- Crackle… Crackle…
The silver trajectory of Frey’s sword beam shot through the sky toward Aishi, leaving a dazzling streak.
“Tsk.”
Aishi quickly twisted her body, barely dodging the silver slash, but losing her balance and staggering in the air.
Frey, taking advantage of her vulnerability, launched a follow-up attack like a whirlwind.
- Crash…!
“Damn you…”
Frey’s sword, imbued with a starlight-like aura, clashed fiercely with the two ice spears hastily summoned by Aishi. It was a battle of sheer will and strength.
Starlight and ice shards scattered in all directions, and Frey’s intense gaze t Aishi’s cold eyes.
“Hup.”
“As expected…”
Frey was the first to retreat from the stalemate, leaving Aishi with a slight smile that quickly turned into a puzzled expression.
“…How?”
Aishi finally understood Frey’s condition. Sohow, despite being on the brink of death, he was burning his life force to use his ultimate skill.
- Creak…!
“Urgh.”
Quickly closing the distance he had gained, Frey resud his relentless assault, leaving Aishi with no ti to rest.
“You have strength but lack skill.”
Frey taunted.
“You…”
“Of course, you’ve never fought in a human body before.”
“How did you resolve your life force issue?”
“You did it for .”
Aishi, bleeding from her shoulder, retreated as Frey advanced.
“I’m burning half my body with the Hero’s ultimate skill, while the other half is sustained by your gift, demonification.”
“…What?”
“When I was on the brink of death once before, I learned this technique. Now Kania is helping maintain it.”
“Hmph.”
Aishi, grimacing from Frey’s relentless attacks, encased herself in ice and raised her left hand.
“Thank you for the information.”
“What are you grateful for?”
“One of my titles is the Ruler of the Void. All demonic monsters and erosion originate from there.”
“So?”
“If you are a demonic monster, then, I can control you.”
Black smoke began to creep towards Frey as Aishi spoke with a smile.
“Submit.”
But Frey, smiling as well, kicked the top of the ice sphere encasing Aishi, slamming it into the ground.
- Boom!!
“Your absolute control is limited to your main body. Right now, you’re just a re avatar.”
Grinding her teeth, Aishi shattered the ice encasing her and launched shards in all directions, which Frey deflected with starlight magic as he landed gracefully.
“I’m not just an avatar! I represent the will of the main body. I can control any darkness emanating from !”
“Unfortunately for you, I’ve already made a new pact with the new Eclipse God. I’m free from your influence.”
“…”
“Isn’t my butler very impressive?”
Frey shrugged as he swung his sword with full force, prompting Aishi to hastily summon an ice barrier to block his attack.
“Don’t get cocky.”
She raised her left hand again, chanting ominously.
“In that case, I’ll simply open my void domain here.”
- Crack… Crackle…
“Beings spawned from , purge the unworthy from this sanctum.”
The space around the academy began to tear, and red-eyed demonic monsters poured out.
“So you were behind the Erosion Phenonon after all.”
Frey muttered, clenching his jaw as he watched the demonic monsters charge towards the academy.
- Young Master, I apologize. I cannot control the erosion around the academy.
Kania’s voice echoed in Frey’s mind.
- If I push myself, I can control it, but it will reduce the ti I can maintain the Eclipse. What should I do…?
“Just focus on maintaining the Eclipse. We’ll handle this.”
Frey looked back at the heroines, issuing commands.
“Ruby, help . We need to deal with Aishi and the Demon King’s Army. She’s not at full strength, so we have a chance.”
“Got it.”
“And the rest of you, split into two teams as planned. One team will handle the demonic monsters pouring in, and the other will evacuate the civilians. Understood?”
With a determined look, Frey and Ruby advanced towards Aishi.
“Oh, and Irina.”
“Huh?”
Frey whispered sothing to Irina, who was standing nervously beside him.
“…What?”
“Good luck.”
“Wait, Frey!!”
With a smile, Frey launched himself towards Aishi again.
“Let’s see how good my successor is.”
Ruby, setting aside her wine glass, released a terrifying demonic energy and flew into the air.
“What did he an by that…”
Irina, confused, reached out but then frowned and looked up.
- Flap, Flap…
The sound of massive wings filled the air.
The dragons that had filled the sky for months began to descend, emitting their Dragon Fear in all directions.
“…”
Watching the chaos, Irina gritted her teeth and started moving.
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“Alright…”
A while later.
“…It’s going as planned.”
Lerno, leading the main force of the demon army, glanced back with a smile.
- Crash… Crash…!!!
“Hyaah!!”
A fierce battle between Demon King Aishi, Frey, and Ruby was unfolding right in front of the academy.
“They’re evenly matched.”
Lerno, evaluating the battle as a demon army strategist, muttered.
“There won’t be a winner for hours.”
Frey, burning with silver and black aura, slashed an ice teor falling towards the academy, then used the debris to propel himself towards Aishi.
- Crackle…!
anwhile, Ruby, flying above, summoned red lightning and struck Aishi.
- Boom…!!!
