Chapter 200: Edge of Winter (3)

Even in the endless tide of demonic beasts, the demon’s presence stood out—clear and undeniable. Yulie sensed it at once, as if the knowledge had already taken root in her mind before she could completely comprehend it.

The demon’s form was a nightmare beyond description—so grotesque that Yulie couldn’t even begin to put it into words. Nearly ten feet tall, its twisted anatomy bore no resemblance to anything human.

Like a misshapen lump of clay ruined in the hands of its maker, its eyes, nose, mouth, and limbs were crushed and distorted beyond recognition. It crawled forward on three legs and four arms, dragging itself across the ground. If an octopus or squid were forced to survive on land, it might move like this—a grotesque and abhorrent sight.

Thud—!

Just then, Deculein’s staff struck the ground, and Yulie flinched, instinctively turning to look at him.

“A demon of enchantment,” Deculein said.

“... Pardon?” Yulie asked.

"Humans interpret the unknown through the lens of their own understanding, shaping it with imagination and experience."

The most familiar example was the alien—a being from beyond the stars, wholly unknown, yet always imagined in a form close to human. People might imagine its face or skin in strange and unnatural hues, but they still gave it two legs, two arms, and a frame much like their own. The mind could not help but piece the unknown together from fragments of the familiar.

“It feeds on human memory and experience, shaping itself from what the mind recalls. That is why its form must seem strange and unnatural to you,” Deculein concluded.

A named demon's appearance and identity were already predictable. Even if it had never been part of the game's scenario, its existence had long been recorded in the ancient tomes and records Deculein had read.

Yulie observed Deculein in silence, her eyes locked on him before offering a quiet nod.

"... I appreciate the explanation. However," Yulie murmured as she slowly turned the tip of her blade, letting the edge glide, aimed at the man—Deculein. "It seems that Professor Deculein is not someone you can easily imitate."

Deculein—no, the demon wearing his face—stared at Yulie in silence. It did not ask the foolish question of how she had found out; after all, it had already admitted to feeding on memories, and that alone was answer enough.

"Your face is squashed," Yulie explained, nearly bordering on courtesy.

There was no need for a close examination. From the side, it had been briefly misleading, but seen directly from the front, it was clear.

"Are you a flounder?" Yulie added, mocking.

The lack of quality was almost laughable, a hollow chuckle slipping from her lips. Seen from the front, his face was broad and flat—just like a flounder.

"... Damn it," the demon muttered as it began to twist and warp out of Deculein's shape.

The demon tried sifting through Yulie’s memories, searching for another form to take, however...

“

Hup

!”

Yulie drove her blade into the demon, cutting a deep diagonal slash from its shoulder to its hip; in that instant, biting frost seeped into its body.

"It seems you have no true form," Yulie murmured, her grip tightening around the hilt of her sword. "But even the formless cannot escape the cold—absolute frost freezes even the air itself."

Crreeeak—!

The demon’s body froze, turning solid in an instant—clean and untouched, like sculpted ice. Borrowing Deculein’s own words, the demon was nothing more than a mere imitation, a lesser demon at best. Yet, Yulie stared at it, lost in thought, as his voice brushed against the edges of her mind for a brief, faint moment.

"

If you are going to hate someone, then hate them with all your heart—hate them enough to want to kill them.

"

If it were not a demon but Deculein himself... would I be able to bring myself to kill him?

Yulie thought.

"Knight Yulie! What in the world is this?!" Reylie asked as she rushed over.

"It’s nothing. Stay focused on the battle," Yulie replied, shaking her head before raising her sword once more.

In the distance, that monstrous demon is still advancing. It appears distinct from the one that mimicked Deculein, yet its purpose and abilities remain...

Thump—!

"

...

Ugh

!" Yulie gasped, clutching her chest.

The haze of demonic energy had already grown dense, yet it remained bearable, and she found there was no need to don a gas mask just yet. Its lifespan was finite, and it had to be preserved for as long as possible.

