Kami tightened his grip around the mysterious sword resting in his hand.
Dark Blood.
That was the name the people of the castle whispered with fear and devotion alike.
A blade said to choose its own king—one that no unworthy soul could even lift.
Following the guidance of Eldric Vaelorn, the elder mage, Kami finally prepared himself to face the monster that had cursed this land for generations.
All around him, the villagers had already accepted the truth.
If Kami wielded Dark Blood, then fate itself had crowned him.
Their king.
Before stepping forward, Kami questioned the people carefully—every detail mattered.
"What does the monster look like?"
"Where can I find it?"
"And most importantly… how do I reach it without fighting those cursed flies?"
Eldric Vaelorn answered calmly, his ancient voice echoing through the hall.
"If the monster king falls," he said, "its servants—the flies—will vanish along with it."
Kami nodded. That was enough.
Just as he began forming a plan, a terrified scream echoed from outside the chamber.
A man burst through the doors, breathless and shaking.
"Th–Three monsters!" he cried.
"They've entered the castle!"
Kami's expression hardened.
Did killing one of them attract the others? he wondered.
Moments later, three figures walked into the room.
They didn't look like monsters.
In fact, anyone would mistake them for humans.
The villagers immediately drew their weapons, instincts screaming danger—but before anyone could strike, one of the newcomers raised his hands.
"Dude, relax," he said casually.
"We're on your side."
He pointed directly at Kami.
The entire room turned silent.
Kami frowned and instinctively glanced at Mizuki.
We came here together… so who are they?
Their clothes hinted they were from the same era as Kami and Mizuki—yet none of them had ever met before.
One of the three spoke again, lowering his voice.
"Listen. We've always been with them.
They just didn't know it."
Then he said a single name.
"Dr. Atom."
Kami's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know them?" he asked.
Instead of answering publicly, Kami pulled the three aside, whispering to them in secrecy.
After a brief exchange, Kami turned back to the crowd.
"These three are our allies," he announced.
"They were delayed, that's all."
He then introduced them one by one.
The first was a short, agile-looking man with sharp eyes.
"Sora."
The second was tall, handsome—yet his nervous posture gave away his timid nature.
"Megumi."
The third stood silently, cloaked in a grim reaper's mantle.
"Akuma."
A murmur spread through the hall.
Eldric Vaelorn smiled deeply.
"Our king is truly blessed," he declared.
"Even the god of death himself has come to aid him."
Kami burst out laughing.
"Oh no, no—he's human too," Kami said jokingly.
"Just… dressed a little differently."
Sora frowned.
"Dude, don't make fun of people like that."
Then paused.
"…But yeah, it does look funny."
Even Sora laughed.
Akuma, his face hidden beneath the cloak, spoke in a cold, emotionless voice.
"Go to hell."
Kami gathered his team and Mizuki aside.
"We fight the monster together," he said firmly.
"I don't know all your powers yet—and there's no time.
But I trust you. And I believe you'll help us win."
Before anyone could respond—
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the castle.
Then came a roar.
Not just any roar.
The roar of the Monster King.
Fear spread instantly.
Before anyone could react, something flew toward Eldric Vaelorn at terrifying speed.
Akuma moved first.
In a blink, he stood between the elder and the attack, summoning his scythe and blocking the strike effortlessly.
"The Monster King…" someone whispered.
Weapons appeared in flashes of light.
Dark Blood formed in Kami's hands.
Akuma's scythe gleamed with deathly aura.
Sora summoned a staff—ancient, elegant, powerful.
Mizuki stood unarmed, raw power surging around her.
Megumi remained still.
Then Akuma raised his hand.
For the first time, he used magic.
The ground cracked open.
Skeletons clawed their way out, rising as undead soldiers.
Kami, Sora, and Megumi stared in shock.
"That's insane…" Sora muttered.
"Focus," Mizuki snapped.
"Be impressed later."
Megumi slammed his foot into the ground.
A massive shield erupted from beneath the earth, towering taller than his own body.
Within its protective range, the team advanced.
