Chapter 75: The First Guardian

The giant’s hand descended.

It wasn’t fast.

It didn’t need to be.

The sheer weight behind the movement distorted the air itself.

The floating ruins trembled.

Mountains cracked.

Entire fragments of land were pushed downward by the overwhelming pressure.

"Move!"

Kael shouted.

Everyone scattered.

The colossal hand struck the ground.

BOOOOOM!

The impact shook the entire realm.

A shockwave ripped across the floating islands, hurling shattered stone into the crimson sky.

Seraphina landed several meters away, sliding across the black ground.

"...Okay."

She brushed dust from her shoulder.

"That would’ve hurt."

Tax clung to her shoulder with all four paws.

"’Would’ve hurt’?!"

"Boss, that would’ve turned us into decorative stains!"

Seraphina laughed.

"You’re exaggerating."

Tax stared at the crater that now stretched for hundreds of meters.

"...Am I?"

Before anyone could answer—

The giant moved again.

This time it vanished.

Corvin’s eyes widened.

"It disappeared!"

"No."

Kael’s expression hardened.

"It’s too fast."

A massive fist materialized directly above Rowan.

"ROWAN!"

Without thinking—

Seraphina launched herself forward.

Golden mana exploded beneath her feet.

She slammed both hands against the descending fist.

The collision echoed like thunder.

For a single heartbeat...

The impossible happened.

The giant stopped.

Shock rippled across every face.

Even the creature itself hesitated.

Seraphina gritted her teeth.

"...Wow."

She smiled despite the overwhelming force.

"You’re... really heavy."

The giant’s burning eyes narrowed.

For the first time...

It acknowledged her.

Then—

Its other hand swept sideways.

"Boss!"

Tax screamed.

Kael appeared in a flash.

His blade erupted with silver mana as he intercepted the strike.

The impact hurled him backward, carving a deep trench through the living ground.

He dug his sword into the earth to stop himself.

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Seraphina glanced toward him.

"You okay?"

Kael wiped the blood away.

"I’ve had worse."

She smiled.

"Liar."

"I am."

Despite the situation...

They both laughed.

The giant watched them in silence.

Then, unexpectedly...

It spoke.

"You are... different."

Its ancient voice rumbled through the floating world.

"The others..."

"They fear death."

Its crimson gaze settled upon Seraphina.

"But you..."

"...you smile at it."

Seraphina shrugged.

"I smile at almost everything."

The giant tilted its enormous head.

"...Why?"

She thought for a moment.

Then answered honestly.

"Because if I stop smiling..."

"...the people behind me might."

Silence.

Even the giant seemed taken aback.

Behind Seraphina...

Kael slowly stood.

Corvin adjusted his glasses.

Daren cracked his knuckles.

Lysette summoned glowing circles of magic.

Rowan gripped his weapon with renewed determination.

Atlas lowered his massive horns.

Fen bared his fangs.

Ash spread his wings.

Tax climbed onto Seraphina’s head.

"...Boss."

"Hm?"

"I’ve got a terrible feeling."

She grinned.

"When don’t you?"

He pointed toward the horizon.

"I mean..."

"...that."

Far beyond the battlefield...

The endless crimson mist began to split apart.

One...

Two...

Three...

Four...

Dozens of colossal silhouettes slowly emerged from the darkness.

None of them were as large as the giant before them.

But every single one radiated a terrifying presence.

The giant let out a deep, satisfied laugh.

"You wished to challenge Hell..."

Its burning eyes glowed brighter.

"Then face..."

"...its first legion."

Across the crimson horizon...

Hundreds of crimson eyes opened.

One after another.

One after another.

One after another.

The true battle...

Had finally begun.

The first legion advanced.

Not running.

Not charging.

Walking.

Slowly.

As though they already knew escape was impossible.

Each step echoed through the broken world.

Some creatures crawled on four limbs.

Others floated without wings.

One dragged an enormous rusted chain that screamed against the black stone.

Another had no face at all.

Only a spinning void where its head should have been.

Tax buried himself deeper into Seraphina’s hair.

"...Boss."

"Hm?"

"I have officially changed my mind."

"About what?"

"Everything."

Seraphina laughed.

"A little late for that."

"No!"

Tax pointed frantically.

"I mean literally everything!"

"I don’t want treasure anymore."

"I don’t want adventure anymore."

"I suddenly want a nice little house."

"Maybe a garden."

"Maybe a wife."

Corvin blinked.

"...A wife?"

Tax nodded seriously.

"If I’m going to die today, I’d at least like to know what true love feels like."

Daren burst out laughing.

"You’ve got your priorities straight."

"I do!"

Tax puffed out his chest.

"I am a very responsible crow."

Even Kael couldn’t hide a faint smile.

The brief laughter ended when the giant raised one finger.

Instantly...

The legion stopped.

Every monster became perfectly still.

The giant looked down upon the group.

"You have courage."

Its voice rumbled like distant thunder.

"But courage..."

"It is not enough."

Without warning—

The creature snapped its fingers.

The world changed.

The floating islands disappeared.

The crimson moon vanished.

The black ground dissolved beneath their feet.

Rowan gasped.

"W-What happened?!"

No one answered.

Because no one knew.

Each member of the group now stood alone.

Seraphina looked around.

"...Guys?"

Silence.

Only endless white stretched in every direction.

No sky.

