The Demon Lands stretched endlessly before Reeve—
a scarred world of blackened earth, rivers of magma crawling like living veins, and a sky stained crimson as if the sun itself had bled.
Each step he took echoed with danger.
Suddenly—
『Warning.』
Nyx's voice cut through the silence, sharp and urgent.
『You are in danger.』
Reeve stopped.
"…Why?" he asked calmly, fingers resting on the hilt of his sword.
『A demon-class entity is nearby.』
『Ability detected: Clone Creation.』
『If defeated, skill acquisition probability: High.』
For a moment, Reeve was silent.
Then—
He smiled.
Not a heroic smile.
Not a relieved one.
It was sharp.
Predatory.
Almost… devilish.
"So," Reeve murmured, eyes glinting,
"you're saying I get stronger if I kill him?"
『Affirmative.』
Reeve stepped forward.
"Then I accept."
The ground rippled.
Shadows split apart as a grotesque demon emerged—its body duplicating again and again, dozens of identical forms surrounding Reeve in an instant.
Voices overlapped.
"You cannot tell which is real."
Reeve raised his hand.
"Good."
A black vortex bloomed behind him.
Gluttony activated.
The clones screamed—not in pain, but in realization—as they were dragged into nothingness, their existence devoured before they could even reform.
The real body surfaced for less than a heartbeat.
That was enough.
The vortex snapped shut.
Silence followed.
『Target eliminated.』
『Skill acquired.』
A soft chime echoed.
『New Skill Unlocked: Clone Creator』
『Allows the user to create independent combat-capable clones.』
Reeve exhaled slowly.
"…Useful."
But the Demon Lands did not allow celebration.
The temperature spiked violently.
Flames twisted the air, forming a towering humanoid figure wreathed in living fire. His presence alone scorched the land, magma bubbling at his feet.
Nyx's tone changed instantly.
『Alert.』
『Entity detected: Elemental God—Fire.』
『Status: Partial Manifestation.』
『This is a copy, not the true body.』
Reeve narrowed his eyes.
"Fire god…?"
『Recommendation: Avoid combat.』
『Victory probability: Uncertain.』
Reeve nodded once.
"No need to fight everything."
He turned—calm, controlled—and walked away through a fractured canyon, flames roaring behind him but never pursuing.
The Fire God's copy watched silently.
Then dissipated.
---
Scene Shift — The Vampire Queen's Domain
Moonlight bathed the obsidian halls of the vampire queen's castle.
Tsukiyra stood quietly, eyes fixed on the woman in crimson—the queen whose presence bent shadows and silence alike.
"…What is your relation," Tsukiyra asked gently,
"with Reeve… and that little girl?"
The Vampire Queen did not answer immediately.
She looked toward the balcony, where the small girl slept peacefully, wrapped in a blanket.
Her voice, when it came, was soft.
"…She is the last."
Tsukiyra stiffened.
"The last…?"
"Of my bloodline," the queen continued. "Not by birth—but by survival."
She turned.
"Long ago, vampire clans were hunted. Not by demons. Not by humans."
Her eyes darkened.
"But by Heaven's decrees."
Entire lineages erased.
Children burned before they could learn their names.
"I hid her," the queen said. "Sealed her presence. Suppressed her blood."
Tsukiyra's breath caught.
"And Reeve…?"
"He broke the seal," the queen admitted quietly. "Without knowing. Without intent."
Her gaze softened.
"And for the first time… she lived freely."
The queen clenched her hand.
"If Heaven finds her again—"
"They won't," Tsukiyra said firmly.
The Vampire Queen looked at her.
"…That is why I follow Reeve."
Not loyalty.
Not fear.
Necessity.
---
Scene Shift — The Demon King's Castle
The air inside the throne chamber was suffocating.
Ithryne stood before the Demon King, her presence bending space itself. Flames flickered unnaturally along the walls.
Lynvar stepped forward, unease written across his face.
"…Did you kill them?"
Ithryne's eyes narrowed slightly.
"No."
A pause.
"There are variables," she continued coldly.
"One Demon Lord. One swordsman recognized as the strongest in the world."
The Demon King's expression darkened.
"And Lunareth?"
Ithryne's voice sharpened.
"Even when she is near death—"
She turned her gaze toward the void.
"—Nerisse heals her within seconds."
Silence.
"She is no longer alone," Ithryne concluded.
"And that makes her… troublesome."
Somewhere far away—
The Eclipse Collectors moved.
And the world edged closer to war.