0.21. Prologue

Drip. Drip. Drip–

Squeeze.

Drip. Drip–

Sequencee then gently laid the wet cloth on Anna's forehead.

"Thank you dear."

"Mom, your temperature is not going down."

"Ah, don't worry about that."

" ... "

He could tell that the way she performed the gesture was notably more sluggish than her usual self.

She was fine this morning, why did it get worse at night?

"I'll be back in shape after a few days of rest. The curse gets just a little stronger at night, this is normal. You're all grown up so I trust that you know how to take care of yourself, alright?"

Sequencee nodded. He sat silently beside her.

It had been weeks since the fight with Astroth, and while Anna was able to move around fine, she would have these episodes where the curse would flare up. Despite the efforts of the priests, and those who had Gifts that were said to be able to relieve curses and regrow limbs–none of them worked. That was just how grievous Astroth's curse was to Anna.

Looking past it however, she's able to perform her day to day activities just fine.

"Mom. Why exactly did you challenge Astroth? I don't get it … "

She chuckled. "It's not that complicated. I mentioned it to you last time, didn't I? I wanted to grow stronger."

Sequencee looked at her as if she were a lunatic. Was this the time to be laughing?

"Well, truth is … I want to end the conflict between the demon and humans. A world where you can live peacefully without prejudice my dear," Anna confessed.

He didn't know how to respond to that. He had heard her talk about this numerous times, knowing that this is one of the grandiose goals she wished to achieve in life.

"Is this why … you always put yourself in danger?" Sequencee croaked.

"No. That's simply out of habit. You know your mom, she who listens to no one … dear."

Tears dripped from his eyes.

"Sequencee, dear…" Anna's voice choked up.

"Mom … please, stop. You're strong enough as you are…" Sequencee's hands holding hers trembled.

'What's the point of the goal if you died in the process?'

"No dear, I'm far from it. The world is so much bigger than you can fathom–"

"You know how scary it is to think that you'd die one day?"

'Even though I'm afraid … why haven't I done anything to protect her?'

Sequencee questioned himself.

She lifted her hands, her callus-riddled fingers reached up to touch his horns …

"Death is an inevitable part of life. Instead of looking at it as a loss, use it to improve yourself–make the most of it."

"I don't want to mom … why do you never listen to me … "

"It's not that I don't listen to you, it's … "

"Ouch," Sequencee yelp.

"Oops, my bad."

... His horn that had been cut to the stump. She had accidentally touched the cross section where it still hurt.

Sequencee wiped away his tears.

"Please mom, stop being so reckless."

"Sorry."

"Mom."

"I will try, but no guarantees," she stroked his head.

Sequencee leaned in.

Who was his father to her exactly? During times like this, why was he, the son, the only one standing by her side? Even the nobles whose relationships were strained would at least show some respect by paying a visit. His own father? He couldn't be bothered to visit once in the past thirteen years.

"Mom, how strong do I need to become before I can meet my father? Before you can tell me the truth?"

"Mn, that? Perhaps as strong as me."

"You're joking right?"

Anna shook her head, "Or at least, half as strong as me."

"... Get some rest, recover well, okay? If you need anything, just scream."

"Ufu ... as if I would do something like that~"

"Good night."

"Good night. Take care too my dear."

"You too mom."

Sequencee sighed and carried the bucket of water with him as he walked towards the exit. Upon touching the handle, he looked back at the canopy bed where his mom laid.

Sequencee didn't understand why his mother needed to push herself to this degree just to grow stronger. What was the point of pursuing something when you would die in the end? Sure, it was nice to tag along during the more laid back journeys, but the kinds that risked her life? Sequencee didn't want her to do that.

From the encounter with the lesser leviathan, to their near death experience fighting a new dungeon floor boss unprepared because she wanted the first blood. Most recently, the battle with Astroth that destroyed the scenic view of an entire mountain range.

'I need to grow stronger.'

That way, his mother didn't need to keep looking out for him–to a point where he could survive even if the entire human race turned against him.

He walked out of the room.

'To protect her.'

===

Sequencee's father was an enigma. Who it was that made up the other half of Sequencee's genetic pool remained a mystery. All his life, he had been cared for by his mother. The child whose father had never appeared–some even say Anna's child was born from a spirit.

Sequencee was sitting on top of his bed with a few dozen elemental beads floating around him. He squinted his eyes at a grimoire before him.

