Chapter 11

“What the heck is this? How dare you barge into a house where people live!”

Sophia glared sharply and shouted.

Caught in the act of pulling some nonsense, she seemed even more sensitive.

“I admit it. I did something rude. But shouldn’t we get the facts straight?”

I corrected Sophia’s words while pushing the sword closer.

“This isn’t a house where people live. It’s a lair where demons dwell!”

“Demons, lair…? What are you talking about? Wait, is that you, Sir Kairon?”

“Oh, you recognize me?”

Sophia recognized me even though I was hiding my face.

“Of course. In Cressnig, there’s no one who doesn’t know you, the Black Iron Vanguard leader. Especially me. I’ve heard a lot about you from Benedict.”

“I appreciate the compliment. But…”

You’re a demon, aren’t you…?

Receiving compliments from a demon, what kind of experience is this?

Meanwhile, Sophia’s tone had already softened again.

The glare and sharp tone she had directed at me had completely disappeared without a trace.

“Sir Kairon, calm down for now. It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. Would you like to see?”

Sophia stepped aside slightly and pointed to Benedict lying on the floor.

Benedict, who had been forced to take some black medicine, was snoring loudly, fast asleep.

Sophia looked at Benedict with a loving expression, her eyes filled with warmth.

“I just wanted to let him rest well after his daily training. Even if it meant using some drastic methods.”

Sophia’s face darkened with concern for Benedict, but her clear eyes shone brightly.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Benedict look so peaceful. Doesn’t he look adorable sleeping like a child, Sir Kairon?”

“So.”

I lowered the tip of my sword slightly and asked.

“So, what were you planning to do after putting Benedict to sleep?”

“Th-that’s…”

Sophia’s face turned red.

“I can’t tell you. How could I say something so embarrassing…?”

Sophia was the very image of a woman in love.

Except for one thing.

The eerie yellow aura emanating from her body.

“Right, I can see why Benedict fell for you. You only do things that perfectly match the title of ‘angel.’ But it’s too perfect. It’s unnatural…”

I pointed the tip of my sword back at Sophia.

“You’re a demon, so you wouldn’t understand, would you? Being too perfect makes it unnatural. And the premise is wrong. A demon can never be an angel.”

Honestly, Sophia’s high-level acting gave me chills.

If it weren’t for my special eyes that can spot hidden demons, I might have been fooled.

But now that she was right in front of me, the yellow aura around Sophia was even clearer.

“Why…?”

Sophia, sensing I wouldn’t let her go, slowly stepped back.

“Why are you doing this to us? Please snap out of it, Sir Kairon. I don’t know what drove you to this madness, but I truly love Benedict!”

“Still trying to deny it? And what did you just say? ‘Us,’ you said ‘us’!”

A demon referring to herself and Benedict as ‘us’ was truly horrifying.

Then there was only one answer left.

In an instant, I lunged at Sophia.

“Show your true form, like that guy Rajeing!”

Sophia’s voice, claiming to truly love Benedict, shook my reason, but my instincts were certain she was a demon, and I mercilessly thrust my sword into her.

Thud—

The sound of the sword piercing through her stomach and out her back was chilling.

But…

Sophia didn’t even scream.

However, the angelic smile on Sophia’s face was gone.

Sophia tore the corners of her mouth to her ears and grinned mockingly.

“Huhu… If you had just left it alone, Benedict would have died happily. Aren’t you his friend, Kairon?”

“I am his friend. That’s why I chased you here, you demon.”

“How cruel. What do you think Benedict’s head would do if he woke up and found out the woman he loved was a demon?”

“That won’t happen. Because I’ll destroy you before Benedict wakes up!”

I pulled the sword from Sophia’s body and swung it at her face.

“Oh my…”

But Sophia didn’t even flinch, despite the deep, fatal wound on her face.

“Hoho, Kairon. What will you do if you ruin this pretty face? Benedict will cry.”

Blood gushed from the wounds on her stomach and face, but Sophia still smiled leisurely.

“What the hell, how are you still fine?”

“Sorry, but you can’t kill me with ordinary methods.”

As she spoke, disgusting yellow spores bubbled around her wounds, quickly forming flesh and sealing the wounds.

The angelic smile was gone from Sophia’s face.

Only a horrifically twisted appearance remained.

“This… is nauseating. It’s utterly disgusting.”

“Let me ask you one thing, Kairon. How did you know I was a demon?”

“How could I not? You’re emitting that sickly yellow aura.”

“So you can see it!”

Sophia’s eyes widened as she lunged at me.

Her movements were slow, but with each swing, the house crumbled, showing the sheer power behind her attacks.

“I heard Rajeing was defeated by you recently. I was wondering how he was exposed, but now I know!”

“Congratulations. But what are you going to do about it? You’re going to die here anyway, Sophia.”

I dodged her slow attacks with ease, landing wounds all over her body, but Sophia kept attacking relentlessly.

“Not so fast. Rajeing was just a pitiful servant of the Crow God, but I’m different. I serve the great Plague Toad God.”

“Doesn’t matter! You’re still a demon that needs to be destroyed!”

I needed a decisive blow, so I boldly charged at Sophia and swung my sword multiple times.

But again, the wounds healed quickly.

“Small wounds heal, huh? Then how about this…!”

I infused my sword with mana, and it glowed blue. Swinging the mana-infused sword, I cleanly sliced through Sophia’s body.

“Kyaaah…!”

For the first time, a scream escaped Sophia’s mouth.

But now came the real problem.

I couldn’t bring my large sword, so I had to settle for a smaller one. While it could wound Sophia, it wasn’t enough to completely cut her down.

Moreover, the sword, stained with Sophia’s yellow fluid, began to melt as if dipped in strong acid.

“Damn it. If only I had brought a better sword…”

Any ordinary demon would have fallen by now, but Sophia was on a different level.

Even the deep wound I inflicted with mana was slowly healing.

“Done already, Kairon? I could feel your determination with each swing, but it was more ticklish than anything.”

Sophia smiled contentedly.

“But don’t be too disappointed. It’s only natural you can’t beat me. You’re just a puny human, and I’m a servant of the great Toad God. What can you do with that half-melted sword?”

I wanted to completely sever Sophia’s smug neck.

What I needed for that was a better sword.

If only I had a better sword!

“…Huh?”

Then, a good sword caught my eye.

“How dare you!”

Sophia noticed where I was looking and quickly moved, but her slow movements couldn’t catch up to me.

I quickly tackled Benedict, who was lying on the floor, and rolled aside. Sophia’s arm smashed the ground where Benedict had been.

After creating some distance, I drew the sword Benedict always carried.

Benedict’s sword wasn’t as familiar as mine, but it was a fine custom-made sword for a captain.

“Haha, nice. Very nice!”

“Ugh…!”

The tables had turned.

I smiled, satisfied with the sword in my hand, while Sophia’s already torn face twisted further.

“Now, tell me. Who’s the puny one now, oh great demon?”

Benedict’s sword, infused with mana, glowed blue.

Ready to judge the evil demon who had bewitched its master.