Let us return to several days earlier.
Because Welt-Sislov had suddenly launched a fierce assault against Mengxi, Miss Yumo had no choice but to temporarily put Yuan'er's "lesson" on hold and rush toward Mengxi's location first, intending to deal with Welt-Sislov before anything else.
As for Yuan'er?
She was left standing there in complete bewilderment.
Although she could tell that the black-haired older sister had been extremely anxious, once that graceful black silhouette disappeared from her sight, Yuan'er inexplicably felt an overwhelming sense of loss.
They had only met a few times.
Yet deep within her soul, an indescribable feeling of loneliness instinctively surfaced.
She couldn't help frowning.
What a... strange feeling.
"Follow the method I taught you. Land on the ground first, then find somewhere to hide."
Recalling the black-haired sister's instructions, Yuan'er nodded seriously.
That's right.
I'd better get down first.
I'm... kind of afraid of heights...
Closing her eyes, Yuan'er carefully recalled the method the black-haired sister had taught her for controlling her power.
As she cautiously experimented with it, the black liquid surrounding her body slowly began to surge.
Black light started to shimmer.
Wrapped in that dark radiance, Yuan'er's body gradually descended.
Passing through the outer barrier formed by the Blood Butterflies,
she finally landed on the deserted street below.
The moment both feet touched the ground, Yuan'er abruptly opened her eyes.
Her mismatched eyes sparkled with excitement and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
"Yay! I did it! I knew I was a genius!"
Hehe~
Thinking that, Yuan'er planted both hands on her hips and struck an incredibly smug pose.
"But... I can actually fly now?! That's amazing! Once I get home, I have to show Grandpa and Grandma! Oh, right... where exactly is this place again...?"
Suppressing her excitement somewhat, Yuan'er blinked her adorable heterochromatic eyes and curiously looked around.
Then,
her brows immediately knitted together.
"Wait?! Th-This is...?!"
Looking carefully, Yuan'er realized...
She had been here before.
Wasn't this the shopping district she used to visit all the time?
Last year's Day of New Birth—the Snow Night Empire's equivalent of the New Year—she had come here with Sikta and the others to have fun.
Back then, the district had been bustling with life, filled with countless shops and overflowing with laughter.
But now?
The familiar streets had completely vanished.
The entire shopping district had become a blazing hellscape.
Not a single living soul could be seen.
Instead, the ground, the walls, and the interiors of the burning shops were littered with countless corpses, severed limbs, and mangled body parts.
Strangely enough, despite witnessing such horrifying scenes, she felt neither disgust nor nausea.
Even so, the horrific sight left Yuan'er completely stunned, while an overwhelming sense of foreboding rose within her heart.
Was... this place attacked?
This was the very center of Wind Facing City.
If even this place had become an inferno...
Then what about her home?
What about the Marquis's residence?
Thinking that, Yuan'er nervously looked toward the direction of the estate.
Under normal circumstances,
if she encountered something like this, reason would have told her to flee and seek reinforcements.
However,
feeling the familiar black power surrounding her body—a power that filled her with an overwhelming sense of security—Yuan'er had no intention of running away.
That big sister had just told me...
I'm really strong now!
"I-I have to go help Grandpa and Grandma!"
Recalling what the black-haired sister had taught her, black light slowly flowed across Yuan'er's body, wrapping around her feet and back.
The next instant, propelled by that dark power, she shot toward the Marquis's residence like a black meteor.
Without question,
Yuan'er had already completely forgotten Yumo's earlier instructions.
She had forgotten that she was supposed to hide.
—
Inside the Duke Family estate,
amid an eruption of black light and an overwhelming aura, Yuan'er returned to the familiar yet unfamiliar manor, accidentally smashing through several buildings along the way.
The place where she had grown up was undoubtedly familiar.
Yet now it felt utterly foreign.
Everything she once knew had vanished.
The entire Marquis's estate was shrouded in smoke.
The once magnificent buildings had become crumbling ruins.
The beautiful gardens had transformed into a living hell.
The lively estate that had once been filled with laughter now lay in eerie silence.
The only sound was the crackling of burning timber.
The moment she saw the scene,
Yuan'er stopped breathing.
An indescribable terror surged through her heart.
What... what happened here?! Why has it become like this?! Grandpa?! Grandma?! Are you alright?! Sister Fei! Brother Sikta! Grandpa Audite! Are you all okay?!
Not knowing whether her family and the servants she regarded as family were alive only made Yuan'er's anxiety grow stronger.
Her fists clenched tightly.