No ground.

No sound.

Tax was gone.

Kael was gone.

Everyone had vanished.

"...Illusions?"

She frowned.

"No."

She crouched and touched the floor.

It felt real.

Too real.

A familiar voice suddenly echoed behind her.

"...Ahina."

She froze.

Very few people called her that.

Slowly...

She turned around.

Her smile disappeared.

Standing several meters away...

Was a woman.

Long silver hair.

Gentle golden eyes.

A warm smile.

She opened her arms.

"You’ve grown so much."

For the first time in countless battles...

For the first time since entering Valemont...

Seraphina’s hands trembled.

"...Mom?"

Far away...

Unseen by the others...

The giant watched silently.

Its ancient smile widened.

"The Trial of the Heart..."

"It has begun."

Elsewhere...

Kael stood alone beneath a crimson sky.

In front of him...

Hundreds of swords were buried in the ground.

At the center...

A lone figure waited with a blade already drawn.

"...So."

The stranger smiled.

"You’re the one who inherited his sword."

At the same time...

Rowan found himself standing before the gates of his hometown.

His uncle stood there.

Alive.

Smiling.

"Rowan."

"I’ve been waiting for you."

Corvin heard applause from an invisible audience.

Lysette found herself in a palace she had only seen in dreams.

Daren stood before the grave of someone he had never spoken about.

One by one...

Every member of the party had been separated.

Not to test their strength.

But to test the one thing far harder to overcome—

Their deepest desires.

And somewhere beyond all those illusions...

The giant remained motionless.

Patient.

Watching.

Because no one who failed the Trial of the Heart...

Ever returned.

Elsewhere...

Kael opened his eyes.

The endless field of swords remained.

The lone warrior still stood in the center.

Wind swept through the countless blades.

Metal sang softly.

The stranger rested his sword upon one shoulder.

"So."

"You broke free faster than expected."

Kael didn’t answer.

His silver eyes studied the man.

The stance.

The grip.

The breathing.

Every movement was flawless.

"...You’re not real."

The warrior smiled.

"No."

"But the one I’m based on was."

He slowly drew his blade.

The sound alone made the air tremble.

"I am the memory of the first swordsman."

"The one who forged the path your master inherited."

Kael’s expression didn’t change.

"Then move."

The warrior chuckled.

"No questions?"

"No fear?"

Kael lifted his sword.

"I don’t talk much."

"I noticed."

The warrior disappeared.

CLANG!

Steel collided.

A shockwave blasted through the field.

Hundreds of swords were launched into the air.

Kael slid back several meters.

"...Fast."

The warrior smiled.

"So are you."

Again.

Again.

Again.

The two vanished across the field, reappearing only when their blades met.

Each collision split the earth.

Each exchange became faster than the last.

Far away...

The giant watched through countless crimson eyes.

"The Sword Trial..."

"It should have broken him by now."

Instead...

Kael’s expression remained perfectly calm.

No hesitation.

No anger.

No pride.

Only focus.

The warrior suddenly stepped back.

"...Tell me."

"What drives your sword?"

Kael answered without lowering his weapon.

"A promise."

"To whom?"

"...Someone important."

The warrior nodded slowly.

"I see."

Then he smiled.

"A dangerous answer."

The world around them shifted.

The field of swords vanished.

In its place...

A ruined city appeared.

Smoke filled the sky.

Buildings burned.

Bodies covered the streets.

Kael recognized it instantly.

"...No."

Standing in the center of the destruction...

Was Seraphina.

Her clothes were stained with blood.

Her golden eyes had lost their light.

She looked at him.

Then smiled weakly.

"...Sorry."

"I couldn’t save them."

Kael’s grip tightened.

Around her...

The others lay motionless.

Rowan.

Corvin.

Daren.

Lysette.

Atlas.

Fen.

Ash.

Even Tax.

None of them moved.

The warrior’s voice echoed across the ruined city.

"You possess the strength to save only one."

"The girl..."

"Or everyone else."

"You have one heartbeat to decide."

Silence.

Kael closed his eyes.

Just once.

Then opened them again.

He turned away from the illusion.

And walked toward the warrior.

The warrior frowned.

"...You’re abandoning them?"

Kael stopped.

"No."

"They were never here."

His silver mana quietly gathered.

"The real Seraphina..."

A faint smile appeared on his usually emotionless face.

"...would yell at me for falling for something this obvious."

The illusion froze.

Kael raised his sword.

"She’d probably call me an idiot."

A distant laugh echoed in his memory.

"You think too much, Kael."

"Just hit it."

For the first time...

Kael almost smiled.

"...Understood."

His sword flashed.

One strike.

The ruined city split in half.

The illusion shattered like glass.

The warrior lowered his blade.

For several long moments...

He simply stared.

Then...

He laughed.

A genuine laugh.

"So that’s it."

"It wasn’t your strength..."

"It was your trust."

Kael rested his sword on his shoulder.

"Are we done?"

The warrior shook his head, still smiling.

"No."

"The trial is."

He stepped aside.

Behind him...

A massive silver gate slowly emerged from the void.

"You have passed."

"The First Guardian awaits."

Far beyond every illusion...

The giant’s ancient eyes widened.

"...Two?"

"Two have already escaped the Trial of the Heart?"

For the first time in thousands of years...

The First Guardian felt something it had long forgotten.

Unease.

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