Sisilia Appears!
Sisilia's arrival! "Sisilia. You've been searching so desperately for Users." Amid winds so fierce she could barely keep her eyes open, Beatrice chased after Sisilia.
From what Beatrice had observed so far, Sisilia was terrifyingly cold toward anything that failed to pique her interest. On the flip side, she was the type who would achieve her desires by any means necessary. It was often absurd, sometimes downright ridiculous, but Beatrice respected her for it.
Yet the Sisilia who always seemed ready to giggle through any crisis with a lighthearted shrug was now charging ahead, abandoning everything else. "She must be worried."
At the same time, another thought crossed her mind. "...If something happened to me—would Sisilia drop everything and rush to my side like this?"
If not... Beatrice wanted to become that kind of existence for Sisilia.
"Sisilia?"
Suddenly, Sisilia came to a halt. She sniffed the air. Sniff sniff.
Beatrice stared in bewilderment. Sisilia turned to her with an innocently blank expression.
"Where's that naughty smell coming from?"
"Pardon...?"
"Betty, you on your period?"
Beatrice regretted, from the depths of her soul, ever trusting this woman even for a moment.
It happened in an instant.
"This is troubling."
The royal knights' swords pressed against the demon's throat simultaneously.
"I just wanted a ride to avoid being late for my appointment."
But the demon stood with hands clasped behind his back, speaking in a leisurely tone. The two royal knights strained with all their might to drive their blades home, but they couldn't even nick the skin, let alone sever the neck.
"Why won't you just let me go?"
Chaeyeon’s legs gave out; she could do nothing. Even a fool could see it—even if she unleashed her Aura, it wouldn't faze this demon one bit.
"This is why humans are no good. No power to speak of, yet you meddle needlessly..."
The demon wore a bitter smile.
"I didn't really want to kill you all."
"Cough!"
Dick clutched his lung and collapsed. Severus's hand had morphed into a black spike, piercing Dick's side.
"Captain!"
Lephin swung his sword desperately. Severus dodged effortlessly, shattered the carriage roof, and leaped into the sky.
"Ha."
The demon sighed.
"Why are humans so rude and violent?"
A thick wave of disgust emanated from him—like he was staring at cockroaches. Dick gripped his pendant with trembling arms, squeezing until it seemed it might shatter.
"An artifact?"
In that instant, the demon's pupils dilated massively. Dick chanted the activation word.
"Rune Ark—"
BOOM!
The carriage exploded. In the chaos, Lephin unleashed a sword beam at Severus, while Dick grabbed Chaeyeon's waist and leaped out. Chaeyeon squeezed her eyes shut. A piercing ring echoed in her ears—eeeee.
When she opened them again, they were in the grassland. The carriage lay in splinters nearby, and not far off, Lephin clashed with the demon.
Dick set Chaeyeon down and pointed urgently toward the nearby woods with bloodied hands.
"Go—!"
"...!"
"As far as you can!"
He roughly discarded the ashen pendant and tossed his ring to Chaeyeon.
"Number 7. It'll block pursuers for a bit. The forest beasts won't get past that level. Once you're out, Terezia will be in sight. Grab anyone you see and beg for help!"
No time for details. Clutching his blood-soaked lung, Dick drew his sword and charged back toward the wreckage.
I could help...
Her vision blurred. Overwhelming terror. But beyond it, a conscience screaming she couldn't just stand idle. That feeling spurred Chaeyeon into motion.
She locked eyes on the demon—or rather, the stardust swirling around him.
"Don't do anything stupid—go! You'll just get in the way!"
Chaeyeon halted just before invoking her Aura. In movies, there was always that one idiot who ignored warnings. Watching those scenes always gave her cancer vibes.
...Just like me right now.
"Sorry. Really sorry."
Chaeyeon bolted into the woods.
"Not a bad call. Worth sparing you."
Dick glanced at her fleeing form, then leveled his sword at the demon. Lephin, panting heavily, took position beside him. The demon shook his head with a sigh.
"You two could've escaped if you'd tried."
"If you'd ever been a knight, you'd know why."
"Fighting for the weak makes you a knight...?"
The cliché line made the demon grimace.
"That's why I betrayed humanity. The strong sacrificing for the weak."
A woman who could do nothing against him. Two knights mustering courage despite certain defeat.
"I got sick of your kind—can't even weigh basic survival value for humanity."
The demon's face twisted in genuine revulsion. But then he smiled brightly.
"Still, I like you two. A bit outdated, but you're 'unenlightened'—to be expected."
He extended a hand.
"How about it? Join me."
"Lephin."
Dick ignored the proffered arm and eyed his comrade.
"How long can you hold?"
"...Three minutes."
"Bet your life?"
"Five."
Dick chuckled wryly.
"Sorry, Lephin."
"Yes, sir."
"Gonna need you to stake it all."
Lephin tilted his sword.
"That was the plan from the start."
The demon met Lephin's charge with a casual arm extension. A black sword materialized.
"Truly regrettable."
He parried Lephin's strike effortlessly. Once a Windsor knight himself, Severus far outclassed the royal knight. Lephin was pushed back relentlessly; even blocking took everything he had.
"That's all you've got?"
Disappointment plain on his face, the demon thrust with crushing force.
But—
Lephin didn't block.
Squelch!