Aishi countered Frey’s sword strike with nurous ice spears and blocked Ruby’s lightning with an intricate ice shield.
- Rumble…
“Hyaa!!”
“You’re quite skilled.”
Aishi tried to attack Ruby by summoning an ice serpent from the ground, yet it was beheaded by Frey. Ruby flashed a brief smile towards Frey before punching Aishi’s shield with a lightning-clad fist.
“Storm!”
Aishi summoned a fierce blizzard, sending razor-sharp ice shards flying around, forcing Frey and Ruby to retreat briefly.
The two looked at each other, then simultaneously leaped into the heart of the blizzard.
- Boom…!!!
As silver, ruby, and blue clouds spread in the air, Lerno turned her eyes from the mythical battle, speaking in a low voice.
“However, as ti goes by, the Demon King will gain the upper hand.”
At that mont, Frey and Ruby erged from the clouds, their bodies covered in injuries, while Aishi continued to glare coldly at them from within the vortex.
“The Demon King has infinite energy. How can they even think of challenging her?”
She shrugged as if she had anticipated this outco, but then her expression hardened as she recalled Aishi’s words.
“But… the problem is we need to capture the academy within a day.”
For so reason, the new Demon King Aishi had insisted that the academy must be captured within 24 hours.
“Excuse , but why…?”
“…Because it is as decreed by the Demon King.”
Her cold response had left no room for further questioning, but as a loyal lieutenant, Lerno had no choice but to obey.
“Everything is going perfectly… All according to plan…”
After countless sleepless nights planning the strategy, the current situation was unfolding just as she had anticipated.
“All according to plan… Haha.”
Despite a few unexpected variables, they were still within her calculated range.
“The Demon King handles the Hero and Ruby. The demonic monsters breach the academy’s defenses. The dragons hold the citizens hostage. The Demon King’s Army provides support from three sides. Perfect. We can finish this before their reinforcents arrive.”
Satisfied with her plan, Lerno scanned the battlefield with sharp eyes.
“Hmm…”
The Demon King was majestically facing off against Frey and Ruby, while the demonic monster, with its overwhelming numbers, charged at the academy’s defenders.
In Lerno’s estimation, both fronts were in their favor.
At this rate, the battle could be over even before the Pope and the Secret Lord support arrived.
“…What are those lizards thinking?”
However, Lerno’s expression twisted as she looked towards the distant hill.
“Those damn lizards…”
The dragons, who had been gradually lowering their altitude while emitting dragon fear, had now landed near the academy and were rely observing the situation, occasionally spitting fire at the ground.
Their role was to prevent the citizens from having any other thoughts and to devastate the entire empire, yet they were acting so passively.
Their hesitation was frustrating Lerno to no end.
“Well, after the war, they can face extinction.”
Unable to bear it any longer, she led the core forces of the Demon King’s Army to pursue the fleeing citizens.
“I’m going to survive by gaining favor with the Demon King. Haha…”
After her sister, the Succubus Queen Arbatia, had t a tragic end, Lerno’s primary goal had beco survival.
“…Wait a minute?”
Determined to secure her survival by gaining favor with the new Demon King, she sped up her pursuit.
“Isn’t that… Serena?”
Suddenly, she spotted Serena and imdiately pulled the reins of her horse, raising her hand to halt the Demon King’s Army.
“Hmm…”
She quietly assessed the situation.
Capturing her would be far better than taking the citizens hostage.
There had been nurous opportunities to take the citizens hostage or slaughter them.
But Lerno, with her sharp mind and keen sense, had noticed sothing odd.
Whenever she reported plans involving taking hostages or harming citizens, the Demon King would show a pained expression, sweat, and mutter to herself.
There must be a reason why harming the citizens was not an option.
Though the Demon King hadn’t explicitly stated it, Lerno decided to trust her instincts.
“Everyone, head towards the alley. We need to capture that girl.”
Rather than risk harming or taking hostages of the citizens and facing unknown consequences, she decided to capture the Duke’s daughter, who had a close relationship with the Hero.
“I’ve heard she’s the world’s greatest genius…”
There was also a hint of personal curiosity.
“…Let’s see if that’s true.”
Soon after, Lerno led her elite troops into the empire’s back alleys in pursuit of Serena.
.
.
.
.
.
“…What?”
After a while of chasing Serena with the Demon King’s Army.
“What the hell?”
Lerno started to sweat, muttering to herself.
“She was right in front of …?”
She had lost Serena several tis already. She was just within arm’s reach, but now she was gone again.
- Swish…
“Ha.”
As she stopped her horse and saw the hem of Serena’s dress disappear around a corner, Lerno let out a laugh.
“Am I being haunted?”
She muttered, shaking her head. The idea of a demon being haunted was absurd.
“…Did I take a wrong turn?”
Could it be that Serena was using the labyrinthine back alleys of the empire to her advantage?
“No, that’s not it.”
But that was impossible too.
She had lived in the empire for hundreds of years and knew the alleys better than anyone.
“Magic? Sorcery?”
The most plausible explanation was that Serena was using so kind of ability to evade her.
But that seed unlikely too.
She hadn’t sensed any unusual energy.
