Chapter 29 Something too Dangerous to Control

She looked up one last time, and her eyes—red and dark as they were—held a warmth that clashed with her strong appearance. A smile curled on her lips, gentle, fragile, and heartbreakingly real.

“You’ve grown strong, Rein. Just like you always wanted. Stronger than I ever imagined. I’m… proud of you.”

A soft glow formed beneath her feet, intricate lines weaving into a summoning circle. 

“But it’s time for you to go. Our conversation is over. Take care... Rein. It was nice to see you again.” 

She finished with a warm smile and tears forming in her eyes. Rein wasn’t moved. His fury only deepened at her expression. 

"How dare you wear that sad face! Speak with that warm voice! Demon trickery! You think that’ll work on me?! Mocking her memory… pretending to be her to twist my heart—”

Lightning crackled around his boots.

“You insult Aura with every word you speak, monster!”

He vanished in a flash— [ Tier 6 Magic: Ultimate Lightning Flash Step] —a streak of light tearing through the air.

To most eyes, he disappeared but she saw it. She always could. His blade was already descending—aimed at her heart.

She didn’t flinch.

She raised two fingers—and snapped. A pulse of light exploded from the magic circle. In the final fraction of a second, Rein’s blade passed through empty air. He landed hard, striking stone where she had stood. The throne room was gone. In its place: the barren land outside the Demon Plains —cracked earth, blackened skies, and a sick wind whistling through broken ground.

"God damn it! That cursed teleportation magic! Face me you coward! Demon Lord!"  

His blade was buried halfway into the ground, the force of his strike having carved a deep gash into the earth. The crack stretched back as far as eye could see, splitting a mountain far in the horizon, as if the world itself had split from his attack.

Dust swirled around him. His companions landed seconds later, disoriented, blinking against the sudden change in scenery. Mari stumbled first, clutching her head.

“Ugh—! Teleportation whiplash again. I hate this part. My breakfast is staging a rebellion…”

 She blinked at the cracked horizon, jaw dropping. 

“...Okay, never mind breakfast. Rein, did you just break the world?”

Selene steadied her footing with her spear. Her eyes followed the endless fissure all the way to the mountain split in two.

 “…What the hell happened? I assume peace talk didn't go well.”

Kaia almost tripped, catching herself on Selene’s arm. 

“I–I hate that feeling… like my whole body gets pulled apart…”

Rein stood in front of them, sword buried deep in the ground. The earth itself was wounded — a colossal gash tearing across the land, vanishing into the horizon. Far away, a mountain was cleaved, its peak sliding apart under the impossible force of his strike.

Kaia’s hands trembled around her short swords.

 “Rein… you could… you could split the world in two if you keep fighting like this…”

Commander Kael whistled low, his cape still rippling from the shockwave. He planted his great sword into the ground and leaned on it, smiling wide.

“Well, well, Hero. When I said knock on the door, I didn’t mean split the damn continent in half. Should I start calling you ‘Rein the Landscaper’? Because at this rate, you’re doing more remodeling than fighting. Not gonna lie though… damn impressive. Remind me never to spar with you after you’ve had a bad day.”

But Rein didn’t notice them in his rage.

“Damn it!” he shouted, the word tearing from his throat.

He yanked his blade from the scarred ground and turned, hurling his helmet aside. It clattered violently across the stone, rolling to a stop near Liora’s boots.

“I had her! One second—just one second more and she’d be dead! All of this would be over! She won’t escape again. Next time… next time I’ll finish it.”

Behind him, Liora said nothing. But her eyes lingered on the massive scar in the ground and a crumbling mountain—on the sheer destruction he had unleashed in a single, emotional strike.

A hero, yes. But one walking the edge of something else. Something too dangerous to control.

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The magic circle dimmed, its glow fading from the throne room's stone floor.

Silence settled.

Demon Lord stood alone, her hand still half-raised from the spell. Her breath hitched quietly, and for a moment, the imposing figure of the Demon Lord seemed… small.

She raised a hand to her cheek and brushed away a tear that had escaped. Then another.

Her footsteps echoed as she turned slowly and walked back toward the throne. But as she reached the first step, her body faltered.

She gasped—sharp, quiet—and clutched her exposed chest. A thin line of red slipped down her skin, painting a stark contrast against the pale blue of her form. Rein’s strike, fast as it was, had found a shallow mark.

Aura dropped to one knee, bracing herself against the stone with her palm. Her other hand pressed over the wound. It was minor, but the pain ran deeper than the cut.

Still, a small smile tugged at her lips—tired, but real. Her voice was a gentle whisper, only for herself.

“Oh, Rein… You’ve really become strong. Just as you promised.”

The throne room doors flung open as several more demon guards rushed in, weapons half-drawn.

