The sun had completely set. It was midnight when Joshua's head poked out of the window. He exhaled deeply and resolved to exit the mansion.

“Hmm…” Joshua let out a short groan as he walked. 

The eerie lump that replaced his mana hall was acting up. The pain was becoming more restrictive every minute. The problem was the energy inside the lump, a subtle but familiar mixture.

‘Divine power, demonic power, and—’

“Heurk—!” Cutting his thoughts, Joshua snapped and coughed up blood. On the bright side, it was clean, bright blood rather than the foul blood from when he died.

“Damn—” For some reason, the energies that had killed him had come back in time with him. They clawed at each other, engulfing Joshua in a terrible, shuddering pain. Clearly, however, it was not as bad as the pain he had experienced before the regression, since both energies had been somewhat suppressed.

At first, Joshua had thought that he had just lost his strength when he’d traveled to the past.

‘But that’s not it.’ He could still feel the energy working inside him.

After all, this was Joshua, the Undefeated Spear Knight of the Avalon Empire. The Avalon Empire, was one of the empires with the most significant military power. Joshua was sometimes called the “absolute man” and considered the most talented person alive. He was renowned all across Igrant, and at the level where it was hard to find an opponent.

His senses told him that something was suppressing the power of the clashing energies…

“Lugia.” Joshua groaned with his brows furrowed together.

His dear friend, Lugia. Somehow, the enormous latent power of the ancient weapon, Lugia, had entered his body and was restraining the conflicting energy inside him. Perhaps Lugia would provide the solution to his bizarre condition.

The pain subsided, and Joshua hurried onward.

“If I could make all three energies my own…”

If anyone had heard what Joshua just said, they would call him crazy. Even Joshua knew that it was crazy. Demonic Power and Divine Power were absolute opposites. In all of the continent’s history, not a single person, ever, had wielded both at the same time.

That was because Demonic Power was a hard limit for living beings. Similar to how only Holy Knights could manipulate Divine Power, the only ones that could wield Demonic Power were the Undead and Death Knights.

“A little north of the stable. Among the many trees, Next to the house-sized rock.” Joshua mumbled to himself. Across the vast holdings of Duke Agnus, only Joshua knew this secret.

‘All the guards are drunk.’

Joshua was getting close. He was about to pass the stable when…

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!” A high-pitched scream pierced his ears.

Joshua’s eyes opened wide.

“This voice!” It had been a long time, and it was only a scream, but Joshua could never forget this voice. His heart—and his feet—raced violently.

A trembling woman in her late twenties was surrounded by three men. She was dressed shabbily, but her unique beauty shone through. Her eyes were a sparking emerald and her hair was the blue of a calm sea. Though her face was marred with suffering and shadowed by anxiety, she was beautiful enough to make anyone look twice.

She was Joshua’s mother, Lucia.

***

Having come to look for Joshua for the first time in a long while, Lucia was now trapped in a very difficult situation.

“Let me go! Why are you doing this to me?” The bound woman spoke with a tremulous voice.

“Hehe. Lucia, let’s not do this when we know each other’s situation.” The man clutching Lucia’s wrists, Gort, sported a disgusting smile.

“What?”

“It must be ten years since the Duke embraced you, right? Don’t you need somewhere to blow off steam, while you’re at your prime?” Gort gestured, moving his hips front and back, mimicking a certain action, as he ogled at Lucia’s body.

“Well, even if you don’t need it, we do. We have to take care of our needs from time to time, too.” Standing next to Gort, Roid added with a smirk.

Hearing their words, the realization sunk in. Lucia’s face paled.

“You think the Duke will ignore this?!”

“Pft! You think the Duke will come running to save you?”

“....” Lucia could not refute Gort.

“You should know your place. You’re just a lowly maid… Rather, you should consider it an honor to serve the Duke’s centurions,” Gort continued with a perverted smile on his face.

