"He's still alive?"

"I hit him hard but I guess it didn't work."

Karvaan's body was laying on the floor after the fire from Thea's attack had went out. It was charred black from the fire and he wasn't making any sounds, so they had thought that he had been killed.

Thea and Janna took a combative stance, in anticipation of Karvaan attacking.

Suddenly, Karvaan's arms moved. The muscles twitched and wiggled. His hook hands transformed back into hands. His arms positioned like a person doing pushups and he lifted himself up.

His upper body was basically gone. It was like charcoal on top of human-like legs. But the charred remains started to crumble and reveal a new layer of skin underneath. And soon a face appeared.

Karch!

It was the other demon that Karvaan had swallowed. But her skin was more red and crimson than before. Her face was more human like and almost beautiful.

The rest of Karvaan's body crumbled away, revealing the new body of Karch. An adult female figure with sexy curves. However, her skin was still not human. It was crimson red and had the texture of an animal's skin. The transformed Karch fell to the floor.

"Kekeke!"

Karch stood on her knees, supported by two hooks. And she was laughing creepily.

"What's that? I feel a lot of power from her."

Janna felt a pressure from the transformed Karch. Like the air was pressing down on her.

"She's learned to use aura."

Thea could tell immediately. The whole feeling she got from Karch had changed. She was now much more dangerous than before. A completely different danger.

"Don't let your guard down, Janna."

"I won't."

Janna's eyes focused on Karch. Her body prepared and her grip on her sword tightened. This felt like the time she was an assistant knight. Although she only saw the senior knights and the king fight the demon from afar, she clearly remembered the pressure the demon exerted on the whole army.

It felt like this. It made Janna's blood rush. A desire to fight against a strong opponent.

Janna was watching the demon when the demon stood up and started to speak.

"Y...you...killed...Kar...."

It was an anger filled voice.

"Are you...feeling sad?"

Thea looked at Karch and asked. The curious learner she was, Thea just couldn't help but try to understand the emotions of a demon.

"S-sad? SAD?! ME?!!"

Karch shouted. She bent her body forward and rushed at Thea. Her face was full of rage.

Karch's speed was faster than Karvaan. Thea could barely react. Thankfully, Janna was around. As Karch was running towards Thea single-mindedly, Janna's sword swung at her.

It was a direct hit since Karch was only focused on Thea.

Or so it seemed.

Janna felt her sword being pulled. Karch's hook was around her sword blade and she pulled on it. Janna quickly moved her sword down and got it released from the hook.

'I didn't see her move the hook.'

Janna was shocked for a moment. Karch had become so fast that she couldn't even see her move her hand.

'Am I gonna have to use that?'

"You're weak!"

Karch shouted as she swung her hook in a large motion towards Janna. Janna moved her sword to block. She was able to block but her arms felt numb from the impact.

At this moment, Thea suddenly appeared behind Karch.

"What?! How?"

Even Karch was surprised, she was keeping Thea's location all this time. She could feel Thea's presence from another place when it suddenly appeared behind her.

On Thea's hand was the teleportation ring that she had gotten from looting the bone hound gang leader. She had taken it out from her magic bag earlier when she gave the bag to Leaf.

But Thea was reluctant to use it as she was unsure how much of her mana the ring could handle. And she was correct to be worried as a small cracks formed on the ring.

If the fight went on for any longer, and she used the ring a few more times, then the ring might get destroyed. But now was not the time to care.

Thea took the chance to put her hands on Karch's body. And she moved her mana around her hand. Fire abrupted from her hands. She had cast fireball spells where her hands were.

It maximized the damage done to the target, but it also damaged the user in close proximity.

"Thea!"

Janna saw this and was shocked.

"I'm fine! Kill her!"

Thea shouted from the fire.

With no time to think, Janna swung her sword overhead towards Karch's head. She was aiming for a quick kill by splitting her head.

Janna's sword was heading towards Karch's head when there the sound of chains. Janna's sword was stopped right before it hit Karch's head.

"Keke...did you think that was it?"

Karch talked. She twist her body and hit Thea in the stomach, knocking Thea away.

Karch's chain that she had before attached to her hook had become invisible. And seemed to be moving according to Karch's will. As Janna's sword had been stopped mid-air even though there was no support for the chains.

"I don't know what you did but that won't surprise me again."

Karch turned to look towards Thea. But there was no response.

"Hello?"

Karch called out to Thea but there was still no response. Even Karch was astonished. She didn't think her hit could have knocked out Thea.

"Looks like I couldn't control my strength. So it's only you left."

Not paying attention to Thea anymore, Karch turned to look at Janna.

"...No..."

