The village stood in absolute silence.
Kami and Mizuki slowly walked forward, their footsteps echoing faintly against the stone path.
Not a single human voice could be heard. No children playing. No elders talking. No animals roaming.
Yet… the village was beautiful.
Neatly built houses, clean streets, blooming flowers along the paths—everything looked alive, but the people were gone.
The silence felt wrong. Too perfect. Too heavy.
"Something isn't right," Mizuki whispered, her eyes scanning the surroundings.
Kami nodded. His hand instinctively moved closer to the hilt of his sword.
They walked deeper into the village.
And then—
Kami suddenly stopped.
Mizuki followed his gaze.
A body lay ahead.
A lifeless corpse sprawled on the ground.
Dozens of black flies swarmed over it, covering the body completely. The low, disturbing buzzing filled the air.
As Kami looked closer, his stomach twisted.
"They're… drinking blood," he muttered.
For two seconds, both of them stood frozen.
Then the flies noticed them.
The buzzing grew louder.
The swarm lifted from the corpse and rushed toward them like a dark cloud.
"Run!" Kami shouted.
They turned and ran.
But the flies were fast—too fast.
Mizuki clenched her teeth, grabbed Kami's hand tightly, and activated her power.
In the next moment, the world blurred.
They shot forward at impossible speed, buildings flashing past them like shadows. Wind tore against their bodies as Mizuki pulled Kami along, her super speed pushing them beyond human limits.
Still—
The flies followed.
Relentless. Endless.
Ahead, large torches burned brightly.
A massive castle emerged from the darkness, towering over the village like a silent guardian—or a prison.
Mizuki didn't hesitate.
She rushed inside the castle with Kami.
The moment they crossed the entrance—
The flies stopped.
They hovered outside the invisible boundary, buzzing angrily, but none of them dared to cross inside.
Kami glanced back, confused.
"They can't enter?"
The castle interior was dark and cold.
Before they could react—
Something attacked.
From the shadows, multiple figures rushed at them.
Kami instantly summoned his mysterious sword.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Every attack was blocked effortlessly. Sparks flew as steel met the dark blade. Kami's movements were sharp and controlled.
The attackers screamed in panic.
"It's a monster!"
"Run!"
They fled deeper into the castle.
Kami and Mizuki stayed alert, moving forward carefully.
Soon, they entered a large hall.
Dozens of people stood there—men and women holding weapons, their faces tense and fearful.
It was clear.
They had been waiting.
Kami raised his hand slightly.
"Stop," he said calmly. "We're not your enemies."
He explained everything—how the flies attacked them, how they ran, and how they entered the castle to survive.
"We are humans. Just like you," Kami said firmly.
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Then—
An old man stepped forward.
He looked weak, his body thin, his hair completely white. His eyes, however, were sharp and heavy with countless years.
He stared at Kami for a long moment.
Silence filled the hall.
Finally, the old man spoke.
"Let them come inside."
He coughed violently and slowly sat down on a chair behind him.
Kami stepped forward, but immediately several people blocked his path, raising their weapons. Fear filled their eyes.
"He might be a monster!"
"He came for our master!"
The old man raised his hand.
"Do not fear," he said. "They are human. They are no threat to us."
Though the people lowered their weapons slightly, their eyes never left Kami and Mizuki.
Kami bowed his head respectfully.
"Sir… why are all of you hiding here? And those flies outside—what are they?"
He clenched his fists.
"The village is so beautiful… but this feels like hell."
Suddenly, a man from the crowd shouted angrily,
"Watch your tone! You are standing before Eldric Vaelorn!"
Kami froze.
"I'm sorry," he said immediately. "I didn't know."
Eldric Vaelorn slowly nodded.
Then he began to speak.
"Many years ago… when I was still young," Eldric said, his voice trembling, "a monster attacked our kingdom."
The hall fell silent.
"Our king entrusted me with the duty of protecting these people. He went to fight that monster himself… and never returned."
Pain flickered in Eldric's eyes.
"The monster returned instead."
He pointed toward the ceiling.
"He created a border around this castle. The flies you saw… they serve him."
Mizuki's eyes widened.
"If anyone tries to escape the castle," Eldric continued, "the flies kill them outside the border."
A chill ran down Kami's spine.
"We are his livestock," Eldric whispered.
"He calls me whenever he desires… because he wants to eat me."
Gasps echoed through the hall.
"These people sacrifice themselves to keep me alive," Eldric said. "When we first came here, there were many more of us… but now—"
His voice broke.
