- Maru -

“Man… I’m beat…” I groaned while gazing at the blue sky.

“Ava! Could you get me some water from home?” I asked her. She reluctantly agreed, I know I shouldn’t be overworking her when I should be working.. But still, I just can’t ever get over how she’s grown. I held her in my arms when she was just a baby, and now she’s grown so much.

Nonetheless, I looked over the field and decided that for now, I should return. I have to get home soon, since it’s already evening. 

- Ava -

Sheeesh, does brother always have to forget water and then ask me to get it for him. I know he’s clumsy and all, but this is wa~y too much!

“Mom, I'm home!”

“Ah... Ava... Where’s your brother?” 

“Oh.. He’s still working on the fields…” Mom’s face always worries me, she always looks pale and she seems just so fragile, like a flower in the midst of a busy street. I always get anxious when I think about her.

“Ok mom.. See you.. I’m gonna go now...” - I don't know what this feeling is, it's always like I’m gonna see mom for the last time. This ache never goes away.

“Ok, see you...”

---

Oh boy… Been a while. Maybe I should get back home. Seriously.. that girl, she's hopeless, I told her to get water an hour ago, and she's taking this long. I think there's a carriage passing through. Huh. What the- It's the insignia of the ducal household? 

Was the tax collector supposed to come right now? Wasn’t it supposed to be a few days later though? 

As I was walking down the street back to the village in hopes of asking Ava why she took so long, a boy with golden hair dropped out from the carriage and started talking to someone. That boy... I think he’s supposed to be the duke’s son. Wasn’t he called ‘Trashy Golden Boy’? 

But that someone, who he was talking to, was... my sister?

- Ava -

Huh? A carriage? Is it some noble household? I’m not really sure which one it is though... Ah well, whatever. But then the carriage stopped in front of me and then a boy with golden hair walked out, he had a red coat on with black pants. His eyes had a golden hue.

“Stop.” The boy shouted from afar.

“Girl. Come here.” - He's shouting again, can't this guy shut up? Also why’s he asking me? I’m already pretty annoyed... But I have to act infront of him, he’s a noble after all. I can’t go against them and cause trouble for mom and brother.

“Yes sir!”

- Maru -

What the hell is Varkhaz doing there? Why is Ava there with him? What's going on? 

“Get in. Or you die." 

I ran at him with all I have, and kicked him, yet he can still take that? How the hell is holding my leg like that...

“Bastard... What the hell are you doing to my sister?!”

“Huh? Who the fuck are you?”

He asked me with that mocking face. I bent back by reflex, holding his head, I headbutted him. 

"Hahaha. Oh, you're her family."

He held my hands and separated them. 

"What’s your name, hero~?" he asked. 

"Maru Alck, her brother." I replied.

"I see, you're a noble? Hm~ Then, you should understand that I can take care of your sister, no?" he said. "Well, I can only take her in as a concubine though," he added. 

It's as though something possessed me, I couldn't back out of this fight. My senses told me to stop, that he was the duke’s son. But my anger surpassed that, it was as if a bloodlust took me over.

‘I won't ever back down! You started this!’ I took out my short sword, but it was to no-avail, he had already jumped at me, he knew I was going to do this. 

"[Urere Lux]." He chanted. He’s a mage?! He shot a ball of fire at me, it glowed orange and flew towards me at high speed. When I tried to dodge, it barely scraped my shoulders, leaving a burn. 

He continuously fired at me, I dodged again and again, but he didn't seem to stop. Which is when I saw it, an opening. When he fires to the left or right, he needs a time interval to move his hand, that's when I will strike at him, right in the middle. I closed the distance between the both of us.

Words filled my heart: ‘Kill!’ ‘Kill!’ ‘Kill him!’

I will kill you varkhaz.

"Stop!" Ava shouted. 

Suddenly I snapped back to my senses, trying to kill a duke’s son? How ridiculous! I’d be executed immediately!

Because I hesitated in slicing him, he immediately started casting another fireball aimed at my head, I would die immediately if I took this. The fear of death took my body over and I slid under him, Pulling on the hems of his pants, I made him fall. And then put a sword up to his neck. 

"Try it, Maru," he said. But before I could sheathe my sword, soldiers had surrounded me. The captain announced, “Remove your sword immediately! Or we will attack!”

