26. From one hell to another.

Tears and screams filled the air.

In a village engulfed in flames, terrified figures ran for their lives as others fell to merciless slaughter. Among them, a young wolf-girl darted frantically, clutching her straw doll close. Her tiny feet pounded against the ground as she navigated through the chaos, her wide eyes reflecting the fire that consumed her beloved home. The brutal death of her friend seared into her memory, and she fled in sheer panic.

But in her flight, she stumbled over a jagged stone, yelping in pain. As she struggled to rise, a dark presence loomed behind her. Turning, she saw a bandit clad in black leather, his hands stained with blood, and his sword raised high, ready to strike.

"Eeep!" she wailed, squeezing her eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable.

A sharp clang of metal rang out, startling her sensitive ears. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find the bandit, his head rolling to the ground, his body collapsing in a lifeless heap.

"Eeeeek!?" she recoiled in horror, only to bump into someone standing behind her. Glancing up, she saw a slender youth, dressed in fine black leather—a coat and matching boots that shone with a polished sheen.

"H-help me…" she whimpered, her voice trembling with fear.

The youth didn't respond, his eyes narrowing as another bandit charged at them with a feral roar. In an instant, the youth scooped up the girl, shielding her as a sword plunged into his back.

"Mister!!!" she screamed, watching in terror as blood dripped from his mouth and back.

But the youth merely grinned through blood-stained teeth and cast [Heal]. His wounds closed before her eyes, leaving her speechless.

"Dieeee!!" Another bandit lunged at them, aiming for the youth's eye. But before he could strike, his body was suddenly riddled with wounds, blood spurting from him like a grotesque fountain.

The girl's heart pounded in her chest as she watched the bandit's lifeless body crumpled to the ground. The youth, unscathed, turned to her, his eyes burning with menace.

"Mister…?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"What happened here?" Seiito's voice finally broke the silence, laced with frustration and rage. The sight of the burning village and the slaughtered villagers left him seething.

While he cared little for these Demi-Humans, witnessing the brutal murder of a child had ignited a fury within him. From that moment on, he vowed to exact vengeance on anyone who dared to harm children.

"Our village… destroyed… bandits… touched mom… dad… dad is…" The girl's voice faltered, her strength waning.

Seiito acted swiftly, chopping the back of her neck gently, rendering her unconscious. He placed her in a safe spot, his face dark with hidden turmoil.

And just like that, he disappeared into the night,

In the bandits' camp, a man was loading bags of loot onto a cart when he heard a thud behind him. Turning around, he saw his companion's severed head lying in the dirt, blood pooling around it.

"Tonki!!" the bandit cried out in disbelief. But before he could react, his own vision twisted and contorted. He realized, too late, that he was staring at his body from the ground—he'd been beheaded.

Another bandit, nearby, saw his comrade's demise and took a step back, his hands trembling uncontrollably. Then, suddenly, his body was frozen in place, electricity crackling around him.

"What?! Gghhh… Lightning Magic?" The bandit gasped, his body paralyzed by the powerful spell. His eyes darted to Seiito, but the shadowy figure appeared before him in the blink of an eye.

"Who are you?!" The bandit screamed, his voice dripping with fear.

Seiito remained silent.

With a swift motion, the bandit's body exploded into a shower of blood, his remains scattered across the ground. Another bandit, who had been watching from a distance, vomited in terror, giving away his position. Seiito's eyes snapped to the side, and with a flick of his wrist, a bolt of lightning struck the man dead.

In mere moments, the village was cleared of all threats. Seiito walked among the few survivors, healing them back to full health. A wolf-man, struggling to breathe, pleaded with him.

"Human… please… save the village two kilometers from here. The Chief is currently making a potion."

"I couldn't care less," Seiito replied coldly, his eyes narrowing.

He had no interest in the affairs of Demi-Humans; all he wanted was to leave and enjoy his freedom for a while.

"Please… the Church of Santizimo is at fault…"

Seiito froze, his body turning as he grasped the wolf-man by the collar and lifted him off the ground. "What did you say?"

"I-I… The Church of Santizimo… they… made a virus." The wolf-man stammered, his voice shaking.

