Large black wings.
A tail with a heart-shaped whip at the end.
Skin so firm and elastic, and a body so voluptuous, that it was impossible to tell how much human essence she had absorbed.
Pure white, baby-like, milky skin.
If not for her wings and tail, she would look no different from a breathtakingly beautiful human woman.
Clad in a dangerously revealing outfit, Lucipha was the very embodiment of a temptress straight out of a dream.
With a playful expression, she licked the corner of her lips with her tongue and smacked her lips.
“Well, I’ve got a good excuse~ So, shall we have some fun?! Kyahaha!!!”
Not long ago, a strict order had come down from the Demon King.
Do not fight unless there is a special reason.
But right now, there was a special reason.
For before her stood a wretched traitor, clinging to the humans.
Lucipha, who had been itching for a fight, shouted in excitement as if she had just been freed from a prison.
“Folloooow~~~ meeeee~~~~!!!!”
Unfolding her massive black wings without restraint, she soared into the sky and began gliding down the ridge.
Behind her, tens of thousands of elite troops followed.
Centaurs, serving as cavalry, wyverns launching fireballs from the air, goblins—small in stature but highly resistant to holy power—and Cerberus, the three-headed wolf-like beast.
Lucipha’s elite army was filled with creatures rarely seen near the borders.
Dududududu…!!
Dududududududu…!!
Soon, the ground trembled violently, shaking with a deafening roar.
“Huh…? What’s that sound??”
“Is it an earthquake?”
The soldiers, standing idly, were thrown into even greater confusion by the sudden disturbance.
“T-That… what is that…??”
“Huh…??”
“T-That’s…!!”
The princess immediately recognized what was flying toward them at an overwhelming speed.
“Lucipha…! It’s Lucipha’s Demon King’s army!!! Form up!!! As fast as possible!!!”
“Grrr…! Humans, get inside now!! It’s truly dangerous!!”
Tartakan quickly ushered the humans stationed at the beast outpost into the castle and ensured the gates were firmly shut.
However, the princess’s soldiers were already in disarray.
“Beasts!!”
“The beasts are coming!!!”
“Prepare for impact!!”
No matter how much the officers on the field tried to rally the troops, there simply wasn’t enough time.
Dududududududu…!!
The Demon King’s army began their assault, pushing forward in unison from the snow-covered wilderness and the castle’s flanks.
At the forefront, Krevkan charged headlong toward Tartakan, ready to crush him.
“Grrrr!! Traitor Tartakan!!! Die!!!”
“Krevkan…!!”
Unable to control his speed, Krevkan crashed into Tartakan, and the two became entangled, tumbling across the ground.
Krevkan’s body had grown even larger than before, and the demonic energy radiating from him was incomparably stronger.
“How does it feel?! This is the power I received as a reward from Lady Lucipha for reporting you!! Grrrr!!! You should be grateful to me!!! Hahahahaha!!”
“True strength does not come from things like that, Krevkan!!”
“Don’t lecture me!! I am no longer your subordinate!!”
Outside the castle, beasts clashed in fierce battles against one another, while the princess’s soldiers fought their own chaotic skirmishes against the elite Demon King’s army.
The dark, shadowy beasts clashed with the radiant, armor-clad soldiers.
It was a grand confrontation between good and evil.
Fiery projectiles launched by wyverns streaked through the sky, only to be intercepted midair by the sacred power of the noble warriors.
The cavalry battled fiercely against the centaurs, while the infantry clashed with goblins and various other ground-based beasts.
With the support of the nobles, the saintess and all clergy of the Holy Church gathered their brilliant, light-green sacred energy, combining it to create a Sanctuary of Healing, blessed by Herkaen.
Within the sanctuary, the soldiers’ wounds healed at an accelerated rate even as they fought, which was one of the main reasons the princess’s army had suffered so few casualties.
At the very front, the princess brandished her black flames, striking mercilessly at the forces of darkness.
The Demon King’s army faltered, overwhelmed by the all-consuming flames.
Even the goblins, known for their resistance to sacred power, struggled against the intense black fire that burned through their demonic energy and seared their flesh.
They scrambled desperately to avoid being incinerated.
