The night was still dim.
A half-moon hung in the sky like a lazy eye, watching three beings inside the cave: Reiji (alias Zarabis, the "professional snorer"), energetic Mijarun, and a newly awakened two-horned demoness with a gaze mixing exhaustion and confusion.
Mijarun:
"Ah! You're finally awake! What's your name? Don't tell me you forgot?"
The demoness (staring softly, voice hoarse):
"…Yai. From the Homur family… low-rank demon."
Mijarun: (clapping her hands)
"Yai Homur? Wow, that's a cool name~ even if you say you're 'low-rank', you look really strong! 😤"
Yai: (bitter smile)
"I might have been… before our power was drained by Demon King Vaw."
🌀 In the corner of the cave, Reiji appeared to be sound asleep. But in reality, his mind drifted to Yai's mental dimension through OmniFuture Projection an ability that let him explore someone's memories and future simultaneously without leaving his body.
💭 (Reiji's thoughts)
"Hmm… her past is really dark. Tortured… turned into a soldier against her will. But she kept going. Impressive… but why did she end up as a servant in Vaw's kingdom?"
Reiji furrowed his brow slightly while continuing to snore softly.
"Snoring mode… still active. 💤"
Mijarun: (resting her chin on her knees)
"So, what did you do before, Yai?"
Yai: (staring at the campfire)
"…A guardian. In the Shion Valley. But then, Demon King's forces came… they used soul-draining mantras. All the power of the lesser demons was siphoned to strengthen Vaw. I was left with a nearly empty body."
Mijarun: (eyes wide)
"Eh!? So your power was just sucked away like that? Can't you get it back?!"
Yai: (soft laugh)
"If I could, I wouldn't be here, right? 😅"
Mijarun:
"But… we can help you later! That snoring guy in the corner is super skilled, even if he looks stupid~"
Reiji:
"…snore… zzz… I heard that…"
(still pretending to sleep, but his expression looked like he was holding back laughter)
💭 (Reiji's thoughts, staring at the sky)
"Hmm, so Vaw is the type of ruler who feeds on his subjects' power. Interesting… a worthy opponent, but we'll deal with that later."
"For now, help Yai first… she has decent potential. If I train her a little, her power can return… and maybe exceed what it was before."
Morning arrived 🌅
Sunlight streamed through the cave opening, hitting Mijarun's excited face.
Mijarun: (small shout)
"Yai! Today we train! 💪🔥 So you can slap that Demon King like he's a mosquito!"
Yai: (surprised)
"Huh!? But I'm not ready yet…"
Mijarun:
"Enough enough, no 'buts'! Master Reiji will help us too, right?"
Reiji: (waking up with a grin)
"Master, huh? Heh… very well. But be prepared, Yai. I'll reactivate your body using 5th-dimensional energy resonance."
Yai:
"…resonance… what?"
Mijarun:
"Just get ready! You'll be so strong later, you might be able to lift a mountain-sized rock with one hand 😆!"
🌪️ In an instant, Reiji channeled the Omni-Resonance Pulse.
Soft blue energy flowed into Yai's body, awakening the ancient demon potential within her that Vaw had once sealed away.
Yai's body trembled, her horns glowing faintly purple-pink.
Yai: (gasping)
"I-this… my power… it's back?!"
Reiji: (faint smile)
"Part of it. The rest you'll have to find on your own. I only relit the flame."
Mijarun:
"Wooo! Now you can punch mountains! 😆"
Yai: (laughing softly genuinely for the first time)
"Thank you… both of you."
💭 (Reiji's thoughts, staring at the sky)
"Demon King Vaw… you drain your subjects' power for your own glory. But do you know… small flames like Yai's are what will burn your palace to the ground someday."
He smiled slightly.
"Interesting… this world still hasn't finished entertaining me."
YAI HOMUR'S 30 DAYS OF TRAINING
Thirty days had passed since their first meeting in the forest.
Under Reiji the human guise of Zarabis and Mijarun's gentle encouragement, the two-horned demoness had changed dramatically.
Her body was now firm, her dark aura rippling like swirling lava.
And when she looked ahead, there was no more doubt in her eyes.
"Today… I am no one's slave anymore."
