Are you willing to lose your humanity to save the world?
Windy M.
The Former Demon King
C H A P T E R 1
COLD WIND SWEPT ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD, brushing past corpses and monstrous remains. Shattered weapons littered the ground. Fires crackled among the wreckage, their smoke choking the air.
Burned trees stood with black, bare branches. Dust and ash covered the ground. Lifeless bodies lay still. Overhead, the sky glowed red dark and heavy.
At the center of it all stood a man. In his hand, a thin sword shimmered, its blade swirling with shifting hues of light, longer than any mortal weapon should be.
He held it steady, pointed straight ahead.
"Leave the demon world, and I'll let you escape with your life."
His voice was low and quiet, yet it carried a weight that needed no volume to command fear. Gray hair reached down to his legs, swaying gently in the wind.
Before him lay another figure, face pressed to the ground. White fox ears and a tail twitched. Dirt and exhaustion coated his form. Silver hair spilled around him, ruffling in the wind.
He lifted his head to meet the man's gaze...
Imiko burst out laughing, arms crossed and leaning back in her chair. "Serves him right!"
Light chuckled, hands bobbing. “Now, now. Let’s move on. I’m sure he’s learned his lesson.”
The Guardians had gathered in the Middle Realm's castle library to
1: The Calamity
hear Riizan's story about the Great Demon War from twenty-eight years ago. The memory alone was enough to make Imiko's blood boil.
“It still fascinates me how the former demon king caused all that destruction without lifting a finger,” Riizan said, tracing the open pages of an old book.
Yurei leaned against the wall near the tall window, arms folded and eyes shut. He was listening but didn't look interested.
Light closed his eyes and sighed. He turned to Riizan, concern tightening his brow. "Careful, Riizan. Curiosity's fine, but don't lose yourself in his mess."
"Yes!" Imiko perked up. "You know what they say: curiosity killed the cat." She pointed her index finger upward.
Riizan didn’t look up.
"You know what I'm most curious about?" Light said.
Imiko turned to him.
"…the mysterious man who banished the former demon king." Riizan paused.
Imiko gasped. "Oh yeah! Let's talk about the hero instead!" Her eyes sparkled. "Hey Riizan, what do the old records say about him? Aside from what you already mentioned?"
Riizan sighed. "Nothing. I told you, that's it."
Imiko frowned, clearly unimpressed.
Arc 1: The Calamity
Urgh. Killjoy.
"But to end the war and banish the former demon king…" Light's gaze grew distant. "He must've had incredible power. The kind no one thought possible."
They all turned to Light. The library fell silent.
The man in question had stabbed his sword into the ground. The earth cracked beneath him as light of every color swirled up from the core, and everything was destroyed. No one won that war.
Everyone died instantly.
The same image filled their heads, and they shared one thought: a controlled genocide.
Yurei's icy blue eyes pierced through the air. But his thoughts were cut short when he felt an urgent presence at the door.
He flinched.
BAM!
The door slammed open.
An ogre-like creature burst into the room, panting hard. "Guardians! The Temple of Balance is…"
The air, once sacred and pure, now hung thick with heat, ash, and dread.
Arc 1: The Calamity
Sweat beaded on their temples, but no one moved. Eyes wide, they stared ahead. Horror rooted them in place.
The Temple of Balance loomed before them. Once untouchable, now fractured rubble bristling with unseen threats.
Terror wasn't just written on their faces it echoed in their bones.
"How is this even possible?" Imiko's voice came out low, almost a whisper. Her hand hovered near her mouth.
"Light," Riizan croaked, forcing the words out as his chest tightened. "Has this...ever happened before?" He hadn't meant to speak, but the silence was suffocating.
Someone had to ask what they were all thinking: What the hell is going on?
Above them, the sky shattered like a broken mirror. From the cracks, massive fireballs rained down, crashing into the ground with deafening force.
The earth trembled and split beneath their feet. The nearby river twisted upward, defying gravity.
Chunks of the temple had already been obliterated, its sacred walls reduced to rubble. And still, the fire kept falling relentless, like nameless judgment.
Dust and broken stone hung suspended, as if gravity had stopped caring.
"The whole Middle Realm is a sanctuary," Light said, gaze fixed on the chaos ahead. "I have the same question as you, Riizan."
Arc 1: The Calamity