Chapter 11.2

Another two days passed by quickly. Siliya’s and my work was gaining momentum, and we were nearing the end of our task of selecting and examining important books from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors, which were accessible to us.

I had been intimidated at first by the sheer number of books and the vast scope of their contents, but focusing on how to seal Agtatius made it much easier to narrow down the search. Even so, we had selected more than 30 books.

“Unnie, let’s stop for today. My eyes are so strained, I can’t look anymore.”

“I agree. We’re almost done, so let’s not overdo it.”

“Okay. How about we sleep at the temple for a change? We’ve been washing with magic, but I really want to soak in some warm water.”

“Jeras didn’t scold you into going back to the temple and sleeping, did he?”

“…No.”

I darted my eyes away, avoiding Siliya’s gaze. The kind Siliya just smiled, as if she knew everything, and didn’t press the matter.

How did she know? She couldn’t have heard our conversation.

Jeras and I have been communicating, whether for a short time or a long one, whenever we have the chance. It’s usually Jeras who initiates the conversation. I’m hesitant to bother him since his mission is more dangerous than mine, but Jeras complains at least once a day that my heart has become as cold as ice.

My heart has gone cold, my ass. Anyone who heard him would think it had been glowing like a furnace at some point.

Anyway, the ring was a much more incredible artifact than I had imagined. Jeras had claimed it was a medium that connected the souls of two people whose sincerity had truly met. It felt like he had exaggerated a lot, but I had no way of knowing the truth, so I just chose to believe him.

We had no intention of studying at the temple, so we left the building with light hearts and minds. Just as we stepped out of the academy’s main gate, someone blocked our path.

Had Nia already returned? I looked up without thinking and drew in a sharp breath.

“…Your Highness, the First Prince?”

“It has been a long time, princess. Have you been well?”

His voice was kind and gentle, as always.

I pulled on Siliya’s sleeve, stopping her from stepping forward to protect me. Provoking him rashly wasn’t a good idea. For now, it was best to observe the situation.

“I’ve been well. I heard your health was poor, Your Highness, but are you alright now?”

“Thanks to your concern, Duchess, I have fully recovered.”

With his characteristic gentle smile, Kieryk pointed to his chest. The brooch I made for him was pinned there. I could feel a faint flow of mana. The brooch was working well.

“There is something I wish to say to you alone, Duchess. Would you mind asking those around us to step away for a moment? You seem busy, so I won’t take up much of your time.”

Kieryk’s gaze turned to Siliya. Siliya looked at him, then at me. Her eyes said we shouldn’t grant his request, as we didn’t know his intentions.

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“I understand. Unnie, I’m sorry, but could you go ahead and borrow a carriage? I’ll follow you.”

“Eloe…”

Siliya gave me a worried look. I knew what she was worried about. And why.

But by the look of Kieryk’s resolve, he wouldn’t back down easily if I refused. If things were to go wrong… it would be better for only one person to be in danger than for both of us to be.

I didn’t want things to go wrong. I was just assuming the worst-case scenario.

I approached Siliya, who had no intention of leaving, and whispered.

“There are no demons around, for now. The brooch I made is working, and I can escape with Light Magic if I have to. Don’t worry.”

“I can’t leave you here alone. I can’t do that.”

“If we’re both stuck here, no one will know our situation. And it wouldn’t be good to provoke Kieryk. If I don’t show up in 30 minutes, go straight to the temple.”

“That’s too reckless.”

“Unnie, we have the Transmigrator’s buff, don’t we? It’s going to be fine, really.”

I deliberately chattered in a bright, lighthearted tone. Siliya looked at me with an anxious expression, then sighed as if she had no choice.

I practically pushed Siliya’s back to send her off, and then I stood facing Kieryk.

“Thank you for granting my difficult request.”

“You’re welcome. As for what you wanted to say…”

“Shall we walk for a bit? I have no other intentions. It’s just not something to be said in the middle of an empty street.”

Kieryk respectfully offered his hand. My hesitation to take his gloved hand wasn’t just because I suspected he might be under Agtatius’s control.

I carefully shook my head so as not to hurt his feelings.

“The moonlight is bright tonight. I think I’ll be fine without an escort.”

“Is that so? Very well.”

A lonely smile briefly crossed Kieryk’s face as he docilely withdrew his hand. It might have been my overthinking, but I felt like I knew what Kieryk wanted to say.

‘I really hope I’m wrong.’

