293,

Attersass, Year 502, Spring.

Winter has passed, and the earth is springing back to life.

However, a strange sight has appeared on the land of Attersass.

Searching through all the literature, examining all the records, that rare sight, witnessed only by a few, has returned once again.

All descriptions have become lies, even though there were varied accounts, they now hold no meaning.

Because among these countless fragments, there is only one thing that all present witnesses agree on.

On the Windgrass Plain, a small meadow southwest of Allen, a playground for small animals.

Aside from the pack of grey wolves in the southwest, the only other presence in the meadow is the slimes that occupy its center, a slightly more menacing presence.

With the songs of birds and scents of flowers, the lush green grass in this small clearing between the forests is an ideal place for outings.

But what Cyclone sees is not a place for a family outing, it is a dark, hellish landscape that no one would want to approach.

There is only one feeling that Cyclone can have towards this darkness.

Disgust.

The only adjective that Cyclone can think of to describe the feeling towards the Source of Darkness, among countless words and phrases, is disgust.

When beings from the dark world descend upon the world of Attersass, all that was beautiful becomes a thing of the past.

A colossal slime stands in the distance, with numerous smaller slimes taking shelter behind it.

The grey wolf pack lines up, on guard at the edge of the forest.

The dark entity, a gigantic sphere, at least a hundred times larger than Cyclone himself.

This massive sphere sinks into the ground, connected by various shapes of different sizes, without any pattern.

These constantly wriggling substances, like cement, are murky and nauseating.

A piece of rock is thrown out and falls into the black sphere.

Upon impact, this formless and yet palpable dark entity is shattered, separated, and condensed, like drops of water.

Like water, and yet not water.

"So this is the Source of Darkness?"

The speaker is Daniel, the strategist of Allen.

Beside him stands Sonja, the leader of the Wind Knights, with golden hair.

There are only these two individuals here, Cyclone cannot see anyone else, believing they have all set out for Asmod.

Just as Cyclone takes a step forward, Sonja turns around, as if aware of Cyclone's arrival.

"..."

Without saying a word, Sonja simply shakes her head.

"You've come too late, Cyclone!"

In this murky air, only the voice of a man is heard.

"Who would have thought that the witch would resort to using the Source of Darkness in the end."

Daniel kicks a small stone at his feet, and another small piece of rock lands in the black sphere.

At that moment, the black sphere goes berserk, extending numerous tentacles.

But these tentacles are powerless, because on the outskirts of the black sphere, an entity opposing the darkness emerges.

"But it seems it's nothing much after all."

In an instant, five beams of light shine from five different spots outside the black sphere, and a massive magic circle appears on the ground.

At this moment, Cyclone finally noticed.

"Now that things have settled down, even if you're a witch, magical power is not limitless~"

Under the five rays of light, what Cyclone saw were carts after carts of magic stones.

Cyclone was mistaken. Although there was no one else, Daniel had the support of Allen City backing him up.

However, that was not important anymore. Cyclone had already made up his mind long ago.

Continuing forward, step by step, towards the black sphere.

"Who would have thought...that after three years, this situation would arise once again."

With his back turned to Cyclone, Daniel said with resignation.

Cyclone couldn't see Daniel's face, so he didn't know the true meaning behind his words.

But as he looked at Sonja's face, Cyclone knew that the emotions of these two could no longer be described with words.

In Sonja's eyes, there was a sense of helplessness.

"Cyclone..."

"Wife..."

The girl whom Cyclone had initially recognized as his wife, a forthright and resolute girl, drew the long sword from her waist.

"Once again...we are pointing our swords...at Allen's hero..."

As if bowing to fate, when Daniel finished speaking, Allen's knight, Sonja, also pointed her drawn sword at Cyclone.

"Who...are you exactly?"

***