The border town of Meishu, known for its massive floating boats and rivers so vast they resembled the sea, Romain had just stepped out of the Southern National Institute of Magic's gates with a somewhat disheartened expression. As a child of noble blood—yet unwilling to follow the traditional path of a knight, with its enchanted swords and sorcerer-forged armor steeped in ancient incantations—he had believed magic would be the simplest way to live a quiet life, far from the rule-bound trivialities that awaited him.
Romain – "I should just resign myself, live with the Roberts family, and follow my brothers' path," he thought with a sigh. "And now I'll have to pay off all those testing fees too… How frustrating."
Behind him, a girl in a long blue dress, its edges faintly tinged with white, hurried to catch up.
Romain – "You shouldn't run like that, Emilie—not in that dress," Roland said as she reached him.
Emilie – "You're running away again, aren't you?" she cried, her voice sharp with disappointment.
Romain – "You saw the results on the detection orb this morning, didn't you? When the examiner told me to place my hand on it, it turned red—the sign that no mana flows through me."
Emilie – "So what? No one told you to leave! The first test isn't even reliable!" she retorted, waving her hands emphatically.
Avoiding Emilie's persistent gaze, Romain wondered inwardly: "What the hell am I doing? I'm surrounded by talented people like Emilie, who became a priestess at sixteen, and uncles who are hailed as 'Heroes of the Rain.' So why did I flee after a single failure?"
Emilie – "Look at me," she said, placing her hand on Roland's cheek and gently turning his face toward hers.
Romain – "I'm just trash, you know," Roland muttered, unable to meet her eyes.
Frustrated by his dejected expression, Emilie slapped him—a strike so loud it echoed across the institute behind them.
Emilie – "Don't say things like that!" she scolded. "I've watched you for years, buried in your books, always doing your best to understand this art. So don't you dare speak that way!"
A warmth surged within Roland. Emilie's words—and even her slap—had struck deep, despite the stinging pain on his reddened cheek.
Romain – "You know, Emilie, I…" he began before a strange sensation overwhelmed him.
He clutched his throat as if forcing his body to breathe. Emilie recoiled, watching in horror as Roland collapsed to the ground.
Romain saw Emilie's terrified gaze but could neither speak nor hear—as if sound and sensation had been severed. "So this is death," he thought, watching Emilie frantically cast healing spells over his chest.
Romain – "It's over, Emilie. You shouldn't struggle anymore," he told himself as her tears fell, one by one.
Lost between regret and fragmented memories, a strange peace enveloped him. With serene eyes, he gazed at the calm blue sky before his eyelids grew heavy, darkness swallowing him whole.
Mysterious Robotic Voice – "Test 1, failure. Ancient necromancy replication unsuccessful. Day 1, fail."
Romain – "I don't know this voice… Where am I? I was with Emilie, then—"
Mysterious Robotic Voice – "Test 36, year 1290 of the Meishuein calendar. Ancient necromancy replication unsuccessful. Day 352, fail."
Romain – "Year 1290? If I remember right, I'm from the year—"
Mysterious Robotic Voice – "Year 1500. Ancient necromancy replication unsuccessful. Project officially abandoned. Disposal imminent."
Romain – "Huh? What's 'disposal'? And why the year 1500? What's—"
A foul stench filled the air. No sky was visible, no comforting sunlight—only black smoke rising toward what looked like a dark ceiling. Romain's eyes fluttered open to find himself piled among garbage, utterly disoriented. He scanned his surroundings, vision blurred, and muttered, "What is this smell? It's awful… really awful."
He stood, covering his nose with his right hand—then froze. Something was different. His arm had a strange violet hue, reminiscent of "the Demon's Curse."
Romain – "What the hell is this?!" he panicked, waving his arm wildly.
His body felt light, naked. A glance confirmed his entire right side bore the same unnatural color.
Romain – "'The Demon's Curse'—a powerful enchantment said to transform part or all of the body into demonic essence, birthing a fiend from the underworld that possesses the victim."
The rumble of an engine sounded. A young woman in a fluorescent vest and thick pants, her hair streaked brown, stood atop a pillar of some strange machine. The name "Laurent" was stitched on her vest.
Laurent – "Look, Loan—there's a man standing right there!" she called, squinting at the strange silhouette.
Loan – "No one but scavengers come out here. Ready your weapons, Laurent. And this time, control your energy."
Laurent – "Yeah, yeah. I'll stay calm—don't worry," she said, climbing into the machine.
A bus-like vehicle, elongated and imposing, halted before Roland. Blinding white light spilled from it. He glimpsed a figure holding a weapon unlike any he'd seen. A deafening crack echoed as a projectile hurtled toward him at terrifying speed.
Yet, to Romain, time seemed to slow. He dodged with eerie precision. More shots followed—each evaded.
The figure advanced. A woman, no taller than him, emerged. Romain's eyes widened. Despite her brown hair, freckles, and strange attire, she reminded him of Emilie.
Romain – "Emilie? What are you doing? And what's with these clothes? Did you finally quit being a priestess? And what's—"
He couldn't finish. A blast of energy erupted from the vehicle's cannon, striking him.
Laurent – "Got you, you damn goemul! Next time, think twice before taking human form!" she cheered.
Dazed, Romain felt an odd calm. The energy beam had been absorbed by his right side. "What is this feeling? My body… What's happening to me?"
The black smoke around him shimmered violet. Laurent's eyes widened in fear as Loan signaled retreat. In an instant, Romain appeared behind her. She spun, firing her weapon—but Romain seized her arm with crushing force. Blood welled.
Romain – "Answer me! Why are you attacking me?!" he demanded as she writhed, screaming.
Laurent – "Not a normal goemul… Not an Akai either. What kind of monster is this? A new scourge?" she thought, groaning in pain.
Behind them, Loan loosed an energy-charged arrow, its crimson glow radiating dread. Romain turned, locking eyes with him. Loan faltered—but the arrow struck true. Again, Romain's right side absorbed the energy… but this time, the arrowhead pierced his back, laced with poison.
Loan – "That arrow was dipped in pure silverwater. No scourge can withstand it."
Romain's head swam. Agony wracked his body. He clutched his forehead, willing himself not to collapse. Beside him, Laurent steadied herself—then fired point-blank.
His head exploded.
In the void, questions swarmed Roland's mind. "Why is my body cursed, yet my mind intact? Why did Emilie kill me with that weapon? Why was I in that place?"
Then—a gentle voice, pulling him upward.
Divine Voice – "At last, you've awakened… O chosen knight."
Romain, adrift in golden light and clouds, closed his eyes—and found himself in a hall of gold. Before him stood a woman clad in white, adorned in gilded jewels.
Divine Voice – "Now you are all gathered, my children—incarnations of the ancient heroes, the Warriors of Light."
Romain – "What? What do you mean, 'all'?..."