Demons differ from demonkind and humans. Born from malevolent thoughts, most lack self-awareness, representing the dark aspect that has existed since the world’s inception.
Dorothy was quite surprised that a demon could be teleported into the city. After all, demons were exceedingly rare; even actively seeking one out proved difficult.
However, this particular demon was only Tier 3. Dorothy felt no concern entrusting Celia and her companions with its defeat.
After two months of training, she knew that even if they couldn’t overcome the demon, the difference in strength wouldn’t be significant. Moreover, the commotion of battle would undoubtedly draw other heroes, ensuring its eradication no matter how powerful it might be.
As for Dorothy, she had more pressing matters to attend to.
The first appearance of the demonic scorpions might have been explained as an accident, but the second emergence of these fiendish beasts could no longer be dismissed as such.
Realizing this, she curved a finger. The surging magic in the air coalesced into countless silver-white threads, manifesting before her.
These threads were most abundant near the Vidona space rift. Many of the silver-white strands extended from the rift, wrapping around the Tier 3 fiendish beasts, making them appear like marionettes.
Furthermore, some threads emanated outwards from both the rift and the fiendish beasts. They all converged, pointing unequivocally towards a single location.
‘The amusement park?’
Pulling her hood lower, Dorothy swiftly made her way towards the convergence point of the threads.
Due to the heavy rain and the fiendish beast attack, the amusement park was deserted. Its attractions, drenched by the downpour and littered with withered yellow leaves, possessed an inexplicable air of desolation.
Silver-white threads stretched from all directions, finally converging beneath the Ferris wheel.
There, a man stood, similarly clad in a black robe.
Silver-white threads coiled around his form. The conclusion was self-evident: the appearance of these fiendish beasts was intrinsically linked to him.
Dorothy’s approach triggered his alarm. Before she could even make a move, he vanished into the rainy mist.
Alas, under the crushing weight of her power, he was ultimately apprehended by Dorothy in an alley just outside the amusement park.
A longsword, formed from pure magic, materialized in her hand. She pressed its tip against the man’s throat and spoke in a chilling tone, “Are these fiendish beasts your doing?”
Rain pattered against the blade, creating soft crackling sounds. The weak glow of a streetlamp illuminated half of the man’s face, allowing Dorothy to discern his features.
He was an ordinary middle-aged man, one who might disappear into a crowd in the blink of an eye.
The man remained silent for a long moment before licking his lips. Then, in a hoarse voice, he uttered, “…Silverbloom Sword Princess?”
Hearing her title spoken from his lips, Dorothy’s pupils contracted instantly. The longsword in her hand thrust forward, its sharp tip piercing his skin and drawing a trickle of blood.
While she hadn’t gone to extreme lengths to conceal her identity, very few people knew who she truly was. How had this man come to know?
‘Could it be… Sharlene?’
After a moment of contemplation, she dismissed the idea.
Having known each other for a decade, Dorothy had watched Sharlene rise from an ordinary hero to a guild master. Sharlene wouldn’t, and had no reason to, do such a thing.
“Heh heh, you truly are in this city.”
The man seemed to sense her shock. A smile spread across his face, imbued with an underlying fanaticism and reverence.
“What do you wish to say?”
“Recent rumors claimed that a hero, suspected to be the Silverbloom Sword Princess, had appeared in Vidona. As your admirer, of course I had to come to this city to find you.”
Dorothy frowned slightly upon hearing this, her suspicions about Sharlene completely dispelled.
If Sharlene had indeed betrayed her, there would have been no need to spread the news with such an ambiguous tone.
“Summoning fiendish beasts to attack a city? Such an individual could hardly be called my admirer. And the previous Tier 4 fiendish beast, that was your doing too, wasn’t it?”
“You wrong me there. Bringing these Tier 3 fiendish beasts here was already my absolute limit.”
Despite the sword tip at his throat, the man showed no fear. In fact, upon realizing the person before him was the Silverbloom Sword Princess, the smile on his face grew even more radiant.
The very next second, however, he let out a sigh.
“What a pity, Senior. Your magical power seems to have diminished greatly. No wonder you chose to vanish without a trace for over two decades.”
