This kingdom is divided into two parts: one for demons, due to an ancient contract.
However, the demons violated it in two areas: the village of Kurayami-mura and the frozen region.
They both lie between the Demon Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Holy Sword.
A hero was supposed to be sent there, but due to the demons' power, the Lord of Ice was sent instead.
And in the Village of Spearmen, every day some demons came and attacked the village.
They appeared in human form but with horns on their heads and eyes thirsty for blood.
The heroes of the village defended it with all their strength.
There was a little girl, 9 years old, attacked by one of the demons.
When he tried to harm her, a sword suddenly cut off his head, and blood came out from the cut, covering the ice and dyeing it red.
Above the corpse stood a boy breathing heavily from exhaustion.
"Roz, are you okay?"
"Big brother Volak!"
The girl was small, her height about one meter and twenty-five centimeters,
while her brother was 13 years old and 158 centimeters tall.
She hugged him while trembling,
"Brother, who are they? I'm scared."
He placed his hand on her head,
"Are you worried while your brother is beside you, silly? Anyone who tries to hurt you is dead, so don't worry."
While they were talking, three more demons attacked them.
Volak tried to cut them down, but failed, as these demons were fast.
So he stabbed his sword into the ground and released his energy into the ice, causing it to crack.
The demons retreated, but Volak rushed and killed one of them.
The other one was also slain,
but the third tried to attack from behind —
Yet a spear pierced through the demon's stomach.
It was Volak's father.
"Are you okay, Volak?"
"Yes, Father, thank you for saving me."
"What are you saying? I saved your sister. Don't you worry about her?
I raised a man so I would never have to worry about him as long as I live."
"Now guard your sister, and I will take care of the rest of the demons."
"Yes, sir."
The battle was going in favor of the Spearmen Tribe, but then a demon sorcerer appeared.
He had been standing still all this time, only watching,
but suddenly he moved his staff,
and the parts of the slain demons gathered again, shocking everyone.
"The severed pieces of the demons… they're coming back together! This is impossible!"
Volak was guarding his sister,
and the rest of the children were hiding in a cellar inside the leader's hut to stay safe.
"Sister, get into the hut and lock the doors quickly. This doesn't look good. I'll stay and protect you. Go!"
"Okay!"
When Roz tried to enter, one of the speed-type demons attacked her and almost cut off her arm,
But Volak intercepted it, wounding his own arm and stopping the attack.
"Brother!"
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Volak gripped his sword tighter, enduring the pain, and attacked the demon,
but another demon came from behind, forcing him to dodge.
The two demons attacked him from different sides,
And Volak defended with all his might until he grew exhausted.
"They're attacking again together… This is bad… from both sides… What should I do?"
At that moment, a cutting wind appeared, halting the demons' attack.
"Need help?"
"Iris?! The last person I'd need help from… my rival."
"Really? Though I don't see you as a rival. Are you joking? Do I look like I'm joking?"
"That annoys me. You and I are equals in strength."
"That's what you think. But for now, let's focus on these demons."
The two attacked the demons and killed them — and many others in the village —
But the demon bodies were gathering again.
The one holding the staff was hiding with a strange power, invisible to everyone.
"More of them, huh? Let's see who kills more demons!"
"You're challenging me in a situation like this, Volak?!"
"Yes, because you won't kill more than me!"
"Challenge accepted!"
The two used their powers and began attacking fiercely,
cutting the demons into pieces.
But this time, only half of the demons regenerated, while the rest didn't.
"Look, they're not reforming. It seems their power is weakening!"
"Yes, then let's keep going!"
"Yes!"
They tried to attack again, but this time it was different.
The pieces that didn't gather grabbed them, restraining their movement.
"So that's your plan… but it won't work!"
When Volak tried to cut the hand holding him,
He found that the hand could split itself and then regenerate —
It was useless to resist.
In his shock, he saw that Iris and some of the villagers were caught as well.
"What's going on? Was this their plan all along?!"
Meanwhile, the children in the cellar were terrified,
They heard footsteps moving above them.
But what reassured them was that the sound moved away.
Roz, however, was hiding apart from the children,
and she saw her brother being held by one of the demons' hands.
She ran out, driven by fear for him —
But that was a foolish decision, as the demons noticed her and attacked.
"Roz!!!" Volak and Iris shouted.
Volak tried to move, but the hand restrained him — and Iris as well.
The father was blocked by other demons each time he tried to reach Roz.
Roz's heartbeat grew faster —
The feeling of death was close.
She didn't know what to do.
"Got you now, you deceitful demon!
Power of Ice — Total Freeze!"
The demon didn't notice the presence beside him until he was already frozen solid.
Then a blizzard burst out, freezing every demon in sight.
Everyone stood in shock.
That person moved toward the girl and landed on the ground.
"Little girl," he said.
She looked at him, trembling with fear.
He took off his cloak and wrapped it around her.
"Little girl, it's all right. Everything is fine now.
There's nothing to fear — because I am here.
Allow me to introduce myself.
I am Hyoga, the Lord of Ice, and the seventh knight of the order.
I came here to make sure what happened today will never happen again."
The girl looked at him as if her hero had finally arrived —
And for a moment, time stopped.
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Readers, the first chapter of Rose's past is out!
I'll be uploading one chapter every day — and I mean it.
The updates themselves will prove it, so please cheer me on and support me!