Even After Regressing, I Won't Date My Rival Chapter 0

Prologue: A Rival’s Last Words

A desperate struggle could only delay the inevitable end.

The world’s destiny was nothing but destruction.

No matter how many demons I killed, stronger ones returned, devouring my subordinates one by one like scavengers.

When no one remained by my side, I lost the will to fight.

As the enormous demon commander swung its axe toward me, I closed my eyes, thinking of the comrades who had gone before me.

“Snap out of it, Kayron!”

She threw herself in front of me, deflecting the demon’s axe.

Avelin.

The rival who fought me daily as if to kill me, the woman who cursed me to just go and die, was now standing in the way of my death.

It was so unbelievable that even in my astonishment, my body moved on its own.

In the brief opening Avelin created, I mustered all my strength to strike and sever the demon commander’s neck, ending the battle.

But—

“Cough, gah…”

The price of creating that opening was too high. Avelin suffered a grievous wound from the demon commander and collapsed.

“What were you thinking? I gave explicit orders to retreat! Why didn’t you leave? What are you doing here now?”

“I saved your sorry self from dying. Aren’t you even going to thank me?”

“That’s not what I’m asking! Why would you do that? You could’ve let me die and struck the demon’s neck yourself!”

“Well…”

Avelin looked up at me with blurry eyes and smiled faintly.

“Because the soldiers need you more than me, Kayron.”

Blood gushed from Avelin’s mouth.

“Stop talking. Hold on until I can bring a healer!”

“I know… this wound can’t be healed. So, deliver my final message for me.”

“…I’ll do it. I swear.”

Avelin’s trembling hand grasped my face and pulled me closer to her lips.

And then—

Smooch.

“…?”

“Hehe.”

Avelin, smearing blood on my cheek, smiled brightly as if it were the most amusing thing in the world.

“Avelin, what the…?”

“This is my final message, Kayron.”

It was a string of unbelievable events.

The woman who once cursed me to die had thrown herself to save me.

And now, her so-called last words were…

This made no sense.

No, she must’ve planned this to unsettle me even in the end, to get the last laugh.

“Maybe I misheard after that battle.”

“I’m sorry… for being such a pain all this time.”

My mind couldn’t keep up.

Had she always been this good at acting?

But her voice—so sincere, too sincere—

“No, just kidding.”

Her voice quivered with grief, her clear blue eyes glistening with tears.

Even so, I couldn’t dismiss her words as a joke anymore.

“Live a long life, okay? You’ve got a handsome face and a great body. Maybe it’s time you find yourself a girl.”

“What’s the point of saying that? Why now of all times…?”

“Because you need to be happy enough for the both of us. I’ll pray for you. Kayron… Kayron…”

Thud.

Just as I was about to ask her again in frustration, Avelin’s hand fell.

The eyes that had gazed up at me with such warmth lost their light.

“Hey, open your eyes.”

I never expected this.

We had focused solely on defeating the demons.

Our fighting styles, our leadership over subordinates—everything about us clashed.

So much so that we went beyond dislike to outright hatred.

“Open your eyes, Avelin!”

No matter how hard I shook her shoulders, Avelin didn’t respond.

Now, I was truly alone.

Avelin lay peacefully, her eyes closed.

Despite the harsh conditions of the battlefield, where we constantly rolled in dirt and dust, her bright brown hair retained its silky sheen.

Her eyes, which had always drawn admiration for their clear, blue brilliance, were now closed.

And her voice—if we hadn’t spent all our time arguing and fighting, it might have sounded genuinely beautiful.

Even setting aside the lingering sensation on my cheek that muddled my thoughts, Avelin was nothing short of extraordinary.

“Unbelievable. You just had to make my life difficult to the very end, didn’t you… huh?”

As I gazed down at her, something caught my attention.

From inside her chest plate, something was glowing brightly, piercing even the layers of metal.

I carefully reached in and pulled out a pendant hanging from Avelin’s neck—a mysterious blue gem.

The gem, as clear and brilliant as Avelin’s own eyes, emitted an intense light.

“What is this…?”

Just as I tried to examine the gem more closely—

“Well, well.”

A voice spoke behind me.

I hadn’t sensed anyone approaching.

“Defeating the Demon of Wrath… impressive, human.”

A man cloaked in an ominous robe grinned at me, his expression chilling.

There was no mistaking it—he reeked of the same blood-soaked aura as the demons.

Gripping my sword, I stood to face him.

“Who are you?”

“I am an Apostle. My role is to bring joy to Them. And congratulations—you’ve been chosen. Passing this trial means you now have the chance to become a servant of Them, just like me.”

“A chance to become a servant? I’m not sure that’s something worth celebrating.”

“Do not resist. From the beginning, They have desired you. You have no choice in the matter.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who are these ‘They’ you keep talking about—ugh!”

Before I could finish speaking, the Apostle was suddenly right in front of me.

He moved so quickly I couldn’t avoid it.

His hand pierced through my chest.

“Gah!”

“Accept it. This is both a curse and a blessing. You will come to praise Them and dance in joy. After all, this world will soon fall to even more powerful demons. Join us, and serve Them.”

From the Apostle’s hand, a strange purple energy flowed into me, spreading through every corner of my body.

Emotions ran wild, memories and voices flashed past my mind, and I felt myself losing grip on reality.

But Avelin told me to live long and be happy.

I can’t let it end like this…!

“Get away from me!”

Summoning the last of my strength, I gripped my sword tightly and swung with all my might, severing the Apostle’s arm.

Thud.

“Meaningless resistance.”

The Apostle didn’t so much as flinch. Calmly, he stepped back and watched me.

The arm that had been lodged in my chest detached from his body. Instead of falling lifelessly, it began to merge into me, as though being absorbed into my very being.

“What… what is this?!”

“Embrace it. Become reborn as Their loyal warrior.”

I couldn’t hold on any longer.

Kneeling, I struggled against the horrifying energy consuming my body.

Before long, the energy engulfed me entirely, and my consciousness began to fade.

‘I’m sorry, Avelin.’

You told me to live long and be happy.

But it seems I can’t keep that promise.

“Congratulations, Kayron. You are now one of us. Hm?”

Just as my consciousness faded, the pendant in my hand began to glow.

“Huh? No! This can’t be—that’s…!”

The Apostle’s face turned pale as he lunged toward me.