"Run! It's on fire!!"

"Whoa, how did that place suddenly catch fire? I didn't notice a thing."

"Stop gawking and run! If you get caught in it, you're done for!!"

"No one's fighting the flames? We can't just leave it—what if it spreads to nearby houses??"

"Fight it? Are you insane or am I? With fire that fierce, you'd melt the second you stepped in!"

Just as a young man hesitated on the spot, an old man beside him slapped his forehead hard, scolding him furiously.

The youth's concern was valid, but saving lives required knowing when to act—and this wasn't the time.

Flames so furious they seemed to ignite the sky were no match for ordinary people.

Besides, that churning inferno didn't look like natural fire at all. Right now, survival meant fleeing.

Lingering would only burden the rescuers. Worrying about others was pointless when his own skin was at stake.

"But... that huge ancient building must have people inside..."

The young man stared with a complex expression at the blazing mansion nearby.

Once luxurious and grand, it was now a sea of fire. Violent waves of flame rolled over the eaves.

The crackling of burning wood was deafening. Scorching heat stung his skin, leaving red blotches.

He gulped hard, staring up at fire columns soaring dozens of meters high.

A heavy sense of oppression radiated from the blaze. He couldn't even bear to look directly at it.

His legs trembled uncontrollably. The old man was right—this was no place for him.

Rushing in blindly would turn him to charcoal in seconds.

"The Imperial Capital guards won't ignore this. They'll arrive soon. Let's go—we're only causing trouble by staying."

The old man grabbed the youth's wrist and hurried toward safety, his aged face unusually stern, cloudy eyes heavy with worry.

Others might have missed it, but he'd seen the truth without missing a single detail.

The instant that eerie fire engulfed the mansion, he'd glimpsed a pitch-black demon rising with the flames.

Atop the roof, where the fire raged highest, a monster shrouded in dark mist stood against the night sky.

Jet-black, grotesque armor. Bone-chilling death aura. Two savage horns. That monstrous visage replayed endlessly in the old man's mind.

"Times are changing..." he muttered under his breath, tightening his grip on the youth's wrist. An uninvited guest had entered the human realm.

And this guest clearly had no intention of peaceful coexistence...

...

...

..

"Master, I've escorted Mr. Hank back to the inn."

Aiva, clad in a pure black evening gown, floated to Mu Yi's side and bowed, her cold gaze sweeping over the mansion below—now nearly consumed by flames.

She'd expected Master not to kill Laphas. That man would suffer endless torment in the Dark Marsh.

Only when Master lost interest, only when his sins were fully purged, might Laphas earn true death.

Of course, that assumed Master still remembered him... hadn't forgotten his existence...

"Aiva, wear this mask."

Mu Yi tossed her a butterfly masquerade mask. The guards had arrived—they couldn't risk exposing their true faces.

His current form looked less human, more like that seductive female demon from the beginning. The guards would label him a monstrous freak.

To explore this world, he needed to wander human nations, gathering knowledge and experience.

Hiding his identity was essential. He didn't want to be hunted as a threat wherever he went.

"Master, shall I eliminate them?"

Aiva tilted her head cutely after donning the mask, asking Mu Yi.

She saw no reason to fight the guards, but if they showed hostility toward her Master, she'd gladly purge them.

Whether Mu Yi became a demon or a saint, she'd stand by him forever, erasing every hidden enemy.

After all, for Aiva, the Ultimate Rare Electronic Sprite, Master Mu Yi was her entire world.

"Aiva, when did you grow so warlike?"

Sensing the killing intent rising from her, Mu Yi reached out and ruffled her hair.

He had no intention of fighting the Imperial Capital guards. There was no need.

Burning the mansion was simply because it belonged to Laphas—and it disgusted him.

In this world or his old one, vile men like Laphas—rich, powerful, rotten—were everywhere. Worse maggots crawled in every nation. Laphas was just unlucky to cross his path.

Every country had its maggots. It was common. Unavoidable. He held no grudge against this land.

"It's not that Aiva craves battle. Those men radiate intense hostility toward you."

"And they're already in combat stances. They might attack you any second."

Aiva's masked face tightened with displeasure.

Master had just purged a festering maggot for this nation. Instead of gratitude, they pointed swords at him.

If they dared strike, she'd pierce their hearts herself.

"They don't know the truth. Fear and caution are natural—they see a monster, not a savior. With this appearance, I'd struggle to convince anyone. To them, I might as well be the embodiment of disaster."

Mu Yi pinched Aiva's soft, bouncy cheek. He was certain—if he walked out now claiming to be the real Demon King, someone would believe him.

"Mmph... Aiva was foolish..."

Aiva stammered shyly after two pinches, her bloodthirsty aura fading instantly.

Mmph... Master pinched my cheek... I won't wash my face for a month...

"I have questions for them anyway. Let's say hello."

Through his helmet's slit, Mu Yi studied the guards below.

Something was off. Why were these men so weak?