Chapter 26: The She Devil
"The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know."
— Socrates
A week later, Mt. Uthus remembered why it was feared.
Perched along the edge of the Uthean Plateau—the hunting grounds of creatures that did not forgive mistakes—the Wilbert Noble Guard returned with fresh kills slung over their shoulders. Blood still steamed faintly in the mountain air as the knights moved with disciplined efficiency, passing the carcasses to waiting chefs.
This was no common retinue. These were the personal guards of House Wilbert—men and women entrusted with the safety of its head and his family.
Instead of returning directly to their estate after Martindale, the three pillars of the house had chosen to linger atop the mountain.
"Now that little Rian's finally an adult," Kairos said casually, lifting her cup, "isn't it about time we found him a wife?"
She took a slow sip of Winus Celestus, one of Martindale's prized wines. She clearly had no intention of sharing.
Hillan shook his head, unfazed. "When he's ready, he'll choose for himself."
The wind shifted.
KAA—!
Birds burst from the treeline, scattering violently into the sky as though fleeing an unseen predator.
Footsteps followed—slow, deliberate, ascending.
The temperature dropped.
Crimson hair danced against the wind as a woman emerged from the path. A faint red ring circled her eyes, sharp and unnatural. Her skin was flawless, untouched by age or scar, as if sculpted by something that understood beauty but not mercy.
She smiled.
Then she licked her lips.
The air grew heavy. Fires dimmed. Knights stiffened as instinct screamed louder than training.
She was a flower—
the kind that bloomed only where corpses fed the soil.
Hillan felt it first.
Then Kairos.
Then Maria.
"Who are you?" a knight demanded, stepping forward as the guard snapped into formation, steel ringing as a perimeter formed around the Wilbert core.
The woman's gaze swept over them lazily.
Her smile widened.
She tilted her head slightly.
"Me?"
Her gaze drifted over the raised rifles, unimpressed. Then it shifted—slowly, deliberately—to Hillan… and Maria.
"Let's just say," she murmured, "I am someone who seeks vengeance."
The red rings around her eyes darkened.
The pressure hit like a wall.
Killing intent flooded the clearing—raw, unfiltered, the kind that crushed the will before it ever touched the body. A knight dropped to one knee. Another's hands shook as tears welled against his will.
"Fire!" someone screamed.
Boom. Boom.
Energy rounds screamed forward. Arrows followed in a storm of steel and light. The impacts collided midair, detonating with thunderous force as dust and shattered earth swallowed the battlefield.
Silence.
"She's still alive," Hillan said quietly, eyes narrowed.
Before the dust could settle, her voice cut through it—clear, amused.
"You are his father."
A pause.
"That makes you a demon."
Whoosh.
Thin streaks of motion flashed through the haze.
Five knights stiffened.
Then collapsed.
Darts protruded cleanly through throats and eye sockets, bodies hitting the ground before the sound of impact caught up.
"Barrier!" Lewis roared.
The Head of the Noble Knights ripped a metallic disc from his armor and slammed it into the ground. Others followed suit, closing ranks as multiple devices activated at once.
A translucent blue barrier surged upward, sealing them in.
The She Devil smiled behind it.
"However," she continued calmly, "you've just met the devil."
The debris finally settled.
She stood exactly where she had been—unmarked, unscathed, her crimson hair untouched by dust or flame. Not even her expression had changed.
Fear crawled into the hearts of the knights.
Some swallowed. Others clenched their jaws until their teeth ached. No one stepped back.
Because a knight did not retreat.
Not while their lord still stood.
Steel remained raised. The barrier hummed, strained under pressure that had not yet fully revealed itself.
The She Devil's smile widened.