Seiito's mind raced. How could a church—a place of worship and righteousness—do something so vile? He let go of the man, glaring at him.

"You're not lying, are you?" His voice was low and menacing.

"No… I swear it on my life."

"Tell me what you know."

The wolf-man swallowed hard, his fear palpable. "The Church made a virus to attack the country of Gorkazur… our country…and already wiped out half of the country..."

Seiito's suspicions were confirmed. He listened intently, his anger simmering beneath the surface. Irene was right then...that damn Valorian...

"They sent human bandits to raid and eliminate the cure from existing…" The wolfman's voice wavered with concern. "The virus is also affecting their own country. I heard rumors from Demon Knights going back to the city of—" He stopped, anxiety gripping him.

"W-wait! There's no time! The Chief is making the cure! Please go save him!"

Seiito sighed in frustration, his irritation mounting. "In what direction is the village?"

The wolf-man pointed to the right, and without hesitation, Seiito took off, determined to end this madness.

***

"Grahhhh!!"

"Heh."

Clang!

The clash of steel rang out, sending sparks flying as two swords met in the inferno-lit room. A young girl, Azusa, was sent reeling back by a kick to her gut.

"Azusa! Run away!!" A desperate voice called out. A man, her father, struggled to his feet, blood pouring from his wounds as flames consumed their surroundings. A man clad in black leather, his face hidden behind a mask, grinned wickedly at the sight.

"No, Papa... I won't let you die..." Azusa's voice trembled as she held her sword with shaking hands, determination burning in her tear-filled eyes.

The village was engulfed in chaos, the air thick with the stench of smoke and death. Bandits roamed freely, plundering and slaughtering without remorse, their laughter echoing through the night.

One of them, eyes gleaming with perverse delight, sneered down at a lifeless wolf-girl. "I wouldn't mind having this one as a slave, she is still warm..." he said with a disgusting grin.

His words were cut short by a sickening splatter. The bandit's body exploded into bits, leaving nothing but a grotesque smear where he once stood.

"What the...?" Another bandit stammered, but before he could comprehend what had happened, his mouth gaped wide as a deep gash split it open. His head tumbled forward, revealing the grim sight of his severed tongue and exposed throat. His lifeless body slumped to its knees, frozen in that macabre pose.

A shadow then drank a blue potion, feeling his mana recuperating.

Seiito strode through the burning village, his footsteps echoing in the eerie silence that followed each bandit's demise.

The streets, once narrow and bustling, now seemed vast and ominous, littered with corpses and stained with blood.

His gaze narrowed, simmering rage building within him. With a swift incantation, he unleashed Heal, and another bandit's head exploded into a shower of fragments.

A fierce battle cry erupted as a bandit charged at Seiito, plunging his sword into Seiito's side, staining his leather coat crimson. The bandit smirked, thinking he had killed him.

But Seiito remained unfazed, his eyes glowing red with an unyielding rage.

"Heal."

In an instant, the bandit's arms were severed, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious from the shock and loss of blood.

Calmly, Seiito removed the sword from his side and drove it into the bandit's throat, ending the threat.

As the village's last hut stood before him, Seiito sensed three people inside. He approached it with a menacing air.

Inside the dimly lit hut, a father laid helplessly beside his unconscious daughter, Azusa. His hands trembled as he reached out to her, but his strength had long since abandoned him. The bandit loomed over her, his sneer dripping with malice as he tore at her clothing, savoring the father's powerlessness.

"Help... someone... save my daughter..." The father's voice cracked, his plea for salvation desperate, hopeless.

The bandit let out a cruel laugh, his gaze flickering with sadistic glee. "No one's coming, old man. Just watch—until your heart gives out."

Tears stung the father's eyes as his world blurred into despair. But through the haze of sorrow, a shadow emerged, cutting through the hopeless night. It radiated a presence—cold, deadly, unforgiving.

Before the bandit could react, a thunderous impact sent him hurtling through the hut's entrance, his body smashing against wood and stone with a bone-shattering crack.

