Darkness.
Not the kind that pressed against the eyes—but the kind that swallowed thought itself.
After Kaien lost consciousness, there was no pain, no fear… only a drifting sensation, as though he were sinking into an endless sea without water.
Did I die…?
Or am I still alive?
His thoughts echoed, unanswered.
Then—
A voice.
Soft. Feminine. Pleasant in a way that felt unnaturally soothing, like moonlight brushing against the mind.
[Seeking permission from Master to become his guide.]
[Accept / Reject]
Kaien frowned inwardly.
…Yeah, I've finally lost it.
"This has to be my brain playing tricks on me," he thought. "Figures. Dying hallucinations."
Without hesitation, he chose Reject.
Silence followed.
Then—
[Please choose ACCEPT.]
The voice returned, clearer this time. Firmer. Almost… insistent.
Kaien's irritation flared.
"Seriously? Now my hallucinations are pushy?"
He tried to reject it again, but the option blurred—faded—until only one remained.
[ACCEPT]
"Tch…" he clicked his tongue. "Fine. Whatever."
"I accept."
Ding!
The instant the word left his mind, the space around his consciousness trembled.
Joy—pure, unmistakable joy—rippled through his thoughts.
[Thank you, Master.]
[I won't let you regret this choice.]
"Alright, cut the pleasantries," Kaien snapped. "Who are you? And how did you get into my head?"
He paused, a chill crawling down his spine.
"…And how am I still thinking if I'm dead?"
The voice softened.
[Master isn't dead yet.]
[You fought courageously, even when your opponent far surpassed you.]
[As for how I speak within your mind was because I was unconsciously created by you.]
"…What?"
[I came into being immediately after your birth—formed from the primordial void of nothingness. My purpose is to guide and protect you until the day you become mature from your infant stage and also—]
"Void?" Kaien interrupted sharply. "What void?"
His thoughts churned. "Stop messing with my head and spouting nonsense."
The voice let out something like a sigh.
[I am not blabbing.]
[It's simply that Master has not yet matured enough to be enlightened with such truths.You are still too young and weak to
face the forces that exist beyond this world whichwould endager you if revealed too early.]
Kaien clenched his mental fists.
"Then explain this," he demanded. "If I'm supposedly something special, how did I end up with a family? With a father? With a normal life?"
"…Who am I, anyway?"
The answer came slowly.
Carefully.
[Master was once a powerful existence formed from the Absolute Void.]
[Neither mortal nor immortal.]
[An anomaly.]
Kaien's breath hitched.
[However, you were infinitely restrained by a powerful existence.]
[Your powers were sealed.]
[Your existence rewritten.]
[Thus—you became mortal.]
"That's ridiculous," Kaien scoffed. "You expect me to believe I was some godlike thing?"
"…I died pathetically to a Demon King."
[Master did not die.]
[You survived.]
[But survival alone is not enough.]
[You must grow stronger.]
[Regain your former self,and then surpass it ]
Kaien's thoughts exploded.
"Wait—what? Former self? Surpass it?"
[That information will remain sealed for now.]
"Tch." He clicked his tongue again. "Still dodging questions. How annoying."
[I do not intend to annoy Master.]
[Further enlightenments would endanger you.]
[You are still bound by the systems of the powerful Existence that shackled your powers.]
[Only after breaking those restraints may you learn the truth.]
"…Quite the statement," Kaien muttered mentally.
Only then did he realize—
She can hear everything I think.
The realization barely settled before—
Light.
Kaien's eyes snapped open.
The stone ceiling of the castle room greeted him.
He gasped, sitting upright instinctively—and froze.
"…Huh?"
His hand shot to his neck.
Unbroken.
Smooth.
No pain.
No crushing agony.
His body felt… light. Clean. Refreshed.
He opened and closed his fists. Rolled his shoulders. Stood up.
Nothing hurt.
"…Voice?" he called out cautiously.
[Yes, Master?]
"…Did you do something to my body?"
[Yes.]
[I applied fragments of your hidden traits to restore and heal you.]
"…Figures."
He exhaled, then asked, "What's your name, anyway?"
[I have none.]
[I am a part of your consciousness.]
"So you're like some kind of information device?"
There was a sharp emotional spike—offense.
[Master should not compare me to such a thing.]
[My comprehension far surpasses those limits.]
"…Then why do you keep calling me Master?"
[Because you are my creator.]
Kaien sighed. "Just call me Kaien."
"And I'll call you…" He paused.
"…Nyxara."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Then—
[…Hmph.]
[I already knew your name without you telling me.]
[But I appreciate the name you bestowed upon me.]
"She's scary…" Kaien muttered inwardly.
"She probably knows all my likes, dislikes… maybe even how I shower?".
Nyxara did not respond.
But he felt her smugness.
Kaien turned—and his heart sank.
His sword lay nearby.
Broken.
"…Shit."
He picked it up carefully. The fracture was clean—but final.
"How am I supposed to explain this to Dad?" he muttered. "The family sword—"
[Seeking permission to allow Divine Sword Fragments into the weapon.]
Kaien blinked.
"Yes! Allow!"
The moment he agreed, golden particles erupted from his body—radiant, ancient, divine.
They flowed into the broken blade.
The metal trembled.
Clink.
The fragments fused.
Not merely repaired—
Reborn.
The hilt darkened into black again—but now traced with golden divine patterns, etched with symbols older than language itself.
The blade gleamed, glowing faintly with gold lines running down to its edge.
"…Wow."
Then—
"Greetings, Master."
"—WHAT?!"
Kaien dropped the sword in shock.
But it didn't fall.
It hovered.
"…The sword talked."
[A Divine Fragment evolved into a Sword Spirit.]
[You gave it form at birth—though unconsciously.]
"…So I've been doing impossible things since birth without realizing it?"
[Correct.]
"Is it… living inside the sword?"
[No.]
[It is the sword.]
[This is no longer the old blade.]
[This is your new weapon.]
[Shall I deploy its stats?]
"Yes."
The moment Nyxara displayed them, Kaien's jaw dropped.
Name: Unnamed
Title: Spirit Sword
Rank: Planetary
Strength: 22,000
Speed: 12,099
Mana: 15,000
Humanoid form
Abilities:
– God-Speed Thousand Strikes
– Absolute Defense
– Divine Cannon Beams
– Flight
Resistances:
– Mental Attacks
– Elemental Attacks
– Chaos Attacks
"…This is insane."
No wonder he couldn't appraise certain beings.
"My appraisal equipment is trash compared to Nyxara's appraisal skill. From it's stats, I noticed the sword must have a some kind of human form which would make it much better to interact with.
"…Does it have a form?"
[Yes.]
"Then show me."
Light exploded.
The sword reshaped—forming a humanoid figure.
Golden hair, long but neat, stopping at his neck.
Golden eyes radiating divinity.
Flawless skin.
Light gold armor.
White fitted garments beneath.
Golden boots.
On his wrist—a bracer, etched with divine sigils.
He looked about eighteen.
Terrifyingly handsome.
He knelt.
"Greetings, Master."
"…You don't have a name, right?"
"Yes."
"Then from today—your name is Chronos."
"…Thank you, Master."
"Apart from your current strength,Can you still grow stronger?"
"As long as Master grows stronger—I will as well."
"As expected same way like the voice in my head, I and this guy are consciously connected." He muttered.
Kaien sensed Nyxara frown.
"Alright, Chronos. Return."
The sword returned to its blade form.
Kaien's eyes darkened as his thoughts drifted back to the main hall.
"…Now then."
"Demon King."
"It's payback time."
He grinned.