“Were you subjected to inhuman torture within the Demon King’s city? How truly pathetic. Otherwise, as humanity’s strongest hero, you might have reached Tier 9 long ago.”
Even as he tore open the long-hidden scars in her heart, Dorothy’s expression remained unchanged. She merely asked, her voice flat, “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“More than twenty years have passed. Have you seen how these people speak of you now? Don’t you wish to regain your strength?”
“From humanity’s strongest to utterly forgotten—are you truly content to be trampled underfoot by newly emerging heroes?”
As he spoke, the man extended a hand towards her, his body beginning to tremble with excitement.
Cold rain lashed diagonally across his face, wetting the hair on his forehead and moistening his chapped lips. It revealed a glimpse of his fervent, almost deranged, side.
“Join us! You will gain new power and reclaim your place as humanity’s strongest! This time, not even the Demon King will be your match!”
The roar of fiendish beasts clashing with heroes echoed from afar. Bursts of magical light illuminated the gloomy night, and faintly, the screams of humans could be heard.
His expression was one of profound enjoyment, not solely due to the suffering he inflicted, but primarily because he believed he was saving the senior he revered most.
His senior, trapped in the abyss, would only continue to struggle without his help. She would ultimately be coldly forgotten and abandoned by those who once followed her.
‘How truly pitiful.’
‘She was humanity’s strongest, she saved so many…’
‘Anyone else can be forgotten, but never you.’
‘So, please agree, Senior Silverbloom!’
The fanaticism in the man’s eyes lent a sickly flush to his pale cheeks. He gazed eagerly at her beautiful, yet somewhat unfamiliar, face, awaiting her response.
However, Dorothy’s words left him utterly dumbfounded.
“My era has long since passed. If you are willing to reveal the organization behind you and its objectives, I might spare your life.”
The man froze, stunned. He had never expected Dorothy to utter such words, which struck a profound blow to the conviction and faith in his heart.
“Your era has passed? Senior, are you admitting defeat?”
After regaining his composure, he repeated the question in a low voice. This time, Dorothy offered no reply.
Silence, too, was an answer. The man lowered his head, glancing at the blade pointed at his neck, then chuckled to himself, murmuring:
“I should have known. You are no longer the Silverbloom Sword Princess I once knew. Otherwise, why would there have been no news for over two decades…”
Dorothy’s eyelids drooped slightly, a hint of apology stirring within her.
She was indeed no longer the Silverbloom Sword Princess of old. The current Dorothy harbored no grand ambitions; she simply wished to bid farewell to her past and live a peaceful life.
Those who still held onto her in their hearts would surely be disappointed.
“Do you know? You’ve squandered your only chance to live, Senior Silverbloom. This city will be your burial ground, and humanity will utterly forget you.”
The man slowly lifted his head, meeting her gaze with a chilling intensity.
The fanaticism in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a desolate, deathly gray. Even his skin seemed to have aged decades in an instant.
“No, they will forget the *current* you.”
He uttered another sentence, then began to laugh. Suddenly, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his body uncontrollably toppled backward.
He ultimately collapsed heavily into a puddle on the ground. Water splashed upwards, the accumulated rainwater scattering like petals before settling back beneath him, enveloping him.
As the rain washed away the blood, his face remained starkly, eerily clean.
Dispelling the longsword in her hand, Dorothy knew he was dead, a victim of his own suicide.
She stood in the rain, silent for a long while.
She had never before disappointed someone who admired her so deeply. The feeling was akin to a knife twisting in her heart; besides the pain, there was an insistent urge to prove herself.
‘But what more could she do?’
‘The past was long gone.’
‘For her, and for them.’
Her black robe shielded her from the rain. Aside from the distinct patter of raindrops, only her silver hair, falling to her chest, was dampened.
In the distance, the battle between fiendish beasts and heroes drew to a close. The roar and flash of magic subsided, and the night once again embraced silence.
After a long moment, she retrieved her communicator. Glancing at the constantly illuminating messages, she opened Sharlene’s contact and, as the Silverbloom Sword Princess, recounted the events that had transpired.