Karnak, Monarch of Death

The improvised training grounds in the backyard of the mansion were shrouded in thick smoke. It was the aftermath of an explosion that had just blown apart a section of the stone wall. Around ten warriors and mages from the Seventh Squad of the King’s Order had been using the downtime to catch up on training. They immediately formed into ranks and prepared for battle.

”Stay alert!”

”Identify the target!”

A shadow moved swiftly through the haze. The invader darted along the edges of the training grounds, weaving around the collapsed wall. It was a girl with ashen gray hair. The expressions of the gathered members hardened as their eyes locked onto the twin-handed sword in her grip.

”It’s her.”

”Is it really Mareda?”

One of the members glanced incredulously at the sky.

”But it’s broad day, isn’t it?”

As members of the King’s Order, an organization specializing in combating cultists, they were well-versed in the nature of dark entities like demonic swords. There was no reason for the demonic sword Mareda to appear under the sun. Its power would only be significantly weakened.

Then why now?

The realization that something had broken the established order filled the group with unease.

Are we misunderstanding something?

Could it be that this demonic sword doesn’t lose power in daylight?

At that moment, the girl swung her sword wide. Crimson energy burst forth from the blade’s tip, lashing across the training grounds like a whip.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Seventh Squad members dodged the attacks without difficulty and exchanged puzzled glances.

”That’s not the case, is it?”

”It’s definitely weakened.”

The sword’s destructive power had dropped significantly. A red-tier aura user could stand on even footing with the demonic sword at its current level. Of course, that didn’t mean the Seventh Squad members were safe. None of them were aura users. Triv and Harris were both taking their midday rest after staying up all night.

”What about Sir Serati?”

”She’s at lunch.”

”She’ll be here soon.”

The squad members cautiously engaged the girl with the demonic sword. There was no need to recklessly try to defeat her. Their strategy was simply to delay and contain her movements. Ordinarily, dealing with Mareda wouldn’t even allow for that much. Its sheer power was overwhelming.

But now...

This is rather manageable, isn’t it?

The clash of swords echoed dozens of times as offense and defense continued. Gradually, the members began to notice something.

It’s definitely weaker!

The demonic sword’s overwhelming strength, which could previously cut through both warriors and their weapons in a single strike, was now significantly reduced. Though they were still being pushed back in direct clashes, it was no longer an insurmountable force. However, this didn’t mean the demonic sword had suddenly become an easy opponent.

But wait.

Isn’t it stronger in a different way?

While the raw power and dark energy of the demonic sword had diminished, the girl’s movements were now far more precise. She struck, retreated, advanced, and maintained distance with a level of skill that left no openings. Her efficiency and control were leagues ahead of what they had seen before.

”Ugh!”

”What the—?!”

The squad members grew increasingly alarmed. Previously, the girl had fought like a wild beast driven purely by instinct. But now, she was moving with the refined precision of a swordmaster.

Even more unnerving was her demeanor. Gone was the eerie, mocking laughter she typically exuded. She remained calm, her expression blank, her gaze unflinching.

The ashen-haired girl prowled the training grounds like a fierce panther, her blade carving chilling arcs of light through the air with every movement.

”Gah!”

”Ugh, damn it!”

Despite their struggles, the squad members managed to hold their ground. Not a single one had fallen yet. The demonic sword’s reduced power played a part, but there was something else odd about the girl’s movements.

Since earlier...

It feels like she’s only targeting him.

The girl darted and weaved, relentlessly pursuing one specific individual. Her attacks were laser-focused, as if the man had killed her parents or committed some equally heinous crime. It was clear from her movements that she showed no interest in anyone else. The member in question, Lefan, was well aware of what was happening.

”What the hell? Why’s it just me you’re after?”

It felt a little unfair, but this was actually an opportunity.

”Hey! I’ll keep running, so cover me from behind!”

Everyone understood immediately and shifted formation. Lefan darted around the training grounds as fast as he could, while the other members focused on blocking the demonic sword’s path.

Of course, this strategy would never allow them to defeat the girl wielding the demonic sword. But that didn’t matter. After all, defeating her wasn’t their job. A. voice called out from the distance. It was Serati.

”Is everyone safe?”

She was rapidly closing in on the demonic sword, surrounded by a blazing red aura. She covered ten meters easily in a single stride. The girl with the demonic sword flinched when she saw Serati approaching.

Suddenly, the girl’s skin began to split. Blood seeped out from the wounds. The blood transformed into a dark, shadowy aura, wrapping around her body like armor and blocking out the sunlight. Then, she raised her sword high and slammed it into the ground.

Booom!

A massive explosion followed, the same one that had earlier brought down the mansion’s wall. Dust and debris filled the air, and under its cover, the girl launched herself into motion. She was headed toward the outside. It was clear that she was fleeing.

”Running away again?” Serati gritted her teeth and quickened her pace.

But the girl with the demonic sword was faster. In an instant, she disappeared into the streets, leaping across rooftops and vanishing from sight. Serati gave chase, but by the time she reached the rooftops, the girl was already gone.

”Damn it. I lost her again.”

Frowning, Serati looked out over the city of Achenbart.

”If she was going to flee so easily, why show up in the first place?”

***

Triv, Harris, and Ziken had been napping. They arrived belatedly. After hearing the report, both Triv and Harris voiced their confusion in unison.

”The demonic sword attacked?”

”During the day?”

”And then just left?”

”Without killing anyone?”

Ziken stroked his chin, deep in thought.

”Does the demonic sword Mareda actually have intelligence?”

The behavior seemed calculated. It had exploited their assumption that it wouldn’t act during the day, targeted only the King’s Order while ignoring others, and retreated without hesitation once the situation turned against it.

