*
In the Grancia Empire’s imperial palace, a shelter was prepared for emergencies.
Lone wolf.
Like a wolf isolated all alone.
A place filled with countless magic circles and air raid shelters sealed tightly with steel.
To get there, Pina Grancia was running through the palace.
‘Could it be… that my brother came from the future?’
She was riding atop a black wolf.
Pina carefully thought about everything that had happened so far.
It was strange how she suddenly intruded into the secret garden of the palace.
And that sad look he gave her as he looked at her.
Finally, seeing her mother, who had the ability to perceive the relationships between objects and people, being friendly…
‘What on earth is Magic Hat up to?’
She pulled her lips into a horizontal line.
Demon King of Truth, Magic Hat.
A person she knew as one of the four great heroes of the Hero Church.
After the Demon God War ended, he hid away, like the other heroes who fell to evil.
She thought she’d never see him again after Emperor Rock established the empire.
Why did he invade now?
“Why are you stopping all of a sudden…?”
“Grrrrr.”
At that moment, the wolf, who was racing toward the shelter, came to a halt.
A shadow moving like it was flickering before her eyes.
Suddenly, it sprang up, taking form, transforming into a human shape.
“……?!”
Cards like Clover King and Spade Jack filled the place where a heart should be.
Like a caterpillar trying to become a pupa.
The slow-moving shadow was reborn as a human inscribed with the symbols of a trump card.
“Unbelievable…”
Pina Grancia doubted her eyes.
Cold sweat started to pour, and goosebumps crept over her body.
“Your Highness Pina, are you alright?”
“Pina, it’s chilly at night. Why are you in such a place…?”
“Why are you on top of the wolf? Come on, come over here quickly.”
They were all familiar faces to her.
Those who had been serving her since childhood.
The power of lies that stole their appearances reached out towards Pina.
Slowly, they closed in around the black wolf.
──Awwwoooooo!!
The wolf, sensing the anomaly, bared its large teeth and charged at them.
Spirits are creatures that can see through artifacts and masterpieces.
They could certainly differentiate between mere shadows pretending to be human.
‘Scary.’
Pina’s tiny hands trembled.
Her once peaceful everyday life was starting to fracture.
Why were they targeting her?
Were they planning to kidnap the empire’s princess to conquer the world?
Seeing someone come to protect her from the future, it was clear something was amiss.
Was her handsome Black Knight brother and her mother Bellin safe?
She had no idea about her younger brother Rufus or her butler Dijur’s whereabouts either.
As the sound of the beast’s footsteps continued through the night,
“Wait..! Blackie..! That’s Emilia over there..!!”
In the distance, she could see shadows gathering.
Amidst them was a fox-eared maid holding a child.
“Get away! I said let go!!”
Emilia was swinging her sword, threatening the shadowy figures.
The identity of the child in her arms was clear.
“Don’t you dare touch our young master!”
Rufus Grancia,
Pina Grancia’s younger brother,
The prince of the empire, named after the hill where Emperor Rock achieved his great victory.
At this point in time, he was about 2–3 years old.
“Blackie, help those people..!”
“Woof!”
Realizing Rufus’s life was in danger, Pina immediately commanded the wolf spirit.
She thought he’d fled to the shelter already.
Could he really not leave the young prince behind?
Straight away, Blackie slashed through the encircling enemies with its front paws.
“Get away! I said get away..! Young lady?”
“Thank goodness I’m not too late..”
She emerged while cutting through the shadows.
Pina carefully checked to see if Rufus and Emilia were hurt.
Aside from the maid’s minor scratches, they both seemed fine.
“Your Highness, what on earth is happening? There are strange shadow beings swarming the palace, and plants are dying as if time is reversing…”
Emilia recounted everything that had happened as Pina looked on, tears spilling from her eyes.
“W-what..? Young lady..?”
Why did these Demon Kings enjoy tormenting people so much?
What had she done to deserve this?
“……”
Watching Magic Hat’s wickedness, which aimed to harm not just herself but also little Rufus, Pina bit her lower lip firmly.
“Yes, it’s all alright. Just come this way now.”
Emilia moved closer and embraced tearful Pina.
Then, the young girl, crying bitterly in the maid’s arms.
Pina Grancia was still too young to calmly accept the current situation.
Grrr… Woof! Woof!
The spirit barked fiercely again.
Blackie, sensing something amiss, was warning its master.
“…Ah.”
Suddenly, Heart Ace appeared behind Emilia.
Her heart was ripped out while still alive, and she smiled with her mouth stretched just like Magic Hat.
