Chapter 1
You’re Laughing?
Blood spread across the ground.
Severed arms and legs of humans and demons floated in it.
It was hell.
No… this was clearly reality, yet that was how it felt to me.
“Have you finally given up?”
A grotesque figure that looked like a mix of human and demon.
It was the Demon God—the one who turned this continent into hell.
I gasped for breath and spoke.
“Shut up, you ugly bastard.”
“…Heh.”
For the first time, the Demon God smiled.
Facing his killing intent, I felt strangely calm, yet my chest burned at the same time.
But the Demon God couldn’t move due to someone’s holy power. Though if he recovered, he would be able to move again.
“Sword Demon….”
Someone called me.
I ignored it. I never liked that title anyway.
“Hey, Sword Demon, you bastard….”
I turned my head.
A man was leaning against a large rock, his body limp. His shining silver hair had turned red with blood.
“Still not dead?”
“I can’t die leaving only you behind….”
Among the sea of blood, I was the only human still standing.
“We weren’t the type to worry about each other.”
“If the last surviving human is a madman like you, I wouldn’t have the face to meet the Goddess.”
“Ah.”
That, I could understand.
I was the Sword Demon, known as the strongest villain on the continent.
He was the strongest Holy Knight.
He chased me his whole life, and I simply went my own way.
“Stop following me, Rudian. Are you planning to chase me even into hell?”
“……”
Rudian let out a hollow laugh.
Today, everyone seemed to laugh whenever I spoke. Maybe I should add “clown” to my titles.
“Sword Demon… can you win?”
Rudian looked at the Demon God, who stood still.
The Demon God—the father of all demons. A god powerful enough to crush the world alone.
That wasn’t an exaggeration.
I tightened my grip on my sword.
“I can win.”
Rudian glanced at me and spoke calmly.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“What is?”
“If I had known earlier that you weren’t purely evil… things might have turned out differently.”
I scoffed.
“Wasn’t it your Church that labeled me evil? I only killed those who deserved to die. I have no regrets.”
“Is that so….”
He thought for a moment, then spoke again.
“I chased you many times, but never caught you. You were stronger than anyone… and better in every way.”
“That’s why it’s such a shame. If you had become a Holy Knight, we might have been close friends.”
That was impossible.
Only those blessed with divine power by the Goddess could become Holy Knights.
Still, I let him finish.
“Sword Demon… I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“I heard your family were devoted followers of ‘Ella.’ Why did you choose a different path?”
Ella—the only God.
The Goddess worshipped by the Church.
“No special reason. The teachings didn’t suit me. I just wanted to live freely.”
“Freedom….”
“And even if I had followed Ella, things wouldn’t be different. If the Goddess truly protected the good, my family wouldn’t have been destroyed.”
I continued, my voice burning.
“Or is it because I didn’t believe in her? Then she’s a narrow-minded being. One sheep leaves, and she abandons the whole flock.”
“……”
I pointed my sword at the Demon God.
“Look at that bastard. The father of demons came down himself to fight for them.”
“But our Goddess doesn’t even speak… while her last Holy Knight is dying.”
I looked at Rudian.
“Rudian… was your faith rewarded?”
“……”
“Go ahead. Pray. Ask her to restore my destroyed family. Ask for the power to defeat him.”
All the anger I had built up burst out at once.
Rudian faced it calmly.
“Sword Demon.”
“Speak.”
“The Goddess doesn’t solve problems for us. She only gives us the strength to overcome them.”
“Like the divine power I received.”
“In the end… the result is up to us.”
His blue eyes did not waver.
“Then what about the Demon God? You’re lying there dying.”
Rudian blinked.
“Didn’t you say you would win?”
“What?”
“I bought you time. Now you’ll handle the rest.”
I sighed.
His faith was too strong. Even my anger couldn’t break it.
“Kael Luminara.”
For the first time, Rudian called my name.
“You are not a villain… nor just the Sword Demon. You are simply—”
His voice faded.
Silence filled the surroundings.
The light in his eyes disappeared.
‘Tch… annoying.’
I reached out to close his eyes—
But couldn’t.
Blood flowed from my severed shoulder.
I couldn’t even cover his sky.
“At least… I’ll avenge you.”
I gripped my sword and walked toward the Demon God.
Blood splashed with every step.
Then I tripped over an arm and fell.
I had already reached my limit.
“Impressive.”
Through a corpse’s eyes, I saw the Demon God approaching.
“That rage toward Ella… and your strength beyond humans.”
“It would be a waste to kill you. If you wish, you can become a demon—”
At that moment—
I jumped up and swung my sword.
Slash!
The Demon God dodged, but my blade cut deep into his chest.
We glared at each other.
“Fooled you?”
“……”
His eyebrow twitched.
Then he burst out laughing.
“Why are you laughing? Did that hit mess up your brain? Fine. Your name is no longer Demon God—it’s Mad God now.”
He stopped laughing and stared at me.
“That was dangerous. If you had used divine power instead of magic… things might’ve been different.”
His wound slowly healed.
“Anyway… I’ve heard your answer.”
He moved.
In an instant, he was in front of me.
Clang!
My sword shattered.
Slash.
A burning sensation crossed my neck.
When I came to—
My vision was in the sky.
“So this is… flying.”
It wasn’t beautiful.
I saw Rudian’s corpse below.
I closed my eyes.
“Your faith… was too much for me.”
* * *
I never denied the Goddess existed.
The scriptures and Holy Knights proved that.
But I never worshipped her.
There were too many restrictions.
“Kael! You brat! When will you grow up?!”
My father’s nagging was better than scriptures.
“But I’ll never hear it again…”
Thud!
A heavy удар hit my head.
I opened my eyes.
“You bastard… falling asleep?”
Some weak-looking guy glared at me.
“…What?”
I checked my body.
My neck was intact.
Fatigue was gone.
A strange yet familiar energy flowed inside me.
My hands were tied. I sat on a chair.
“Ah… I see.”
This must be the afterlife.
Judgment.
“Bring the Goddess. I won’t accept judgment from anyone else.”
The man laughed.
“You’re not just a thug—you’re insane.”
“…What?”
“You’re not dead. You were kidnapped.”
“Not dead…?”
Memories clicked.
This place…
This face…
“I returned… to the past?”
Same place. Same situation.
“That means… I can change everything.”
My destroyed family.
My past.
Everything.
“Ha… haha…”
Laughter escaped me.
“This bastard… is laughing?”
I stood up.
He stepped back instinctively.
I leaned closer.
“Haha… hahaha…”
Then I stopped.
“You’re laughing?”
“Y-you started—”
BAM!
I smashed my head into his face.
Blood sprayed.
Pain spread across my forehead.
The smell of blood filled the air.
And I smiled brightly.
“Ah…”
“I really… came back.”
(To be continued)
