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.

He then patted me on the shoulder.

"I was just curious. No need to stiffen up."

After that, he walked up ahead.

Turning my head to stare at his back, I secretly sighed in relief.

During that brief moment, I felt an incredible pressure coming out of his body that I couldn't quite explain.

…and he wasn't even channeling his mana or anything of the sort.

'Overprotective dad…'

Shaking my head, I followed him from behind and caught up with Lightning Dragon who looked at me with a strange look on his face.

"What?"

"…You interested in his daughter?"

In a glare, I turned around and walked away.

"Put your hoodie on and let's go. We don't have much time."

*

"This way…"

Following Lightning Dragon, I, along with Edward and another figure, navigated dense vegetation.

Our current destination was the portal Lightning Dragon used to travel to the demon realm.

From 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 have specific coordinates installed in them.

Despite the fact that dungeon desyncs could be used to access the demon realm, the same could not be said for demons.

The only way to enter a dungeon was through the portals that were set up on earth.

Lowering my hoodie, I stared at Lightning Dragon who was a little bit up ahead, and asked.

"How long do we have left till we arrive?"

"We're here."

Lightning Dragon abruptly halted his footsteps.

Also stopping, I curiously looked around the place. It soon dawned on me that we were in the middle of nowhere.

Lowering my head to glance at Lightning Dragon again, I asked.

"Where exactly is this portal?"

"Eh…"

Looking around the place, Lightning Dragon embarrassingly scratched the side of his neck.

Taking another look at his surroundings, a wry smile appeared on his face.

"…I forgot."

"Shit."

When I heard his words, I couldn't help but facepalm.

'I forgot about his crappy memory.'

'Are you seriously telling me that he is the key to escaping the demon realm?'

These words were of course directed to my other self who was the one that told me that Lightning Dragon was the only one that could help me escape this place.

"You don't remember?"

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

"Didn't you say that you knew a way out?"

"I did."

Lightning Dragon, no, Liam nodded his head.

"I know that it's somewhere here."

With a frown on his face, he turned to look at the other figure that was with us.

"Do you perhaps know of a way to sense where the portal is?"

"...I can try."

In a look of disdain, the figure lowered his hood and displayed his horns before nodding his head and scanning the area.

"I can help out too."

Edward offered to lend a hand as he too started to look for the portal.

Leaning back on one of the threes, I shook my head.

'If only the Duke had his own portal…'

It was necessary to know the coordinates of the two locations in order to set up a portal. And since the Duke had never been to earth, we couldn't use his portal.

Secondly, Demonic energy was required in order to activate the portal, and since none of us could use it, the Duke had a demon accompany us.

It was part of the deal we struck.

"Haaa…"

I let out a long and 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 less than before, it was still there.

I could only hope they would find.

But...

Half an hour eventually passed, and the results remained the same. My mouth twitched.

'How useless.'

"Let me help out as well."

Scratching my back, I quickly scanned my surroundings. But upon realizing just how vast the place was, my face sank a little.

"This my take a wh—"

"I've found it!"

Just as I was about to start searching, I heard Liam's voice.

He then appeared in the distance holding a small circular device.

"You found it?"

With a look filled with relief and excitement, Edward walked up to him before looking at the demon.

"Can you activate it?"

"Yes."

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

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Immediately after the demon channeled his demonic energy, thin black threads appeared in the air, and minuscule tearing sounds could be heard.

Within ten minutes, a black portal started to appear before us.

A significant amount of paleness appeared on the demon's face 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 ground.

"Haaa…haa…haa…I'm done."

His rough breathing echoed throughout the forest. He looked exhausted.

"You've done a good job."

Walking up to the demon, I calmly patted my hand on his shoulders.

"I'm only doing this be—huak!"

Crack—

Suddenly, I stabbed the demon in his abdomen area and broke his core before he could finish his sentence.

"I'm the same. I'm also doing this for the Duke."

Even though I didn't want to do this, given the deal I made with the Duke, I had no choice.

No one could know about the fact that I struck a deal with the Duke.

This was part of the agreement we made.

