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.

essentially the same as the first one. That is, act as bait and lure

a better time than to get rid of

That said.

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

didn't need to kill him myself

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

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

I just threw was a

backstab me from the very

terrifying glare directed in my direction. Without needing to look, I already knew

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

also

looked in the distance and I saw

my timing?...or did they

this was going

suddenly felt a burst of

"You..."

shook the air, and the area around me started to

'Shit...'

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

I started to assess the

inside of my head started to run at full throttle as I

bust. Do I have no choice but to

"You don't."

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

"What do you mean?"

little

a slight pause, his

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

"...You're right."

power, I

a clone to fight me. What if he showed up in his full form? Wouldn't

made me extremely

thoughts, the other

skill now will not be 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 your presence, all clans

doesn't really

"You worry too much."

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

it a couple of more minutes. If something doesn't happen by

"...Alright."

deactivating Eyes of Chronos I raised my head and met Marquis

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 body started to circulate at a

same time, I

it didn't have too much of an effect on Marquis Atheora as it only worked to distract him for a split

time he recovered from the effect, I had

the

Click—!

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

Boooom—!

split second, it arrived in the area that I

extreme speed, I 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..."

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

quickly chugged down a couple

the demons in the distance had already arrived and

we have here. It looks

the air as another demon that bore

was an executive coming from the Gluttony clan. A clan that wasn't on good terms with the Sloth clan, the clan Marquis Atheora

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

exactly sure they would believe in my plan at first, but it wasn't exactly

against the Greed clan, all they

could be considered a minor conflict. It wasn't

That aside.

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

"Marquis Exion."

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