Eight hours earlier—From afar, a mounted figure began to emerge faintly through the hot haze of dust. A guard stationed atop the high watchtower squinted, recognizing the silhouette of the knight who had been ordered by Blard that very morning to report back to the palace.Wasting no time, he rang the warning bell—the metallic clang echoed through the air, signaling the two guards at the city's main gate to prepare for the approaching arrival.
"Open the gate!!"
Seeing the palace gates slowly begin to part, the mounted soldier took a deep breath and lashed his reins."Hyah!!" he shouted, urging his horse to go faster, kicking up clouds of dust that trailed behind the beast's swift hooves over the stone-paved road.
He passed through the gate without so much as a glance, let alone a salute, to the two guards standing on either side of the city entrance."Oi! Slow down a bit—ugh, cough, cough!!" one of the guards choked, the dust kicked up by the galloping horse filling his throat."Wasn't he... one of the frontline troops who set out at dawn?" he muttered, watching the rider's back gradually disappear into the haze of dust.
Inside the Eternal Light Order's Palace
In the royal dining hall, the atmosphere proceeded as usual. King Albrecht Valeblanc sat calmly, eating bread and smoked meat alongside Queen Isolde Vernhilde and the rest of the royal family. Servants moved back and forth, carrying tea and warm soup—doing their best to act normal, even as thick black smoke could be seen rising like a pillar into the sky from the eastern window.
Seraphina Valeblanc sat in silence by the window, her eyes fixed on the column of black smoke spiraling high into the sky. The image of destruction weighed heavily on her chest, and unease was etched clearly across her graceful face.She clutched the edge of her gown tightly—not out of fear, but from a fury and resolve she could not release. Her desire to act, to bring justice... was restrained by the king's absolute command.
"There is nothing to worry about. We've already sent Aide Blard—he knows exactly what needs to be done," said King Albrecht calmly, wiping his mouth after finishing his last bite."Besides, there's that accused man named Dann… along with the weapon that, they say, can destroy the Demon King."
Seraphina said nothing. She continued to gaze out the window, letting her thoughts sink into unspoken worry.But in her heart, she murmured, "It's impossible… You must know he's lying. And you've deliberately chosen to let him die on the battlefield. I know what kind of man Father is."
The horse came to an abrupt halt in front of the palace gates, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air. The soldier leapt down without hesitation, his breath ragged and hurried.
"Urgent report for the King! Please—let me through immediately!" he shouted to the four guards on duty, his voice rushed and nearly breaking between gasps for air.
"Varcus! Why are you in such a hurry? What's the situation in the eastern village?" one of the guards asked, his face tense with concern.
"I don't have time to explain in detail…" Varcus panted, his voice nearly swallowed by his own breath.
"The situation is bad—really bad. That accused man, Dann… he's a complete fraud! Before the battle even began, he collapsed and lost consciousness!"
The news made the other three guards exchange glances, their faces filled with frustration and disappointment. The feeling of being deceived was written all over their expressions—they had placed their hopes on someone who turned out to be completely unreliable.But Varcus had no time to explain further. Without looking back, he immediately turned and sprinted across the palace courtyard, leaving his fellow soldiers behind.
As the soldier rushed through the grand corridor toward the main hall, he was suddenly stopped by someone who appeared to be the King himself—wearing a golden crown and regal robes, though notably unaccompanied by any guards.
The King led the soldier through a narrow, winding corridor, until they reached a cold, windowless room—far from the breath of any other soul. Though the young man's instincts were disturbed, he remained silent.
But as the door closed and a low, sinister laugh echoed through the room, a surge of darkness erupted from the King's body, revealing a horrifying demon with glowing red eyes. Without warning, it drove a black staff into the chest of the startled soldier—and in an instant, the young man's body shriveled, withered, and collapsed into a heap of shriveled bones, no longer resembling anything human.Then, with a sly grin, the demon slowly shifted its form, taking on the appearance of the soldier named Varcus.
The throne room doors slowly opened, casting a golden light from within. On either side, twenty armored soldiers stood tall, swords drawn to their chests in a gesture of respect.Varcus stepped confidently onto the red carpet, his posture firm and his expression calm, walking with noble bearing toward the throne—where the King, Queen, and Grand Knight Seraphina Valeblanc awaited him in a silence steeped in authority.
