The Author's POV

"Khhuakk.. auhk"

"It's futile."

Jezebeth beamed as he gazed at the Protector, who was in his grasp. The look of utter disbelief and despair on their faces brought nothing more than joy to Jezebeth, who wanted to savor the moment for as long as possible.

…There was once upon a time when he looked at them with the same gaze.

They reminded him of his past self.

"Hm?"

Shhhh―! He suddenly became aware of a powerful force moving in his direction from the right. Jezebeth didn't even bother to look at the attack and instead simply raised his hand in response to it.

Clank―!

The blade came to a stop on Jezebeth's hand, and dark blood dripped from his palm. Even though it hurt a little, Jezebeth didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to the discomfort.

He just wanted to take in their expressions.

…He couldn't get enough of them.

"Come now. Don't struggle anymore when the results are already set in stone."

He secured his grip on the sword and pulled it with his hand.

"Akh."

As the second Protector fell forward, he reached out with his free hand and grabbed hold of her neck, firmly securing it in his hand.

"Ah… Now, this… this is a sight I would die for."

Two Protectors… and they were both in his grasp.

Rumble―!

Just as he was savoring the view, the space around him began to warp, and four massive fissures appeared.

The massive sun that was facing him shrank, and within the cracks that were created, four figures materialized.

There were two orcs and two dwarves in the group.

Jezebeth experienced a tremendous amount of pressure almost immediately after they made their appearance. Greater than what the two Protectors he was holding in his hand had previously given him, and almost caused him to lose his hold on them.

"Demon King."

The space filled with the sound of a voice that was both ancient and ethereal. It belonged to one of the Orcen Protectors.

The sight of him made Jezebeth smile even more, and his head lowered.

"Ah, if it isn't the Protector of the Seat of Patience."

Ignoring Jezebeth's words, the Protector's icy gaze passed over Jezebeth before pausing on the two Protectors that he was holding in his grasp. His brows were drawn together, and the tone of his voice conveyed obvious dissatisfaction.

"Let them go."

"Oh."

As the eyes of the two Protectors in his hand changed, Jezebeth's expression shifted to one of obvious dissatisfaction.

…The despair and horror that were previously clouding their faces were gone.

'What pity.'

He nodded his head.

"Okay."

Crack. Crack.

He exerted pressure with his hands, and the bodies of the two Protectors vanished from within his grasp as they disintegrated into yellow particles that floated in the space in front of him, leaving two yellow orbs in their place.

"Come."

The two yellow orbs materialized in his hand as he extended his thin finger, and he observed them in a composed manner.

"I wonder what this does…"

He had always been curious about it, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't figure out what it was that they did.

He attempted to absorb them, but they were not something that he could absorb, which was unfortunate given that the power that was concealed within them was something that could have helped him become more powerful.

'Oh, well. I might as well give this to my subordinates.'

Even though he was unable to absorb them, that did not mean they were useless to him.

With the faint golden runes surrounding the orbs, if one was capable enough and studied them properly, they'd be able to come to a subtle understanding of the laws.

If his subordinates managed to learn a bit about the laws, then…

'But is two enough?'

There were seven clans and only two orbs… clearly, there weren't enough yet…

He lifted his head and looked up at the other Protectors, whose expressions had become distorted after the deaths of the previous two Protectors.

The atmosphere began to shift, and as a result, the skin on their bodies began to peel off. A tidal wave of power gushed forth from each of their bodies, and the space started to fluctuate wildly.

"You'll pay for that."

Each one of them muttered in unison. Their voices in sync with one another.

"Oh."

Jezebeth nodded disinterestedly. He'd heard it many times before.

He shook his head and stared at the four Protectors while he stuffed the two yellow orbs into his pocket.

"Come then… I need those yellow orbs of yours."

***

[Planet Idoania]

This verdant paradise was the planet where the elite elven force had decided to settle in. It was a strategic point, strategically positioned to hold back the demons and Jezebeth from reaching planet Earth.

The planet was blessed with lush forests, rolling hills, and crystalline rivers that sparkled in the sunlight. It was a breathtaking sight, a world that could make even the most stoic of individuals stop in awe.

The sky was a deep shade of blue, without a single cloud in sight, and the air was perfumed with the scent of wildflowers and fresh grass. It was an idyllic paradise, where the soft breeze carried the songs of the birds and the rustle of the leaves.

But this paradise was not meant to last.

