Originally, there were three demon worshippers who were the boss monsters in this snow woman’s mansion.
In addition, there was a demon who, although weakened, possessed strength incomparable to those demon worshippers.
Faced with four boss monsters, Si-woo couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
‘At this point, it seems harder than your average B-rank gate.’
He was confident he could defeat the demon worshippers no matter how many came at him.
However, the demon sitting in the air, watching the situation with amusement, was an exception.
“Hehehe~”
She was incomparably weaker than the original Glacia.
Her overflowing dark energy had weakened, and her mana had been reduced by nearly half.
Yet, Si-woo was certain that even if he charged at her now, he stood no chance of winning.
‘Her mana control is far more refined than Glacia’s.’
Si-woo, who had considerable expertise in mana control, immediately recognized her skill.
If Glacia was the type to devastate her surroundings like a ballistic missile, this demon was more like a sniper rifle—a type that could bring down her opponent with minimal force.
‘Even if I push forward normally, there’s no chance of winning.’
Even with his enhanced nerves allowing for ultra-high-speed combat, Si-woo couldn’t react to everything.
“Then I’ll have to push through with reverse compatibility.”
Whoosh!!
The flames that rose from Si-woo’s hands, the flames of the White-Faced, Golden-Tailed Nine-Tailed Fox, boasted abilities entirely different from any other magic-induced flames.
Historically, there were no records of women like Daji, Tamamo-no-Mae, or Wakamo, who were part of the White-Faced, Golden-Tailed Nine-Tailed Fox legend, wielding flames.
Their ability was beauty.
The ability to enchant people, to bring even heroes who ruled the world with their beauty to their knees.
It was allure.
“After all, the abilities of an engraving are best when they symbolize something, right?”
Yet, Kitsunezawa, who was born with an engraving inspired by the White-Faced, Golden-Tailed Nine-Tailed Fox, could wield blue flames for one reason: the existence of historical sorcery.
It was because there were records of the White-Faced, Golden-Tailed Nine-Tailed Fox learning sorcery.
Innate beauty and charm.
Sorcery learned later.
The reason why engravings with existing motifs boast high ranks, unlike other engravings.
If there are records of something being learned later, the engraving implants that ability into the awakener as well.
These blue flames are not magic but sorcery.
They are the embodiment of the karma accumulated by the White-Faced, Golden-Tailed Nine-Tailed Fox, born from a curse.
“Is this what they call the manifestation of malice?”
Thus, its usage was fundamentally different from ordinary flames.
While it was possible to burn enemies like ordinary flames, the flames composed of the Nine-Tailed Fox’s malice were far more efficient when used in other ways.
The flames took shape under Si-woo’s will.
Ordinary magical flames couldn’t change form like this, but these flames could.
In a way, these flames were alive.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
The three demon worshippers charged at Si-woo with roars.
Their massive bodies seemed to cause tremors with every movement.
Faced with such enemies, Si-woo calmly proceeded with his enhancement.
His body, reinforced with mana, heated up intensely.
White steam flowed from his skin as it met the cold air.
The demon watched this scene with an intrigued gaze.
“As expected, you’re different from ordinary humans.”
The demon had little interest in the so-called hero Glasisha had waited for, even in death.
She had already devoured heroes and warriors who had made names for themselves.
No matter how great their abilities, heroes who harbored love for humans were insufficient to capture the demon’s interest.
‘I thought he’d just be another amusement.’
But Si-woo was nothing like ordinary heroes or warriors.
From his abilities to his attitude toward people, he was more suited to being a villain than a hero.
‘Honestly, there are plenty of demons with abilities similar to his.’
Enchanting women, draining their life force, and dominating them.
Though they harbored feelings of love, it was directed not at humans but at non-human women—and even then, it was a twisted affection. In that fundamental aspect, Si-woo resembled them.
Yet, Si-woo walked a different path.
Despite possessing abilities befitting a demon or a villain, he saw women as people.
“At this point, it’s fascinating. If his allure is strong enough to make even my heart race, it’s normal for women to be seen as nothing more than prey, as other demons have done.”
Yet, Si-woo saw Glacia as a human.
In that aspect, even the demon could acknowledge him as a noble hero, a human.
“But if you ask whether he’s truly as virtuous as a hero, it’s… ambiguous.”
The virtuous people the demon had met wouldn’t even accept dying on their own terms.
They would stop suicides and persuade others to live, even if there was a justifiable reason.
