The crack in the sky opened again. The air groaned, and space-time split like shattered glass. From within, two figures emerged—Umeko and Yomiru. They floated in the air, hair and robes fluttering in the cosmic wind.
Yomiru stared at her home world—a world she no longer recognized.
The once blue sky was now murky, the trees charred, the buildings in ruins, the ground shattered, and the air filled with the scent of death. Umeko, standing beside her, raised her hand and closed the portal with a protective spell. The remaining magical energy formed a circle of light that slowly shrank until it disappeared.
The kingdom ruled by Scarlet, once prosperous and the most admired kingdom, was gone—Rata.
"This is…" Yomiru murmured softly.
"Our world… is no longer the same," Umeko said with a sigh. "Ever since you and Scarlet left, the evil witches have come. They are looking for you, Yomiru. The Magic of Destruction. They are tearing our kingdom apart."
Yomiru turned her face away. "How long have I been away?"
"Ten years," Umeko answered shortly.
Yomiru nodded slightly. She had expected it. Traveling between dimensions and time could indeed twist age.
She looked at the forest that was now just a shadow of the past. Houses were buried under the ground, hills turned into ravines, and rivers dried up. This world had truly been obliterated.
"Then where did the others go?" Yomiru asked. She meant Scarlet's followers, her fellow fighters.
Umeko shook her head. "The only ones left are me, Drego, Fumiyo, and Keith."
"And the citizens?"
"They're scattered. Many were enslaved by the witches… or died."
Yomiru looked down. The rumbling sound of clouds could be heard in the distance, blending with the echoing silence.
"Our country is truly destroyed, huh?"
Umeko simply nodded. "The world became unbalanced after news of Scarlet's death spread. The world began to prey on each other. And they—the witches—became savage in order to hunt down the remnants of your power."
Yomiru clenched her fists. "Well… As long as I'm still in this human body, they won't recognize me. And besides, I won't easily submit to anyone."
They descended to the ground. Their footprints trampled dust and stone. The traces of destruction were so obvious.
"Where do you live now?" Yomiru asked.
"The neighboring country gave us shelter. But not much. Just enough to survive."
Yomiru snorted softly. "Alright. Then… I guess I have to get to work."
"And what will you do?" Umeko turned her head.
Yomiru grinned, full of mystery. "I have."
Umeko gave her a doubtful look. But she didn't ask further. "I'll go get the others. Wait here, okay!"
With a wave, Umeko flew into the air and disappeared in a pink flash.
Yomiru stood alone. She looked around, then reached out, trying to access the magic power within her.
"One… two… three…"
Nothing.
"WHAT?!" Yomiru screamed, spinning around in panic. "My magic power—where did it go?! Is this human body restricting everything?!"
She wiggled her fingers, jumped, exhaled—all to no avail.
"Oh my… Don't tell me I have to get out of this body. But… that would let those bastards know I'm back…"
Yomiru finally sat down, pressing her hands to the ground. She concentrated. A thin light poured out of her palms, seeping into her arms.
"Please… don't fail."
Suddenly, the ground in front of her formed a large spike of rocks. Yomiru laughed happily.
"YES! It worked! Although it's slow, I can summon my power back. I have to take them one by one."
Yomiru started running towards the forest. He needed water. In this world, natural magic was still stored in the wild elements... water, wind, earth, and fire. He saw a river from a distance and ran towards it while laughing like a child, you could even call it crazy.
"Hahaha! Found you!"
He crouched down and dipped his hand into the water. Blue light poured in, making his eyes shine. He stood up and raised his hand—the water in the river moved up as well.
But his joy was cut short. A rustling sound was heard from the bushes.
WHOOSH!
A spear shot towards him. Yomiru dodged quickly.
"WHO'S THERE?!" he shouted coldly. His eyes stared sharply at the bushes.
A young man appeared, trying to escape. But before he could get far, Yomiru was already behind him, pulling his collar.
The man had horns, brown hair. Clearly—a demon race.
"Demon?" Yomiru muttered, staring sarcastically.
