The Heavenly Knight

Dark clouds covered the Tsukigawa Kingdom, and torrential rain flooded the land.

Flashes of lightning and the roar of thunder seemed to signal something no one could understand.

Deep within a vast forest, the sounds of battle rang out amid the heavy downpour.

The rain did not deter the combatants—three against one, while a fifth person seemed unsure which side to take.

“Brothers! I beg you, stop this fight—let him go,” pleaded a woman who looked to be in her 40s, though she was actually older than that.

“Little sister! If you don’t want to help us, you’d better keep quiet and stop taking his side!” said an elderly man in his 90s with only a few strands of white hair left.

“Little sister, just let them attack me! There’s no way for us to avoid killing each other now,” said a 70-year-old man.

“You’re right! But we’ll let you live as long as you’re willing to hand over the Book of the Demons of Hell to us,” said another man.

“Do you think I’m stupid? Even if I hand the book over, you won’t let me go,” he replied.

“Enough talk—let’s finish him!” shouted a knight.

The three raised their weapons—the first a machete, the second a sickle, and the third a sword.

The man they were attacking was also holding a sword, while the woman was unarmed.

The five were fellow disciples known as the Five Demons of Death, from the long-defunct Demon Forest Sect, a heretical sect.

The first was known as “The Bloodthirsty Demon.”

The second was “The Death Reaper Demon.”

The third was “The Demon Fang.”

The fourth, whom they were attacking, was “The Demon Mask,” named for his disfigured face.

The woman was “The Mad Demon,” known for her wild experiments concocting strange potions.

The Bloodthirsty Demon swung his machete with great agility, aiming for The Demon Mask’s body, but his target dodged.

The Demon Mask’s real name was Shinra Kazan. His alcoholic father had cast him out at just 7 years old, considering him a burden.

Kazan was a knight of considerable skill. Though he wasn’t the strongest, his martial arts abilities were nothing to take lightly.

His plight stemmed from a struggle over a book left by his late master—the Book of the Demons of Hell.

It was a secret text of the Demon Forest Sect that his fellow disciples had never seen or studied.

To master its knowledge, one had to endure grueling trials and training that carried immense risks, as well as the danger of being targeted by other knights.

Before his death, Kazan’s master had warned him of all this and predicted that the book could turn friends into enemies. That warning had come true.

Kazan had learned only three techniques from the book. Had he studied it when young, he would surely have become the strongest knight.

Unfortunately, it was too late—he was already 40 years old when he began studying it.

His four fellow disciples, still frantically searching for the book, had not known that he already possessed it.

Only after more than 30 years did they finally learn it was in his possession.

Of those four, only The Mad Demon refused to help kill him and seize the book.

In their youth, Kazan and The Mad Demon had both been strikingly attractive; his looks had rivaled those of a god.

At 15, he had suffered an accident while training over a fire pit and had worn a mask ever since.

The Mad Demon’s real name was Yuzuki Aira. Her mother had become pregnant as a result of being raped and had eventually given birth to Aira, who had grown up without a father.

In her youth, Aira had been the most beautiful girl in the Tsukigawa Kingdom, and she had loved Kazan deeply.

Undeterred by his rejection of her love, Aira had remained determined to win him over and had created a cure for his scarred face.

Now Kazan was struggling under the attacks of his three fellow disciples.

“Die, fourth brother!” shouted The Death Reaper Demon, slashing with his razor-sharp sickle, infused with Ki.

Kazan blocked with his sword, but the sickle’s strike was so powerful that it snapped the blade in two.

“Soul-Sucking Blood Machete.”

The Bloodthirsty Demon didn’t waste the opportunity; he immediately slashed at Kazan, who was now unarmed.

Blood spurted from the body struck by the machete, but it wasn’t Kazan’s blood—it was Aira’s. She had stepped into her eldest martial brother’s path to stop the blow from reaching Kazan.

“Aira…!” Kazan stared in shock as the machete struck her stomach, leaving half of its blade embedded in her body.

“Ka… Kazan…!” Aira coughed up blood as The Bloodthirsty Demon pulled the machete out of her stomach.

“You idiot! Why would you use yourself as a shield just to protect him?” grumbled The Bloodthirsty Demon.

The three stood watching with cynical smiles as Aira lay in Kazan’s arms. They cared nothing for her life; all that mattered was the book.

“Aira… Hang in there!” said Kazan. Then he channeled his Ki into Aira’s body to ease her pain.

“N-no, Kazan! Don’t waste your Ki on me!” Aira said, struggling for breath.

Aira pulled a small bottle from beneath her clothes and handed it to him.

“Kazan! Don’t you dare… die! I-if you can hold on, a-as long as you’re still breathing, drink this liquid…” Her labored breathing kept her from finishing.

Kazan clutched her hand, his face filled with grief. She had not explained what the bottle contained.

Aira reached out and touched Kazan’s face, where the burn scars were clearly visible.

“I… I w-want to hear you s-say ‘I… love you’ to me!” she said, her eyes beginning to close.

Kazan understood that she wanted to hear his answer before she died.

“Yes… I love you. I just didn’t have the courage to accept your love because of my disfigured face—” Aira cut him off.

“Th-thank you! I-I’m so h-happy to h-hear…”

Aira’s hand, which had been cupping Kazan’s face, fell away, and she stopped breathing. Her lips curved into a smile, as though she had no regrets about the sacrifice she had made.

Kazan stood silent for a moment, gazing at Aira’s body as it grew cold. The torrential rain carried her blood away, washing it down into the Abyss of Darkness.