Nao’s POV:
When I encountered Vorx within Vaelgorath’s subconscious, my skill, [Power of Incarnation], activated on its own once again. It resonated with my sympathy upon seeing Vorx curled up alone in this dark space.
I mustered the courage to reach out and touch Vorx’s trembling shoulder.
Suddenly, [Goddess Vision Activated!], pulling into the depths of Vorx’s mories.
When I ca to, I found myself standing on desolate land. Dead trees stretched as far as the eye could see, the earth was dry and barren, and the air was thick with miasma. This was the Demon Continent, the territory ruled by the Demon Kingdom of Doomspire.
Explosions rang out in every direction, and desperate cries echoed in my ears. The mont I realized what was happening, I saw a city embroiled in battle. Demon forces desperately defended their territory from the advancing armies of humanity.
The demons were being slaughtered by the heroes of the human kingdom. In the midst of the chaos, I spotted their silhouettes—thirteen warriors standing tall, spearheading the charge, rcilessly cutting down demons without hesitation. But the demons, too, had their own champions. Five powerful Overlords commanded their forces, and at the very heart of their ranks stood a being so terrifying that even as a re silhouette, I felt a chill pierce my very soul. The Demon King.
The battle was ferocious. The casualties on both sides were staggering. The stench of blood filled my nostrils, and the cold air bit into my skin. Though this was only a mory, it felt painfully real.
I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. I had lived my life on Earth, never once experiencing the true horrors of war. And now, I was seeing it firsthand. The agony, the despair, the endless cycle of death—it was suffocating.
I wanted to look away. But then, my eyes were drawn to a small, ruined town. Amidst the rubble, I saw two young demon children clinging to each other in the middle of the street. The older brother gently held his sobbing little sister, whispering reassurances.
Their parents had perished in the war. Their ho had been reduced to ashes. Now, they had only each other left.
I recognized them instantly.
Vorx and her older brother, Zorx.
The scene shifted. The siblings had grown older. They now lived in a demon refugee camp established by the Demon King to cultivate the next generation of warriors.
Zorx beca a demon soldier. Wielding his massive sword, he fought against humans, slaughtering them rcilessly. Fueled by vengeance, he not only sought retribution for the destruction of his ho but also fought to survive—to protect his beloved little sister.
As ti passed, Zorx beca more violent, more bloodthirsty. He grew to love battle itself. Vorx, watching her brother change, begged him to stop, to leave the battlefield behind.
But Zorx refused.
"This is the only way for us to survive," he said.
Then, one day, he faced off against one of humanity’s heroes. The battle was one-sided. Zorx was utterly defeated and returned ho, grievously wounded.
Vorx, seeing her beloved brother on the verge of death, pleaded with the high-ranking demons to save him. They agreed—but at a cost.
If she wanted her brother to live, she had to fight.
The words shattered her. She had never wanted to kill. But then, she was told sothing else—the hero who had nearly killed Zorx was the sa one who had destroyed their ho and murdered their parents.
A darkness blood in her heart, swallowing her whole. The grief, the rage, the despair—all of it coalesced into a singular, unrelenting hatred.
In that mont, her latent talent awakened.
Dark Magic. The power to create labyrinths.
She embraced her hatred and stepped onto the battlefield as a demon soldier.
Vorx fought with nothing but vengeance in her heart. Her hatred burned fiercely, driving her to slaughter humans by the hundreds, then by the thousands. With her labyrinth magic, she trapped her enemies, tortured them, and Zorx, fully recovered, would finish them off.
Zorx tried to stop her, to pull her back from the abyss. But Vorx had already fallen too deep.
In the end, he made his decision.
If he couldn’t stop her, he would fight beside her.
Together, they beca an unstoppable force. With Vorx’s labyrinth magic and Zorx’s unmatched combat prowess, they devastated the human armies.
Their strength beca a nightmare for humanity.
Then ca the fateful day when they faced the hero who had once defeated Zorx—the very man who had destroyed their ho and taken their parents’ lives. Though now an aging warrior, his power had not waned. He pushed them to their limits.
But ti was on their side.
In the end, Vorx and Zorx erged victorious.
The hero’s severed head was held high—a monuntal victory for demonkind. The human forces, demoralized, retreated from several key territories.
This triumph earned them the attention of the Demon King and the Overlords. They were granted command over the demon armies.
For a hundred years, the war raged on.
Then, the day of reckoning arrived. Humanity’s hero, Hiro von Blackmore, along with the first king of the Braveheart Kingdom and several other heroes, sealed the Demon King away. With his fall, the Demon Kingdom of Doomspire crumbled and was locked away behind an impenetrable barrier.
But Vorx and Zorx’s hatred remained.
Their thirst for vengeance was unquenched. Their war was not over.
The Overlords, too, refused to surrender. They vowed to rebuild their forces and resurrect the Demon King.
Thus, the Demon Warlords were born—a faction of five exceptionally powerful demons chosen to carry out this mission. Vorx and Zorx were among them.
They accepted their new titles without hesitation.
As part of their ascension, they inherited the remnants of the Demon King’s power. It granted them overwhelming strength—but it also deepened their hatred, a curse that would forever bind them to their past.
