“By the way, sorry for the rude entrance, my name is Bronz,” the Inquisitor said casually as he sent another purple beam straight at Lena. “It’s a pleasure to kill you.”

The Leviathan saw the attack coming this time. She moved, grabbing Aria and leaping out of the way in time. The beam of purple light cut through the forest, before boring a hole straight through a mountain in the distance.

It wasn’t a massive beam of light. It was a thin beam— similar to what Aria would use against the monsters she was hunting. The only difference was both their colors.

Aria’s was red, while Bronz’s was purple.

Just like his armor. Although Lena didn’t know if there was a correlation there or not. All she knew was that she needed to get away from him.

His tail wagged behind his back as he looked up, watching the Leviathan-turned-human leap through the air with the little demon girl. Rubbing a hand on his chin, he gave her an approving look.

“I’m impressed— you managed to dodge my attack this time!” the Inquisitor said as he stepped forward.

A pair of wings spread from his back. Bat-like wings. They were black on the outside, a pale pink on the inside. With a flap of those wings, he shot forward, giving chase to the Leviathan.

“But do you really think you’ll get away that easily?”

Lena ignored his mocking words. She needed to escape. She stood no chance against him. While she never got into combat that often, she always knew immediately when she was outmatched.

And right now, she felt the same feeling she did when she first encountered Damien.

I will die if I fight him, the thought crossed the Leviathan’s mind.

She didn’t know what level Bronz was. But she knew he had to be comparable in strength to Damien to be able to injure her so easily with only a single attack. So she needed to get out of here.

Especially because she knew what he was. While she hadn’t seen his kind in a long time, his species was recognizable in an instant. He was what was known as a trufling. A cousin-race to demons.

They had also inhabited Infernis. But they were a minority population, because many of them often left and wandered off to other worlds.

Because they hated demons.

“You know, if you drop that little demon child, I’ll let you go. Because you’re not who I’m after. I mean, it’s a demon! Its life is worthless anyway!” Bronz called out as Lena landed back in the middle of the forest and took off sprinting.

But the Inquisitor flew after her, easily keeping up with her speed. She gritted her teeth as she conjured a sphere of crimson energy and hurled it back his way. He easily deflected the attack, knocking it aside.

The blast struck another section of the forest, exploding into a massive pillar of light that shook the landscape.

And as Lena continued running, the little demon girl in her arms stirred.

“Mama—” Aria started, raising her head weakly.

“It’ll be alright, Aria,” Lena said reassuringly as she conjured another crimson sphere. “I’ll protect you.”

Overhead, Bronz just laughed. “I take it that’s a no? Well, I hope you don’t regret your decision later, because I don’t do takesy backsies!”

Lena hurled the crimson sphere up at Bronz right as he pointed down at her. His purple beam shot out, completely piercing through her attack and shooting straight for her. She darted to the side to dodge it.

But it made a sudden turn at the last second, giving chase to her. Lena’s eyes grew wide as she watched the attack pursue her, even as she darted through the trees.

“What…?” Lena watched as the purple beam drew closer and closer until she couldn’t evade it anymore.

And then it struck her. This time, it ripped a hole through her chest. It didn't strike her shoulder. It didn’t barely graze her. It burrowed through her skin as she recoiled, entering in between her breasts, before exiting out of her back.

The Leviathan stumbled back as she clutched at her chest. Coughing out a mouthful of blood, her vision began to blur. Her hands grew weak, and she was forced to lower Aria to the ground.

Looking up, she watched as Bronz landed right before her, a grin plastered on his face.

If only I could still use my Unique Skill, Lena thought as she clenched her fists. Perhaps I’d stand a chance. But—

“Wow, you are quite durable,” the trufling said as he cocked his head. “Usually, one of my [Death Rays] is more than enough to kill anyone at Level 600 in a single hit. But you survived it.”

Lena clicked her tongue and stood up straight, even as she wobbled where she stood. “I don’t care what level you are, I will not let anybody hurt Aria.”

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Bronz shrugged as he strode forward, twirling his pitchfork behind his back. “Unfortunately for you, there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

And Lena let out a war cry as she charged forward, swinging at the trufling. She punched him with all her strength. She kicked him with all the power in her body. But Bronz easily blocked the attacks.

But that was not all.

Each time she missed— each time her attack was caught— he countered with a light slash. He didn’t aim for her head, even though he could very likely easily decapitate her in a single swing. Instead, he took pleasure in hurting her.

He whittled her down slowly as she could only scream in pain.

Until her body began to fail her.

Until she dropped to her knees before him, bleeding and in pain.

And she closed her eyes as he stood over her with a savage grin.

