The Heavenly Sword Demon Lord—no, now called Reina—was walking alone on the endless paths of Elysium.The air still felt foreign to her. The flow of gi and mana were different, and the way humans looked and acted was unlike that of the Murim world.
But one thing remained unchanged:Wherever she went, the strong always drew the eyes of the weak.
And now, behind her, 'challengers' and 'followers' had begun to gather.
"Are you the one they call 'Reina'? The warrior who slew a lich and wiped out an undead legion?"
A towering man with a massive axe blocked her path. His muscles were as solid as stone, and he wore a beast's hide across his shoulders.
"I'm Bakron. Fighting the strong is my destiny. I want to see how fast your sword really is."
He raised his axe into a battle stance.
Reina let out a small sigh.
"I don't want to waste time."
But he didn't listen.
"Only the weak waste time!"
With a roar, he brought the axe down.The air cracked with the force.But before it could land—
Shff!
Reina twisted her body lightly, dodging, and drew her sword in a single, swift slash.
Bakron froze in place, and the axe in his hands split cleanly in two and fell to the ground with a dull thud.
"...!"
He looked at the shattered remnants of his weapon, speechless.
"Do you still want to fight?"
Her voice was calm, almost indifferent.
Bakron clenched his jaw.But he was someone who knew how to recognize strength.He knelt and said,
"I understand now. I'm no match for you."
And so he withdrew quietly.
Yet Bakron's defeat only drew more challengers.Each came to test her in their own way.
Soon, there were no longer just challengers—but followers.
"Reina-nim! We will follow you!"
They laid down their weapons and walked behind her, calling her 'savior' and revering her strength after witnessing her battles.
"Please lead us! We are lost and wandering!"
But she shook her head.
"I am not your leader."
"But if following your path is the only path we know?"
They did not relent.
Thus, Reina was once again delayed, entangled by new challengers and followers.Whether she wanted it or not, she was becoming a legend in this land.
Days passed.
After dispersing those around her, she continued her journey.Then, in the distance, a small group approached—two figures walking slowly, kicking up dust.
As soon as she saw one of them, her crimson eyes narrowed.
"…Lee Do-hyeon."
He also stopped in his tracks as he recognized her.Two who had walked separate paths were now meeting again on the same road.
And with that, an old connection was about to begin anew.
****
Chapter : Reina, the One Who Walks a New Path
At the end of a long journey, Lee Do-hyeon and Bard Akhnan finally stood face to face with Reina—formerly known as the Heavenly Sword Demon Lord.
But she no longer looked like the woman they had once known.
She wore soft garments of cloth, yet her presence remained as intense as ever.Her gaze was calm as it met Do-hyeon's, but there was no trace of their past relationship in her eyes.
Do-hyeon spoke almost unconsciously.
"Heavenly Sword Demon Lord—"
Before he could finish, her followers reacted violently.
"How dare you! How can you call Reina-nim by that name!"
"She is not the Heavenly Sword Demon Lord. She is Reina!"
They surrounded him, as if he had uttered a blasphemy.
Bard Akhnan quickly assessed the situation and raised his hand with a placating gesture.
"Now, now, let's all calm down. We mean no harm."
"But—!"
"Besides," Akhnan added with a gentle smile, "perhaps this friend only wishes to confirm who Reina-nim truly is."
Do-hyeon was taken aback by their fervent reactions.He had fought countless battles alongside the Heavenly Sword Demon Lord.He knew better than anyone that she was not some divine being.
Yet now, she had become something entirely different.
Reina stepped forward.Though her followers made a commotion, her expression reflected only mild annoyance and indifference.
Finally, she spoke.
"Do not call me the Heavenly Sword Demon Lord in this place.""I am Reina."
Do-hyeon flinched at her words.
"Reina?"
He murmured, and she repeated softly:
"Yes. Here, I choose to live as Reina."
"…Why?"
His question carried many meanings.Why had she chosen a new name?Why was she acting as though she had discarded her past?Why didn't she greet him warmly?
But Reina gave no smile as she replied:
"I do not deny the Heavenly Sword Demon Lord.""But I have no intention of living as her."
Her gaze did not waver.There was a clear determination—not to reject her past, but not to be bound by it either.
Do-hyeon reflected on her words.
She did not deny her past, yet she would not let it imprison her.It was a declaration of a new path.
Her followers hoped she would lead them like a god.
But Reina rejected their expectations.
