With their guards up and their senses telling them that in front of them was the real deal, both Ryosaki and the holy knight pointed their swords towards the smirking, white-haired woman.

They still weren't sure whether demons truly existed, as they only heard about them through tales and legends. That's why they were perplexed about their next move.

Should they cut her down or simply capture her as a prisoner to inform the kingdom about their existence? This would surely bring great attention to the whole world and a new unity between countries now that a demon has been found lurking around the towns of humans.

Those were the current thoughts going around the strongest knight's mind as he watched the white-haired woman maliciously smile. He couldn't shake off the unease he felt toward this woman, which is why he decided to ask her the right question that would resolve the mystery behind this particular legend.

“You….. Are you a demo...”

“I surrender.”

However, right as he was about to finish asking the question, the demonic-eyed woman raised both of her arms in the air as she replied with no desire to fight.

The whole group, on the other hand, looked in disbelief as they saw this woman turn herself in. 

“Princess, what should we do? If we manage to get her as our prisoner, we might be able to get further information and leverage.” 

While keeping his guard up, Ryosaki inquired about the princess's decision. The princess, on the other hand, sternly looked at the demonic woman for a slight moment before getting the courage to respond.

“As the youngest princess of the Redo Kingdom, I order thee to arrest that woman for treason and infiltrating our kingdom as a spy.”

“....Understood.”

* * *

Having slashed down the remaining mutated creatures lurking around the prison areas, Ryosaki sternly looked around the place before swinging the blood off his blade and sheathing it inside.

“These should be the remaining ones. I don't sense anyone else other than the unconscious knights.”

“We still can't be sure about his claims. So be sure to stay close to me, princess.”

After Ryosaki confirmed that there weren't any monsters or enemies around, he turned his gaze behind us. While Sofia, as a response, scoffed on the side before turning to the princess and advising her with a worried yet stern voice.

The princess, on the other hand, looked down in wonder before gazing back and forth at the woman handcuffed by Sofia.

Since I was also tasked with keeping a close eye on the princess by Hiroki, I tried standing on high alert each time this woman took a step.

Even though it was unbelievable to witness someone like her, everyone already guessed that she was a demon. Just from looking at her eyes, I could feel a sinister aura.

Ryosaki and Sofia were baffled by the fact that an unordinary woman like her had surrendered to them like this. 

The only thing that came to mind about her actions was her setting up a trap or some sort of scheme...

As I was gazing at that woman’s white hair, she glanced back at me and showed a small smile.

“.....”

“.....”

We both continued locking eyes for a brief moment before Sofia clicked her tongue and pulled the woman forward.

“If you don't want to get hurt, then you better not try anything funny!”

“.....”

Hearing the sudden and harsh treatment that Sofia gave to this woman, everyone gave a small glance at the two of them before continuing on walking forward. Even the princess gave a worried glance before shutting her eyes. 

The white-haired woman’s smile quickly withered away, and a serious glare formed on her face for a split second before she continued her silent behavior.

Honestly, I thought that this woman was going to get cut down immediately the moment Sofia learned she was a demon. 

I mean, weren’t holy knights supposed to be one of the best knights that fight against demons?

Ryosaki did try questioning her about several things, including demons. However, all we got as a response was either silence or a sarcastic response.

‘I wonder what Hiroki would say about this situation…’

Hiroki, of all the people that I have ever known, is one of the few who has taken an interest in demons. Which is why I'm wondering what he would think about this woman.

“Did we miss any doors or pathways?”

“If we did, wouldn't we have checked it out like the rest of them?”

Suddenly, as we were walking in a straight line through the darker areas, Ryosaki raised a question, to which Sofia responded with a cold tone.

“Haa…. I’m asking to confirm something,”

As we continued walking forward, I noticed what Ryosaki was talking about. We were basically walking into a dead end.

Puzzled about where we were supposed to head next, I walked closer to the wall and lit up the surroundings with my skill so others would be able to see as well.

“Are those…. Drawings?” The princess asked.

“Young Princess, try not to get too close to the wall. I can sense a weird feeling from these symbols…” Ryosaki warned with a concerned voice, “You too, Aya, I don't want you to get hurt.”

But despite what Ryosaki was saying, I felt myself absorbed by something about these symbols on the walls.

“......”

‘Where have I seen them….

“Aya?”

“Oh, yeah. I was just curious about these symbols on the walls.”

“But even so. Please be careful from now on.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

As I was trying to calm down the worrying calls of Ryosaki, I still glanced at the walls, wondering where I had seen them.

