I am feeling pure terror right now.
The kind that is incomprehensible, something I dare not even imagine. A terror born from the unknown, darker than the abyss and more insane than madness itself. It stood right in front of me.
'...What is this?'
My hands trembled as I tried to process what I was seeing. Had I really thought this guy didn’t look like a demon earlier?
No, he was the epitome of a demon. To hide such a monstrous heart behind such a normal exterior!
A cold shiver ran down my spine, and sweat dripped from my trembling hands. I spoke harshly, trying to dispel the fear rising inside me.
"As expected from a demon, your tastes are as vile as your nature."
“Oh dear... You humans are so narrow-minded. Your lives are so short, wouldn’t it be best to experience as much as you can while you still can?”
That "experience" he was talking about—there was no way I wanted that on my list.
As I scowled, Seere continued talking.
“And I don’t just limit myself to men, you know. If someone is attractive, I don’t care who they are. Joy only increases when it’s shared, doesn’t it?”
"Seere..."
So, basically, if it’s pleasurable, that’s all that matters?
“You’re a creature that shouldn’t even exist.”
He truly embodied what it meant to be a demon, having no regard for morality or ethics. I couldn’t help but feel revulsion.
“Why not give it a try? You’d enjoy it, I promise.”
Instead of responding, I raised my middle finger at him.
“...How unfortunate.”
His expression hardened slightly.
“In that case, I’ll just have to teach you by force. Don’t worry—you’ll come to love it.”
With those words, he lunged at me. I cursed under my breath and raised my dagger again.
“Goddammit...”
He’s trying to f me up!
Faced with the horrifying reality, I couldn't hold back any longer. As he rushed toward me, I dodged his hand strike and immediately countered with a kick.
I didn’t forget to channel mana through my body, strengthening it. The demon blood running through my veins gave me physical prowess, and the mana enhanced it even further.
My muscles, contracted to their limit, released an explosive amount of energy through my leg. Seere managed to block the kick, just as before.
Thud!
“Ugh...?”
Though he blocked it, he was clearly pushed back. It felt like kicking solid steel, but I could tell I had done some damage this time. No matter how strong a demon might be, my attacks weren’t completely ineffective.
Realizing that gave me a small sense of victory. Yes, this might just be enough to protect myself from this perverted demon!
As I was gathering my thoughts, I heard Seere’s voice from the other side.
“...Impressive.”
His tone was admiring, but his face remained eerily calm. He was still relaxed. I charged at him again, determined to wipe that smug look off his face.
Gripping my dagger in a reverse grip, I aimed for his chest. The tip of the blade glimmered with a faint aura of cutting energy.
It was a sharp, dangerous strike.
But even as the dagger closed in, Seere didn’t bother to dodge. Instead, that subtle smile on his face grew even wider, as if he was expecting something.
‘Huh?’
I had a bad feeling, but it was already too late. Who could have predicted what would happen next?
Swoosh
The dagger I had been thrusting forward suddenly vanished, as if it had teleported. My weapon was now in Seere’s hand. He looked at me, smirking as he raised the stolen dagger.
“No weapon can hold power before me.”
“...!”
I immediately tried to retreat. But it wasn’t easy to stop the momentum of my rushing body. As a result, I had no choice but to take a minor injury.
Psst
A small cut appeared on my forearm, drawing a thin line of blood. The wound stung, and droplets of blood formed at the edge. Honestly, the injury wasn’t a big deal. It would heal quickly.
The real problem was how Seere would react to the regeneration.
“Oh?”
When the wound began to heal at an abnormal speed, Seere’s eyes glinted with interest.
“You... you’re a Manifestation Bearer, aren’t you?”
“Hah...”
Of course this demon would notice the demonic energy in me right away.
“The demonic energy I sense from you is quite strong. Whose bloodline are you from? Baal? Morax? Gamigin? Whoever it is, they must be someone of considerable power.”
“Yeah, I’d love to know that myself.”
If I did know, I’d be tracking them down right now to take their head.
“That makes you even more interesting. I’ll definitely be taking you with me.”
As he spoke, Seere summoned another weapon with his power. This time, it was a sword—a standard longsword, like the ones guards usually carry.
I quickly assessed the situation.
‘He can summon objects from somewhere?’
A troublesome ability, especially for someone like me. For someone who relies on various weapons in combat, being unable to use them was a significant disadvantage. My body wasn’t as tough as steel, after all.
“Run!”