Kieryk walked a few steps ahead, and I followed him.

The night after the sun had set below the horizon was dark and quiet. The capital wasn’t as lively as it used to be due to the increased frequency of monster appearances.

We walked in silence for a while down the deserted street.

“As you well know, princess, there are what we call ‘discarded pieces’ in the imperial family.”

Walking down the well-maintained road, we had arrived at the clock tower in the square. Perhaps because there weren’t many shops lit up, there was not a single person around the clock tower tonight.

I felt it wasn’t the right time to answer, so I listened to Kieryk in silence.

“The successor to the throne is usually decided when they are very young. It’s extremely rare for someone to show their abilities and be recognized later in life. This is especially true when the political situation is as stable as it is now in the empire. Royals who don’t become the successor naturally become discarded pieces.”

“Discarded piece” was a word Kieryk didn’t seem like the type to use. It was probably a habit picked up from the Emperor or Empress.

Kieryk stood next to me and looked up at the clock tower, and I was looking at him.

“Even if they are discarded pieces, they have various uses due to the symbolic meaning of royalty. All of it is aimed at strengthening the imperial family and the empire. I was a discarded piece, and I never once complained about it.”

“…I believe that every person is valuable just as they are. No one can use another person as a discarded piece, and no one deserves to be treated like one.”

“Is that so? I thought you would say something like that, princess. It’s so different hearing it in person than just thinking about it in my head. It’s very pleasant to hear, it really is.”

Kieryk laughed, sounding like a sigh, and turned to face me. His soft golden hair fluttered in the night breeze. His eyes, which were both similar to and different from Jeras’s, curved into a gentle arc.

“As you may have guessed, I like you, princess.”

“…I also like Your Highness, as one human being to another.”

“When you find yourself in an awkward situation, you try to escape with a joke. You know that I don’t mean that kind of ‘like,’ don’t you?”

This wasn’t just an awkward situation; it was the absolute worst. If I could, I would escape by disappearing into the ground or soaring into the sky.

Why did things turn out this way? When did this all start to get twisted? To be caught in a love triangle, and between brothers, no less.

“It doesn’t matter. I will tell you as many times as it takes until you can no longer run away. I like you, princes. Not as one human to another, but as a man to a woman.”

I had rarely felt that Kieryk and Jeras were similar, but I did a little just then. The way he relentlessly pushed forward, saying it didn’t matter, or the way he had unwavering conviction in his own feelings.

But no matter how similar they might be, Jeras is Jeras, and Kieryk is Kieryk. The fact that the person I like is Jeras also doesn’t change.

Since Kieryk had revealed his true feelings with all his might, it was only right for me to respond with sincerity as well. Besides, I had no hobby of tormenting others with false hope.

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

“Thank you for thinking so highly of me. However, I have someone I like. I can’t accept your feelings, Your Highness.”

“Is it Jeras?”

“…Do you really want to hear the answer?”

“Yes. I want to hear the answer from you directly, princess.”

Sometimes, people pretend not to know something they already know. They don’t want to admit it; they don’t want to accept it. Because the moment they accept reality, they can’t run away anywhere. They turn away and refuse it because they don’t want to get hurt.

I couldn’t possibly know what Kieryk was thinking or what he felt when he said those words. I didn’t know what the right answer was.

But no matter what I said, Kieryk would be hurt. If that was the case, I decided to at least not be a hypocrite.

“Yes. I like Jeras.”

“Is that so…”

Kieryk bowed his head. I took a few steps away from him.

My action wasn’t an expression of a desperate desire to reject him. It was because Kieryk’s mana was showing an unstable movement. An ominous energy descended.

“Then… why did you give me this?”

Kieryk held out the brooch. For a moment, I hesitated about what to say. I had made it for Kieryk, but it wasn’t entirely for him alone.

To be cold and honest, my feelings for Jeras were a little bigger than my feelings for Kieryk. I didn’t want to see Jeras suffer because of Kieryk.

But I couldn’t bring myself to say that.

“Even this… wasn’t for me.”

Kieryk’s tone turned chilling. He squeezed the hand holding the brooch tightly. With the sound of something shattering, red blood dripped from his hand. Black smoke rose from the ground where the drops of blood fell.

I glanced quickly at the clock. Thirty minutes had passed.

“I have no need for such a worthless trinket…”

“No! Your Highness Kieryk, snap out of it!”

