In the heart of ancient history, during the era of demonic wars, in a harsh world where the seven regions battled for the title of the strongest…)
(In the Western Desert, where the sun scorched the golden sands, and the rocks stretched to the horizon with nothing growing except small cactus shrubs, the slaves walked barefoot on the burning sands, shackled with iron chains, carrying bricks on their backs while the overseers' shouts echoed: "Work! Work!")
(The overseers' whips sliced through the air with every lash, showing no mercy to the slaves, for they were merely tools. They were given neither water nor food, and if one died, another was brought in his place, for the slave trade was flourishing and was cheaper than feeding them every day.)
(At the head of a moving caravan, their leader sat holding a chicken's thigh while eating it. An overseer stood before him and said, "Have you given me orders, my lord?")
(The leader replied, "How are things going with you?")
(The overseer responded, "Everything is proceeding smoothly, my lord.")
(The leader laughed and said, "That is not good! Whip them harder… We must hurry in building this wall!")
At that moment, one of the slaves collapsed from exhaustion. An overseer saw him, approached, and slapped him forcefully, yet the slave did not react; his strength had utterly deserted him as he murmured:
"Mercy… mercy… please!"
But the overseer paid him no heed, instead unshackling him and grabbing his leg, then began dragging him across the burning sands toward the caravan leader.
Overseer: "This slave is exhausted, my lord, and is of no further use."
Slave (pleading): "Please, have mercy, my lord! I have a wife and children… Have pity on me, I beg you!"
Overseer (angrily): "Silence, slave! How dare you ask for mercy?!"
The overseer raised his whip and began lashing him mercilessly, while the slave screamed in pain.
Caravan Leader: "Stop beating him."
A glimmer of hope and joy appeared on the slave's face, but it quickly vanished as the leader continued with a sinister smile:
"I have a better idea… We can offer him to my pet!"
The slave's hopeful features faded, and he began trembling and pleading:
"I'm sorry, my lord! I will do anything… I promise! I will never stop working, please have mercy!"
But the caravan leader paid him no attention and hurled a stone at him. The slave's screams echoed everywhere as the other slaves watched the scene in abject terror. They quickly picked up their pace, fearing they might suffer the same fate.
Caravan Leader (with a mocking smile): "Did you see that? We can punish them in this way. They will have the honor of becoming a meal for my pet, don't you agree?"
Overseer: "Yes, my lord. They will be honored to serve as food for your leopard. This method will force them to work even harder."
Then he bowed slightly and said,
"Pardon me, my lord, I will go about my work. Do I have your permission?"
Caravan Leader: "You may leave, but if you see another slave starting to slack off, do not hesitate to bring him to me… We can enjoy his performance as he begs for mercy."
Overseer: "Yes, my lord!"
Sef al-Sama, one of the slaves who carried the bricks, was not like the others. He had witnessed with his own eyes the sight of the caravan leader's leopard devouring one of the slaves in a gruesome manner. His eyes filled with intense hatred, and he murmured within himself:
"I will kill you all one day!"
Sef al-Sama was distinguished by his silky silver hair that reached his neck and silver eyes, making him look much like Ren, except for the hair and eye color; for Ren had black hair while Sef al-Sama's were entirely silver.
Ideas began to flow through Sef al-Sama's mind as he sought a way to escape this predicament. "During the night… that will be my chance. When everyone is asleep, I will pounce on one of the overseers, free myself from these shackles, and then run away to my freedom!"
Night fell, and the moon shone prominently in the sky, casting its cold light over the desert, intermittently hidden by drifting clouds, while the stars twinkled quietly. The slaves lay on their backs, gazing at the sky, contemplating with heavy sighs, wishing in their hearts:
"Will we ever be free?"
At that moment, the overseers stood on tight patrol, guarding the slaves to prevent any escape attempts. Some overseers, however, were overcome by drowsiness and reclined on the sands, while others remained vigilant.
Sef al-Sama cautiously opened his eyes and began to crawl silently into the desert sands. Suddenly, he leaped onto one of the overseers, using the chain that bound his hands, wrapping it tightly around the man's neck, and pressed his head into the sands so as not to make a sound. The overseer immediately lost consciousness.
