Volume 1. Chapter 23. Shattered Bonds of Norf City

While eating, they asked Clara why she was in Norf City. Clara told them that the Norf City branch restaurant was none other than hers.

They were shocked by how much had changed. For them, it felt like they had just left yesterday—but for Clara, ten years had passed.

"Is that so... we were declared missing by King Ligt?"

Rii said, a little unsure of Clara's explanation.

"Rii, Elia said the same thing when I visited her house."

Cini said and confirmed Clara's words.

"And what about the war that woman mentioned?"

Vail was curious about the war that the ancestor of the demon king had mentioned.

"While you were missing, the Gerna Kingdom was attacked by an uncountable number of demon troops, even King Ligt, Mr. Neii, and Miss Lina had to intervene."

Clara told them that countless demon troops had once attacked the Gerna Kingdom.

"Then... what about this city, are the heroes and their friends protecting it?"

Clara was silent when Cini asked, shaking her head, saying that she did not know anything like that.

"About this city, I don't know. But after the Gerna kingdom won, the next day they went to Norf city."

Clara said again that she knew about it because Lina told her.

"Thank you for telling us, Clara."

From the soft voice, Clara felt that Vail was still sad about Julian's departure.

After eating, Clara took them to her temporary home in Norf city.

As Oda said, they and Clara waited at the fountain in the middle of the city.

"We've been waiting long enough, are they—"

"There they are!"

Clara replied.

After arriving, Oda and Elia apologized for making them wait so long.

"Where are your children?"

Cini asked curiously, not seeing Elia and Oda's children with them.

"Before we came here, I brought Elia to my parents' house and left our children there."

Oda told him the reason he and his wife came a little late.

"Before we see them... I want you to remain as you are."

Elia's words confused them and made them curious about the meaning behind her words.

Oda and Elia led the way, which surprised them because they were taken to a cemetery south of the city.

Elia stopped walking and widened Rii, Cini, and Vail's eyes when they saw Cindy and Una's names on the burial stone.

"No... this can't be real..."

Rii said with the hope that all this was just a joke.

Clara didn't know what to do. Her three adopted brothers thought again and held back their annoyance.

"Elia... what does all this mean?"

Vail asked, holding back his anger.

"Ten years ago, this city was attacked by a demon army. All the adventurers at that time protected the city helping the soldiers led by Mr. Delgram, but ..."

Elia wasn't sure whether to continue the sentence and tell them.

"But?"

Cini asked, holding back his annoyance.

"Three years later, at night the demon army attacked again. This time with a number that cornered us, one of the demon troops claimed to be an ancestral messenger."

"They took over the city and gave us a choice."

"A choice?"

Rii was slightly surprised, but his face was pale and hollow, his eyes fixed on the names engraved on the tombstones.

"The demon said the only way to earn our freedom is by killing Una and Cindy. If we refuse, we'll be enslaved by the ancestors... and turned into their demon army."

Elia's explanation made the three of them even more annoyed and unable to control their anger.

"Brother—"

Clara, who wanted to be worried, was surprised to see Rii suddenly laugh after Elia said.

"I see, I see... So, it was the townspeople who killed them both."

Rii burst into laughter—bitter, furious, and unhinged. His emotions spiraled out of control, a mix of heartbreak and rage that made him want to destroy everything.

"What about him, did that person appear?"

"He didn't appear when the second attack happened."

Elia said with a regret.

"That's only natural, isn't it?"

"The people he protected, ended up killing Cindy and Una just because they wanted freedom."

Cini replied with feelings filled with deep anger.

"They don't deserve to live."

Rii said to his two friends.

"No, big brother! Let's go home—"

Clara was too late to stop them, because they were already flying into the sky so fast and heading towards the city.

"Big brothers!"

She cried out, but it was too late, calling her three adopted brothers who had gone towards the city, covered in anger.

Not wanting everyone in the city to be killed, Elia told Oda and Clara to inform the townspeople before they attacked.

In a state of panic and urgency, Elia, Oda, and Clara rushed to warn everyone to escape.

"What?! Norf City has been attacked?!"

King Ligt was surprised to hear the news from one of his soldiers.

"It's true, my king, three young humans attacked Norf City and its residents."

"Three human youths?"

Lina was surprised to hear what the soldier said.

