Chapter 1
The air in the chamber felt thick enough to choke on.
Ferwel Noxes stood motionless at the center, his presence alone pressing down on the ten kneeling figures before him like an invisible mountain. No one dared lift their heads.
An important report had just arrived.
Count Elvion Ornen, thirty-six years old—one of Noxes' insiders—had been exposed by the Kingdom of Neltan. His arrest was only a matter of time.
Without hesitation, Ferwel made his decision.
To prevent any information leak that could destroy the organization, a final order was issued:
Count Elvion must be silenced before he is captured.
"Ryudien," Ferwel continued in a firm, emotionless tone, "I entrust this mission to you. Do not disappoint me."
The mission fell upon Ryudien Noxes, a boy who was only sixteen years old. He had black hair, red eyes, and a long scar running from his left cheek to his eye—a wound that had left a lasting mark but had not taken his sight.
But in the Noxes Organization, age had never mattered. Only results.
The moment his name was called, a chilling sensation crept through Ryudien's body. His heartbeat quickened, yet felt heavier.
Not long after…
Under the full moon illuminating the courtyard of a luxurious mansion, Count Elvion had just returned from a long business trip. His face showed exhaustion, yet there was still a hint of joy.
In his right hand, he carried a suitcase and a work bag.
"Welcome home, dear," his wife said warmly with a smile, taking his belongings with the help of the servants.
"I'm back," Count Elvion replied softly, relief evident in his voice.
Without delay, he headed to his private office to store his work bag.
But his steps halted the moment he entered.
A young man sat calmly on the sofa—waiting for him.
A face he knew very well.
"What brings Sir Ryudien here?" Count Elvion asked, trying to steady himself despite the growing unease in his chest.
"You failed," Ryudien replied coldly, his gaze sharp and emotionless.
Those two words alone were enough to make Count Elvion tremble.
"Give me a chan—"
Before he could finish—
Slash!
His head was severed and fell to the floor.
Moments later, his wife—who had come carrying a glass of cold water—froze at the doorway.
Her eyes widened in horror.
Her husband's head… rolled on the floor.
Her piercing scream shattered the silence of the night.
The guards rushed into the mansion. With them came a feared figure—
The Fifth Strongest warrior, Damnern Solv, twenty-four years old.
He had come to capture Count Elvion.
But… he was too late.
"Semi Angel!" Damnern shouted.
In an instant, a radiant wing of light appeared on his left side, illuminating the entire room with a holy aura. He looked like an angel—even with only one wing.
The guards attacked, but Ryudien acted without hesitation.
With a single wave of his hand, sharp weapons materialized in the air and were launched at deadly speed.
One by one, the guards fell.
Damnern activated his Judgement Eyes.
But—
Something was wrong.
There was no Judgement Thread around Ryudien's neck.
"This isn't him…" Damnern muttered.
In a blink, he stabbed Ryudien through the chest without hesitation.
The body crumbled into dust.
A clone.
Ryudien had swapped places with a clone he had left somewhere in the city.
Clang!
Damnern immediately flew through the glass window into the night sky at full speed.
Elsewhere…
"If my Clone Manifestation could be used without distance limits… I wouldn't have to bother going to that man's residence," Ryudien muttered to himself.
15 minutes later…
Damnern, flying through the night sky, observed the city below. Soon, he spotted a cloaked man moving suspiciously in a quiet alley.
In an instant, he descended and blocked the man's path.
Judgement Eyes activated once again.
This time—it was clear.
A Judgement Thread was visible around the man's neck.
"You're the one," Damnern said coldly.
"What do you mean, sir?" Ryudien feigned ignorance.
"Still denying it?"
Without warning, Ryudien attacked.
He created sharp metal spikes and launched them relentlessly. But Damnern caught them with ease.
"Tch!" Ryudien clicked his tongue.
Damnern summoned the Judgement Sword—a glowing blade emerging from what looked like a holy portal.
"Other people's lives mean nothing to you, do they?" he said.
"You wouldn't understand…" Ryudien replied bitterly. "Those who have everything will never understand."
Civilians fled in fear.
"I don't see any chance of winning…" Ryudien whispered in his mind.
His survival instinct took over.
In an instant, he split into twenty clones, scattering in different directions.
He fled.
But—
In a blink, Damnern appeared behind him and slashed his neck.
SWAP!!
Ryudien fell to the ground while clutching his neck, watching his clone disappear into dust after being slashed by Damnern.
Ryudien barely escaped—switching places with a clone.
"Impossible..." Ryudien muttered as a chilling fear began to creep over him.
But the attacks did not stop.
When he blinked again, Damnern vanished and reappeared behind him.
Swap!
He switched places with his clone again, hoping it was just a coincidence.
But every time he switched—
Damnern was already behind him.
Srek…
Srekk…
Srekkk…
The sound of flesh being torn filled the air.
"How… does he know?" Ryudien panicked.
"I-Imposible..."
Now Ryudien no longer saw Damnern as a human. In his eyes, Damnern had turned into a dark, red-eyed monster—something terrifying that he should never have encountered.
Cold sweat trickled down Ryudien's neck as panic clawed at his thoughts.
But he refused to give up.
With one final gamble, he devised a plan.
He sacrificed one clone—
and appeared right behind Damnern.
Damnern struck the fake clone.
"Tch, I've been fooled!"
Without hesitation, Ryudien summoned a large scythe and swung it.
"Die!!" Ryudien shouted loudly, hoping his attack would hit his opponent.
But—
Damnern's glowing sword reached his neck before Ryudien's attack could even touch him.
"SWAP—!!"
Ryudien desperately activated his skill again.
"…Huh?"
Nothing happened.
No clones.
No escape.
His eyes widened.
Time itself seemed to slow.
The shining blade crept closer… closer…
He could see every spark dancing along its edge.
He knew exactly what was coming.
But his body—
would not move.
Schwing.
His head separated from his body.
Even as darkness closed in, a single thought echoed in his fading consciousness:
Is this the end?
What is happiness?
Why do I exist?
Why… am I never allowed to be happy?
I just wanted to live like a normal human…
Why has fate always hated me…
"Heh… I've always been unlucky…"
Tears streamed down his face.
"Now… be happy."
A strange voice whispered.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Then, warmth slowly embraced him.
When he opened his eyes again—
A beautiful blonde-haired woman with gentle green eyes was cradling him.
"Shhh, my precious Elyra… Mama's here," Elina whispered lovingly.
Ryudien — now trapped in the tiny body of a newborn baby girl — could only cry.
Realization hit like thunder.
He had been reborn.
As a baby girl.
Elyra—the daughter of Elina, known as Lady Elina.
Born at the very moment he died.
Around Elina stood two maids. Both of them stared at Elyra with sparkling eyes.
With this new life…
I will take revenge.
Just wait, Damnern Solv.
That night, around two in the morning…
After Elina put her to sleep, Elyra suddenly woke up.
Beside her bed—
stood a familiar figure.
Damnern Solv.
His body was covered in blood.
His eyes stared silently.
"He found me already?!" Elyra panicked.
From her small perspective, a large hand reached toward her.
She cried loudly.
Trembling.
Unable to calm down.
"Oh… this little one is quite clingy," Damnern said softly.
"Don't cry, Elyra."
"I'm your papa."
"…Huh?"
End of Chapter 1