"Good," Reiji replied flatly, though his eyes held a faint smile. "You're no longer prey. You're a hunter."
On the other side, Mijarun clapped her hands softly with a warm smile.
"If you keep this up, you'll make that Demon King cry, Yai!"
Yai only bowed her head, holding back a small smile, while Reiji turned to stare at the massive fortress in the distance the Vaw Kingdom.
Towering, dark, with stone towers surrounded by blue fire.
The night wind carried the scent of sulfur and faint screams from imprisoned souls.
"Time to go home," Reiji said.
"Home… to destroy its den myself," Yai whispered in reply.
BATTLE SCENE: "GATE OF FIRE"
Two massive demon guards stood before the iron gate, their eyes glowing red like embers.
When Yai stepped out of the shadows, they immediately drew their rune-covered spears.
Guard 1: "Halt! Who are you, lowly creature!"
Guard 2: "I smell the scent of humans-"
They never finished their words.
Yai had vanished from her spot.
💨 "-Shrrakkkk!"
A small explosion echoed, the ground splitting in a straight line five meters long.
Yai reappeared behind them, her eyes burning blue-red.
"I don't need permission from corpses," she whispered.
One guard crashed into the wall, his body split in an instant.
The other tried to defend himself, but Yai's hand had already formed a dark energy vortex a DARK SONIC PULSE that struck him at close range.
The dark energy explosion carved out a large crater. Fire and dust swirled wildly.
When the smoke cleared, only Yai stood in the center, her hair drifting gently.
Reiji watched with his arms crossed.
"HYPERSONIC. Your reflexes have increased thirty times since the first week. You're ready," he said flatly.
Mijarun cheered quietly, "That's amazing!! I can't do that yet!"
Reiji glanced at her, "I haven't trained you seriously either."
Mijarun: "E-Eh!? Please don't I don't want to become the second monster 😭"
INFILTRATION SCENE: "SHADOWS BEHIND THE WALL"
After opening the gate, the three of them snuck inside.
Vaw's palace corridors were lined with torches and sharp-eyed demon statues.
Every step sounded like the tick of a death clock.
Yai walked at the front, bowing low, while Mijarun behind her tried to hold her breath.
Guard footsteps echoed from the left side of the corridor.
Mijarun: (whispering quickly) "Hide fast!!"
All three leaped behind a large stone pillar.
The guard passed by…
But just as he was about to leave, Yai's tail accidentally bumped a helmet on the floor.
"Clanggg!"
The guard stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
He approached.
Tension filled the air.
Mijarun quickly pulled Yai back and covered her mouth, then whispered a small illusion mantra:
"Silent Veil level 3."
The guard glanced around briefly, then muttered, "Huh… must just be hell rats," and left.
Once the guard's footsteps faded from hearing range, Mijarun and Yai sighed in relief.
Yai: "T-Thank you… I almost messed up!"
Mijarun: "Heh~ if your heart jumps out, I'm not taking responsibility 😜"
Reiji behind them just sighed softly, "Two demons noisier than two war dragons…"
SERIOUS SCENE: "THE DETECTED AURA"
A moment later, the air in the palace grew heavy.
A faint tremor could be felt, as if the earth was holding its breath.
A tall figure with dark wings descended slowly from the upper balcony Demon General Heimon, one of Demon King Vaw's right-hand men.
He narrowed his eyes.
"There's… something here. Mana that doesn't belong to this palace."
But Reiji calmly closed his eyes.
With one subtle movement, all mana flow from his body, Mijarun's, and Yai's stopped completely absolute zero.
Total silence.
Even the spirits in the walls could no longer sense their presence.
Heimon looked around, sniffed the air, then scoffed softly.
"Must be an illusion from the kingdom's fires…"
He spread his wings and flew toward the main hall.
Reiji slowly opened his eyes, looking at his two students who were still holding their breath.
"Now," he said in a low voice.
"It's time we meet that Demon King."
Yai clenched her fists.
Mijarun smiled nervously, "No turning back now, huh?"
Reiji stared straight at the stairs leading upward.
"No. And I don't want there to be."
This chapter ends with them climbing the stairs toward the throne, where Demon King Vaw's aura had already begun to ripple like a storm in the hell sky.