"I-I-I'm sorry! Don't kill me!" the demon whined.
"Huh? I just wanted to ask a question." Yomiru dropped him to the ground. "Where do your friends live?"
"T-that way…" the demon pointed to the right. "Please… don't hurt them… kill me if you want!"
Yomiru laughed softly. "Oh, come on. I'm not in the mood to slaughter anyone." He held out a hand. "Come on, stand up. I want to meet them."
The demon, still trembling, nodded. "M-my name is Blis."
"Yomiru."
---
After two hours of walking, they arrived at a small village. Very small. Just seventeen mud and wood houses, no fences, no gardens.
"They're… so skinny," Yomiru muttered, looking at the villagers.
"Every day… one or two die of starvation," Blis explained. "We've lost more than half our population."
"Why don't we hunt?"
"We're too weak. And when we try to catch fish… we get attacked by water monsters."
Yomiru narrowed her eyes. "Water monsters?"
Blis nodded. "And our only food is cherries. And those are rare."
Yomiru paused for a moment, then rolled her eyes.
"Lowlife," she muttered. "This world is really broken."
As he walked, he saw a small child crying while shaking his mother's cold body.
"MOTHER… HUAAAA!!!"
Blis tried to calm the child down. "Calm down, Roki. Your mother… is in a better place now."
Yomiru's steps approached. But before he could speak, Blis suddenly prostrated himself.
"Yomiru… Help us…"
Yomiru looked down at Blis from above. "What can you offer in return?"
Blis bit her lip. "You know… we have nothing."
Yomiru smiled thinly. "Then… let me lead this village."
Blis nodded desperately. "Okay…"
---
Yomiru returned to the river. Two more hours of travel. He felt very bored on the journey, and also tired of walking. This time he stretched his hands into the air, absorbing the power of the wind. White light entered his body. He flew.
"Haha! I'm flying again!"
He moved towards the river, Yomiru flew higher in the air. From a distance, the long and large river was already visible.
He got down near the river and thought hard. "How do I catch fish...?"
Then his crazy idea came. He pulled out a whole tree and threw it into the river.
"HEY FISH!! COME OUT!!!"
Nothing happened, the tree was half-floated into the river. He went forward, Staring at the waters in confusion. Thinking hard about how to catch fish, He had never done something like this so he was not an expert.
Suddenly...
"You idiot. You are so stupid." Said a hoarse voice that buzzed from the water.
Yomiru turned his head. "Who are you, How dare you insult this amazing me. You lowly thing"
The water began to churn. Large bubbles appeared. A large figure rose from the river—a water monster as tall as a house.
"Weak creature, you call me lowly?"
Yomiru stared at him fearlessly, He stretched out both his hands. "Monster... can you give me some fish?"
"Why would I follow the orders of a shitty human like you?"
Yomiru clenched his fists. "Do you want to die, huh?"
"You're so arrogant, huh? What do you think a kid like you can do?"
"You underestimate me."
The monster grinned. "Fight me. If you win, I'll give you as many fish as you want."
Yomiru grinned back. "Alright!" Yomiru shouted excitedly. The air vibrated. The river rippled violently. In front of her, a large creature shaped like flowing water coiled in circles, standing like a tower ten meters high. Its form was vague—sometimes looking like a dragon, sometimes like a large octopus, but its eyes were sharp, radiating a piercing blue light.
"I'll give you three minutes," the water monster said in a deep voice, "If you can touch my real body, you win. If not, you die."
Yomiru laughed. "Three minutes? That's my lunch time."
She extended her hand. Earth magic curled from beneath her, creating pointed pillars. In an instant, she shot upward, hurtling toward the monster. But just as quickly, the monster's body changed shape—dodging without touching, like raindrops refusing to be touched by fire.
"Your speed is satisfactory," the monster said. "But speed is not all that is needed in this world."
Yomiru landed on the river rocks, looking at her appraisingly. "So you are no ordinary being. I can sense the ancestral energy in your body."
