Finally, Rina and I arrived in the city of Phalion. Even so, I already knew that things would not be easy from that point on.
Phalion was known as the largest commercial city in the entire Kingdom of Lancis. Because of that, it attracted not only merchants and adventurers, but also bandits, swindlers, and assassins.
— Rina, from here on we need to be very careful. Do not lower your guard at any moment. — I said in a serious tone, while activating my sixth sense, level 6. — I already taught you magic, but not close combat yet. If something happens… leave the fighting to me, understood?
— I understand, Ray… — Rina replied in a low voice.
The shine in her eyes, however, said the opposite. She was excited about the mission, as if she wanted some kind of battle to happen just to test the magic she had trained for weeks.
As we approached the main gate, a guard stopped us, imposing, with a spear in his hand.
— Hey! You there, show your identifications!
— Of course — I replied calmly. — But… this young lady here does not have one.
— What do you mean she does not have one!? — the guard frowned, looking at us as if he had already condemned us.
Without losing my composure, I handed over my identification.
— Here.
— W-what!? — his eyes widened. — D-diamond… rank adventurer!?
The man became so nervous that he almost dropped the card.
— She does not have an identification because she is under my responsibility. I am on an escort mission — I continued, keeping a neutral expression, as if it were something trivial. — I need to take her to another kingdom.
The guard swallowed hard and bowed.
— Ah, o-of course! I understand, Sir Ray… Please, go in!
With a hurried gesture, he opened the gates of Phalion before us.
Rina wanted to laugh, because the guard had become completely frightened after discovering my position. Being a diamond-rank adventurer meant a lot.
— Hihihi… — Rina laughed softly.
— What is it, Rina? — I asked suspiciously.
— Nothing, Ray… hi hi hi… that gatekeeper was way too funny, hahaha! — she said, bursting into laughter.
— Honestly… he shows up all full of arrogance, but just hearing my name makes him almost faint. — I said with a blank expression.
We headed toward the Adventurers' Guild of Phalion. The place did not seem pleasant at all. It was noisy, filled with the smell of alcohol and sweat, broken tables, and people gambling in the corners. How can I explain it…? Something like this:
— Damn it! — shouted an adventurer, throwing a mug of beer that shattered on the floor.
— Come on, you weakling! I'll show you what a rank A adventurer can do! — roared another, his face red from drinking so much.
Rina and I exchanged glances, thinking about whether we should go in or turn back straight to Arcelor. But the moment we opened the door, everyone stopped. The entire hall fell silent, and dozens of eyes turned toward us.
— Rina… — I murmured softly. — Stay close to me and be careful.
— Okay… let's get this over with quickly. — she replied, tense but determined.
We walked up to the counter, where a light-haired girl received us.
— W-w-welcome to the Adventurers' Guild. How may I help you? — she asked, visibly frightened by the atmosphere.
— We came to seek information about the Kingdom of Arcelor… and the others as well. — I said seriously, keeping calm.
— O-of course… but first, I need to measure your mana.
— That's fine. But hers does not need to be measured, she is not an adventurer. I am just escorting her on a mission.
The attendant nodded and pulled out a crystal mana meter. To be honest, I was worried. I still did not control my mana leakage very well… I could only disguise my presence.
The moment I touched the crystal, it cracked into several lines, until it shattered, being dyed a deep black like a bottomless hole.
— W-w-what?! — the girl screamed, stepping back.
— Ray… I think there's no point hiding it anymore. — Rina said apprehensively.
— Well… I never really hid it… I just tried. — I murmured with a crooked smile.
— W-wait… you said Ray?! — the attendant's eyes widened. — The diamond adventurer of the Kingdom of Lancis?!
One of the drunkards stood up, knocking over his chair.
— Wait… you know this guy?
— Who doesn't know him!? — another replied, his voice trembling. — This guy is a legend! At ten years old, he single-handedly defeated a gang of more than four hundred bandits. At thirteen, he killed a dragon using only creation magic. He is Ray, the Merciless!
"Ray, the Merciless…? Seriously? Sounds like a cheap theater villain name…" I thought, sighing.
