* * *

“Look over there, Cadel. It’s a magic circle.”

Following Hyron’s words, Cadel’s eyes widened. A magic circle had suddenly appeared on the floor, which had been filled only with larvae. The magic circle, emitting dark demonic energy, began to grow transparent, eventually reflecting the scenery of the forest. As Cadel spotted Lydon’s face beyond it, he ran toward the magic circle in a hurry.

“It’s Lydon! And next to him……?”

“That’s the High Demon we saw from outside. It looks like Lydon managed to persuade him.”

Through the magic circle, Cadel saw Lydon speaking to Kash, whose face was covered in tears. Although Kash wasn’t restrained by anything, he was obediently operating the magic circle and talking to Lydon.

‘How did he manage to persuade him……?’

Though Cadel couldn’t make sense of the situation outside, it was clear that the escape door had been opened. With a proud smile, Cadel turned to Hyron.

“I’ll go gather the others. Lord Hyron, please stay here and keep an eye on the magic circle.”

“What? Are we allies now?”

After escaping safely from the belly of the giant insect through the open magic circle, Cadel first sought out Lydon. He stood beside him and looked at Kash, unable to hide his disbelief.

Lydon, with a face full of incredulity, spoke confidently.

“This guy is completely useless without that giant insect, and I told him that all of his siblings are dead. But he wants to live, so he says he’s going to betray the Demon King, who would certainly kill him for releasing the humans, and follow us instead. Right, idiot?”

The blunt and direct explanation caused Kash to lower his head deeply. It was a situation that could only bring out a hollow laugh.

“A High Demon like you is going to side with humans? How can I believe that? Just because you’ve become useless doesn’t mean you’ve turned from a demon into a human. How can I know that you won’t betray us at the critical moment and beg for mercy from Emilia?”

“……That’s not true.”

“I don’t believe you, so prove you mean it.”

Kash lifted his head, revealing a tear-streaked face. Cadel almost felt bad about pushing him further, seeing his face so red with resentment, so runny with tears and snot, but he was a High Demon after all. It was ridiculous to assume he’d chosen to betray her race.

“What am I supposed to do? You killed my siblings, you killed Toto, you’re going to reseal my people, and yet I chose to help you because I want to live. Isn’t that proof enough that I’ll do anything to survive?”

“You would betray everything you’ve ever known in order to survive?”

“Yes! I’m scared to death of dying!”

“Then risk your life.”

“What……?”

As Cadel raised his arm and gave a light wave, Yozen quietly appeared. Normally, he should have been conducting an extermination operation with the southern forces, but feeling uneasy about Kash’s presence, Cadel had brought him to join the north.

Cadel coldly spoke in front of Kash, startled by the sudden appearance.

“I’m going to plant an energy inside you that can blow you up and kill you at any time. The moment I think you’ve shown any sign of betrayal, or misinformed me. You die.”

“What, what does that mean……?”

“However, if you truly stand by the humans and contribute to their victory in the Human Realm……”

Terrified, Kash stumbled backward as Cadel stepped forward. Cadel locked eyes with him, his gaze steady, matching Kash’s height.

“I’ll protect you. I promise.”

With eyes full of calculation and intent, he smiled a kindness that surpassed anyone else. Kash, faced with his fresh expression, felt an odd emotion rising and flushed, feeling it was out of place for the situation.

“Do, do as you please. I’ve already made up my mind.”

“Ahaha! You silly thing, why are you blushing? Is Cadel your type? That’s not good, I might just kill you instead.”

“Don’t do that, Lydon. For now, he’s on our side, so we should treat him kindly.”

Cadel lightly tapped Yozen’s arm as a signal, and Yozen stepped forward, gently pressing his fingers on Kash’s forehead. The faint glow of dark energy that emerged from his white fingertips flowed into Kash’s mind like a stream of water. With a frown at the strange sensation, Kash could hear Yozen’s low voice echoing in his ears.

“If you betray Cadel, you will die in the most horrible pain you can imagine, and even greater suffering.”

“I won’t betray him……!”

As Yozen finished his work and removed his hand, Kash shuddered and stepped back. Cadel called for him and moved to the place where Hyron and the other members had gathered.

“Do we really have to be followed around by a High Demon like this?”

At the back, Van, who had been lagging behind, said irritably as he glanced at Kash. Cadel gave Kash a push on the back, positioning him in the center of the group, and then smiled lightly.

“Even if he betrays us, he’ll still be useful. He’ll make a good tool, so let’s not make a big deal out of it. And Kash……”

“Yes……?”

“It’s not going to be good if it gets out that you’ve sided with the humans too early. So until I send a signal, keep yourself hidden properly.”

Cadel gently patted Kash’s head, who nodded timidly, and then shifted his gaze to Hyron.

“The southern forces should have found the weakness of the insects by now. Let’s start deploying magic.”

“Alright. Lydon, come here too.”

“When the magic is deployed, the enemies will swarm. Van and Yozen, stick with Sir Sorin and follow his orders as closely as you can. I won’t be able to keep track of everything while focusing on the magic.”

If it was Sorin, he would stay calm and command the knights even in the most unexpected situations. Cadel could trust Van and Yozen to follow him.

With that, Cadel, Lydon, and Hyron began preparing the magic that would disrupt the enemies from their predetermined spot.

“Cadel will use his specialty, flame magic, to attack the enemies. Lydon and I will prepare magic to catch their attention.”

“We’ll start the attack when the timing is right.”

The magic Cadel had chosen was [Flame Arrow of the Fire Demon]. It was the most suitable spell to clear up the tangled battlefield, and one he was confident in using.

The faint sound of cheers and screams echoed through the heart of the forest. As he gauged the location, he spread his mana into the sky, waiting for the signal from the two men. Hyron, with his arm around Lydon’s shoulder, spoke softly.

“From now on, I’ll show you a magic that has only revealed its existence to you, but without any demonstrations or explanations.”

“What is that?”

“[Frostflower King]. It’s a name I gave it myself.”

Every Fairy King had a unique secret technique they developed and created themselves. This technique was passed down to the successor so that the Fairy Kings’ secrets continued through the generations. [Frostflower King] was Hyron’s exclusive technique, one that had not yet been passed on to anyone.

In front of a slightly surprised Lydon, Hyron opened one of his palms. As he breathed mana into it, dense ice crystals began to rise and swirl gently.

“I feel like it’s time to show you. Engrain every detail of the spell I create deeply in your mind.”

As Hyron casually flicked his hand, the ice crystals scattered widely across the ground. The vast spell that was being engraved caused Lydon’s eyes to move quickly.

Hyron’s unique technique. A magic that could only take root in this world once it was fully remembered. An overwhelming sense of responsibility, something Lydon rarely felt, seemed to press down on his shoulders. Hyron, understanding Lydon’s feelings, applied pressure to the hand on his shoulder, helping to release the tense muscles.

“I hope you like it.”