"Reylie!" Yulie shouted as she dashed forward, her blade slicing through the werewolf lunging at her back.

"Much appreciated!" Reylie said, exhaling a breath of relief, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Stay focused!”

At that moment, a crisp breeze swept between them, and in its wake, Sirio, the Master Swordsman, appeared—his presence like a breath of clarity, as if cleansing the very air around him.

"Have fun, guys~" said Sirio, the Knight of the Wind, offering Yulie and Reylie a small smile before disappearing into a whirlwind and dashing forward like a driving gale.

Whhhoooom—!

Sirio’s blade roared, and a storm of mana swept through the battlefield, shredding the horde of demonic beasts to nothing. Every gust of wind that sliced through them displayed his masterful fencing skills.

Boom—!

The ground shuddered as Raphel, the Monster, brought his greatsword crashing down. The earth split apart with a deafening rupture, followed by a massive explosion.

Ruuuuuuumble—!

Shattered earth rose into the air as Raphel’s thunderous roar ripped through the battlefield like a raging storm, and he had, in fact, turned the land upside down. Yet his raw strength, said to rival even Zeit’s, was well known, so the knights remained unfazed, merely using the destruction he had created to their advantage.

“

Hup

!”

Gwen’s rapier flashed as she danced across the shattered earth, her movements as light as a butterfly, and with a fluid thrust, her blade—enhanced with mana—struck true.

Swwwish—

Slender streaks of light struck true, piercing only the demon beast’s vital points in a single, fluid motion.

"Prove your loyalty—!" Delic roared, thundering across the battlefield.

Whether his loyalty lay with Deculein or the Empress was uncertain, yet his skill was beyond question.

Ssshhhhhhh—!

The sword coiled and struck like a serpent, slicing through the battlefield and felling every last demonic beast.

With his Whip Sword—its length, size, and strength stretching at his command—Delic was an unrivaled force in close combat, and perhaps that was the reason why Deculein had bound him to Rekordak.

"Knight Delic! Do you see that demon?!" Gwen said, thrusting her rapier forward.

"Yes, I see it," Delic replied, turning toward it with a nod.

The grotesque demon stood still, as if carved from stone.

“... No.”

No, that wasn’t it. Its stomach lurched and twisted, as if something within was struggling to break free.

"Something is about to burst forth!" Delic shouted.

But it was already too late. From an indistinct orifice—whether a mouth, an eye, or a nostril—it exhaled a thick, choking veil of demonic energy.

Sssssss—

The vile haze of demonic energy rolled in sickening waves, thick enough to swallow the very air itself. Without hesitation, the knights fastened their gas masks.

"Yulie!" Gwen called, seeking her out first above all.

However, Yulie was already wearing her gas mask and gave her a reassuring thumbs-up.

"Be careful not to break it! It won’t last more than a day at best—"

"Yes, I understand. There is no need for worry," Yulie replied.

The tough battle raged on as blades and mana tore through the demonic beasts, while spells rained down from the wall above.

The demonic beasts tore into knights, ripping through arms and throats, with black and crimson blood spraying. Flesh lay in shredded pieces, and unknown organs spilled like shattered tiles. The world was drowning in a storm of blood and the aftermath of mana.

At that moment...

Thud—

A whisper of footsteps brushed through the battlefield—so faint that they barely touched the earth before fading away.

Thud—

The battlefield left no room to spare, yet the quiet rhythm of those steps was enough to steal a few glances.

Thud—

Ria and Leo were the first to turn at the faint sound of footsteps as they fought alongside the knights. With senses sharper than those of any adult, the two children caught sight of the man before anyone else—their eyes widening in shock.

Thud—

The air was thick with the haze of demonic energy, potent enough to eat through armor, and the knights moved with care, guarding their gas masks even as they fought. Yet, one by one, their eyes were drawn to an anomaly—an unmasked man walking through the haze.