Janna was stunned herself. There was a shocked look on her face. It wasn't known if her best friend was even alive. Understanding the situation, Janna burst with anger.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

She charged towards Karch much more violently then before. She didn't care about her safety and was rushing head first.

She swung her sword at Karch who was able to deflect it pretty easily.

"What's got you so angry? You'll see her soon anyways."

Even while deflecting, Karch was gloating. She was easily defending Janna's attacks.

"Are all you humans so weak? It's honestly so pathetic."

Karch's hook weapon glew and was enveloped in the red aura of demons. She hit Janna's sword with it, knocking Janna and the sword away.

Janna was hit against a wall and her sword was knocked a bit to her left.

There was blood everywhere. It was a horrible scene.

"Is that all? You're not even fun to play with."

Karch looked as Janna moved her body. It was very slow, there was almost no strength in her body. She slowly lifted her hand towards her sword, crawling ever so closer to the sword.

"Pathetic. If you're weak, then know your place."

Karch laughed as she swung her hook to Janna's head. This was the end for Janna. There was nothing she could do to dodge. All the strength in her body had been used up.

"HAHA!"

Karch was laughing loudly. Was this really the end?

Karch's hook was bounced off the air, just before it could hurt Janna.

"What?!"

Like an invisible wall, the reverse impact made Karch take a step back.

"What is this?"

Karch looked at Janna and asked.

"Why are you asking me?"

The just now basically dead and struggling Janna stood up. All of her strength seemed to have magically returned. She picked up her sword and pointed the pointy end of the sword towards a hole in a wall.

"You should be asking her."

"H-how?!"

From the rubble where Thea was thrown earlier, the rubble moved and a light blue haired lady walked out.

"How are you moving?"

Karch was sure she had knocked out Thea before with her attack.

"It's simple."

Thea talked while walking closer.

"We're not as weak as you believe."

She raised her hand and raised her middle finger to Karch.

At the same time, the ground beneath Karch was lit ablaze. A magic circle around her formed and fire was spewed out.

It was a pillar of high temperature flames, molten red colored. There was an invisible barrier around the center that was blocking the fire from escaping to the surrounding. The flame was escaping through the top.

After a few seconds, the flames stopped. In the center was the burnt crisp body of Karch. Still standing, but she didn't seem to be alive anymore.

"...mas...ter..."

She muttered as her body fell to the ground.

The fight was over. It was a hard fought battle that took everything from Thea and Janna to win.

"Thea!"

Janna walked up and caught the falling Thea. Thea had fainted. She had used multiple magic spells beyond her rank and caused severe damage to her body.

"Hmm?"

While carrying Thea in her arms, Janna noticed the burnt body of Karch slowly crumbling away. It was the same as when the other big demon was killed earlier.

Karch's body disappeared into the wind and revealed a dark colored orb on the ground.

Janna picked it up, knowing that Thea would love to research it.

She then walked back to where the others had been evacuated while carrying Thea in her arms.

"Unnie!"

Leaf rushed out from the crowd of people. But when she saw Janna carrying Thea in her arms, tears burst out.

"No! Unnie..."

"She's just fainted."

Janna quickly cleared up the huge misunderstanding of Leaf.

"Oh..."

Leaf, now knowing that Thea wasn't dead, smiled as she hugged Thea.

"Where are the others?"

"Oh, hurry! They need help!"

"What happened?"

"Just hurry!"

Janna followed as they walked through the crowd of people. They all stared at Janna and Thea.

"Grr!"

"Woof! Woof!"

Janna could hear the sound of Nem and Gwyn through the chatter of the crowd.

"Stay back!"

She walked upon a scene of them and the mother and child from before being surrounded by a bunch of men. Some of them were wearing armor and holding weapons.

"What happened here?"

There were a bunch of people knocked out on the ground.

"Hurry and stop them, Janna Unnie."

"Alright."

Janna walked up to the four people. Leaf followed closely behind her. She put Thea down against Gwyn's body.

"All of you!"

She stood in front of them and shouted.

"I just killed three demons, if any one of you takes a single step forward...I won't hesitate to strike you."

The people had observed earlier when Janna killed the third demon. They didn't underestimate her strength. Some of them backed off immediately. But some remained.

"We just want the child."

One of the people still holding their weapon said. It was obvious which child they wanted. They thought that all the misery had been caused by the child with demon blood flowing in his veins.

"You're gonna have to go through me if you want the child."

Janna pointed her sword at the man who spoke up.

"Are you confident enough to defeat me?"

Janna's voiced was heavy on their hearts. They weren't seasoned warriors, just some ordinary citizens. At most, they had fights with low rank monsters. Janna's voice carried a weight that they hadn't felt before.

It waned the confidence of the majority of them. But a few young folks still remained. Some brave souls.

"Why are you still trying to fight?"

