The creatures had completely surrounded Asmodeus.
His breathing was uneven.
He felt his hands trembling.
Thanks to the training he had undergone with Arthur, he knew how to wield a sword very well.
But the sword… was too far away to reach.
One step.
Just one step.
And it would all be over.
Then—
A voice echoed in his mind.
"Hey, kid."
Asmodeus flinched.
He looked around wildly, but there was no one.
"Hey. I'm talking to you."
His gaze dropped.
To the sword.
No.
It wasn't just a sword.
The voice…
was coming from Excalibur.
"Take me. Now."
The voice was sacred.
But it was not warm.
There was no mercy in it.
Only certainty.
There was no time to hesitate.
Asmodeus lunged forward and grabbed the hilt.
The moment he swung—
The air split apart.
A massive force erupted outward.
One of the demonic creatures was cleaved in two.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
But five still remained.
Too many.
Too fast.
Pain exploded through his arm.
A claw tore into his flesh.
Warm blood flowed down his side.
And then—
Something answered inside him.
Purple mana burst from his body.
Wild.
Violent.
Uncontrolled.
Blood flooded his vision.
And the strange thing was—
He liked it.
The thought didn't frighten him.
On the contrary, it calmed him.
What would Arthur have said if he had seen this?
Or had he always known?
His vision blurred.
Darkness swallowed everything.
---
When he woke up…
The forest was silent.
Too silent.
The creatures were gone.
As if they had never existed.
Asmodeus was completely covered in blood.
He looked at his hands.
They were shaking.
He couldn't remember what he had done.
But Arthur's voice echoed in his mind.
"You are the last heir of the Black Family, Asmodeus."
Those words felt as if they had been spoken yesterday.
Asmodeus finally understood.
At least, a little.
His first goal was clear.
He would do what Arthur had told him.
He would leave this forest.
He wiped the blood from his body.
Gripped Excalibur tightly.
And walked toward the barrier.
"Arthur never told you this, but…"
The sword spoke again.
"There is a weak point in the barrier."
Hope stirred inside him.
But the voice continued.
"To pass through it…
you need the blood of one of the eight rulers of this forest."
His heart tightened.
Even Arthur had struggled to defeat them.
But there was no other choice.
He chose the closest one.
The one whose power was sealed.
Once, its body had wrapped around the entire world…
One of the Demon King's most loyal servants.
Jormungandr.
Its power was sealed.
Its size reduced.
But it was still a calamity.
As they approached—
The ground trembled.
Something enormous moved beneath the earth.
The soil split apart.
Jormungandr emerged.
Its eyes burned like hellfire.
"Tssss…"
"Who is this…"
"this child daring to stand before me?"
The serpent laughed.
"So the presence of that powerful human is gone."
"That means I'll enjoy a delicious human today."
"Once, my body encircled the world," it hissed.
"Now, crushing you will be more than enough."
"I'll give you two choices."
"Become my meal now…"
"Or later."
Asmodeus clenched his teeth.
"I choose to eat you, reptile."
He charged.
Excalibur was shrouded in black mana.
Just as he was about to strike—
The serpent's tail tore through the air.
CRACK!
His body was slammed into the ground.
His bones were on the verge of breaking.
"You have courage," the serpent hissed.
"But courage without power is meaningless."
The tail coiled around him.
He couldn't breathe.
The pressure tightened.
He felt his bones cracking.
Darkness crept into his vision.
As the serpent opened its mouth—
He waited.
Now.
"Excalibur!"
The sword blazed.
Light exploded.
The serpent's eye was pierced.
Blood burst forth.
Asmodeus was drenched from head to toe in blood.
The serpent screamed.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"
But Asmodeus didn't wait.
He ran.
Straight toward the barrier's weak point.
The serpent was right behind him.
Every step burned.
His legs trembled.
The serpent caught him.
One step…
Just one more step—
At that moment—
A sacred burst of light erupted from Excalibur.
The serpent was thrown back by the holy power.
Asmodeus fell through the barrier.
The serpent's blood and the sword's holy power protected him.
But there was a price.
His bones burned.
It felt as if his soul was being scraped away.
And then—
Light.
For the first time in his life…
He saw the sun.
His clothes were clean.
His wounds were healed.
But the darkness inside him…
had not fallen silent.
His eyes burned with pain.
But he smiled.
A caravan appeared in the distance.
The sound of hooves drew closer.
Asmodeus took one final step—
And collapsed.
If anyone from the caravan saw him and reported him to the Church…
execution would be inevitable.
The sound of hooves came closer and closer.
Asmodeus couldn't open his eyes.
He groaned in pain.
And completely lost consciousness.
---
Suddenly, Arthur's vial shattered in his pocket, and in an instant his body regained its strength.
The caravan moved slowly through the darkness.
They had not noticed Asmodeus.
He held his breath.
If he revealed himself, it would mean his end.
In this world, only the Dark Sword Bloodline was born with purple hair and purple eyes.
It was both a curse and the seal of absolute power.
That seal was never meant to be released, but Asmodeus did not yet know what it truly meant.
He was the last surviving heir of that ancient lineage.
Or perhaps… he was not.
Trusting Arthur's words, he had set out on his journey.
But along the way, he realized a bitter truth:
He had no money.
Arthur had told him that in this world, money meant everything.
If he wanted to survive, he would have to earn it.
As he drew closer to the city, the pressure in the air grew heavier.
Inside the mage who sensed Excalibur's power, an overwhelming joy began to grow.
So you finally returned, Arthur…
But the one he would meet was not Arthur.
Suddenly, a lone mage stepped into Asmodeus's path.
This mage had not appeared by coincidence—he had sensed the power of Excalibur.
"Foolish boy," the mage said coldly.
"Do you truly think someone dressed like that would be allowed to live in this city?
A remnant of Dark Blood…"
Arthur had made his choice.
This child was his heir, and Merlin understood it at a single glance—
the child of the prophecy was him.
Asmodeus's hand instinctively moved toward his sword.
The mage's gaze sharpened.
"These eyes and this hair are unforgettable," he said.
"Centuries ago, the Church tried to silence a truth forever.
But your blood did not allow it."
Asmodeus frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"I am saying this," the mage replied.
"If you are alive today, it is not by fate alone."
The mage extended his hand.
In his palm lay a magical artifact that could alter hair and eye color.
Beside it, he placed a small pouch of coins.
"Why are you helping me?" Asmodeus asked.
The mage answered calmly,
"Because you are Arthur's legacy."
Arthur knew that if someone sensed Excalibur's power, they would appear.
"This city will not accept you as you are," the mage said.
"For now, remain unseen."
"What is your name?" Asmodeus asked.
"Merlin," the mage replied.
Merlin wanted to stay by Asmodeus's side and help him,
but according to the prophecy he had seen, if he helped Asmodeus directly,
Asmodeus would never grow strong enough.
That would lead to disaster.
Because of that, Merlin decided to leave Asmodeus alone.
However, within the magical artifact he gave him,
there was a spell that would protect him once, no matter what.
In this way, Merlin believed he had ensured Asmodeus's safety.
The mage vanished in an instant.
Asmodeus couldn't make sense of it.
Is everyone in this world this strange?
But then—
Asmodeus recognized the name.
The great mage Arthur had spoken of.
MERLIN.