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“That won’t do. Why are you touching the altar when the ceremony is almost finished?”

A voice, ominous yet twitchy, echoed through the air. Despite being barely audible, not a single soul here missed those syllables.

Diolia and, especially, Shione were already turning their heads before the words arrived. The elf-ears were especially sharp, not just for show.

Everyone was left puzzled and tense about the mysterious presence that had just shown up.

‘…A man’s voice?’

The source of the voice belonged to an unknown man.

Men from this world didn’t belong here, in a dark forest where monsters might spring from anywhere. They were meant to be in flower fields dancing with butterflies, not in this gloomy place filled with beast roars and the traces of battle.

‘Regardless, what he said just now… and being here means…’

That guy must have connections with those damn demon spawn too.

I, and everyone else, braced ourselves, shaking off our postures and keeping vigilant as Shione quietly observed from beyond.

Diolia pointed her sword, while Friel laid a hand on her sword’s hilt, containing Piel’s breeze within her. Airine focused all three spirits’ attention in one spot, causing the owner of the voice to slowly reveal himself.

“Living in the forest for hundreds, even thousands of years, I wonder if your brains have gotten stiff.”

The man snickered, lifting his chin as he looked down on the elves.

“I can’t help but think you’re just itching to be humiliated by us each time. You know it too, right? If you want to live—”

His arrogant expression and confident gestures stirred the elven pride well.

“You’re trying to engage with us while ignoring the simplest ways; that’s why so many elves are dead—”

He kicked a skeleton lying on the ground.

The remains rolled painfully, coming to a stop at Airine’s feet.

“…….”

Airine, still staring stiffly at the man, blinked in disbelief.

“Didn’t these primitive beasts become a part of the offering?”

She glanced at the white bones quietly.

I wondered if his provocation was taking effect on the elves.

At that moment, the cool logic that always seemed to guide Airine’s expressions shattered. She looked at him now not with a cold, detached gaze, but one filled with clear hostility mixed with a bit of irritation and anger.

Rather than fear her anger, the man began to smirk as if he had been waiting for this reaction.

“Well, thanks to the offering coming here on its own, things have gotten a lot easier for us. That blonde over there must be Arielte… and that redhead is Ianette, right?”

A wave of raw repulsion began to emanate from him.

He was infused with the power given by demons. Despite having received a massive amount of it, he successfully maintained his grip on sanity amid fanaticism. He was specifically a demon.

─Shinwoo.

‘I was going to say something anyway.’

Before his magic could become more potent, and before he could finish that sentence, I swiftly pulled out an arrow. It was already fitted perfectly between my index and middle fingers, ensuring he wouldn’t get a moment to evade as I nocked it and drew back.

Fwoooosh─!

The sound of the taut string intertwined with that lunatic’s voice.

“Watch out for those two! Capture as many as possible of the rest—”

Thwack!

With a hurried adjustment of postures, I released a perfectly aimed shot. The arrow flew straight into his throat.

“Glargh….”

With frothy blood spilling out, the demon glared at me with a fervor that boiled like fire.

Well, what are you going to do? Want to come here and take a swing at me? With that state of yours, you think you can come here?

I mimicked that arrogant expression he wore while provoking my team of forest guardians just moments ago, and he charged at me like a madman.

That was the moment.

“Our family was killed by that damn thing! Everyone, attack!”

“Make them all offerings! Kill them, just ensure we capture as many as possible!”

At once, women who seemed to be demons poured in from all directions.

Each of them, emanating a foul scent of blood, sliced through the elves like crazy, kicking off the battle once more.

Yet even amidst the fray, that demon with an arrow in his throat charged madly towards me.

“…Bloody lunatic.”

His eyes, consumed by obsession and madness, screamed for violence.

Wasn’t it always like this with demons? I had completely forgotten how dangerous they were lately.

‘Don’t underestimate them; stay focused.’

