The Author's POV

Hearing Edward's brittle voice that was pent up with all his emotions, I smiled softly.

"Sorry, I had to take a little detour."

Clank—! Clank—!

With my sword unsheathed, I hacked at the chains that bound him and freed his arms and legs.

Following the release of the chains, he started to fall down. In response, I lowered my body and pressed my hand on his shoulder, preventing his fall.

"Are you okay?"

"…yeah."

Glancing at me, Edward had a bitter look on his face.

"It's been a while since I've moved, and with my mana sealed for this long, my muscles just gave out."

"It's alright. I'll help you out for now."

Supporting Edward's body up, I helped him out of the room. On our way out, Edward opened his mouth and asked.

"…Did you do it?"

His voice sounded rather weak and frail. Glancing at him from the corner of my eyes, I nodded.

"Yeah."

When I recalled my other self's conversation with the Duke, there were times when I was afraid that the deal would've fallen apart.

Especially during that time, my other self had threatened him.

If there was one thing you learned at the Lock about demons, it was never to threaten a demon belonging to the Pride clan.

If he hadn't been wary of the rumors about my strength, I would've been afraid he would have just attacked me then and there.

Fortunately, my other self knew when to back down, and from there was able to make a deal with the Duke.

Thankfully, I didn't have to give anything up. Initially, the Duke was against the idea of me keeping my stuff, but considering what he would gain, he eventually relented.

It wasn't every day he would get a core belonging to a Duke-ranked demon. Furthermore, with multiple alibis pointing out the fact that I had killed him, he could consume it without worrying.

No Duke would refuse such a tempting offer.

Well, it wasn't like my other self gave him any choice to begin with.

"Took you a while."

While I was carrying Edward on my shoulders, appearing right in front of us was Lightning Dragon.

His appearance shocked Edward as he looked at me.

"What is he doing here?"

Nodding in Lightning Dragon's direction, I glanced at Edward.

"He's our ticket out of the Demon Realm."

"Our ticket out?"

"Yeah. He knows of a portal that can lead us back to earth."

Edward's face relaxed as soon as he heard those words. Staring in Lightning Dragon's direction, he nodded his head.

"I'll be in your care."

"Don't worry about it."

Waving his hand to brush him off, Lightning Dragon took a couple of black robes from his dimensional space and handed them to us.

"For now it's best if you wear this."

"Sure."

"Okay."

Simultaneously nodding our heads, Edward and I took the hoodies and put them on.

This was something that the Duke had ordered.

Since he was planning on consuming the core, he couldn't let it seem as though he was working with me.

If it did, his plans would instantly crumble. Well, that was unless he decided to kill all witnesses, and realistically speaking, that was a bit more of a hassle than doing things this way.

"So…"

In the midst of putting on the robe, I suddenly heard Edward's voice.

I turned my head to look his way. Did he need something?

His next words made my expression harden.

"…I've been meaning to ask this for quite a while, but what's your relationship with my daughter?"

"Ehm…"

Scratching the side of my cheek, I carefully answered.

"The both of us attended the same academy, so we can say we're classmates."

Honestly, it was a bit more complicated than that, but my gut told me to leave it as it was.

"I see.."

As Edward raised the hoodie to cover his face, he nodded his head.

me on the

was just curious. No need

he walked

to stare at his back, I secretly

I felt an incredible pressure coming out

channeling his mana

'Overprotective dad…'

followed him from behind and caught up with Lightning Dragon who looked at me with a

"What?"

interested in

glare, I turned around and

hoodie on and let's go. We don't

*

"This way…"

Edward and another figure, navigated

current destination was the portal Lightning Dragon used to travel to the

demon realm to earth, there was only one way to get there, and that was through portal devices they created. Not only

the fact that dungeon desyncs could be used to access the demon realm, the same could not be

dungeon was through the portals that were set up

I stared at Lightning Dragon who was a

we have left

"We're here."

abruptly halted

around the place. It soon dawned

head to glance at

exactly is

"Eh…"

embarrassingly scratched the side of his

surroundings, a

"…I forgot."

"Shit."

words,

about his crappy

he is the key to

my other self who was the one that told me that Lightning Dragon

"You don't remember?"

the forest. Sharing

say that you knew

"I did."

Dragon, no, Liam

that it's

to look at the other figure that was with

perhaps know of a way to

"...I can try."

the figure lowered his hood and displayed his horns before nodding his head and

can help out

to lend a hand as he too started to look for the

back on one of the threes,

Duke had

coordinates of the two locations in order to set up a portal. And since the Duke had never been to earth, we

Demonic energy was required in order to activate the portal, and since none of us could use it, the

was part of the

"Haaa…"

long and tired sigh and stared at the sky. Although I wanted to help, my body was still aching from the side effect of the skill, and although the

hope

But...

an hour eventually passed, and the results remained the same. My mouth

'How useless.'

help out as

realizing just how

take

"I've found it!"

as I was about to start searching, I heard Liam's

then appeared in the distance holding a

"You found it?"

Edward walked up to him before looking at the

"Can you activate it?"

"Yes."

Liam's hand, demonic energy suddenly sprang out from the

Crack. Crack. Crack.

demon channeled his demonic energy, thin black threads appeared in the air,

a black portal started to appear

on the demon's face while the portal was forming. It was evident that it took him a lot of

"Haaa…haa…haa…I'm done."

echoed throughout the

done a

the demon, I calmly patted my

doing

Crack—

in his abdomen area and broke his

also

this, given the deal I made with the

that

was part of the agreement we

took the demon a few seconds to disintegrate after I cracked the core. But once he did, a breeze brushed past, scattering what remained

I glanced toward the portal before turning my attention

It's

***

Duke Adramalech's voice.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Duke Adramalech stared at a

soon, give this to him if you

"An acquaintance?"

was he talking about? Duke Adramalech had no

at the figure, the

he couldn't feel