ESMLT 92🔐

Chapter 92

It was the Crown Prince who had suddenly stepped into my path and spoken. Because of that, I couldn’t see ahead and had to step aside—but then he blocked my way again.

“What is he doing?”

I glared at him with annoyance, half-suspecting that maybe he was trying to shield my view because he thought I was scared of the demon.

Just as I almost felt touched—

“Even from the angle a moment ago, or from this angle, you don’t look like her at all. Ah, should I have looked from the other side?”

I was flabbergasted.

‘Wait… is he here just to watch the demon from the angle I’m standing at?’

I let out a laugh of disbelief, and at that point, the demon’s button had been pressed by his ridiculous comment.

“What do you mean ‘doesn’t look like her’! Look again! She’s exactly the same as that woman!”

The demon, apparently proud of his own abilities, rubbed his face like he was washing it.

Click, click—the sound of his features aligning—he lifted his head, and there it was: a face identical to mine, like a mirror image.

“See! Exactly the same!”

With long, black, grotesque nails, the demon pointed at his own face.

Even I had to admit—the faces were identical.

Then the Crown Prince’s expression turned cold, and he shook his head slowly.

“No, she’s ugly.”

‘…Is he subtly insulting me?’

Just as I squinted my eyes and glared again at the bright red back of his head, the Crown Prince turned to look at me. He observed me for a moment with a flicker of curiosity in his eyes, then chuckled and whispered hoarsely:

“Our little rogue has pretty eyes.”

“…….”

I didn’t know how to react, so I just blinked, like a civilian cornered by a delinquent, lowering my gaze sharply.

‘What… did he just say?’

I didn’t want him to notice that I felt a flutter of excitement.

The demon paused for a moment, then bent at the waist and giggled, as if we were amusing.

“Heh, heh, ah… well, fine, doesn’t matter anymore.”

The demon slumped, curling his back. Crack! Flesh split, a spine protruded, and something like a wingtip jutted out sharply.

“Miss, step back.”

The Crown Prince quickly moved, shielding me behind him.

Click.

Sien aimed a mana-charged revolver at the demon.

Sleeng—.

Jaeger drew his sword, and Danha protected Yand and Rapo.

In an instant, we were in combat formation, facing the demon, and a strange tension filled the air.

But…

Crack, crack!

‘Why is it taking him so long to transform…?’

Even after about thirty seconds, watching the demon slowly transform, a sudden irritation rose in me.

My aunt had told me that I was different from other children as a kid. When shown a popular cartoon at age three, I’d sulk and then cry uncontrollably. After that, they stopped showing it to me, since I’d just tear up with tears and snot.

I didn’t cry often, and my calm demeanor puzzled my parents… until one day, as an adult, I realized the reason while watching a TV at a supermarket.

‘What the hell is this…?’

The heroine’s transformation took over a minute, and the villain just watched quietly.

Imagine that the world paused while she transformed. Wouldn’t he attack immediately? Why does he just pose dramatically and threaten her, watching obediently instead of attacking?

It was entirely defenseless.

That’s when I realized: as a child, I couldn’t express in words how frustrated the villain was, so I cried.

I was shouting in my mind: Attack already! Just attack!

And now, in this moment, I felt that same frustration again.

‘Ah, it’s like I’ve eaten five thousand sweet potatoes.’

I pounded my chest, sighed deeply, and opened my eyes wide.

‘Normally, I would never rush in recklessly…’

“Miss…?”

“Ria?”

I pushed past the male leads and stepped forward.

Heh, heh. The demon shook its back, glaring at me. It still hadn’t finished transforming.

“You lowly human, daring to step forward! Fine! I’ll show you my true power—!”

Whish! Thwack!

The demon’s head turned from the hammer I swung.

“……?”

With a black, reptilian hand, the demon rubbed its cheek and looked back at me.

‘Did a human just hit me…?’

Seeing that expression, I swung my hammer again to confirm it.

Thwack!

The demon’s body lifted slightly, then collapsed.

I thought I even heard a “huh?” sound.

I rested the hammer on my shoulder, waiting for it to get up.

After a moment, the demon shook its head, staggered upright, and touched its forehead—its hands covered in sticky, blue blood.

I swung the hammer menacingly at it again.

“Take this.”

The demon recoiled in shock.

“W-wait! Let’s do this fairly—”

Thwack!

Once again, the demon was sent flying into a tree, crumpling. I swung my hammer at the bent-over demon again.

“You cowardly human! Wait! When I return to the surface, it takes time to transform according to causality—”

Thwack!

“It hurts! I said it hurts! You crazy human! My magic’s low and if you keep—”

Thwack!

“Argh! What kind of human are you!”

When it kept complaining, I hit it harder, and it collapsed unconscious.

“Phew.”

I exhaled forcefully, wiping my forehead.

‘Yes, this is how it should be. Stop waiting for it to finish transforming.’

Feeling my chest finally unclogged, I looked at my companions and realized something.

I’d been so focused on the demon that I hadn’t noticed my surroundings.

“……”

Danha, pale as if witnessing a horrific murder, covered Yand’s eyes. It was a relief that the child didn’t see anything too traumatic.

The Crown Prince, arms crossed, wore a thoroughly satisfied smile. Sien sat down, resting her chin in her hands, smiling and complimenting me. Jaeger seemed a bit sympathetic toward the demon.

It felt awkward, given the Crown Prince’s reaction was similar to how I had received him…

‘Anyway, the girl—or rather, the villain—was neutralized before completing the transformation!’

I smiled broadly, feeling refreshed.

Swoosh—!

Just then, a pouring sound came from behind.

Turning around, I saw the demon’s body completely melting into black liquid.

The unknown black substance bubbled and became sticky, black tar about the size of my fingernail.

Watching it crawl along the ground made me frown.

‘What is that?’

Sien, observing closely, spoke.

“It’s magi.”

“Magi?”

“Magi?”

Before I could even ask, the Crown Prince also questioned.

Everyone looked at the black liquid with unfamiliar eyes, clearly seeing magi for the first time.

Curious, I asked:

“What’s the difference between ‘magi’ and ‘mana’?”

Yand and the others all turned sharply to look at me.

‘Why…?’

Sien glanced at me, surprised, then looked at the black tar droplet and explained:

“Simple. Mana is surface power; magi is underground power.”

“Really?”

“Unlike humans who can manage without mana, magi is the demon itself. It’s life, stats, everything else.”

Ah. So, “magi = demon,” essentially.

“Then the remaining magi is part of the demon?”

“Exactly.”

Like a human losing limbs and leaving only the brain… something like that.

I nodded a beat later, understanding Sien’s clear explanation.

Then, casually looking around, I realized something else:

Even if they couldn’t identify and distinguish demons like Sien, the male leads and Yand already knew everything about magi.

It seemed to be basic education in this world.

My pupils jittered.

‘…Should I pretend to know too?’

Just then, the Crown Prince turned toward me, apparently trying to speak, so I pretended to be deeply focused on the demon.