Into the Forbidden Domain
Inside the ancient Magic Tower within the Demon Realm. Perlin's door opened, and Ronin walked in with a bright smile.
"I'm going to examine you today," he explained calmly. "Before you absorb the fragment, I need to check how well your body and soul have been refined. If anything is lacking, I'll have to fill it in."
Perlin had no choice but to nod.
Ronin pulled up a chair and sat in front of her. Then, he gently placed a hand over her chest.
A faint trace of demonic energy seeped from his palm, slowly entering Perlin's body. It was a strange sensation—neither cold nor hot.
Perlin caught her breath at the foreign feeling.
After Ronin's demonic energy circulated through her body and returned, his eyes locked onto hers.
"...Oh?" Ronin let out a soft gasp.
"How strange." He tilted his head. "Both your body and soul are already refined. Perfectly so."
"...What do you mean?"
"It means your body is already adapted to the fragment. Your soul is also fully prepared as a vessel to receive it."
Ronin stared at her for a moment.
"Normally, a vessel isn't prepared like this. It takes time to refine them. But you were in this state from the very beginning."
What did this mean? A cold dread washed over her, though no clear answer came to mind.
Ronin gently stroked Perlin's hair.
"Well, it's a good thing. It saves us time," he said lightly. But to Perlin, his words felt incredibly heavy.
"Then... when will I receive the fragment?"
"In about three days?" he replied. "It takes time to activate the fragment itself. I'm working on that separately. Once you absorb it in three days, it's done."
"..."
"Just wait three days."
Ronin stood up and planted a brief kiss on her cheek.
"I'm sorry I can't stay with you the whole time."
Soon after, the door closed.
Perlin remained seated where she was. The Magic Tower Master's words echoed in her mind.
'Just wait three days.'
Because her body and soul were already prepared to receive the fragment, her remaining time had been cut short.
Why? What on earth had happened to her that made her already prepared to absorb the fragment? Did it have something to do with her being a transmigrator?
She was plagued by questions, but there were no answers. There was only anxiety and terror.
The next day at dawn, after receiving permission from the Imperial Princess.
Only four people were lined up in front of the Imperial Castle's north gate: myself, the Hero, Leylin, and Hailyn.
Among us, only three would enter the Demon Realm: myself, the Hero, and Hailyn. Since we were the only ones going in anyway, it was faster to travel light right from the Imperial Castle.
Hailyn, wearing restraints only around her neck, was led by my adjutant and climbed onto the back of my warhorse. In the brief moment she was placed on the horse, Leylin's expression soured slightly.
"General." Her voice was slightly different from her usual blunt tone. "...No, it is nothing. Let us move."
At a glance, Leylin seemed no different than usual, but her voice was trembling slightly. I looked into her eyes.
Her gaze was fixed on Hailyn.
In truth, the Noah sisters harbored terrible memories regarding demons. Under such circumstances, my carrying out an operation alongside a demon might make her feel betrayed.
"Adjutant," I called out to her again, bowing my head slightly. "I am sorry."
Leylin's eyes widened. It took her a moment to process those words.
"...General," my adjutant replied slowly. "This is not something you should apologize for."
"Even so, I am sorry."
Leylin fell silent for a moment. Then, adjusting her posture, she continued, "I am merely fulfilling my duty in my position."
Her voice was calm. However, knowing that this calmness was the result of forcing herself to suppress her emotions, I couldn't help but continue to feel apologetic.
"Yes. I am always grateful, Leylin."
"..."
Upon hearing my words, Leylin wore an unreadable expression before silently returning to her own warhorse and taking her position.
I didn't say anything more. Comfort wasn't what she needed. Like her, I was simply doing my duty.
"We're moving out."
At my command, the gates of the Imperial Castle swung open, and our warhorses surged forward.
"Hold on tight."
Hailyn's arms wrapped tightly around my waist. Confirming her grip, I immediately spurred the horse.
"This is slower than I thought—gyaaah!"
As the warhorse accelerated, Hailyn let out a bizarre shriek. Well, it wasn't as if a demon would die from falling off a horse.
"S-Sloooow dowwwwn...!"
Ignoring Hailyn's screams, I kept pushing the speed. Myself, the Hero, and even Leylin possessed near-superhuman physical capabilities, so enduring the warhorse's maximum speed was no trouble at all.
"Haaah... gasp... blegh..."
When we reached a resting point, Hailyn drooped her gray ears and began emptying the contents of her stomach.
"J-Just a bit... let's rest just a little longer before we go..."
But she couldn't rest. She had to locate the Magic Tower Master once or twice every day, which meant she had to use her Authority during every break.
"This is insane..."
We even cut down on sleep. Of course, since Hailyn hadn't reached the level of not needing sleep at all, whenever she grew tired, she temporarily released her seal to utilize a demon's regenerative powers as a substitute for rest.
A few days passed like this.
"F-Finally...!"
At last, the Northern Army Headquarters came into view. Seeing it, Hailyn screamed in relief, crying out that she was saved.
"General. You have arrived."
Commander-in-Chief Rayna Noah welcomed us at the entrance of the headquarters.
Her waist-length black hair and pale face were the same as ever, but her eyes looked even more exhausted than when I last saw her. It seemed the normalization of the North was progressing well under her direction.
"I apologize for the sudden visit."
"Not at all. I heard that a major incident occurred at the Imperial Castle."
I nodded in affirmation. Rayna immediately reported on the situation.
