The unexpected appearance of his uncle threw Garuel into shock. However, he had no intention of clashing with Lawrence. His plan was to stay hidden, wait for Lawrence to leave, and then quietly descend the underground stairs to investigate.

His resentment toward Lawrence was immense, but he couldn’t afford to let personal emotions ruin everything. The safety of his comrades was his priority, far more than the removal of an irritating relative.

At least, that’s what he thought.

“Do you understand now……? The reason why you can never…… mix with humans……?”

Garuel couldn’t comprehend what was happening to him. A sudden impulse surged uncontrollably through him, forcing him into an action he never intended.

His body burned. It felt as if he would be reduced to nothing but ashes. Yet, more than the fire consuming his body, the blood soaking his entire being made him feel even hotter.

The sword that pierced Lawrence’s chest—it was undoubtedly his own. And the hand gripping that sword was his as well. But this demonic energy seeping from his body……

“How…… That brat’s blood…… How could it contain…… this kind of power……? You must abandon your humanity, Garuel. Only then…… will you survive……”

“……Shut up.”

Despite his confusion, Garuel mercilessly twisted the blade, further ravaging Lawrence’s chest. Blood gushed out in waves, his severe regenerative abilities failing to stop the hemorrhage.

Black wings hung limply down his back. A searing pain stabbed through his right eye. His muscles contracted painfully, and the overflowing demonic energy from within him couldn’t be contained.

It was beyond his control. This wasn’t just an aura outburst like Van’s. It wasn’t the usual rampage of uncontrolled mana. It was as if a long-forgotten power had suddenly surfaced, forcing itself upon him. He was being dragged by a force he had never wielded before, unable to command it.

Where did this power come from? Why now? What did this transformation mean? He had no time to organize his chaotic thoughts when Lawrence, pinned beneath him, gripped the sword embedded in his chest.

“You won’t be able to stop your awakening…… It seems you’ve already…… absorbed the power of the drug……”

“……The drug?”

“A drug that awakens…… the dormant power of demons……”

Lawrence clenched the blade tightly and began pulling it out. It was hard to believe a dying man could exert such strength, yet the force gradually pushed Garuel away.

“That…… wasn’t meant for a half-breed like you. It was a catalyst…… for the true demons…… Now that you have that power, the only path left for you…… is destruction……”

But just as that brief surge of strength seemed overwhelming, Lawrence suddenly lost his grip. As the sword slipped from his grasp, the blade tore through his chest once more.

“……Hey.”

“……”

“Hey, damn it. At least finish your sentence.”

His once-bright eyes dulled instantly, and his arm fell limply to the ground. Garuel realized there was no longer any life left in Lawrence.

“……He’s dead?”

Just like that? So easily? So meaninglessly? A strange mixture of emptiness and disbelief flooded over him. At the same time, the mysterious pain that had been consuming him vanished. Blinking rapidly, Garuel exhaled deeply.

“……Ha.”

He climbed off Lawrence’s corpse and collapsed onto the cold floor. Even as he stared directly at the stiffened body, he couldn’t bring himself to fully believe it.

“How could he……?”

How could he leave behind such a disgusting sensation, even in his final moments? Even though it was he himself who had killed Lawrence, all he felt was frustration. With blood-soaked hands, Garuel blankly rubbed his face before suddenly snapping his head up. His gaze landed on a messy desk, cluttered with vials.

‘……Lawrence said I had gained the power of the drug. But I don’t remember taking any. I would never willingly ingest anything made from demonic ingredients. But……’

He hadn’t consumed it, but he had smelled it. Even then, the stench had been so overpowering that his stomach churned, and he quickly closed the bottle.

“Are you telling me…… that just inhaling it was enough to activate its effects?”

Now that he had calmed down somewhat, Garuel carefully analyzed his own changes, trying to deduce the drug’s effects.

Was it some kind of awakening agent? It seemed to amplify demonic power to its peak, but from his brief, unintentional experience with it, he noticed a severe side effect—his ability to regulate his emotions had drastically weakened.

More precisely, his negative emotions had been amplified. For a moment, instead of thinking about finding his comrades, the urge to eliminate the annoying uncle before him had swelled into an uncontrollable impulse.

‘How long will the effects last? It can’t be permanent just from one whiff…… right?’

Unlike the hellish sensation that had overtaken him moments ago, he felt completely normal now. Perhaps it was because there was no longer an enemy provoking his bloodlust. After all, there was no one in the Demon Realm who infuriated him as much as Lawrence did. That, at least, was a relief.

Garuel slowly rose to his feet and approached the desk. His fingers lightly tapped against one of the suspicious vials. He stared at it intently before grabbing it and slipping it into his coat.

“……It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

Muttering to himself, he turned toward the underground staircase. His original objective had been to investigate the strange noises coming from below.

‘But I’ve wasted too much time. Lawrence mentioned earlier that ‘Her Majesty’ might arrive soon to inspect this place. If I hesitate any longer, I might run into the Demon King.’

