CHAPTER 31: SECRETS OF THE LAST WAR

"I don’t know anything about Cedric" Selvara spat, her eyes narrowing. "I was just following orders. Take him out... and anyone who witnesses me kill him also has to die."

"Alright," Nolan said calmly. "Now I’m going to have to turn you in. Don’t struggle." He moved to carry her.

Suddenly, a bolt of purple lightning shot toward him from behind.

"Oh, that’s hot," Nolan muttered as he turned. A cloaked figure stood there, face completely hidden.

"Who are you?" Nolan asked, keeping his guard up.

Selvara tried to break free, lunging toward a portal leading to the demon worlds—has she was about to move.

"Time Disruptor" Nolan shouted, and everything froze.

"Well, you’re not going anywhere," Nolan said as everything froze. His eyes swept over the scene. "First... let me teach this man a lesson."

He stepped toward the cloaked figure. The man’s body began to shake violently. Nolan paused. "What’s happening? No one has ever even moved—or blinked—when I used Time Disruptor before."

The shaking intensified. Nolan grabbed the man by his cloak, dragging him slightly to get a look. A horn jutted from one side of his face, half of his body demonic, the other human. One wing white, the other black.

"Hey... what are you?" Nolan muttered.

Before he could react, the man used holy magic to shatter the effect of Time Disruptor.

"How dare you... make me show my face!" the figure hissed, snatching Selvara in one swift motion while she remained frozen.

The cloaked man sprinted at impossible speed, carrying her, and leapt into a portal.

"What...? How is there someone who can escape Time Disruptor?" Nolan muttered, shocked.

He shouted, "Time Disruptor!"—and reality snapped back into motion.

Turning, Nolan slowly made his way back to Sindra, his mind racing over the encounter.

Nolan’s mind raced. What is going on? That being... it was a demon, right? Half of him demonic... but not just that. He radiated a divine presence—even if it wasn’t full divinity, it was there. I could sense it... the same kind I felt in the dream with Mikey. Who could that man be?

As he headed back toward Sindra, the streets seemed unusually quiet, his thoughts still tangled in what he had witnessed. When he reached Cedric’s shop, Celia and Linda were still inside.

"Oh, you’re back!" they exclaimed as he entered, rushing forward to hug him tightly.

"You’re back!" they repeated in unison.

Nolan felt their worry and concern. They really were worried...

Cedric, however, stood nearby, seemingly trying to appear calm while studying Nolan. His eyes flicked briefly toward Linda, then to the damage above his shop’s roof.

"My roof... was this you? You caused this?" Cedric asked, masking his astonishment behind a neutral expression.

"I think you know," Nolan said, narrowing his eyes. "You understood what happened. You’re not just... lucky."

Cedric paused, then straightened his posture, fixing Nolan with a serious gaze.

"Hmm... okay. Is there a problem?" he asked, voice calm but firm.

Nolan studied him carefully. "A demon attacked me... why did it want to kill you?"

Cedric exhaled, a shadow crossing his face. "Oh... so it really was a demon. I suspected it. Years ago... about 20 or 30 years ago, I was one of the knights who fought against the Demon Lord’s army."

"What do you mean? 20 to 30 years? How old are you?" Nolan asked, incredulous.

Cedric tilted his head slightly, a faint wry smile forming. "Arrogant... asking someone their age," he said, then returned to a serious expression.

"I don’t know for certain... but I think... the Demon Lord is being pursued. There are people trying to unseal him. And not just that... they want to eliminate everyone who fought during the last war," Cedric continued, voice steady but heavy with concern.

Nolan’s eyes narrowed. "That... makes sense. But there’s more. The one I faced... half of him was demonic, black and white wings, and he radiated divine energy."

Cedric’s expression darkened. "Could it be... impossible... those are the Fallen Archangels—the ones banished from heaven."

"I think... I think... I think..." Cedric muttered, almost to himself, the weight of the revelation pressing down on him.

Nolan stayed silent, processing the gravity of what they had just uncovered.

"When no one knows for sure, it’s always just rumors," Cedric said. "Rumors say that those who rebelled against God 300 years ago were cast out of heaven. The one who became the Demon Lord is one of them. They tried to survive by forming their own regime and more... But some Fallen Archangels don’t involve themselves in worldly affairs or wars. It’s all just rumors. We can’t be certain. It’s what we’ve read and been told."

Nolan nodded, thinking. "That explains it... I could sense divine energy from him even though half of him was demonic."

He paused, wondering what it truly meant.

"You guys are going to meet Lucan tomorrow," Nolan said, turning to Linda and Celia. "Start your training. Get stronger."

"They’re not dead... so you really are as powerful as I thought," Cedric said. "If what you said is true, and you faced a Fallen Archangel that attacked you, it would have killed you. But you’re standing here... you’re the scary one."

Nolan looked at him for a moment. "Well... whatever. Just get me some clothes—a top I’m going to wear," he said.

"Oh, my pleasure! Don’t worry, I’ll give you the best," Cedric said with a grin. "Since you’ll be buying, why not get something special?"

Nolan walked through the shop, scanning the racks of clothing. Something caught his eye. A hoodie?!

Wait... has it been here that long? I remember seeing a hoodie like that back at my old home, Nolan thought.

"What the hell is a hoodie doing here?!" he shouted, startling the nearby clerks.

Cedric chuckled. "Oh, you see that? That’s one of the clothes the first hero introduced to us."

"I want it," Nolan said decisively, moving toward it.

"Looks like you have great taste," Cedric said. "Fine... that one costs 10 gold coins."

"What the hell?! That’s expensive!" Nolan exclaimed.

"Celia, Linda, come closer," Nolan said.

"It’s fine! We want you to take as much as you like," Celia said with a smile.

"Yes, as much as you want," Linda added.

Cedric waved a hand dismissively. "Oh... so you don’t even realize—most other shops only sell clothes worth bronze or silver. But here? Nobles and even the king come to buy. You have good taste, so don’t complain!"