I heard Ha-neul’s urgent cry from a distance. She was right. Seere was strong and extremely dangerous. For an adventurer relying on weapons, he was a walking disaster.
But should I really run? Could I just leave this demon here after he figured out that I was a Manifestation Bearer?
‘...No.’
I couldn’t.
At the very least, I had to land a solid hit on him.
“To be honest, I’ve had enough of holding back.”
Trying to dodge every attack while hiding the signs of my demonic blood—it didn’t suit me. I had only been careful because I didn’t want to reveal anything. But now that he knew, it didn’t matter anymore.
Why bother aiming for a "no-hit clear" when I have awesome regeneration? Sure, it might hurt, but I could take hits and keep fighting. That would be far more threatening.
Whoosh!
Seere’s sword rushed toward me. He was aiming for my limbs, clearly intending to capture me alive. Instead of dodging, I stepped inward, closing the distance.
Slash!
Blood spilled from a cut near my shoulder. I couldn’t avoid the injury, but by closing in, I managed to lessen the damage.
As I turned, I saw Seere’s side wide open, and a look of surprise crossed his face.
“What?”
I was giving up flesh to take bone. Or, in my case, I didn’t care if I lost bone because I could regenerate. The longer the fight went, the more it worked in my favor. My strategy was all about equivalent exchange, focusing on offense over defense.
I gathered mana into my fist, reinforcing my body. My skin, which had been soft, hardened with a protective layer.
Then, without hesitation, I drove my fist into Seere’s exposed side.
“Ugh...!”
For the first time, a pained groan escaped Seere’s lips. The fight continued with much of the same dynamic.
Seere, the 70th-ranked demon, also known as the Demon of Plunder, hadn’t been in the human world for long. For the first time in hundreds of years, he felt cornered. He was being pushed back by a single human.
Thud! Thwack! Bam!
Each time Yor’s fists and feet connected, Seere took a step back. Though each hit wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful, it was enough to inflict damage.
Seere tried swinging his sword to create distance, but even that was difficult. Yor was relentlessly sticking close, ignoring his own injuries.
‘He’s incredibly aggressive.’
Yor’s body was covered in cuts and scratches, but he healed quickly.
‘...And precise.’
Even more impressive, Yor avoided attacks that could cause serious injury. Seere was growing increasingly frustrated.
This meant Yor wasn’t just blindly attacking—he was calculating every move.
In the brief moments when their weapons and bodies clashed, Yor was meticulously weighing his options. Should he press forward, or pull back? Was it worth taking a hit to get closer?
Seere realized Yor was making those split-second decisions with astonishing clarity. What kind of battlefield experience had honed that level of judgment?
‘This is dangerous.’
Seere could feel the threat. He hadn’t yet regained all of his power.
While the cult had offered sacrifices to free his physical form, much of his strength was still sealed. It would take time before he regained his full abilities.
Even so, he was already incredibly strong. He hadn’t expected to face such a human here.
And then it happened.
Thunk!
Yor rushed in and grabbed both of Seere’s wrists. This halted Seere’s sword strikes, but it also immobilized Yor.
What was he trying to do? Seere was puzzled.
He quickly found out.
Yor’s head drew back, then slammed forward with all his might.
Crack!
Blood splattered through the air, some from Yor and some from Seere.
A headbutt. It was a brutal attack, one that inflicted damage on both parties. But Yor hadn’t hesitated to use it.
“Ugh! You brute...!”
Blood gushed from Seere’s nose. The stinging pain spread across his face, disorienting him.
Yor must have been feeling the same, yet a smile crept across his bloodstained lips as he muttered.
"Looks like the gay bastard got what he deserved."
Seere couldn’t help but click his tongue in frustration.
‘This guy is completely insane.’
Things were getting dangerously close. Seere, a great demon, was now seriously considering something unbecoming of his stature.
‘I... I have to retreat.’
If things continued like this, there was a real chance he could be destroyed. He had only just been resurrected—there was no way he was going back to Hell this soon.
But how could he escape?
Looking at Yor’s expression, it was clear that he would chase Seere to the ends of the earth. Would he even make it back to the cultists waiting in the alleyway? Seere's face twisted in worry.
Just as he was contemplating his next move, a voice suddenly echoed from the entrance of the slums.
“Hold! Where is the demon?!”
Dozens of heavily armored figures clad in full plate armor marched toward them.
"Hmm?"
It was a group of knights.
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