From that day forward, they ceaselessly honed their strength, waiting for the barrier to weaken. Decades passed. When the ti ca, the demons once again infiltrated human lands, striking from the shadows, biding their ti.
And so, our paths crossed.
As I faced Vorx in the present, I finally understood.
There was no absolute good or evil in this world.
Even demons could suffer. Even humans could be cruel.
[Goddess Vision] deactivated, and I found myself back in Vaelgorath’s realm.
Before , Vorx still sat curled up, trembling.
....
I stood in stunned silence, watching everything unfold. Suddenly, Vorx spoke.
"Human, how dare you pry into my mories?! But now... now you understand just how deep my hatred for humans runs! I DESPISE YOU ALL!" Her voice trembled with fury, yet her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
I had no words to counter her. I could only listen to the relentless curses pouring from her lips.
Then, gathering my courage, I spoke, "Vorx... I understand your pain. Losing your family must have been unbearable. You just wanted to protect your only brother, right? If I were in your position, I would have done the sa." I t her furious gaze with unwavering resolve.
Vorx glared at , her rage boiling over. I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her emotions surged through , igniting a heat deep within my chest.
"Calm down, Vorx! Listen to ! I never realized that demons could feel just like humans. I never knew that you cared for your families just as we do."
"We... humans and demons... we simply don’t understand each other. If we did, I believe we wouldn’t need to fight. You wouldn’t have to suffer like this." My determination solidified.
"If we had t under different circumstances, I believe we could have been friends. Because I, too, love my siblings. I would risk my life to protect them."
Hearing my words, Vorx’s rage dimd slightly.
"Humans... demons... friends? You and ? Don’t be ridiculous!" Her voice trembled with despair.
"IT IS POSSIBLE! I will beco the hero who makes it happen! Now that I know demons have the sa hearts as we do, I WILL BRING PEACE TO THIS WORLD, TO BOTH THE HUMAN AND DEMON CONTINENTS!" I shouted, my conviction unshaken.
"I, Naoki von Blackmore, future hero of the Braveheart Kingdom, promise you, Vorx—I will create a world where humans and demons can coexist. I will break this endless chain of hatred!" I grasped Vorx’s hand firmly.
"Is... is that even possible?" Her tear-filled eyes shimred with hope.
"Not just possible... it WILL happen! I swear it!" I hooked my pinky finger around her, teaching her the sacred promise of intertwined fingers.
"This... is a promise?" Her pinky linked with mine hesitantly.
"Yes." At my affirmation, she smiled—a genuine, heartfelt smile. I never knew a demon could smile so beautifully.
Just as the tension eased, a sudden notification echoed through my mind:
[WARNING! THE GOD ???’S CURSE UPON THE DEMONS IS RAMPAGING WITHIN VORX!]
Dark energy erupted around Vorx, engulfing her emotions, dragging her back into the abyss of rage and despair.
"A curse? What is the aning of this? And who is this ’God (???)’?! DAMN IT! VORX, CONTROL YOURSELF!" Shock and confusion filled as I struggled to understand the situation.
Vorx lashed out wildly, consud by an uncontrollable fury. I clung onto her, refusing to let go, despite the force threatening to hurl from this realm.
Then, a new presence entered the space, radiating a calming light. A familiar hand reached out, gently grasping Vorx, attempting to soothe him.
"Calm yourself, Vorx. Your brother is here... everything will be alright."
It was Zorx. He appeared just as he had when we first t, but his body glowed with a translucent radiance.
"Zorx... why are you here? Don’t tell ..." A terrible realization dawned upon . Had Cain defeated him outside the dungeon?
"That’s right... HAHAHA! THAT WAS A GLORIOUS BATTLE! I HAVE NO REGRETS!" Zorx exclaid with a satisfied grin.
Then his expression softened. "But what I do regret... is failing to save my little sister. I led her into the darkness, and now we can never return to who we once were. This ti, I won’t leave you, Vorx... Let’s go ho." Zorx’s voice was filled with sorrow as he pulled Vorx into an embrace, trying to calm the raging dark energy engulfing her.
"UGH! This curse is too strong! That damn monster must be resisting! Hey, human... can you help us?!" Zorx gritted his teeth, struggling, before turning to with desperate eyes.
I hesitated, unsure of how to help. But then, an idea struck —[Power of Incarnation] might be the key to saving them.
Without a second thought, I activated [Power of Incarnation], recalling the painful mories of Vorx and Zorx. With all my heart, I prayed to the goddess for their salvation.
"Oh, Goddess of Benevolence, I beg you... grant the power to save them. They may be demons, but they are just like ... fighting to survive for the sake of their loved ones..."
As I prayed, a sudden notification flashed before :
[Power of Incarnation has exceeded its limits!! Purging the curse of God (???)]
My body erupted in radiant light, enveloping completely. I reached out, pressing my glowing hands against Vorx, and the divine energy surged into her and Zorx. The malevolent curse was purified—not only from Vorx, but from Zorx as well.
Vorx’s eyes widened as clarity returned to her gaze. She was free.
Zorx pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Thank you, human... no, Naoki von Blackmore. Now that my brother and I are free... let us help you defeat Vaelgorath." Vorx looked at with a small, determined smile.
...
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