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

just curious. No

he walked up

his back, I secretly

I felt an incredible pressure coming out of his body that

channeling his mana or anything of

'Overprotective dad…'

and caught up with Lightning Dragon who looked at me with a strange look on

"What?"

interested in

a glare, I turned around

on and let's go. We don't

*

"This way…"

along with Edward and

Dragon used to travel to the demon

through portal devices they created. Not only that, but

be used to access the demon realm,

only way to enter a dungeon was through the portals that

at Lightning Dragon who was a little bit up ahead, and

have

"We're here."

abruptly halted his

curiously looked around the place. It soon dawned on me that we were

my head to glance at Lightning

is this

"Eh…"

Lightning Dragon embarrassingly scratched the

another look at his surroundings, a wry smile appeared on his

"…I forgot."

"Shit."

words, I

forgot about his crappy

that he is the

course directed to my other self who was the one that told me that Lightning Dragon was the only one that

"You don't remember?"

the forest. Sharing

say that you knew a way

"I did."

no, Liam

know that

he turned to look

you perhaps know of a way to sense where the portal

"...I can try."

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

can help out

hand as he too started to look

one of the

the Duke had his own

of the two locations in order to set up a portal. And since the

order to activate the portal, and since none of us could use it,

of the

"Haaa…"

tired sigh and stared at the sky. Although I wanted to help, my body was still

hope they would

But...

and the

'How useless.'

help out

surroundings. But upon realizing just how

my take

"I've found it!"

to start searching,

distance holding

"You found it?"

with relief and excitement, Edward walked up to

"Can you activate it?"

"Yes."

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

Crack. Crack. Crack.

channeled his demonic energy, thin black threads appeared in the air, and minuscule tearing sounds could

a black portal started

on the demon's face while the portal was forming. It was evident that it took him a lot of demonic energy to activate the portal. In the end, he struggled for a couple

"Haaa…haa…haa…I'm done."

echoed throughout

done a good

demon, I calmly patted

only doing

Crack—

his abdomen area and broke his core before he could

also doing this

I didn't want to do this, given the deal I made with the Duke, I

know about the fact that I struck a deal

part of

demon a few seconds to disintegrate after I cracked the core. But once

at the area where the demon died, I glanced toward the

It's time

***

Duke Adramalech's voice.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

his fingers over his desk, Duke Adramalech stared

mine might come soon, give this to him

"An acquaintance?"

was he talking about? Duke Adramalech

thinking back at the figure,

couldn't feel any