I turned red with embarrassment. Even I did not know about those ridiculous nicknames! Honestly… my life was already complicated enough being an adventurer, and they still invent title after title. This could only be that old man Relion's fault.
— That old geezer… he'll pay for this. — I grumbled, hiding my face with my hand.
Rina could not hold it in.
— Hmmm… Ray, the Merciless, huh? Pfff… HAHAHAHAHAHA! — she threw herself onto a chair, laughing uncontrollably.
— Stop laughing, Rina! This is way too embarrassing! Aaaaaah! — I shouted, completely flustered.
She cried from laughing so hard, while I just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
The funny moment ended up being swallowed by something much worse. A crowd was gathering in the center of the city. Guards and magical bandits were fighting to the death — a true massacre where only the strongest would have a chance to survive.
I did not want to get involved. My mission was clear: take the little princess back safely. But Rina… Rina always had too soft a heart.
— Ray! Let's help! They're going to die… — she said, her voice trembling with desperation.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
— Rina… I'm sorry, but we cannot expose ourselves. If they discover that you are the princess of Arcelor, everyone will come after us.
She lowered her head, her eyes brimming with tears.
— But Ray… — she murmured, almost crying.
Damn it. I hated seeing that expression.
Without thinking twice, I activated my concealment magic. In an instant, my body vanished from sight. I advanced at supersonic speed, breaking the sound barrier with my movement, and landed a clean punch on each bandit, one by one.
"Honestly… I hate having to do this. But I can't let her be sad, Aaaaah!"
— W-w-what was that!? — one of the bandits shouted, terrified, looking around.
— S-someone is attacking us! I'll ask one more time, who is— — he did not even finish the sentence before feeling my fist crush his stomach.
People were completely stunned, unable to understand what had happened. No one saw my movements — and that was essential. The priority would always be Rina's safety.
"Damn… I drew too much attention. But it doesn't matter, I have to get her out of here now."
Without wasting time, I grabbed two injured people along with Rina and shot into the sky, flying at full speed. Some gazes lifted, and I heard confused shouts:
— A black-haired man… he's flying!
I ignored them. What mattered was Rina. In a few moments, I slipped into a narrow alley, right in the heart of the city. I carefully set the two injured people down and placed Rina on her feet beside me.
I panted for a moment, feeling the weight of the situation. I had protected her, but… now the problem was another one.
"Damn… now what? What do I do from here on?"
There was no longer any way to continue hiding. The sensation was clear: eyes were watching us from all sides. People, magical beasts… even demons had already discovered us. The air around us felt heavier, as if the very mana of the environment denounced our presence. Now, my absolute priority was Rina. No one could reach her.
Artifacts, runes, mana stones… many depend on those to increase their power. I did not. My mana alone was already overwhelming. But there was a price: I could not release it completely. If I did, this entire world could be shattered into ruins. That was why I always kept it restrained, reduced to the minimum.
But this time… I needed to act.
The wind blew strongly through the alleys, raising dust. The city's silence felt as if it were about to break. I took a deep breath and called out, my voice firm, heavy with weight:
— Rina.
She turned quickly, sensing the gravity of the situation just by the tone I used.
— What is it, Ray? — she asked, her blue eyes fixed on me, full of concern.
— We're leaving here as soon as possible. — I answered without hesitation. — They have already noticed us… and that's not good at all. Demons and dangerous people will come after us.
We picked up the two injured people we had brought with us and fled, but this escape was far too easy, the journey was far too easy. A magic circle formed in front of us — it was a demon summoning circle. A malicious being appeared before us, his presence overwhelming and his power above that of a dragon.
— Damn it, Rina run as fast as you can, I'll hold him here, go to the city and warn everyone that there is a demon here!
— Y-yes, I'm going now, Ray! — she said, frightened and suffocated by that demon's aura.
— And now… are you going to try to stop me from reaching her? — his voice echoed deep, loaded with a suffocating aura that expanded more and more, crushing my body like invisible chains.