"...!"
The demon's blade pierced Lephin's gut. Yet Lephin grinned.
"They say a Windsor knight's sword dulls without the Windsor name. True enough."
Staking your life means this.
The demon gnashed his teeth, trying to withdraw—but the blade wouldn't budge. Like it was embedded in solid rock.
"Captain!"
As Lephin shouted, the demon's gaze snapped to Dick. Dick crouched low, coiling mana. His limbs twisted into grotesque, spring-like angles.
"Extreme Art."
Just dodge.
Severus released his sword and retreated. A fatal mistake. Standing firm might've let Lephin share the blow, blunting Dick's strike.
"Spiral Rend—!"
A vortex shredding all in its path tore through Severus's body.
Chaeyeon ran in a trance. Her shoes had long fallen off; thorns and branches tore her skin, but she ignored it. She couldn't waste their sacrifice.
I see it. That's Terezia—
She'd never been, never seen it—but emerging from the woods, she knew. Massive walls visible to the naked eye. That had to be the capital Dick mentioned.
But—
"Just a bit further and you'd have made it. Pity."
"!"
The voice she least wanted to hear—from behind.
"Had a nice dream?"
She turned her head slowly, like a wooden doll.
"Safely reaching the capital, living peacefully. Imagining yourself in a soft bed, reminiscing."
The demon approached from afar, clothes torn but otherwise unscathed.
"How...?"
"Gotta say, I was surprised. The royal knights pack a punch these days."
Severus pointed to a gash near his solar plexus, through ripped cloth.
"Their spirit got me."
"... "
"Never dreamed I'd die once before you even reached the capital."
Yet he seemed utterly unperturbed—delighted, even.
"Gonna rip you apart first, then savor them leisurely. World's full of surprises; thought they were nobodies, but prime cuts."
Severus wiped drool from his chin. His eyes hardened on Chaeyeon.
"But not you."
Without hesitation, he kicked her gut. Chaeyeon expelled all air from her lungs, collapsing and clutching her stomach.
"How'd you even escape?"
In her blurring vision, she saw the shattered smile badge—her tutorial reward. Maybe her only link to Doil. Severus crushed it underfoot.
◈ Once-only: Summons aid in dire peril.
Why didn't I remember that sooner? If she'd recalled and checked usage earlier—or given it to those knights—
Would it have changed anything? Too late now. The badge lay in ruins.
"Think knights exist to die for you?"
A tear rolled down Chaeyeon's cheek.
"Selfish coward. Yeah, scum like you is why I became a demon. Regret it forever in death—your cowardice, your weakness."
Severus raised his sword high. Arm first, then legs. Then flay the skin. He couldn't stomach the revulsion.
Flee? Knowing others staked their lives for you? And botch even that?
"Die."
Chaeyeon closed her eyes in resignation.
But no pain came, no matter how long she waited.
"...!"
She cracked her eyes open slowly. At first, she thought it a dream.
"Good thing I'm not late."
A cool breeze blew. Gentle, comforting—like none she'd felt before. It tousled soft silver hair.
"Searched everywhere for you."
A quiet, soft voice. Tinged with relief.
Chaeyeon gazed at the silver-haired girl with trembling eyes. No need to check her stardust—dazzling, brilliant stars shimmered across her body.
"Y-You..."
"First, deal with the pest."
"B-Be careful! Th-That demon is...!"
Chaeyeon tried to share what little she knew. But the girl glanced back briefly, and words failed her.
"Don't worry. I'm strong."
She's beautiful. Speechless before unearthly allure.
"That cloak—Windsor Knights."
"... "
"What do you think of war?"
The silver-haired girl lowered her blue-glowing sword and walked forward without hesitation.
"Inevitability."
Slash!
She advanced a few steps and swung decisively. A clear ring echoed as a deep line etched across the demon's throat.
Chaeyeon watched, entranced from start to finish. Just a simple sword stroke. Yet the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
Snapping to, she saw the ashen demon and the girl sheathing her blade.
"Are you alright?"
The girl approached the crouching Ruby with an expressionless face.
"I-I'm fine. M-More importantly...! Th-There are other knights. Not far from here—"
"It's fine."
The girl spoke slowly.
"My adjutant already went to save them."
"I see."
Thank goodness. Chaeyeon sighed in relief.
The girl stared straight at her.
"I'm Sisilia Windsor. Vice-Captain of the Windsor Knights."
"Sisilia..."
"Tell him this came from that person."
White cape filled Chaeyeon's view. Sisilia had draped her own over her.
"Your name?"
Clutching the cape, Chaeyeon stammered.
"H-Han Chaeyeon."
Sisilia smiled faintly. Wind blew again, tousling her silver hair.
"Lady Ruby. Got it."
"Huh?"
"Stay healthy till we meet again."
Sisilia spoke politely, placing a hand on Chaeyeon's cheek. She leaned in as if to kiss.
Startled, Chaeyeon felt a soft touch on her cheek.
I-Is this their greeting? But... felt like a lick. What?
Before panic settled—maybe pronunciation? She started to repeat her name.
"Um, my name is... "
Sisilia Windsor has remembered your name as Ruby.
"Pardon?"
From now on, your name is 'Ruby'.
"???"
Ruby wore a more bewildered expression than when she'd first been summoned to this world.