Rumble―! Rumble―! The ground shook, and the sky dimmed. The refreshing scent of flowers faded, replaced by a repulsive, iron-like scent that slowly took over the entire planet.

Dark substances splashed and stained the verdant grass as limbs followed suit.

"Huak!"

"Ehk!"

Agonized screams reverberated through the air, and the ground shattered at every instance.

A full-fledged war had taken over the entirety of the planet.

In the midst of this chaos, Angelica stood her ground.

She was surrounded by three elven warriors, who seemed to be struggling to contain her.

Her eyes glowed mysteriously, and her brows furrowed at the sight of a silver streak heading her way.

Xiu!

Angelica quickly moved her head to avoid the arrow, and just in time, she caught a glimpse of the arrow.

Demonic energy sprang forth from her body, and just as she was about to retaliate, she sensed multiple attacks coming her way from all sides.

"Tsk."

She clicked her tongue and stopped whatever she was doing.

She brought her hand forward, and a small barrier formed in front of her.

It was of translucent color and rather thick. The arrows came, and like the sound of someone tapping on a glass, the barrier rippled.

But that was it.

Tik. Tik. Tik.

"That's it?"

Angelica cast her gaze over the elven warriors who stared at her barrier with a dumbfounded look.

She gave them a nonchalant look before waving her hand once.

"Hey wha―huak!"

As if tranced, one of the elven warriors turned around and stabbed his comrade.

Blood spurted out, and the atmosphere froze. The elf snapped out of it and gazed at the scene with shock.

"What just happened?"

He muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Puchi!

An arrow pierced him through his chest before he could figure out what had happened.

His face froze, and he stared at the arrow impaled on his body with a look filled with disbelief. His figure fell to the ground shortly after, and Angelica's gaze shifted toward the furthest elven warrior.

Thump!

In her eyes, he was the most troublesome one.

'How should I handle this?'

Her gaze landed on the other elf, and thinking for a moment, a smile crept up on her pretty features. Twirling her body toward the elven warrior in the distance, Angelica charmingly smiled.

"He―"

That smile, however, didn't last for long as it soon froze. She witnessed the elven warrior suddenly fall over from the tree branch they were standing on, and a head slowly rolled in her direction.

Puchi!

Shortly after, she heard a sound coming from behind her, and her expression froze over.

When she turned around, a demon appeared in her vision.

He had short black hair and green eyes. His face was rather charming, and with two large wings and scales all over his body; he gave off a rather imposing presence.

"What are you doing?"

Angelica couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust as she took in the demon's appearance.

His messy hair, crooked smile, and lackadaisical demeanor seemed to rub her the wrong way. If anything, his nonchalant attitude seemed to irritate her even further, making her face frost over.

"Hey, there."

"What do you want?"

She snapped.

The demon merely smiled, his expression friendly and almost innocent. But Angelica wasn't fooled. She could see the manipulative glint in his eyes, the way he seemed to be enjoying her discomfort.

"Nothing much."

He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm just lending you a hand."

"I don't need your help."

Angelica replied, her voice dripping with venom.

"You can go and help yourself out."

"Now, now, Angelica."

The demon chided.

"Is that any way to treat your future fiancé?"

Angelica's teeth ground together at his words.

The very thought of being betrothed to this demon made her want to gag. She had come to the demon world to train, to become stronger, not to be tied down in some political marriage.

"It hasn't been decided yet."

The demon's smile didn't falter.

"True, but the decision will be made shortly after this war. I hope you're prepared."

"I'm not."

Angelica snorted, turning away from the demon. She had no interest in her family's politics nor in the matter of producing an heir.

Fwoop!

As she flapped her wings and took to the air, she couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration.

She had come to the demon world with a purpose, to become stronger and hone her skills. And she had been making progress; she was certain of it.

But now, with the looming threat of a political marriage hanging over her head, she couldn't help but feel as though she had been pulled back into the very world she had been trying to escape.

Angelica gritted her teeth, feeling a surge of anger rising up within her.

As she flew further away from the demon, her mind couldn't help but drift back to the past, to a time when things had been simpler. When she had been able to focus solely on her training and nothing else. It seemed like a lifetime ago, even though it had only been a few months.

"Sigh."

Angelica sighed, knowing that she couldn't dwell on the past.

She had to focus on the present and on the task at hand. She was still far from reaching the Duke rank, but she was making progress, slowly but surely.

'If only...'

She bit her lip, a sense of frustration building within her.

If only she didn't have to deal with all this political nonsense, she could devote all of her time and energy to her training.