I am feeling fear right now.
Something incomprehensible, something I don’t even dare to imagine.
It’s an unfathomable fear that comes from the unknown. Darker than the abyss, crazier than madness, it stood right in front of me.
‘… What is that?’
I thought, my hands trembling.
Did I just say it doesn’t look like a demon?
No, it was more demonic than anything else. To hide such a terrible heart beneath that ordinary appearance!
Chills ran down my spine, and cold sweat trickled down my limbs.
I deliberately spoke harshly to dispel my fear.
“Guess that demon brat has quite the sinister taste.”
“Well… it seems you’re quite narrow-minded. They say a human’s lifespan is limited, so shouldn’t you experience as much as you can?”
I wouldn’t want to include that in my experiences.
While I frowned, it continued talking.
“And I don’t just indulge in blue. If someone is charming, I welcome that. After all, joy is something to be shared and doubled, isn’t it?”
“… Seere.”
So, does that mean as long as it tastes good, it’s fine?
“You are a life that should not exist.”
True to the name of a demon, it seemed to have no care for moral ethics.
In the face of that horror, I could only stuck my tongue out in disbelief.
“Don’t be like that; why not give it a try? I’m sure you’ll like it.”
Instead of answering, I raised my middle finger towards him.
“… That’s unfortunate.”
Its face stiffened slightly.
“Then, I have no choice but to forcibly introduce you to it. Don’t worry; you’ll definitely like it.”
As it spoke those words, it lunged at me.
I cursed as I brandished my dagger again.
“Fuck…!”
The ground is going to swallow me!
Faced with the terrifying fact that my sanity might slip away, I had no choice but to get serious.
Dodging its incoming palm strike, I immediately kicked out.
I didn’t forget to circulate mana throughout my body for physical enhancement. The strong body granted by the demon’s blood, combined with the added vitality from mana, created a fusion of power.
As the muscles that had been contracted to their limits relaxed, a massive energy erupted from my toes.
For now, it blocked my attack like before.
Ploosh—!
“Ugh…?”
Though it was pushed backward while still in a defensive posture.
It felt like kicking steel, but this time I definitely caused some damage.
Even if it was a demon, that didn’t mean my attacks wouldn’t work.
Realizing this, I couldn’t help but inwardly shout for joy.
Yes! With this, I can defend my backside!
While I was thinking this, I heard its voice from across.
“… Impressive.”
A voice laced with admiration. Yet its expression remained perfectly calm.
It still had the upper hand.
To remove that composure, I charged in again.
Gripping my dagger in reverse, I aimed for its chest. A faint blade aura enveloped the dagger.
A sharp and threatening strike.
However, as the dagger was about to reach its target, it didn’t evade. Instead, that faint smile grew even more pronounced, as if it was aiming for something—
‘?’
I sensed something unusual, but it was already too late. Who could even imagine what would happen next?
Swish—
My dagger, which had been moving smoothly, suddenly vanished.
As if it teleported, it reappeared in Seere’s hands.
With the dagger it had stolen, it said, “You cannot rely on the utility of a weapon in front of me.”
“…!”
I quickly retracted my body.
However, it wasn’t easy to forcefully counter the inertia of a body that had already charged.
As a result, I had no choice but to endure a minor injury.
Slish—
With that sound, a small gash appeared on my forearm from the dagger.
With a sting, droplets of blood gathered on my forearm. Honestly, the injury wasn’t a big deal. It would heal up quickly anyway.
The problem was its reaction to seeing me regenerate.
“Oh?”
As the wound healed at an abnormal speed, a glint of interest appeared in Seere’s eyes.
“You… you’re an Innate User, aren’t you?”
“Haah…”
True to form, that demon brat quickly caught on to the magical energy.
“The mana I feel is quite dense. My, who is the source of your blood? Bual? Morax? Gamigin? Whoever it is, they must be quite strong.”
“Yeah, I’m curious too.”
If I knew, I would’ve probably gone looking for them first to take their head.
“I’m even more curious now. I have to take you with me.”
As it said that, it suddenly used its ability again. A sword suddenly appeared in its remaining hand. It was a general-purpose sword often carried by guards for self-defense.
I guessed from that it was likely summoning items from somewhere.
In many ways, it was a troublesome ability. Especially since it didn’t match well with my fighting style.
For someone like me who alternates between combat styles, not being able to use weapons would be a huge disadvantage.
Unless I had something to reinforce me, bare-handed I wasn’t as tough as steel.
“Run away!”
From a distance, I heard Haneul’s urgent shout again.
