, breathing human. However, he was utterly calm and undisturbed.
Deep scars were carved throughout his robust body, and even his handsome face had been pierced with the aftermath of constant war. His shining golden eyes, as bright as the Luminaries above, now hid a dark, murky hue. His black hair had shown signs of decay as silverly whites began taking over his scalp.
The Knight wasn't just tired from this battle. He was fatigued from years of constant combat and shouldering the weight of a species on his shoulders.
And yet, he didn't give up.
After a brief rest, the Knight picked up his treasured black sword and slipped his toes down the mountain of corpses. Although he had eradicated all the monsters that invaded his realm, he could never be too sure. Amongst the Demon Army, there were Greater Demons that could terrorise what little settlements humanity had left. If he wanted to save humanity from any more harm, the more Demons he could kill, the better.
But fortunately, the Knight wasn't alone.
"Amon, don't worry about the clean-up."
A voice resonated from Amon's back as a small group of hooded figures approached him. They were small in number, but the amount of mana they each possessed was equivalent to Hyades's top elites before the Demonic Invasion. Hearing their leader's words, the individuals at the back leapt into action and cleared the path. They searched relentlessly, leaving no stone unturned. Only when Amon saw his back was covered did he finally let his body rest by collapsing onto the cold, slippery floor.
"I'm sorry for not coming sooner. We were obstructed during the evacuation."
"No need, you came just in time."
Amon had spent everything he had eradicating the Demon army. It was a miracle that he could remain standing even after going through hell and back.
"I'm spent… Let me rest for a moment. I will help after fifteen minutes."
"... no, you've done plenty."
The hooded woman replied with a tinge of exasperation in her voice. She gazed across the entire ashen grounds and marvelled at the number of dead Demons, unable to comprehend how Amon had cleared the plague. Greater Demons, Named Demons and even Demons Aristocrats were mixed into the group, making the army far more powerful than anything humanity's greatest forces could manage.
Even if they gathered all the elites left of humanity, it was questionable if they could annihilate the entire Demon army.
And yet, it was all done by one man.
"Are you injured?" Rather than tend to his grievous wounds, Amon the Great asked the woman in the hood a worried question.
The woman's heart warmed at the blatant concern in the former metal-hearted man. However, she knew that his worry didn't come from romantic love but from the fear that a comrade would fall right before his eyes. Nevertheless, she smiled and removed her hood, unveiling her gaunt and decrepit face.
Thin beyond belief, the woman seemed to be on the verge of malnourishment. One of her ruby eyes had been eternally closed, and multiple scars crisscrossed her bony face. Yet, even with all the defects, anyone could tell she was an ethereal beauty. Although she was not in the pink of health, she was unquestionably one of the most gorgeous women on the planet.
"Thanks for your worry… Other than exhausting my mana, I'm fine."
"Excessive mana exhaustion can lead to death too. After today, you should take a break from using magic, Yue."
Amon addressed his most trusted ally with a thin grimace.
"I could say the same to you."
Yue protested with a snort.
"I'm different. My body is that of Solaris. It won't break that easily. Besides, I'm only using my mana during battles. You're creating protection spells, managing the settlements, fighting Demons and even researching the Mysterious Grimoire. Your body is too fragile to keep up with the demand."
"... okay, I'll take a break."
Yue had a variety of retorts. However, she kept them all to herself as she knew Amon was the one pushing themselves more than anyone else. Arguing against Hyades' Hero was nothing short of idiocy.
"At least stop researching the Mysterious Grimoire. It has proven to be a dead end. You're just wasting precious resources when we could eradicate the Demons and save more lives."
"... understood."
Yue answered with an affirmative, but Amon could tell that she didn't mean it. Not wanting to become a nagging parent, Amon simply sighed and threw his back onto the floor to fully relax his body.
"All this nagging is unlike me… I feel like I'm turning into my sister."
"... you never talked about her." The svelte woman widened her eyes as she rested beside Amon for a brief moment. "Come to think of it, you never mentioned her even once!"
"What's there to talk about? I failed to save her, just like I did the rest."
Amon sat up from the bloodied floor and removed his armour. The horrid stench of sweat, grime, and blood proliferated in the air, making it unbearable for an average human to remain near the Knight. Yet, Yue remained with glistening eyes.
"I see… What was she like?"
"..."
Filled with bitterness and sorrow, Amon's eyes turned cold. He hesitated about opening up to his companion for many years, not because he didn't trust her, but because of the inner turmoil of his heart. However, it wasn't long until he came to a firm decision.
