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.

as the first one. That is, act as bait and

better time than to get rid of him, it would be

That said.

someone that I could kill. Our rank difference was

didn't need to kill him myself

the Greed clan, I presented another clan with a similar

Greed clan, and how

threw was a signal

backstab me from the

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

attention toward the opposite side,

also

and I saw nothing, my forehead

my timing?...or did they ignore

this was

felt a burst of aura coming from

"You..."

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

'Shit...'

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

Eyes of Chronos, I started

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

Do I have no choice but

"You don't."

it

"What do you mean?"

a little

a slight pause, his voice

serve to alert Jezebeth of your appearance in the Demon

"...You're right."

Jezebeth's power, I became extremely

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 apprehensive

the midst of my thoughts, the

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

situation doesn't really

"You worry too much."

Unlike me, he could freely move in this slowed

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

"...Alright."

eyes and deactivating Eyes of Chronos I raised my

my sword, I activated my sword's effect, and the mana inside of my

time, I activated 'The

an effect on Marquis Atheora as

time he recovered from the effect, I had already gathered

third movement of the [Keiki style] :

Click—!

the air. At the same time my vision started to distort, I saw Marquis Atheora's attack shoot

Boooom—!

it arrived in the area that I was previously standing

out unscathed as I ended up crashing against multiple

Bang—!

"Ukhhh..."

That said.

I had survived.

"It hurts..."

little. I had trouble moving as some of my bones were

quickly chugged down

I recovered the demons in the distance had already

have here. It looks like the information

another demon that bore striking resemblance

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

Sloth clan, they obviously did not refuse it and secretly sent an adequate

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

Sloth clan would make a move against the Greed clan, all they had to do was check

considered a minor

That aside.

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

"Marquis Exion."

Atheora's voice was filled with spite as he said those words. With narrowed