Magic is a complicated subject, with different languages and technicalities that differ depending on the field. Sigils and runes were often languages used in magic engineering, while symbols, inscription positioning and connotations were used in day to day magic formulas. In layman magic books, simplified inscriptions were mainstream. And in the demonic grimoires, the one which Sequencee was studying now, hexes were used.

Like pouring different chemicals into a conical flask, symbols, inscriptions and connotations combined into one become a 'magic formula'. The reaction may be immediate, or gradual. The latter would bring forth the construction of a magic circle.

Hexes however, were different. They encompass characteristics of both magic formulas and runes, something which Sequencee had an idea of, but still hadn't fully grasped.

He shut the book, put it back on its shelf and took out another book.

DONG. DONG. DONG–

The church bells threw him out of his stupor. Sequencee jumped on his seat.

"Huh?"

The loud crash of an explosion, so strong that the ground trembled greatly. Dust fell from the ceiling, chandelier crystals jingled.

'An emergency?'

Sequencee quickly dashed out of his room, the maids were in a panic. He looked out the window, a toxic purple light could be seen emanating from afar.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, Young Lord … "

"Don't go out."

Sequencee rushed to his mother's room. There he found a few of the house attendants standing before the open door as if in stupor. Sequencee pushed past them to find that his mom had left her bed.

"She … "

"Lady Anna went … "

'Are you an idiot!'

Sequencee bolted to the exit, a feeling of unease spreading in his chest. As someone who had suffered alongside her through numerous adventures, he knew what it entailed.

Something was going to happen.

The butler of the house grabbed his wrist and tried to stop him.

"Sir Robert! Why?!"

"You must not Young Lord. It's your mother's order."

"Please. You know my mother isn't well!"

"I know …! "

"Then let go!"

"Young Lord, you're going to–"

Sequencee tore himself away from the butler. Charging off to the foyer, he pushed through the twin doors.

The scene before him shocked him silly.

"What in the … "

From the vantage of the hill where his mansion was located, he could see the entire town alight in raging purple flames.

'Didn't the emergency bell just ring–there's no way–'

The beating of his heart grew more intense as the bad premonition grew increasingly severe.

'How many people died … '

From within the ominous flames, Sequencee could make out the monsters' silhouettes–demon hounds, red orcs, lava golems ...

They numbered in the thousands.

A gale shook the atmosphere.

Sequencee crossed his arms and braced himself, it was as if a massive cyclone had just struck down the land.

"Guh–"

Even with magic to support his back, his shoes were digging into the ground, leaving trails in the dirt. Trees and plants were blown away, windows shattered as screams reverberated.

The flames whipped into the sky, the world lit up like the nightmare of the Last Era. Everything painted in purple, clear for him to see. The charred remains of ash, charcoal, soot and embers amidst the chaos of desperation.

And in the center of it all–

"MOM!!"

She raised her World Tempest Spear high into the sky. Mana churned through her body, her arms throbbed, blood trickled from her lips.

A hurricane formed with her in the center, the vortex sucking the purple flames into the air.

Time slowed, the world expanded.

[Wind Magic: Time Monarch]

[Wind Magic: Acceleration]

[Activated Trait: Infraction]

The world dimmed to the call of the Monarch.

She drew an arc down. Space bent, molecules shattered. Static filled the atmosphere as the whole domain roared.

A purple line warped across space time.

A sharp pain spread through her chest as everything came to a stop. Her vision dimmed–she could no longer feel her heartbeat.

Before the horror of reality could settle in, before she could apologize to her son for having to leave early–

The bloody organ held in the knight's hands, she saw.

'Ah … maybe I should've listened to him after all … '

Her quietus.

She fell from the sky.

The wind of the entire world creased, paying tribute to the loss of their ruler

Sequencee's eyes turned into a dot. Disbelief, denial. His entire world crumbled.

An entity whose strength measured beyond anything he had ever encountered–

"Child."

The black knight turned to him. From an impossible distance, his voice thundered in his mind.

"You are a disgrace to your father."

He felt the suffocating air squeeze his lungs, the nightmare never wished would happen–

The entity covered from head to toe in jet black armor, eerie purple flames poured from the gaps in between each of its joints.

There was a red piece of flesh being held gently in its hand–

Anna's heart.

"By the edict of The Sovereign, I shall not lay a hand on his children. May this be the last I see you, child of a half blood."

The black knight floated high into the sky, blood red cape swayed in the wind.

"A-Ah.."

He realized it.

— It was the beginning of a new journey.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

— His journey.