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."

holding onto the page of the book trembled as

of the demon, three translucent yellow rings appeared, revolving

Bang—!

***** was about to enter the demon's attack range, he stomped his foot on the ground and tried to force his body to a halt. However,

had

towards his left. What followed the first disc was a second that stopped

in the air, ***** softly landed on the left ring before he propelled himself towards the right one, where he

it. The

cry, a powerful wave of mana

"Huuup!"

style], ***** opted to apply

his sword,

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

"Puchi!"

poured down from above, creating

it's not possible. I-…impossible.

book, Kevin moved back. A look of

can he still be alive? I-I watched him

terrifying explosion, the mourning, the

possible? How could he still

believe it. How could he? How could he suddenly accept the fact that his friend, who he

could he accept such

didn't understand who

else could it

friend that he thought he had lost more than a

Kevin tried to calm himself

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

vain. It just wasn't possible

perhaps, be a recount

a possibility. Perhaps what he was seeing was what had

the Baron ranked demon was about to block

"Haa…"

sentence, Kevin knew that it

for the previous Ren

"Ugh..."

head started to sting out

out a groan,

Kevin supported his body by

the book started to

"Argh..."

in his head intensified as the

eyes with his hand, it wasn't long

"… What just happened?"

times, Kevin's eyes flashed

up, Kevin stared at the book

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

of his mouth, a subtle green glow

shot towards the

"This…"

slumped back on his chair as he absentmindedly stared

It really

head with both hands, Kevin's mind was a mess. He couldn't make heads or

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

in the world had happened to him, and why did he fake his

more questions flooded Kevin's

eyes landed on the

knew that the

Flip—! Flip—!

Kevin quickly read through every part, without missing a single detail. Now that he knew that Ren was the person in the book, he wanted

"Hehe…"

through the pages, Kevin's face would change from

sometimes frown, oftentimes be taken aback,

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

multiple Baron-ranked demons and was getting along with the other

"Hah?"

Kevin leaned

face turned

story, he tried his best to

on the headmaster's face slowly started to

put a bounty on me. Because of the bounty, I was

forward, the headmaster's eyes ripples slightly. For a while, he didn't say

Bang—!

"What?!"

pounded the

clenching tightly resounded in the

"Union!"

as he glared at the book. For them to do what they

sell out the one guy

that when he had helped them, those bastards. Kevin's rage was reaching

"Haa...haaa..."

paper beside him, Kevin tried his best to

regarding