A heat haze.

What lay in Beatrice's sight was an inexplicable shimmering.

‘This is…’

She had followed the demons' guidance and entered the palace. She had heard that something unusual had appeared, but this was beyond her expectations.

‘Such immense mana.’

Even though there was no one casting magic, a tremendous amount of mana was swirling from the heat haze.

“A few got too close, were swept up in it, and were annihilated.”

“What?”

Come to think of it, there were scraps of clothing scattered nearby. They seemed to have been dropped by those who got too close and were annihilated.

“We don’t know what it is, but it seems dangerous.”

“Should we put up a line to keep others from approaching?”

“Since the palace has almost collapsed anyway, maybe we should just finish demolishing this area…”

Hearing the demons' words, Beatrice let out a sigh.

“Stop with the foolish opinions.”

If they just buried something of unknown identity, they didn't know what problems might arise later. But leaving it alone, it looked like it had the potential to go berserk no matter how she looked at it.

‘I can't leave something like this in the capital of Krata.’

This was a place where all sorts of things were already hidden. She couldn't just ignore it because she didn't know what it was.

“I will handle it.”

Beatrice immediately raised both hands.

“It could be dangerous, so have everyone in the vicinity move back.”

“Yes? But…”

“Did you not hear me?”

Beatrice frowned.

“Fall back.”

“Ye-yes.”

The demons retreated with frightened expressions. Beatrice looked at the heat haze again and composed her breath.

‘I said I’d handle it, but…’

It wasn't that she intended to take an unreasonable risk either.

‘First, let’s check it out.’

She gathered demonic energy at her fingertips and threw it toward the heat haze.

Like a spider's web, a thread of demonic energy connected the heat haze to her finger.

“Hmm.”

She tried to read the structure of the heat haze, to find out what kind of trap was set.

‘…!’

But contrary to her expectations, she felt a very eerie sensation.

‘This is?!’

Elhaen’s divine power. The power she had become more familiar with from being with Clay was flowing out from the heat haze.

‘Don’t tell me…’

Is Elhaen inside?

Perhaps this heat haze was connected to where he was.

‘Maybe they weren't… annihilated.’

The demons who were said to have been annihilated by touching the heat haze might not have disappeared, but been transported to another space.

She sent a little more demonic energy. The energy was sucked in somewhere. But it wasn't annihilated. She could feel the demonic energy crossing over the heat haze into some other space.

A gate.

She finally realized that this was a passage to somewhere.

“Elhaen.”

The source of the war that had plunged this world into turmoil. Because of that being, who was merely the god of humans, the demon race had been driven into suffering.

“Perhaps this is an opportunity.”

Beatrice took a step toward the heat haze.

***

### ♧

For a moment, she could feel nothing.

A suffocating darkness. As she walked through it, Beatrice was finally able to arrive in the space beyond the heat haze.

Thud.

Something caught her foot. Before she could properly see what was in front of her, Beatrice looked down.

There was a half-destroyed demon. As Beatrice’s gaze shifted, her eyes took in the sight of dead demons scattered here and there.

『Interesting.』

A voice was heard at that moment. Beatrice felt a chill run down her spine and raised her head.

There stood Krata’s crown prince, Neville.

『I was waiting for someone worthy to enter, but I didn't expect a Dragonoid to appear.』

No, he was not Neville. Beatrice confirmed the immense amount of divine power flowing from him and opened her mouth.

“Elhaen…?”

『You recognized me immediately.』

He, who admitted to being Elhaen, smiled slightly.

『You might not have recognized me, with only a part of me revealed. The Dragonoid race is indeed outstanding.』

“Elhaen!”

Anger belatedly filled Beatrice’s face.

“You’ve come to ruin this world again!”

『Ruin?』

“Because of you, the demon race has had to suffer endlessly! Because of your doctrine that designated us as targets for expulsion!”

Beatrice gritted her teeth.

“What are you trying to do by making even Clay like that!”

『Clay.』

Elhaen’s expression hardened.

『You mentioned that name.』

He slowly took a step. Toward Beatrice.

『I am the one who has a question for you.』

He asked Beatrice.

『Why did you bewitch my creation?』

“What?”

『You, a being with no value in living, why did you touch my creation?』

A remark close to an insult. Beatrice felt an immediate surge of rage, but she flinched for a moment.

“Creation?”

『That’s right.』

Elhaen spread his arms.

『Clay was, among the race born from me, a truly chosen vessel.』

“Born from you?”

『Do I have to say it twice for you to understand?』

Elhaen looked at her with a pathetic expression.

『Humans are my creation.』

“What, what nonsense…”

『Believe it or not, that is your freedom. However, I would like you to know one thing.』

Elhaen looked at her with cold eyes.

『The fact that you are not a race that can beg for my mercy.』

“!”

KWAAAAANG!

The spot where she had been standing until she threw herself aside exploded.

“What…”

There was no time to be surprised. As soon as she got up, a chill ran down her spine, and she immediately threw herself aside again.

