“You could have avoided it!”
Yuria shouted sharply, her eyes snapping open.
Then she blinked blankly, looking around the unfamiliar room.
It wasn’t a familiar place.
Rubbing her forehead, she tried to recall her memories.
“Dad!”
Startled, she jumped up from her seat.
“Fainted? You fainted? How long has it been?”
Outside the window, it was still bright, but the light was fading, suggesting some time had passed.
Looking around the room again, it wasn’t completely unknown.
It was probably the infirmary on the third floor of the Annex in the mansion.
“This is not the time for this…!”
Yuria hurried to leave the room, but the door was, of course, locked.
The window was open, but the third floor was dangerously high—falling from there could mean death.
Though Yuria, who regularly took MP Boosters and had become Awakened, could survive a fall with only some injuries, she had no awareness of her own physical abilities.
“What should I do? How do I get out… Rope. Is there anything I can use as a rope? If I tear the bedsheets and tie them together…”
“Miss? Are you awake?”
“Who’s there?!”
Anxious, Yuria snapped back sharply without thinking.
The door opened soon after, and one of the staff cautiously entered.
He was one of those who had cooperated with Yuria’s plan earlier in the day—someone she could trust as part of her own faction.
“Must! Where’s Dad?”
“The Chairman is said to be in his office handling paperwork… Miss, what happened? I heard you suddenly collapsed, and we were ordered to keep you from leaving the infirmary. Did you have a fight with the Chairman?”
“This isn’t the time. Must, please help me. I have to get out of here right now.”
“I thought I’d die pretending for the Chairman earlier today. No matter how much you ask, missing the Chairman’s favor twice in one day is a bit…”
Growing more anxious, Yuria bit her lips hard.
Hiding the truth and persuading him was difficult.
But even if she told him, would he believe it?
That Benya was controlling monsters to win the election?
“Must, I’m begging you. If I stay here… something terrible will happen. You have to stop Dad.”
“Looks like you really fought hard.”
“Argh! That’s not it! It’s not that—Dad…!”
Stamping her foot in frustration, Yuria seized the only opportunity with the door open as he came in.
Her physical abilities, which had shone brightly even though her orders had restricted her and she had killed an Orc with just two strikes, revealed themselves effortlessly.
Must didn’t even have time to react before Yuria slipped out of the room with the fluidity of running water.
“…Uh? Miss?!”
“Sorry! I’ll explain later…”
“Kyaaaaah!”
Suddenly, a ripping scream sounded from outside.
“Monsters! Monsters have appeared!”
“Where did these monsters suddenly come from?!”
“Run! R-run! Aaaah!”
Yuria was gripped by a chilling sensation coursing through her entire body.
Hurriedly approaching the window, her eyes took in a scene of chaos in the upscale district.
People scattered like insects attacked by a natural predator, and monsters chased them down, killing indiscriminately.
“Did I just hear a scream…?!”
Must, who had followed Yuria out, tilted his head in confusion.
Swallowing her panic, Yuria steadied herself and turned to him.
“Must, contact the Capitol. Give them my name and request a Second-Class Monster Alert. Also, mobilize all available manpower from the Merchant Guild Headquarters to assist with evacuating citizens.”
“Huh? Suddenly monsters?”
“Monsters appeared! Right in the city core! If you want to save as many people as possible, do as I say! I’ll take full responsibility!”
Yuria glared sharply before opening the window and jumping out.
The danger of the height didn’t even cross her mind at that moment.
She landed lightly, rolling to disperse the impact and ignoring the aching pain in her ankle, then started running toward the Alzred Caravan headquarters.
‘Why are you going this far, Dad!’
Before it was too late, before the damage spiraled out of control, she had to stop Benya.
By any means necessary.
If persuasion failed, even by killing him.
***
The first thing Zion Aleph felt upon returning to Kornika with a light heart was an overwhelmingly ominous atmosphere—and the scent of monsters.
So strong and pungent it made him dizzy.
[…Damn it. So it’s not over yet?]
Frey Alkoth muttered a curse softly, having sensed the monsters’ presence just like Zion.
‘We definitely destroyed the summoning circle…’
[Hahaha… I thought things were going too smoothly.]
[That meticulous man’s plan can’t be this sloppy. Damn it, the plan was double-layered. Or maybe the outer summoning circle was a decoy from the start. Zion, it was a bait to remove obstacles like you.]
Zion’s expression paled as he listened to Frey.
[While we were wasting effort outside, Benya completed preparations and summoned his main forces—right in the middle of the city.]
“That’s insane!” Clenching his teeth, Zion shook as he shouted.
The two Awakened fell silent, stunned by the severity.
[Summoning monsters in the forest, I could understand. At least the immediate damage wouldn’t be serious, and if Benya controlled the monsters properly, maybe the goal could be achieved with minimal harm.]
“No, how can you concede that?”
[I’m just comparing! But in the city core… so many people could die or get hurt! This can’t be allowed. No matter what good reasons or noble purposes there are, this must never be tolerated.]
Taking a deep breath, Zion spoke with firm resolve, “Benya is wrong.”
At the epicenter of the chaos, the Alzred Caravan headquarters, was the source of the overwhelming scent.
Without hesitation, Zion began running.
[Hah… hahahaha.] Frey chuckled softly.
When he looked back, Arcs had the same expression.
[-Arcs, did you see his face?]
[-Yeah, I did. Really… he looks exactly like Naia. What do we do? I think I’m about to cry.]
[-Why cry so miserably?]
[-It really feels like Naia has come back alive. Frey, this is how you’ve felt all this time.]
[-You told me not to confuse Naia with Zion before.]
[-Yeah, um… sorry. I’m like this, so you must be feeling worse.]
[-Hmph. Fine then. …Hmm? Wait.]