Unless it was soone on the level of the Demon King or a top-tier mage, fooling Lerno’s senses was nearly impossible.
“Then what is it…”
How was Serena consistently escaping her pursuit?
No matter how many tis she went over it, she couldn’t find an answer.
How…
“…Huh?”
Lost in thought, she suddenly realized sothing.
“This is a dead end.”
They were heading towards a dead-end.
Yet Serena had headed in that direction?
Sothing was very wrong.
- Swish…
“…!”
Lerno, hearing a noise behind her, quickly turned her horse around.
“What the…?”
She saw the hem of Serena’s dress disappearing into the alley behind her.
“How is she…?”
- Swish, swish…
“…!?”
Confused, Lerno’s eyes widened as she saw what happened next.
“What the hell.”
This ti, it was because Serena had quickly passed through the alleyways on both sides of her.
“W-What the hell…..”
Putting aside the fact that Serena had passed behind her, a chilling problem arises: Serena was clearly only one person.
How did she pass on both sides?
- Swish, swish, swish…
“Sh-shit.”
At the mont when cold sweat started to pour down Lerno’s forehead, Serena’s clothes brushed past her again simultaneously from the front, back, and both sides of the alley.
“We’re retreating. Sothing is definitely wrong–”
Lerno turned her horse around and gave order to the Demon King’s Army that followed her.
“…”
But then she froze in that very position.
“Wh-why…”
Her face turned pale and sweat poured down her forehead as her heart started pounding wildly.
“Why can I… see behind ?”
The simple fact was this: she had brought the elite troops of the Demon King’s Army to take all the citizens of the empire hostage.
So, her soldiers should have been densely packed in the alley.
Why could she see Serena entering the alley from behind?
Normally, the tightly packed soldiers would block her view.
“…Hah, hah.”
With that realization, Lerno breathed in terror and very slowly turned her head.
“…”
What she saw was an empty alley.
“Sh-shit.”
Then it struck her.
She had been wandering alone in this eerie alley for a while now.
“I-I need to get out of here…”
As the eerie sound of wind echoed through the alley that had swallowed all her soldiers, Lerno, with a trembling voice, urgently tugged on her horse’s reins.
- Swish.
“Huh?”
But at that mont.
- Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish…
She heard the sound of clothes brushing the ground frantically coming from directly behind her.
“Ah, aaaaaaah!!”
As sothing brushed against her neck, Lerno let out a sobbing scream and started running frantically forward.
- Swish, swish, swish…
“Save eeeee!!!”
But despite her screams, the sound of clothes brushing the ground continued to follow her relentlessly, making her unable to even think of turning back. She scread as she ran through the alley.
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“Well done.”
anwhile, at the nearby barracks.
“As expected of the greatest spatial mage, Dmir Khan. To be able to distort the entire back alley.”
- You flatter .
Serena, sitting safely in a plush chair, gently rubbing her slightly swollen belly, was issuing commands to the hologram in front of her.
“The Demon King will rember your hard work.”
- It is unnecessary. Serving the true Demon King, Frey, is my duty.
“…Indeed. By the way, are you ready?”
- Yes, soon one-third of the Demon King’s Army will join our side.
“Hehe, good job.”
- Endless glory to the Demon King…
As Dmir Khan bowed and Serena waved her hand and turned off the hologram, she smiled coldly and issued orders to her subordinates, who were disguised as her and wandering through the back alleys.
“Don’t give her any ti to rest, and keep pushing. We need to keep her there for at least half a day.”
- Understood…
“Exhausted people should switch with those on standby. Those on standby should morize the distorted alley map I distributed.”
- Yes…
“Good, keep up the good work.”
After giving the orders and turning off the signal, Serena looked at Lerno, who was still running and screaming through the alley, with a satisfied expression and murmured.
“Here I am, pregnant, chasing you, a succubus, who’s still a virgin… hehe.”
- Stoooop it…!!!
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- Step, step…
anwhile, on the hill near the academy, where the dragons were stationed.
“Grrrrr…”
“Growl…”
A few dragons, who had been pretending to attack the academy’s barrier, started growling as soone approached them.
“Shut your mouths, you bastards!”
“…Huh?”
“Grrr…oh?”
But then a girl, who had flinched montarily, bravely raised her voice and shouted, causing the dragons to look confused.
“S-S-Stupid lizard bastards… Do you want to fight? I’m the great Archmage…”
- Thud…
“Wha!?”
As the dragons suddenly lowered their bodies, causing dust to rise, Irina mistook it as a sign of attack and prepared to cast a spell.
“Grrr…”
“Gyuu…”
“…!?!”
But then, the dust settled, revealing a completely incomprehensible scene to her.
“What… what the hell?”
The noble and great dragons were lying on the ground like dogs, wagging their tails.
- Swish…
“Ah?”
A massive dragon slowly approached Irina, who was staring in astonishnt.
“Haa… Haa…”
“Goddammit.”
As the dragon rolled over and exposed its belly, showing affection, she instinctively cursed.
“Are these damn lizards losing their minds?”
“Grrrr…”
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