I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

PRESENT.

'Well, most of our plans went as they were meant to… most.'

Cressida's smile faltered slightly as the image of the Devil pointing at her replayed through her mind.

'That jokester of a Devil.'

What he did wasn't out of the question.

After all, she had clarified how she felt about trusting demons or humans associated with them.

'It would be easier to trust the contractor over the contractor.'

At least she would remember that she would be betrayed in a certain way.

Demons and Devils were more predictable than they realise.

Notice their patterns and you would be aware, but Humans under the control of demons were sometimes different.

They were capable of such because of a major factor and that was their humanity.

No one knew how to destroy another human more than a human.

That, Cressida was certain… though–

"He asked a question, Cressida."

The lilac-haired flinched slightly as she glanced to her left.

And standing before her was Bryne.

His harsh glare told her everything she needed to know about the situation. Her situation.

They wanted answers… and they would force it out of her if they had to.

By now, it was clear what everyone was thinking.

'A nuisance to the plan, yes… but this might work just fine.'

Her gaze eased and her lips tugged into a smile.

One that easily sent a shiver down his spine.

Bryne instinctively stepped back, but the others paid no mind.

"Well, quite frankly…" She began with remarkable ease.

A sweetness to the tenderness of her voice.

The Heads of the Households stared at her intently.

Intrigued and focused on her for answers.

Kira Merlin continued to focus on securing the Mana Vortex away from the Human World, and the King stood idly by, watching with evident curiosity.

The Deputy Heads were mostly with the others.

Securing the lives of the Nobles and leading them out of the Castle.

With this, the scene was set with a Throne room without walls or a roof.

Its once sophisticated allure had been covered in debris and damaged structures.

Its tall pillars were either destroyed completely or broken in half.

The Head of the Households stood in the middle of this rubble, where judgment lay, waiting to be upheld.

And in all this, Cressida was made the centre of attention.

"...I don't seem to understand your question, Lord Chun."

Chun Kang Lin arched his brow with the rest who glanced around with silent intrigue.

"What?"

"Your question… I do not understand it."

Cressida repeated with the same allure as she always did.

"In fact, I'm sure none of you do."

Chun furrowed his brows in contemplation.

'Had the Matriarch of the 12th Household always been this chatty?'

Cressida Arcanus to the rest of the world, who didn't know her, was a figure of great obscurity.

There wasn't any form of information about her presence or the Household's business.

Why?

Because they had never been anything worth noting down about the Heads of the Arcanus or their business.

They were a clan as old as theirs but their history had been buried under many secrets, and most were secrets left untouched.

Without fully knowing what they were capable of, the Heads of the Household were left to infer from what they saw.

And what they saw right now was a contrast to the Woman they had observed all these years.

'I was expecting a response worthy of her degree… but this… this is different.'

Chun folded his arms as he held the woman's gaze for a moment.

His thoughts are reeling in.

'Hmm… how strange.'

He shook his thoughts away with a wave of his hand.

"The Devil pointed in your direction, Cressida. We all saw it."

Cressida remained unfazed.

"How sure are you of what you saw?"

She asked with a delightful smile.

"The Devil was the Mad King, a harbinger of poison and everything rotten.

If anything, how are we not sure he planted this purposely? Sewing discord in a system that works is something the Devil pleases themselves in doing."

A slight tremble occurred in her chest.

Enough to be noticed and ignored.

It may have been a simple muscle spasm for those who saw it, but to her, it was her effort in restraining the laughter that nearly slipped out.

'Since that stupid Jester pulled the attention to me, then I may as well play it to my tunes to the very end.'

"What?" Derrick spoke with utter disgust. "What nonsense are you saying, woman?

Discord? Are you insinuating that none of us would be capable enough to tell when we're being deceived by a devil?"

These were the figureheads of Great Clans.

Households of history and power.

Something as minuscule as a poison would be easily seen by one of them.

Cressida glanced at the King of Elves with a grin.

"I never said such, Lord Derrick."

The air was soon filled with tension. Stale and bare.

The Heads of the Household seemed more than just perplexed by now.

Startled by a mere stump at the woman who had been silent for years.

Gloria, who had stood silently at the back slowly stepped forward with the eyes of those around her following her.

"Lady Cressida."

Cressida slowly turned to the Young Matriarch.

No longer was Isaac Techna the youngest, but Gloria who stood before them.

Her smile widened as she locked gaze with Gloria.

"And what may I help you with, Lady Gloria?"

Gloria reeled in her thoughts for a moment.

'This woman is up to something.'

She thought to herself.

People who act out of character at the last minute were usually one of two things.

Either they were speaking out from years of silence for the sake of stopping it.

Or they were done with it and decided to end it together.

