Kaka-ka—the “Devil” with Bibi’s face sneered.
It wasn’t the voice of a living being, but a sneering sound like striking marrow-filled bones, sending shivers down Clara and her attendants’ spines.
Devils are the natural enemies of the living. Unlike the dead, who resent the living and attack them out of envy, devils devour the negative emotions and tainted souls of the living.
Therefore, the living fear devils. It’s not a matter of life or death. Their souls tremble with an instinctive fear of being degraded in their very dignity.
“Everyone, step back! [Fire Arrow]—!”
While everyone else was frozen in fear, only Clara, with her soul from another world, could act.
Not just a simple reincarnation, her soul retained its memories from another world. This knowledge came with drawbacks, such as an inability to kill, but a soul that had experienced two different lives was more flexible.
Whoosh!
—Kaka—
The Devil, struck by Clara’s [Fire Arrow], distorted Bibi’s face and sneered.
Devils are inhabitants of the spiritual realm, like Spirits, but unlike Spirits, who rely on their attributes like water or earth, Devils rely on human flesh and blood. This is said to make them more susceptible to physical attacks than Spirits.
Even so, attacks without Mana are ineffective, and Clara’s judgment to use Fire Magic, which has high physical and magical destructive power, wasn’t wrong, but with a Mana Capacity of only Rank 2, she couldn’t even wound the Devil.
But even so—
“—You bastard…”
Doris, who had been blown away with the window first, roared as if to encourage her own frightened soul.
Responding to her, Hilda and Heidi also stood up to protect Clara. Clara’s actions had restored the will to resist the Devil’s fear in their hearts.
“Heidi!”
Heidi nodded at Hilda’s voice and began chanting Magic.
However, against a Devil whose very actions possess magical elements, the act of “chanting” itself is fatal. Before that, with Clara’s high Mana Capacity, three-attribute Fire Magic being ineffective, what could she possibly do?
—Kaka-ka—
The Devil spread its body of black mist, mocking Heidi’s actions as if to say there was no escape. Heidi hadn’t finished chanting yet, but even so, the Devil couldn’t completely ignore the Magic and turned Bibi’s distorted face towards Heidi when—
“—[Purify (Clean)]—”
Clara’s Light Magic, which she had been constructing behind Hilda, was unleashed on the Devil.
The Light Magic [Purify (Clean)] purifies the tainted Mana Particles, “Miasma.” The Devil, which uses it as a source of power, seemed to flinch for a moment, but immediately tried to tear apart the Light Mana, shaping the black mist into the form of a giant’s arm and striking.
“Like hell I’ll let you!”
Doris leaped back, embracing Clara from the giant’s arm that attacked her, and the Devil’s attack shattered the table and the floor stones.
Dogooon!!
Light and Miasma clashed, and when the shattered dust cleared, Clara and the others were gone from before the Devil, leaving only the destroyed door swaying.
“…………”
Seeing that, the Devil twisted Bibi’s face and turned the black mist into a giant’s arm again, smashing the broken door and wall and going outside.
＊
“—Ugh.”
“—[Purify (Clean)]—”
Clara washed away Doris’s arm, which had been struck by the Devil’s attack, with Water Magic, and immediately purified the wound with [Purify (Clean)].
“…How awful.”
Doris’s arm was charred and festering just from being grazed by the Devil’s attack. Probably due to the effects of the Miasma, one [Purify (Clean)] wasn’t enough to purify it completely, and in that state, the effects of Cure Magic were also weak.
Facing a Devil that caused damage just by touching it, the fact that they had gotten away with such little damage was because each of them had fulfilled their roles.
Heidi had been chanting not to attack the Devil, but to destroy the door from the beginning to secure an escape route. Clara, who understood this through “Foresight,” used Purify on the distracted Devil, and in that gap, Heidi destroyed the door with [Stone Shot] and they retreated.
“Dandole-sama!”
“What is it!?”
The women of the Fifth Knight Order rushed over, having heard the noise. There was a reason for making such a loud noise—to inform them.
“A Devil has appeared! Contact the Royal Knight Order immediately. It’s coming soon!”