KWANG! KWANG! KWAAANG!

She ran, dodging the successive explosions. Elhaen just watched her.

“You damned bastard!”

Beatrice spun around and stretched out her hand.

“Ah.”

It was an action to use magic. But,

KWAAAAANG!

Nothing happened. Having stopped, she was caught in the next explosion and was sent tumbling across the floor from the impact.

『Your power does not work in this space.』

Elhaen glared at her menacingly.

『Which means you will die here.』

That can't be.

She had already sent her demonic energy in before entering this place. It was a fact she had confirmed beforehand that the flow of demonic energy was not blocked here.

But despite having confirmed it, she couldn't use magic.

She tried to use magic again, but it was useless. She was only hit by the next explosion Elhaen caused.

“Keuk!”

Even while engulfed in pain, she couldn't accept it. She couldn't be this powerless. This…

『Just disappear.』

It was when Elhaen, who had appeared right in front of her, was about to snap his fingers.

—…don’t.

Another voice came from somewhere.

—…and… are different.

Beatrice couldn't quite make out what was being said.

『Annoying.』

But Elhaen wore a very displeased expression.

『Truly annoying.』

—Come out.

KWACHANG!

Suddenly, the space shattered and a hand shot out. In Beatrice's surprised gaze, Yuru's face, poking through the broken space, came into view.

“This is a fake.”

KWAJANGCHANG!

As Yuru pulled her arm, the entire space Beatrice was in shattered.

『Yuru…』

Elhaen, who had a triumphant look until just a moment ago, also shattered into pieces after muttering that one word.

Beatrice stared at Yuru with a shocked face.

“Damn bastard.”

Yuru didn't even look at Beatrice, glaring fiercely at the spot where Elhaen had been.

“If you lose, you should just disappear cleanly.”

Lose?

As Beatrice stood there blankly, Yuru finally lowered her head.

“I shattered Elhaen’s fragment. What you saw was an illusion. An illusion that makes what you believe in actually happen.”

So, even though it was an illusion, if left alone, you could have died, Yuru explained.

“There were other demons inside the illusion, but they were all really dead. They weren't just decorations.”

“Yuru.”

Beatrice pulled her hand away and stood up.

“What was that?”

Beatrice asked her.

“That just now…”

“Elhaen appeared using Neville’s body as a medium. I was chasing him and got caught up in this.”

Yuru explained what had happened.

“Even if it was Elhaen, he hadn't properly manifested. So I broke him.”

“You did?”

“Why? You think I couldn’t?”

At those words, Beatrice swallowed dryly. Yuru had reached the state of Origin. Beatrice was not unaware of how much power that held.

“You, that is…”

Moreover, a halo was even floating above Yuru's head. Yuru touched it and said.

“I got it from an ancient god. It’s a useful item.”

“What in the world have you been doing?”

At those words, Yuru let out a hollow laugh.

“What do you mean, what have I been doing? I was working for my brother.”

“For Clay?”

“But I didn’t know it would be like this. That Neville was my brother’s enemy.”

As she said that, Yuru’s shoulders slumped.

“But I couldn’t kill Neville. He just left an illusion here and ran away.”

Yuru came to stand in front of Beatrice and said.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to save you, but I figured I’d need you to meet my brother.”

“What?”

“Tell my brother properly. That I saved his trusted subordinate. And if you’re grateful, it would be nice if you just died on your own later.”

Watching Yuru smile as she said that, Beatrice held her breath.

‘Clay, there isn't a single normal person around you.’

Of course, that included herself. Beatrice, who had been momentarily bewildered by Yuru’s absurd behavior, soon regained her composure and said.

“Yes, Yuru. For now, it seems we must face a bigger enemy than you.”

“Looks like you understand.”

“But I have no intention of letting you stay by Clay’s side.”

Clay was already suffering enough. She couldn't bring such a lunatic to him.

“Don’t even think about meeting Clay.”

“Ahahaha!”

Yuru suddenly burst out laughing.

“This is truly absurd, isn’t it?”

She looked at Beatrice and said.

“If you tell me not to meet him again, is there any reason why I shouldn’t?”

“Yuru.”

“When you can’t even stop me.”

Looking at the sneering Yuru, Beatrice’s expression crumpled.

“You truly are insolent. You don’t even care about how Clay is.”

Beatrice said to Yuru with an angry expression.

“You don’t deserve to see Clay. Nor do you deserve to linger around him.”

“……”

At that, Yuru, who had become silent for a moment, turned her gaze away.

“I know.”

Then she opened her mouth.

“That’s why I’m doing this.”

Beatrice couldn't see her expression.

“Not meeting him even though I can.”

“You…”

“Go, Beatrice.”

She said in a serious voice.

“I will continue to chase Elhaen, so go.”

A voice tinged with anger. Beatrice swallowed dryly and stood up.

“...I hope we do not see each other again.”

Beatrice turned and walked back the way she came.

It was just that kind of an encounter.

(End of Chapter)