“I’ll have everything. You, and this empire… I won’t hand a single thing over to Jeras! Even if I have to borrow a demon’s power!”

Kieryk, who had thrown the shattered remnants of the brooch to the ground, lunged at me. A shadow seemed to be enveloping his entire body, as if to swallow him whole.

Damn it, he must have been hiding inside Kieryk’s body!

I fired a mana arrow into the sky as a signal. Then, by a hair’s breadth, I cast a shield, blocking Kieryk.

“Kieryk! Don’t hand over control. You won’t be able to return to being human again!”

“Why should this body return to being a lowly human? O servant of Aletheia.”

‘How does he know about me?’

“You would do well not to trust Aletheia too much.”

“…Aaaah!”

I was thrown backward by an incredible force and tumbled across the ground. I was lucky enough to stop just before hitting the wall, which saved my life. Feeling pain was a luxury I couldn’t afford.

I cast a healing spell and erected a barrier around Kieryk—no, around Agtatius—and myself. Agtatius laughed at me.

“How dare you try to stand against me?”

“You won’t know who’s stronger until you try.”

It was a bluff born of stubbornness. That saying only works when the two sides are evenly matched, but the difference between Agtatius and me was laughable.

The fact that Kieryk’s appearance hadn’t changed yet meant he wasn’t completely possessed, which was the one silver lining in this fundamental disaster.

‘Even if I buy some time, is there really a way out of this?’

– Princess, I found the sword.

Then, at the most perfect timing, Jeras’s message reached me. It was incredibly good news that he had found the sword, but my situation was so sad I couldn’t even feel happy about it.

As I blocked a black fireball that was flying toward me at high speed, Jeras’s voice kept ringing in my head.

– If you’re busy, I’ll contact you later.

‘Jeras, wait a mi— AAAH! Don’t break the barrier, you crazy bastard!’

– Princess, what are you doing?

The communication wasn’t filtering properly. Blocking attacks and talking to Jeras… this was far beyond what I could handle.

Feeling like I was about to overload, I just came clean with Jeras.

‘Bring the sword and come to me. Quickly! I’m going to die here!’

– …Where are you? Tell me the coordinates.

‘Coordinates? I don’t know them! I’m in the central square of the capital at the clock t— oh my god!’

“You seem so composed. It appears you have great faith in your master’s power.”

Something that was neither Kieryk nor Agtatius’s voice babbled on. It had been spouting annoying things about masters and servants for a while now, so it must really be a demon.

I scoffed at the thing slowly walking toward me.

“That’s not something to be said by a great demon who has to parasitize a lowly human.”

“That’s enough of your insolence, you impudent wench.”

A monstrous amount of mana began to gather in its hand. My mouth always gets me into trouble!

What should I do? I looked around, searching for something useful, and my eyes landed on the sparkling ring on my finger. A medium that connected two souls…

‘Jeras, are you somewhere safe?’

– Anywhere is better than where you are!

‘Then focus! Don’t let go of the sword. I’m pulling you here!’

– Pull me? What are you trying to do…

There was no way I could face a half-awakened Agtatius with ordinary methods anyway.

What is life for, if not for a gamble? It was all or nothing.

I poured mana into the ring and began to chant a spell.

The principle of a magic circle that allows for rapid spatial movement is similar to the concept of a portal. You imbue the magic circle with mana to create a path between your current location and the destination, and then you travel through that path.

That’s why you always need coordinates for spatial movement via a magic circle. You have to create a path that connects to the other side.

That was why Jeras had urgently asked for the coordinates. If you move without them, you could get trapped in a spatial rift and never escape.

This meant that if there was something that functioned like coordinates, it was possible to move without them.

Why was I suddenly contemplating magic circles in front of an enraged Agtatius? Because this was the only way to bring Jeras, who was far away, to me.

I just hoped that Jeras’s words about the ring connecting our souls weren’t just nonsense he made up to woo me.

I chanted the spatial movement spell I had seen in a book a while ago and began to pull Jeras’s soul, which was connected to mine, toward me.

“Please… Jeras!”

A massive amount of mana drained from my body at once, making me dizzy. A flash of light so strong it was difficult to keep my eyes open exploded beneath my feet.

Agtatius screamed in pain and threw a spear made of condensed darkness.

It was too late to dodge. And the spatial movement spell had consumed far more mana than I had expected. I somehow managed to squeeze out the remaining mana and put up a one-time shield, but I couldn’t expect it to have much effect. At best, it would just let me avoid a fatal blow.

