Edlyn sprawled on the rooftop, yawned like a cat in warm sun.

Angela eyed her oddball sister, brows knotting like winter twigs. “Sis, are we really not going to find Uncle Eli?”

Edlyn shot her a sidelong look, sharp as a reed in wind. “What, you like him?”

Angela arched a brow, mischief like a berry stain. “Oh-ho, aren’t you the one who likes him? What’s it to me?”

Her heart fluttered like a trapped moth; Edlyn opened her mouth, then sighed. “It’s just... the body of a girl at first bloom acting up. And your sis turned into a Succubus, didn’t I tell you?”

Doubt pricked like thorns; Edlyn frowned and grabbed the juice by her side. “Liking him? Not happening. Not this life, not the next. He’s got a grudge with me. How could I like him?”

Angela’s mood dipped like dusk. “Oh-ho... so you’re past that phase? Strip out the biology, and you don’t like Uncle Eli?”

Pfft. “What kind of nonsense is that?” Edlyn sprayed a mouthful of juice, then tapped Angela’s head hard, teeth bared like a fox.

Angela pouted, cheeks puffed like buns. She cupped her sore head. “But that’s what it looks like to me.”

Edlyn froze, guilt slithering like a cold eel. She suddenly felt like a scumbag.

Frustration swelled like storm clouds, then blew out. “Whatever. I’m the Demon King; who dares judge me?” She gave up thinking, hugged her cup, and went quiet.

Silence pooled like a still pond. Angela thought, then asked, “Sis, you really don’t love him?”

Edlyn let out a breath, a winter wind. “How many times do I have to say it? Even if the Demon King me dies to a Hero ten thousand times, I will never like Eli. Him alone—never.”

Angela coughed, laughter like a pebble skipping. “Uh, sis, you’re mixing roles.”

Edlyn’s mouth twitched, a cat’s tail flicking. “Why nitpick? As long as you get the point.”

Footsteps drifted like falling leaves. Reni came with a sigh and knelt on one knee. “Your Majesty the Demon King, the human empire sent people to ‘collect rent.’ What do we do?”

“‘Collect rent?’” The words tasted bitter-sweet like tea. Edlyn smiled slightly. “Heh. Right, Reni—what exactly are they collecting?”

Reni paused, mind like a ledger. “...Some refined demonic miasma. And a few undead wardens.”

Edlyn frowned, a shadow crossing like a cloud. “What do they need that for?”

Reni wavered, words trickling like a hesitant stream. “...Not sure. There’s a shady rumor, though.”

Curiosity pricked like a thorn. “Mm? Let’s hear it,” Edlyn said.

Reni lowered her voice, a night breeze. “They say humans want to dissect our Demon Race bodies. They want that power we carry from birth.”

Edlyn felt a bead of sweat, cool as dew. “...You know a lot for a ‘shady rumor.’”

Reni scratched her head, sheepish as a sparrow. “Uh, just in case things go south and you blame me.”

Edlyn set down her juice, pinched Angela’s cheek hard like kneading dough, then stood and walked ahead of Reni, steps steady as a drum. “No need to dig into it. Once we take that empire, we’ll know.”

“Come on. Let’s see what that nasty landlord wants to extort now.”

“Greetings, City Lord.” Moser’s lukewarm tone made Tengger flush like a maple leaf. So much had happened. It wasn’t his fault. That masked stranger stalled their whole army.

Jim cradled his sword like a winter firebrand and stepped up. “Butler, remember me?”

Moser shot him a look, cold as frost. “Jim, do you know His Highness faced mortal danger?”

“If Eli hadn’t arranged things, you might be back with a death notice.”

Anger thrummed like a drum. Jim frowned and clenched his fists tight as iron.

“Sorry.” The word fell like a stone in a well.

Moser sighed, a long wind through reeds, and patted his shoulder. “Forget it. Come in. You’ll have to wait a bit longer. His Highness is out with Mr. Eli.”

Tengger scratched his head, awkward smile like a crooked moon. “Uh, you’re right. I’ll arrange rest for the troops. You two talk.”

A freckled girl trailed Jim, eyes wide as stars. “Sis... this is the Imperial Capital?” She glanced around. “Feels like a ruin to me.”

Wei An clapped a hand over her just-awake sister’s unfiltered mouth, quick as a sparrow. “Winona, this is the Ninth Prince’s manor. Don’t mouth off.”

Winona blinked, words tumbling like pebbles. “Huh? So we’re gonna live in a trash heap?”

Wei An sighed, breath like a faded flute. She ignored her clowning sister and ran back to tend their father, who was carsick and green as willow sap.

Winona pouted, lips like plum petals. “I’m not wrong... geez, why?” She shuffled after her sister.