"If you wish to follow me, that is your choice.""But do not expect me to guide you.""I walk my own path. Whether you follow it is up to you."
Her words bewildered the crowd.
"But Reina-nim—""If you do not lead us, where should we go?"
She answered coldly.
"That is not my concern."
They revered her.But she saw them only as burdens—obstacles on her path.
Still, some could not bring themselves to leave her side.
Do-hyeon observed it all and understood:She sought a new road, yet she wasn't discarding the past.
She was balancing between the 'Heavenly Sword Demon Lord' and 'Reina.'
But… on that road she had chosen, there seemed to be no place for him.
****
Chapter : An Awkward March – Three Paths Aligned
Lee Do-hyeon and Reina had reunited.
Though they had once walked the same road, trust between them had not yet fully returned.And now, their companionship had taken on a far more complicated shape.
There were now three paths walking in parallel, all headed in the same direction:Reina—the Heavenly Sword Demon Lord—and her followers, seeking new heights on the roads of Elysium.Lee Do-hyeon and Bard Akhnan, who had followed Reina, unsure of where this road might end.And the followers themselves—those who believed in Reina as either a witch or a goddess, desperate to raise her as a divine figure.
Before them stood angels, fallen angels, and demons—awaiting.
Do-hyeon tilted his head as he looked at Reina.
"So you're really going by Reina now?"
She gave no response.But her followers shot glares at him.
"How dare you speak her name so carelessly!"
Do-hyeon let out a sigh.He knew Reina hadn't asked for these followers—but still, the atmosphere they created was suffocating.
"Hah… this is exhausting."
That was when Akhnan stepped in, smoothing the tension.
"Let's all calm down. For now, at least, we're walking the same direction, aren't we?"
His words barely quelled the mood. A faint, uneasy tension still lingered.
Reina did not acknowledge her followers—but she had no reason to push them away, either.Do-hyeon had come seeking Reina, but now realized she was on a path entirely her own.And her followers, each for their own reasons, were walking that same road beside her.
In this uneasy alliance, they had no choice but to keep moving forward.
And at the end of that road, their first trial awaited.
There, three forces were already locked in battle:Fallen angels—cast out from the light, yet still bearing traces of divinity.Angels—heaven's warriors, sent to judge the fallen.Demons—beings of ruin, who sought to defile the blood of both men and angels.
"…What a sight."
Reina stood with arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold.
The angels were trying to eradicate the fallen.The demons attacked both indiscriminately.Three factions clashed on the battlefield, each driven by their own creed:
The angels followed divine will.The fallen rejected it.The demons hated the divine and all its creations.
Regardless of who prevailed, only bloodshed and death would remain.
"So what now?"
Akhnan posed the question, and Do-hyeon quietly gripped his sword.
"You think they'll just let us walk past?"
True enough—angels, fallen, and demons alike had already taken notice of the newcomers.
"Outsiders."
An angel hovered above, staring down.
"If you wish to pass, you must prove your alignment with the will of God."
"Prove divine will, huh…"
Akhnan chuckled darkly.
"What if I don't believe in your God? You gonna kill me for that?"
The angel's expression turned grim.
"Those who deny God shall be judged by His hand."
Just then, the demons moved.Their malice was not aimed solely at the angels.
"Humans, is it? You've made it this far—clearly no ordinary bunch."
One demon sneered.
"But if you stand in our way… we'll crush you all the same."
And so the battle began.
Reina and her followers had merely intended to pass through.But as long as enemies stood in their path, conflict was inevitable.Do-hyeon and Akhnan didn't intend to fight at her side—but neither angels nor demons seemed willing to spare them.
The followers, believing Reina to be divine, fought fiercely to protect her.
It was chaos—pure, unfiltered.
"…Been a while since I've seen a fight this damn messy."
Do-hyeon raised his sword.
"Everyone just seems to be chasing their own path… so why is everyone so eager to clash?"
"Because," Akhnan smirked, gripping a glowing magic orb,"that's how the gods set the rules of the world."
Meanwhile, Reina's eyes locked onto one of the angels.
"God's messengers… not so different from humans, are they?"
She swung her sword.A demon was cleaved clean in half, reduced to ash.
Her followers erupted.
"Reina-nim! All hail Reina!"
She paused, then sighed heavily.
"…What a bother."
But no matter what she did, they would follow.
And when the dust of battle settled, where would this journey of awkward companions lead?