"Your Majesty, Varcus requests permission to report," he said, bowing deeply before the throne. "Aide Blard and his forces have successfully reduced the remaining number of Hogkin. However, the accused man named Dann turned out to be nothing more than a cunning fraud—he fled the scene while Aide Blard was momentarily distracted. "His voice was calm, yet carried a deep tone of condemnation.
"As I suspected. That insolent wretch!" the King growled. But before his anger could spill further, Seraphina Valeblanc—her gaze sharp as a hawk's—snapped her eyes toward Varcus. Her instincts caught the stench of something foul and unseen, a faint shroud of thick black aura cloaking the soldier's body.
Without hesitation, Seraphina drew a decorative sword from the wall, and in one swift motion, hurled it straight at Varcus—piercing the air that had suddenly grown heavy with the presence of something not human.
The grand hall fell into sudden silence as the sword embedded itself in Varcus's chest—everyone who witnessed it stood frozen, as if time itself had paused. The King and Queen rose from the throne, eyes wide in disbelief at what they were seeing.
Varcus's body trembled, then slowly began to change—his skin darkened, his face elongated into a fanged jaw, and small horns burst from his temples. The human form vanished, replaced by a grotesque demon wreathed in swirling dark aura.
With labored breaths, the creature locked eyes with Seraphina Valeblanc, then raised a trembling hand and pointed at her—not with anger, nor with words, but with a gaze overflowing with vengeance.
A moment later, its body began to rupture. Like parched earth, its body cracked—then shattered into black dust that scattered into the air, leaving behind an eerie silence that hung heavily over the grand hall.
With firm resolve, Seraphina immediately took command of the situation. Her voice rang out sharply, cutting through the silence as she ordered all soldiers to be on high alert and to seal off every corner of the palace.
Wasting no time, she stepped forward through the lingering tension, then knelt on one knee before the King, who still stood frozen in place."Your Majesty," she said with a voice that was both resolute and respectful, "the situation has grown dire. Allow me to sweep through the entire palace… to ensure no other demon intruders are hiding among us."
"There's no need," the King declared in a deep, commanding voice, his sharp gaze fixed on Seraphina. "Aide Blard is surely in danger as we speak. In the name of the Kingdom of the Eternal Light Order, Seraphina Valeblanc—I command you to go to the battlefield. Rescue Aide Blard and the remaining soldiers."
Upon hearing the order, Seraphina was momentarily stunned, but then responded loudly and resolutely,"Ha!"
But she quickly gave a firm nod. Without another word, she rose, turned on her heel with purposeful steps, and walked out of the throne room—leaving behind a silence and tension that had yet to dissipate.
At that very moment, the King raised his voice once more with authority, commanding the soldiers to tighten security in every corner of the palace—not a single gap was to be left unguarded. The atmosphere grew tense and heavy with vigilance.
Without delay, he took the Queen's hand, and together they stepped away from the throne, escorted by palace guards toward a hidden sanctuary prepared for emergencies such as this.
Outside the palace, Seraphina looked up at the sky, now tinged with orange—signaling that evening was beginning to cloak the kingdom. Time was running short, and she couldn't afford to waste it on foot.
Without anyone's knowledge, she took a deep breath and awakened a power she had long kept hidden—a pair of massive dragon wings unfurled from her back, their silver-scaled brilliance shimmering in the fading light.
In an instant, her body shot into the sky, piercing through the low-hanging evening clouds, until the grand palace beneath her looked no more than a tiny house, far removed from the reach of the world.
Above a sky painted in the hues of twilight, Seraphina slowly opened her eyes—piercing dragon eyes of luminous green that glowed with sharp intensity. The radiance of her gaze could cut through mist, clouds, and the darkness that veiled the edge of the world.
No shadow of a demon could hide from that stare.With the power of those eyes, Seraphina scanned the horizon, searching for traces of enemies concealed within the darkness—hidden from human sight, but not from hers.
From the eastern edge to the western walls of the palace, Seraphina swept her gaze with her dragon eyes—yet not a single trace of demonic presence was detected. No dark aura disguised among the people, no shadow lingering in hidden corners. Her conviction grew stronger: the palace was free from the taint of darkness.
Slowly, she turned her gaze eastward—toward the village under attack by the Hogkin forces, nearly two hours away. Her eyes narrowed, focused, as if she could pierce that vast distance with a single look.
