There was a boy.

    Born into a Marquis family, his life was filled with riches.

    The boy was also a genius from an early age.

    He wasn’t called a genius because he was exceptionally smart.

    He had no particular talent for studying or for using his head.

    Yet, the reason he was called a genius was very simple.

    “C-Cough...”

    “M-Master!”

    At the age of five, he defeated his swordsmanship master.

    “T-This might be rude, but how many times have you used mana?”

    “Is this mana? It feels different from what I used to play with...”

    At the age of seven, he awakened mana, not just any mana, but his own unique mana.

    “We have a new youngest champion...!”

    “Haha!”

    At the age of ten, he became the youngest champion of the Empire’s martial arts tournament, catching the eye of the Emperor and the heads of the noble houses.

    A genius of combat.

    The Reincarnation of God of War.

    By the time the boy entered the academy, such titles had become synonymous with him.

    But perhaps because he was born with such immense talent from an early age, or because he grew up without ever experiencing defeat...

    “Move aside! How dare a mere commoner stand in my way.”

    “...Ugh.”

    The boy was quite arrogant and twisted.

    Had he continued on that path, the Empire would have produced a fearsome troublemaker.

    “...You’re pretty good.”

    “Uh, what...?”

    But after being defeated by a girl’s magic in his first training session at the academy, his life changed completely.

    “Let’s do it again!”

    “Well... why don’t you fix that bad attitude of yours first?”

    “...Grr.”

    Their first meeting was certainly not pleasant.

    - Crackle, crackle...

    “Now... you can last a few minutes?”

    “Don’t get cocky. Just you wait. I’ll break that smug nose of yours.”

    “Pfft... Alright. If you win, I’ll grant you one wish.”

    “...What?”

    But the boy, driven by anger, kept challenging her, turning their unpleasant meetings into a regular occurrence.

    “Huff, huff...”

    “You finally managed to hurt me? It stings.”

    “... It was just a scratch.”

    Before long, their encounters became a daily routine.

    “Why did you hesitate earlier? You could’ve gone further.”

    “...”

    It was around that time that a strange atmosphere began to develop between them.

    “I... won.”

    “Yes, you did.”

    By the time the boy finally defeated the girl, many new titles had been added to his name.

    Demon Hunter. The Bloody Man. The boy who changed the Empire’s combat manuals.

    And the Mad Dog of the Marquis’ House, among others.

    “So, what will your wish be?”

    “Uh, um...”

    But the title he liked the most was one he earned that day.

    “Go out with me.”

    “Fufufu.”

    The girl’s boyfriend.

    “H-how is it? Isn’t it humiliating? Having to go out with a crazy guy like me... Ah, it’ll be a fatal flaw for a duchess...”

    “Follow me.”

    “...What? Wait, what?”

    Not long after that, he gained the title of her husband.

    It was a rare marriage born out of love, not a political one.

    “Waaah... waaah...!”

    “He has my eyes and hair color, and your looks.”

    “...He looks pretty, so he must take after you.”

    “Pfft!”

    A few years later, the two graduated from the academy.

    “...By the way.”

    “Yes?”

    “Why did you choose me back then?”

    The boy, now a father holding his first child with a dazed expression, asked the girl.

    “Your opponent was supposed to be next after me, right...?”

    “Where did you hear that?”

    The girl smiled as she replied.

    “There’s a guy I fell in love at first sight... but his personality was just too rotten.”

    “...What?”

    “I thought I needed to beat him up to fix him.”

    The boy would never forget that moment.

    “Will you keep your temper in check from now on?”

    “...Yes.”

    “Only draw your sword to protect someone?”

    “Well, that...”

    “Ah, the wound from that attack back then... suddenly it’s–”

    “Okay, okay, I got it.”

    A boy, whose whole life was dictated by fight and power, became the gentlest and kindest father from that day onward.

    “The Lady... has passed away.”

    “...What?”

    Even when he lost his wife, who was his life’s purpose, in an unfortunate accident.

    “They say... I’m a hero?”

    “...”

    Even when he taught his son the codes used in the love letters he wrote during his academy days and the family’s destiny.

    Memory alteration in 5 seconds...

    “...”

