The next town Lusya and the others arrived in held no sign of the earlier Malice phenomenon. The air was clear and crisp. Nor did the villagers show any symptoms. Most of the adults were taking shelter from the weather inside—it was exceptionally cold, and the snow was falling faster by the minute—but those out and about were hale and healthy, and there were plenty of children playing in the snow. It was almost idyllic.

That, of course, was because they were ignorant of the looming threat. Three high-rank demons were just west of the village. They were not growing any closer, but nor were they moving any farther. For the time being, they were holding their position for reasons unknown.

However, it was doubtful it was anything good. High-rank demons skulking about the outskirts of a defenseless rural village could only mean danger.

“I’m glad this village seems okay,” Ariya said. “Lusya, can I go play in the snow too?”

“Not right now,” Lusya said. “There is a matter we must attend to first.”

Ariya gasped and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Is it demons?”

Lusya nodded.

“Are they bad demons?”

“Most likely.”

“Most are,” Beldo said. “But it’s not just demons. And I think I have a pretty good guess of who the extra is.”

Indeed, there was a single mortal near the demons. There was nothing noteworthy about the mortal’s Malice signature, nor did it exhibit the fluctuations or elevation Lusya would expect if they were in pain or under attack. That, itself, was noteworthy. It was impossible to say for certain the relationship between the mortal and the demons, but, at the moment, it did not seem to be a hostile one. Lusya could imagine several reasons for that, but it was unusual. Some mortals might unknowingly befriend a demon living among them, but it was a rare occurrence, and one mortal alone with three demons far from any city where such demons might be apt to hide pointed to a deeper relationship the likes of which Lusya had seldom heard of. And Beldo was right. There was one very obvious candidate for the mortal’s identity.

“Well, I guess there’s nothing to do but head over there,” Beldo said.

Lusya nodded. “Indeed. I doubt this will end peacefully. I will trust you to watch Ariya while I handle the situation.”

“I’d like to at least try to end it peacefully first,” Beldo said. “But if that doesn’t work out, you’ve got it.”

“Then let us go.”

She scooped Ariya up and they ran to where the demons were with Ariya whooping and giggling in excitement all the way. They found the demons a bit off the road in a wooded area to the west. They were completely hidden from the road itself. No one would find them unless they knew to look. Just like the devices before.

And, indeed, they stood around a device just like those. Unlike the prior devices, this one didn’t seem to be operational. The glass orb at the top was empty of stagnant Malice, so clear as to be invisible. And the mortal was there, kneeling beside it. He had some sort of panel on the side open and was tinkering with the device's insides.

“Hey, boss, they’re here,” one of the demons said, a woman with long black hair, as Lusya set Ariya down and ushered her to stand with Beldo.

“I’m almost done,” the mortal replied. “Just keep them busy for a couple minutes.”

“That’s a tall order,” another of the demons, this one another woman with shorter pink hair, replied. “But we’ll try.”

“Any chance you guys will just leave?” the third demon said. He was a man with white hair much like Lusya’s. It was shorter than either of the others’ but still long for a man’s.

“It is doubtful,” Lusya said.

“But not impossible,” Beldo said. “If you’ll agree to stop what you’re doing, we have no problem leaving in peace, Count Rebran.”

The mortal groaned and shook his head. It was difficult to discern much of his features with his back turned while he worked on the machine, but he did seem to be a human man. He had short-cut hair of a dark brown color, and he wore a long black overcoat dusted with fresh snow. Made of soft, fine fabric with a bit of shine to it, that alone gave him the look of a nobleman. It might well have cost more than Lusya’s entire outfit, and her clothing was far from the cheapest available.

“I most certainly will not,” he replied. “I don’t know how you know who I am or about my work, but I won’t let anyone interfere with it. This will change the world, open up a new future!” He apparently finished what he was doing and slammed the panel shut, then stood and turned to face Lusya and the others. He was a young man, in his mid-to-late twenties. Though his features were rather soft, they were set in a stern, resolute scowl, his dark eyes burning with anger and determination. “I won’t let it be stopped by small-minded fools like it was for my father.”

Lusya felt a brief twinge of annoyance on her parents’ behalf. She would accept many insults to both of them, but small-minded was not one of them. However, the feeling passed soon enough. She did not even know how much Count Rebran knew about what had transpired back then, considering his age. He might not even know who he was insulting.

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“If you’ll just let me explain,” Beldo said, “I think you’ll agree that this isn’t the way to—”

“Enough,” Count Rebran said, waving the wrench and screwdriver he cluthced in a white-knuckled grip at Beldo. “I won’t hear any of your lies.” He looked around at the demons. “The device had been activated. You three, we’re getting out of here.”

“That’s not happening with these two here,” the male demon said. “If we turn our backs and run, we’re just asking to get killed.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Listen, I’m sure we can talk this out,” Beldo said.

“No!” Count Rebran exclaimed. “There will be no talking. Not while you seek to stop two generations of my family’s life’s work. Unless you agree to leave me alone and let me finish what my father started, we have nothing to discuss.”

Beldo sighed. “I tried.” He looked to Lusya. “Your turn.”

“May I kill the count?” she asked.

Beldo hesitated. “Use your best judgment.”

“Ariya?”

“He’s a bad guy!” Ariya replied. “Go get him, Lusya!”

