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."

onto the page of the book trembled as Kevin had trouble keeping himself

the demon, three translucent yellow rings appeared, revolving

Bang—!

he stomped his foot on the ground and tried to force his body to a halt.

had

What followed the first disc was a second

the air, ***** softly landed on the left ring before he

react, ***** was already upon it.

low cry, a powerful wave of mana suddenly burst out

"Huuup!"

making use of the [Keiki style], ***** opted to apply a

sword, he

regular swing, however, as the moment the Baron-ranked demon was about to block the attack, using the last ring, ***** used the gravitational effect and changed the

"Puchi!"

poured down from above, creating

it's not

back. A look

he still be alive? I-I watched

terrifying explosion, the mourning,

How could he

How could he? How could he suddenly accept the fact that his friend, who he thought

could he accept such a sick

if he didn't understand who the person in the book

could it be but

that he thought he had lost more than a

lips, Kevin tried

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

wasn't possible for him to

this, perhaps, be a recount of

seeing was what had happened to Ren

moment the Baron ranked demon was about to block

"Haa…"

that it was impossible.

it was impossible for the

"Ugh..."

that Kevin's head started to

a groan, Kevin's knees

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

stinging sensation, the

"Argh..."

head intensified as

eyes with his hand, it

"… What just happened?"

couple of times, Kevin's eyes flashed with

at the book

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

his mouth, a subtle green glow enveloped the bottom of Ren's

shot towards the demon, like a sharp

"This…"

chair as he absentmindedly stared at the

shoes… It really

was a mess.

finding out that his best friend

did he fake his death? How did he even survive such

more questions flooded Kevin's

Kevin's eyes landed

knew that the

Flip—! Flip—!

that he knew that Ren was the person in the book, he wanted

"Hehe…"

through the pages, Kevin's face would

frown, oftentimes be taken aback, and

was in the middle

Baron-ranked demons and was getting

"Hah?"

his hand paused on a certain page. Frowning, Kevin leaned back slightly. The more

face turned

he tried

the headmaster's face slowly started to fade

the Monolith and put a bounty on me. Because of the bounty, I was forced to leave the human domain. It is also

slightly. For a while, he didn't

Bang—!

"What?!"

pounded the table

of his fists clenching tightly

"Union!"

glared at the book. For them to do what they

sell out the one guy that saved your

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

"Haa...haaa..."

him, Kevin tried his

about Ren's plans regarding the Union did Kevin finally manage to