I watched the spear fly toward me through the blinding light and squeezed my eyes shut.

The spatial movement spell must have failed.

‘I knew I shouldn’t have gambled. It’s the fastest way to ruin.’

“Eloe!”

Just as I braced myself for Agtatius’s attack to pierce me somewhere, Jeras’s voice rang out with a loud echo.

I reflexively opened my eyes, and my sight was filled with the back of Jeras, who was now standing in front of me. He was blocking the spear Agtatius had thrown with his arms held together.

As soon as I saw his broad, sturdy back protecting me, I felt like I was going to cry for some reason.

“Jeras!”

“Damn it… what in the world is going on?! I can’t hold it back any longer. Get out of the way!”

I didn’t have time to feel happy to see him and scrambled to the side. Less than three seconds later, the spear plunged into the spot where I had been with a terrifying sound. It had been by a hair’s breadth.

Seeing the hem of my dress torn by the spear, I realized just how reckless I had been. As I took a deep breath, Jeras came toward me and knelt down.

“Did you get hurt?”

“I’m alive thanks to you. But you… your condition…”

“Does it look strange to you, too, princess? I guess it wasn’t just my imagination.”

Jeras’s condition was beyond what could be described as strange.

Jeras’s entire body was semi-transparent, so much so that Agtatius, who was walking toward us from the other side, could see right through him. He looked like a ghost.

“If I touch you, I think I’ll go back to normal.”

Jeras reached out to me with a mischievous look on his face. His hand clearly touched my cheek, but I couldn’t feel anything.

Jeras’s expression fell.

“I must have used some mana before the movement was complete, and something went wrong.”

Jeras muttered to himself. His form rippled like a heat haze and then returned. I shook my head.

This was my fault. I had thrown a gamble without the proper conditions, so only Jeras’s soul, connected by the ring, had been hastily pulled over. To make matters worse, by using his mana to block Agtatius’s attack, Jeras’s soul had become unstable.

“No. It’s my fault. I used magic recklessly…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Duchess. In fact, I’m feeling really great right now.”

“I know you’re just saying that to reassure me…”

“I’m not. You called me first, didn’t you? Of course, I’m happy that you trusted me.”

Jeras rose to his feet and smiled. It was a gentle smile that made my heart flutter, even though I knew this was not the time. Not knowing what expression to make, I bowed my head.

I felt sorry for Jeras, pathetic about myself, and my heart was overflowing with his affection. These contradictory feelings were all jumbled together inside me, making me very confused.

“My thorns have finally gathered in one place. One of them is even a half.”

“Your voice isn’t my brother’s, even though your face is. Duchess, what is that thing? Why were you with a thing like that? In the middle of the night?”

“Yes, it’s good to be composed while you can. Your pathetic life could be cut short at any moment.”

Agtatius, baring his teeth in a smile, looked very intrigued. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but he didn’t seem to be about to attack us immediately.

This was no time to be dazed. I quickly got up and stood right behind Jeras.

“You said you were doing well and staying safe. What on earth is your standard of safety?”

“This time, it’s not fair! The First Prince came to me first.”

“A secret rendezvous without my knowledge. Was it exciting?”

“You really… let’s just not talk. What should we do now?”

“You called me, didn’t you? Didn’t you have a plan?”

I did. I did, but… the plan didn’t include only Jeras’s soul coming over.

Jeras glanced back and then frowned. That was his only reaction, but I felt guilty and said in a small, pleading voice.

“Sorry, I didn’t have a plan…”

“I’m not mad, so don’t blame yourself. I’ll figure something out.”

Saying that, Jeras walked forward toward Agtatius. What was he going to do…?

Agtatius, in Kieryk’s form, opened his arms as if to welcome him with a deep smile.

“My beloved younger brother, I have a proposal for you.”

“Who’s your younger brother, you bastard?”

“This body is too weak to contain me. Before long, this vessel will collapse, and its soul will be extinguished.”

Jeras silently narrowed the distance to Agtatius. Come to think of it, he didn’t have the holy sword, either. The original plan was to use my mana on the holy sword to deal a massive blow…

If Jeras had teleported perfectly, the Holy Sword would also be here, and the tide of the battle would be completely different.

‘If only Jeras had his body… I feel like I could just make one on the spot…’

…Make one?

A sudden thought flashed in my mind. To others, it would look like another gamble, and I thought so too.

But I couldn’t think of any other way to turn the situation around.