Sef al-Sama then took the key, freed himself from the shackles, and slowly moved forward, ready to flee. Before he ran, he glanced back one last time and said in a soft yet angry voice:
"I will return… I will take revenge on all you human creatures!"
At that moment, Oran closed the book he had been reading and said,
"I will resume reading it later; we must move now."
Everyone was focused on the story, their faces etched with sorrow. Ren spoke reflectively:
"It seems that he described humans as creatures… Their treatment of the slaves was so cruel, even though they were humans like them. This world is truly harsh, but why wasn't the hero's name mentioned?"
Oran answered,
"I do not know either. Only his title was mentioned: Sef al-Sama. He became famous by that name in all seven regions during ancient history."
Ren thought for a moment and then said,
"I understand now… Perhaps no one at that time wanted the bloody history to be widely known."
This part of the story affected the entire group, and sorrow appeared on their faces—especially on Mona, Celine, and Lina. Mona spoke sadly:
"It must have been dreadful… Slavery spread across all seven regions, and the arrival of the demonic catastrophe made things even worse. Ren, you once told me that humanity was one step away from extinction. Fortunately, the hero Sef al-Sama emerged… Otherwise, we might not exist today!"
Ren nodded in agreement and added,
"Yes, that is true, but why was the truth hidden? We should have known the heroic deeds of Sef al-Sama. Something dangerous must have happened that led the hidden forces to erase that bloody history. If we had known the truth, we might have dealt with the demonic catastrophe better, and perhaps we would have known how to seal it for good… But now, we still do not know what is being concealed!"
Leon jumped in enthusiastically and said,
"You are right, Ren! Perhaps the hidden forces tampered with people's memories so that they completely forget and move on with their lives, bypassing those painful memories. That era was called the Demonic Wars, and it is clear that it was a terrifying time, so much so that no one even wanted to remember it!"
Oran spoke in a calm voice, though his eyes carried the weight of the past:
"Your point of view is logical… I have seen it all with my own eyes. Women and children were raped, and once the deed was done, they were slaughtered immediately. As for the men, they were enslaved until death. And whoever tried to escape had his legs tied to two opposing horses, then made to run until his body was torn in half! Mercy was just a word—it did not exist in reality… It was so cruel. Or perhaps… perhaps the demonic catastrophe was sent to purge humanity of those monsters who claimed to be human."
He then sighed and continued:
"In any case, we must pack our belongings… We do not know what may happen tomorrow. This is only the first wave of the lower-ranked monsters, and we do not know if more will appear, or if they will be replaced by monsters of higher ranks. We won't be able to hold out for long—it's best that we move now, while daylight still exists."
"You're right; let's move!" Leon said firmly. Then he turned to Mona and Lina:
"Come on, pack your belongings… We do not know what may happen!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, quickly gathered their belongings, and set off toward the Western Desert, where an unknown fate awaited them.
By the next day...
During their journey toward the Western Desert, Oran discovered a cave, so they decided to camp there at sunset. Everyone entered the cave, while Celine and Mona began collaborating to cook food as the others sat on logs. In a corner near the entrance, Ren stood gazing at the sky. Soon, Oran, Leon, and others approached Ren, asking:
"Have you opened the gate in the sky? Do you not see what is being revealed?"
Ren replied,
"It's strange; the gate did open and the crimson moon appeared, yet I saw no sign of the demonic beasts entering."
Oran then remarked,
"Indeed, it is peculiar. But do not trouble yourself over it. Come on, let's go inside—surely the food is ready."
---
At that moment, Mona and Celine distributed the dishes among everyone as they awaited their seats. While eating, Mona asked,
"Did anything unusual happen outside?"
Leon answered,
"Do not worry; nothing happened— even the monsters did not emerge today."
Mona placed her hand on her chest in reassurance.
After they finished eating, Leon leaped up and asked,
"Will you continue for us today with the legends of the Sword of the Sky?"
Smiling, Oran took out a book and began,
"Listen carefully… Chapter One, Part Two of the Legends of the Sword of the Sky."