"B...because if that kid lives, our lives will be miserable."

One person spoke up. It was a teenager. It looked like he was almost turning into an adult.

"You're brave."

Janna commented on the bravery it took to still stand while everyone else had backed down.

"T-thank you."

The boy was complimented and responded.

"But don't get it wrong. If you're still wanting to fight, that bravery of yours won't help."

Janna took a step forward.

"In a fight, it's strength that matters."

She took another step forward and stood in front of the teenager.

"Are you ready to die?"

The boy dropped his sword in fear.

"Good choice."

Janna turned her scary face back to her usual happy and smiling face. The darkness from her face disappeared. Everyone's tension subsided a level.

"And don't worry. You won't have to deal with the child you hate so much."

"What do you mean?"

Someone from the crowd asked.

"We're taking him with us out of this city."

After hearing that, the crowd of people started to go away. Only a few remained, most of them were guards in the town that wanted to keep an eye on the outsiders.

"Let's leave this town fast."

Janna muttered under her breath. Janna didn't like the people of this town. Without understanding anything, they were angry at a child that didn't do anything.

"Madam."

Janna walked up to the mother who was named Eimta.

"You're going with us right?"

Even though Janna had said that they were leaving the city, it wasn't actually talked about with the family members themselves.

"...yes."

Eimta gave a nod. She too hated this city that made them suffer for over a decade and wanted to leave.

"But..."

Eimta wanted to take some things from her house. So they went to the house to take the items. She picked out a few boxes of things and held on to them.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, that's it. I can't carry any of the other things."

"Who said you're the one carrying stuff? Just take everything that belongs to you and put it in this."

Janna put down a leather bag. It was Thea's leather bag. After telling Eimta about the magical features of the bag, Eimta went around and put everything into the bag. Clothes, rugs, wall mirrors, literally everything.

"It's really fine, right?"

"Uuh, yeah."

Janna thought she would put more clothes into Thea's bag, not the whole house.

A few minutes later, Eimta had emptied her house into Thea's magic bag.

"That's all, right?"

"Yes, now we just need to get my husband. He works on the farms to the south."

"We'll hire a carriage first and pick him up on the way."

The group went to a place with horse drawn carriages, it belonged to a merchant group since merchant were over half the customers of these carriages. It was a good business. The rest of the clients were adventurers on quests and ordinary people.

Sitting in the carriage, they left the city. They picked up the husband along the way. The carriage was crowded with so many people.

"Stop moving!"

Gwyn hated being in the carriage and was kicking around.

"Where's Nem?"

"He's on the roof, Janna Unnie."

"Get back down here! It's dangerous to be on top of a moving carriage."

It was chaotic.

"Is Unnie going to wake up soon?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it. She's fine."

Janna casually said as she was trying to get Nem down.

"I hope so."

But Leaf couldn't help but worry about Thea.

"I find it weird."

"Huh? What's weird?"

Janna sat down with a defeated Nem in her hands.

"You two had so many wounds on your bodies but now there's nothing. Not even a scar."

It was true, the fight with the demons didn't come without damage. They lost a lot of blood and their bodies were full of open wounds. But now there was nothing, no sign of any fight. Well, except the damage to the clothes.

"Oh, that...it's a secret. I can't tell you."

Leaf made a pouty face and the little grumbly noise in the throat that kids make when displeased.

"Don't be mad. It's a family matter."

Leaf nodded her head in response. She really wanted to know but it wasn't right for her to be displeased from not knowing.

"....ugh..."

"Unnie!"

Thea slowly opened her eyes, finally having rested enough from the fight.

"Where am I?"

"We're going back home."

"Already? Ugh, my head..."

Thea held her forehead as she felt a sharp headache.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine....it's just my head."

Thea could feel something else.

"This...this feeling."

"What's wrong?"

Janna asked Thea.

"I think I'm ranking up."

"Now?"

Janna was startled.

"No, not now. I can set up a barrier before that. There's enough time."

"Phew."

Janna sighed a breath of relief. What had gotten her so worried?

"Why are you so worried?"

It was Leaf that asked.

"Thea taught you about mage evolution, right?"

"Yes. It's when the mage's body goes through a change and they get becoming stronger."

"Well, that's simplify it. Your whole body's mana gets changed with a higher quality mana. So where do you think the original mana goes?"

"Into the environment?"

"That's right."

"And...more is released when you're a higher rank mage?!"

"Good thinking, Leaf. That's exactly it. The release of mana is very explosive, because it also changes the body to allow for better mana control. And that can hurt the people around."

The day went by fast while riding in the carriage. Around evening the next day, they arrived to the orphanage.

"Waa! We're back!"

The kids were happy to be back. They ran into the building immediately. Nothing is better than home.