"Many died because of him… or perhaps because of me."
"No!"
"It's not your fault!"
"We'll protect you!"
The crowd shouted together, tears in their eyes.
Kami clenched his fists.
"Did you never try to fight back?" he asked.
The crowd grew quiet.
One man spoke softly,
"We tried… once. Our strongest warriors fought alongside us."
He looked down.
"That day… was their last."
Silence consumed the hall.
Kami's anger burned like fire.
"Tell me where that monster is," he said coldly.
"I'll kill him."
The crowd panicked instantly.
"Are you insane?!"
"If the monster gets angry, we'll all die!"
Before the argument could continue—
A heavy presence filled the hall.
A creature entered.
One of the monster's servants.
Eldric's face turned pale.
"Hide," he whispered urgently to Kami and Mizuki.
The servant walked straight toward Eldric and spoke in a cruel voice,
"Today… you come with me."
The monster's servant stood tall, its shadow stretching across the hall.
Its skin was pale and twisted, its eyes empty and cruel. The air around it felt heavy, suffocating.
Without hesitation, it walked straight toward Eldric Vaelorn.
"Today," the creature said, its voice sharp like broken glass,
"you come with me."
The crowd froze.
Several villagers rushed forward, desperation in their eyes.
"Please—take one of us instead!"
"Leave Eldric alone!"
The servant didn't even look at them.
In a single swift motion—
Slash.
Blood sprayed across the floor.
One body fell.
Then another.
Screams echoed through the hall.
Kami's hands trembled.
His teeth clenched.
"Stop…" Mizuki whispered, sensing the storm inside him.
But it was too late.
The servant raised its blade again—
And in that instant—
A dark blade appeared in Kami's hand.
The Mystery Sword.
Its presence alone silenced the room.
Kami moved.
One step.
One strike.
The servant didn't even realize what had happened.
Its body split cleanly in half and collapsed onto the floor.
The hall went silent.
Blood pooled beneath the corpse.
The villagers stared in disbelief.
Eldric Vaelorn stood frozen.
His eyes were locked onto the sword.
Tears slowly filled them.
"That sword…" he whispered.
Eldric's body trembled.
Then—
He stood up from his chair.
Slowly.
With effort.
And before anyone could react—
He bowed.
He knelt before Kami.
Gasps filled the hall.
No one had ever seen Eldric Vaelorn bow to anyone.
If Eldric bowed…
Then it could only mean one thing.
The villagers followed.
One by one, they knelt.
Kami panicked.
"P-Please don't do this. Get up!"
But Eldric raised his head, tears streaming down his face.
"I have waited for you," he said, his voice breaking.
"For so many years… I wondered when you would come. How you would come.
And whether I would still be alive to see you."
Kami shook his head.
"What are you talking about?"
Eldric stood and gestured for Kami to follow him.
They entered a small, isolated room away from the crowd.
Eldric collapsed onto his knees again, crying openly.
"That sword you hold…" he said, pointing.
"It belongs to our king."
Kami froze.
"It is not just a weapon," Eldric continued.
"It is our kingdom's greatest legacy. Passed from one ruler to the next since ancient times."
He looked directly into Kami's eyes.
"No ordinary human can lift it.
And evil beings cannot even approach it."
Eldric swallowed hard.
"Our king named it 'Dark Blood.'"
Mizuki's breath caught.
"The king left with that sword to fight the monster," Eldric said softly.
"He said there was a reason behind its name… a truth he would reveal when he returned."
His fists tightened.
"But he never came back."
Eldric took a deep breath.
"You wield that sword now," he said firmly.
"That means fate has chosen you."
Kami's mind went blank.
"You are our new king."
Silence.
Mizuki looked at Kami in shock.
"This… can't be real," Kami muttered.
Eldric grabbed Kami's hands desperately.
"Please," he begged.
"After all these years of waiting… do not abandon us."
His voice cracked.
"These people are alive only because they believed someone like you would come."
Kami gently helped Eldric stand.
His eyes burned with determination.
"I don't know about fate," Kami said.
"But I won't turn my back on people who need help."
He clenched the Dark Blood sword.
"I will help you."
Eldric broke down in tears again.
Outside, Eldric stood before the crowd once more.
His voice echoed through the hall, stronger than ever.
"People of the castle," he declared,
"this is our new king."
Gasps turned into cheers.
"The one who will free us from this hell!"
Hope—something long forgotten—returned to their eyes.
Kami stood silently.
But inside—
A war had begun.
And somewhere beyond the border—
The real monster was watching.
End of Chapter