"Of course. I am Relhun, the Guardian of the Dhera River, the child of the First Stream." Relhun's voice rumbled.
"Relhun, huh..." Yomiru rubbed his chin. "So you have authority over this entire river?"
"That's right. No fish can be caught without my permission. And no water can be used without my knowledge."
"But you are nothing more than a guardian," Yomiru scoffed. "You may be powerful, but you are still just a being who has waited in the same place for thousands of years. I, Yomiru of destructive magic, was created to change the world."
Relhun snorted. "Prove it."
Time began to flow again. This time Yomiru was in no hurry. He took a deep breath, then stepped on the ground. Roots sprouted from beneath him, creating a springboard. Yomiru shot into the air, then snapped his fingers. A mass of water rose, instantly freezing into an ice spear, shooting towards Relhun's core.
Relhun manipulated his body, breaking the flow of water, but Yomiru had anticipated it. From behind, a sharp wave of earth attacked like a tiger's claw.
"Good," Relhun said. "You made me move."
Relhun spun, forming a large whirlpool. The river water overflowed into the sky, forming spears ready to smite Yomiru.
But just as the rain of water fell, Yomiru snapped her fingers once more. The air around her formed an invisible shield, deflecting the water spears that struck from all directions.
"Enough playing around," Yomiru said coldly. She disappeared from her spot.
Relhun realized something. Too late.
A cold hand touched the center of his body. A small explosion of magic occurred—signaling contact. Relhun froze.
"Got it."
Yomiru stood in front of Relhun, smiling smugly. "Not even three minutes have passed."
Relhun narrowed his eyes. His body shape stabilized again, he folded his water flow into a human-like posture. "You are not like what I heard."
"I have been hiding for a long time. The world thought I was dead. But I am still beating," Yomiru said.
Relhun nodded. "A promise is a promise. You can take as much fish as you like. But know, this river contains life. Do not destroy its ecosystem."
"Relax. I am not a stupid human," Yomiru laughed.
…
Three hours later, Yomiru returned to Blis village carrying magic bags filled with fresh fish. The villagers ran to greet him like a savior.
The children stared at him as if he were an angel.
"Yomiru-sama!" a middle-aged woman screamed.
"There are fish! Look! He brought food!"
Blis emerged from his small house, his eyes wide. "You really brought it...!"
Yomiru placed the bags in the middle of the village. "Cook it yourself. I can't cook."
Some villagers began to cry with emotion. "It's been ten years since we smelled raw fish..."
Yomiru looked at them. Human and demon emotions were not much different. Hunger could make anyone lose their self-esteem. She took a deep breath.
"I will lead you," Yomiru said. "But I don't need praise or offerings. I need you to obey. Unite. Ready to follow my orders to restore the glory of this land."
The villagers fell silent.
Blis stepped forward, bowing. "We will all bow under you. Yomiru, the magic of destruction."
Yomiru smiled in satisfaction. "Good."
…
At night, the village came back to life. Bonfires were lit, children's voices were heard, the aroma of grilled fish spread throughout the corners.
Blis sat beside Yomiru, the two of them eating together on a large rock.
"So... you really used to be Scarlet's friend?" Blis asked softly.
"More than that," Yomiru answered, looking up at the sky. "We are like two sides of the same sun. She is the light, I am the shadow."
Blis stared at the campfire. "What brings you back?"
"Earth is not safe. I want to stay there. But one of my old friends, Umeko, forced me to go home because there is chaos in this world. She said, if I stay on earth, many creatures from other dimensions will come hunting me. Earth could be destroyed."
Blis nodded slowly. "I understand. But... how does it feel to live on earth?"
Yomiru pondered. "Calm. Peaceful. Their humans don't know anything, but they are not evil like us. They are weak, but their will to live is high. There is a little girl named Shizuka... she taught me what affection is, even when I don't deserve it."
"She... is important to you?"
Yomiru nodded. "Very."
Blis smiled. "Then, I hope you can go back there someday."
Yomiru didn't answer. She just stared at the campfire, letting the shadow of Shizuka's face dance in the flames.