Without hesitation, she spread her dragon wings, and in an instant, her body shot through the sky—soaring toward the battlefield at a speed nearly impossible for ordinary eyes to follow.
From below, hidden in the shadows of the palace walls, a lone figure stood silently, eyes fixed on the sky as Seraphina soared across the horizon with her majestic dragon wings.
But unlike others who might have been awestruck, this figure merely narrowed their eyes, watching without a hint of fear.
Once Seraphina's silhouette vanished into the distant eastern sky, a thin smile crept onto the figure's face—a cold, calculating smile, laced with strategy.
Night had fallen over the eastern village.
Seraphina hovered silently in the air, her eyes fixed on the scene below—a village once peaceful now reduced to charred ruins and smoldering embers. Houses lay in collapse, the ground blackened, and the lifeless bodies of both civilians and soldiers were strewn across every street corner.
The scent of blood and ash mixed with the night wind, cutting deeper than any physical wound.
Amidst the rubble, her eyes caught a figure she recognized—Aide Blard, his body lying in a wretched state, no longer whole.
"So cruel…" she whispered, her voice nearly choked by the shock in her heart. "How could all of this have happened…"
Her words broke, fragile and trembling. Beneath the dim light of the moon, tears streamed down her cheeks—shimmering like crystals on the face of a knight who had never shown weakness.
But that night, even dragon wings were not strong enough to bear the weight of the grief that pulled at her heart.
Seraphina's dragon eyes, still glowing green, suddenly trembled—amidst the darkness and smoldering embers, she sensed a surge of wild, venomous emotion.
The aura of darkness was overwhelming, as if it were swallowing the very fabric of the night sky itself.
Her gaze sharpened—and through the swirling smoke dancing above the ruins, she saw it—Hogking.
Its body was twice the size of an ordinary Hogkin, eyes glowing blood-red, mouth frothing, and its breath like fire exhaled from the depths of the demon realm. It was in a berserker state—uncontrolled, consumed by fury and madness.
But that wasn't what made Seraphina's chest tighten.
Clutched in the giant's monstrous hand was a young man—battered, bloodied, yet still alive.
That young man was… Dann.
"Crescent Moon!!"
From high above, Seraphina swung her sword eight times in rapid succession—each slash releasing a crescent-shaped wave of energy that shot downward, slicing through wind and smoke alike.
The sharp light from the attacks swept across the battlefield, mercilessly cleaving through rubble and shadow.
Wave after wave crashed toward Hogking, carrying enough force to shake the earth beneath him.
Hogking's right hand was severed, black blood spraying wildly into the air. The death grip that held Dann finally loosened, releasing him to the ground below.
Hogking roared in fury, its eyes wild as it searched for the source of the attack.
And there—descending from the darkened sky—was a female dragon knight, graceful and radiant with a mesmerizing aura of power.
Dann slowly opened his eyes—his vision was still blurry, his body heavy, but his consciousness was beginning to return.
In the moonlit night sky, he saw her… a dragon-winged knight, floating gracefully in the air, her silhouette glowing amidst the shadows and smoke.
His gaze locked onto her—just for a moment.
But only for a moment, because nearby, the gravely wounded Hogking was still writhing, its breaths ragged and deep.
Gritting his teeth, Dann pushed himself off the ground with the last of his strength and sprang toward the revolver pistol lying not far from him, half-buried beneath the rubble.
"Why are you here, Drakania!!" Hogking roared, his voice hoarse and laced with a pained growl.
Black blood dripped from the stump of his severed arm, and his blazing eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Seraphina.
"Such a shame..." Seraphina replied calmly, her voice as cold as the night itself.
She slowly raised her sword, then pointed it directly at the chest of the giant boar-like creature.
"It seems... your plan has failed."
Dann stood frozen between them—his breath caught, hand gripping the revolver, yet his body refused to move.
The tension in the air was thick, almost tangible, as if a single motion would be enough to ignite the battlefield into chaos.
"In the name of the Kingdom of the Eternal Light Order, Seraphina Valeblanc will end you here!" she declared, her voice ringing out across the silent ruins.
She raised her sword high, then brought it down into a ready stance—her footing firm, dragon wings spread wide, and her glowing green eyes sharp with resolve.
The blade of her sword shimmered, reflecting the moonlight that hung above in the night sky—as if even the heavens had come to witness the battle that was about to begin.