However, with the soldiers’ formation still in disarray, the princess’s powerful black flames ended up having unintended consequences.
As the chaotic battle unfolded, many beasts instinctively avoided the princess’s flames, instead charging into the already-muddled ranks of soldiers.
Because of this, while the princess’s vanguard held their ground admirably, most other battlefronts saw the soldiers struggling against the onslaught.
“The battle-crazed princess!! Kyahaha!! As expected, the most exciting fight is over there!!”
Spotting the princess, Lucipha wasted no time and swiftly flew toward her, unleashing a surge of demonic energy.
“Hmph…!!”
The princess retaliated immediately, her black flames colliding with Lucipha’s energy in midair.
The two forces twisted and churned violently before detonating in a muffled explosion, sending waves of lingering energy rippling across the battlefield.
Lucipha’s demonic energy was uniquely specialized in illusion and enchantment.
Though the effects were quickly dispelled by the Sanctuary of Healing, not all soldiers managed to escape its influence unscathed.
The soldiers tainted by Lucipha’s demonic energy staggered toward her, their bodies burning from within, yet their minds entranced.
“S-So beautiful…”
“Ugh… Ahh… Mmm…”
“I… I want to touch her…”
“Hey!! Snap out of it!!”
“No!! It’s too late!! Once you’re caught, there’s no saving you!!”
“Kyahahahaha!! Yes, yes, come to me, you hopeless humans! Step into my warm embrace and meet your pathetic end!! Kyahahahaha!!”
Lucipha mocked the entranced soldiers, laughing as they stood stiffly in the middle of battle, lost in lustful delusion.
On the battlefield, even a single moment of vulnerability meant certain death.
One by one, the soldiers who failed to resist Lucipha’s enchantment fell like autumn leaves, mercilessly slaughtered by the Demon King’s army.
The princess, witnessing the massacre, burned with fury.
“Lucipha!! I will never forgive you!!!”
“Forgive me? Forgiiiive me? You dare talk about forgiving me?! Kyahahaha!! And what will you do if you can’t forgive me?!”
Lucipha grinned wickedly, taunting the princess as much as possible.
Because the more enraged she became, the wilder and bloodier the battle would be.
Lucipha, who had been desperate for battle, wanted nothing more than to use the excuse of executing traitors to turn this castle into a slaughterhouse, wiping out every last living soul inside.
Just as she and the princess were about to clash once more, black flames and demonic energy colliding—A new, even darker black flame erupted from the castle walls, engulfing the beasts below in an inferno.
This flame was darker than the princess’s and far surpassed hers in both range and intensity.
“W-Whoa!! What the hell is that?!”
Naturally, Lucipha’s attention was immediately drawn to it.
A figure in a crimson mask stood atop the wall, unleashing a raging storm of black flames.
The monstrous beasts climbing the castle walls screamed in agony, unable to withstand the deep, shadowy fire spewing from this human’s hands.
One by one, they fell, charred and lifeless.
“Princess! Let’s play some other time, okay? That one over there looks way more fun today! Kyahahahaha!!”
“Lucipha! Stop!! Where do you think you’re going?!”
“Take care~~~~~!!! See you next time~~~~~!!!”
Completely ignoring the princess, the excited Lucipha spread her massive wings and soared straight toward the crimson-masked human.
“HUUUUUUUMAAAAAAN~~~~~~~~!!!!”
Lucipha gathered an immense, nearly explosive mass of demonic energy in both hands and charged straight in, ready to slam it down with all her might.
But as soon as the crimson-masked human laid eyes on her, they remained eerily calm.
One hand continued to unleash the black flame storm, while the other began to concentrate an unfamiliar, radiant energy—a holy force unlike anything Lucipha had ever encountered.
“Niiiiiice to meet youuuuu!!! Here’s a giiiiiift—… H-Huh?!”
Lucipha had expected her energy to detonate upon impact, but instead, something unthinkable happened.
The moment her demonic energy came into contact with the mysterious light in the masked human’s palm—It didn’t explode.
It simply… vanished.
Her unstoppable power had been erased right before her eyes.
Completely thrown off guard, Lucipha’s momentum carried her straight into the masked figure’s grasp.
In an instant, a powerful hand caught her by the throat.