Demons are all crazy lunatics. Enthralled by fanaticism and magic, they make excellent killing machines, and I wasn’t oblivious to that fact.

Siabel, wielding that poisoned sword, had also suffered painfully under the assault of demons. These guys had the kind of madness to invade the kingdom, to break into the princess’s coming-of-age ceremony and turn it into chaos.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Gack….”

A man who had only left me behind charged straight at Shione.

Ultimately, he lost his life, helplessly under Diolia’s sword, who had been shielding Shione ahead of him.

Even as his body fell, Diolia was swinging her sword, ready to embrace death alongside him.

I witnessed that sequence unfold and hurriedly exclaimed.

“Eww… gross…”

“Tania.”

“What? Should I just burn everything?”

“…No.”

Though I wished that would be the case.

Even with the engendered fire, despite how much the mana consumption reduces after summoning the spirit and finishing a spell, it would be a different ballgame facing this many enemies. Not only would they burn up my mana, but mine along with it.

“Switch with Orna. If things seem dangerous, lend support with magic or finish it off right away.”

“…Will you be okay away from me?”

“Come on, Orna’s here. You can handle this without me.”

“But you’re saying that while you’re hardly doing better than before.”

“…….”

When I quietly looked at Tania, she puffed her cheeks.

“If it looks dangerous, your lord and that knight will come right away. This is non-negotiable.”

“Alright then.”

“Ugh, what a response—”

Tania muttered something while soaring away high into the sky.

Soon after, the cotton puff Orna filled her spot.

─Myaang!

“From now on, could you assist me with arrows and movements?”

─Myaang.

Puffing out her plump, floofy fur as if to say “just trust me,” Orna was ready to go.

At the same time, I began to rush into the battle.

Without hesitation, I sprinted down the bumpy forest path. Fortunately, Orna was able to match my pace, and the breezy winds around me further accelerated my movements.

As I pulled out an arrow, a whirlwind formed, launching my arrow to pierce through the demon. I became entangled in the chaos, mixing among the swiftly moving elves and demons alike.

With every strike of my blade, an enemy’s head would roll, and whenever I loosed an arrow from behind a wooden column, it pierced an enemy’s heart.

The forest guardians, quickly adapting to relentless combat, gained the upper hand over the demons, who had less professional training and experience.

Just as victory seemed within reach, I felt an instinct scream at me. The rear was in danger.

“Ray!”

“…Princess Shione!”

My lord, gripping Airine’s bow tightly, began to rush towards me, casting aside Diolia, who was startled by the sudden action.

Running like that would only lead to fitness coaching and not anything else.

The moment I turned back, I glimpsed a woman far away. She was different from the other demons. I could see the corners of her mouth raising comfortably beneath the deep hood of her robe.

It was abrupt. Even I, bringing my sharp senses to life, couldn’t detect her presence.

In the instant she lifted her robe and drew the sword from her waist, my instincts screamed:

Dodge. Right now, don’t even think of fighting back in this half-prepared posture.

“Damn it…!”

Shione, sprinting and gritting her teeth, threw herself to shield me.

We hit the ground hard.

Rolling away, I finally saw that demon, sword drawn, standing where I had just been.

Flames of magic swirled chaotically.

As the man was about to drive his sword into where Shione and I lay—

“Damn girl.”

“…Bloody cultist.”

A small girl stood bravely before us, boldly bleeding out her status.

As she tripped, she picked up an arrow that had scattered on the floor and without delay strung it to draw back, Shione, icy cold, said,

“Who do you think you’re targeting?”

“How dare you touch what’s mine?”

Whoosh!

A fierce fire erupted from the spirit, and Shione’s sharp arrow struck down the foe.

With the flames dispersing, after hearing the sound of Shione’s arrow embedding somewhere beyond, we recognized the demon’s true identity.

“By your expression, it seems you liked my welcoming more than expected?”

A pair of horned black goat horns adorned her head.

She was the half-demon, our designated target.

 

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