‘Jeras, stall for me!’

– What? …How long?

’10 minutes? 15? Just as long as you can!’

– The Duchess always asks for the most difficult things.

I had made an unreasonable request out of the blue, but Jeras just grumbled briefly. He didn’t blame me or say it was impossible. I could feel that he truly believed in me. I wanted to live up to that trust. I had to.

I forced myself to draw up the mana that had run completely dry.

“It seems you have a lot to say. Go on. I’ll listen.”

“Heh heh… Your confidence is simple. Among humans, no one could possibly match you. But no matter how much you surpass them, a mortal will never defeat me. Even if you transcend, humans are still nothing more than perishable creatures.”

I was thankful that Agtatius was so talkative and that Jeras was showing such patience.

Faster, faster! As soon as the minimum amount of mana had gathered, I began to form a shape. I didn’t have time to painstakingly build it up bone by bone. I moved the mana based on what I saw, what I thought, and what was necessary, much like conjuring the phantom I showed to people in the Hall of Glory.

However, my concentration was poor, and the form kept crumbling. I bit my lip and hit my head hard.

‘Focus! Don’t think about anything else. Just think about completing it now.’

“Why don’t you join hands with me?”

“You want to make a deal?”

“As I said before, this vessel is too weak to contain me. But is it not your precious flesh and blood? This vessel also seems to cherish you dearly. If I make a contract with you before this vessel shatters, it can be saved.”

“…Will my brother return to his old self?”

“And you will reign as the true ruler of this world. With me.”

Jeras fell silent, seemingly deep in thought. Agtatius took a few steps forward, and now the distance between them was close enough to reach out and touch.

Sweat poured down my entire body, and my vision shook violently. The ground beneath my feet heaved as if there was an earthquake. The golden glowing form now only had the parts below the calves.

Just a little, just a little more…! I took a deep breath and stretched out my hand.

“Jeras… you would save me, wouldn’t you?”

“Damn it, how dare you imitate my brother!”

“Jeras, no! Come here!”

Just as Jeras was about to lunge at Agtatius, I used the ring’s power to pull him back. Agtatius’s hand, which had turned into a sword made of darkness, slashed through the empty air.

I could feel Agtatius’s power growing stronger. Kieryk’s golden hair was turning black from the tips. With every passing moment, he was being consumed by Agtatius.

“Princess, this is…”

“I had to make it in a hurry, so it’s probably full of holes. What do you think? Can you move?”

Jeras clenched and unclenched his fists, rotated his hips, and bent and straightened his legs. Every time he moved, golden particles fell from his body.

Not only that, his entire body was a golden color. It wasn’t a real physical body, but a temporary one I had crudely woven and condensed with light mana.

I never thought I would step into the ultimate realm of Light Magic, the realm of creation, in this way, nor did I think I would actually succeed.

Well… it wasn’t a truly living thing, but merely a vessel to hold Jeras’s soul.

After moving around and examining himself, Jeras looked at me and nodded.

“It seems… it’s usable.”

“Haa… thank good…”

“Are you okay?”

As the tension eased, the strength drained from my legs. Jeras supported me just as I was about to collapse. Although he didn’t have the same warmth as a real person, he at least didn’t pass through me like he did before.

Jeras looked at me kindly. Yes, this was a success. A hopeful thought that we could somehow manage this filled my mind.

“Hoo… you’ve come this far already. This servant is certainly capable.”

He’s talking about a servant again. I subtly pushed Jeras away and nodded my head toward Agtatius.

Go, Jeras! Take him down in one swoop!

Jeras understood my command and took a stance. Agtatius ignored Jeras and looked at me with a meaningful smile.

“Great power requires a price. O servant of Aletheia, do you know the price you must pay?”

The price… I must pay?

Were there other conditions for using Light Magic besides being a Transmigrator?

‘I don’t remember ever seeing that in the books.’

Agtatius is a demon who seduces people with his silver tongue. This was clearly a trick to sow confusion and break my will, to find an opening. Even though I knew it, a small part of me couldn’t help but wonder.

I hadn’t read all of the records left by Haiola, and it was true that I had felt a nagging unease as I followed her traces.

What if Agtatius really knew something? What if it was an important fact that I needed to know?

“Don’t listen to the nonsense a monster is spouting.”

Jeras’s hands covered my ears. I turned my head and saw Jeras with a confident look on his face. Jeras brushed a kiss on my forehead and turned his body.

