Wraith, ◾◾◾, Clear Mirror Still Water, Raven, Thorn Bush, Abyss, Black Widow Spider, Moon Shadow, Kraken.
These nine are the stances and forms of the Nightwalker Family that transcend the very boundaries of sword and magic.
They are marvels close to supernatural powers, transcending even the shackles of technique or form.
The Nightwalker Family’s Fourth Stance, Raven’s Stance, was no exception.
In fact, in terms of using any means or methods to kill an opponent, it could be considered the most specialized for assassination among the nine sword styles.
*Jusal*—a magic veiled in secrecy that was shunned as a forbidden art even in the Eastern Continent where the founder, Kasan, was born.
True to its name, Raven’s Stance is a stance that exists to kill an opponent by cursing them.
Like the *Sal-nalligi* or ‘Blade of Pain’ that Gretel had shown earlier, it is a most sinister magic that exerts influence over an opponent’s mind and soul to crush and destroy them, despite being unable to exercise any physical influence on its own.
And now, the pitch-black magic sword in Sien’s hand was the very essence of that *Jusal*.
The sword that leads to death, Nevermore.
Nevermore can lead an opponent to death more certainly than any other curse, but at the same time, it is meaningless unless it touches the opponent in some form.
It is the worst curse magic that causes instant death to anything it touches or grazes, and the true reason Raven’s Stance remains established as a ‘Sword Style’ of the family.
That very sword of death was currently held in Sien’s hand.
Gretel, who was likewise a master of curse magic and had perfectly mastered the Fourth Stance, could not possibly be ignorant of its meaning. Sien was the same.
The future Sien, of course, could handle the family’s nine sword styles more proficiently than an average Master. Raven’s Stance was no different.
However, even that Sien had been unable to unleash the essence of the Fourth Stance, Nevermore.
And yet, the current Sien was performing Raven’s Stance at a level even his future self had not reached.
A young assassin of the family, who had just mastered the First Stance and become a Master, was already performing the secret of a second sword style as if to show off.
And he did so by directing a stance filled with malice, powered by hatred and resentment, paradoxically toward the family he loved more than anyone.
“Ah…”
By the time he realized it, the Nevermore in his hand dissipated back into pitch-black mana particles. However, Yohan’s Moonlight Sword was still pointed at Sien.
“Sister Gretel, I…”
Sien, falling to his knees as if collapsing, trailed off. His voice was trembling slightly.
“It’s okay, Sien.”
Right then, a warm tenderness enveloped Sien.
“It’s my fault.”
Gretel spoke, forcing a smile. She tried to hide her slightly trembling hands and feet behind her back.
“It’s not your fault, Sien.”
“But…”
“No, it’s actually amazing! Not just the First Stance, but already unleashing the secret of the Fourth! Yes, that’s our Sien.”
Gretel chattered, pretending everything was fine.
“I never… intended to harm my family.”
“I know.”
In the way Gretel tenderly hugged Sien, there was no trace of a childish girl.
“You aren’t bad at all, Sien.”
‘It’s not your fault, Sien.’
In that moment, the memory of Gretel’s end overlapped.
When he finally rescued her, she had been saying the exact same thing.
Even though she was in a hell where her body was being carved away piece by piece every time Sien won a battle against the Empire for the sake of the family, she had said those words to Sien as he blamed himself.
Even in a situation where she couldn’t see, hear, or even speak properly.
That was why he hated his own immaturity and foolishness even more. To the point where he wanted to cut off his own fingers.
“No.”
So Sien shook his head.
“It’s all my fault.”
“Sien…”
Denying Gretel’s words of affirmation…
“Everything… happened because I am weak,” Sien murmured.
Weak. At those words, Yohan, who had been silent, burst into laughter.
“Weak?”
That child, who had mastered Pose of the Wraith—which only a few in the family’s history had mastered—at only 17 years old, and on top of that, unleashed the secret of the Fourth Stance, was still calling himself weak.
Then what on earth was the “strength” that boy envisioned?
For the first time, the smile disappeared from the laughing man’s lips.
***
At dawn that day.
“I heard there was quite a commotion in the plaza.”
“It wasn’t just a commotion, Laila.”
To Laila, who stood against the pale backlight, the laughing man Yohan replied.
He was a Highmaster officially known to have mastered the Fourth Stance, ‘Raven’s Stance’, and the Eighth Stance, ‘Moon Shadow Stance’.
“That child brandished Nevermore.”
At those words, Laila softly gasped.
“When did he… the Raven’s Stance…”
“What, even you didn’t know?”
“That child’s talent always manages to surprise me.”
“Gretel was in danger.”
Laila fell silent for a moment.
“She probably never imagined the brat in front of her would draw ‘Nevermore’.”
Brat. There was no hint of hesitation in calling Sien that, even though he had already mastered the First Stance and become a Master.
It was true. In the eyes of the family’s Highmasters, a Master was ultimately just a brat. Let alone those below them, like the Mademen.
“What level was Sien’s Nevermore at?”
“It was at a level where he could have taken the Confirmation Sacrament with it.”
Yohan shrugged as he answered. Sien had already completed his Confirmation Sacrament through Pose of the Wraith.
