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.

then patted me on the

curious. No

that, he walked up

stare at his

brief moment, I felt an incredible pressure coming out of his body that I

he wasn't even channeling his

'Overprotective dad…'

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

"What?"

interested in his

turned around and walked

on and let's go. We don't have much

*

"This way…"

along with Edward

Dragon used to travel to

demon realm to earth, there was only one way to get there, and that was through portal devices they

used to access the demon realm, the same could not be said

only way to enter a dungeon was through

Dragon who was

long do we have left till we

"We're here."

abruptly halted his

place. It soon dawned on me that we were in the middle of

glance at Lightning Dragon again, I

is

"Eh…"

Lightning Dragon embarrassingly scratched the side of

a wry smile appeared on his

"…I forgot."

"Shit."

heard his words,

forgot about his crappy

he is the key to escaping

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

"You don't remember?"

Edward's voice echoed throughout the forest. Sharing the same dumbfounded look,

that you knew a

"I did."

Liam nodded his

that

his face, he turned to look at the other figure

way to sense where the portal

"...I can try."

lowered his hood and displayed his horns

can help

he too started to look

on one of the threes, I

the Duke

up a portal. And since the

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

of the

"Haaa…"

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

only hope

But...

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

'How useless.'

me help

back, I quickly scanned my surroundings. But upon realizing just how vast the place was,

take

"I've found it!"

to start searching, I heard

in the distance

"You found it?"

with relief and excitement, Edward

"Can you activate it?"

"Yes."

sprang out from the demon's body as he started channeling it toward the portal-like

Crack. Crack. Crack.

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

ten minutes, a black portal started to appear before

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 more minutes before he finally

"Haaa…haa…haa…I'm done."

breathing echoed throughout the forest.

a

the demon, I calmly patted my

doing

Crack—

I stabbed the demon in his abdomen area and broke his core before he could

also doing

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

one could know about the fact that I struck a deal with the

of the agreement we

after I cracked the core. But once he did, a

the area where the demon died, I glanced toward the portal before turning my attention to

It's time

***

Duke Adramalech's voice.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

over his desk, Duke Adramalech stared at a small letter in front

soon, give

"An acquaintance?"

was he talking about? Duke Adramalech had no

figure, the Duke decided

couldn't feel any strength from