I swallowed the heavy air and replied, even with broken breathing:
— I know the reason you want her…
The demon's eyes glowed an intense red.
— So… you know about the legend? — he asked, with a macabre smile.
— I do not only know. — my voice echoed firm, despite the pressure — I am also her Guardian.
For a moment, silence fell. Then he laughed, low and threatening, and raised his crimson blade.
— In that case… I must take you seriously. If you are the Guardian, you will not allow me to take her, even if your own life depends on it.
The ground trembled when he advanced. The impact of his steps shattered the earth into fragments of stone. His speed was such that my eyes could barely follow his silhouette. The black-crimson blade cut through the air, bringing with it a suffocating pressure, as if it could tear even reality itself.
There was no choice.
I quickly recited the divine summoning magic — a power that summoned a random sacred weapon. A blinding light tore through the sky, and in my hands appeared a majestic sword, radiant like the very firmament.
— "Amatsukami no Yaiba"… the Blade of the Celestial Gods. — I declared, feeling the energy pulse in my hands.
The demon stepped back for an instant, his eyes widening. His body trembled slightly as he perceived the change.
— But what… what weapon is that?! — he thought, his voice filled with shock. — It's… draining my strength… weakening me… continuously?!
The wind cut through the battlefield like invisible blades. The sword in my hands shone intensely, resonating with my mana.
— That's right… this is the sacred sword Amatsukami no Yaiba. — I smiled proudly, raising it toward the sky. — A divine weapon forged for the Hero. But I have the ability to summon any divine weapon… be it sword, bow, gauntlets… even the mana of the gods themselves.
— Tch… are you kidding me, brat?! — the demon roared, his fangs gleaming in the crimson light of his aura.
— And why the hell would I joke about this, you lunatic? — I replied firmly, the smile remaining on my face.
His expression hardened, the malignant aura growing to the point of distorting the space around us. The pressure crushed the air. Even kilometers away, Rina — who was transporting the injured using spatial magic — shuddered upon feeling that energy.
— Enough talk! — he roared, his voice making the ground tremble. — I'll show you the power of a demon!
His presence exploded like a living calamity.
I stared at him without blinking.
— Before we begin… tell me your name. — my voice came out firm, like burning steel.
The demon smiled, showing sharp fangs.
— Since you are a formidable enemy… there is no reason to hide it. I am Azaroth Grifin, the demon of chaos.
— Azaroth, huh? — I took a deep breath. — Then, out of respect for your power… I will also use everything I have!
— AAAAAAAAAAAH! — my scream tore through the heavens as my mana expanded without limits.
My energy grew with every second, like a star about to explode. The pressure around me ripped the air apart, and the ground cracked beneath my feet. I barely realized that I was becoming stronger without even fully activating my powers.
Azaroth charged in a red flash. Before, his speed was impossible to follow… but now, every movement of his was clear to me. Our bodies collided like two cataclysms — each clash of blades, each blow, destroyed the surrounding landscape. Reality itself trembled under our torrents of mana.
He struck me. One of his blows was like an entire mountain crashing against my body. My bones vibrated, my blood boiled, but I did not retreat. I retaliated with slashes that cut through his demonic flesh, staining the air with black blood.
Even wounded, he laughed.
— Damn it… how can you be so powerful while being just a human?! I am one of the greatest demons of the clan! I cannot… lose to an insect like you!
Panting, I raised the sword again, my eyes fixed on him.
— What a shame, you bastard. — my voice came out hoarse, but filled with conviction. — Anyone who threatens that girl's life… will answer to me!
The air exploded. Azaroth's aura ignited like a sea of crimson flames. In his hands, a demonic sphere condensed, pulsing like a red sun of pure destruction.
— BIRTH OF CHAOS! — he roared, launching the sphere that could obliterate entire planets.
I clenched my teeth. I could not let that reach anyone. So I concentrated all my mana, forcing it to its absolute limit… and the space in front of me twisted, forming a gigantic black hole, capable of swallowing even the creation of a universe.
— This is your end, Azaroth Grifin! — I shouted. — BLACK HOLE!