“GAAACK!!! THAT HURTS!!!”
Now dangling helplessly over the castle wall, held by the masked human’s iron grip, Lucipha thrashed and screeched in rage.
“LET ME GO!!!! HUMAN!!!!”
Furious, she swung her clawed hand down, intending to sever the masked figure’s arm in one brutal strike—But instead of cutting through, her own hand was repelled violently.
The force knocked her back, as if her attack had struck an impenetrable barrier.
“AAAAAAGGHHHH!!!!”
A searing, unbearable pain shot through Lucipha’s hand, making her scream at the top of her lungs, even as the masked human tightened their grip around her throat.
“G-Gaaack?! Wh-What the hell?! Are you even human?!”
The crimson-masked figure remained completely silent, their grip unyielding.
Unable to read any emotion from their expressionless mask, Lucipha felt a surge of frustration and unease.
“Tch…! Fine, then! Take this, you creepy bastard!!!”
With a wicked smirk, she unleashed her full power, releasing an overwhelming surge of enchantment magic, her most potent charm-inducing demonic energy, in every direction.
‘Heh… Without that saintess around, no human can withstand my full-powered charm magic. Even if it burns their body, they’ll still fall completely under my spell, drooling like a lovesick fool…’
She expected the masked human’s body to tremble, their mind to fog over, their grip to weaken—But nothing happened.
The crimson-masked human stood completely unaffected.
And Lucipha?
She was still dangling helplessly over the edge of the wall, choked in midair, just as before.
“…Huh…? H-Hey, human…? What the…?”
For a moment, she thought they weren’t reacting at all.
But then—Something far, far worse happened.
The grip around her throat suddenly tightened—far beyond human limits.
“Ghhhhhkk!!! Kkrrhhhk…!!! Ggkk—…!!”
Lucipha choked and gasped, her struggles growing weaker as an unbelievable force squeezed her neck.
“Y-You… a-arrogant human…!!”
She flared her massive wings, trying to break free and take flight—But she didn’t move an inch.
“What… what kind of strength is this…?!”
Desperate, she lashed out, aiming to strangle the masked human in return with her long wings—But before she could, the masked figure’s other hand shot forward, grabbing her tail mid-air.
“Wha—?!”
In an instant, they wrapped the tail around their fist—Then, with monstrous strength, they swung Lucipha like a ragdoll and began slamming her into the ground.
BANG!!
BOOM!!
CRASH!!
KRAK!!
THUD!!
Lucipha, who had never been humiliated like this before, turned bright red with rage, screaming a flurry of curses at the top of her lungs.
“Y-You… DAMN HUMAN…!! Do you really think you can get away with doing this to me—?! GYAAAAH?! KYAAAAAACK!!!”
“AAARGH!!! I—I’LL TEAR YOU APART LIMB FROM LIMB, YOU—GAAAAAAHHH!!!”
But her threats were cut short over and over again as she was launched into the air, then slammed back into the ground with earth-shattering force.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each thunderous impact sent tremors through the battlefield, and before long, every soldier present—whether they belonged to the Demon King’s army or the princess’s forces—began to take notice.
“G-General…?”
“Is… is that really the Sage…?”
“What kind of… brute strength…?”
“THAT’S the power of the Sage…?!”
The entire battlefield froze as both armies stopped fighting, drawn in by the bizarre scene unfolding atop the castle walls.
Lucipha—the infamous battle-maniac, the undefeated demon commander—was being manhandled like a ragdoll in front of everyone.
Then, after one final devastating slam, the masked Sage jumped onto Lucipha’s stomach, pinning her down beneath their weight.
“W-WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING, HUMAN?!”
Lucipha shrieked, thrashing beneath them in outrage.
“What… what are you doing, human!!!!”
But immediately, the sage tightened his grip around Lucipher’s neck with unimaginable strength.
“Kehhhk…!! Guhhh…!!”
It was only then that Lucipher saw the human’s two eyes through the holes in the crimson mask.
“…..????”
Feeling something large and hot pressing against his stomach, Lucipher finally realized.
“Y-You… human…! Don’t tell me…!!”
Before everyone’s eyes, the sage reached for his pants and began to undo the bulging front.