”A mindless entity couldn’t act like this.”

Harris shook his head. ”Even so, it doesn’t quite add up, does it?”

If the demonic sword’s actions were truly intelligent, they weren’t particularly sophisticated. It had charged in recklessly, caused some chaos, and then bolted like a startled deer.

”If it were really thinking, it wouldn’t act so clumsily.”

Ziken sighed in frustration. ”Does this thing have a mind or not?”

It was an exasperated mutter, the kind of thing a parent might say when scolding a child. But one thing was clear.

”The demonic sword is definitely targeting the King’s Order. We don’t know why, though.”

So, what should they do now? Ziken tried to think of a solution but came up empty. The King’s Order was a newly formed organization. Thus, they had no precedent to fall back on for situations like this.

Hoping for inspiration, Ziken turned to Karnak. ”Any ideas?”

Karnak, known within the King’s Order for his almost magical ability to track down cultists, shook his head. ”I’ve just been lucky so far. If you don’t know, captain, how would I?”

”This isn’t the time for modesty.”

”It’s not modesty. I genuinely have no idea.”

He wasn’t lying. Karnak’s so-called deductions were usually just observations paired with convincing embellishments.

This time, I really don’t have a clue.

Just as a bitter smile crossed his lips, something occurred to Karnak.

”Actually, there is something odd.”

”What is it?”

”It’s something I heard from the squad members.”

The demonic sword’s attack had been focused on the training grounds where the Seventh Squad was practicing. More specifically, it had zeroed in on Lefan.

”The first victims, Wallace and Beric, were also from the Seventh Squad.”

It was starting to feel like the demonic sword was deliberately targeting the Seventh Squad.

”Now that you mention it, the demonic sword’s strange behavior started when it encountered the Seventh Squad’s captain, didn’t it?”

Ziken’s expression hardened slightly. ”Is there some kind of connection between the Seventh Squad and the demonic sword?”

”I doubt the sword is attacking people based on rank...”

”But there’s no denying there’s a common factor, is there?”

As the two deliberated, Serati offered a suggestion. ”Why don’t we test it out?”

”Test it? How?”

”By changing the living arrangements.”

The plan was to have the First Squad surround the Seventh Squad, with Lefan’s quarters placed at the very center. Then they would see how the demonic sword reacted.

”Wouldn’t that give us some kind of clue?”

***

Now that they knew the demonic sword Mareda could attack at any time, the King’s Order had to adjust their defenses. Ziken reorganized the leadership’s night watch and rest schedules into three shifts. This way, at least half of their forces would always be awake and ready to respond to any situation.

He also banned excessive training and drinking among the members. Maintaining peak condition at all times was paramount in case of sudden attacks. Not that it needed to be said. None of the King’s Order members were foolish enough to ignore their duties.

The First and Seventh Squads’ areas of operation were also strictly separated. The First Squad was assigned to patrol the outer perimeter, while the Seventh Squad remained inside the mansion.

Lefan, meanwhile, was confined to a central room within the mansion. He would eat and sleep only in that room, effectively living in a self-imposed prison until the demonic sword appeared again. It was a frustrating situation for anyone in his position, but Lefan seemed surprisingly unfazed.

”They’re feeding and housing me without asking me to lift a finger. What’s there to complain about?”

When another day passed and night fell again, the demonic sword made its move once more.

Boom!

With an explosion, the mansion’s southern wall crumbled. The girl wielding the demonic sword had used the cover of darkness to infiltrate the grounds once more. She broke through the First Squad’s encirclement with ease, then leapt onto the mansion’s roof, dashing across the tiles with remarkable speed. Suddenly, she stopped.

She was now standing directly above Lefan’s quarters at the mansion’s center.

”Ha?”

With a strange smile, the girl swung her sword downward. The roof collapsed, and she plunged through the opening, landing in front of Lefan’s door. But waiting for her there were Ziken, Harris, and Serati, fully prepared.

”Well, I’ll be damned. This is ridiculous.”

”She really is only after him, isn’t she?”

Despite their disbelief, the three assumed combat stances. This was their chance to deal with the demonic sword once and for all.

The girl glanced around, then let out a soft laugh. ”Ah-ha-ha...”

Then, in a flash, she leapt back through the hole in the ceiling, attempting to escape again. But this time, Harris and Serati were ready.

”Not so fast!”

”You’re not getting away this time!”

They followed her through the broken roof, leaping after her. This time, the demonic sword couldn’t shake them off. As the distance between them closed, the girl’s eyes suddenly glowed crimson.

”Ah-ha-ha-ha!”

She unleashed a wave of dark energy from her sword, the crimson-black aura slicing through the air with immense force. The devastating aura surged toward Harris and Serati, but they quickly deployed their aura shields to block the attack. However, unlike before, this was deep into the night. The demonic sword’s power was no longer weakened.

Boom!

The explosion sent Harris and Serati flying over ten meters backward.

”Ugh!”

”Damn it...”

In that moment, the demonic sword escaped the mansion grounds. The girl disappeared into the night, blending into the darkness of the city streets. Once she slipped into the maze of back alleys, pursuing her would be impossible.

Serati, frustrated, let out a growl. ”Ugh, she got away again!”

Sheathing his sword, Harris tried to calm her down. ”But at least we’ve confirmed something.”

There was no doubt about it now. The demonic sword Mareda was specifically targeting the Seventh Squad, and, more precisely, Lefan.

But why?

Standing atop the mansion roof, Serati gazed down at the dark cityscape of Achenbart, her expression grim.

”Let’s test this one more time.”