Chapter 13: An Irresistible Temptation – 2

Some say that humans are rational beings.

That they possess cold, calculating intelligence and act based on logical decisions.

But I know better.

And not just in theory.

I have seen it firsthand.

The pale faces of those who hesitated at the wrong moment, their desperate screams echoing as they watched everything collapse before them.

Humans may talk about reason and self-control, but in the end.

They are nothing more than animals.

Once they get swept up in emotion…

Once their dopamine kicks in and sets their bodies on fire with excitement…

Rationality becomes powerless.

Even if their brains scream warnings, they always meet the same tragic fate.

Just like right now.

Mevis Harbor.

From the moment he set foot on the harbor, Admiral James Cook had been completely overtaken by excitement.

In naval warfare, the most difficult and dangerous phase of an assault is the landing itself.

Even crossing a river under enemy fire is a nightmare.

But attempting to secure a harbor, where hundreds of soldiers must disembark onto a narrow, confined space, is an even greater risk.

In the worst-case scenario, more than a third of an army could be wiped out before even setting foot on land.

That was precisely why the fall of Mevis Harbor had been such a catastrophe for the Empire.

But in this moment.

James had successfully landed his troops without losing a single soldier.

For him, this meant that the greatest hurdle of the battle had already been overcome.

And then.

The advance continued.

The demons—those once feared as monsters of overwhelming power—were now scattering in terror, unable to put up any meaningful resistance.

James watched as they fell before him, helpless and broken.

This was it.

This was the dream of every military commander.

The fantasy of sweeping away enemy forces with a single command—

And it was happening right in front of his eyes.

It was intoxicating—a sensation so thrilling that it felt almost drug-like.

And on top of that.

The rewards that awaited him as the victorious commander…

The cheers of the empire as he delivered news of his triumph…

How the hell was he supposed to resist this?

Burning red-hot with ambition, James recklessly charged forward, completely consumed by the thrill of chasing down the fleeing enemy.

Like watching a stock market line skyrocket toward the heavens, he couldn’t look away.

He just kept pushing forward, straight toward the central plaza, where he expected to meet Iskal’s surviving forces.

However.

“…Huh?”

The moment he arrived.

James Cook froze.

The plaza was far emptier than he had imagined.

There were no signs of the Imperial survivors fighting alongside them.

Instead.

What stood before them was an organized demon force.

And at the front of their ranks, a woman with violet hair stood calmly.

“Mmm… so they actually came.

I suppose my luck is a bit better than usual this time.”

Her voice was hesitant—almost muttering to herself.

But James’ blood ran cold.

Something was very, very wrong.

His voice shaking, he turned to his lieutenant.

“W-what’s going on?!

The demons are here, but where the hell are the Imperial survivors?!”

His lieutenant quickly scanned the area, then checked their maps before hesitantly responding.

“This should be the right place, Admiral… Maybe they were wiped out before we arrived?”

“Mmm… ha… haha…”

“Y-yeah… that must be it…”

But the pit in his stomach only grew deeper.

James Cook forced himself to stay calm.

But deep inside, a growing sense of dread crept into his mind.

He had let greed blind him, leading him all the way here—

But the truth was, he had always known.

From the very start, this operation had been a massive gamble.

The only reason he had managed to suppress his doubts was because everything had gone according to plan—until now.

However.

Something was wrong.

The situation was not unfolding as expected.

His excitement and thrill of victory began to fade—

And in their place, his long-suppressed rationality was finally waking up.

But then.

‘Tch… W-what am I thinking?! It’s just a small miscalculation!

T-this is just a minor setback! A simple variable—something completely expected in war!’

After all.

The Imperial survivors had been injured.

They had set fire to the enemy stronghold, causing chaos.

It wasn’t impossible that they had simply failed to escape and been wiped out.

That was plausible.

That was logical.

James clung to that explanation, forcing himself to shake off his unease.

Straightening his back, he addressed his troops with false confidence.

“Hmph… What a shame.

But it doesn’t matter.

Even without those soldiers, we’ll handle the rest ourselves.”

It was unfortunate that their allies had been eliminated—

But in the grand scheme of things, it was a minor setback.

Besides.

The demon force in front of them was far smaller than the Imperial army.

The violet-haired demon woman and her troops didn’t even make up half of his own forces.

At this point, turning back wasn’t an option.

Retreating would be even more ridiculous than advancing.

And so, gripping his sword with renewed determination, James gave his final order.

“Charge! Attack! In the name of the Leaf Empire!”

“Uwaaaaahhh!”