“...Sword Saint?” In the patched-up hall, Moser listened as Jim and Tengger recounted their road of storms.

Jim’s face was grave, shadowed like a mountain at dusk. “Yes. His power was beyond anything I’ve seen. His avatar did everything, far weaker than his true self, yet it crushed me completely.”

Moser thought, fingers tapping like rain. “Jim, you’re at the human peak. So that Sword Saint’s avatar was already Sacred Rank?”

“No...” The word drifted like smoke.

“Oh?” Curiosity flicked like a fish tail.

Jim shivered, memory cold as iron. “That avatar might be far beyond Sacred Rank.”

“He flicked his hand and made a sealed space, complete and absolute.”

“If he wanted to wipe our ten-thousand-man unit, it’d be a finger-snap.”

Moser’s face went pale, shock cracking like ice. He didn’t buy it. He even wondered if Jim had blundered and now searched for excuses.

The more he thought, the more it felt twistedly true. “Are you tricking me?”

“If the true body is beyond that, only the Demon King and the Hero of centuries past match it.”

“Or a True God. Are you joking?”

Jim gave a bitter smile, thin as winter sun. “Sir, why would I lie to you?”

Moser recalled the curse sigil carved on Jim’s tongue. He sighed, heavy as rain. “Fine... don’t spread this. If the Sword Saint bears no enmity, we won’t overthink it.”

Tengger’s lips twitched, humor dry as sand. The old man sure talked pretty. If that one wanted you dead, you’d have no time to “think.” One palm, and done.

“By the way, Mr. Moser.” Jim hesitated, words snagging like thorns.

Moser rubbed his bunched brow, headache like iron bands. “What now?”

Jim spoke, voice low as fog. “Lately, I’ve felt my demon soul growing stronger for no reason. It’s strange.”

Moser and Tengger glanced at him, twin echoes like chiming bells. “That’s good, right? You’re about to enter Sacred Rank?”

Jim shook his head fast, like a bird ruffling off rain. “No. It isn’t the feeling of ascension. It’s like... something calling me. Giving me power.”

“Hmm?” Doubt hummed like a fly.

“These days it’s grown clearer,” Jim muttered, brow tight as rope. “From the soul out, it makes me afraid, terrified, yet reverent. A feeling I can’t name.”

Moser exhaled, doubt like mist. “...You might just be tired.” He couldn’t tell if he should believe Jim.

Jim grew urgent, words like sparks. “No. I can feel her will. It’s like... forced onto my soul.” He knew something was wrong, a presence awakening somewhere. It wasn’t far from the capital. It was within the Miter Empire.

Moser’s tone cooled, a shaded stream. “...I’ll have people keep watch. Rest for now, Jim.” He shook his head. A half-demon’s words couldn’t be taken whole.

“Oh-ho, so this is what the future cradle of the Demon Race looked like at the start.” The man in a butterfly mask stood where Edlyn had lounged, and smiled. “So it began as a little building?”

A woman chuckled and slapped his back, playful as spring rain.

Thoom.

A dull hammer-blow roared across the city. The masked man was swatted to the floor. He grimaced a smile. “Wife, are you trying to kill me?”

“Pah, wife my butt.” The woman planted hands on her hips, scolding like a summer storm.

He shrugged, helpless as driftwood. “Why hit me? I’m telling the truth.”

Downstairs, Edlyn and a group of demon officers—the ragged remnants—were geared for action. The roar made their legs go soft like water. A pressure, akin to the Demon King’s, fell like a mountain and pinned everyone but Edlyn in place.

Edlyn dropped to one knee, grit like iron in her teeth. She held out and glared at the ceiling. “Damn it, who’s up there!”

The masked man casually lifted the ceiling layered with wards, then hopped down. He brushed off dust like falling ash, glanced around, and smiled. “Yo, so shabby.”

“Damn you! Who are you?” Edlyn snarled, voice a blade in cold wind.

He sat cross-legged where he stood, calm as a pond. “Let me think. What should I do next!”

“Bastard! I asked you a question!” Edlyn flung her right hand. A massive bolt of black lightning speared toward him. He only exhaled, a gentle puff, and the bolt unraveled like mist. “Don’t rush, little loli. Let me think...”

Before he finished, a girl dropped in with a flying kick. She sent him sprawling. “See? You’re dumb. I told you a thousand times, and you still forget.”

“Mm... wife. Sorry.” His voice weakened like a fading ember, yet his movement didn’t change. He gently wrapped her leg and pulled her into his arms. “Look, I remembered.”

Veins throbbed at Edlyn’s temple like drumstrings. These two came here to flirt in her face???