It 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 air.

As I stared at the area where the demon died, I glanced toward the portal before turning my attention to the other two.

"Let's go. It's time to return."

***

Duke Adramalech's voice.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Drumming his fingers over his desk, Duke Adramalech stared at a small letter in front of him.

'An acquaintance of mine might come soon, give this to him if you meet him.'

"An acquaintance?"

Who was he talking about? Duke Adramalech had no idea.

But thinking back at the figure, the Duke decided to comply.

Although he couldn't feel any strength from him.

Especially one that could threaten him, whenever he thought back on his look, the Duke would sense a distinct sense of fear coming from him.

'He isn't simple…'

The Duke thought as he picked up the letter and wondered out loud.

"Just what in the world is he talking about?"

It was at that moment…

Cr…Crack—!

A huge tear suddenly materialized in the middle of the room, startling the Duke who stood up and shouted.

"Who!?"

"Calm down…"

Answering him was a calm voice.

Taking a step outside the portal, a white-haired figure appeared. As soon as he stepped out of the portal, the Duke prostrated himself.

This sudden movement wasn't out of his will, but it was simply his incidents acting for him. But it didn't take too long for him to figure out what had happened.

'Bloodline suppression...'

As a result of the suppression of the bloodline, the Duke was able to recognize the figure that had just entered instantly.

It was the Demon King.

"Your Majesty!"

He shouted as his body shook uncontrollably.

'What is his Majesty doing here!? Did he figure out what I have done? H..how is this possible?'

A feeling of fear overtook him, and he kept his head down, refusing to look at him. As the Duke's body continued to shake, the Demon King's next words almost caused the soul to leave his body.

"…Have you seen a human with blue eyes and white hair."

"!!"

"So?"

The Duke's mouth automatically opened as a powerful pressure bore down on his body. He didn't do this willingly, as he felt a strange power controlling him. Prompting him to reveal the truth only.

"Y…yes."

"Where is he?"

"Gone."

"Gone?"

"Y..yes. He..a..lready left, and only left one thing behind."

"He left something behind?"

Scanning the room, Jezebeth's eyes soon paused on a letter in the middle of the Duke's desk. Feeling a familiar aura, he asked.

"Is it that letter?"

"Y…yes. H..he said that I needed to give it to an acquaintance."

"Acquaintance?"

Curious, Jezebeth walked up to the desk and picked up the letter. Seeing the Demon King take the letter, the Duke shivered even more.

Rip—!

Taking apart the letter, Jezebeth unfolded it and read its contents.

Got bored waiting for you, so I took my leave.

Let's meet each other next time.

As Jezebeth stared at the letter, there was a brief moment of silence. Suddenly the room froze completely, and the Duke's breath stopped.

Not long after, the Demon King's back began to tremble. As soon as the Duk saw this, his face paled considerably.

'Oh no!'

"You..your majesty! Plea—"

"Hahahahahahaha."

But it was at that moment that the Duke suddenly heard the Demon Lord burst out in laughter, and the room trembled uncontrollably.

The Duke froze at the sight.

'…The Demon King can laugh?'

This…

The holy rulers of the demons and a figure that is believed to be as strong as a god was laughing?

Duke Adramalech couldn't believe his eyes as he gazed at him.

"Ahhahaha...Got bored of waiting for me? Were you even waiting for me in the first place?"

With another burst of laughter, the room shook even more fiercely. Witnessing this sight caused the Duke's mouth to repeatedly open and close.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

'...Is this the same person that entered the room not too long ago? Am I perhaps in the clear?'

Did the Demon King not catch his scheme to digest Duke Azonech's core?

"No, I did."

"!"

But it was at that moment that a soft whisper echoed in the Duke's head, startling him completely.

Before the Duke had a chance to say anything else, he felt a tap on his forehead and his body completely disintegrated.

With his gaze lingering in the direction of where the Duke once was, Jezebeth softly mumbled.

"Nice try..."

Then, crumbling the letter in his hand, he turned to look in a certain direction before muttering.

"…You never fail to amuse me. "