At that moment, his eyes caught something strange.
It could only be described as a ‘bad sign’.
Though he had fought monsters for nearly twenty years, he had never experienced MP moving like this.
The MP permeating the entire city was swirling like a typhoon, centered around a single point, as if moving as one.
[Zion, something’s coming!]
Frey’s warning arrived almost simultaneously with an unprecedented force crashing down on Zion.
Reflexively raising his arm to defend, a tremendous impact hit him like his bones were shattering.
Without even a scream, his body was sent flying, crashing through a private house and burying him in the rubble.
“Excellent. Reacting in that split second.”
A sweet male voice echoed.
Zion, struggling to rise from the debris, was captivated by the bizarre figure before him.
The crown on his head was woven from hundreds of bones.
A red cape billowed like blood.
His uniform seemed sewn together from the skins of countless monsters, emitting a chilling color.
Combined with his transcendent beauty, the sight inspired primal terror and disgust.
“Hmm.”
The man slid down from the air to the ground, stroking his chin as he stared at Zion.
“You possess a very strong spirit. Hard to believe you are a young, weak human. It was no accident you killed my pet.”
“Pet…?”
“Trying to deny it? Give up. My eyes see through all lies, and my mouth speaks only truth.”
Zion didn’t understand a word the man said—not because he couldn’t comprehend, but because his mind refused to accept the words.
He instinctively sensed that paying attention would lead to something irreversible.
“Truly astonishing. You still resist my dominion. That human just now and you—your kind are truly fascinating.”
The one clear fact Zion understood was this: the vast MP filling Kornika belonged to the man right before him.
“Uncle, is that a monster too?”
[No, that is… not a monster.]
“But it smells constantly of monsters. Such a sweet scent.”
[Maybe a ma-in or something similar… Zion, what did you just say?]
Unconsciously, Zion stepped forward toward the man.
Arcs, who had deployed all her equipment to analyze the man’s identity, screamed sharply.
[No! Zion, get away from that monster right now!]
“Come closer. I am very interested in you.”
Zion took another step—and suddenly stopped unnaturally.
Gritting his teeth and breathing heavily, he stared straight into the man’s eyes.
A trace of surprise flickered in the man’s gaze.
“You still resist.”
The man moved himself.
Sliding swiftly, his body was suddenly in front of Zion’s face.
Zion struck with a punch aimed at his solar plexus.
The attack bounced off an invisible barrier.
This time, the man gently reached out and placed his hand on Zion’s chest.
“You need to learn some manners.”
A booming explosion tore through the eardrums from all directions.
Zion was trapped in a narrow box, spun helplessly in dizziness.
The pain hit him a moment later.
When he came to again, Zion was lying in the middle of a street, shattered and reduced to rubble.
‘What… how…?’
His memories were blurred and confused.
He could barely guess he had been attacked.
Probably not a full-power blow—just a light strike.
Yet he had fallen without any resistance.
“Cough, cough.”
He had to fight back.
Zion tried to get up, but couldn’t even move a finger.
“Stay still. I will allow it.”
The man had approached quietly and kneeled beside his head.
Smiling gently, he reached out his hand.
[*Strong mental interference detected.*]
At that moment, the Pendant trembled violently and began glowing.
[*Pattern identical to ‘Demon’ interference confirmed. Activating Demon Interference Defense Program.*]
With a burst, the man’s hand was thrown back.
He looked at his own hand in amazement.
At the same time, a warm light enveloped Zion’s entire body.
That was the last thing Zion saw before losing consciousness.
***
Suddenly, all communication was cut off.
Even operating the communicator only returned unknown error messages.
Frey, who had been watching Zion fall into danger until just moments ago, panicked and looked at Arcs wordlessly.
[Don’t ask. I’m analyzing it right now.]
Using all her knowledge and equipment, Arcs began explaining what she had discovered.
[The Pendant’s communication method is a kind of telepathy based on mental resonance. That monster tried to dominate Zion’s mind, but the defense program that Almighty Naia Alkoth had implanted in the Pendant activated. That’s why communication was cut.]
[Naia implanted a defense program in the Pendant?]
It was information too important to ignore.
But Arcs only nodded briefly, unwilling to explain further.
Frey narrowed his eyes, silently speculating.
‘You’re telling me she anticipated something like this? That’s absurd… But she is Almighty, so maybe she had precognition, though she never showed it. Wait…’
At that moment, Frey suddenly recalled something Naia once said about the demon realm.
She said countless monsters unknown on Earth exist in the demon realm, some of which look human.
‘If that monster in Kornika is one of those human-shaped monsters Naia mentioned… oh no!’
Frey sighed involuntarily at the absurd thought.
Meanwhile, Arcs finished her analysis and sat on the bed, beginning to stretch her stiff body.
[Our Zion seems to be safe for now. But I don’t know when communication will be restored. It’s all up to that temperamental old Pendant.]
[You told me before not to curse since it’s your kid.]
[He’s my kid. I’m allowed to curse.]
After a bitter smile, Frey stared anxiously at the communicator in his hand.
Arcs did the same.
The spacious room was filled with heavy silence.
***
“Our Zion’s grown quite tall, hasn’t he?”
At first, it sounded like Arcs’ voice.
The space was transparent.
As he glanced around, it turned into a pure white space.
Blinking, it transformed into a garden from his memories.
By the garden sat a familiar tea table in a familiar spot.
When Zion took lessons from his master Sins Wellplain, his mother, Naia Aleph, would sit there and cheer for him innocently.
Someone was sitting right at that table now.
Zion took a short breath and lowered his trembling gaze.
His hands and feet looked different from the small, unreliable ones of his childhood.
This was an illusion.
Zion was not foolish enough to fail to understand that fact.
“Mother.”
He lifted his head and called her name.