It was clear that it was strong and tricky. To adventurers who wield weapons, this guy was like a calamity.
But should I really run away like this? Letting it be after it figured out I’m an Innate User?
‘… No.’
I can’t let that happen.
At the very least, I should land a solid hit on its face.
“Well, I’ve been feeling pretty frustrated lately.”
To be honest, perfectly dodging attacks isn’t really my style.
I had just been careful not to give any clues about the demon’s blood. But if I’ve already been found out, then it no longer matters.
After all, I have an incredible regeneration ability, so why should I bother aiming for a no-hit clear?
Even if it hurts a bit, fighting while taking some hits would be more threatening.
Bam!
Finally, its sword charged at me.
Was it trying to capture me? Rather than aiming for my neck, it aimed for my arms and legs. I deliberately didn’t dodge but instead dove into it.
Slish—
I got cut near my shoulder, blood oozing out. I couldn’t avoid the injury, but by diving in, I was able to reduce the damage.
As I turned, its unguarded flank became visible. Confusion flitted across its face.
“What?”
Giving up flesh for bone. No, even if I had to give up bone, I wouldn’t care.
If I give it time, I would recover, and I’d have the advantage. The principle of equivalent exchange is my strategy; pursuing attacks over evasion is the way to victory.
I condensed mana into my fist instead of using a weapon. My body was enhanced, and a solid barrier arose over my previously frail skin.
Then, without hesitation, I drove my fist into its side.
“Ugh…!”
For the first time, a painful groan escaped from it.
The pattern after that was quite similar.
*
Seere, ranked 70th and known as the Demon of Thieves.
Having only recently appeared in the world, he was experiencing bewilderment for the first time in nearly hundreds of years.
Being pushed back by a single human rather than a whole army.
Thud! Ploosh! Bam!
With every blow from my hand and foot, Seere took a step back.
Though each individual strike wasn’t that powerful, it was enough to inflict damage.
Seere swung its sword desperately to shake me off, but even that was not easy.
Because I was sticking to it, disregarding any injuries.
‘So reckless.’
Yor bore minor injuries, but he healed quickly.
‘… And sharp.’
It was avoiding deadly attacks with ghost-like movement, leaving Seere in utter frustration.
This meant that I wasn’t just charging forward mindlessly.
In the fleeting moments of crossing blades and bodies, I was calculating my losses and gains down to the finest detail.
Should I go in? Or would it be wiser to take a step back?
Getting cut by a sword is undoubtedly a loss, but if I could close the distance, then it was bearable.
I was making that judgement every moment. An astonishingly keen situational awareness.
Where on earth did it learn such capabilities on a battlefield?
‘This is dangerous.’
Thanks to that, I felt a sense of crisis. After all, I hadn’t unleashed all my powers yet.
Though my physical form had been liberated by the cult’s sacrifice, a lot of my power remained sealed below. It would still take time to reclaim all of my physical strength.
Of course, that alone was enough to boast considerable power, so there weren’t too many worries… but I never expected to encounter such a human here.
And that was the moment.
Thwack—
Yor, who had charged inwards, grabbed Seere’s two hands. This effectively halted Seere’s sword strike, yet Yor was likewise restrained.
Seere wondered what it was trying to accomplish in this state.
Then it didn’t take long to find out.
Yor’s head tilted back briefly, then charged forward with all his might.
Thwack!
With a dull sound, blood sprayed into the air. Both Yor and Seere were now stained red.
In the end, a headbutt was a mutual destructive strike that inflicted damage on both attacker and target. That was something Yor did without hesitation.
“Ugh! You ignorant—!”
Blood streamed from Seere’s nose.
A dull pain radiated from the center of its face. The world around it spun as its head swayed.
That situation was likely the same for Yor, but a smile spread instead at the corner of his mouth. With blood trickling from his forehead, he muttered.
“Serves you right, you gay bastard.”
At that, Seere couldn’t help but stick out his tongue in disbelief.
‘This guy is seriously insane.’
This was genuinely dangerous. And Seere found itself having a rather embarrassing thought for a demon of such high rank.
‘… I need to retreat.’
If I stick around any longer, I might actually be destroyed. I had just been resurrected and couldn’t afford to be sent back to hell again.
But how to escape?
Looking at the other side, it seemed he was firmly following my trail.
Would I truly be able to join up with the cult members waiting in the back alley? Concern spread across Seere’s face.
Just then, at the entrance of the slum, someone’s voice rang out.
“Stop! Where is the demon!”
Dozens of armored humans clad in full plate.
“Hm?”
It was the knight order.