They attacked together—but the Monster King vanished, darting through the air with terrifying speed.
Only Mizuki could match it.
For a few minutes.
She pushed herself beyond limits—but her mana drained rapidly.
Then something changed.
A strange sensation surged through her body.
Her speed doubled.
Red flames ignited beneath her feet.
The Monster King lost sight of her completely.
She circled it so fast that even its instincts failed.
In an instant—
Mizuki appeared behind it.
And kicked.
The Monster King's head separated from its body mid-air.
The battlefield fell silent.
The monster's servants turned to ash instantly, disappearing like they never existed.
Sora stared… then burst out laughing.
"Dude! That was the Monster King?"
"He died from a girl's kick!"
Tears filled the villagers' eyes.
After countless years, the nightmare was over.
They were finally free.
As cheers echoed through the castle, everyone turned toward Kami—
Their savior.
Their king..
Cheers filled the ancient halls of the castle.
For the first time in years, laughter replaced fear.
Tears streamed down the villagers' faces—not of sorrow, but relief.
They surrounded Kami, bowing deeply.
"You are our king," they said again and again.
"Please stay. Rule this land. This castle belongs to you."
Kami tried to explain.
He told them why he had come.
He spoke of broken time, of unanswered questions, of a journey still unfinished.
But no one listened.
Eldric Vaelorn stepped forward, his staff glowing faintly.
"This is destiny," the elder declared.
"A kingdom without a king has no meaning.
And fate itself has chosen you."
No matter how much Kami refused, the answer never changed.
Finally, he sighed.
"…Fine," Kami said.
"I'll stay."
Mizuki turned sharply toward him.
Why? her eyes asked.
We came here to fix the time problem.
Kami continued before she could speak.
"But my friends won't," he added firmly.
"They must continue their journey.
As king, I promise—nothing will stop them."
He glanced at Mizuki, Sora, Megumi, and Akuma and gave a subtle signal.
For now… go along with it.
Reluctantly, they nodded.
Morning sunlight spilled through the castle windows.
Eldric Vaelorn arrived at their chambers, accompanied by a man in a long coat—his eyes sharp, his presence calm yet curious.
"The arrangements are complete," Eldric said.
"Please come to the ground level."
The group followed him outside.
At the center of the courtyard stood something massive—completely covered by cloth.
Kami pulled the cloth away.
Everyone froze.
A car.
A real one.
Impossible for this era.
Gasps echoed through the courtyard.
Eldric smiled proudly.
"This is our greatest invention," he said.
"Designed for long journeys, comfort, and speed.
It was meant for the king."
Mizuki's eyes lit up like a child's.
She walked straight to the front and opened the hood.
"…There's no engine," she muttered.
Inside was only a pipe connected to a square metallic box.
The man beside Eldric stepped forward.
"My name is Kazehera Soma," he said.
"And this… is my creation."
Eldric raised his hand.
Lightning crackled around his fingers.
He pressed the energy directly into the box.
The car hummed.
Then roared to life.
The villagers stared in awe.
Though they didn't know its true name, one word spread instantly.
"Car."
Kami placed his hand on Mizuki's shoulder.
"You all go ahead," he said.
"From today, I'm the king of this land.
You are my responsibility—and I won't let anything happen to you."
Flowers were thrown.
Blessings followed.
Akuma sat casually on top of the car.
Sora and Megumi took the back seat.
Mizuki sat in the driver's seat, gripping the wheel with excitement.
The car rolled forward.
The villagers waved as it exited the village.
Then Mizuki noticed something.
People were running toward them, shouting.
She slowed down.
A voice echoed—
"Don't stop! Let them go!"
The voice came from the back.
The trunk opened.
Kami emerged, smiling awkwardly.
"I hid back here," he said.
"Didn't want to deal with emotional speeches."
For a moment—silence.
Then Mizuki's face broke into a wide smile.
"You idiot," she said softly.
She pressed the accelerator.
The car surged forward, leaving the kingdom behind.
Ahead of them—
A new journey.
New questions.
And a future no one could predict.