If the Demon King found Lawrence’s corpse, it would undoubtedly create an uproar. The best course of action was to get out of here as soon as possible.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t check it out.”

There was a chance that Lydon was down there. However, considering Lawrence had said he needed to ‘take care of the extras’, it was unlikely that hostages were being held below. More likely, something else was there, something they needed to maintain.

‘If I return empty-handed, I’ll have to come back here. It’s still the most promising lead.’

For now, escaping was the priority. Garuel placed a hand over the vial in his coat and cautiously opened the door.

* * *

“How dull, how utterly dull. Did you really think you could target the Demon King’s castle with such pathetic skills? My, what a hopelessly foolish species. It’s almost impressive.”

Atlas narrowed his eyes mockingly, covering his mouth with a fan. In front of him, barely able to maintain his balance, was Dreyfe, his gaze sharp despite his faltering stance. Feathers were embedded all over his body like thorns, and he swayed unsteadily as if on the verge of collapse.

But he could not afford to fall. No one here would willingly kneel before the enemy.

“The 4th Battalion, prepare the barrier! A sonic attack is coming soon!”

Even Ector, whose face was half-covered in blood flowing from his head, stood firm.

“The arrows are ready! 2nd Battalion, secure the perimeter!”

Even Moritol, who had a deep cut on his shoulder, refused to lower his bow.

“Target their wings. Drag them down to the battlefield.”

“Tend to the wounded first! Don’t hold back your mana!”

The commanders of the allied forces, their knights—none of them fell, even as their bodies were broken and battered. So how could he, someone who aspired to surpass his father one day, allow himself to collapse here?

But.

“You will never pass through this gate. You won’t even set foot on the threshold before crumpling pitifully to the ground. Is that the fate you desire? Of course, I sincerely hope so!”

The High Demon guarding the castle gate was overwhelmingly powerful. Throughout the battle, the demons never lost their composure, while the knights fought with everything they had. Yet, despite their efforts, they had not made a single dent in the main gate. The reality was unacceptable, and Dreyfe’s gaze sharpened in frustration.

‘……No. Even if we can’t open the gate, there is still another way.’

If they could just endure—if they could just hold on. The thought of relying on them again in situations like this bruised his pride. But in a battle that held the fate of the Human Realm, pride was a meaningless burden.

Summoning every last ounce of strength, Dreyfe forced himself upright. As he crossed his twin swords and poured his energy into them, Atlas, who had already been the target of several attacks, let out a scoffing chuckle.

“How could such a pathetic species, unable to even take to the skies, ever hope to face demons?”

“Shut up. Your arrogance ends here.”

A resonant hum spread from his concentrated sword energy. Once, twice—the vibration intensified with each pulse, causing the glowing energy to swell into something far greater than before. A flicker of intrigue passed through Atlas’s eyes at this new development.

A sword aura infused with five times his usual strength. Atlas was underestimating him completely. And just as he expected, an arrogant demon like him would never think to dodge an attack from such a ‘lowly species’. He would try to counter it head-on instead.

‘This strike carries everything I have.’

If he could take down Atlas—the one closest to the castle gate—then perhaps, just perhaps, they could throw themselves at the doors and try to force them open.

“Die!”

Dreyfe unleashed his most powerful strike at Atlas. As he had predicted, Atlas did not attempt to dodge. Instead, he folded his open fan, preparing to deflect the massive sword aura.

“……Oh?”

But the attack was not repelled. Instead, it kept pressing forward, forcing Atlas back. A tremor ran through the fan in his grasp, and for the first time, cracks formed in his ever-composed expression.

Dreyfe, having poured out every last drop of his strength, was barely able to stay standing, his sword now buried in the ground. All he could do was watch Atlas, knowing that if this strike failed, he would have nothing left.

And in that moment—

“This is quite amusing, but this will be the last time, won’t it?”

A powerful shockwave swept across the battlefield as Atlas finally managed to deflect the sword energy, sending it crashing into the castle wall. But the impact barely disturbed the dark energy surrounding the fortress—it didn’t even put a crack in the stone.

“……Damn it.”

Even staking his life on it wasn’t enough to win. A forgotten despair came rushing back, and Dreyfe let out a ragged, exhausted breath.

This was the end. He no longer had the strength to face Atlas. The best he could do now was stall for time—anything to prevent the demon from interfering with the others.

But Atlas did not attack him.

“……Hmm?”

Creak. Creak.

A metallic groan echoed from the tightly shut main gate. The dark demonic energy sealing it began to waver.

Dreyfe instinctively turned his gaze toward the entrance. His eyes widened in disbelief.

“It’s…… opening……?”

Through the slowly widening gap, a familiar face emerged.

“……What are you standing there staring for? If you’re done gawking, get over here and help me, you damn noble bastards.”

Van Herdos.

His face was drenched in blood, yet Dreyfe recognized him instantly. His expression twisted in shock.