Rebirth (manhwa)
is a manhwa series created and drawn by Lee Kang-woo, writing under the pen name of Woo. It has been published in serialized format in the Korean weekly comic magazine Comic Champ since 1998. As of December 2010, it is up to twenty-six volumes and ongoing in Korea.
Rebirth is the story of a 17th-century vampire named Deshwitat L. Rudbich. It follows his adventures after he is cast into a 300-year limbo by his enemies.
Rebirth is published in English by Tokyopop, with adaptation by Bryce P. Coleman and Aaron Sparrow. As of February 2009, twenty-two volumes have been published in English. Rebirth is published in Swedish by . The Swedish release started in summer 2005,
with three volumes in the series released by the end of the year. Rebirth is published in Italy by .
Plot
In the 17th century, the God of White Magic, Kalutika Maybus, neared the end of a battle against the vampire Deshwitat L. Rudbich. Kalutika killed Deshwitat's fiancée, Lilith and sealed Deshwitat in limbo.In the 21st century a band of spiritual investigators led by Sang-Ho Do, uncovers a band of demons. Engaging in combat, most of the party is quickly killed, leaving only Sang-Ho, his daughter Remi, and an exorcist, Millenear Shephield. They are about to be defeated when Remi bleeds onto a pile of dust. Her blood inadvertently breaks the seal that binds Deshwitat, releasing him.
Deshwitat is too weak to fight the demons. Sang-Ho decides to sacrifice himself to Deshwitat to give him enough power to save his daughter and Millenear. After Deshwitat metamorphoses Sang-Do's body into resurrection dust, he reassures her that upon his death, her father would return to life as a human being. He enlists Millenear's help to learn light magic to defeat Kalutika, as he believes his dark magic is not powerful enough. Millenear tells him that she is unable to teach light magic herself, but she does know of a Buddhist monastery in Hong Kong that could be able to instruct him. The three arrive at the monastery only to be attacked by a swordsman and his companion. Deshwitat discovers that the swordsman is his old friend Rett Butler, who should have died over 300 years ago. His companion Beryun engages in battle with Deshwitat.
Deshwitat discovers that Beryun is skilled in both light and dark magic. Millenear discovers that she is not human. Deshwitat and Beryun battle until Master Tae, who is in charge of the monastery, stops them, revealing that she had never ordered an attack on Deshwitat. He attacks Master Tae, but is soundly beaten. Tae reveals that Deshwitat is prophesied to be the key to humanity's salvation.
Rett was supposed to help Deshwitat during his battle against Kalutika. He was too late to help, and tried to avenge his friend, but was severely wounded, and his men were killed. Kalutika made Rett immortal so that he could see the Armageddon.
The monks are unable to instruct Deshwitat on how to learn the magic of the light. He discovers that he may be able to learn this at the Vatican. The group goes to the Vatican. Deshwitat and Millenear fight when he reduces a girl to resurrection dust, and she is beaten. It is revealed that Millenear is an unfrocked priest.
Deshwitat learns that a priest wishes to meet him. He is ambushed by a large group of priests, which also include the elite special forces unit of the Catholic Church, the Order of St. Michael. He soon succumbs to his injuries and is about to be destroyed when Lilith appears to him in a vision. She reawakens his thirst for vengeance, and he devastates the party, taking one of the Order of St. Michael, a girl named Erica, hostage.
Deshwitat soon reunites with everyone and confronts the Bishop, who reveals that he wanted Deshwitat murdered because he could not accept the truth that a being of darkness would be the savior. He instructs Millenear to kill Deshwitat, giving her back her standing in the church. Millenear turns on the Bishop and blasts him with white magic, causing him to shapeshift into a creature of white magic. With the Order quickly unlocking the seal, Deshwitat regains his magical power. However, even Deshwitat's full strength is not enough to stop the creature. Only by teaming up with Erica to combine their attacks is the creature destroyed.
Deshwitat and the others return to Asia. It is discovered that Lilith is still alive. Deshwitat is encouraged by the fact that he managed to defeat Millenear in their fight, as it means that dark magic can defeat light magic. Master Tae tells them that Kalutika has begun his apocalypse. She introduces their newest companion, Eiji Inaba, a ninja. Deshwitat decides to test him along with Millenear and Remi. Should they land a single scratch on him within a ten-minute time limit, they can stay. None of the three can harm him, and he rejects them all. Master Tae insists that they take Eiji since he is vital to contacting the New York ninja sect.
In New York, Grey, the proclaimed Lord of the Vampires, kidnaps Millenear and Belose, a New York vampire uses a bomb to destroy them. Deshwitat uses his Dark Barrier and Beryun uses her Arson's Shield to protect them from the attack. They open a box Deshwitat was given and find a vampire's sand of the dead. Remi uses her blood to revive it, and Draistail appears. Draistail offers to train Deshwitat, but Deshwitat refuses, insisting that he has to go save Millenear. Draistail traps him, saying that he is not yet ready.
Meanwhile, Rett and Beryun decide to go save Millenear themselves, but are beaten by Grey. Deswhitat escapes from Draistail, and goes to aid Rett and Beryun, who are near death. He begins to battle Grey, who stops the fight, saying they will continue it at the Vampire Lord Tournament. At the tournament, Deshwitat faces off against Millenear. Millenear admits to Deshwitat that she is in love with him. He seemingly scorns her and promises to give her a quick death. Millenear uses this to her advantage by wearing him out. When it seems that Deshwitat is too tired to fight, Millenear says that she will not only kill him, but herself too. Deshwitat stops her and embraces her, telling her that in another time, he would have loved her, and that he had failed to protect her just as he failed to protect Lilith. He is able to beat her and advance to battle Grey.
Draistail leads Rett, Beryun, Remi, and the Order of St. Michael into a trap that he along with Grey and the Council of 6 had set up. Grey calls the Elder vampire to let them go, and he allows Deshwitat to strike him in the chest, severely wounding him. After that, Lilith arrives and destroys the vampire race along with the five of the Council of 6. Under Kalutika's influence, she moves to kill him but he is saved by the Elder Vampire, who teleports them to safety. Deshwitat is elevated to Vampire Lord, whose role in the world is to lead the vampires against the gods. The Elder dies, leaving Deshwitat apparently the last vampire in existence.
While Deshwitat trains, Rett and the others go to meet Rang. She has gained power by drinking Millenear's blood, the blood of a "god seed." She has little control over her new-found powers and Rett and his companions kill her.
In Hong Kong, before reviving Millenear, Rett and the others question Master Tae about Millenear's origin. She explains to them that Millenear is indeed a "god seed" and when her human life ends, Millenear will become a god. They decide to keep this information from Millenear and revive her. The groups prepare for a battle in Tibet, which will decide the fate of the world before Deshwitat can come back.
Characters
Deshwitat L. RudbichKalutika Maybus
Millenear Shephield
Remi Do
Rett Butler
Beryun
Lilith Servino
Master Tae
Mr. Grey
Eiji Inaba
Draestail