Thud—

In the chaos, steady and measured footsteps echoed—an elegant noble, untouched by the bloodshed of the battlefield. The knights, upon recognizing its owner, were struck with shock—some rushed toward him, while others shouted warnings of danger, and Delic did both.

"Professor, it is too dangerous!" Delic shouted.

With no armor or mask to protect him, only a robe draped over his shoulders and a staff in hand, Deculein walked forward—pressing into the heart of the battlefield, where demonic energy thickened like a swirling void.

Thud—

"Deculein! What in the world?!" Gwen yelled in shock.

Yulie could only stare in shocked silence, her eyes wide.

The other knights wore the same look of disbelief, their faces mirroring hers. However, the man at the center of it all—Deculein—remained the calmest, walking through the battlefield as if untouched by the chaos around him.

"Protect the professor!" Delic shouted.

Wood Steel was nowhere near the professor; instead, it was attached to the wall, serving as a catalyst for

Metal Enhancement

.

"... That won’t be necessary," Deculein said, dismissing the knights with a gesture before releasing a controlled breath.

The haze of demonic energy seeped into Deculein, awakening the strong tenacity within his bloodline. From the depths of ancient memory, a dormant hunger and primal instinct stirred to life.

Deculein fixed his eyes on the grotesque creature in the distance, exuding demonic energy, which was nothing more than a mere imitation, a lesser demon at best.

With a faint shake of his head, he reached into his robes and drew out a small gemstone, a paradox in itself—the Snowflower Stone that gleamed in hues of icy blue and pure white—cold as frost, yet alight with an inner flame.

"Professor! The demonic energy is far too dense!"

"Do not make a fuss," Deculein said, dismissing Delic, and his eyes remained locked beyond—past the tide of advancing demonic beasts, toward the demon as he activated the Snowflower Stone.

Cling—

At the sound of a single, piercing chime, the awakened metal floated, hovering in silent obedience under his command. Beneath his feet, an immense darkness pooled as demonic energy swelled like an oncoming storm.

Swoooooosh...

The body of Yukline absorbed the demonic energy, purifying it completely before igniting it as a fuel for the use of his mana.

Gruuuuuumble—!

Therefore, the capacity of demonic energy gathering around Deculein had already exceeded his limits.

Grumble—!

The excess, unable to be absorbed, roiled at his feet in unbridled chaos.

Grrrrrrrowl—!

The ground trembled, like the distant rumble of a volcano deep underground. Even as the demonic energy raged in chaos, Deculein remained composed while in control of his breath, guided the purified mana, and channeled it into the Snowflower Stone.

"Demonic eradication has always been Yukline’s legacy," Deculein declared, his pupils dilating as his crystal-blue eyes swept across the battlefield.

Looking directly at the demon in the distance, the horde of rampaging demonic beasts, and the thick haze of demonic energy smothering the land, Deculein continued, "... Fear me, demon."

The mana of metal and the force of demonic destruction flowed into the Snowflower Stone. Soon, the raging torrents of demonic energy stilled, and the vibrations that had shaken the land faded into silence.

At that moment, the Snowflower Stone awakened, and a brilliant blue streak burst through like a flash of light—too rapid to be seen, too brief to be felt. Time seemed to freeze, space fell into silence, and in the still Land of Destruction, where knights and demonic beasts had come to a halt, only the Snowflower Stone pressed forward.

The Snowflower Stone, a metal that both freezes and burns, struck the demon like sunlight melting frost. Then, like a blizzard, it sealed the creature in ice before igniting once more—searing the demonic beasts with intense heat. But its fury did not end there; it advanced, devouring the tidal wave of darkness beyond and erasing the swarm of demonic beasts.

***

... And so, three days passed, and the southern advance, once seemingly endless, was finally nearing its conclusion—only because the knights had fought with desperate determination, their bodies pushed beyond their limits, their survival hanging by a thread.

“

Phew...