Since we couldn't really head back to the fighting arena, Ryosaki had found this underground passage through a teleportation entrance, which swallowed all of us inside. 

“So what should we do now? You were the one that brought us in here, and going back is not an option anymore.”

“....I know…. Sofia…. I made a promise to keep everyone safe, which is why I will find a way out of here no matter what.”

As everyone was trying to figure out a way out, Sofia raised a question to Ryosaki with a stern voice. However, Ryosaki’s answer didn't seem that convincing from the way he was reacting.

“Um.” I tried grabbing everyone’s attention, “I think I might know a way out of here.”

“Really?” Ryosaki looked surprised the moment he heard me.

“Yes,” I responded to the curious looks of everyone before walking closer to the wall and pointing to the weird symbols. “I'm not entirely sure, but I think this wall is a path that can teleport us somewhere else.”

“Teleportation?” Ryosaki raised a brow.

“Yes, I encountered one of these when I was exploring a dungeon. Near the end of the dungeon, there was a similar wall with similar symbols, which teleported me somewhere else.”

“Really? Then how do you activate this teleportation skill?”

The moment Ryosaki asked me back with hope and a bit of concern, I looked down before clenching my own fist.

“The way to activate the teleportation method…. Is…”

“.....”

“....is…..”

“.....”

“.....”

I could feel my fists shaking, mixed with different emotions, as I struggled to reveal the way I knew about activating this teleportation wall. Everyone was waiting for my response, while I, on the other hand, was trying to keep myself from losing my cool.

“....is by fueling the wall with pure human energy. In other words, human blood.”

However, before I could even bring myself to finish my sentence, the demon, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke with a rather sinister voice.

Everyone’s eyes shifted in her direction in either surprise or with caution while waiting to see what else she was going to say.

“Which is why I brought you in here.”

““.....””

“The place where the little princess over there will also finally meet her end.”

With her voice, which grew colder and more sinister, everyone clenched their own weapons before they would take this woman out. The princess could be seen sternly looking at her as she was trying to hide the fact that her hand was shaking.

I knew that Ryosaki was really strong just from looking at him, and he could probably knock that woman out very easily. However, his main objective right now is protecting the princess, which is also why he didn't move an inch away from her.

“You filthy bitc—”

“Kill her.”

As Sofia raised her sword near the woman’s neck, ready to cut her down with a raging look on her face, the white-haired woman suddenly let out the next words, which made the whole group silent.

I was puzzled for a moment, just like the rest, because right as we heard the command-like tone in her voice, we expected more mutated humans or knights to arrive in this place. 

“S-Sofia?” The princess worriedly called out to the silent holy knight.

However, in the next moment, Sofia let loose her sword before disappearing from her position and reappearing right behind the princess.

While the princess couldn't react to that insane speed she just pulled out, Ryosaki’s eyes widened to their extent before he extended his sword and blocked a powerful blow, which caused pressure in the wind around us.

“K-kyaaa!!”

“GHK!!”

The moment Ryosaki had blocked the first attack from Sofia, his eyes sternly looked into hers, only to see two empty shells that had changed their natural black color to red ones.

At that moment, I barely grasped what was going on, which is why I gripped my daggers and lashed towards the white-haired woman.

But before I could even cut her down, her arms were swallowed by a dark mist, causing the daggers to pass through her.

“Fufu~ You are quite fast for a small human.” The white-haired woman chuckled as her arms returned to their physical shape. “However, I do not have the time to play with you.”

“....”

*Slash!* *Sching!*

“Because I already accomplished my objective.”

“Hyaa!.....”

“What?!”

As the woman smiled in satisfaction, she continued speaking before her eyes were directed back at Sofia, who had lost her mind. And in the next moment, two powerful sounds of metal clashing were heard before the princess let out a crying sound in pain.

I immediately glanced in worry behind me, only to see the princess lying on the ground with a huge scar on her back, while Ryosaki was looking surprised, filled with other mixed emotions.

Why would Sofia attack the princess!?

No, wait…. The demon! 

That woman must’ve used something that can manipulate other people’s minds. Just like the other knights that tried attacking us on the way here.

‘This was that woman’s plan the whole time!’

“Sofia!??!!! What happened to you!! Why are your eyes looking like that?!”

“....”

“And Why did you attack the young princess!!?”

“.......”

Ryosaki tried calling out the abnormal way Sofia was acting, only to get silence as a response. 

Then, after giving another slash at Sofia, which immediately crashed her on the other side of the wall, Ryosaki quickly glanced at me with a cold sweat.

