Gion, mustering the last reserves of his strength, staggered out of White Dragon Castle, clinging desperately to his barely functional limbs.

He had to see with his own eyes that Rohwa's words were not true.

White Flower Kingdom, true to its name, was always a kingdom where white flowers blossomed in abundance.

The royal family, considered descendants of the White Dragon, stayed in White Dragon Castle, the central fortress of the White Flower Kingdom. The White Flower Kingdom always welcomed an eternal spring. The people praised the White Dragon, who made it possible for them to enjoy spring every moment and have been living peaceful days. That was White Flower Kingdom.

A heavenly paradise that even the sky loved, without a single downpour or snowstorm.

"......"

Gion took in the scenery of the capital with his eyes.

The White Flower Kingdom was still in spring.

It was the same as it was a hundred years ago when he last saw it.

The sunlit, shimmering stone paths and the houses of the people standing firm.

The educational institution, Mundang, where children used to study, and the lush back mountain.

All were preserving their appearance intact.

Meanwhile, as Gion looked around one by one, his blood grew cold.

'Why isn't anyone...'

It was strange.

So strange that it was too peaceful.

No, could this be called peaceful?

The laughter of children playing, the noisy market sounds, the footsteps of people walking in the sunshine.

None of it could be heard. There were no sounds of life.

In the streets of the capital, there was only one person standing, Gion.

In that field, farmers should have been harvesting crops.

In the neighboring Mundang, the laughter of young children should have been echoing.

The market across the street should have been noisy with the vitality of people.

But the people were nowhere to be seen in all those places.

Instead, beings that should not exist were breathing.

"......"

Gion took a step towards them.

*Rustle*

His footsteps sounded on the desolate, silent field; the dry sand being trodden upon was noticeably harsh.

His leg muscles had all but disappeared, yet strength involuntarily poured into them, and all his blood rushed to his legs, making even his skin ache.

Painful

Gion dragged his burning legs and even in the midst of that, his insides grew cold, freezing over.

"Huh? What's that?"

The beings, casting long shadows in the brilliant sunlight, turned towards Gion.

Gion faced them and murmured in a low voice.

"Why are these demons here?"

It almost seemed like a genuinely curious question,

It was asked in a tone devoid of any intonation changes, emotionless.

Like children in Mundang puzzled over an unsolved problem, a curious look.

A 'Juvenile Demon' with a large head and a small body blinked its human fist-sized eyes at Gion.

"Wow, wow... wow..."

It was a momentary instance.

Curiosity filled the Juvenile Demon's eyes, soon bubbling with anticipation and excitement.

"Is, is that a human...?"

"Exactly. A human... a real human!"

The Juvenile Demon chattered and hopped around.

But Gion, without a word, just walked straight ahead, dragging his feet.

*Swish!*

The huge head quickly reached Gion's front.

"Play with me. It's so boring during the day, okay?"

"Play with me. It's so boring during the day, okay?"

As one Juvenile Demon spoke, another beside it chuckled and mimicked its words.

"No, me first, me first."

*Swoosh!*

The Juvenile Demon swung its fist, as large as a human head, without even finishing its sentence.

Boom!

"...Huh?"

The Juvenile Demon clenched and unclenched its fist, but Gion was not in its grasp.

"Since when have you creatures been here?"

Gion stood firm, having dodged the Juvenile Demon's attack.

"Have you been here for a hundred years?"

Before he knew it, Gion was holding a small dagger.

The white jade bead of the accessory that Rohwa liked shone in the sunlight.

The dagger, which used to cut Rohwa's hair in a single stroke, was now rusty, and its edge was dull.

"...What?"

The small dagger, which could be mistaken for an ornament, was so beautifully engraved that it could steal one's attention more than its sharp blade.

Without trembling in fear nor seeming fully prepared, the Juvenile Demon scratched its head and sighed.

"Boring."

*Zzzt.*

Dark energy began to emanate from the Juvenile Demon's body.

"....."

Pitch black.

An absolute darkness that couldn't be denied.

The darkness slipped through the falling white snow, making comrades spill their blood.

That dark energy was now swirling around the city.

Zzzt.

Just as the dark energy attempted to entangle Gion.

Crack!

The rusted dagger was plunged into the Juvenile Demon's throat.

"Argh!"

The Juvenile Demon, its neck bone crushed by the force of the small dagger, immediately fell to its knees.

"......"

The Juvenile Demon wears clothes like those of the people and straw shoes are woven from rice straw, tailored to its size.

Without even a whisper of breath, Gion hooked the Juvenile Demon's ankle.

*Scrape!*

Gion cut off the ankle of the Juvenile Demon, attempting to escape.

"This lowly human...!"

Another Juvenile Demon, mimicking the words, charged at Gion.

Like a child unable to bear its anger when hurt by a toy it was playing with.

Thud.

Gion thrust his fist into the Juvenile Demon's eye.

"Ah, ahahhh...!"

The Juvenile Demon began to roll around, feeling the agony of its eyeball being gouged.

Crunch!

Gion, with the dagger still lodged in the Juvenile Demon's throat, grabbed it and started walking.

Dark red blood stretched in a long line across the desolate field.

The Juvenile Demon couldn't utter a word with the blood spilling from its mouth, merely being dragged along by Gion's grip.

"Confess your sins."

Standing before the villagers' homes, Gion looked down at the demon.

The demon's pupils quivered at the suddenly lethargic tone.

"What, what sin—"

Crack.

"Argh!"

Gion stepped on the severed end of the demon's ankle and said.

"Beg for forgiveness."

