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

No need to stiffen

that, he walked

his back, I secretly sighed

pressure coming out of his body

wasn't even channeling his mana or anything of the

'Overprotective dad…'

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

"What?"

interested in his

turned around

your hoodie on and let's

*

"This way…"

Edward and another figure, navigated dense

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 that, but they also needed to

to access the demon

through the portals that were set

Lightning Dragon who was a little bit up ahead,

long do we have left till we

"We're here."

Dragon abruptly

the place. It soon dawned on

at

is

"Eh…"

place, Lightning Dragon embarrassingly scratched the

surroundings, a

"…I forgot."

"Shit."

heard his words, I couldn't help but

forgot about his

that he is the

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

"You don't remember?"

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

say that you knew a

"I did."

Liam nodded his

that

frown on his face, he turned to look at the other figure that

of a way to sense where the

"...I can try."

disdain, the figure lowered his hood and displayed his horns

can help

a hand as he too started to look for

the threes, I shook

the Duke had his

of the two locations in order to set up a portal. And since the Duke had never

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

was part of the deal we

"Haaa…"

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 pain was a lot

hope they would

But...

and the results remained the same. My mouth

'How useless.'

help out

my back, I quickly scanned my surroundings. But upon realizing just how

my take

"I've found it!"

as I was about to start

distance holding

"You found it?"

and excitement, Edward walked up to

"Can you activate it?"

"Yes."

device from Liam's hand, demonic energy suddenly sprang out from the demon's body as he started channeling it toward

Crack. Crack. Crack.

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

minutes, a black portal started to appear

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 dropped it to the

"Haaa…haa…haa…I'm done."

breathing echoed throughout the forest. He looked

a

I calmly patted my hand

doing

Crack—

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

I'm also doing

to do this, given the deal I made with

that

part of the

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

the area where the demon died, I glanced toward

go. It's time to

***

Duke Adramalech's voice.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

over his desk, Duke Adramalech stared at a

of mine might come soon, give this to

"An acquaintance?"

about? Duke Adramalech had no

the figure, the Duke decided to

couldn't feel any