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.

the first one. That is, act as bait

a better time than to get

That said.

wasn't someone that I could kill.

didn't need to kill him myself

just like I had convinced him to ambush the Greed clan, I presented

on ambushing the Greed clan, and how they could use this opportunity to deal damage to

fireball I just threw was a signal for

actually planned to backstab me from the

me out of it, I felt a malicious and terrifying glare directed in my direction. Without needing to look, I already knew who it

my direction my attention toward the opposite side, the southern area. This

should also

looked in the distance and I saw nothing, my forehead

I mismatch my timing?...or did they ignore my

so, this was going to be

felt a burst of aura coming from

"You..."

voice shook the air, and the area around me started to twist. Turning around, I

'Shit...'

once again turned to

Chronos, I started

at full throttle as I tried

be a bust. Do I have no choice but to go with plan

"You don't."

it was the

"What do you mean?"

little

slight pause, his voice became

serve to alert

"...You're right."

power, I became extremely

What if he showed up in his full form? Wouldn't I just

extremely

midst of my thoughts, the other

power in order to save Amanda's father. It's best if you save it for then. Not only that but it's best if

doesn't really

"You worry too much."

his head, he stared into the distance. Unlike me, he

If something doesn't happen by then, you can

"...Alright."

deactivating Eyes of Chronos I raised my

actions all happened within a fraction of a second. Placing my hand on the sheath of my sword, I activated my sword's effect, and the mana inside

same time,

difference was a bit more than one rank, it didn't have too much of an effect

time he recovered from the effect,

of the [Keiki

Click—!

vision distorted, and a low clicking sound rang in the air. At the same time my vision started to distort, I saw Marquis Atheora's attack shoot in the direction of where I

Boooom—!

the

was unable to come out unscathed as I ended up crashing against multiple trees, and felt

Bang—!

"Ukhhh..."

That said.

I had survived.

"It hurts..."

my teeth, I lifted my body up a little. I had trouble moving as some of my bones were broken, but it was

down a

in the distance had

It looks like the information

sadistic voice echoed throughout the air as another demon that bore striking resemblance to Marquis Atheora stepped

didn't know exactly who he was, but I knew that he was an executive coming from the Gluttony clan. A clan that wasn't on good terms with the Sloth clan,

with an opportunity to deal damage to the Sloth clan, they obviously

exactly sure they would believe in my plan at first, but

clan would make a move against the Greed clan, all they had to do was check for any movement, and from there, they were able

this could be considered a minor conflict. It wasn't

That aside.

countermeasures in the off-chance that this was also a trap, but

"Marquis Exion."

spite as he said those words. With narrowed eyes, demonic energy rose from his body