"Notify Raseon's forces at once. Tell them to prepare for battle—we're heading to Norf City!"

King Ligt commanded with urgency.

"Yes, my king."

The soldier went to carry out the task that had been given.

"Ligt, I will come with you."

"Demon King Lina..."

King Ligt did not expect Lina to join the troops that he would lead directly.

"... I will guard this kingdom while you are away."

Neii told them.

Before leaving, Lina went to Zein's residence and knocked on the door as if in a hurry.

"Zein...!"

Lina kept knocking on the door and made Zein open it.

"Demon King Lina !?"

Zein was surprised to see Lina coming to his house.

"We don't have time. Get ready—we're going to—"

Lina stopped speaking, surprised to see Tiara with Zein. That upset her, and Lina was forced to take them both after King Ligt.

Clara could only weep as she watched her three adopted brothers destroy Norf City, killing innocent people with their powers.

The destruction continued into the night. People ran in terror, their homes reduced to rubble, the once-beautiful city turned into ruins.

"Sister...!!"

Zein shouted, spotting Clara on the city wall, watching everything fall apart.

"Zein,"

Clara looked up at the sky, tears streaming down her face.

King Ligt and the others landed on the city wall.

"The city,"

Tiara did not expect that the peaceful city was now slowly collapsing.

"What happened, why is the city—"

King Ligt stopped his sentence, shocked to see Rii, Cini, and Vail still alive and destroying the city with their powers.

"King...! King, please... just bring them back. I want my brothers back... the way they used to be"

Clara said, sobbing, begging King Ligt and the Demon King Lina to make the three of them return to how they were before.

“Sister-in-law...”

Tiara couldn't bear to see Clara crying and hugged her.

The people on the walls could only watch their city slowly being destroyed. Elia, who was there with her family, looked at Cini sadly.

"King Ligt..."

Elia, Oda, and her husband's family just realized King Ligt was there and immediately knelt.

"Stand up, this isn't the time to do that."

Following King Ligt's words, they stood as ordered, and Elia apologized, blaming herself for what had happened. The three of them found out and destroyed the city of Norf.

The Goddess of Love smiled wickedly as she watched Vail and his friends wreak havoc on Norf City.

"That's right... Vail, they must be punished for making you angry."

Said the goddess, looking from the Haran Forest, and then disappeared.

An attack came, hitting one of the three of them, and surprised the people on the city wall.

"Where did the attack come from?"

Lina was curious because the attack was so fast, and she didn't have time to figure out its direction.

When the explosion was gone, Rii became even angrier and stared at Mansa at one of Norf City's gates.

"What did you do Mansa? You know that we are not your enemies."

Rii said, looking at Mansa and his group who had just arrived, slowly descending and facing them directly.

"So, you're here to protect them?"

Nita, Sara, and Erik felt intimidated by Rii's presence.

"It's only natural for a hero like me to help people."

After saying that, Vail and Cini slowly descended and placed Mansa and his party in the middle of them.

"Heroes? They're just selfish fools who lack empathy and only cares about themselves."

Cini's words left Mansa with no choice but to fight.

"Erik, Nita, Sara. The rest I leave to you all."

"We understand Mr. hero... be careful."

Mansa nodded after Erik asked him to be careful. He drew the sword at his waist.

Mansa dashed toward Rii, Erik clashed with Cini, and Vail engaged the two sisters in battle.

The fierce battle destroyed the surrounding environment, especially Rii, who kept dodging every one of Mansa's strikes.

"Stop, why are you fighting each other !?"

Clara shouted, begging them all to stop.

"Please, come back...!"

Her words only angered them, and they attacked the city wall where Clara was as a warning.

"This can't be real...?"

Clara couldn't believe her three adopted siblings were using their powers to attack.

The attack hit the city wall. The explosion made Clara fall from the high wall.

"Sister...!"

Zein immediately ran and saw Clara fall from a height.

Just before she hit the ground, Clara realized she was powerless to bring her three brothers back home.

"I'm sorry, Mother... I couldn't keep my promise."

She saw Tiara holding Zein back, stopping him from jumping after her, and above the sky. Then, a dark sphere shot down from the sky, racing toward her, as if to catch her fall.

"So that's how it is... Now I know how to summon the darkness."

Neii said, knowing how to summon him or the darkness, gazing up at the sky from the castle tower.