By now, less than half of Kieryk’s golden hair was left. Once the consumption was complete, Kieryk’s appearance would completely change to look like Agtatius.

Jeras was right. This was no time to be foolishly swayed by Agtatius’s nonsense and hesitate.

“I’ll provide as much support as I can with magic from the back.”

“Good. But princess, am I supposed to fight with my bare hands?”

Aaaah…! I had been so focused on fixing his body that I hadn’t even thought about a weapon.

Jeras saw my panicked face and chuckled before darting forward. His speed was like an arrow. I couldn’t see him with my eyes, only sense his movements through the flow of mana.

Kwaaang! An enormous shockwave erupted, and a gust of wind blew. If I hadn’t put up an emergency shield, I would have ended up like a crumpled signpost tossed around in a storm.

“Do you think lowly bugs can defeat me just by working together?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but you talk way too much.”

Jeras’s arm, which had similarly turned into a sword, aimed for Agtatius and attacked with a terrifying force.

For convenience, I called it a body, but it was essentially a lump of mana, so in theory, it was possible to freely change its shape.

But it was only theory. It would have been impossible without Jeras’s incredible adaptability, mana control, and genius-level combat sense.

The saying “first strike is essential” seemed to be true, as Jeras seized the initiative in the fight.

Jeras pushed Agtatius back by freely changing the length of his blade. The power I felt from Jeras in a real fight was incredible. Agtatius seemed too busy blocking the attacks to counterattack. Perhaps he was unable to exert his full power because he had forced his way into Kieryk’s body before the ritual was complete.

“Hoo…”

I regulated my breathing and focused my mind. Sweat streamed down my forehead.

Keeping Jeras’s soul tethered here, maintaining his magic-made body, and connecting his soul to the body… it was constantly consuming mana.

I thought I had hit rock bottom, but somehow I was managing to keep it up by squeezing out every last bit of power. It felt like twisting a used tube of toothpaste to squeeze out the final speck.

My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would pop out of my mouth, and every joint in my body creaked, but I had to endure. I could endure.

“Gah!”

Thankfully, Jeras landed an effective blow on Agtatius without my support. Agtatius, who had been hit squarely in the abdomen while trying to avoid the sword blade, fell to one knee.

And I saw it. In the fleeting moment Jeras’s fist hit his stomach, a black heat haze shimmered from Kieryk’s body.

The heat haze writhed like a trembling body, warping the space as it billowed like smoke before quickly getting sucked back into Kieryk’s body.

I screamed at Jeras.

“Jeras, one more time!”

“What?”

“Just hit him one more time!”

Jeras looked reluctant. Since Kieryk’s form remained, he must have felt like he was hitting Kieryk, not Agtatius.

When I gestured to him with my chin, he grabbed Agtatius by the collar, pulled him up, and threw another punch. A violent thud echoed, and Agtatius’s head snapped to the side.

This time, the black haze was clearer than before. The haze trembled as if it were struggling, moving as if it wanted to escape from Kieryk’s body.

That’s it. Jeras is now a weapon made of light mana. Every time his attack lands, the light mana seeps into Kieryk and works to drive Agtatius out.

I had finally found the breakthrough.

‘Keep hitting him like that. With all your might.’

– Duchess, I’m not trying to vent my anger. We have to save my brother first.

‘Do you trust me? Hit him as if you’re pushing mana into the First Prince!’

– …Haa, this is crazy. If anything goes wrong, you’re responsible.

And a spectacular close-quarters battle unfolded between Jeras and Agtatius. It was a one-sided fight, with Jeras landing five hits for every one of Agtatius’s counterattacks. Jeras’s punches were merciless, as if he had become a completely different person from the one who had hesitated moments ago.

This wasn’t the time for me to stand still either. I made the connection between his body and soul a little more intricate and raised the purity of the mana that made up his body to the maximum level.

Agtatius seemed to be accumulating internal damage, as he couldn’t keep up with Jeras’s agile movements and kept getting hit. Each powerful blow from Jeras made the black haze writhe violently. I never thought I would witness a “physical exorcism” with my own eyes.

After the intense exorcism ritual had been going on for a while, Jeras landed a solid punch right in Agtatius’s solar plexus, putting his full weight into it.

Ugh, that must have hurt…

“Cough, gaah…!”

Agtatius, who had been knocked to the ground, let out a painful cough. A black lump spat out of his mouth. The black haze surged from his back like a pair of wings.