The collision happened.
The sky split in absolute silence. The demon's red sun was sucked into the black abyss, devoured without leaving a trace. And along with it… Azaroth himself was dragged into eternal darkness, screaming his fury as he vanished into nothingness.
I had literally pushed my body to the limit. Every cell burned from having so much mana drained. My legs faltered, my eyes burned, and even so, I went on until the end. I fell to my knees, exhausted, after swallowing Azaroth Grifin's sphere of chaos into the abyss I myself had opened in the sky.
Rina should have fled, as I asked. But when I glanced sideways, I saw her wide eyes, hidden behind the ruins, unable to move. She saw everything. She watched my desperate battle against a monster that could have destroyed this entire continent.
— Ray, are you okay?! — her trembling voice broke the heavy silence. — Why do you do such dangerous things? If you could finish him like that… you should have done it from the beginning!
She knelt beside me, her face stained with tears. Her concern pierced deeper than any wound.
— I… couldn't, Rina… — my voice came out weak, almost swallowed by the wind. — I needed to know his intentions… I needed to understand what he was seeking.
I held her hand with difficulty and continued:
— I didn't kill him… I just sent him to the Infinite Void.
Her eyes widened.
— W-what…?
— Inside there, everything obeys my will. There is no time, no sound, no color. It is a place without life… without death… where even the idea of an attack can be erased before it even happens. — I forced a tired smile. — That is the fate of everything that is swallowed by my black hole.
Rina covered her mouth, incredulous.
— Ray… that is… that is a magic as powerful as mine… the one that manipulates time and space…
Her voice trembled. She did not know whether she was afraid or in awe. I simply closed my eyes.
— Truly… — I murmured, before losing consciousness completely.
The last thing I heard was her gentle voice, almost a desperate whisper.
— Rest… Ray. I'll take care of you.
---
Two nights passed before my eyes opened again. I was lying on a rustic bed, surrounded by voices and the smell of wood. When I sat up, I realized where I was: an Adventurers' Guild. People came and went, laughing and drinking. At the counter, a familiar figure stared at me.
— Look who finally woke up! — said the guild master of Phalion, Galieu, with that mocking smile.
I sighed.
— Seriously… I need to stop pushing myself so hard.
But before I could take a deep breath, I saw Rina. Her eyes were different. There was something in her gaze that I had never seen before: doubt… and fear.
— Ray… we need to talk. — her voice was serious, almost cold.
— Of course.
We left. We walked in silence until we reached an open field. The night was beautiful — the starry sky, three full moons bathing everything in silvery light. The wind blew strongly, refreshing, but the weight of the atmosphere was suffocating. Rina seemed distressed, restless.
She adjusted her hair with a nervous gesture, looked away, and finally spoke:
— Are you… a reincarnated person from another world?
My heart raced. But I could not show anything. I kept my gaze steady, even though inside I was on alert.
— No. — I answered after a few seconds of silence. — I have heard stories about people like that… but I am not one of them.
Rina let out a breath, forcing a fragile smile.
— Ahh… I thought you were. — she laughed nervously, trying to disguise the seriousness of what she had just asked.
But deep down, I knew: that doubt would continue to grow inside her.
We returned to the guild, and they threw a party for my recovery. The celebration was lively: everyone drank, laughed, and even showed off their magic and unique abilities. Some even invited me to participate, but I really tried to avoid it — after all, it was too dangerous to show what I was capable of. Even so, their curiosity was greater.
— Hey, Ray, show us your personal skill, it must be awesome! — shouted Garrett, the S-rank adventurer of Phalion.
— True. I've heard many of your feats out there… it almost sounds like something from another world. — said Harry, in a serious and suspicious tone.
At that moment, Rina stopped drinking. She narrowed her eyes in my direction, suspicious, as if trying to read my thoughts.
— It's nothing, hehe… — I forced a smile, but my entire body bristled. The fear of being discovered ran through me.
Even so, everyone insisted. There was no way out.
— Fine, but let's go outside. — I said seriously.
