Eidolon woke up to the warmest sunlight he had ever felt. Stretching on the velvet sheets of his massive bed, he realized he hadn't had a single nightmare about his past life. For the first time, he had slept in peace.
Creak.
"Wake up, sleepyhead!"
Eidolon sat up abruptly, blinking. Standing by his door was Princess Seraphina, holding a set of folded black garments.
"Princess? Why are you in my room?" Eidolon asked, pulling the sheets up.
"I brought you your new uniform!" she said proudly, dropping the pile on his bed. "It's custom-made from enchanted spider-silk. It will regulate your temperature, help your body heal faster, and it's incredibly light."
Eidolon eyed the dark fabric skeptically. "It looks expensive. I'm not sure I'll be comfortable in something so flashy."
Seraphina crossed her arms, a fake pout on her lips. "I spent hours picking this out! Go put it on right now, or I'll have Kenta drag you out of bed!"
"Alright, alright! Don't shout, I'm going," Eidolon chuckled, taking the clothes to the changing screen.
When he stepped out, he was stunned. The suit was a deep, midnight black with silver accents that perfectly complemented his bone-white hair and amethyst eyes. It fit him like a second skin.
Seraphina's eyes went wide, and a light pink dust settled on her cheeks. "Well... it looks good on you. I suppose."
"Thanks for the suit, Seraphina," he said sincerely.
"No worries! After all, you are my personal knight," she smiled.
"Oh, Eidolon! You look incredible," a booming voice came from the doorway. Sir Kenta stood there, leaning against the frame. "Ready to head to the training grounds? I want to see what you're truly capable of."
"Sure," Eidolon shrugged. "Let's see where I stand."
"I'm coming too!" Seraphina announced.
Kenta's smile faded, replaced by a stern, protective look. "My Lady, you know the King's orders. It is far too dangerous for you to be outside the castle walls right now."
Eidolon frowned. "Dangerous? In the middle of the capital?"
"The Demon Army's spies are everywhere in this kingdom, Eidolon," Kenta explained grimly. "Their main targets are the Emperor and Lady Seraphina. Assassination attempts happen weekly."
"The Demon Army..." Eidolon repeated. The word tasted heavy in his mouth.
"You shouldn't worry about me," Seraphina countered, resting a hand on her hip. "I can protect myself."
"Princess, this is by royal decree. You stay inside," Kenta said firmly.
Seraphina sighed, her shoulders dropping. "Fine..."
"Speaking of which," Eidolon said, trying to lighten the mood. "All this talk of danger is making me hungry."
"Then I'll make an apple pie for you!" Seraphina chirped, her mood flipping instantly.
"If you don't mind making enough for two, I'd love a slice as well," Kenta added with a grin.
"I'll see what I can do! Go on, get to training," she laughed, heading toward the royal kitchens.
The Unintended Strike
The training grounds were a massive arena of stone and reinforced steel. Kenta led Eidolon to the center and drew a heavy, silver broadsword. As he held it, the blade began to glow with a brilliant white light.
"Watch closely, Eidolon," Kenta said. "My sword absorbs the ambient mana around us."
With a swift, practiced motion, Kenta swung. A wave of compressed air erupted from the blade, slicing a twenty-inch boulder clean in half.
"Wow," Eidolon admitted, genuinely impressed. "That's why you're the best knight in the kingdom."
"Actually, my powers go way beyond that, but you'll see that later," Kenta winked. "Now, show me your sword. Where is it?"
Eidolon closed his eyes. He reached into the cold void in his chest and pulled. With a soft hiss of dark smoke, the jagged, black shadow-blade materialized in his grip.
Kenta's eyebrows shot up. "You can manifest a magical weapon from pure mana? That is incredibly rare, Eidolon. Impressive."
"Let's see how it handles," Eidolon said. He stepped up to a massive stone target, focused his mind, and swung horizontally.
Schlip.
The dark blade passed through a seventeen-inch section of the rock like a hot knife through butter.
"Looks like you still win, Kenta," Eidolon said, dismissing his blade. "I only got seventeen inches."
But Kenta didn't answer. He was staring past the boulder, his jaw hanging open.
"Eidolon... what the heck did you just do?" Kenta whispered.
"What do you mean?" Eidolon turned around.
Behind the shattered boulder, the massive, thirty-foot-high arena wall—made of solid, reinforced titanium—had a clean, glowing black cut right through the middle of it. He hadn't just cut the rock; the shockwave of his shadow energy had sliced through the most durable metal in the kingdom.
"I didn't expect that!" Eidolon stammered, his eyes wide. "I'm so sorry! I'll pay for the wall!"
"Pay for it?" Kenta laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your abilities are insane, kid. One day, you might just become the greatest knight this world has ever seen."
"I'm not interested in being a hero, Kenta," Eidolon said quietly, looking at his palm. "I just want to live in peace."
"Hahaha, spoken like a true master," Kenta smiled.
Their conversation was interrupted as another knight in heavy armor ran onto the field. "Commander Kenta! We have an urgent update!"
"Leon," Kenta straightened up. "What's the report?"
"The border villagers just sent word," the knight, Leon, said breathlessly. "They spotted Gluttony. He has already consumed fifteen people."
Eidolon's stomach dropped. "What the hell is a 'Gluttony'?"
Leon looked at Eidolon, confused. "Who's the new guy, Kenta?"
"This is Eidolon Kage, the new personal knight to Lady Seraphina," Kenta introduced him. "Eidolon, this is Sir Leon, the second strongest imperial knight."
"Glad to meet you, Leon," Eidolon said, shaking his hand, but his mind was on the report. "What is Gluttony?"
Kenta's face went deadly serious. "The Demon Lord has sent his Seven top monsters to destroy the mortal kingdoms. They are named after the Seven Deadly Sins: Lust, Pride, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, and Envy. Their main goal is to wipe out this kingdom, starting with the Emperor and Lady Seraphina."
Eidolon stood frozen. He wanted a quiet, peaceful life. But as he thought of the smiling princess currently baking him an apple pie, a cold resolve settled in his chest. This was a lot more dangerous than he had bargained for.