Chapter 1: Arch-enemies Are Arch-enemies, After All!

Arch-enemies are arch-enemies, after all!

“Ville!!!”

“Selina!!!”

Accompanied by furious roars, the youngest Demon King in history, Ville, swung the demonic blade in his hand, slashing out a strike interwoven with red and black, colliding with the incoming silver sword energy.

The two legendary weapons clashed, like two out-of-control beasts, both wanting to devour the other.

The terrifying energy clash caused space to tremble, the Demon King’s castle collapsed, and this deathmatch that had lasted a full seven days and seven nights had entered its final stage.

The one fighting Ville was none other than his fated arch-enemy—the Silver Sword Princess, Selina.

Whoosh!

Due to the continuous seven days of deadly combat, both the Demon King’s and the Sword Princess’s weapons reached their limits at the same time, shattering simultaneously, and they were also blasted away by each other’s sword energy.

“Cough cough…”

Ville, who was slammed into the wall, had blurred vision; the Demon King’s mask cracked and fell to the ground.

Beads of blood seeped from his forehead, sliding across his somewhat delicate face.

The young Demon King gritted his teeth, propped his body up, and struggled to focus his crimson eyes, casting his gaze on the human girl below, clad in silver armor.

Memories surged forth, scenes of him and her flashing quickly before his eyes.

What should have been a beautiful first meeting, under the push of fate, caused their every intersection to drift further apart, until they were completely at odds.

From the initial tiny sweetness, drowned by the endless bitterness that followed, the childish promise from their childhood ultimately could not withstand the cruel reality.

“Again and again, again and again, again and again, again and again, again and again—!!!”

Ville kept raising his hand, pounding the wreckage around him, hysterically venting his violently fluctuating emotions.

“Give up struggling and just die obediently!”

“Your existence already threatens humanity.”

Selina, breathing chaotically, raised her head; despite her weak voice, she still faced the young Demon King directly, a trace of sorrow she herself hadn’t noticed flashing across her beautiful face.

“My mission is to end you.”

“…You’re really annoying.”

Ville’s lips were nearly bitten through; he slowly raised the broken Demon King’s blade, injecting the meager remaining demonic power into the fractured edge, his killing intent surging, planning to thoroughly end the battle and draw a conclusion to the entangled grudge between the two.

He stepped forward, leaping down from mid-air toward Selina.

The nearly exhausted Silver Sword Princess likewise gripped her broken sword tightly, swinging the final strike of her life with actions filled with killing intent.

Pfft!

The two shattered sword blades pierced into Ville’s and Selina’s chests respectively, precisely hitting the vital points without error, causing both hearts to gradually stop beating.

“Ugh ah…”

Ville collapsed to the ground; the blood flowing from his chest fell to the floor, like a small stream spreading to beneath Selina.

His body grew increasingly cold, his vision blurred, and he felt everything around him drifting away, like a candle flame in the wind about to extinguish.

“…Go to hell, Ville.”

Before death, Selina murmured softly.

The barely audible voice stimulated Ville; his unfocused pupils suddenly contracted.

“…Heh.”

He laughed, not knowing if he was mocking her or himself.

Due to the blending of their blood, he could sense Selina’s soul detaching from her body.

Using the blood link as a medium, he poured all of himself into activating the Demon King’s power, unleashing a curse on the soul.

“You…!?”

Selina was very surprised; at the moment of death’s arrival, Ville didn’t seek release but instead made a mad choice.

Under the curse’s effect, her soul and Ville’s were forcibly bound together, inseparable.

“If I go to hell, Selina, you have to come with me to the very end of hell,” Ville declared. “This is the ending our pair of arch-enemies should have!”

…

The human world, the Holy Land.

“Lady Sword Princess has completed her mission, but to achieve this great feat, she also paid with her own life.”

The cleric watched the crystal symbolizing Selina’s soul fluctuations gradually calm, announcing the fact to everyone in a silent voice.

People felt joy while also regretting Selina’s passing.

“Sigh.”

The elder of the Holy Land let out a long sigh; harboring grief, he walked to the front of the crowd.

“Then, according to the predetermined plan, let us guide Lady Sword Princess’s soul to return.”

“Yes!”

As the cleric prepared to perform the guidance operation, he froze, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

“N-No, something’s wrong; it seems someone is interfering with us!”

“What?”

The Holy Land elder frowned; he didn’t understand what had happened—this absolutely should not have any accidents.

Such powerful combat strength, an indispensable existence for humanity, even the soul after death must reincarnate in the human world.

“What should we do now?” the cleric asked anxiously.

“Gather the clerics, activate the holy artifact, and initiate the forced soul recall ritual!”

“The holy artifact?! But to use it, according to procedure, approval must be obtained—”

“This is the highest priority!” The Holy Land elder’s voice left no room for doubt.

“Yes!!”

The cleric didn’t dare slack off and immediately carried out the elder’s command.

Soon, the clerics were gathered, along with the crucial holy artifact.

Under the elder’s leadership, the clerics activated the grand holy array, igniting the artifact and starting the forced recall ritual.

“Lady Sword Princess, please let your wandering soul return!”

“Elder, how’s the effect?”

“…It succeeded!”

The Holy Land elder was very excited.

He felt this soul return was different from previous ones; though he had doubts, in the moment, ensuring Lady Sword Princess’s soul returned and reincarnated among humans was the most important.

…

…

Seventeen years after the Demon King’s fall.

A pink-haired girl sat in front of the mirror; her eyes bloomed like pink cherry blossoms, her soft, round little face appeared overly cute, her legs wrapped in white silk gently swinging, and she wore luxurious blue-and-white saintess attire.

This attire, which should symbolize sanctity, didn’t show much on the girl but instead revealed innocence and childlike charm.

She was Via Shirleyford, the future saintess of the Holy Land.

“Hehe~”

A silly smile appeared on Via’s soft face.

“Little sister, what are you grinning about?”

Behind Via stood a red-haired girl who looked extremely similar to her, carefully combing her hair with a sandalwood comb.

Her name was Sophie Shirleyford, Via’s twin older sister.

Though they wore the same saintess attire, on Sophie it was perfectly suited—sacred and noble, as if she were born for it.

“Nothing much, just being with big sister makes me really happy~” Via replied.

She had grown up with her sister since childhood; the person she cared about and cherished most was naturally her sister.

“Just because of that?”

“Yeah, from now on, I want to always be with big sister.”

Via secretly added a time limit in her heart…

Forever!

“Does Via never want to grow up?”

“Can I stay not grown up forever?” Via blinked her eyes.

“That’s fine too.”

Sophie smiled faintly and continued gently helping her sister fix her hair.

Knock knock knock.

A knocking sound came from the door.

“It seems they’re urging us; after all, tonight is an important banquet, and we need to represent the Holy Land to meet His Majesty the Emperor,” Sophie said. “Preparations are done; let’s go.”

“Okay~”

Via nodded.

Sophie put down the comb, helped Via finish dressing, and left the room first.

Via stood up from the chair, ready to follow her sister, but thinking of the banquet’s importance today, she absolutely couldn’t make any mistakes, so she turned back, planning to check her makeup once more.

But upon seeing the mirror, she froze.

Reflected in the future saintess’s pupils was not herself, but a black-haired, red-eyed demon-descended boy.

He wore an expression close to anger, as if questioning what she was doing.

“You are… who?”