“I’ll hold them off,” the dark-haired demon woman said. “Go.”

“Dari, are you sure?” Count Rebran asked.

“You’ll die,” the pink-haired demon said.

“I’m sure,” Dari replied. “Go.”

Lusya charged at Count Rebran. Her fist was mere inches from his face when a kick from Dari slammed into her side. It didn’t do any damage, but the blow still took Lusya off her feet and sent her careening to the side through the forest.

“Run!” Dari shouted.

The demon man gathered Count Rebran in his arms, and he and the pink-haired one began to run away to the west. Lusya landed and rushed after them, but Dari intercepted her, standing in her way and throwing a punch, though Lusya blocked it easily enough.

“Biwifa,” Dari said, causing a metallic war fan to appear in her other hand.

She swiped the fan through the air, and a massive gust of wind threw Lusya backward, tearing trees from the ground roots and all. Before she could land, another gust kept her sailing through the air. Lusya twisted to face Dari and created a barrier behind herself to stop her flight.

“Lunera.”

She slashed her Blade’s snow-white blade and appeared behind Dari.

“What the—?” the demon exclaimed.

Lusya whirled and slashed at Dari, who seemed to realize where Lusya had gone just that moment. Dari clumsily tried to dodge the blow, and Lunera bit into her arm and severed it, drawing a pained shout. Unfortunately, that had not been the arm holding the fan. A wild, desperate swing sent Lusya sailing back through the air again. A minor setback, but still inconvenient.

She quickly warped behind Dari again. To her credit, Dari realized what had happened immediately this time and leaped away from where she had been standing before Lusya could strike.

Still, Lusya slashed Lunera through the air, creating a rift between where Dari had stood a moment before and where she landed from her dodge, bring the demon right back where she had started.

“Huh?”

That sound of momentary disorientation was the last that demon ever uttered. Lusya slashed Lunera through Dari’s neck and beheaded her, ending her life in an instant. The body and head fell to the ground in a pair of thuds as Lusya looked down at Lunera, pensive.

She had definitely grown stronger. That demon had been on a similar level to the one she had encountered at the start of the Elzen Valley, the one that would have killed her if not for Mother’s intervention. It wasn’t just her Full Release. Lusya’s strength as a whole had risen to the level of the Paladins. Though she doubted it was quite on par with Mother just yet. The only reason Mother had taken so long to defeat that demon back then was because she had taken the time to toy with him first, something Lusya preferred not to do.

Unfortunately, that brief fight had been enough. The other demons were gone, and Count Rebran with them. Not only were they nowhere in sight, she couldn’t even sense them anymore. That wasn’t altogether surprising. All three of the demons had been of similar strength. If they moved at full speed, those two could have fled quite some distance even in the minute or so Lusya had been fighting their fellow.

Lusya returned to where Beldo and Ariya waited for her near the device. A tiny cloud of violet haze had appeared in the center of the device’s glass orb, though none had started gathering in the air yet. Lusya slashed the device in two before dismissing Lunera and turning her attention to Beldo. On seeing she was no longer occupied, Ariya ran over to Lusya and eagerly took her hand, grinning.

“I wish we didn’t have to fight them,” Ariya said, brow furrowed as she looked at Dari’s corpse, but her expression brightened to a grin as she looked up at Lusya instead. “But that was so cool! You’re awesome, Lusya!”

“It is not my goal to be, but thank you,” Lusya replied.

She was not sure what constituted being “cool” or “awesome,” but she appreciated the intended compliment and saw no reason not to encourage it. Being idolized was a novel—and not at all unpleasant—feeling, as well as useful for her mission. Accepting Ariya’s compliments would keep her happy, and supporting her idolization would reinforce Lusya’s authority, making it easier to make sure Ariya behaved and did not become corrupted. Indeed, Ariya beamed at the thanks as if she had been praised, while Lusya turned to Beldo.

“They have fled,” Lusya said. “They are already out of my sensory range.”

Beldo nodded. “Mine too. Not much point in chasing them. But we know the general direction they went, and it’s where we were going anyway. We’re pretty close to the town our count calls home too. I think we can pretty safely guess where they’re headed.”

“Indeed.”

The count may well have been prepared for further travel, but he would likely retreat to his home out of fright now if it was nearby. That was also likely his base of operations and thus where she could put a stop to his actions. And, perhaps, learn more about them. Beldo had told her his probable motive, and she believed she had a basic understanding of what this phenomenon was, but she could not help but be curious about the details and how his devices induced it.

“If we’re right, then we’re not on much of a time crunch,” Beldo said. “He’ll probably stay there for a little while. Even if he had supplies stashed somewhere around here, he might have to abandon them. If nothing else, it’ll probably take him a little while to feel safe leaving again. But considering we’ve been getting closer and closer to his home, I’d guess he was heading back to take care of something there anyway.”

“I had reached similar conclusions,” Lusya said.

“So, it’s time for the final showdown?” Ariya asked.

“Perhaps.”

“In which case, since we’re not on a time crunch,” Beldo said, “why don’t we head back to town and rest up before we head out? We’ve gotta be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the final showdown, after all.”

He grinned at Ariya, who grinned back and pumped a fist in the air. “Yeah!”

Lusya cocked her and blinked. “Very well. Let us return.”