The wind bit to the bone, piercing the skin like needles of a curse.
Snow, which had not been there before, now began to fall gently—pure and freezing. Arian stood in the midst of the black plain, slowly being blanketed in ice. The barren land froze, and the blood-red sky seemed to crack under the weight of this newly-born chill.
In his hand, that demon sword—Necral—throbbed with powerful magical energy.
Pitch-black, yet with each pulse, it shimmered with a silver-blue glow, like a soul frozen and screaming from within.
> "The pact is sealed, Heir of Ice."
"You have reawakened an ancient vow… The Frozen Oath."
Arian gripped the hilt tighter.
Magic seeped into his pores, burning from within before freezing his bloodstream entirely. His body felt like it was being shattered and reassembled.
But he did not scream. For the first time, he embraced the pain.
Because that pain… gave him purpose.
---
Elsewhere: The Kingdom of Light – Iseria
The holy light poured down relentlessly into the Grand Cathedral of Iseria.
Twenty students stood in confusion at the center of the grand hall, surrounded by silver emblems and glowing stained glass high above.
They—all students from the modern world—had been summoned mysteriously.
A booming voice echoed from priests clad in robes of gold and white.
> "Among you, five have been chosen by the Light to become Heroes!"
"The rest… shall be nurtured for the future of mankind."
Five pillars of light descended from the ceiling, enveloping specific individuals.
One of them—Takeshi, the class president. Tall, tidy, kind-hearted. His face looked awkward and confused as a radiant sword slowly appeared before him.
> "Me…?"
Beside him stood Rael, the arrogant student who once bullied Arian.
He grinned with self-satisfied pride, already feeling superior after being chosen.
The others—three students with varied personalities, including a strong-willed girl and a reclusive genius—also received the blessing of light.
But none of them knew the bitter truth hidden beneath all the grandeur.
---
Behind the Scenes – The High Bishops
> "That boy... naïve and pure. Perfect to be the face of the Light."
"We'll indoctrinate him slowly. Make him a symbol of virtue, then send him to lead the war."
"And the rest… shape them into holy warriors. The world needs enemies, even if we have to create them."
They smiled—cold and calculating.
The human world was not under threat.
The Demon King who once endangered it had been slain by the Great Hero a hundred years ago.
And yet… that hero remains a mystery.
Only a few know the true legend—one of many truths buried in the bloodstained history of this world.
---
Back in Valmord
Demonic creatures began to emerge from the shadows of the ruins.
They recognized the ice.
They recognized the aura of their old leader—Necral, the King who Froze the Sky.
But what they saw was not Necral… it was a human, wielding his sword.
> "Could he be… our new master…?"
Arian looked up at the darkening sky.
Snow fell—not a natural snow, but one born of the returning frost of a forgotten world.
This was the sign.
The rebirth of a fallen race—once oppressed, hidden, and forgotten.
---
> "Awaken them. Awaken the legacy buried in ice."
"But remember, Arian… I am not the only king in this world."
Necral's voice grew heavier.
> "There are still five Demon Kings who rule this continent."
"They are not your enemies… but they are not your allies either."
> "And I am not the only cursed blade."
"Beneath the depths of hell sleeps the Hellblade. And in the belly of the world, sealed tight, lies the Gluttonous Sword."
"But that… is a tale for another time."
Arian stood silent.
This world was far vaster—and crueler—than he had imagined.
But that no longer mattered.
He had made a vow.
The Frozen Oath.
---
Beyond the Snow – Someone Watches
From atop a cliff far to the north, a pair of red eyes observed.
A horned woman, pale-skinned and cloaked in black fur.
> "So… it has awakened. That sword."
"And him… a human? No, not just any human…"
She smiled faintly.
Around her neck hung a pendant shaped like an ice crystal—an ancient symbol of the worshippers of the Ice Demon King.
> "Father… it seems the heir to the old promise has finally come."
---
The snow kept falling.
While the Light forged wars, the forsaken Darkness slowly began to rebuild a kingdom long lost.
And Arian—the one they once called a loser—
had inherited the legacy of the Ice Demon King,
the cursed sword that once froze the world.