Volume 1 Chapter 1 Prologue──Purge Knight──
At the eastern edge of the Saint Ruvous Kingdom, on the border of Matius Great Canyon.
Before the bridge spanning the Great Canyon, where it is said that the sage Matius, having scorned the world, threw himself into it.
At that place, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun, stood a lone knight.
He wore night-like, deep navy armor, and on his armor was etched the holy cross, signifying that he was a Holy Knight──and among those Holy Knights, only 8 were chosen as the elite Purge Knights.
'...You've come'
A muffled voice echoed from within the deep navy helmet.
The voice, despite its imposing presence, belonged to a young boy in his late teens.
It was to be expected.
His name was Rai Conwell.
Within the storied Holy Church, he was the youngest ever chosen as a Purge Knight at the age of 14──a prodigy.
Three years had passed since his selection, and his record remained unbroken.
And before the Purge Knight Rai stood, 2 horses pulled a single carriage towards him.
But something was amiss.
As the coachman saw Rai from afar, instead of slowing down, he seemed to accelerate, as if trying to run him over.
Seeing this, Rai, who had been waiting for the carriage, changed his plan.
He crouched low, stomped the ground, and with a burst of speed, he charged towards the carriage.
The coachman hesitated for a moment, but then urged the horses on even faster.
Rai, like a gust of wind, and the carriage, hurtling towards him at full speed, collided in a flash.
In that instant, Rai drew a one-handed, black-bladed sword from its scabbard on his back shield, leaped onto the carriage's right side.
With fluid movements, he slashed at the horse's legs and the carriage's front and rear wheels.
The next moment, the horse whinnied in pain as its leg was severed, and the carriage, having lost all its wheels on one side, overturned.
Throwing up a cloud of dust, it rolled across the ground and finally stopped in front of the bridge.
"Damn it! What the hell?!"
The 4 men emerged from the overturned carriage.
Including the coachman who was crushed in the crash, there were 5 of them──matching the number reported by the Marquis family's guards.
"What the──wait, you're kidding me!?"
The man who looked like their leader gaped in disbelief as Rai slowly emerged from the dust cloud.
"Big Bro, who's that guy?"
"Don't tell me you don't know? One of the 8 Holy Knights in the Holy Church, a powerhouse! Crap, usually they just hunt heretics. That Marquis must have been donating a hefty sum to the Holy Church!"
Unlike their sweating leader, Rai, his face hidden behind his helmet, maintained an easygoing demeanor.
'Hand over the Marquis's heir, the one you kidnapped the other day. And then, I'll let you go.'
Saying that, Rai sheathed his sword in his left hand, resting it on his shield to show he had no intention of attacking, and addressed the kidnappers.
"Hey, if we let that kid go right here, we're as good as dead! That's the way this job was!"
The leader, tense and anxious, exchanged glances with his comrades.
The others, taking the cue, grasped their weapons - daggers, axes, and the like.
'I don't want to kill anyone needlessly, but I have no choice. I have a mission to fulfill.'
"He's just one guy! We can take him, charge!"
With weapons drawn, the 3 men charged full force. Rai, however, calmly walked towards them, smoothly rolling over a fallen carriage.
First, he dodged the bearded thug's swinging dagger and countered with a powerful right hook, sending him sprawling.
Stepping back 3 paces, he lunged forward, drawing his sword from his shield.
As he swung, his momentum carried him into a powerful horizontal strike, cleaving through the thug's torso.
He then kicked the fallen thug's chest with his forward foot, sending him crashing into the second man behind him, disrupting his balance.
Without pausing, he pierced the second man's heart through the first man's chest, killing them both instantly.
With the minimum of movement, he pushed the two bodies aside, drew his sword, and with a swift strike, beheaded the first man.
He then struck the flying head with his shield, sending it flying towards the last remaining man.
The third man, terrified by the sudden deaths of his comrades and the flying head aimed at him, stumbled back in shock.
Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the severed head and the man's flailing limbs, Rai moved swiftly, closing the distance with a honed, predatory grace.
In a single, decisive arc, he brought his sword down, cleaving the man in 2.
Rai had dispatched the 3 men with effortless speed, his movements precise and deadly.
He casually wiped his blade, sending a spray of blood arcing through the air.
He turned his gaze to the remaining leader, his silver sword tip pointed directly at the man's chest.
'Looks like it's your turn now.'
The man, his face pale, raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Please, spare me."
'Where's the son? Is he in the carriage?'
"Yes, we have him tied up inside."
Rai sheathed his sword, his movements fluid and practiced.
He stepped past the leader and strode toward the overturned carriage.
As Rai turned his back, the leader, his eyes glinting with desperation, seized a broken piece of carriage wood lying at his feet.
He had never intended to surrender.
He'd been waiting for his chance to strike from the shadows.
"Die!"
In an instant, Rai whirled around, catching the leader's head with the edge of his shield.
The impact, amplified by the momentum of his rotation, shattered the man's neck with sickening ease.
'Never underestimate your opponent, even when they seem subdued.'
Rai muttered the words, barely glancing down at the leader's lifeless form as he turned and entered the overturned carriage.
The interior was a chaotic mess of scattered belongings.
Rai spotted a young boy, around 7 years old, with messy blonde hair, dressed in fine clothes.
He was miraculously unharmed amidst the wreckage.
Seeing Rai, the boy's face lit up with relief.
Through the crude gag and rope restraints, he managed to utter a choked cry of joy.
He thought his father, Marquis, had come to rescue him.
Rai looked at the boy and asked,
'Are you the son of Marquis?'
The boy nodded vigorously, confirming his identity.
Rai let out a sigh of relief.
'Good, it's you. I'm glad.'
'You are Misumi Nagamasa, the reincarnator spoken of in the Saint's prophecy... aren't you?'
At Rai's words, the boy's eyes flew open in shock.
How does he know that name—his name from his previous life?
And why does he say it with such a cold, terrifying voice?
'...Good.'
Rai spoke softly as he slowly drew a jet-black blade from behind his shield. Shiiing...
'It's good. I'm glad you're still powerless. Just a helpless child.'
Without hesitation, Rai brought the edge of his blade to the boy's neck—this heretical reincarnator.
'You reincarnators... need to die.'
And with that, Purge Knight Rai Conwell swung his sword. Slash!
The boy's head fell to the ground.
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