    Even when a system window appeared in front of him the moment his son completed the first cycle and regressed.

    Even after all the tribulations he suffered, he remained a gentle and kind father.

    “Frey... has left the academy and disappeared.”

    “Dad...”

    Princess Limia, who had been glaring and struggling, fell silent at his words.

    “There will be no help for this damned country.”

    Abraham lifted the princess’s chin and began to whisper coldly.

    “Even if the Demon King’s Army reaches your doorstep, there will be no one to save you. After all, is it not all of you who have driven out the Hero with your own hand?”

    “W-wait a moment–”

    “I will only protect the Starlight Duchy. I need to conserve my strength to judge those who have crossed the line.”

    “Please wait–”

    “Don’t even think about sending the Imperial Army.”

    “Ugh.”

    He tightened his grip on Princess Limia’s chin, adding his final words with a menacing expression.

    “If I push myself a bit more, I can extend my sword aura across the entire empire.”

    “Get out, all of you.”

    With those words, Abraham turned away from the people kneeling and bowing before him.

    “The Hero is not here.”

    “D-duke... please wait...”

    The princess crawled to his feet, clutching his leg desperately.

    “Please... I don’t need anything else. Just give me the authority over the private army...”

    - Swish...

    “Ugh.”

    But Abraham coldly kicked her hand away, freeing himself.

    - Step, step...

    He then began to walk back toward the mansion, still radiating a palpable killing intent.

    “D-duke...”

    “W-we are...”

    He noticed the former servants trembling and kneeling at the entrance and tilted his head with a question.

    “Who are you?”

    “”

    “I asked, who are you?”

    As his expression grew colder, the former servants began to sweat nervously.

    “Get lost, just like you did before.”

    “Duke...!”

    “Go on and keep fighting among yourselves.”

    With a mocking laugh, he dismissed them and locked the door behind him as he entered the mansion.

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    “...Sigh.”

    Abraham sighed deeply and sat down with a tired expression.

    “As expected... my body isn’t what it used to be.”

    Having gone all out for the first time in a long while, his body was exhausted.

    Perhaps the effects of the vow he had made with his wife still lingered.

    “...But it’s not over yet.”

    Despite this, Abraham’s eyes flashed as he lifted his weary body and muttered.

    “I will make sure to judge those who have crossed the line...”

    - Coo!

    “...?”

    At that moment, a white owl began pecking urgently at the window beside him.

    “Coo! Coo...”

    “I’ve seen this bird before...”

    As he murmured and opened the window, the owl quickly flew into the mansion and extended its leg.

    - Rustle, rustle...

    Abraham, staring blankly at the letter tied to the bird’s leg, finally removed and opened it.

    Father.

    “...What?”

    What he saw was unbelievable.

    I am deceiving the world and the Demon King for the final battle.

    The hastily scrawled handwriting on the white paper seemed urgent.

    So please calm down and keep this secret.

    But it was undoubtedly his son’s handwriting. Moreover, the letter was imbued with the familiar stellar mana.

    “...”

    For a long time, Abraham stared at the letter, his expression trembling.

    “...It smells.”

    Suddenly, he began to mutter in an eerie voice.

    “The scent of a demon... and not just any demon, but a pureblood.”

    - Coo?

    “If you’re going to deceive me, you should have masked the scent.”

    His eyes, once known as the eyes of the demon hunter, began to gleam.

    - Coo!?

    “Lead me to them.”

    - Coooo!!

    Moments later, Abraham swiftly grabbed the owl, which was trying to fly away.

    “Let’s see the faces of those who dared to deceive me.”

    - Coo...

    The owl, trying its best to resist, turned its gaze away in resignation.

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    “I didn’t expect my father to wake up...”

    Meanwhile, at that moment.

    “I hope he got the letter... There’s no need for him to worry so much...”

    “...Eek?”

    Ruby, who had been lying in bed, hugging Frey as, suddenly sat up, breaking into a cold sweat.

    “R-Ruby? What’s wrong?”

    “N-N-Nothing... I just suddenly feel nervous.”

    “...Huh?”

    And it wasn’t just her.

    “...I-Is this an attack?”

    “Grr?”

    The other heroines, who had been doing household chores with sullen expressions, also felt the same foreboding dread.