”

Exhausted in both stamina and mana, the knights still moved beyond the walls, while atop them, the mages lay drained from the overexertion of spells. The villagers brought whatever assistance they could—food, water, herbs, and damp cloths—but such humble offerings could hardly alleviate the depths of mana exhaustion.

"... Leaf, are you alright?" Ihelm asked.

The southern advance had continued for five days, yet the vestiges of battle—screams and the clash of steel—still flared sporadically like dying embers across the field.

"Yes, I'm fine. It’s... almost over anyway," Epherene murmured, looking toward the pale sun rising in the distance.

It's been so long since I've seen the morning sun. That damn fog kept it hidden all this time, and now it feels almost strange to welcome it back

, Epherene thought.

"... Well done," Ihelm said in brief words.

“... You too, Mage Ihelm.”

Of course, the cost had been heavy—nearly ninety percent of the prisoners sent to the front lines had died, over a hundred knights had fallen, and nineteen mages had suffered irreparable damage to their mana cores. However, the walls guarding Rekordak stood firm against the tide of demonic beasts.

"Somehow... it’s still standing," Epherene said with a quiet laugh, lightly tapping her hands against the wall.

"... We have Deculein to thank for that, don’t we? But is he still out there on the battlefield?" Ihelm muttered, raising a brow.

"Yes. Professor left about four days ago and hasn’t returned since."

The moment Deculein spotted the demon and the rush of demonic energy, he leaped over the walls without hesitation—and still, he had not returned.

"... Maybe he could be dead?" Ihelm said, a hint of dry humor in his voice.

"No, he’s not," Epherene replied, narrowing her eyes as she stared directly at him.

"How can you be so sure? Have you ever reached out to him?"

"

Hmph

," Epherene muttered, shaking her head and shrugging before pulling a piece of Wood Steel from her robe. "If the Professor were ever in danger or facing anything that posed a threat to his life, this thing would be going wild by now."

“... That little thing would?”

"Yes, Professor gave this to me. Do you know how expensive this thing is?" Epherene said with a huff, pride gleaming in her eyes.

"What?" Ihelm scoffed in disbelief, letting out a dry chuckle as he tapped the Wood Steel with his finger.

"Hey! Don't touch it!" Epherene snapped, shooing Ihelm away with a kick.

"What the? Have you lost your mind? Do you even know who you're talking to? Show some respect, kid."

“

Ugh

, whatever.”

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"

Tsk

. So, how exactly would you know? Does that steel speak to you or something?"

"No, not exactly," Epherene murmured, lips jutting slightly as she traced a finger along the Wood Steel.

Vrrrrrrrrrr—

At her touch, the Wood Steel glowed a searing crimson, vibrating as if alive.

"

Oh

, right. Just like this. See? Like this."

Vrrrrrrrrrr—!

"When the Professor is in danger, it changes like this," Epherene concluded.

"

Ah

, I see," Ihelm replied with a nod.

Vrrrrrrrrrr—!

The Wood Steel continued to vibrate.

"Alright, that’s enough. You’ve made your point," Epherene said with a small chuckle.

Vrrrrrrrrrr—!

Yet, the vibration did not come to a stop, nor did the crimson glow fade.

"... You can stop now," Epherene murmured hesitantly, giving the Wood Steel a light tap.

At that moment...

Wheeeeeee—!

The vibration grew even stronger.

"

Ah

! H-Hey! What’s wrong with you?! A-Are you trying to act up with me right now?!"

Do steels go through puberty like humans?

Epherene thought.

Just as Epherene grew frustrated by the sudden disobedience of the steel...

"... Doesn’t that mean he’s in danger?" Ihelm muttered, his eyes on the Wood Steel as he stroked his chin.

They exchanged a silent glance for three long seconds.

Vrrrrrrrrrr—!

Then, as if exasperated, the Wood Steel vibrated once more, and at last, Epherene understood its message.

Then, in a pulse of desperation, the Wood Steel vibrated once more.

“...

Oh

, you are right!”

And at last, Epherene finally understood its meaning.