Although she wasn’t yet the mistress of this Crown Prince’s Palace, Clara’s words as the first fiancé, and the sight of her attendant Doris’s injury, made the female knights gasp.
The Fifth Knight Order was a distinguished Knight Order that had existed since the founding of the nation. Although it was called a Knight Order, there were only about a hundred knights, both in the past and present, because all the knights were female knights, and their main mission was to protect important people.
However, this wasn’t the kind of thing that vulgar nobles imagined, like a knight’s daughter taking it easy. It was the fighting women’s dream department, selected from all over the country as the face of the kingdom, protecting the Queen and Princess, and guarding honored guests.
Their overall fighting strength, chosen for their ability, was said to approach that of the Royal Knights, and they were the kingdom’s prized assets, alongside the Royal Knights and Shadow Unit Knights.
“Understood!”
The female knights responded to Clara’s will. They, who protected the Crown Prince’s Palace, had been told that the reason Clara was staying here before her marriage was due to Monsters, but they hadn’t been told it was a “Devil” due to the upper echelons’ fear of information leaks.
But even knowing that, the Fifth Knight Order decided to risk their lives to protect the future Queen, their faces pale.
“It’s coming!”
At someone’s voice, the female knights who seemed to be the captain came forward, lined up with Doris, who was holding a short sword in one arm, and spoke to block her way.
“You there! Tell our Captain and the Royal Knights about this. Tell them to summon all Light Magicians with large shields and Spears!”
“I can still—”
“Doris, with that injury, you’ll just be in the way! We’ll protect Clara-sama while retreating, so you go tell the Knight Order!”
“…Understood.”
Doris, understanding the priority as a combatant at Hilda’s words, ran to the opposite side. At the same time, black mist with Bibi’s face plastered all over it, as if to fill the corridor, was approaching from the other side of the passage.
“Fire!”
“—[Splash (Splash)]—!”
“—[Fire Arrow (Fire Arrow)]—!”
“—[Wind Blade (Wind Cutter)]—!”
Attack Magic was unleashed on the black mist from Clara and the knights. The Magic that was fired one after another struck the Devil, and the Devil’s face, which had stopped moving as if it had flinched for a moment, changed from Bibi’s face to a cracked stone mask.
“It’s working!”
“Wait!”
Ignoring Clara’s restraint, a young knight drew her sword and jumped out. But—
“Captain!?”
The Devil’s mask turned into a human face again, and seeing that, the female knight who raised a surprised voice was crushed against the wall by the Devil’s powerful arm.
—Kaka—
It was probably the face of the Fifth Knight Order’s Captain. The face made a smile that was distorted like clay, and a large amount of blood spilled from the gap in the crushed wall.
“—Kanro—”
“Retreat, quickly!”
Clara ordered, as if screaming, to the knights who were stiffened by that “meal.”
“But, that Devil is—”
“It won’t chase us right away! Quickly!”
“…Understood! All members, protect Dandole-sama while retreating!”
While glaring at the Devil who had killed their comrade, the female knight who seemed to be the captain, who had come forward first, gave instructions to the other knights.
They would be caught if they didn’t stall for time. —They had considered sacrificing one of the knights, but even when they actually started to retreat, the Devil didn’t chase them right away.
“Dandole-sama…”
When the captain asked the reason while retreating, Clara, while holding down one eye that was shedding tears of blood, muttered.
“That Devil is… ‘playing’ with us. To devour human fear…”
Devils devour human negative emotions. If it was a Devil summoned by a proper magician, there would be “restrictions” and they wouldn’t do such a thing to prioritize their work, but if, as Clara’s “Foresight” predicted, it was given only the power to be used as a [Divine Protection], it would be almost uncontrolled except for the final goal.
“To the Crown Princess’s courtyard! We’ll hold out there until reinforcements arrive!”
“But, if it’s not chasing us, shouldn’t we head straight to the Knight Order?”
The Royal Knights are there. They should have started preparations against demons, even if they’re not perfect.
But Clara shook her head slightly at the captain’s words.
“That’s probably the limit. If we go any further, it will attack in earnest.”
Clara, through her “Foresight,” had calculated multiple futures, even discerning the demon’s movements and principles.
