Rowan felt it.
A sharp pull in his chest—cold, wrong.
Grandfather…
Duke Will was in danger.
He didn't hesitate.
Rowan rushed toward the backyard, the place where the woman had been earlier. A knight was passing through the corridor ahead. Rowan slipped past him—
Then stopped.
The knight suddenly halted and turned back, his hand moving toward his sword.
"Hey—"
But when the knight looked, there was no one there.
Rowan was already in front of him.
His fist crashed into the knight's jaw.
The impact echoed sharply as the knight's eyes rolled back and his body collapsed, unconscious before he could even react. Rowan caught him before he hit the ground and pulled the sword from its sheath.
Finally.
Without a sword, Rowan couldn't use most of his techniques properly.
"Well… time to move," Rowan thought.
He concealed his presence completely. His aura vanished without a trace. His body blurred, then disappeared as he lifted off the ground, flying into the night sky, weaving through rooftops and towers.
The wind howled around him.
Rowan focused.
There—mana signatures.
Violent. Twisted. Strong.
Rowan's expression hardened.
A curse…
A high-grade one.
A cost had been placed on Edric.
Rowan's jaw tightened.
What is going on?
Who is he fighting?
And more importantly—
Who dares?
He accelerated, slicing through the sky, the sword in his hand humming faintly, responding to the killing intent rising within him.
It moved faster now, boosted by urgency, flying high through the air as it scouted the surroundings.
They were no longer far.
Rowan saw it.
Below, near the back of the estate—
Edric.
He was still standing.
Barely.
A quilt lay crumpled on the ground nearby. The carriage butler—the man who had ridden with them—was already dead, his body lying motionless in a pool of blood.
Edric's breathing was shallow. Blood seeped from several wounds across his body, yet he refused to fall.
In front of him stood a lesser demon, its presence exuding dark, oppressive pressure.
Rowan's eyes narrowed.
A demon…
This was his first time encountering one in this world.
And it was stronger than Edric.
Edric was already at his limit—only barely keeping up. If this continued, he would collapse.
Should I wait? Rowan thought. Until he falls unconscious?
No.
That would be too late.
Rowan slowed his descent, landing silently as his presence remained concealed.
"That's enough," Rowan said.
Before Edric could turn—
Rowan raised his sword.
"Black Arc."
He swung.
A pitch-black slash tore through the air—not toward the demon, but toward Edric.
A pure black barrier formed instantly around Edric, sealing him inside.
"What's going on?!" Edric shouted. "Who's there?!"
Inside the barrier, warmth spread through his body.
His wounds began to heal.
Blood stopped flowing. Pain dulled.
Edric didn't panic. He slashed at the darkness surrounding him—but the barrier didn't even ripple. He couldn't see past it.
Tch… useless.
Understanding resistance was pointless, Edric sat down, conserving his remaining strength.
Outside—
Rowan stepped forward.
Finally, he stood face to face with the demon.
Then—
Another presence descended.
A second lesser demon emerged, landing beside the first.
"Two," Rowan said calmly.
The demons sneered.
"What is a child doing here?" one of them mocked. "We are demons. You should be afraid."
"Run," the other added. "Or we'll eat you."
"You can try," Rowan replied coldly. "But before you even attempt it—your heads will be on the ground."
The demons laughed.
"I admire your courage," one said, its aura flaring violently. "Be ready to die."
The pressure surged—
But Rowan didn't move.
The demon's eyes narrowed.
"…You're not normal," it muttered. "There's something else about you. But don't forget—no matter what you are, a superior demon like me can kill you anytime."
Rowan scoffed.
"Superior?" he said. "I've seen your kind before. You're nothing but spawn—tools for high-ranking demons. And you dare call yourself superior?"
The demon roared in rage and lunged forward.
A dark beam shot from its hand.
Rowan raised his arm—
And split the beam in half with a single slash.
He vanished.
In the next instant, Rowan appeared before the demon, catching its attacking arm mid-strike. The second demon tried to punch him—
Rowan blocked it with his free hand, sliding back slightly from the impact.
"Tch," Rowan muttered. "Disgraceful."
In this body, he could only use ten to fifteen percent of his true power. Any more, and he would lose consciousness.
Killing them would be easy, he thought. But first…
Could this be connected to Lady Aria?
If so, it meant demons had been sent after other nobles as well.
And worse—
He had already deactivated the protective shields he placed on every one of them.
Rowan tightened his grip on his sword, watching as the injured demon panted heavily.
Its flesh began to regenerate.