"Kghht?!" The bandit's cry was cut short as he crashed into a nearby structure, obliterating it on impact. He rolled across the ground like discarded refuse, gasping for breath.

Seiito stepped into the ruined hut, his gaze sharp and unwavering. Without hesitation, he knelt beside the father and pressed glowing hands to the man's wounds, pouring his healing magic into him.

"You lost a lot of blood," Seiito muttered, frustration flickering beneath his calm demeanor. "Check on your daughter."

The father, still weak but driven by love, crawled toward Azusa, his hands shaking as he cradled her. He whispered her name, relief washing over him as her shallow breathing steadied under Seiito's magic.

"I'll handle the last one," Seiito said as he stood, his voice flat and cold.

"The last... bandit?" the chief asked, disbelief tinged with faint hope. Had Seiito truly defeated all of them?

Outside, the bandit groaned as he propped himself against the remnants of the destroyed hut.

Desperation thick in the air, he fumbled for a red potion and downed it in one gulp. The liquid coursed through him, mending his broken bones and knitting torn muscles.

"That bastard...he will pay," the bandit growled, wiping blood from his beard, his eyes scanning the shadows for his attacker.

"Is your death enough payment?"

The bandit froze. The voice was right behind him.

"...?!"

Before he could turn, Seiito seized the bandit by the throat and hurled him back into the ruined hut. Wood splintered and beams snapped as the bandit's body tore through the wreckage.

Seiito followed with a relentless barrage—each strike faster and more vicious than the last.

Fists crashed into ribs, shattered teeth, and fractured bones until the bandit's body crumpled to the ground.

"Get up," Seiito snarled, glaring down at him. "Fight back."

The bandit groaned, staggering to his feet. Fury and fear mingled in his wild eyes. He drew his saber, its edge glimmering with a radiant glow.

"[Divine Smite!]" he roared, the sword pulsing with holy energy. Light rippled along the blade, crackling with divine power.

Seiito's eyes narrowed. A paladin's skill. It wasn't just any bandit before him—this was a fallen paladin. A traitor to his oath.

"So it's true... A disgraced paladin here to destroy the cure," Seiito murmured, his voice laced with contempt. "What a waste."

The paladin snarled and lunged, the glowing saber arcing toward Seiito's neck. In one fluid movement, Seiito parried—but the energy was too volatile. His longsword melted, the steel hissing and crumbling to slag.

"Tch..." Seiito discarded the useless weapon and clenched his fists. The radiant energy stung, but he endured it—if he could survive, he could steal it.

The paladin advanced, swinging his saber in a deadly arc. Seiito twisted his body to evade, but the blade grazed his chest. Agony exploded through him, the holy magic burning deep into his flesh.

His vision blurred for a moment, the searing pain threatening to pull him under. But then—

"Heal."

The word was a hissed command, and his wounds knit together in an instant, the unbearable heat extinguished by his twisted magic. Seiito grinned through the pain, his bloodied lips curling upward.

"[Divine Smite]," he whispered.

"What...?" The paladin's eyes widened in disbelief as Seiito's fists began to glow. The same radiant energy he had wielded now crackled along Seiito's hands, infused with violent intent.

Seiito lunged, closing the distance with terrifying speed. His first punch shattered the paladin's guard, and radiant energy surged through his knuckles as he delivered a second blow. The force sent the fallen paladin stumbling back, his saber trembling in his grip.

"You're not the only one who can use it," Seiito sneered.

The paladin roared, desperation fueling his next strike. But Seiito was faster. With a feint to the left, he baited the paladin into lowering his guard—then struck. His fist, blazing with radiant power, connected with the paladin's jaw.

Crack.

The paladin's head snapped back, his knees buckling under the impact. Blood sprayed into the night air, and the saber slipped from his grasp.

In one final, fluid motion, Seiito delivered the death blow. His glowing fist cleaved through the air, and the paladin's head was severed cleanly from his body, spinning through the darkness before crashing into the dirt.

The lifeless body crumpled to the ground with a dull thud, and the radiant glow that once enveloped the paladin fizzled into nothingness.