“Hehe. Can you believe this guy? Don’t worry. Today I’ll give you a taste of paradise,” Roid teased.

“Don’t even think about yelling. Well, even if you did, no one would hear.”

“You know we’re responsible for this area, don’t you?”

Hearing the conversation between Gort and Roid, Lucia could only tremble.

“But… is this really okay?” Unlike the other two, Rols stepped back and took a look at the surroundings before he muttered nervously.

“What’s going on with this fool, huh?” Gort scratched his head and laughed at his comrade.

“It’s just that—if Young Master Josh—”

Receiving Gort’s piercing glare, Rols immediately corrected himself.

“If that… trash appeared—”

“Fuck! Then you take care of it!” Roid spat. His eyes hadn’t left Lucia’s body. “We came here to teach that bastard a lesson, didn’t we?”

“But—”

“Shut it! If you blabber about that bastard’s punches again, I’ll beat you down before he can!”

Rols shut his mouth.

“It doesn’t even make sense. Three centurions felled in one shot by a peasant child of less than ten years. He cleans horse manure! And is a son of a lowly maid!” They muttered to themself out of Lucia’s hearing.

“It’s crazy. Maybe he was possessed by a demon.” Roid nodded at Gort’s words. Rols flew into a rage.

“But obviously I—!”

“I told you to shut it!” Gort shouted. He made a disgusted face. “If you feel uncomfortable, you can quit anytime, Rols! But if that kid does come back—”

“Joshua? Where the hell is my child?!” Lucia had been frozen stiff, but shouted and screamed from the moment she heard Joshua’s name from Rols.

Gort scowled, but then had an idea and smirked. He pointed to the lone tree next to the stable.

“I beat him up and hung him from that tree.”

“....”

“And right before his eyes… I shall—” Gort let out a grim chuckle as his mind was consumed by lust.

Lucia slumped. The shock of what she heard drained her energy in an instant.

“I can’t take it any longer.” Gort licked his lips and he leered at Lucia trembling like an aspen leaf.

“Don’t do this, please—” Lucia desperately retreated.

“Hey Gort, can we start now? I think I’m going crazy.” Roid tugged at his pants and approached Lucia.

Gort twisted his head from side to side, stretching his neck as he slowly approached Lucia.

“But what if that guy shows up while we’re doing it?”

“We only need one person to deal with him.” Gort let out a hearty laugh.

“Hah!” Roid burst out laughing.

“Well, being able to enjoy it would be up to one’s ability though. Or perhaps you won't last that long?” Gort smirked.

Hearing the provocation, Roid made an astonished face.

“Dude! I can recover fast enough to match a troll!

“That’s it then. Let’s start right away then.” Gort let out a dark chuckle and slowly approached Lucia. When he extended his hand toward Lucia, she bit his hand.

“Ouch! You bitch!” Gort raised his other hand and slapped Lucia across the face.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!’

Her screams sounded in succession, and her slender body sank to the ground.

“Not bad.” Gort clicked his tongue as he examined the maid who had passed out on the ground.

“Hey, I think this is too harsh—” Rols said.

“This Duchess will take care of it, you coward.” Gort spat out. He was getting annoyed at Rols for spoiling the mood.

“What?”

“That was what she told me. If you’re scared, just leave. I’ll handle the rest.”

“....”

Seeing Rols, shut his mouth, Gort grinned.

“Well then.” Gort approached Lucia’s unconscious body.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Under the radiant moonlight, where there were no sounds except for the insect chirps, the sound of unfamiliar footsteps echoed around them.

“Who’s there?” Gort’s head snapped towards the sound.

“You—!”

A boy approached from between Rols and Roid. A boy with dark blue hair and freezing blue eyes that matched his aura.

Roid’s eyes widened in surprise while Rols was visibly startled.

The same boy from Gort’s memory howled.

“All of you…are dead!”

Joshua’s declaration sounded like the roar of a savage beast and clearly reached the ears of the three centurions.