“Aya!! WATCH—”

“Huh?”

“—OUT!!!!!!”

He tried warning me about something as I was worriedly looking at the dire situation that the princess was in. 

However, right as I lost my guard for a slight moment, I felt a dark aura go through me. My eyes immediately widened in shock before my whole body stiffened, ready to prepare for what was about to attack.

The moment I turned around in order to prepare and perhaps block whatever was coming towards me, I was met with a dark mist that was emerging from the white-haired woman.

I immediately tried protecting my face with my daggers before the whole room began to glow, while on my back, the pool of blood coming out of the princess was beginning to get sucked inside the wall as if filling all of the holes where the symbols were engraved.

“Aya!!”

“Ugh…”

“Goodbye~”

My whole body almost felt like it was being absorbed by the darkness, until in the next moment everything turned dark as the voices of those around me became distant. All of my senses were nonexistent for a few moments until, in the next moment, I felt a cold breeze of the wind on my cheeks.

I knew that we must’ve been teleported somewhere, which is why I tried opening my eyes only to find myself in an open, wide grassy field. 

As soon as I got back the rest of my senses, I quickly stood up and looked around, only to find out that I was all alone. 

I wasn't sure where I was, as I did not recognize any of this terrain, but I was sure that this place must be a dungeon.

There must be many monsters hiding here somewhere, I can sense it. And the fact that the sun was in the perfect position to be called morning. It almost felt as if I had gone back in time.

When I was in the tournament, the sun was past its highest point, which was another convincing point that proved to me that this whole dungeon was showing another fake image of being outside.

‘I must find everyone else…’

I knew that the princess and Ryosaki must’ve been separated as well, which is why I gripped my fallen daggers and ran towards where I felt most of the monsters had gathered.

‘I won't let anyone else ever die because of me!’

* * *

Somewhere deeper into the same dungeon, near a forest-like location filled with thousands of trees and monsters going all wild, a battle — or more like a massacre — was occurring.

Despite the fact that many monsters were five to eight meters in diameter, they were all going down in an instant, as if they were being obliterated. Heads and limbs were being torn apart as the whole greenery of this forest was being splattered with the monster’s blood.

Amidst the chaos, a figure emerged—a knight in a crimson uniform. His piercing yellow eyes burned with a mixture of determination and lethal intent that sent shivers down the spines of those who dared to meet his gaze.

‘I must find the young princess and Aya as soon as possible!’

The knight kept repeating this to himself as his sword turned many of the monsters to pieces in a few quick slashes.

‘I won't allow more people to get taken away from me!’

His eyes glared before he charged forward at an unusual speed.

* * *

 

*SLICHK* *DRIP* DRIP* GASP*

My ears caught a chilling sound—a faint, rhythmic drip echoing through the darkness. Cold sweat trickled down my back as an unsettling wave of heat swept over me, sending my senses into disarray.

I attempted to move my arms to shield the princess from whatever danger loomed before us... But they remained unresponsive.

I longed to propel myself towards her, to rush to her aid with all my might... Yet my legs refused to obey.

I wanted to lift my head to search for the princess's presence amidst the danger... But my heavy head refused to turn, fixated only on the grassy field, which was gradually stained crimson.

*DRIP* *GROWL* *CRACKLE*

Strange sounds of tearing and cracking permeated my senses. I remained trapped, unable to comprehend the unfolding events, locked in this surreal state for what felt like an eternity.

That was until I heard distant noises of some kind of monster growling in the distance. 

From the sounds of it, they must be wild hounds….

Then, as I was feeling a sense of killing intent all around me, my head rose up on its own and charged towards the noises that were threatening me.

I wasn't sure whether this was my own instinct, but my body felt really heavy even though it was moving much faster than usual.

I began moving my sword around at top speed and started cutting down the unusually big monsters that were coming towards me. I swung my sword left and right until the few remaining monsters began running away from me.

Maybe it's better that the rest of them run away because I don't know how much longer my body can resist...

I wasn't sure why I was here or how I ended up here when I was supposed to be by the princess’s side. It almost felt like I was in the middle of a fever dream from which I was unable to escape.

Even though I promised the king that I would protect her in every second of my life…. In the end, it seems like I have failed to keep my promise…

Princess….

“.....I-i’m….s-sorry……”

Even though I simply wanted to apologize for what I had done, what came out of my mouth was nothing else but a broken, tired voice.

Was that pitiful sound….. my voice?

“Oh? So despite that ugly form, you are still conscious?”

