It must’ve been his doing.
There was no doubt about it—this man wasn’t ordinary.
I sprang toward him, pinning him beneath me.
“You came to kill me, didn’t you? Did the Demon King send you?”
I pressed my blade hard against his neck.
The man, seemingly unfazed, looked up at me with a faintly awestruck expression in his blue eyes.
“You’re not wrong,” he replied calmly.
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“So, I was right. I wondered why it was taking so long.”
I let out a bitter laugh.
If someone wanted to kill me, it could only be the Demon King.
He must’ve been furious about earlier—how I’d infiltrated the Demon King’s castle and baked a birthday cake for my dad, no less. That must’ve driven him insane.
But why did this demon look so much like Meteor?
I pressed my blade harder against his throat.
“Why do you look like my brother? It’s not just a coincidence—you’re the spitting image of him!”
“Maybe your brother looks like me,” the demon said with a crooked grin.
Even his expressions were identical to Meteor’s. He looked like what Meteor might become in a few years—taller, more mature, and even more striking.
Had he intentionally taken on Meteor’s appearance? But why? And why age him up a few years?
“Is this another one of the Demon King’s tricks? Revert to your true form, now!”
“Why? Are you hesitating because I look like your brother?”
“Not a chance!”
A demon dared to intrude here? No way was I letting this slide.
I leapt back with swift precision, slashing at an opening in his defense. It was a clean, calculated strike.
But he was faster.
Before my blade could connect, his sword intercepted it.
Clang! Srrrk!
Sparks flew as our blades collided.
Before the last spark had faded, we clashed again, moving with increasing speed and intensity.
He’s fast.
His reaction time was so quick, it was as if he knew my moves before I made them.
No... is he toying with me?
The demon smiled leisurely, effortlessly deflecting my attacks.
“Your brother would be heartbroken if he knew how mercilessly you were trying to kill someone who looks just like him.”
“Are you mocking me?” I snapped, my frustration flaring.
His smile only deepened.
Who the hell is this guy?
It was then that I noticed the sword in his hand.
The blade was strangely familiar.
Its surface gleamed with a transcendental glow, as if polished from crystal, and faint blue light radiated from within.
I recognized it immediately.
The Holy Sword!
It was the very weapon Meteor was supposed to obtain later in the original story.
How could I not recognize it?
But why was a demon wielding the Holy Sword? And why did this demon look exactly like Meteor?
Something was seriously wrong.
“Who... are you?”
My voice was low and dark, even to my own ears.
I glared at him, ready to pierce through his very being, but he remained unbothered, sidestepping my attacks with infuriating ease.
“You’re stronger than I expected. No wonder His Majesty wants you dead,” he said casually.
“Answer the damn question!”
Clang! Swish, thud!
Our swords clashed again, the force of the impact reverberating through my arms.
But he remained calm, his expression serene.
“My name is Prima Damascus,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
As soon as he finished speaking, his sword, which had retreated a moment ago, came slicing toward me again. I narrowly dodged it, leaping out of its path.
Prima Damascus.
So that was his name?
It sounded vaguely familiar.
Especially the last name—Damascus.
And then it clicked. My eyes widened in realization.
“The Duke of Dimensions!”
“Thank you for recognizing me,” Prima said, smiling faintly.
“You’ve got to be kidding me—!”
The Demon King had sent the Duke of Dimensions, the number one ranked demon in the Demon Realm, to kill me?
He was really going all out this time.
It was proof of how desperate he was.
The more the Demon King wanted me dead, the stronger my father must be getting.
But could I even hope to defeat the Duke of Dimensions?
Not even Meteor could escape from a demon of this caliber.
I quickly scanned my surroundings. Despite the commotion we were causing in the training grounds, no one seemed to be coming.
Of course—they probably thought the noise was just someone training. Damn it.
Still, I refused to let a demon get the better of me. As a holy knight, my pride wouldn’t allow it.
I pushed myself to the limit, driving Prima back as I screamed inwardly.
‘Saints, help me!’
<“Dragon Slayer Sylvester clears his throat.”>
What? Why is he clearing his throat instead of helping me?
<“Yuri-loving Druid Gabriella says it’s not yet time to intervene and ignores your plea.”>
“Are you kidding me? I’m fighting the number one ranked demon, and you’re all just sitting around doing nothing?”
This was beyond unfair.
Prima’s blade grazed past my ear, making me stumble. Was my ear cut? I wavered for a moment but quickly steadied myself, gripping my sword tighter.
Prima didn’t miss the opening.
His hand shot toward me.
Is he going to grab my hair?
Instead, his hand cradled my head as if to shield it, his touch gentle and protective.
His gaze deepened.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t harm a single strand of your hair.”
“!”
Goosebumps erupted across my skin.
I sprang away from him, my heart pounding with rage.
“What the hell are you doing?”
I held my sword high, glaring at him. Prima landed gracefully on the ground, unbothered.
“If you’re here to kill me, stop playing around and get it over with!”
This demon wasn’t even using a fraction of his true strength. He was toying with me.
If the Demon King sent him to kill me, why waste time like this?
It didn’t make sense.
And it infuriated me.
My glare sharpened.
“I hate being toyed with by demons,” I spat.
What did he think he was—a cat playing with its prey?
If we were going to fight, I’d rather he take it seriously. Watching him smirk as he gauged my skills was unbearable.
And why did the Duke of Dimensions look exactly like Meteor and carry the Holy Sword?
Everything about him was suspicious.
The fact that he was here felt ominous.
My instincts screamed that he was an even greater threat to the human realm than the Demon King.
“I’ll see you again, Crescent,” he said suddenly.
“?”
A rift in space opened beside him.
“You’re stronger than I expected. Truly.”
“What are you talking about?”
He looked as though he was about to step into the rift.
Desperate to land at least one hit, I lunged at him.
“We’ll meet again soon, so don’t be too upset about today.”
The Duke of Dimensions smiled faintly.
Swish!
My blade grazed where he had stood, but he disappeared before it could land.
He was gone in the blink of an eye.
***
A week passed, and the weekend arrived.
It had been a whirlwind of a week.
Even now, I was still reeling from my encounter with the Duke of Dimensions.
“Seriously... what kind of demon even is that?”
The number one ranked demon had come to kill me—and he would be back.
To think that I barely escaped death in the Demon Realm, only to immediately face such an insane opponent.
But the extraordinary events of the past week didn’t stop there.