My intuition screamed. This was the chance to separate Agtatius from Kieryk.

Perfect! I stretched out my hands and chanted the purification spell.

“I, Agtatius, will not kneel to such lowly insects!”

Agtatius screamed. His wail, sharp enough to tear the ears, shook the world around us. Moments later, an enormous surge of mana could be felt from the sky.  

I lifted my head, and at the same time Jeras did as well—both of our faces stiffened.  

The swirling storm clouds had opened at the center. From that hole, flocks of black creatures plummeted. No… not birds. They had bat-like wings—monsters. Even the “storm clouds” weren’t clouds at all, but swarms of those same winged beasts.  

“Eloe!”  

Jeras rushed forward and pulled me into his arms.  

Kaaaak! Kaaaaaak! The monsters cried like crows and hurled their bodies at us. Their beaks tore into Jeras, and from his wounds, mana gushed like blood.  

To replace his drained mana, mine was ripped from me in heavy torrents. A hot mass surged up my throat.  

I clamped my hand over my mouth and leaned against Jeras. My head spun so violently I couldn’t stand on my own.  

“I will kill you all…! I will grant you torments worse than death!”  

The horde of monsters swarmed around Agtatius like a school of fish, then lifted him into the sky. He hadn’t yet fully consumed Kieryk’s body, and the internal damage he had taken was severe—he must have been fleeing to buy time.  

We couldn’t… let him escape.  

That was what both Jeras and I thought, but neither of us had the strength left to give chase.  

In the end, Agtatius vanished into the dark sky. Once the shrill cries and wingbeats of the monsters faded, a heavy silence fell.  

“Stay with me. My lady, stay with me! Eloe!”  

“S-sorry, Jeras… I’m… too—”  

I couldn’t finish. Darkness closed over me.  

***  

“Ah, Lord Agtatius, let me help—krrrgh!”  

A demon’s head flew off and rolled across the floor. Agtatius licked the blood clinging to his long claws. Demon blood had no taste. To recover his strength, he needed human blood.  

He braced one hand against the wall, staggering forward. The ground behind him was smeared with a black, sticky trail—his own blood.  

“You dare to hinder me, servant of Aletheia….”  

The phlegm-choked voice was no longer human—it was closer to a beast’s. At the end of the long corridor, Agtatius slammed a fist into the wall and muttered a short incantation.  

The wall twisted and slowly opened, forming an entrance. Dragging his broken body, he stepped through.  

Beyond the threshold lay the dimensional rift where Agtatius had been sealed. For centuries he had dwelled there, gathering strength. He lured in weak monsters to devour, absorbed the sacrifices his followers brought, and sometimes even consumed those followers themselves. All to reach this point.  

He had waited hundreds of years for the day he would shatter the seal and descend. Aletheia, who had lost a loyal servant in their battle centuries ago, was now powerless. Or so he had thought.  

“Lord Agtatius!”  

Curled like a wounded beast, Agtatius raised his head. Florese came running and, with trembling hands, cupped his face.  

After being battered by Jeras and forcibly infused with light mana, Agtatius’s body was in ruins. His skin was cracked and split, his wings reduced to bare bones.  

To think that a demon said to rival the Creator God himself would return in such a pitiful state.  

If he couldn’t even handle a mere human like Jeras, how could he possibly keep his promise to make Kieryk emperor?  

Seeing the disappointment written plain on Florese’s face, Agtatius growled low in his throat.  

“Bring… a sacrifice.”  

“A sacrifice, my lord…?”  

“Living humans. Any humans will do, so long as they’re alive. The more, the better.”  

Florese nodded lightly and rose to her feet. The imperial palace held countless humans; Agtatius would recover quickly enough.  

“And that human woman—why do you let her live?”  

Once Florese had gone, a demon stepped out from the shadows and asked. Agtatius only exhaled harshly, offering no reply.  

It was unwise to press him when his mood was foul. If he had even a little more strength left, that demon’s head would already be rolling on the ground.  

The demon bowed low, waiting for his master’s command.  

“The gate is open.”  

“Shall we hunt down Aletheia’s servant?”  

“Buy me time. As for that wench—I will kill her myself.”  

“As you command.”  

The demon vanished swiftly. Agtatius rumbled in his chest and wrapped his wings around himself.  

From deep within, a faint light flickered—Kieryk’s consciousness. But it was far too weak, and the darkness swallowed it whole.