We walked to a more distant area. Silence now dominated, everyone waiting for something grand. I took a deep breath and explained:
— My ability is dangerous. It's not something to play with.
— Damn… is that serious?! — some exclaimed, almost at the same time.
— Yes. — I closed my eyes, concentrating my energy. — I'll begin.
I raised my hand toward the sky.
— Black Role!
Suddenly, the air seemed to be pulled upward. A colossal black hole opened in the heavens, as if tearing the night itself apart. The wind spun in violent whirlwinds, pulling dust, stones, and even nearby trees. The entire ground trembled, cracks spreading beneath our feet.
The clouds were dragged into that black abyss, and the light of the stars disappeared. The sensation was suffocating — as if even the soul were being pulled.
Some adventurers clutched their chests, feeling the air leave their lungs. Others knelt purely on instinct, unable to withstand the pressure. Two fainted immediately, their bodies collapsing to the ground.
— M-my God… what is that?! — one of them shouted, his voice trembling.
— T-that's not human magic… — murmured Garrett, his eyes wide, sweating cold.
Even Harry, who had looked at me with suspicion before, could not hide his fear. His aura wavered, as if being forcibly torn out of him.
With each second, the Black Role grew, its devouring presence dominating everything. Inside, I felt my body tremble, sweat running down my forehead. Controlling that magic required all my willpower.
And then, with a sudden motion, I clenched my fist. The black hole vanished as if it had never existed. The silence that followed was almost deafening.
No one dared to speak. The looks were of pure astonishment, fear, and… respect.
But I noticed something: that black hole seemed stronger than before, so the more I used my abilities, the more powerful they became along with my mana. No one here was swallowed by a narrow margin, but even so, Rina and everyone else were greatly shocked.
— Seriously… you all saw something that is far too dangerous, didn't you? — I said, with a sarcastic smile that tried to disguise the tension.
Silence fell over everyone, until Harry, with narrowed eyes, took a step forward:
— I have heard of that magic… it was created by the first king of Elseria, the legendary Falaon von Elseria. But the strange thing is that only those chosen from the royal family could use it. And look at that… what a coincidence: precisely at that time, the third prince of Elseria was born. The only one who possessed that power… and who is missing.
My heart froze. The air seemed to grow heavy, each of his words echoing like hammers in my mind. It's over… they found out. I was too careless.
If they know who I really am, I will have no choice but to abandon everything… Rina, the guild, the peace I built. I can face one or two supreme-level enemies, but if they all come at once… I'll yield.
Harry narrowed his eyes even more, and then said:
— But… that prince died. He was assassinated.
After Harry stated that the prince had died, the guild hall exploded in nervous laughter and relief. Everyone seemed to accept that version, but I… did not.
My forced smile trembled, and inside, a heavy knot tightened in my chest. "Liar… you are lying to everyone who trusts you."
As much as my hands did not shake and my voice did not falter, the emptiness in my heart burned like an invisible blade.
I always wanted to be strong, to protect those I love… but for that, I had to bury who I really am.
And, ironically, every time I hide the truth, I feel more and more that boy — the third prince of Elseria — truly died.
But something was wrong.
Everyone in the guild seemed to ignore the fact that I could use a magic that, by right, should only belong to a royal lineage. None of them asked who I really was. On the contrary… they laughed, drank, treated me like family.
And, strangely, that made me happy. After all, they were not looking at the missing prince of Elseria, but at me — Ray, from the adventurers' guild.
— Hey, Ray! — Harry shouted with a relaxed smile. — Come have fun, show one of those elemental magics of yours! We're competing to see who's best with each element!
— Sure! — I replied, trying to get into the mood.
I walked toward them outside, but amid the laughter and teasing, something bothered me. A strange presence, which until then had gone unnoticed.
A hooded figure crossed my path. He did not stop, only tilted his head toward me, and a firm voice whispered, loaded with sarcasm:
— Good evening, Your Highness Ray Von Elseria. If I were you… I would keep an eye on Princess Rina. Or something unexpected may happen.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. When I raised my eyes, the figure had already blended into the crowd.