"Uh, uh..."

"Everyone's too terrified to come out, aren't they?"

Gion slowly raised his head, looking at the warm sunlight streaming down from the sky.

"On such a beautiful day, and no one comes out..."

The tone was so slow it could be considered gentle, but it was chillingly cold.

Feeling the disparity and terror, the demon started screaming.

"I, what did I do wrong! I was just, just so bored during the day... just playing—"

*Thud!*

"Didn't I tell you to confess your sins?"

A hole appeared in the demon's forehead.

Scrape!

"No sins, you say?"

The demon's remaining ankle rolled on the ground.

Crunch!

The demon's solid ribs were cleanly sliced by the dagger like tender meat.

"The sin of you creatures daring to claim this place."

Slash!

A long scar was drawn across the terrified demon's eye.

"That's your sin."

The demon trembled, quivering its lips.

"Ye, yes. I'm sorry! It's my fault. So—"

"Right."

Scrape!

The demon's head was severed by the human palm-sized blade.

"...Still, they don't come out."

Gion, with muscles involuntarily trembling from exhaustion, approached another demon.

Grab!

Gion immediately grabbed the neck of the next demon and stood in front of the villagers' homes.

"Beg for forgiveness. Only then might they come out, right?"

The demon shivered involuntarily, shouting to the other demons, stupefied by the cruel scene.

"Kill, kill him...! He's just a skinny guy with a dagger!"

Finally, the demons charged at Gion, but it was futile.

While slicing and stabbing them with the dagger, Gion focused solely on the demon beneath him.

Without sparing a glance at his surroundings, he relentlessly stared at the blood-spurting eyes and continued.

"Apologize properly."

At that moment, Gion was about to draw the dagger.

"Stop it!"

A vigorous young voice echoed through the city.

A young boy had stepped out of the house.

"Oh, rather, it's because of you that everyone is too terrified to come out."

Thump.

Gion, having spilled too much blood, dropped the dying demon and slowly approached the child.

"Just tell me."

"...Yes?"

"What must be done for you and others like you to come out to the city and live peacefully again?"

His expression was one where no muscle other than his lips moved.

Empty eyes without a ripple of emotion. The child involuntarily closed his mouth at Gion's seemingly indifferent demeanor.

"Say anything. Shall I clear these creatures from the city's streets? Or hang their corpses at the city gate?"

"......"

"Or if not that, I could slaughter them all."

"No, we don't need any of that."

The child stuttered but firmly finished his sentence.

"We just want... we want to live here peacefully and safely. That's all."

Gion reflected in the violently shaking eyes of the young child.

Covered in dark red blood, clutching the dagger tightly, he was no different from a murderer.

Gion slowly looked around.

The city ground was littered with corpses and drops of blood falling from the sword.

The stone paths where the people used to run were scattered with the flesh of the Juvenile Demon.

He tried to wipe the blood off his face, but his sleeve was so soaked with blood that rubbing it only smeared more on.

"......"

Can this be called peace?

No, it cannot.

At this moment, Gion was no different from the demons that broke the peace.

He had committed another indelible sin.

The child's eyes were filled with terror. Yet, standing in front of the house, Gion stood upright on his trembling, frail legs.

Gion had made the child this way.

Without approaching the child, Gion bowed his body.

"I'm sorry."

***

"What are you planning to do...!"

The child urgently chased after Gion heading towards the city gate.

"Get out of the way quickly! You'll die if you stay!"

Gion, standing at the city gate, looked back at the child following him.

"I can't guarantee that the people of the city can live peacefully from this moment on."

"...Yes?"

At that moment.

"It's him!"

Numerous demons outside the city were gathering and rapidly approaching.

Gion immediately hid the child behind his back.

"I'll certainly restore the glory of White Flower Kingdom, but to do that, I can't avoid a bloody battle."

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

It was impossible to see the end of the countless demons approaching.

Thump.

Gion stepped out beyond the city gate.

"But such a bloody battle would disrupt the people's peace. So, I'm still committing a sin."

Scrape!

The demons in the front row fell to Gion's sword strikes.

The child, huddled up but not sitting down, asked.

"What are you talking about..."

Thump!

Without looking back, Gion stabbed the demon rushing towards the child.

"I'll make a promise."

"What promise..."

"At least this city will never be entered by demons."

Slash!

Before there was even time to be surprised by Gion's words, demon blood was splattered.

Gion used his robe to shield the child from the blood.

"From this moment, demons will never set foot here."

"....."

"If they do, I'll stake everything to chase them down and cut off their breath."

Whirrr.

It was a sound never heard before.

It was like the sound of ripples on a pond or the wind swirling with the scent of flowers.

"......"

The child looked at Gion's back. Like a mighty tree standing tall after being struck by lightning, there was not the slightest tremble in Gion.

"What is this..."

Brilliant white light was undulating around Gion.

The white energy seemed to respond to Gion's will, sharpening its edge.

"From this point forward, this area is a restricted area for monsters."

Slash!

It was too fast for the eyes to follow.

Gion swung the white energy as soon as he finished speaking.

Between Gion and the demons, a long red line infused with light was drawn.

"For a hundred or a thousand years, you shall never cross this line."

The demons, who hadn't been at the forefront to preserve their lives, could neither advance nor retreat. They just scrunched up their faces.

"If anyone is curious about what happens if they cross, come on over."

Thud.

Gion stood on the long-drawn line.

It seemed like a precarious tightrope walk, but even in front of the impending dark energy, Gion did not blink an eye.

"I'll show you directly what happens."