Through the heavy sounds of my breathing, I soon heard the voice of a girl coming in the distance.

‘I don’t recognize that voice….’

Since I wasn't really in control of my body, my blurry eyesight moved up once again, and I saw a figure standing several meters away from me.

I wasn't sure, but somehow she seemed really angry while releasing a killing intent. Her short, dark hair was blown by the wind, as was her dark cloak, which soon revealed her face and a scar on her cheek.

“—you murderer!” She finished, her voice filled with rage and killing intent.

* * *

“...to think that just from losing blood like this, an intense energy is flowing out….”

"That's precisely why she must perish within this dungeon. Only then can all her energy be absorbed by a true demon."

“...Hou?”

Through a similar grassy field laid the princess, whose skin was turning pale from losing blood at a quick pace. 

Next to her were, of course, the same white-haired demon and the boy with whom she had made an agreement — or to be more exact — a soul contract.

‘She is losing too much blood at this rate.’

As Hiroki thought that to himself, he then used the water element skill through the boy he was possessing, creating and covering the wounds over the princess’s back.

“What are you doing?”

“I'm trying to stop her bleeding.”

“What?!”

But the moment the woman raised a brow at the way this marked human was acting, she quickly raised several more questions.

“Why are you trying to save that human!?” The woman snapped back.

“Because if the princess dies here, it would get in the way of my plans.” Hiroki’s cold voice responded.

“What are you talking about!? Our plan was to kill the princess! Did you already forget what our main objective was!?”

The white-haired demon frowned as she continued watching the absurdity in front of her.

“Our main objective?” 

“Yes, our main objective! Aren’t you a named one by the demon king!? So why are you doing the opposite of what we’re supposed to do?” 

The woman continued showing displeasure at Hiroki’s action before her crimson, sharp eyes glared at the princess down on the grassy field.

“Or are you testing me again?” She muttered under her breath before releasing a dark mist on her body. “If that's so, then I will finish this quickly!”

Thinking that this was another test of loyalty, the white-haired demon formed a weirdly shaped dark mist on her hands before shoving it towards the princess. However, before she could even reach her target, her body suddenly froze upon hearing Hiroki’s cold voice.

“Stop!”

“Huh? W-what…?”

The white-haired demon looked at Hiroki with startled eyes, her body frozen in fear and sudden surprise.

“W-why c-can’t I m-move?” 

The woman struggled to talk as she looked at the frozen state of her body that was about to kill the princess.

“Stay like that until I stabilize the princess. I don't want anyone to disrupt me.”

While continuing to focus on the slim water barrier around the back of the princess, Hiroki turned his shoulder to the white-haired demon and gave her the next command.

“Y-you f-fucking h-huma–”

“Shut it!”

“G-ghk!!...”

The princess, on the other hand, seemed to be moaning and panting in pain while Hiroki was trying to stop her bleeding at all costs.

‘Her wound was severe just a few moments ago. And her body seemed to be keeping up with her healing process.’

After judging the condition of the princess, Hiroki then pulled out of his pocket and picked up a small, finger-sized potion before looking back at the princess.

‘She will choke if I just pour it on her mouth….’

Hiroki sternly looked at the potion on his hand before taking a small breath and then pouring a portion of the liquid into his mouth. 

Keeping his mouth full, he gently lifted the princess and cradled her head. Then, with utmost care, he opened her mouth and kissed her, transferring the potion into her mouth. As he felt no reaction from her, he slowly slid his tongue inside, ensuring she swallowed the potion without choking.

After confirming the successful effects of the potions, he repeated the process two more times until the potion bottle was finally empty.

‘Her condition is improving. Now what's left is…’

As Hiroki confirmed the condition of the princess, he then turned towards the frozen demon, whose eyes were glaring daggers at Hiroki’s back.

“You can talk now.”

“....You fucking human! Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you are a named one? Even if you have special roles, that doesn't give you any right to treat a demon like this!”

Hearing the displeased reaction from the demon filled with hatred, Hiroki gave a small smirk before getting up in order to make eye contact.

“What is so funny?! Do you really think that the other demons would let this slide by?!”

“Other demons? I'm sorry to inform you, but the only one that is going to lose its position is going to be you.”

“W-what?!”

The demon’s eyes widened as she heard the response from the human in front of her.

“Haa…. I guess I can tell you since you no longer have any choice. I was never named or related to any sort of demon.”

“.....”

Upon hearing what Hiroki said next, her expression crumbled, and her fists could be seen clenching with mixed emotions.