*
“Well, you should’ve kept the maid properly.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Despite the blade pressed up to his throat, this guy maintained his composure.
I couldn’t help but pause briefly at his strange attitude.
He’s taking Pina hostage.
No, that’s a lie. Pina must be heading to safety…
“You think she’s headed for the shelter? But what can I do? If I die, she won’t be safe either.”
Magic Hat seemed to barely suppress a laugh.
“Oh, poor Emilia. Emilia.”
The Demon God knew he could slash my neck at any moment and began to sing.
“She dedicated her entire life to the royal family, but no one realized she just died.”
“Shut up, you bastard.”
My focus shifted to slowly slicing his neck.
Crimson blood dripped down.
“Do you think I’m lying?”
“Of course. Pina will definitely be protected by my spirit.”
My hands trembled.
Please let him be bluffing.
I prayed and prayed that he was just trying to trick me into showing a weakness before death.
“You trust the spirit or Pina Grancia’s eyes? How foolish.”
Magic Hat transformed into the young Pina Grancia and said.
“As soon as the dear hero stepped into my embrace, it was easy to occupy the maid’s body.”
He was waiting for the moment when Emilia would meet Pina.
Because she possessed the eyes to discern lies.
“In that fleeting moment, I’ll kill the real one.”
He substituted a fake for the real to deceive Pina and Blackie.
Woosh.
At that moment, a sharp pain surged around my heart.
It felt like sand was falling from my body.
Dream Knife..!!
Blackie was struck trying to protect Pina.
A spirit linked to the master’s emotions isn’t indestructible.
“If you want to save Pina Grancia, you’ll have to release your powers, Black Knight.”
The sound of a demon sword clanging as it fell was kicked away by Magic Hat.
He glanced at my fallen form, covered in sand, and muttered something softly.
‘If Blackie got hurt, then Pina really is in danger.’
“Hu, ha!”
“Oh dear, I didn’t know you were a man without blood or tears.”
Blood mixed with sand began to form a clump.
As he even stomped down hard on my head, the Demon God sneered at me.
“If you don’t want her to experience losing her younger brother… then decide quickly.”
My vision started to blur.
As my blood drained from my body, I felt my entire body growing colder.
Rufus.
Yes, Rufus must be here too.
The Demon God, who threatened both Pina and her younger brother, had devised a more malicious plan to destroy me after last time’s failure.
“If you release your powers now, I promise not to harm her or her brother.”
“Really..?”
I didn’t want to leave Pina to die.
I didn’t want her to live a life of misfortune, having lost her brother.
“Yes, what I want is only the Black Knight.”
Magic Hat demanded a trade from me.
If I died like this, I wouldn’t be able to protect either Pina or anyone else.
The blood, not able to circulate properly in my heart, slowly darkened my vision.
Death was approaching, igniting my intellect like a burning flame.
‘Inconsistency.’
There was still one inconsistency that remained unsolved.
Why were Magic Hat’s and Pina’s memories different?
Queen Bellin asked me if I was okay with the future where I wouldn’t meet Pina.
‘Probably… the reason Magic Hat can’t recall her… is because of what I’m about to do.’
I realized now why I was brought back to this past, led by the Nameless Saintess.
It’s because Pina and I had met in the past.
──Fwaaat.
The darkness lifted once again, revealing the imperial palace.
“You’ve released your powers, Black Knight.”
As he saw this scene, Magic Hat smiled as if sensing victory, his mouth stretched wide.
“I’ll keep my promise. But…”
As soon as he revealed his true colors, the scenery of the world began to change.
“I will kill everyone except Pina Grancia and Rufus. By overlaying the original world line.”
The shadow of Magic Hat elongated and transformed into tentacles.
Then, he crushed a building, piercing and killing the people inside one by one.
The shelter.
That was undoubtedly the shelter located within the imperial palace.
If history is as Pina remembers, everyone here should have been dead by now.
No matter how much I tried summoning my Mind Sword to block it,
“Oh no, this can’t be. You need to die at the same time as me.”
“Ah, ugh… Hyuk..!”
As if it were an undeniable fate.
The underground hit the ground, piercing it.
“You’ll have to witness this scene alongside the dear hero.”
As the recovered Demon God didn’t let his guard down and pierced my abdomen from behind with a shadow.
Magic Hat coldly said as if granting me the kindness to die slowly.
“Oh, mother..?”
Before my eyes appeared the younger Pina who couldn’t escape to the shelter.
“Uh, why is mother here…? Why am I here…?”
“Our daughter.. Pain..”
Before her stood a woman bleeding and leaning against the wall.
It was Bellin Grancia, frozen cold after being attacked by Magic Hat.