***

Aria’s head was spinning. Her entire body hurt. She barely even knew what was going on. One moment, she was being abducted by those strangers, and the next, mama was there.

Mama had saved her.

And Aria had felt a sense of relief wash over her. A sense of calm. But suddenly, there was another stranger.

Not only that, but he was now standing over mama.

How did that happen?

Aria didn’t know.

But she knew it was not a good thing. She knew she had to get up. She knew she had to save mama, just like how mama saved her.

However, she couldn’t. She couldn’t move. She could barely even think. It was only a feeling that compelled her. A sense of urgency, intuitively understanding that if she did nothing here, mama would die.

And Aria couldn’t allow that.

Aria didn’t want to see mama die.

So she tried to will her body to move. But her vision only grew darker. Her eyes only grew heavier. Even as she tried to scream, her voice didn’t come out.

It was like she was drowning in a sea of darkness. Her limbs refused to move. Her lips refused to let her speak. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t see. She couldn’t—

And then there she was.

Once again, she stood before the same throne that appeared many times in her dreams. She saw the same rubble at her feet, littered in corpses and blood. And sitting upon the throne was a familiar face.

Though he had never spoken before, she felt a sense of kinship with him. For he was just like her. Ordinarily, he sat still as a statue. But for the first time, he rose to his feet, the crown of thorns that sat upon his head falling to the ground.

And he addressed her as he raised a hand.

“Child of mine,” his voice echoed all around her. “Do you wish to save your mother?”

Aria blinked as she heard that. Slowly, she nodded.

“I do,” said she.

And the man smiled as his eyes glinted, his entire figure wisping with a crimson aura.

“Then stand strong and bear witness— for I shall show you a fraction of the true power of demonkind!”

Before Aria’s vision turned black again.

***

It was over.

It was fun while it lasted. But Bronz grew tired of playing around with his prey. So as the woman fell to her knees, he raised his pitchfork and smiled sadistically.

“You really put up more of a fight than I thought you would. But, alas, while it was a valiant effort, it ends now.” The Inquisitor Captain shook his head.

The woman tried to work her lips. “I-I… will not…”

But her voice came out only as a whisper. She was covered in cuts, quenching the soil beneath with her blood. Bronz chuckled as he stared at her pitiful state.

“Goodbye, human—” he said right as he swung down.

But that a shouting voice interrupted him.

“I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT MY MAMA!”

“Hm?”

Bronz looked up right as he saw the little demon girl shooting in the air straight at him, her body coated in a crimson aura.

His eyes went round, taken aback by the incredible speed she reached him with. He barely even raised his pitchfork right in time to block her approach.

But that wasn’t enough.

The weapon shattered upon impact as the trufling was sent flying back across the forest from the force of the attack. His chestplate cracked, and he coughed out a mouthful of blood. He was certain he even broke a few bones from that.

Bronz caught himself, barely managing to land on his two feet. Otherwise, he was certain he would have continued flying through a mountain from the strike. Looking up, he clutched at his broken armor and stared in the direction of the little demon girl.

“What the fuck was that…?” Bronz asked as he gasped.

The little demon girl stood there, her body still coated in the same overwhelming crimson aura as before. It was like she was a tiny sun. She glared at the trufling for a moment.

And then she swayed where she stood and dropped to the ground, the aura fading away. She groaned as she hugged herself.

Bronz clenched his jaw as he strode back forward, approaching the two fallen figures.

“I don’t know what that was, but I’ve had enough of this. Not only are two of my Inquisitors dead, now you’ve actually hurt me.” Bronz came to a halt right before the collapsed demon girl as she tried to force herself back to her feet. But he loomed over her. “Now, I will—”

“That’s enough,” a voice called out from the side.

Bronz’s brows snapped together as he looked to the side. “What is it now?”

And right as he asked that question, he watched as two bodies were thrown to the ground right before him. He recognized the two figures immediately. It was Lazuli and Coppa. His other two Inquisitors.

Their bloodied corpses lay slumped on the ground there as the trufling blinked a few times.

“What? But how—” Bronz asked the question as he looked up.

A half-naked human man stood there, atop a nearby tree, his arms crossed as he faced the trufling. The little demon girl looked up at him with round eyes as she tried to rise to her feet.

“Papa?”

“D-Damien… protect Aria…” the fallen woman croaked out as she looked his way.

“First I had to deal with the mother, then the daughter, and now the father,” Bronz sighed as he faced the half-naked man.

In response, Damien… didn’t say a word. Instead, his gaze snapped between the woman and the little demon girl. And then his eyes darkened, his brows arching over his face and casting a shadow.

And Bronz…. Shivered as he felt the bloodlust oozing off the half-naked man.