“Of course, he’s not at the level to take the Holy Orders yet, but that’s only a matter of time.”
Holy Orders. The ritual to become a Highmaster after mastering two of the Nightwalker Family’s sword styles.
“Laila, who on earth did you bring here?”
Yohan spoke, daring to mention the name of the Head of the Family who stood at the peak of the Nightwalker Family without any restraint.
“My beloved son.”
“……… A son.”
“Well, as you said, Brother, he isn’t a child I gave birth to myself.”
Laila replied with a smile, unbothered. The trace of laughter vanished from Yohan’s face again.
Instead, a very lonely smile played on his lips.
“You trust that child quite a lot.”
“It is not a matter of belief.”
Laila shook her head at Yohan’s words.
“It is simply the truth.”
“Right, because my belief doesn’t matter.”
Truth is not a matter of whether one believes or not. Yohan knew this well. That was the way of the Nightwalker Family.
“Would you like to see for yourself?”
Right then, unexpected words were spoken.
“What?”
“I will give you the opportunity to watch and test Sien with your own eyes to see if you can trust him.”
“Does whether I believe it or not matter that much in the face of the truth?”
“Of course, it’s not that important.”
Laila continued with a smile.
“However, meeting the family’s trust and expectations is also our family’s way.”
“You’re the same as ever, Laila.”
Yohan replied with a bitter smile. That was the end of the conversation.
***
At that time, in the underground training ground of the Nightwalker Family.
[The Room of the Abyss]
In that place, surrounded by pitch-black darkness on all sides, Sien stretched out his arm and focused his consciousness. He vividly recalled the pain Gretel had once inflicted upon him.
The family’s Fourth Stance, Raven’s Stance, driven by hatred and resentment.
*Whoosh!*
The mana within his body was stained with a black and dark light, tainted by unfathomable malice.
In that darkness, Sien thought of the things he had lost and those who had taken them from him.
To once again unleash the essence of the Fourth Stance, which even the future Sien had failed to reach.
Things more hateful than anything else in the world.
There were more than enough things to hate in the world. He was certain that the resentment he held now would not lose to anyone else’s in this era.
“Ugh!”
However, the swirling malice gathered at Sien’s fingertips but failed to form a sword, dissipating fruitlessly.
It was just like when the future Sien had failed to attempt the secret of the Fourth Stance.
“Why—”
No matter how much he hated, no matter how powerful his hatred and resentment were, it would not unfold as he wished.
It was the same as back then.
Even after losing his countless beloved family members and honing that hatred, Sien could not obtain ‘Nevermore’. The hatred and malice Sien possessed were incomparable to anyone else’s in the world. Yet, even with that much fuel, Sien could not master Raven’s Stance.
‘What am I lacking?’
He asked himself. No answer came.
‘What’s different between now and when I was pierced by Sister Gretel’s Blade of Pain?’
It wasn’t a lack of will or a lack of hatred. Yet he couldn’t unleash it. He simply couldn’t understand it.
“What’s so difficult?”
Right then, a strange yet familiar voice echoed in the darkness.
At the same time, in that pitch-black place, a pale and cold edge like the moon shed its light.
“Moonlight Sword—”
And there was no need to ask whose hand held that sword.
“……… Everything that threatens the family.”
Sien answered. At that, Yohan replied with a cold voice.
“So that’s why you brandished this sword in front of your beloved family.”
The laughing man sneered as he gripped that very sword of death.
“Your mana ran wild, you lost your reason—you committed every single terrible mistake you could possibly make.”
“That’s right.”
Sien answered without denial.
“It’s all my fault.”
“Yes, it is your fault.”
Yohan shrugged calmly as he replied.
“Gretel could have been seriously hurt. Well, there’s no way a Highmaster like her would actually be hit by your attack because she couldn’t block it. But still…”
Still, Gretel did not use her full power against Sien, nor did she try to wound him.
To them, family was everything, and in that situation, Gretel had willingly chosen to be the one who died or got hurt.
“Your Nevermore is immature. It is nothing more than the fangs of a beast running wild, outside the bounds of your will and control.”
Yohan said.
“It all happened because you are weak.”
“Then how can I become stronger?”
“It’s not something you can realize overnight, is it?”
Sien asked boldly, and Yohan answered.
“Still, with that much overflowing hatred, it’s not impossible.”
The laughing man, Yohan Nightwalker, laughed.
“—Because hating someone to death is harder than you’d think.”
The Nightwalker Family’s Fourth Stance, Raven’s Stance; the Eighth Stance, Moon Shadow Stance—
And the Grandmaster, who had perfectly awakened ‘Pose of the Wraith’—which unofficially only three people in the family’s history had mastered—said with a laugh:
“I will teach you how to turn your hatred into power.”
“Please teach me.”
“Yes, I will.”
Suddenly, the edge of the Moonlight Sword in his hand lost its moonlight. No sooner had it vanished than a dark, pitch-black mana enveloped it, overlaying a new form.
The sword that leads to death, Nevermore.
The Nevermore overlaid upon the Moonlight Sword writhed with a darkness and malice that couldn’t even be compared to what Sien had shown earlier.