“My lady! We come to—”

Demon Lord raised her free hand to stop them. “I’m fine,” she said gently, standing slowly. She let her hand drop from the wound—blood no longer flowed. With a soft hum of magic, light shimmered briefly over her chest, sealing the cut entirely.

“I’ll go change, then call the war council, inform all the generals. We have much to discuss.”

The guards exchanged uncertain glances but bowed as she passed.

She walked away from the throne, her cape dragging behind her like a shadow. Her face was calm. Composed. But her steps were heavy, as if something far greater than pain pulled at her heart.

Behind her, the great doors of the throne room slowly closed, swallowing her figure in silence.

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The shimmering gate behind them flickered and vanished, leaving Rein and his party standing beneath the looming walls of Eldenhold Fortress—the southernmost stronghold of the human kingdom.

The orange dusk cast long shadows across the cobbled courtyard. Soldiers nearby offered respectful bows, but Rein barely noticed. His eyes, once blazing with fury, were now dulled with exhaustion and something more terrifying… regret.

He stood silently for a moment, his shoulders rising and falling in slow, deliberate breaths. Then he turned to Liora, who was brushing imaginary dust from her cloak.

“I’m… sorry, Liora. For what happened back there. I lost myself. I know you were trying to talk things down. It's just that... The Demon Lord... it was there. Right there, in front of us. If only I...”

Liora turned toward him, her face calm as always.

 “You did what was expected. She provoked you. You saw how she looked at you. That… thing. Wearing armor like a crown, speaking as if she understands mercy. She’s clever. The worst ones always are. That’s how they survive—by pretending to be something they’re not. Human once, she says. What a joke. They wear faces to draw sympathy. To confuse judgment. You reacted with the strength of a Hero. You did well.”

Rein frowned, shaking his head.

 “That’s not what I wanted. I never wanted the negotiations to fail. I only…” he trailed off, clenching his fists. 

“If she had just fallen there, quickly—if it ended with the Demon Lord alone—no one else would have to die. No armies. No villages caught in the middle. Just one life for peace.”

He turned away, shoulders tense.

 “Aura was… she was everything to me. When my parents were killed by monsters—when I barely escaped with my life—she was the one to save me. I was just some broken kid, angry at the world, and she…”

His voice cracked slightly, and he forced it steady. 

“She found me. Lifted me up when I was down. When I didn’t even want to go on, she was there. She gave me a reason to keep going. Taught me how to fight, how to stand. She believed in me. I owe everything I am to her.”

His eyes narrowed, fury rekindled.

 “And now… now that monster dares to speak her name. To speak as if she knows. To twist her memory into some sick game—like it understands who she was. Like it could ever be her. It’s unforgivable. That thing sitting on the throne is a monster. It’s just a demon. A liar. And I won’t let it mock her… or the pain she carried for others.”

He exhaled sharply, gaze dropping.

 “Aura… She believed people could be better. She gave everyone a chance, even when they didn’t deserve it. I remember—I remember how she’d smile, even after long training days. Tired, bruised, sore… but still patient with me.”

His voice tightened.

 “She would never start a war. Never hide behind monsters or send demons to raid border towns. She wasn’t a coward like that thing on the throne. That thing must’ve… tricked her somehow. Lied to her. Aura would have not lost to that coward otherwise.”

Liora smiled faintly—just a trace—and reached up to place a gentle hand on his arm.

 “Your right. That thing is full of lies and trickery. You did the right thing, not listening to her lies and shutting her up. That kind of resolve… is what separates a true Hero from a fool.”

Rein gave a weak nod, but didn’t meet her eyes.

“You should rest,” she continued, stepping back, “The King will want to hear what happened, and I’ll make the report personally. You’ve earned some quiet.”

“I’ll be ready when the time comes,” Rein said quietly, “Next time, I won’t hesitate.”

Liora’s eyes lingered on him a moment longer. Then she turned and strode toward the palace.

----------

Inside the fortress walls, Liora kept her steps light, her expression composed, every movement rehearsed to perfection. But beneath that calm veneer, her mind was turning. Every step Rein took down this path, every swing of that sword, brought him closer to the fate they had designed.

But she had seen it—the way Rein moved. The sheer force of his power when he struck. That blinding attack, the aftermath of it. It wasn’t just impressive—it was terrifying.

Too fast. Too strong. Too unshakably driven.

He wasn’t a boy chasing vengeance anymore. He was a weapon, one that didn’t yet know where its edge was pointing.

Liora’s fingers twitched against her cloak as she walked. 

"He’s going to be a problem… if not now, soon." 

But what could she do? He was of noble blood—royal blood, at that. The King adored him, doted on him, molded him since childhood.

"If he ever found out the truth..."

Her throat tightened as she considered the worst-case scenarios: if Rein turned on them, if he ever learned what really happened to Aura… There would be no controlling him. No stopping him.

Still, she reminded herself, "He believes in the lie." He needs to believe it. For now, that was enough.