The silhouette finally stopped.
Its dark wings slowly folded in,
and for a while, silence reigned.
At that moment, Koharu realized it wasn't a "monster" at all —
it was something that breathed.
The smoke moved with the rhythm of its heart,
each breath seeming to birth new strength.
It looked as though… it was cultivating.
With every inhale, the black smoke drew back into its body.
A strange sense of peace filled Koharu.
She was no longer afraid.
On the contrary—she wanted to approach it.
She took a step forward, then hesitated.
Her hands clenched.
Her heart was pounding.
> "Can it speak to me?
A being with a heart like that… can't be evil."
But her knees gave out.
She couldn't take that step.
She couldn't find the courage.
She only watched.
And at that moment, within the Golden Shield,
a commanding voice boomed—
followed by the cries of soldiers paying their respects.
The ranks suddenly parted in two.
Koharu's gaze turned in that direction…
Amid the golden armor, she saw her father.
He walked forward with slow, heavy steps.
In his hand gleamed a radiant weapon—
Mikail's Spear.
The King's face was cold as stone.
Neither anger nor fear—only unwavering resolve.
Koharu's breath caught in her throat.
> "Father… why are you here?"
The King approached the front of the shield,
surrounded by kneeling soldiers.
Koharu held her breath behind the rock;
when she lifted her head, she saw her brother, Prince Kaito, standing beside their father.
The King's voice rang out sternly:
> "Report, Commander Kaito. What's the situation?"
Kaito knelt, bowing his head.
> "Your Majesty… the entity we're facing is unlike anything we've ever encountered.
It has withstood all our attacks.
Arrows of light, sacred flames—none have affected it.
Even the Golden Shield has trembled, yet the creature still stands.
Its power seems limitless."
The King's face darkened.
His brow furrowed, and a flicker of cold fury flashed in his eyes.
> "No demon could endure the light of Mikail for this long."
Kaito raised his head, his voice trembling slightly:
> "There's another possibility… rumors are spreading among the soldiers.
They say… that being might be the princess exiled to the Void—Koharu."
The King's grip on the spear tightened. The weapon looked almost identical to Mikail's Spear. Could he have brought it here himself?
> "What… did you just say?"
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
> "I don't know for sure, Your Majesty.
But if it's true… then Koharu isn't tainted blood.
She might be… the Queen of Demons."
The King fell silent.
For a long moment, only the wind could be heard.
> "So… the King of Demons has been among us all this time."
"Born of my own blood!"
His voice thundered across the battlefield.
The soldiers bowed their heads low.
> "We thought banishing her to the Void was enough…
but we were the ones who nurtured this darkness ourselves."
"No more."
The King raised the spear toward the sky;
golden light burst forth, spreading in all directions.
> "Mikail's Spear will shine once more today.
This curse… will be sealed away forever!"
Koharu froze behind the rock.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Her eyes darted between her brother and her father—
but no sound escaped her lips.