Seiito stood over the fallen corpse, his chest heaving, exhilarated by the lingering power of radiant energy pulsing through him. A twisted grin spread across his face—he had survived, he had won, and he had stolen a power that once belonged to the righteous.

He clenched his fists, feeling the divine energy ripple through his veins, corrupted and entirely his own.

Victory had never tasted so sweet.

Returning to the hut, Seiito found the village chief holding his daughter tightly, his frail arms trembling from exhaustion and relief. The girl, Azusa, lay unconscious in his embrace, her pale face stained with pain. The chief's weathered eyes locked onto Seiito with a mixture of gratitude and desperation.

Without a word, Seiito knelt beside them, his hand glowing faintly as he began healing Azusa. His magic flowed through her fragile body, soothing the agony that threatened to consume her.

"Thank you," the chief whispered, his voice ragged. I cannot express my gratitude enough for saving my daughter."

Seiito's brow furrowed. The chief's strength was fading fast, his words labored as he fought against the inevitable.

"Save it," Seiito muttered, focusing on stabilizing the girl. "Tell me about the virus."

The chief coughed violently, blood splattering his lips. "The virus... was created by your kind—by humans. A weapon to end us... to wipe us out... after the war."

Seiito's jaw clenched as frustration bubbled beneath his calm exterior. Even with his healing magic, the damage to the chief's body was too severe—there was no saving him.

The old man continued, his breathing shallow and raspy. "I... I created an antidote. Here... the recipe..." With trembling hands, the chief handed Seiito a small, worn parchment. "You'll need it... It will aid you in your journey across the lands of Gorkazur..."

Seiito stared at the folded piece of paper. "Why are you giving this to me? Don't you hate humans?"

The chief gave a weak chuckle, his eyes dim but filled with a strange warmth. "I do... But you... You are different. I can feel it. You are not like the others."

Seiito exhaled through his nose, debating whether to reveal the truth. The chief was dying. What did it matter now?

"...I'm human, yes. But there's more." He hesitated for only a moment before flashing his status plate.

The chief's eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face. "...You're a... Lord..." He coughed weakly, blood trickling down his chin. "Seiito... the Lord of Healing..."

"One last request..." the chief wheezed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Take care... of my daughter..."

Seiito's heart sank, irritation flaring as he recoiled from the request. A child? Now? His life was dedicated to conquering every World Tower, tearing down the structures that kept him trapped in this godforsaken world. A journey filled with death and ruin. And to murder Valorina in cold blood.

"Are you insane?" Seiito snarled, his fists clenched. "I'm not running a daycare. I'm on a mission—to conquer every World Tower and end this nightmare!"

The chief's eyes dimmed, his expression faltering into quiet sorrow—a sorrow that reminded Seiito too much of his own. The same despair he had once felt, trapped and powerless, clinging to the smallest flicker of hope.

"She... will flourish under your care," the chief whispered, his breath growing fainter. "You... a Lord... You can guide her... She will be the last Crimson Wolf...and...a great asset..."

"I don't care about your daugh—" Seiito's voice wavered, the words catching in his throat as guilt gnawed at him. He looked away, gritting his teeth. Soft-hearted idiot.

His gaze flickered to Azusa—her crimson hair, small frame, and delicate pain etched across her sleeping face.

"What's her name?" Seiito finally asked, his voice low, almost begrudging.

"...Azusa," the chief whispered with a weak smile.

Seiito tilted his head back, letting out an annoyed groan. "Tch... Fine. I'll take her."

Relief washed over the chief's face. "Thank you... truly... thank you... Please... take care of her..."

With a faint smile, the chief exhaled his final breath. His body went still, the peace of death washing over him.

Seiito let out a quiet sigh and gently closed the man's eyes. He hadn't been able to save the chief—but at least the old man could die without regrets.

Seiito slumped against the wall, exhaustion settling deep into his bones. He needed rest—but more importantly, he needed time to figure out how the hell he was going to take care of a child.

He glanced once more at Azusa, still fast asleep. Too cruel to wake her now... She'd have to learn soon enough that her father was gone.

With a final sigh, Seiito closed his eyes, allowing himself a brief moment of rest.