"Kind… Bubbly and kind." Amon declared. "She was constantly teasing and nagging me, asking me not to push myself too hard. And perhaps, she was one of the few people who understood me, even when I was unaware of who I was myself."
The coldness in Amon's heart melted away as he warmly recollected his deceased sister.
"She sounds nice… I would have loved to meet and pamper her…"
"Unfortunately, you can't… She's now just a memory…"
"..."
Silence descended upon the pair as they gazed silently up at the reddened clouds. Demonic energy ruled the empyrean and an invisible pressure mounted on all children of Hyades. Even now, the pair were weakened by the powers of the Demonic Dimension.
Yet, Amon felt a wave of nostalgia brush upon his mind.
"Come to think of it, the day I lost her… it was a bloodied sky like this one."
"... what happened?"
"..."
Once again, Amon fell silent. However, just like before, the cold-blooded killer opened his heart and recollected: "I was young and foolish. I'd just gotten my sword during the Sword Bestowment Ceremony and believed that I could resolve everything as I did in my previous life. But, my recklessness cost her life."
"..."
Yue remained silent as Amon's tone remained sombre. Even though his voice was still stagnant, she could feel the brewing wrath bubbling within the pits of his stomach. Remorse and anger were present in his tone as he spat out the vengeful words.
"The Blood Demon. Of all the Demons in the world, I want its head the most."
❖❖❖
The aftermath of the Sword Bestowment Ceremony was turned into mayhem. Not only was Ascalon, the Holy Sword, summoned for the first time in thousands of years, but Sword Garden was also destroyed by the sudden appearance of a foreign sword. Solfea was in an uproar as the festive season was spiced up with more events beyond anyone's expectations.
Recording crystals depicting the scenes were sold at unbelievable prices, and everyone on the street was either talking about or imagining the Sword Bestowment Ceremony. Many lamented that they couldn't witness the epic event with their own eyes, and those who were present became instant celebrities.
However, while the masses' imaginations were stirred, the Solaris House's higher-ups had throbbing headaches just thinking about how to handle the issue.
"First, Elder Horas… Now, Ascalon and that young'un who summoned the foreign sword… I think I'm too old for this shit."
The Solaris Patriarch, Alrock, sat solemnly at the head of a stone round table, his voice lowered by one register. Surrounding him were his most trusted advisors and Knights, as well as several High Elders who ran the entire Solaris House.
It had been two days since the Sword Bestowment Ceremony. Almost every influential member of the Solaris House was present in this chamber, actively participating in this ongoing emergency meeting. The destruction of Sword Garden was one thing… Ascalon's appearance alone foreshadowed a drastic change in the world, potentially the advent of a new Great War.
"My Lord, Archbishop Araquiel has sent word. They wish to send a procession to seek an audience with the newly appointed Hero."
"Tsk, that slimy old bastard won't let us catch our breath."
Alrock clicked his tongue in annoyance. While Ascalon was wholly owned by the Solaris House, due to its sensitive connection to Goddess Hyades, the Holy Church did have a right to meet and revere the Holy Sword. At the same time, they would do anything in their power to pull this generation's Hero to their side, even if meant antagonising the Solaris House.
Such was the influence of the Holy Sword.
"My Lord, shall we reject them?" One of Alrock's advisors nervously asked.
"No, we have no right to do such a thing. However, we can delay them. Tell them that the Hero is still recovering from his injuries and will not meet any new visitors for the next two weeks. That should buy us enough time to plan how we should proceed."
"U-Understood!"
Alrock rapidly drafted a letter for the Archbishop while moving on to the next subject. Given their sensitive time frame, there wasn't much time to rest.
"Meanwhile, Custodian… How is Leon faring?"
The Solaris Lord addressed the only being that was of equal standing to himself. The Custodian of Sword Garden, as well as the oldest creature in the Solaris House, stood absent-mindedly in a corner while listening in on all of the jibber-jabber occurring before it.
It remained quiet until it was being addressed, and even then, the spiritual being appeared disinterested as it replied.
"He's doing well. I've been testing his abilities and proficiency with the Holy Sword. As expected, he has bonded with Ascalon well. There's no question that he's the next chosen one."
"I see…"
Alrock folded his arms with furrowed brows. Mixed feelings were flowing through his mind. On one hand, he's proud and delighted that his grandson had summoned Ascalon, the greatest sword in history and had become the undisputed Hero of this generation. On the other hand, as the Solaris Lord, he feared what Ascalon's appearance represented.