I slowly removed my sword. And then apologized. But Varkhaz got up, and without turning back, he simply went on his way. However, the things I did... I’d live to regret them.

---

"Ugh..." - What's going on...? I can't hear anything.... Only a ringing sound in my ear..... 

Why are people running...? What is happening...? Why is the village burning...? I can't get up... Let me try rolling... "Agh!" It hurts. My entire body is aching. Who is that? Beside me? I can't see her face clearly. Where am I? Isn't this the village? What happened to mom? 

"It's your sister..." - Someone had whispered in my ear. This voice. I am familiar with this voice. It was Varkhaz’s.

"My sister? That lifeless body is my sister? N-no way... My sister isn't dead. She's only around here."

"Face it." he said. Face it? Face what? My sister is alive. 

"Your sister died by my hands. She was a pretty nice toy, but she was so boring, shouting this and that about her brother." 

Varkhaz? He did this? What's happening? This must be a dream, no one is dead. 

"Ah, forgot to mention; you should've seen the look on her face, as you were lying in front of her, while I was having my way with her. Hahahahaha, that was so funny."

Ava is dead..? Ava... dead...? Ava...? 

"...Sorry...brot-..." she muttered. Ava is dead. 

A voice once again whispered to me: ‘Dead.’ ‘Dead.’ ‘Dead.’ ‘Dead.’ ‘Dead.’ ‘Dead.’

She's ‘Dead’.

I couldn't protect her.

This was my fault.

I shouldn't have fought with him.

"Oh, what's this? She was alive? Hahaha! I thought she would've died by now." 

Varkhaz? Him? This bastard? He was the one who killed her? He was the one who started it. Yet, it’s my fault? 

I have to get up. get up. GET UP!

"Oh man, do you really have to ruin the mood..? Tsk. Just die already. [Coles Altum]!"

It's as though I am being crushed by a giant. I will die. I will die because of this. I can't move. I can't breathe anymore. My vision is starting to fade. I can't feel the pain anymore, I can't feel anything anymore. What can I even do...?

| Are you giving up? |

What else can I do? I am powerless, I acted cocky, and now I am going to die.

| What would you do if you had power? |

I would beat him, burn him, pull out every single nail and break his fingers, I would kick him again and again, until he couldn't feel his own body, I would make him bleed until he couldn't think anymore. I will make him starve to the point of death and kill him. I want to kill him.

| Your family won’t come back. |

I already know my family will never come back. I can’t do anything and I’m powerless. I don’t care anymore, I just want to kill him.

| Funny. Fine, I will give you my power. |

I will make him pay.

| Now then, go kill him. |

Don't you worry about that. 

| You have received the < Blessing of the Demon King >. |

| You have obtained the title < Sivik Demon >. |

| You have temporarily been granted < Blade Of Rakshasa >. |

Hm? A different voice? It doesn't matter anymore. Varkhaz, you will pay.

"Guh~ I won't back down."

"Hmm? You got up from that?" he said.

I will make him regret everything. You will regret even existing once I’m done.

When he tried to cast [Urere Lux] at me. I put my blade through his hand. He shouted in pain.

"[Heil]! [Heil]! [Heil]! [Heil]! " he chanted frantically. Yet his hand didn’t heal. 

Suddenly I spoke words, not of my own volition, “Pay for your sins, human.”

"Shit! Shit! Shit! My hand won't heal... But, it doesn't matter... The bleeding stopped! You'll die at the hands of him... You'll die! He’ll kill you!" He can speak even now?

Once again, I spoke, “Him? You think I’ll be beaten by him..?”

“N-no w-way... The kin-”

"Shut up." I said, slicing his tongue. Blood sprayed and splattered everywhere. 

But before he could bleed and die, I chanted, “[Heil].”

His eyes had fear, without being able to shout he simply cried at the sight of me while I slowly walked towards the boy who slaughtered my entire village.

I used my blade to prick his body and pull out his nails. I didn’t let him die, using [Heil] when he’d bleed.

His life ended. But my anger didn’t. What Varkhaz experienced that day was the worst torture a person could experience. 

But, Ava was already dead. My friends were no more. And I couldn’t find my mother. I buried everyone of the corpses. Through the night. Even through all the pain, I buried them. And then I collapsed within my burnt home.