The Author's POV

"Tell me why... you have a demon on your finger."

As soon as Douglas's words faded, the atmosphere instantly froze. The echo of his words chilled the very air, creating a palpable tension.

"What's going on?"

Feeling that something was gravely wrong, Waylan looked at Douglas.

Staring at the two for a while, I tapped the ring on my finger after letting out a long sigh.

'This isn't going to be easy.'

"Looks like I can no longer hide it. Come out, Angelica."

SHUU—

At my call, black steam rose from my hand, much to Waylan's surprise. A stunning woman materialized next to me.

Having just canceled her taxing transformation, Angelica's face was extremely pale, and she barely had any strength to defend herself.

"Need a hand?"

Seeing how weak she was, I offered to lend her a hand, but she swiftly refused it.

"——!"

The moment she appeared, Waylan, who was next to Douglas, finally realized what was going on.

He suddenly became wary.

"A demon…"

A threatening aura suddenly sprang out of his body, aiming towards the currently weakened Angelica.

However, just as the pressure was about to crash against Angelica, Douglas waved his hand. The pressure instantly disappeared.

"Stop."

"Douglas?!"

Waylan cried out in surprise, evidently confused by Douglas's actions. Raising his hand, Douglas calmly looked at Waylan.

"Wait."

Turning his head, Douglas scanned Angelica up and down. A frown emerged on his usually calm face.

Opening his mouth, he asked,

"Have the demons advanced so much that their stealth abilities have become nigh undetectable?"

"It's her skill,"

I replied in Angelica's stead.

"She has a special skill that allows her to turn into any object she wants. The downside, as you can see, is her current, weakened state, where for a while she has no demonic energy in her body. However, because of this skill, it becomes extremely easy for her to infiltrate most areas."

"Oh?"

Humming in thought, Douglas took a step forward, walking towards Angelica who fearlessly stared at him from where she stood.

She seemed unafraid and proud while she matched eyes with a seemingly overwhelming opponent. She looked dauntless.

Halting a few meters away from Angelica, Douglas continued to stare at her. She coldly looked back at him, not letting her gaze falter for a moment.

"..."

"..."

Their staredown continued for what felt like forever, till finally, turning his head to face me, Douglas pointed towards the seats.

"I think we still have a bit to talk about."

Slowly closing my eyes, I looked at Angelica before nodding my head and heading back to the seats.

"I understand."

***

At the same time.

[Lock, Leviathan building.]

Flip—! Flip—!

The sound of pages being flipped echoed inside of a room.

Sitting behind a large wooden desk, dimly lit by a small lamp, Kevin's eyes darted between each page of the novel. He carefully read each line twice to make sure he didn't miss a single detail.

Before long, his finger paused in front of a certain page.

Leaning forward to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, Kevin's face changed from one filled with seriousness to one filled with absolute shock.

"…N-no way."

hand holding onto the page of the book trembled as Kevin

demon, three translucent

Bang—!

to enter the demon's attack range, he stomped his foot on the ground and tried to force his body to a halt. However, it wasn't

he had expected

disc appeared towards his left. What followed the first disc

on the left ring before he propelled himself towards the right one, where he repeated

already upon it. The demon's face finally

out a low cry, a powerful wave of mana suddenly burst out

"Huuup!"

[Keiki style], ***** opted to apply

sword,

however, as the moment the Baron-ranked demon was about to block the attack, using the last ring, ***** used the

"Puchi!"

from above, creating a misty rain of

it's not

the book, Kevin moved back. A look of complete

he still be alive? I-I watched

terrifying explosion, the

possible? How could

No, he didn't want to believe it. How could he? How could he suddenly accept the fact

accept such

didn't understand who the

it be

best friend that he thought he had lost more than a year

lips, Kevin

"Haa...haa... Let's calm down."

It just wasn't possible for him to remain cool-headed.

this, perhaps, be a recount of

seeing

the Baron ranked demon was about to

"Haa…"

knew that it was impossible. He knew Ren's real

impossible for the previous Ren to kill a Baron-ranked

"Ugh..."

head started

a groan, Kevin's knees buckled

onto his head, Kevin supported his body by holding the top of

stinging sensation, the

"Argh..."

head intensified as the

eyes with his hand, it wasn't long before the

"… What just happened?"

a couple of times, Kevin's eyes flashed with

Kevin stared at

his eyes landed on the book, Kevin's eyes opened widely. That was because the black mist covering the name

the side of his mouth, a subtle green glow enveloped the

his body explosively shot towards

"This…"

chair as he

It really is

mind was a mess.

out that his best friend was alive, there was something else that Kevin

world had happened to him, and why did he fake his death? How did he even survive such

and more questions flooded Kevin's

eyes landed

knew that the

Flip—! Flip—!

single detail. Now that he knew

"Hehe…"

pages, Kevin's face

would sometimes frown, oftentimes be

his friend became. Though he was in the middle of a war, he seemed to be

demons and was getting along

"Hah?"

page. Frowning, Kevin leaned

face turned

tried his best to suppress his uneven

conversation, the smile on the headmaster's face

and put a bounty on me. Because of the bounty, I was forced to leave the human

slightly. For a while, he

Bang—!

"What?!"

pounded the

sound of his fists clenching tightly

"Union!"

glared at the book. For them to do what they

out the one guy

them to betray Ren like that when he had helped them, those

"Haa...haaa..."

up a piece of paper beside him,

when he read about Ren's plans regarding the Union did Kevin finally