prologue

With a silver sword reflecting the glistening light of the crimson moon held to his neck, he smirked and looked up at the young man. "I, the demon lord of Crimora, commend you, young hero. You are worthy of the holy sword, and since you are the first to defeat me, let me leave you with a piece of advice: this world you love is not as it seems. Look high in the sky, and the truth shall be seen."

With that said, the demon lord coughed out blood and drew his last breath. The young man, often described as a direct sculpture of the gods due to his unparalleled beauty in the kingdom of Lesidnia, gazed up with his cold emerald eyes filled with emptiness. The wind ruffled his black hair, accentuating his gorgeous features. His gaze could pierce the night sky as he sighed, 'finally, the battle is done,' he said, looking back at the demon lord's lifeless body and decapitating it.

It was a bittersweet moment that made him laugh as if he were a madman. Tears streamed down his face as he uttered, 'It is finally done. All the pain I endured, all the suffering caused, it is finally finished.'

He wiped his tears with his thumb, realizing for the first time in years that he cried. 'You, Aldos, the demon lord, truly were the nemesis that I, Vincent von Deliré, was destined to destroy,' he murmured before leaving the battlefield.

At the king's request, Vincent returned to the kingdom of Lesidnia. As he passed through the kingdom's walls, the once adoring crowds now regarded him with scorn and pity as he returned with only a few knights. Paying no heed to their looks, all he could think about were the demon lord's last words, pondering their meaning until he arrived at the king's castle.

Entering the throne room, he was met with scornful gazes from the others present. Bowing before the king, Vincent awaited his fate. The king's advisor then presented a scroll, announcing, "By the order of his royal majesty Alfred de Lesidnia III, I hereby declare that Vincent von Deliré shall be stripped of his title, mana core, and holy sword. He shall also be banished from the land of Lesidnia for committing treason by conspiring with the demon lord of Crimora."

Vincent looked up horrified, "I, what? Your majesty, this is a joke, right? I would never betray my own kingdom. What just happened?"