What a hassle...

Rean had only been in the forest with Olga for a few minutes when he heard the commotion from this direction. Before he could even ask whether she wanted to take a look, she ran over without answering.

She’d completely forgotten that this was supposed to be a covert operation.

And now, besides this horde of monsters, there were even two elven girls here...

Did she want to make absolutely sure everyone knew she’d infiltrated the forest?

Besides, that huge monster looked vaguely familiar...

Well, that could wait.

Rean swept aside the silver bangs that had fallen over his eyes due to the flow of power from his Demonform. With his other hand, he seized the black monster’s arm and suddenly yanked downward.

The crisp snap of a dislocated joint rang clearly in everyone’s ears, despite the cries of The Beast surrounding them.

At the same time, Rean flung the monster’s arm away and leaped into the air. He spun and drove a vicious kick straight into its face.

The strike was so fast that it produced a sonic boom. His toes sank directly into the monster’s features, smashing a hole through its face as purple-black fluid poured out.

“You can all disappear together.”

Rean landed alongside the collapsing monster and raised one hand high.

Besides the Six Nights he had released earlier, the two Nocturne Obsidian Blades flew into the air as well.

**Heavenly Sword: Outer Form—Skyborne.**

Eight black blades spiraled through the air like a vortex of sharpened edges. Guided by Rean’s hand, they shot rapidly through the surrounding space.

Their faint shriek tore through the air, delivering equal destruction to everything in their path.

At last, all eight swords aimed in the same direction above his head.

Their target was the black monster, which was just beginning to rise again.

Rean snapped his fingers.

Eight streaks of black light pierced through the monster’s body in an instant.

This was a technique Rean had created himself, beyond what his swordsmanship master had taught him. It wasn’t swordsmanship in the conventional sense.

Instead, he used his greatest strength—control over magical power—to manipulate multiple weapons at once.

After all these years, he had long since mastered it.

Shalin only noticed that, for a brief moment, the surrounding space seemed to fill with black light. The killing intent released by the black-clad, silver-haired demon vanished just as quickly.

The suffocating pressure disappeared as well, fading together with his hair as it returned to the same black shade as the night.

She also noticed that the beast horde, which had been growling threats moments ago, had suddenly fallen silent.

It was as though someone had seized every throat at once.

Only the night wind drifted past her ears with a low moan.

The next instant, the sounds of creatures collapsing rang out one after another.

The black giant monster, which had just begun to stand, crashed heavily back onto the ground. The impact sent the layer of fallen leaves flying.

The withered yellow leaves settled across its body, resembling the paper offerings scattered during an Eastern funeral.

It was much larger now, but apparently not any tougher...

Rean carefully examined the enormous monster before him.

Its size made it impossible to associate it with humans or any other human-sized species. But its pitch-black fur and skeletal build convinced him that it belonged to the same species as the “monsters” he had encountered in the Royal Capital and with Dixus.

So his earlier guess had been correct.

Dixus had been suddenly sent here because this was indeed connected to what had happened in the Royal Capital. To prevent him from continuing his investigation, someone had made things even more serious here.

That had forced the Royal Capital to send Dixus over to assist.

But only one night had passed.

How had the news traveled so quickly?

The Royal Capital’s railcars aside, those tracks only existed on the streets outside the old district and the nobles’ quarter. Even if someone had secretly laid a railway leading to the northern border, it couldn’t possibly have reached this place in a single night.

That left flying magic as the only possibility.

But there shouldn’t be many humans capable of using it...

Could this truly be connected to the Demon Realm?

And if so, whose lackey was behind it?

Christine was impossible, for one.

Neither Rean nor his old father would ever permit such a despicable method. As for that rugged brute Samael, he might be wild, but he was also an open and honorable man.

Asmodeus would have no interest in something like this either.

That left the damned fox, Stuart Leviathan, and the mysterious Azazel. Neither of them would stoop to such a thing.

They probably wouldn’t even consider these low-level monsters worth noticing.

In fact, the one most likely to do something like this, Mammon, was already thoroughly dead. Even his Demon King Ring was sitting in Rean’s storage space.

Then there was Belial...

Rean couldn’t believe that the old man, whom he respected as deeply as his own father, would ever allow something like this to happen.

But if it wasn’t them, then what faction was responsible?

Perhaps one of the demi-human races within human territory?

It was true that their magical talent surpassed humanity’s by quite a bit. But normally, they wouldn’t be insane enough to unleash something like this in their own territory without any means of controlling it.

“What exactly are you two?! And you’re a noble of the Demon Realm, aren’t you? Why are you here?”

A tense warning suddenly came from behind Rean, interrupting his thoughts.

He turned around and saw that the two elven girls Olga had rescued had moved away from her.