"The Republic has been recording a higher number of Demonic appearances… does it have any relation with this?"
Ascalon has only appeared twice in human history. Once, during the Great Dragon War, when the Solaris Founder used the mighty sword to slay Dragons and end the global conflict, transferring the mantle of responsibility from Dragons to Humans.
The second time was during the Great Demon War. When Demons invaded from another dimension, the Solaris Saint summoned Ascalon and saved humanity once again.
Each time the Holy Sword appeared, it was a sign that hard times were about to come. And there was no indication that this time would be no different.
"Unclear, my Lord… But we can't keep Leon sheltered for much longer. Since Ascalon has found a new wielder, we must train him just in case of a calamity."
"That we will do."
Alrock was going to train Leon whether he obtained Ascalon or not. Ignoring the Holy Sword, Leon's unique constitution, and the potential to condense Eighty-One Suns was enough for Alrock to pour all his resources into training him.
"Custodian… I'll be counting on you."
"Not to worry, Ascalon has always been my responsibility. It would be my pleasure to train the successor."
"... thank you."
The respectful manner that the astral being used to address Leon threw everyone in the chambers for a loop. The Custodian had never addressed anyone with such respect before. Even when talking to Alrock, at best the Custodian would pay lip service, and never treat him too seriously.
Nevertheless, there was no one better to train Leon at the moment. Ascalon has only been summoned twice, and other than the Custodian, no one present was alive to witness its full majesty. At the very least, the Custodian would give Leon basic blueprints of handling the Heroic-grade sword, better than anyone else in the Solaris House.
Taking a moment to recover from the shock, Alrock coughed several times before switching topics.
"S-So, how's the restoration of Sword Garden?"
"Almost complete. By nightfall, the barrier should be recreated, and operations would resume as normal."
The Custodian replied lazily as if it wasn't his domain to care for. However, as Alrock continued with the next topic, its fish-like eyes sparkled with excitement beyond anything the Solaris Lord had seen before.
"Then, what about the other young'un's sword? Have you figured out its identity?"
"Curious… It is a curious oddity, indeed." The Custodian spoke fondly of the sword and continued: "A foreign sword from another dimension. Not only that, it instantly bonded to the young boy's soul, creating a connection that not even I could sever. It's as if… it was always part of the boy's soul."
"For it to destroy Sword Heaven… what grade is that sword?"
"By the grading system of our world, it should only be a Fabled-grade sword. But, for it to travel dimensions, it should at least be a Mythic… It may even be Heroic-grade."
"Heroic-grade?! The same as Ascalon?!"
One of the High Elders yelled.
"Yes, indeed… Curious, isn't it?"
The Custodian mused.
"The appearance of a new Heroic-grade would send the world into a frenzy. Now that the Solaris House could potentially own two Heoric-grades, they would attempt to poach one of them away."
Another Elder instantly saw into the future and predicted the fate of the Solaris House. The higher-ups all stared at the Solaris Lord, giving him yet another migraine.
"The Holy Church would attempt to steal Leon away… To make matters worse, he already has a connection from his prior apprenticeship under the Head Paladin."
If someone asked Leon what organisation he had more loyalty to, the Holy Church or the Solaris House? There was no need to question, he would choose the Holy Chuch. Leon spent most of his formative years there, forging connections with many influential figures in the Hyarum. His first mentor, his best friends, and even his love interest… they were all part of the Holy Church.
It may be difficult for the Solaris House to keep him within their grasp.
"Amon too… Now that his talent is revealed to the world, the Elune House may do everything in their power to recruit him into their fold."
While Amon certainly had more loyalty to the Solaris House, his engagement to the heir of the Elune House proved to be a major hurdle. The Elune House was definitely not willing to let Yue marry into the Solaris House. Before, it was likely that Amon would marry into the Elune House, but now, the situation has changed drastically.
"We don't have any standing to keep him here either… Shit, I feel bad for the young'un but we'll need to postpone their wedding. At least until we can sort out this pile of mess."
Unbeknownst to Yue, her dream wedding was in jeopardy at this very moment. If she was present, the girl would unquestionably be screaming and shouting, protesting the idiocy of this decision. Alas, she was stupidly staying by her fiancé's side with a blissful smile.
"It really is one thing after another…"
Grabbing a hold of his white hair, Alrock could feel his scalp itching and hair dropping. Heaving a large sigh, he muttered the words at the top of his mind, not caring that there were dozens of people in the room.
"Fuck, I should retire soon."