But Si-woo didn’t seem to harbor such love for humanity.
If, in the final moment, the demon had taken control of Glacia’s mind and begged to be killed, Si-woo would have plunged the dagger into her heart without hesitation.
The demon was certain of this.
Even when Glasisha’s eyes were closed, the demon’s eyes were wide open.
To savor Si-woo’s agonized expression, the demon observed the scene even in the darkness.
But the Si-woo the demon faced wore the cold, emotionless expression of a ruthless killer.
His face, more suited to an assassin than a hero or warrior, showed no hesitation as he calmly aimed the blade.
There was no trace of resolve, only the thought that it had to be done.
In Si-woo’s expression, there was no hesitation, no guilt.
Only at the very last moment did a faint question pass through his mind.
That question was none other than the “truth of the diary.”
The demon’s whisper written at the end.
Sssk—!!
“Tsk.”
Lost in thought, the demon snapped back to reality at the sound of a clean cut echoing from afar.
A sword made of blue flames had cleanly sliced through one of the demon worshippers.
The demon sighed at the flawless cut, unbelievable for a blade made of nothing but flames.
“I guess relying on these empty-headed fools was too much to ask.”
No, the mistake was entrusting close combat to former mages.
The demon worshippers, lacking skill and technique, could only rely on overwhelming mass and their unrestrained physical strength to push their opponents.
“Next time, I’ll have to enslave at least a decent knight instead of these mages.”
The demon channeled mana through the path connected to the worshipper.
Though regeneration wasn’t possible, it was enough to forcibly reattach the cleanly severed body.
‘It won’t last long, but it should be enough to wear him down.’
Having done so, the demon turned its attention back to Si-woo’s battle.
Whoosh—!!
<Get out!!!>
“Ugh!?”
The demon worshipper, unaware of the lingering malice of the Nine-Tailed Fox on its severed surface, screamed as blue flames erupted once more from the cut.
The flames surged through the mana path connected to the demon, as if warning it not to covet what wasn’t its own.
“This… voice…”
The demon had heard this voice before.
Its eyes widened as it realized the flames it had dismissed as ordinary were anything but.
The malice, similar yet distinct from a demon’s, reminded it of a damned fox far more suited to hell than even demons themselves.
The demon let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Ha! Well, that kind of hero suits her perfectly…”
The demon knew the owner of those flames.
Not Kitsunezawa, but the original owner of that engraving.
The owner of the voice echoing in its mind.
“Tamamo-no-Mae…”
It was unforgettable.
A Nine-Tailed Fox more suited to hell than even demons.
The damned fox who had invaded hell, devoured six demon lords, and stolen the Life-Stealing Stone, the source of the Poison of the Boiling Hell.
How could a demon like her forget?
Realizing this, the demon rose from its seat.
It had planned to leisurely watch and end things at the right moment, but if this man had been marked by the Nine-Tailed Fox, the story changed.
“Fine, killing the man she’s marked sounds good too.”
If possible, taking over his body and flaunting it in front of the Nine-Tailed Fox would be a satisfying revenge.
Imagining such a thrilling revenge, the demon gathered its mana to leap into the battlefield.
“Who… who said anything about killing?”
“!!”
And at that moment, the assassin revealed herself.
Two daggers slashed at the demon’s neck.
The demon, distracted by Si-woo, couldn’t even react.
Though the attack wasn’t fatal, it left a wound on its body.
“Ha, what’s this now?”
“As expected, this isn’t enough.”
Im So-yeon, who had revealed herself from a much farther distance than expected, thrust one of her daggers.
The demon’s skin was tough, and the quality of the weapon was lacking.
In this case, focusing on a single decisive strike would have been better than multiple attacks.
“An assassin revealing herself like this… is that allowed?”
“Yeah, because you won’t be able to find me.”
She triggered the signal flare she had brought.
The bright light illuminated the dark interior of the gate, revealing Im So-yeon’s location to the mage.
“Besides, I’ve realized that ordinary methods won’t work to kill you.”
From that distance, Im So-yeon was nowhere to be seen.
Saria, unable to move stealthily like a mage, waited from afar.
Only for this moment.
Whoosh~!!!
Wrapped in a curse that radiated pure malevolence, Im So-yeon vanished with a sneer.
As if daring them to find her if they could.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to kill you in the most painful way possible.”
“Ha, you damn b*tch.”
Facing Im So-yeon, the demon’s eyes glinted with a cold light as it unleashed a wave of frost.
“Do it if you can.”