One of them tightly gripped a blade of light formed from magical power. She stood in front of the other girl, shielding the unarmed elf behind her.

Her expression was resolute, and her eyes were filled with determination.

But the flickering light blade silently told Rean that her magical power was already depleted. With his resistance to magic, even a direct slash wouldn’t cause him any serious harm.

This was exactly why Olga’s excessive sense of justice, combined with her impulsive personality, always led to trouble.

He had already revealed his identity to show his sincerity. Yet the girl still couldn’t read the situation at all.

Hadn’t she considered who had just saved them?

“As you can see, I’m from the Demon Realm. As for my purpose...”

Rean’s expression gradually turned unpleasant. A trace of wickedness curled at the corner of his lips.

Before he could finish speaking, Olga walked over and twisted his ear.

“Ow! What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? Can’t you speak properly?”

“Tch...”

Olga clapped her hands. Ignoring Rean’s grimace, she turned toward the stunned Shalin and Jieyi and gave them a gentle smile.

“Sorry for frightening you two. My name is Olga. This foul-mouthed idiot is Rean.”

“We’re travelers from outside. We came to investigate the strange incidents that have happened here recently. We happened to find you in danger.”

“Are you hurt anywhere? I know a little healing magic. I can treat you right away.”

Rean thought to himself, *I already exposed my identity. Why didn’t you say you’re an angel too?*

*You’re really good at acting—and you really do love acting...*

Shalin and Jieyi looked back and forth between the two of them.

The difference between their expressions was enormous.

Compared to the impatient Rean, the kind-looking Olga seemed like an angel beside a demon.

Which was, in fact, exactly what they were.

But why was someone with such a gentle face and an almost innate aura of holiness standing together with a noble of the Demon Realm?

Shalin was deeply suspicious.

Their tribe rarely encountered demons because of its location. Still, she had heard the elders tell stories of their cruelty.

The demons’ savagery was enough to make infants stop crying.

The nobles were especially terrifying. They often looked elegant and refined while committing acts lower than those of beasts.

“I can tell you’re thinking about something extremely rude.”

Rean’s comment from across the clearing made Shalin even more wary.

He didn’t even seem interested in pretending to be civilized. She couldn’t help wondering whether she had escaped one den of wolves only to enter a tiger’s lair.

And in truth, Rean simply couldn’t be bothered to pretend.

Compared with humans, elves—especially elves living this far behind human territory—were somewhat less hostile toward the Demon Realm.

Besides, he had just saved them, only to be treated as though he had ulterior motives. Anyone would be irritated by that.

“Shalin, they don’t seem like bad people. Shouldn’t we trust them a little?”

Jieyi suddenly poked Shalin lightly on the shoulder and leaned closer to ask.

Shalin tilted her head back toward her.

“How can you tell they aren’t bad people?”

“Because that man from the Demon Realm is so handsome. Did you see him? Especially when his hair turned silver just now. He was absolutely—”

“Jieyi, rein in your lovestruck sickness! Is this really the time to admire handsome men? You might get yourself killed!”

Shalin harshly scolded her friend for that hopelessly airheaded remark.

The two of them were usually close, but Jieyi could be so naturally clueless that traveling with her was exhausting.

Her eye for attractive men was pretty good, though...

But judging someone by their appearance was idiotic!

Clearly, that lovely lady Olga looked like the good person. She was probably some saint who had subdued that demon.

“But he hasn’t done anything to us since the beginning,” Jieyi said. “If he were really a bad person, wouldn’t we already be dead?”

Shalin couldn’t refute that.

She secretly glanced at the fallen beast horde around them.

Not only had the two travelers entered the sealed forest without anyone noticing, but Rean had also annihilated the entire horde and the giant monster before them in an instant.

If he truly wanted to harm her and Jieyi, they probably wouldn’t even have the chance to remain standing.

“All right... They said they came to investigate the strange incidents. I think it would be better to have the elder meet them.”

“He’s already eliminated all the monsters. You go back and report this. I’ll escort them there.”

“Mhm!”

Rean watched expressionlessly as the two girls whispered to each other in front of him.

He then watched the unarmed, olive-haired elf girl run off alone.

*It really is hard to earn anyone’s trust with a demon identity.*

*Neither of them suspected Olga at all. All their hostility was aimed at me.*

“Ahem... I apologize for my earlier rudeness.”

Shalin sheathed her short sword and walked over to bow before them.

“My name is Shalin. I’m an ordinary mage from this tribe. The one who just left is my companion, Jieyi.”

“Allow me to express our gratitude for saving our lives on her behalf as well. If Miss Olga hadn’t acted in time, we would have died at the hands of those monsters.”

Rean thought to himself, *Why does it feel like someone’s missing from that thank-you?*

*Is this girl really that straightforward?*