A young boy conquered the Devil's Fang. After going in and out of the seemingly impregnable mountain dozens of times to retrieve the bodies of those who died there, the boy became a legend in the village as a mountaineer.
After Pre left the village, the Devil's Fang gradually lost the strange cold that dominated it, slowly regaining its warm embrace.
The Mutans, covered in thick fur and hide, couldn't properly adapt to the drastic temperature changes. Some moved to the still-cool summit area of the Devil's Fang, while others left the mountain entirely, beginning to descend one by one into nearby human villages.
*Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!*
Five Mutans were highly agitated, like beasts starved for a long time. The unbearably hot weather played a part, but it was primarily because, as soon as they descended the mountain, their beastly eyes spotted a villager.
Using their immense natural strength, the Mutans charged fiercely at the passing villager with astonishing speed, as if desperate not to let another Mutans snatch their prey.
Immediately, one swung its sharp claws with a horrifying momentum that could shatter bone. Red blood surged like a waterfall, hotly staining the spaces between the Mutans' sharp claws.
However, that blood was not from a helpless victim; it was solely the blood of the Mutans that had swung its claws so cruelly.
The Mutans, whose foreleg had been deeply gashed, was seized by a strange and terrifying emotion it had never felt before.
Up until now, whenever it encountered humans or other creatures, it had only seen fear flickering in their eyes. But in those cold, ash-gray eyes of the human, there was indeed fear, yet that fear was a reflection of its own image.
Overwhelmed by his imposing presence, the Mutans instinctively recoiled a step. From either side of it, the other Mutans that had been following swiftly darted forward.
The Mutans on the left struck first, bringing its massive claw down from above. However, the villager, like a mirage, instantly vanished to the right, lightly evading the menacing claw attack. The Mutans on the right immediately struck down with its sharp claws in the same posture, but he seemed to know it beforehand, slipping away to the left this time.
In this manner, he dodged all the claw attacks alternately coming from both sides, naturally closing the distance and pressing tightly against the Mutans in the center.
The Mutans it closed in on flinched, but immediately opened its large mouth, baring its teeth. However, at that very moment, a sharp dagger, as if waiting, deeply pierced the Mutans directly under its jaw, even penetrating its tongue.
Stunned by the unexpected and tremendous impact, the Mutans writhed in pain, unable to even let out a proper sound, and stiffened.
He forcefully kicked the Mutans' stomach, where sticky blood was dripping, then gracefully leaped backward like a light feather, barely dodging the fierce attacks coming simultaneously from both sides by a hair's breadth.
As he reached for his waist, he drew a sharp dagger with incredibly swift speed, as if by magic, making it seem like a dagger had suddenly sprouted from his palm.
He then hurled the drawn dagger towards the neck of the Mutans that had been wounded by his earlier attack.
All of this happened in an instant, even before he landed back on the ground after kicking the Mutans' stomach and leaping backward.
"Th-this can't be..."
The man who had thrown the dagger appeared to have won overwhelmingly at first glance, but his face betrayed a deep, unconcealed agitation and unease.
He had intended to throw the dagger, precisely hitting the tip of the dagger already lodged in the Mutans' jaw, thereby violently shaking the sharp blade embedded in its tongue and causing an immense amount of blood to pour from the Mutans' neck. However, the attack unfortunately missed its mark.
Even so, he wasn't greatly shaken by the near miss or consumed by a sense of loss. For him, at this moment, strength beyond what was necessary held no meaning.
'...Right. I only need the power to protect my precious Lea. That alone is enough.'
Van suddenly recalled the short but intense conversation he had with his daughter a few days after Pre had left.
"Aren't you leaving with Pre? I heard you two just made up. With your inherently superior physical abilities and martial arts training, my lovely daughter, you'd be safe anywhere."
At Van's question, Lea's cheeks flushed, and she smiled shyly.
"Hehe, it's okay. If I leave, Dad would get too lonely. I can go with him next time, if the opportunity arises."
"Next time? When would that be?"
Van's teasing question was met with Lea's playful reply.
"When Pre returns even more dashing and wonderful... or maybe, in the next life?"
"What, so you're saying you're never going?"
"Right now, I'm so strong that I might make adventures boring."
Van ceased his recollection and cautiously drew a new dagger from his waist to deal with the remaining Mutans.
Strangely, however, he felt a faint, ominous presence behind the Mutans directly in front of him.
'...What is that?'
The foolish, simple Mutans, seemingly unaware of the subtle presence, roared and charged fiercely at Van without looking back.
It was then that Van witnessed an unbelievable sight. Amidst the white fur of the Mutans rushing towards him, he saw beautiful, mysterious blue hair, reminiscent of the ocean, fluttering in the wind.
In that moment, Van simply blinked once, as he did habitually, countless times a day, without a single thought.
As he blinked, his vision narrowed, and pitch-black darkness briefly filled his sight.
*Swish— Swish— Swish— Swish—*
And when he opened his eyes again, the scene before him was so shocking and pristine that it was impossible to believe it was real.
The heads of four Mutans, like falling petals, had cleanly separated from their necks and were soaring into the air.
And right before him, at a distance so close he could feel her breath, stood an incredibly beautiful blue-haired woman, gripping a sharp sword tightly, her expression cold and ruthless.
*Haa—*
A magical, fleeting moment passed...
*FWOOSH!!!*
From the necks of the beheaded Mutans, red blood belatedly gushed forth as if a dam had burst. The Mutans' heads slowly rotated in the air before falling to the ground with a dull thud.
*Thud-thud-thud...!!*
*Thud—*
With a gruesome sound of something sharply piercing flesh, Van's body shot into the air.
Without even time to feel pain, Van stared blankly down at the sharp blade buried deep in his stomach. Following the hot blood trickling down the blade, his gaze moved to a white hand gripping the sword tightly. Following that hand upwards, an arm of a beautiful woman came into view. Again, following the arm even further up, finally, the detestable woman's face appeared.
"...Sword... Saint..."
Van, as if squeezing out his last remaining strength, barely managed to utter in a strained voice.
"...You... shattered... my... dream... and even the happiness... I barely... barely found..."
From the sharp tip of the sword, his hot blood dripped down. He hung there motionless, like a fish impaled on a skewer. His entire body trembled violently, as if its temperature was rapidly draining away, then slumped powerlessly.
Episode 1: The Devil's Fang - End