It was only the most probable answer, but if that demon was able to invade the Crown Princess’s palace by being “invited,” then assuming that was a simple “contract,” that demon’s full power should be limited to the grounds of the Crown Princess’s palace.
That’s why the demon won’t go all out as long as Clara is in the Crown Princess’s palace. Until Clara’s soul is dyed with despair, the demon will only attack like a tiger toying with a rabbit.
That was Clara’s only hope of surviving the demon.
“It’s here!”
As Clara and the others reached the courtyard, Doris, who must have called out along the way, arrived with knights who had been taking a nap, dressed in plain clothes but carrying large shields and spears.
Amidst the slight surge of morale, in the courtyard illuminated only by the faint light of magic, the demon that had been chasing Clara and the others descended from the dark night.
Its face, distorted beyond recognition as the Knight Order Captain, sneered. The plants in the garden that the demon touched rotted with miasma, emitting a foul odor, and in that instant, the demon seized one of the knights who flinched with its giant arm.
“Hii…”
The demon twisted the knight as if wringing out a rag.
“Don’t avert your eyes from the demon!”
Clara called out to the young knights who involuntarily looked away.
To fight the demon, you must not be afraid. But that is impossible for ordinary people. Even so, Clara raised her voice to “buy time”… and to encourage herself.
“That’s a Doppelganger! Its strength is inferior to ordinary demons!”
Doppelganger. A demon that mimics the appearance of “someone,” also known as a double or clone. It’s a demon that stirs up people’s anxiety and suspicion, but Clara’s “Foresight” judged that’s what it was.
The Doppelganger’s combat ability depends on what it imitates. That’s why that demon created a situation where it could unleash its full power by making a simple contract.
But even if the Doppelganger isn’t strong, that’s only compared to other demons, and its actual strength is so far removed from ordinary humans that it doesn’t even consider them worth mentioning.
Clara could use [Simple Appraisal], but she couldn’t see the demon’s power. That was because her lack of combat experience prevented her from measuring the demon’s power.
But it’s probably a Greater Demon… Its combat power is at least 2000, and if it’s a demon released with a vessel, it would exceed 4000.
“Anyway, we need to buy time–”
Clara, who was about to give further instructions, covered her eyes and knelt down, and Hilda, who was nearby, rushed to her side in a panic.
“Clara-sama, please don’t use ‘Foresight’ any more than this!”
Clara, with tears of blood streaming from both eyes, grabbed Hilda’s arm tightly.
“Not yet… It’s just a little more, just a little more.”
Clara’s Divine Protection, [Future Sight], puts an unusual burden on her brain.
Originally, this ability was suitable for a strategist to see the state of the war, and in this situation, she had to keep using it, but the former Second Prince, who was originally a Royal Prince, died young because he gained an ability very similar to this. Without going that far, he couldn’t bring the country, which was in disarray due to the Royalist Faction and the Aristocratic Faction, together to some extent.
“But, Clara-sama, it’s not that easy for reinforcement knights to come…”
Everyone nodded inwardly at Hilda’s words. Even if Doris, a former Assassin, ran at full speed, how long would it take to reach the Royal Castle in a few minutes, and for the Knight Order to hear about it, understand it, prepare their equipment, and arrive?
No matter how quickly the main force arrives, it will take at least a quarter of an hour… Even if Doris brings only the members of the Fifth Knight Order first, it will still take a while for them to arrive.
“Hic…”
Another knight was killed. No, Clara and the others could only watch as the knight who was caught by the demon was held in its arms and died with a scream that couldn’t be heard.
How much longer can we last with this? There are only five knights left, including the captain.
“…Endure… a little more…”
Even so, Clara says to endure. What did she see in her “Foresight”?
One of the two possibilities is not here.
But–
Doooooon!!
Suddenly, a huge amount of mana filled the area, and an explosion of flames enveloped the demon along with the knight’s corpse.
Illuminated by the flames, a young lady with white dress and black hair fluttering in the wind, scattered enormous Killing Intent while letting out a joyful voice from the night sky.
“Ara, what are you ‘playing’ in my garden?”
Finally, that person and the demon have come to fight.
Next time, Shadow of the Demon, Part 2!