The Author's POV

My next set of actions was quick.

As I was dealing with a Marquis-ranked demon, every little second mattered.

Taking out a stack of magic cards from my dimensional system, I injected them with my mana before throwing them in the air.

Swiping my hand, three rings formed around the igniting cards.

By the time the cards were about to fully ignite, the rigs turned red and a small ball of fire resembling a sun was contained in the middle of the rings.

"Go."

With a simple wave, the rings flew toward the sky.

"What's this?"

Catching sight of the ball of fire, Marquis Atheora reached his hand out. But it was already too late.

BOOOM—!

A large cloud of fire bloomed in the air and accompanying it was a thunderous explosion.

The fire receded after a couple of seconds, but it served its purpose.

"Anytime now..."

"You."

Feeling Marquis Atheora's gaze land on me, I raised my head and stared back at him.

Slowly descending to the ground, he looked back at the area where I threw my attack.

"What were you trying to do?"

"Testing something."

"...You seriously want me to believe that?"

Raising his head, he smelled the air. His face changed a little.

"This sensation..."

I felt his gaze pause on me, as he carefully scrutinized my body. After a while, his eyes opened up.

"You...You're not a demon."

'Ah, looks like the cat is out of the bag...'

In order to make it seem like I was a demon, I had placed a couple of cores inside of my body. By simply creating a thin coating of mana, I stopped the demons from regenerating, and in the process, created an effect that made it seem as though I had demonic energy inside of my body.

This was a trick that I learned from my other-self.

It was quite a useful one at that as it really helped me out quite a bit. Without it, I would've probably been found out in the first month.

Had it not been for my last attack that left some lingering mana in the air, Marquis Atheora would have never found out.

"A pity..."

I muttered underneath my breath.

"I don't know how you—"

Stopping himself mid-sentence, Marquis Atheora's head snapped toward the distance. It was then that he managed to spot several demons heading his way, coming from the northern side.

His face finally changed.

"This..."

Staring at him from below, I smiled from behind my mask.

"It looks like someone noticed all of the commotions you've caused."

Not quite.

From the moment that I decided to help him out, I knew that he was going to try to silence me. Even if he wasn't, I wasn't still going to go through with my plans.

first one. That is, act as

if there was a better time

That said.

injured, he wasn't someone that I could kill. Our rank difference was

didn't need to kill him

to ambush the Greed clan, I presented another clan

was planning on ambushing the Greed clan, and how they could

fireball I just threw was a signal

planned to backstab me from the very

glare directed in my direction. Without needing

toward the opposite side, the southern area. This

should also

the distance and

mismatch my timing?...or did

was

of aura coming

"You..."

air, and the area around me started to twist. Turning around, I realized that Marquis Atheora was

'Shit...'

in my direction, I once again

I started to assess

head started to run at full throttle as I tried to figure out

to be a bust. Do

"You don't."

voice rang from beside me. As usual, it was the other me appearing

"What do you mean?"

little

pause, his voice became

in mind that using that power will only serve to alert Jezebeth of your

"...You're right."

I

me. What if he showed

thought made me extremely apprehensive about using my

thoughts,

save it for then. Not only that but it's best if fewer demons know about you being a human. If they are made aware

situation doesn't

"You worry too much."

his head, he stared into the distance. Unlike me, he could freely move in

minutes. If something doesn't happen by then, you can go ahead with

"...Alright."

eyes and deactivating Eyes of Chronos I raised my head and

sheath of my sword,

time, I

a bit more than one rank, it didn't have too much of an effect on Marquis Atheora as it only worked to distract him

the effect, I had already gathered

movement of the [Keiki style] : Void

Click—!

same time my vision started to distort, I saw Marquis

Boooom—!

in the area that I

out unscathed as I ended up crashing against multiple trees, and felt tremendous pain invade every part

Bang—!

"Ukhhh..."

That said.

I had survived.

"It hurts..."

I lifted my body up a little. I had trouble moving as some of my bones were

chugged down a couple

the time I recovered the demons in the distance had already arrived and had surrounded

who we have here. It looks like the information wasn't

another demon that bore striking resemblance to

he was, but I knew that he was an executive coming from the Gluttony clan. A

Sloth clan, they obviously did not refuse it

would believe in my plan at first,

a move against the Greed clan, all they had to do was check for any movement, and from

could be considered a minor conflict.

That aside.

doubt that they had set countermeasures in the off-chance that this was also a trap,

"Marquis Exion."

those words. With narrowed eyes, demonic energy rose