The battlefield was a chaotic mess of fire, smoke, and screams. Demonic apparitions prowled among the terrified foot soldiers and the common folk, striking them down with savage glee. Flames danced across the sky, casting eerie shadows on the faces of brave knights and powerful magicians who stood against the tide of creatures.

The air was thick with the acrid scent of burning wood and the metallic tang of blood as the soldiers clashed with the demonic hordes. Swords clashed, arrows flew, and spells crackled through the air.

“Shit, there is a Marjlurn! Everyone who is adept in fire magic cast your spells, that thing is weak to fire! Those who have weak stomachs, back off!”

A knight shouted at the top of his lungs, prompting the soldiers to be careful and the magicians to engage properly in the battle. The knight utilized his aspect, summoning a fiery sword and wielding it with all of his might, his eyes barely visible underneath his helmet.

“Damn it, it had to be that thing?”

One of the soldiers cursed, recognizing the monster they were fighting.

The Marjlurn was a towering creature that was a combination of many amalgamations fusing and turning into one mass of flesh. As the knight called out the creature's weakness, the magicians sprang into action, unleashing torrents of flame and searing heat upon the demonic behemoth.

The air crackled with energy as fireballs exploded around the Marjlurn, causing it to roar in agony. The knight, his sword wreathed in flames, charged forward, dodging the creature's countless arms with practiced agility. With a mighty swing, he brought his fiery blade down upon the Marjlurn's writhing mass, carving deep gashes into its flesh.

However, the damage was nowhere near enough to deal with the monster, prompting the knight to back off with gritted teeth.

“That should be enough, Liam, let the other’s handle the matter.”

At this moment, a voice resounded inside the knight’s head, prompting him to pause in hesitation for a few seconds. Soon after, he followed the voice’s order, falling back into the back-line, while a massive figure soon came rushing through.

The massive frame belonged to Jeffrey, who was here under William’s command. Jeffrey rushed forward, the light around his fist bending, as the gravitational pull intensified.

With a mighty roar, Jeffrey unleashed his devastating gravitational punch towards the Marjlurn. The force of his blow was enough to send shockwaves rippling through the air, causing the ground to tremble beneath the creature's feet.

The Marjlurn, caught off guard by the sudden assault, staggered backward, its massive form struggling to maintain its balance. But Jeffrey was relentless, his fists like wrecking balls as he continued to rain down blows upon the beast.

With each strike, the Marjlurn's flesh trembled and quivered, its grotesque form slowly beginning to buckle under the onslaught. But still, it fought back, lashing out with its countless arms in a desperate bid to fend off its attackers.

It was only after ten minutes of constant beating that the beast died, releasing a massive wave of demonic energy into the surroundings.

Since Jeffrey was right next to it when it died, he experienced the biggest influx of demonic energy, only surviving it by using his aspect to move the demonic energy away from his body.

The demonic apparitions however weren’t affected by the energy in the slightest, but got stronger, rushing toward the defending soldiers with increased fervor.

Realizing the dire situation they were now facing, the soldiers braced themselves for the renewed onslaught, ready to meet the demonic horde head-on. But even with their valor and determination, they knew that they were facing an uphill battle.

“Foot soldiers on the front, archers, and magicians utilize everything you have. Aspect users with light and fire elements focus on those breaching the line!”

At this moment, William along with his allies entered the battlefield, giving orders since the leader had long fallen.

“Steady your nerves, soldiers! We may be outnumbered, but we will not falter!”

William's voice rang out across the battlefield, cutting through the chaos like a clarion call. His eyes blazed with determination as he surveyed the scene before him, his mind already racing with strategies to turn the tide of battle.

As the demonic apparitions surged forward with increased fervor, the soldiers braced themselves for the onslaught. Foot soldiers formed a sturdy frontline, their shields raised and swords at the ready, while archers and magicians unleashed a barrage of arrows and spells upon the approaching horde.

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Aspect users with light and fire elements heeded William's command, focusing their powers on the demons breaching the line.

Jerome, Oscar, Eddie, Eugene, Floyd, and Lottie joined in the battle, their energies distinct on the battlefield. William could feel his low level holding him back at this moment, as he was only a second-rank mage at this moment in time.

All he could do was be the voice of reason and give out orders, but when it came to participating in battle, he could only get rid of a few apparitions. This was William before he had acquired magical knowledge and became acquaintances with those in power.

Gritting his teeth, William chanted the only magic spells he knew, which were sound element buffs taught by the bard guild.