Of course, other reasons existed, but if trimmed to the situation at hand.

Only a few reasons could exist.

'I can't possibly think of one, but she doesn't clearly intend on being straight with us.'

"Demons have and will for many years be our enemy… and Devils… they're the harbingers of ruins.

I am sure the Arcanus share as much hatred towards them as we do, but… if today… You have somehow connected yourself with one of them… it would be best to come clean…"

Silence lingered at the end of her statement, but she was not done.

"... so we may end you before you lose more of your humanity."

Her gaze was sharp and stern. Without remorse.

What one would expect from a Leader.

The Heads nodded together.

"It is just like she said, Cressida."

Isaac Tesla spoke for the first time.

A gentle smile played on his handsome face.

"We have tolerated your responses… but this matter is serious."

"Indeed," Chun said with a sigh. "A devil found its way within the King's Throne room and set it ablaze… the King might be silent now, but if you're the one who caused it, then… You might as well have your own death trial."

At that moment, Cressida glanced behind the Heads where the King stood cautiously.

Her gaze narrowed.

"You place so much importance on a man you do not respect."

The people gathered, those who reflected their emotions had nearly popped their eyes out from her statement.

Cressida glanced away.

"But no matter… that Devil was not my doing.

If anything, it would be the doing of a Demonic Human. I am not a Demonic Human."

Her gaze wavered to the woman who floated cross-legged in the air, half unconscious, while a swirling portal was being enveloped by traces of thickened white lines.

"True."

Gloria muttered as she glanced at Chun.

"Perhaps we might have been mistaken.

It was a simple action. It pointed at her.

It doesn't tell anything more."

"No, I think not."

The tension in the air escalated as all heads turned to the man with the pale, golden eyes.

Riddled with age, and a bald head, Manon Lucius stood shakily from the rock he had sat on.

Cressida's lips curled into a frown.

'Hah… was this more of a set-up?'

Had she nearly forgotten?

There was more than one Executive present in the Throneroom.

'And that was if Jester came at all.'

As partners, she was privy to some members of the Red Peacemakers.

Members that, if known to her, wouldn't cause much damage.

Manon Lucius may have been an Arch bishop, but he was an old one.

Many had since left his tutelage, and most of his authority had shrivelled with his skin.

If word came out that he was an executive, the Church would quickly carry out a purge to cover it up.

'But perhaps it's best that no one knows… at least not yet.'

"What do you mean, Arch Bishop?"

Derrick asked with an arched brow.

The old man walked towards them silently with his cane and attendant.

He stopped right in front of Chun Kang Lin.

"That woman… The Arcanus had always been pawns of the Devil's since ancient times… times you were not born in.

She is the one who brought the wrath of Mammon upon us."

Cressida's frown slipped back into a smile.

'No worries. I had stalled enough.'

The Heads glanced at each other before they turned to Cressida in unison.

"If even the Church says you have a connection with that Devil…" Derrick muttered.

"Then there must be something we do not see."

Ben Teras concluded.

With that. Their minds were made up.

"Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Great Households." Chun began with a stern tone in his gaze.

All eyes were on Cressida, and the hostility no longer needed ambiguity.

It was out in the open like a public restroom.

"Capture and Apprehend the Head of the Arcanus, Cressida Arcanus."

Movements exploded.

Without a second wasted, Derrick, Bryan and Ben had charged forward in haste with the others lingering behind with caution.

Cressida's composure remained unperturbed, even as they circled her, attacks prepared to deal damage.

"Hah…" She muttered with a strange delight.

One that was etched with darkness from the deepest of her heart.

It clawed out primal and feral.

"You idiots would follow the gods even if it led you to Hell."

BOOM!

The air whipped with a surge of dark mana as three onyx mirrors, forged from living obsidian, materialized around her like a protective shield.

They radiated malevolence—a twisted, unbearable sheen that, the moment the three Patriarchs dared to stare, devoured them whole.

Their bodies vanished from the present, swallowed into the mirrors like prisoners trapped within their own reflections.

The air grew stale, suffocating, and the Heads of the Households froze, shock and confusion painted across their faces.

Some hesitated. Some moved on impulse. The Patriarch of the La Teuer and the Matriarch of the Vinci spun to flee.

"Don't bother." Cressida's voice cut through the stillness, sharp and final, as the dark mana coiled around her fingers like living lightning.

It sparked, humming with deadly intent, and shaped itself into a scythe of black and red. "No one escapes."

Her left arm rose, summoning a sphere of crimson fire that screamed in agony as it stormed within her grasp. Within moments, it erupted into a blood-red dome, stretching to engulf the entire Castle.

In an instant, the Castle of Swanstorm was swallowed by an opaque vermillion orb of doom.