With his command, the Imperial forces surged forward, beginning their assault.

Though they were naval soldiers, they were not inexperienced in land battles.

In fact.

Being accustomed to fighting on unstable decks, many of them had superior individual combat skills compared to regular infantry.

They trusted their strength.

Believed in their advantage.

And rushed forward without hesitation.

However.

“How truly… unfortunate… you all are.”

The violet-haired demon woman muttered softly.

And in that moment.

The battle took an unexpected turn.

As she spoke those ominous words, the violet-haired demon woman slowly adjusted her grip on her sword.

And at that moment.

A surge of purple energy began to crackle around the blade.

The air hummed and sizzled.

The magic, pulsing like a living storm, danced across her weapon in jagged, lightning-like arcs.

And then.

“Die in misfortune.”

—CRACK!

With one swift motion, she swung her sword.

The Imperial soldiers, who had been charging forward without hesitation, suddenly felt a chill crawl up their spines.

For the first time.

Their instincts screamed in absolute terror.

A fear so primal, so overwhelming, seized them.

Their bodies froze in place, paralyzed by the sheer weight of impending doom.

They wanted to run.

Every fiber of their being screamed at them to turn and flee.

However.

That chance would never come.

—CRACKLE!

“Gaaaaaaahhh!!!”

With a horrific explosion of energy, the frontline soldiers were obliterated.

Every time her lightning-infused blade swung through the air—

Bodies erupted.

They didn’t even have time to scream.

Their armor melted, their flesh scorched—

Their bodies burst apart like overcooked meat.

Three seconds.

That was all it took for twenty men to be reduced to charred remains.

The unstoppable charge of the Imperial Army was shattered instantly.

And as James stared at the slaughter unfolding before him, his face contorted in sheer disbelief.

“W-what… what the hell is that woman?!”

His lieutenant, trembling, gasped out the answer.

“P-Poltuga! Admiral, that woman is Poltuga—the Demon Marshal!

She’s one of Kesar’s most powerful commanders!”

“…What?”

James felt his blood turn ice-cold.

The name Poltuga was one he knew all too well.

This was the same woman who, at the Battle of Beherit, had single-handedly slaughtered 300 soldiers.

And now.

She stood before them, her violet lightning crackling in the dark, ready to carve them apart.

A close confidant of Demon Lord Kesar.

A monster among Demon Marshals, ranking among the strongest of them all.

And now.

That very monster stood right before them, her blade crackling with deadly violet lightning.

Pointed straight at them.

James felt his chest tighten.

A cold dread coiled around his heart—

The creeping realization that he had severely miscalculated.

But.

“Damn it…! G-get a hold of yourselves!

She may be strong, but their numbers are nothing compared to ours!”

Yes.

This one woman was dangerous.

But running away now?

That was unthinkable.

Especially when their side still had the overwhelming numerical advantage.

James forced himself to push aside his fear, raising his voice in a desperate command.

“I’ll reward whoever brings me that woman’s head!

You will be given enough gold to last a lifetime! Lands, titles—everything you could ever dream of!

Step forward, brave warriors, and claim your prize!”

Gold and power.

The two greatest motivators of all.

For a moment, his soldiers hesitated.

But then, driven by greed, they charged once more, surging toward Poltuga.

However.

BOOOOM!

“!?”

A massive explosion suddenly erupted nearby—

Shaking the very ground beneath them.

“W-what… What the hell is this?!”

James whirled around, eyes wide in shock.

Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

A thunderous explosion erupted from behind them.

A gut-wrenching chill crawled down James’ spine as he slowly turned his head.

And then.

“A-Admiral…?”

“T-this can’t be…!”

There, standing right behind them.

Were the demons.

At least a thousand of them.

An entire army had appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the Imperial forces in a perfect encirclement.

And at the very front of the enemy ranks.

Stood a towering figure with black horns and massive wings, exuding a presence so suffocating it crushed the air itself.

“…K-Kesar…?”

“T-the Demon Lord…! The Demon Lord is here!”

Every Imperial soldier knew that name.

Kesar—one of the Four Great Demon Lords.

Even one Demon Marshal had been enough of a nightmare.

But now, standing face-to-face with an unbeatable entity…

Panic turned to despair.

And then.

Despair ignited into rage.

James’ hands trembled, his teeth clenching in fury.

“Damn it! What the hell is going on?!

They said the Demon Lord had left this place!

Why—WHY is he here?!”

And then.

A horrifying realization sank into his mind.

His face drained of all color.

“D-don’t tell me……This was a trap from the very beginning?!”