Revenge of the Iron-Blooded Sword Hound

Bred as an elite, disposable hound for the ruthless Baskerville clan, Vikir was an illegitimate son who dedicated forty blood-soaked years to completing impossible assassinations and executing black ops in the shadows. But after a lifetime of unconditional loyalty, his reward was false treason charges and execution under the cold blade of his own father, Patriarch Hugo Les Baskerville. Just as the guillotine falls, time rewinds—awakening Vikir as an infant in the Baskerville cradle with all four decades of martial arts mastery, assassination instincts, and prophetic knowledge intact. No longer a subservient hound ready to obey, Vikir secretly trains his body and stockpiles ancient secrets. This time, the hound has returned with sharpened fangs, ready to hunt down the master who betrayed him and conquer the Baskerville sword clan from the inside out.

A cold, pragmatic, and highly strategic swordsman. After living a life as a loyal "hound" for the Baskerville clan, he was betrayed and executed by his patriarch, Hugo. Regressing to infancy with all his memories intact, he dedicates his second life to surviving, gaining absolute power, and orchestrating his revenge. Operating under the vigilante alias "The Night Hound" and the student pseudonym "Van," he works tirelessly to dismantle the demonic forces lurking within the Empire's shadows. Powers: * **Swordsmanship Rank:** Swordmaster. * **Baskerville Style:** Master of the Baskerville Fangs, eventually unlocking the legendary Eighth Baskerville Technique. * **Demonic Blade Beelzebub:** A sentient, blood-drinking demonic blade that increases his combat capabilities and digests enemy energy. * **Stigma/Blessings:** Immune to most poisons, high resistance to heat and cold due to his survival training in the wild.

The ruthless, emotionless Patriarch of the Baskerville Clan. In the original timeline, he viewed his children merely as disposable tools, eventually executing Vikir. In the current timeline, he is initially just as cold, but his icy demeanor begins to melt after Vikir rescues and introduces him to his long-lost granddaughter, Pomerian. This discovery sparks a deep, hidden paternal instinct, leading him to slowly reform and unexpectedly ally with Vikir against the demons. Powers: * **Swordsmanship Rank:** Peak Swordmaster. * **Baskerville Style:** Master of the Seven/Eight Baskerville Fangs, capable of generating devastating shockwaves of aura.

A fierce, proud, and incredibly skilled hunter and commander of the barbarian Ballak Tribe. She discovers a wounded Vikir in the depths of the wild and claims him as her personal slave. Over time, as Vikir proves his worth and saves her tribe, she develops intense romantic feelings for him, fiercely protecting him from tribal rivals and external imperial threats. Powers: * **Archery:** Master of the Ballak bow, capable of firing high-velocity, aura-infused arrows that can pierce heavy armor. * **Wild Survival:** Peak tracking, beast-taming, and stealth capabilities in forest environments.

The righteous Saintess of the Quo Vadis family and the Student Council President of Colosseo Academy. Possessing a pure heart and unwavering faith, she is deeply distressed by the corruption within her own church. She unknowingly teams up with Vikir in his "Night Hound" persona, finding comfort and a shared sense of justice in the dark vigilante. Powers: * **Divine Magic:** High-tier divine healing, purification, and barrier-creation magic. * **Holy Aura:** Capable of repelling low-to-mid tier demonic corruption.

A brilliant yet deeply traumatized student at the Colosseo Academy and heir to the wealthy Bourgeois family. Caught between the massive corruption of her merchant house and her own morals, she harbors a complex web of feelings: she grows to love the student "Van" (Vikir) while deeply hating his alter-ego, the "Night Hound," for dismantling her family's empire. Powers: * **Tactical Intellect:** Exceptional financial acumen, strategic planning, and analytical capabilities. * **Basic Aura/Combat:** Capable student-level combatant.

A prodigy mage of the Morg Clan. Her overwhelming, obsessive love for Vikir drives her to extreme lengths. Following Vikir's faked death, her desperation to resurrect him leads her to make a contract with a demon. After Vikir saves her and helps her tame the demonic entity, she transfers to Colosseo Academy to remain by his side. Powers: * **Mage Rank:** High-tier Fire and Dark Magic caster. * **Demonic Contract:** Possesses enhanced mana reserves and forbidden spells derived from her subdued contract spirit.

The Tenth Corpse of the Demon's Ten Elite Corpses. He infiltrates the Baskerville household by taking possession of Vikir's brother, Sett. He runs underground networks and child trafficking rings to harvest human souls and fuel his demonic ascension. Powers: * **Soul Manipulation & Parasitism:** Ability to fully control and mutate human hosts. * **Dark Magic:** High-yield offensive shadow and poison magic.

The insidious Ninth Corpse of the Ten Elite Corpses. He masquerades as a benevolent head of a corrupt orphanage system within the imperial capital, using the children as livestock to feed his dark magic. He excels at identity theft, taking the faces, memories, and lives of his targets. Powers: * **Faceless Mimicry:** Can perfectly replicate the appearance, voice, and memories of any human he kills. * **Illusion Magic:** Creates highly complex physical and mental illusions to trap victims.

A sadistic, serpentine assassin allied with the demonic forces. She targets high-society imperial figures to steal ancient relics. She works alongside Professor Sady to launch a devastating terrorist raid on the Colosseo Academy, setting off the ritual that summons the Tree of Falling. Powers: * **Serpentine Mutagen:** Can transform her body into a state of liquid shadows and snake-like forms, making her highly resistant to physical trauma. * **Infiltration & Espionage:** Elite stealth and assassination arts.