He continued giving out orders, however he knew that it was impossible to win in a short amount of time, especially since some demonic slaves were mixed in. Thankfully no demons were involved in this skirmish, otherwise, all of them would have perished.

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William awoke abruptly, cold sweat covering his entire back. A throbbing headache assaulted him as soon as he woke up, and he felt like throwing up. The last few days he had been haunted by memories of the past.

Heaving a deep sigh, he stood up in an attempt to stretch his body, but he was far too mentally exhausted despite sleeping for over 8 hours.

‘Why can’t I stop dreaming about the past? It’s as if every time I fall asleep, I return to the previous timeline, making me remember everything in vivid detail.’

He thought, his mind in a haze. This was the main reason behind his exhaustion since his brain was constantly working even while he was asleep.

Normally, he wouldn’t have to go through a situation like this when trying to recall the past, but the dreams he was having were strange, to the point where they engraved themselves as if he was repeating his past actions again and again.

He didn’t know if this was an after-effect of the time crystal or his aspect, but everything felt convoluted at the moment. Although it would be extremely useful for him to remember everything so clearly, forcing his still-growing body to go through the ordeal wasn’t optimal.

Feeling overwhelmed by his memories and the strain they were putting on him, William decided it was time to take a small break. He realized that pushing himself too hard wasn't good for his health, and he needed to relax and spend some time with his family.

So, he made a plan to spend the day with them, doing things that would take his mind off his troubles. He wanted to enjoy some quality time with his loved ones and forget about the weight of his responsibilities for a while.

The relationship with his father was still strained and wouldn’t get better until William opened up. Grabbing the Lute gathering dust in the corner of his room, William decided to hang out with Rose while playing music.

He would just have to inform Raymond that he would be taking the day off, which wasn’t a problem.

After conversing with Raymond and agreeing on a break, William felt a bit lighter as he strummed the strings of the lute, its familiar melody bringing a sense of calmness to his mind. He found Rose in the garden, tending to the flowers, her face lighting up when she saw him approaching with the instrument.

"Hey, Rose! Mind if I join you for a while?"

William asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

Rose nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Of course, Will! I love it when you play your lute. It's so soothing."

They spent the next hour together, William playing various tunes on the lute while Rose danced around the garden, her laughter echoing in the air. For a moment, William forgot about everything else and simply enjoyed the company of his sister.

Adam had a few more months left before he could graduate and William hadn’t seen him since. The only contact they had was the few letters they would send to one another once a week.

It was a bittersweet feeling for William, knowing that his brother was still alive, training hard to become the pillar of the family. To begin with, William didn’t wish to succeed in his father’s position. He had other plans in mind. For now, his main goal was getting strong, strong enough to set his real plans into motion.

He learned the hard way that power meant everything in this world, even in diplomacy. Linguistic skill, intelligence, and charm only took you so far, especially when you tried not to utilize underhanded means. William didn’t want to resort to doing bad things than good, since that was against his principles.

Of course, this didn’t mean he would hesitate to strike even his allies if they betrayed him. His trust was earned and once betrayed he would take back what he was owed. That’s why he only performed soul contracts with his retainers, despite the obvious distrust this would normally cause.

He trusted in his allies, but at the same time, he knew he was being hypocritical by asking them to form a soul-binding contract. His reason for doing so was straightforward; demons could affect everyone even if not directly. Mind control or even sleeper agents weren’t uncommon. William had to make sure that everything would go according to his plans, and if they didn’t, he would still be able to fix the situation.

Rose noticed that William was getting lost in his thoughts, and lightly nudged him.

"Will? You seem a bit lost in your thoughts. Everything all right?"

Rose's voice was gentle, filled with concern as she looked at William with her bright eyes.

William blinked, returning from the depths of his thoughts to the present moment. He offered his sister a small smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Rose. Just thinking about some things, you know."

Rose nodded understandingly, though she could sense that something was bothering him beneath the surface.

"Well, whatever it is, you know you can always talk to me about it, right? I'm here for you, always."

Her words brought warmth to William's heart, reminding him of the unwavering support he had from his family. Rose had always been headstrong and too trusting. This was ultimately the reason behind her downfall despite her achievements in the previous time-line. The fiery Rose he knew was nowhere to be seen.

"Thanks, Rose. I appreciate it. But let's not dwell on serious stuff today, okay? Let's just enjoy this moment together."

With a nod and a smile, Rose agreed, and they continued to spend the day in each other's company, only returning to the estate to have a meal with their mother, while their father was busy with work.

As the sun began to set and the sky turned a brilliant shade of orange, William felt a sense of peace wash over him. He was still exhausted but still felt better.