It had been several days since Rudra had fallen unconscious at the hill. Whispers about the mysterious event had spread through the capital, but answers remained scarce.
Though the lockdown had been officially lifted under Princess Hisui's orders, a heavy fog of anxiety still clung to the streets of Crocus. The people were free to move about again, but none could shake the unease in their hearts.
Everyone remembered blacking out—some while walking, others mid-conversation—and then waking up hours later with no memory of what had happened. As if an invisible force had briefly snatched away the entire city's consciousness.
To make matters worse, grim news emerged shortly afterward: a massacre had occurred inside the royal palace. No details were confirmed, but rumors spread like wildfire—some whispered of dark mages, others of rebellion and betrayal.
Now, the people had gathered at the grand Crocus Plaza, staring at the royal podium with bated breath. Murmurs filled the air like static, each voice feeding off another's fear and uncertainty.
"I heard the nobles were behind it…"
"No, they say demons attacked the palace!"
"Was it a war? Why else would the whole city faint like that?"
Before the speculation could spiral further, a soldier clad in royal armor stepped onto the stage. He raised a hand and shouted sternly, "Silence! The Princess approaches!"
The plaza fell quiet in an instant.
Princess Hisui walked forward, clad in regal white and emerald robes. Her long green hair shimmered under the sun, but her expression was somber and composed. She took her place at the podium, eyes scanning the crowd of citizens, guards, merchants, and mothers clutching their children.
"I know the past few weeks have been filled with tension," she began, her voice calm but resolute, "and many of you have been kept in the dark. Today, I will tell you everything."
The crowd collectively held its breath.
"You were right to be afraid. Before the lockdown, many citizens began disappearing—vanishing from crowded places with no trace. In response, I secretly summoned members of Fairy Tail to investigate."
Gasps echoed through the plaza. The name Fairy Tail carried weight—warriors of renown and unpredictable power.
"They discovered a terrifying truth," Hisui continued. "A dark mage was abducting people in large gatherings. After further investigation, the mastermind was identified—Sir Victor, a man once trusted by the crown, and several nobles allied with him. Their goal was to overthrow the monarchy and rule Crocus using dark magic."
Cries of outrage and disbelief broke out.
"No… Sir Victor? A traitor?"
"They betrayed the royal family?!"
Hisui raised a hand to calm them.
"These rebels staged an attack a few days ago. It was a coordinated uprising, and the palace suffered deeply. But thanks to Fairy Tail, they were defeated."
At her gesture, a soldier stepped forward, holding something concealed under cloth. He unveiled it without a word—the severed head of Sir Victor. Another soldier drove a spike into the stone and mounted the head high for all to see.
Gasps turned into silence. Some people flinched, others stared in disbelief. The execution was brutal—but it sent a clear message.
"Let this be a warning to all who conspire against the peace of Crocus," Hisui declared, her voice cutting through the stillness. "The people of this city will not be pawns in your games."
The crowd erupted in applause. People clapped, some cheered, others cried tears of relief. Children clung to their parents as if reassured that the nightmare was finally over.
Hisui raised her hand again, quieting them.
"…However," she said, voice heavy with sorrow, "we were not able to save everyone. Despite our best efforts, only a portion of the kidnapped citizens were rescued from the dark mage's grasp."
As if on cue, a group of women—exhausted but alive—were escorted onto the stage. Among them were mothers, daughters, and sisters. The moment they were recognized, families broke through the crowd to embrace them. Tears fell freely. Laughter mixed with sobs.
"They are safe now," Hisui said softly. "And they are home."
The people shouted her name in unison. "Hisui! Hisui! Hisui!"
Behind the princess, Jura walked up silently. He gave her a respectful nod.
"You did well, Princess," he said. "Especially in calling them dark mages instead of revealing the truth."
Hisui's gaze lingered on the joyful reunions below before she replied, "I don't want the people to live in fear of demons. That knowledge would only create panic, and panic leads to ruin."
Jura gave a faint smile. "A wise choice. You carry your father's resolve."
But Hisui didn't answer right away.
As she turned and walked away from the podium, her face remained unreadable. Behind her, the city cheered. Hope flickered anew in the hearts of Crocus.
But in her own heart, only one thought remained:
When will Rudra wake up?
***
Few more days passed, since Princess Hisui's speech brought calm to Crocus. The capital, once tense and on the brink of chaos, had slowly begun to heal. Life moved forward. Markets reopened. Merchants returned. Smiles found their way back onto tired faces.