"The North is stable. The post-cleanup is also in its final stages."
"Good work. Support for the North will increase far more than expected in the future."
Rayna's expression darkened slightly.
"Is it... because of the demons?"
"The appearance of demons means a great war could break out once again."
Her lips pressed into a tight line. Then, she scanned my companions.
"The one beside you must be the demon who is cooperating with us."
Rayna stared at Hailyn and slowly walked toward her.
"Hmm...?"
Hailyn dismounted and looked at Rayna in confusion.
"Demon."
Rayna's steps grew heavier as she approached Hailyn. She was unconsciously channeling her Aura and Mana.
"W-Wait a minute!"
Rayna was someone who had already reached the 6th Tier at her age and risen to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army.
No matter how much of a demon she was, the low-ranking Hailyn couldn't help but shrink back from that murderous intent. Paralyzed by the pressure, she fell backward onto her rear, unable to even run away.
Unable to watch any longer, Leylin stepped up to Rayna.
"Stop it, Sister."
Leylin took Rayna's hand. Unlike her usual self, her tone was gentle.
"Ah."
At that touch, Rayna's murderous intent subsided slightly. She quickly pulled down her military cap to hide her expression.
"I apologize, General. I have shown you an unsightly display."
"No, it is fine."
I approached Rayna and, just as I had with Leylin, bowed my head slightly.
"I told Leylin this as well, but I am truly sorry to you too, Commander-in-Chief Rayna. I hope you understand that this is an unavoidable situation."
"...?"
Unlike Leylin, Rayna's reaction was a bit more intense.
"W-What do you mean by that, General! Please, raise your head!"
Flustered, she tried to stop me. Watching this unfold, Hailyn muttered to herself as if she had realized something.
"Ah, so that's how it is."
Hailyn dusted herself off and stood up.
"The one who should be bowing isn't you."
She slowly approached the Noah sisters as she spoke.
"I take it you two have some bad memories associated with demons?"
The Noah sisters' gazes locked onto Hailyn simultaneously.
"Sorry, but I can't die just yet."
Hailyn bowed her head to them. Then, she continued calmly, "All I care about is killing the Magic Tower Master anyway. After that, whether you kill me with your own hands or send me to the gallows, do as you please. I'll gladly die."
Having finished her piece, Hailyn pulled her black hood deep over her face and turned away. The Noah sisters watched her with complicated expressions.
"..."
They said nothing more about Hailyn. In silence, we made our way inside the headquarters.
The next morning at dawn.
Commander-in-Chief Rayna saw us off at the entrance of the headquarters.
"Return safely, General."
"I will."
Rayna's gaze briefly shifted to Leylin.
"Adjutant, ensure you escort them safely to the border of the Demon Realm."
"Understood."
At Leylin's response, we mounted our horses. Hailyn looked terrified again, but this time she didn't scream. She seemed to have grown accustomed to it after several days of hard riding.
"Please follow me."
A scouting party from the Northern Army guided us near the border of the Demon Realm. As we drew closer to the border, the concentration of demonic energy grew thicker.
"This is as far as we go, General," the scout captain said, halting his warhorse. We were on the outskirts, right at the edge of the Demon Realm's border. Beyond this point was not a place where they could set foot.
"Wait at the headquarters until we return."
"Yes, sir."
Leylin remained behind with the scouts as well. She silently saluted us.
I returned her salute, dismounted, and began to walk forward.
"I feel a bit strange..."
As we neared the border of the Demon Realm, Hailyn frowned. It was likely a clash between her seal and the demonic energy in the air.
"Hero. Release a portion of Hailyn's seal. She will need to adapt to the demonic energy inside the Demon Realm, and she'll be using her Authority frequently."
"Understood."
The Hero partially released Hailyn's seal. A faint black light welled up in her gray eyes.
"Whew... I feel like I can breathe again."
Hailyn stretched and loosened up her body.
"If you feel any demonic impulses, tell me immediately."
"Got it."
Before long, we were blocked by a massive black wall.
It was a land of black stones. Not a single blade of grass grew, and not a single bird was in sight. Only thick demonic energy flowed through the air. And beyond that black wall, an energy far more intense than the thick demonic energy around us could be felt.
We had reached the border of the Demon Realm.
"I will take the lead."
I organized our formation.
"Hero, watch my back along with Hailyn. Hailyn, use your Authority to constantly report the Magic Tower Master's location."
"Understood."
"Got it."
We checked our equipment and physical condition. My Aura flared instantly at the slightest mental cue. My Mana was also perfectly intact.
"By the way, is this black wall a barrier set up by the Magic Tower Master?"
Hailyn asked. The Hero answered, "The Demon Realm has always had a barrier. It has existed since ancient times."
"Then how do we get in?"
Hailyn tapped the black wall at the border with her hand as she spoke. Instead of answering, I channeled both my Aura and Mana simultaneously.
A dark blue light flashed in my eyes. A sharp edge enveloped my sword, and the muscles throughout my body contracted.
I took a deep breath. Then, I swung my sword. In an instant, the blade struck the barrier.
Krrr-clack!
A harsh grinding sound echoed as the barrier vibrated violently. It was an incredibly sturdy barrier, but not enough to withstand my blade.
With a single strike completed, I sheathed my sword.
Crackle!
The barrier shattered instantly, scattering black fragments into the air. Beyond it, the Demon Realm lay revealed.
Now, it was time to step into a domain forbidden to humanity.
"We're going in."
Into the Demon Realm.