Hogking let out a low, guttural groan, then bent down to pick up his severed right hand—still soaked in blood and charred flesh.
With slow yet determined movements, he pressed it back against the torn base of his arm.
A thick, malevolent aura began to creep around the wound, wrapping and sealing it like a living mist, fusing torn flesh and muscle back together.
Dann stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Even Seraphina—usually composed—briefly faltered, her eyes narrowing sharply with renewed caution.
"He can… reattach it?" she murmured under her breath.
The demon's aura wasn't weakening—It was growing stronger.
"Hogking…" Dann muttered, his eyes sharply tracking the creature's every move. "If I remember correctly, this type of monster has high regenerative abilities when in berserker mode. Cutting off its limbs is useless."
He clenched his jaw, then slowly raised his revolver, both hands trembling—yet his aim remained steady.
"I have to go for the head…"
His index finger began to squeeze the trigger—but suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.
Right before him, a status display appeared—Hogking's stats laid bare. Level, endurance, strength… even its weak points.
All the information hovered like a translucent window, visible only to him.
"Impossible..."
"You there… the Dragon Knight," Dann called out, still keeping his aim steady. His voice was firm, yet laced with a hint of uncertainty.
"I know this is sudden, but… could you hold him off for me? Just five seconds. That's all I ask."
Seraphina glanced briefly in his direction, then gave a faint smile. "Very well," she replied calmly, her eyes never leaving Hogking.
"Show me the power of that weapon… right before my eyes."
Hogking growled in frustration, then reached for his massive club lying nearby.
"You're all so noisy…" he muttered, his voice low and rumbling like the snarl of a wild beast.
But before the club could be swung, Seraphina's wings snapped powerfully—the gust scattering dust and extinguishing nearby flickers of flame.
Her body shot forward like a bolt of lightning cleaving through the night.
"Lightning Thrust!" she shouted, and in an instant, her sword lunged forward like a flash of light, aimed straight at Hogking's heart.
The strike was so fast it was nearly invisible—leaving only a streak of brilliance trailing through the air.
But Hogking, though wounded, still possessed savage battle instincts.
He twisted his body and raised his massive club just in time—blocking the strike mere inches from his chest.
Metal met metal, unleashing a burst of energy that crackled through the air and shook the ground beneath them.
Sword and club clashed—erupting in sparks and shockwaves that rippled through the air around them.
From above, Seraphina pressed down with all her might, her blade gleaming with force.
From below, Hogking braced himself with his massive club, his teeth clenched tightly as he struggled against the crushing weight.
The dragon knight and the berserker Hogking were locked in a silent clash of strength.
The ground beneath them cracked, winds swirled violently around, and the world itself seemed to hold its breath.
Neither was willing to yield—they were two opposing forces colliding at a single explosive point,a battle of raw power where only one could prevail.
"This land… will be ours," Hogking hissed, his breath blazing hot, escaping between his fangs like infernal steam.
The pressure from the club in his hand intensified, driving forward with furious force.
Seraphina steadied herself against the relentless push, her sharp eyes steady and breath measured.
"That will only happen…" she said, pressing back with her blade gleaming beneath the moonlight,"…when I am dead."
Dann, watching the fierce clash, knew this was a moment not to be wasted.
Holding his breath, he aimed straight at Hogking's head.
BANG!!
The gunshot shattered the night, echoing among the ruins and smoke.
In an instant, Dann's body vanished—disappearing from where he stood, as if swallowed by the very shot itself.
With her dragon eyes, Seraphina caught that incredibly swift movement—faster than the wind, sharper than light.
In a single flash, she saw it… Dann appeared right before Hogking, his body spinning with full momentum, and—
The revolver's blade clanged, and in a single clean strike, Hogking's head split in two, dark blood spraying into the air before the giant's body collapsed… silently.
"Now!! Pierce his heart!!" Dann shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the devastation, filled with urgency and unwavering resolve.
Without hesitation, Seraphina immediately responded. She channeled her power into both hands, raised her sword high, then plunged it straight into Hogking's exposed chest—aiming directly at his heart, which throbbed wildly under the berserker's frenzy.
IMPALE!!
Her sword pierced through the thick skin and dense muscle without resistance, embedding deep with a burst of holy light.
The dark aura enveloping Hogking's body vanished instantly, dissipating like mist swept away by the wind.
The giant's body twitched once… then fell still, motionless.