---
Oran began to recount the tale of the Sword of the Sky:
After he freed himself from enslavement, Sword of the Sky headed to the city of Arian, where the marketplace was teeming with merchants selling their wares. Clad in tattered, old garments, he appeared to passersby as a vagrant.
As he walked, his stomach let out a strange sound—he was famished, having not eaten for three days since his enslavement. Clutching his stomach, he continued on, though he possessed not a single coin.
Three days earlier, the city's forces had attacked; every household's eldest son was forcibly recruited under the pretext of enlisting for war against other regions. In truth, anyone who dared object was immediately killed and forcibly taken into slavery.
Thus began the suffering of Sword of the Sky.
Inside his home, while he was having lunch with his parents and siblings, the door was knocked upon. His mother immediately went to answer it while his father hid Sword of the Sky, claiming they had a younger son. But the forces pounded on the doors to search the houses. When their leader turned his attention to his younger siblings, the father shouted,
"They are too young for recruitment—we have no older son!"
Without hesitation, the leader pointed his sword at the father; his head flew into the air before falling near their eyes. His mother dropped to her knees, her eyes wide open, before her screams began. The leader grasped her hand and pressed his sword against her neck, threatening the boy,
"Boy, if you do not leave your place, we shall kill your mother immediately."
The two younger siblings remained silent, their faces etched with shock and terror.
The boy asked,
"Did you not hear me? So you want me to kill her now..."
Sword of the Sky burst forth from his hiding place toward them. When he saw his father's head before his eyes and was about to speak, the forces pounced and threw him to the ground. Crying with tears filling his eyes, he glared at their leader and declared,
"I swear I will kill you! I will show no mercy, no matter how much you beg!"
And with that, the leader slaughtered Sword of the Sky's mother.
The leader then asked,
"Will you surrender quietly, or do you want us to begin with your siblings?"
Sword of the Sky looked at his siblings as silent tears fell, their shared hatred growing. He pounded his head against the ground repeatedly until he finally raised his head and said,
"I surrender; leave them be now."
The forces' leader intervened, saying,
"It seems we have reached an understanding. Very well, let us move on; we can leave the two children—take him to the caravan leader."
When the forces' leader met with the caravan leader, he smiled lightly as he pointed to the shackles being fixed on Sword of the Sky, saying,
"From today onward, you are nothing more than a slave."
Sword of the Sky was taken aback, yet he said nothing for the sake of his siblings. And so, he became a slave.
---
At that time, Sword of the Sky continued on, clutching his stomach, heading toward his home to see his siblings. Finally arriving, he knocked on the door. His youngest sister opened the door, and she leaped toward him, tears filling her eyes as she exclaimed,
"We missed you so much! We didn't know what to do without you."
Sword of the Sky patted his younger brother's head in an attempt to soothe him, saying,
"Do not worry, I am here now; everything will be alright."
Everyone sat down, until a woman emerged from the kitchen calling,
"Who's there at the door?"
She dropped the dish from her hands, which shattered, and asked,
"Is that you?"
Sword of the Sky replied,
"Yes, it is me, Auntie. Are you well?"
Tears began to flow as the aunt cried,
"How did it come to this? What happened to you all?"
Everyone sat down as Sword of the Sky began explaining everything that had transpired.
The aunt said,
"It must be so hard for you to overcome."
Sword of the Sky replied,
"I'm fine now, but it must be even harder for you. I had to take care of my siblings and witnessed the death of my parents and their funeral. I truly thank you."
The aunt added,
"It so happened that my husband and I came to see my sister when everything occurred. I thank my husband who helped me overcome this ordeal, and he even suggested that we adopt my sister's children if you plan to do so now."
Sword of the Sky answered,
"I am truly grateful to you and your husband for taking care of my siblings. Thank you sincerely. But I am now pursued; I must flee and avenge my parents. Can you take care of my siblings? I now pose a danger to you. I've only come to check on you. I apologize, but I'm starving— I haven't eaten for three days."
The aunt replied,
"Do not worry, I will take care of my sister's children as if they were mine. Lunch is ready; come and eat with us."
Thus, everyone sat down to have lunch.