System vs Rebirth

The first one to come out was a group of knights led by Grandell. There were a total of twenty two knights behind him, riding their majestic horses. Each knight looked proud and gallant. Their strength was at least Spirit Wielders.

The people cheered for them. They were already aware of the might of the Ardagan family's knights, considering they managed to repel numerous demons.

"Hooray."

"Long live the knights."

"Good job protecting Lounstein!"

Grandell felt tremendous pressure right now as his job was to lead the parade. This showed that he was the most prized power in the Ardagan family.

He had been training himself for this moment so as not to embarrass Noel.

However, their attention soon shifted as the second group made their appearance.

The second group was the Rune Magician led by Felicia. Instead of a horse, they were actually standing on top of a plate that hovered one meter above the ground.

They were the most diverse group. Their bodies didn't need to be muscular and they didn't have to look intelligent. However, there was one thing they absolutely had. It was discipline.

Felicia raised her hand, followed by the rest of the magicians. They formed a rune on top of their palm and pointed upward.

The moment they activated these runes, more than a thousand beams of light flew into the sky. Instead of hitting anything, the Rune Magicians deactivated their power, causing the beams to disperse into light particles, creating white particles as if it were snowing.

"So pretty." A young girl spread her arms as the light particles brightened her smile.

If the first group represented the Ardagan family's strength, the second group reflected its grandeur.

They wanted to dispel all kinds of bad rumors about runes.

The third group soon made their appearance. And to everyone's surprise, this group consisted of children.

The people were dumbfounded when they saw these children. They had heard the rumor about a group of children performing well during the war.

They were standing on top of a platform that was pulled by a small car.

Eric and Erica gradually opened their eyes and stepped forward. They opened their dance with a step to the outside before spinning their bodies and returning to their original position. Then, light particles of multiple colors began to appear around their bodies.

When Eric and Erica's swords clashed with each other, the particles flew toward each other and burst into numerous smaller particles like a firework.

The other kids also began their dances.

Their movement was sharp and swift. Yet, they also looked elegant and graceful. These kids were like fairies dancing on top of the lake under the moonlight.

The particles made them look ethereal to normal people. Their dance looked dangerous to practitioners.

The third group represented diversity. No one knew about the sword dancer, but the Ardagan family took them in and showed them to the world as a part of their strength.

"What a beautiful dance." Duke Lorelei, as one of the people watching the parade, couldn't help but clap. He had seen them a couple of times, but he had never seen them wielding their blades. And this sword dance truly impressed him. To think that the kids would be able to improve to such a degree when they were so young.

The fourth group consisted of Tristan and Livia.

Both of them exchanged looks as a smile appeared on their faces.

Tristan pointed his palm up and formed a big rune above them. Seeing this Multiplication Rune, Livia responded by creating a Rune Sword.

The sword passed through the Multiplication Rune and turned into eight, creating a circle in the sky.

After that, Tristan changed his rune into the Chain Bind Rune, binding each sword to this rune.

Livia controlled these swords and made them look like they were dancing in the sky. The chains soon entangled and turned into a stem as the sword gradually formed a flower's head.

All the people who had the runes should know how hard it was to form the runes, let alone controlling it. Yet, these two were able to do such a thing. They were much more profound than the rune magicians in these people's eyes.

"So, these are runes…"

"It's so beautiful."

The sword flower gradually dispersed, turning into powder that was swept away by the wind.

Tristan and Livia placed their hands on their chests while politely bowing their heads.

This performance had a greater impact on Tristan as this was the first time he managed to gain a bit of confidence in himself. He felt happy that he didn't mess it up.

Last but not least, the fifth group came out. They were the main characters in this parade.

It was Noel and Anna.

Noel was wearing his military uniform, reflecting his duty and responsibility. Anna put on a light blue dress, complementing her blond hair.

They were standing on top of a wagon, but they didn't use any horses. Instead, it was pulled by the car.

There was a big, empty platform attached to their car.

Noel and Anna looked at each other with a smile. When Noel raised his left hand, an ice castle began to form behind them, symbolizing their home. This place is their home and it will never change. It would be up to them to ensure this land's prosperity.

The people in this city couldn't help but tear up. The castle built by Noel was a reflection of this land. This city had been torn apart by the demons and finally rebuilt by him. The main city was nothing but an empty land in the past. It, too, had become a magnificent city that could withstand the demon's onslaught.

He came, he built, and he protected. This was what Noel wanted to convey.

Noel and Anna held hands as an expression of their bond. When Noel raised his right hand, Anna lifted her left hand.

Noel shot out his black flame that turned into a phoenix. Anna released her bluish white lightning that turned into a dragon.

The phoenix and dragon created a spiral and gradually formed a black and white pillar.

*Cry!*

*Roar!*

The phoenix's cry and the dragon's roar marked the beginning of their relationship as if pronouncing their relationship to the heavens and earth.

For the people, the meaning might only end at that point. However, for Noel and Anna, there were a lot of other meanings.

Their gaze met once again.

'If I'm the dragon…' Anna said inwardly.

'I will be your phoenix.' Noel smiled.

'If I'm the light…'

'I will be the darkness.'

'If I'm white…'

'I will be black.'

These black flame phoenix and white lightning dragon represented their identities. He, who once lost everything, rose from the ground like a phoenix rising from ashes. She, who had everything yet felt empty, found something that fulfilled her life.

This was the symbol of a relationship that everyone thought impossible. A relationship that overcame the meaning of enemies. A love that subdued the hatred. A bond that stepped over the blood.

Everything about them was simply the exact opposite. Yet they overcame all that difference and finally held these hands up high.

However, there was one thing that they agreed not to be the exact opposite.

'If I'm the beginning…' Anna looked into his eyes with love and passion.

'I will also be the beginning… starting everything with you from nothing.' Noel's gaze filled with care and kindness.

'And we shall walk together to the end. You and me.'

A smile formed on their faces… a smile that might only appear once in their entire life… a genuine smile that reflected pure happiness.

The people were stunned by their smiles. Despite Anna's beautiful and graceful appearance or Noel's gallant and mature look, the people didn't have a single thought other than joy.

Oscar clapped his hands, knowing how everything began as the commander. He couldn't help but remember the first time they met.

Clara covered her eyes with her hand, remembering how much suffering Noel and Anna had experienced to reach this point.

Kevin placed his right hand on his wife's shoulder and his left hand on his son's shoulder as he pulled them together into his embrace. They looked shocked for a moment but soon smiled.

Raincart wiped the tears on the corner of his eyes. He didn't think that the young boy back then would grow up this quickly. Even though he looked like he was always angry at Luke for stealing his daughter, he never blamed him. As long as his daughter was happy, he was satisfied. And this time, it was his grandson's turn.

Just like Raincart, Leysha cried. She covered her mouth with both hands while looking at the beautiful smiles on their faces as her tears flowed down her cheek. She was just happy and proud. She regretted the fact that she couldn't come to him and expressed these feelings.

This was their day.

The parade continued as they made their way toward the Moon Temple, where the Saintess had been waiting.