Yet even as the city rebuilt itself, a new tale began to circulate — one that sparked whispers in the alleys, songs in the bars, and play in the streets.
A white-haired swordsman — eyes glowing with something not quite human — had descended upon a group of dark mages like a force of nature, saving a group of women before vanishing into the night.
Children began tying white cloth around their heads, pretending to wield invisible blades while shouting about "cutting through dimensions" or "saving the helpless." Drunkards in taverns added their own flair to the legend, singing about a half-demon warrior with a blade that whispered death. Some even claimed he wasn't human at all, but a forgotten god or devil come to pass judgment.
Meanwhile, the man behind the myth — Rudra — lay hidden from the world, wrapped in layers of bandages, unconscious and barely breathing.
That was until now.
With a deep breath, his fingers twitched.
A soft groan escaped his lips as he slowly opened his eyes, the ceiling above unfamiliar. His vision swam. His body ached. He sat up, grimacing at the stiffness in his limbs, and glanced around.
"Where the hell…?"
He rubbed his temples, trying to force his foggy mind into clarity. As fragmented memories returned he swung his legs off the bed.
Big mistake.
The moment his feet touched the ground, it hit him.
A searing fire surged through every fiber of his being. His muscles spasmed, his veins burned, and his vision whited out as he collapsed back into the bed.
It was like every nerve in his body was screaming.
"ARGH—!" he gasped, body writhing in agony.
The pain lasted several seconds before slowly receding like a passing storm. Panting heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead, Rudra lay motionless, blinking up at the ceiling.
"System… what the hell was that?"
Silence.
Then—
[System]: YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKING MORON.
The voice echoed inside his head like thunder. Sharp. Furious.
[System]: Do you even realize what you did?!
Rudra winced. "Huh? What're you talking about—?"
[System]: You… you tried to forcefully awaken your Devil Trigger. Using. Yamato.
"Oh... right. Yeah, I did that."
**[System]: Oh right?! Are you brain-dead?! Do you know what Yamato is?! That thing doesn't just cut people. It cuts reality. Space. Dimensions. You were literally about to slice yourself in half, you suicidal dumbass!"
Rudra blinked. "...Wait, what? I thought Yamato only cuts what I want—"
**[System]: And you wanted to force open your Devil Trigger. Without stabilizing your body. Without balance. Without control. You almost cut your very existence in half. If I hadn't overridden your command and force-activated the Devil Trigger, we'd have had two of you running around. One brooding edgelord. One braindead idiot. Both useless."
"…Yo, bro… chill."
**[System]: CHILL?! YOU NEARLY DIED AND YOU'RE TELLING ME TO CHILL?! I HAD TO PERFORM A WHOLE-ASS EMERGENCY SOUL PATCH ON THE FLY. I REROUTED YOUR DEVIL ENERGY, STABILIZED YOUR AURA FLOW, AND STOPPED YOU FROM TURNING INTO A FREAKING SPIRITUAL SPAGHETTI STRAND!"
"Alright, alright! Damn. Take a breath."
The System paused.
**[System]: …Inhale. Exhale. Okay. I'm calm. Mostly."
"Good. So, what the hell's going on with my body? I feel like I got set on fire and then rolled in salt."
**[System]: Because, genius, your Devil energy and chakra are currently in a civil war inside your body. Specifically, your Sage Chakra isn't playing nice with your Devil Trigger."
Rudra frowned. "They're not… compatible?"
**[System]: Not in their current forms. Your chakra pathways weren't built to house demonic energy and sage energy simultaneously. One's natural. The other's infernal. Right now, they're clashing — and you're caught in the middle. Think oil and water… mixed with dynamite."
"So... is that why I feel like crap?"
**[System]: Yes. Also why some of your abilities are offline. Your healing factor? Nerfed. Your chakra flow? Inconsistent. Your devil aura? Flickering. Right now, your body's like a broken radio picking up three stations at once — all screaming at full volume."
Rudra groaned. "Great. Just great."
**[System]: This is what happens when you try to speedrun evolution without a damn tutorial."
He let his head fall back onto the pillow, sighing deeply.
"So what now?"
[System]:Now? You rest. Let your energy stabilize. I'll keep things in check, but don't try anything stupid. No Yamato. No transformations. No chakra. And don't even think about sneezing too hard—you might detonate.
Rudra exhaled slowly, his eyes half-lidded.
"…Noted."
He leaned back, letting the exhaustion take over as his body relaxed into the bed. In seconds, he was out—silent, still.
The system stayed quiet.
For once, so did everything else.