Panicking,
she immediately began searching,
hoping to find someone familiar.
As she searched, she desperately prayed that her grandparents and all the servants she considered family had survived.
Panic spread wildly through the girl's heart.
"Please... please be alright... I'll... I'll never be stubborn again... Please... don't let anything happen to you..."
In her desperation, tears began streaming down her cheeks.
Just as despair was about to consume her,
several familiar figures suddenly caught her eye.
Her tears instantly stopped, replaced by overwhelming joy.
Th-Those people...
They're from the Knights!
Standing atop the ruins in the distance were several members of the Blizzard Knights.
At the center of them stood the elderly man in the blue-and-white military coat, with his snow-white hair—
Xiumu-Duke,
head of the Duke Family.
Her grandfather.
"Grandpa! Grandpa!"
Seeing the familiar figure, Yuan'er immediately rushed toward him under the propulsion of black light.
At that moment, her frightened heart desperately longed for the comfort only family could provide.
Besides,
she had been kidnapped for so long.
Grandpa must have been worried sick.
I'm sorry, Grandpa...
I'm... I'm back now!
She eagerly imagined an emotional reunion.
She pictured herself embracing her grandfather as both of them cried tears of relief.
However,
something she could never have anticipated happened the very next moment.
The instant they heard Yuan'er's voice,
Xiumu-Duke and every knight turned toward the pink-haired girl charging toward them.
After staring blankly for a moment,
to Yuan'er's utter shock,
every single knight immediately drew the swords at their waists and pointed them straight at her.
It was the stance they reserved for an enemy.
?!
"Huh?!"
Yuan'er instinctively stopped running.
She froze where she stood, staring blankly at the Blizzard Knights with eyes full of disbelief and fear.
Especially after seeing the terror in their expressions,
her mind nearly stopped functioning.
Why?
Why were they looking at her like that?
"W-What are you doing?! Why are you pointing your swords at me?! Have you forgotten who I am?!"
Yuan'er demanded.
The knights exchanged glances for several seconds.
Yet they continued staring at her with terrified expressions, showing no intention whatsoever of lowering their weapons.
Seeing that,
Yuan'er bit her lip.
An overwhelming wave of anxiety washed over her.
She turned pleading eyes toward Xiumu-Duke.
Toward the grandfather who loved her most.
"Grandpa! Say something to them! Have these knights lost their minds?! Why are they pointing swords at me?!"
She had assumed Grandpa would speak up for her.
But the next moment,
she realized she had been wrong.
Not only did he fail to reprimand the discourteous knights,
he slowly picked up the sword lying on the ground.
He looked at her with eyes filled with unmistakable love—
yet also with an icy chill that sent a shiver down her spine.
"G-Grandpa...?"
"It seems... you've temporarily regained your sanity, Yuan'er."
Xiumu-Duke let out a long sigh, his voice filled with unbearable sorrow.
Hearing those words,
Yuan'er became even more confused.
"Grandpa... what are you talking about? What do you mean, regained my sanity?"
"...Yuan'er."
He sighed again.
"Do you know... what your current condition is?"
"My current condition? What do you mean?"
Completely bewildered, Yuan'er lowered her head and looked at her own body—
at the body overflowing with power.
"I'm perfectly fine! I've never felt this good before!"
Hearing that answer,
Xiumu-Duke fell silent for a moment.
"...Then do you know... what that power surrounding you is?"
"This power? These black lights?"
"Emmm..."
"I'm not really sure... but they feel really nice! Grandpa, why don't you touch them too?!"
Like a child excitedly sharing a favorite toy, Yuan'er scooped up a cluster of black energy beside her and happily ran toward Xiumu-Duke.
"D-Don't come any closer!"
The moment she moved,
every knight instantly assumed an attack stance and shouted in unison.
?!
"Huh?"
The sudden roar made Yuan'er freeze once again.
She bit her lip in frustration.
"Grandpa! What are you all trying to do?!"
"...I'm sorry, Yuan'er."
"The knights' reaction is perfectly normal."
"Normal?! How is pointing swords at me normal?!"
Her voice was already trembling with tears as she looked at Xiumu-Duke with innocent, pleading eyes.
...
After a long silence,
Xiumu-Duke slowly shook his head and spoke bitterly.
"Because..."
"...you are no longer human."
"You have become..."
"...an Abyss Demon."
?!!
"Grandpa... w-what are you talking about?!"
The moment those words reached her ears,
it felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck Yuan'er from a clear sky.
She stood there,
completely frozen.
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