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.

one. That is, act as bait and lure them

now injured, if there was a better time than to get

That said.

someone that I could kill. Our rank difference was just

need to kill

I had convinced him to ambush the

how the Sloth clan was planning on ambushing the Greed clan, and how they could use this opportunity

threw was a signal for

planned to backstab me from

out of it, I felt a malicious and terrifying glare directed in

opposite side, the southern area. This was only

also be

distance and I saw nothing, my forehead started

mismatch my timing?...or did

so, this was going

of aura coming from behind

"You..."

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

'Shit...'

the terrifying aura that was directed in my direction, I once again turned to look into the distance. Yet again,

I started to

throttle as I tried to figure out my next course

bust. Do I have no choice but to go with

"You don't."

from beside me. As usual, it was the

"What do you mean?"

a little bit

a slight pause, his

that using that power will only serve to alert Jezebeth of your appearance in the Demon

"...You're right."

I

then he had only sent a clone to fight me. What if he showed up in his full form? Wouldn't I just die with a

extremely

midst of my thoughts, the other me

ideal. Later on, you might need to tap into that 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 fewer demons know about you being a human. If they are made aware of

the situation doesn't really

"You worry too much."

Unlike me, he could freely move in this slowed down

more minutes. If something doesn't happen by

"...Alright."

of Chronos I raised my

set of 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 of my

time, I activated 'The

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

from the effect, I had already gathered enough

the [Keiki style]

Click—!

and a low clicking sound rang in the air. At the same time my vision started

Boooom—!

a split second, it arrived in the area that

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

Bang—!

"Ukhhh..."

That said.

I had survived.

"It hurts..."

little. I had trouble moving as some of my

down a couple of

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

we have here. It looks like the

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

he was an executive coming from the Gluttony

opportunity to deal damage to the Sloth clan, they obviously did not refuse it and secretly sent

would believe in my plan at first, but it wasn't exactly hard to confirm my

Greed clan, all they had to do was check for any movement, and from there, they were able

could be considered a minor conflict.

That aside.

the off-chance that

"Marquis Exion."

Atheora's voice was filled with spite as he said those words. With narrowed eyes, demonic energy rose