The Author's POV

Fwap—!

Tearing through the red clouds in the sky, a figure flew at high speed with a gentle flap of his wings.

In the course of his journey, he would repeatedly mumble two words.

"White Death…White Death…"

His face was strangely expressionless as he muttered those words.

"A white-haired human? What are the chances of me finding him…"

The figure flying in the sky was Duke Adramalech. The second Duke that overlooked the city of Morian. One of the largest cities in the Pride Clan's domain.

Currently, he was returning from a short trip near the outskirts of the Pride Clan's territory.

He was there to check the situation as a minor conflict arose during that time.

It wasn't a big conflict or anything like that. Nevertheless, that small conflict had enormous political implications.

This was simply because it allowed the participating clans to have a reasonable cause of conflict.

'It was an amusing sight to see…'

A smile spread across the Duke's face as he remembered the sight he had seen during his brief pause. Since the Pride clan had not been involved, all he had to do was enjoy the show that was unfolding before his eyes.

He certainly did. While he regretted having to return before the conflict ended, he nonetheless had to. It was revealed to him that there was something going on in Morian, and that he had to hurry back.

It was an emergency message, and therefore he wasn't aware of the detail. Nevertheless, since Duke Azenoch had still not contacted him, it meant that the situation wasn't that dire.

"I'm almost there."

Staring into the distance, he was soon able to see the outskirts of a large city. It was the city of Morian.

Keeping his wings extended, he slowly began to flap them, casting a shadow over the area below him.

Fwap—!

His body shot toward the city at tremendous speeds. In the midst of his actions, he had a sudden thought.

'...I haven't gotten a response from the spy I planted, did Azenoch figure something out?'

If that was the case, then things would become troublesome. Although they had been keeping their conflicts a secret, for him to suddenly kill his servant…

Halting his thoughts there, his face changed.

"Hm?"

With one more flap of his wings, his body picked up even more speed, and within a few seconds, he was already on the outskirts of the city.

As Duke Adramalech expanded his wings one more time and forced his body to halt mid-air, his gaze changed.

"What happened here? Why is the barrier activated?"

Slowly descending toward the ground, the Duke stared at the city encircled by a large purple barrier. The moment Duke Adramalech caught sight of the barrier, he knew that things were extremely serious.

Particularly since they were only activated in very dangerous situations. One that would even put Duke-ranked demons in trouble.

As he spotted the demon in the distance, Duke Adramalech appeared before him. Grabbing him by the shoulder, he asked.

"What's going on here?"

"H…h..his excellency!"

Duke Adramalech's sudden appearance startled the guard. Suddenly, his look was replaced with one of joy as he stared at the Duke.

"Your excellency! Thank god you're here! Thank god!"

'Since when has anyone been so happy to see me?'

They would usually either cower in fear or show a look of utmost respect. Throughout his life as a Duke, he had never witnessed such a reaction filled with joy.

'Just what is going on here?...Wait.'

thought. Demonic energy threatened to spill out from his

me Azenoch has managed to force the Blood Prince into signing a contract with

The demons' next words, however, caused his

"Duke Azenoch has died..."

"W.."

an attempt to say something, he opened his mouth. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't

piece of news left him too confused to formulate a

wasn't a Duke for

moment to digest the information,

barrier that was raised above the city, he concluded that the demon had been

looks like that bastard Azenoch has died

demonic energy sprang out of his body. A while later, snapping his head in the

exactly

"Yes, your excellency!"

the man known as White Reaper. From how he became the

The demon left nothing.

Duke Adramalech listened, the weirder

did something like this happen within such a short

lasted for a

"Stop for a moment."

midst of the demon's speech, he quickly cut him off. He then

mean to tell me that while I wasn't here, a

Duke, the demon opened his mouth and

it, your

"Mhh…"

the Duke's brows tightened even more. In an attempt to sense a presence, he closed

of the Duke

'Did he perhaps escape?'

shook his

possible, the barrier surrounding the city would've been destroyed if he had chosen to

wings. It was only a matter of

His destination.

The arena.

***

'What are you doing?'

still under his control, I watched as he walked around the room. Over

I going to get my

"Not yet."

do you mean not

My heart sank.

other self casually placed his hand on the desk, he looked around. There was something he

control of

'I can?'

"Yes."

His eyes soon

you would end up suffering the after-effects of using the

'After effects?'

after-effects of using

to try

smile. Before I could reply, my vision distorted slightly,

fist,

"...I don't feel anything."

at my hands, and trying to feel every

"Is there really a—!"

I found my mouth frozen on

Pain.

that I could feel, as it came radiating in crashing waves that threaten to drown

more inexplicable pain, but it never lasted long before the other pain returned

"Haa..."

"Wake up."

consciousness returned, the pain had

then that my mouth

think you

didn't answer immediately. It was only after half a

you not

that I

describe it in words. It was something that I