The Demon of Pride
The barrier restoration work was finally drawing to a close.
I figured one more day would be enough to finish it for good. But there was a reason we had left today’s site for absolute last.
Until now, every place we had repaired had still been inside the city proper, where the guards at least made their rounds. Even if the security was far from perfect, a basic line was still held.
Today’s destination was different.
Felches, the city that housed the Academy, was one of the safest places on the continent. Only the imperial capital itself could really compare. Yet even Felches had its exceptions.
The slums on the outskirts. Though they lay outside the walls that encircled the city, the barrier still covered them completely. Rather than force the poor inside and create a hidden underclass, the authorities had simply chosen to quarantine them beyond the walls.
That was why we decided to move earlier than usual. No matter how nocturnal Freesia claimed to be, working while the sun was still up—even if her condition was a little off—was better than risking the night in a place like this.
Once every class had ended, I ate an early dinner, parted ways with my friends, and headed for the research lab.
For the first time in a while, I had a real sword belted at my hip.
I woke Freesia, who was sprawled on the lab sofa as always. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.
Together we passed through the city gate and walked a short distance until the slums came into view.
At the entrance we ran into a face I had not expected.
“Hm? You two… No, what brings the two of you to a place like this?”
The same guard who had mistaken Freesia and me a few days earlier—and nearly arrested me—was standing watch at the slum gate.
“Think of it as a continuation of the barrier work from the other day.”
“...Inside the slums, you mean?”
“Yes. And this time I brought my student ID properly, just so you know.”
“No need. I already know who you are…”
I started to dig the card out of my pack, but he waved me off. It had only been for show anyway, so I stopped.
“We’ll be going, then.”
“Tch… I doubt anyone in there could really threaten the two of you, but… still, be careful.”
I left the guard behind, took the hand of a slightly dazed Freesia, and led her into the slums.
Only a few steps past the entrance, and the stench hit like a slap. The streets had never seen a broom; filth lay scattered everywhere.
From half-collapsed buildings, from the dark mouths of alleys, eyes watched us. The sudden appearance of outsiders had put the whole place on edge.
Unpleasant stares were no reason to start anything. You avoid dung because it’s filthy, not because you’re afraid of it.
Whether from the smell or the dirty looks, Freesia’s brow was furrowed too. She clearly wanted out of here as fast as possible; instead of letting me drag her along, she took the lead, pulling me toward the outer edge.
The repairs themselves went smoothly enough.
Still, the daylight clearly wasn’t agreeing with her. Her pace was slower than usual.
“Two mana stones…”
I handed them over as she asked and kept watch while she worked.
A few greedy eyes lingered on the stones, but a casual half-draw of my blade—just enough to flash the edge—kept anyone from getting closer.
“This section’s completely open…?”
Mid-repair, Freesia spoke with what, for her, counted as surprise. The difference in her voice was tiny, but after spending so much time with her I caught it at once.
“Looks like the previous caretaker just skipped this part…”
The same way we had handled the tavern district, I shrugged off the pack on my back and scooped out a whole handful of mana stones.
The damage was worse than the last zone, and Freesia was already off her game. This was going to take a while.
“We might not finish before the sun goes down…”
Trusting me to watch her back, she dove straight into the restoration magic.
The moment she began channeling, the atmosphere around us shifted.
What had been merely unpleasant stares and a sour mood thickened into sticky, murderous intent.
One by one, the men of the slums started closing in.
I drew my sword and leveled it at them.
“If you don’t want to die, I suggest you stop right there.”
They didn’t even seem to see the blade. Without the slightest hesitation they kept coming, slow and steady, straight into my range.
The first man stepped inside my reach.
I had talked about killing, but I couldn’t exactly carve up ordinary people in earnest. I sheathed the sword again and used the scabbard like a club instead.
Thud!
A clean hit to a vital spot dropped him cold. The others paid him no mind and kept walking into my space.
One, two, three, four…
Bodies piled up. It felt as if the entire slum was gathering; before long a silent crowd ringed us completely.
And yet, for all the numbers and the seething bloodlust…
Not a single curse. Not a murmur.
They simply advanced on us without a word.
Like dolls with no will of their own.
Unconscious men already littered the ground in front of me. Even for slum dwellers, this mindless rush was suspicious as hell—but that was a question for later.
I swung at the seventeenth man the instant he entered my range.
“!”
For the first time, hesitation touched my blade.
The one who had stepped into my reach was a boy.
Barely five years old, if that. Looking at him, I couldn’t help remembering the day I myself had been taken.
A child who never wanted this life, yet had no choice but to become a creature of the shadows.
In that boy I saw my own past self.
That single heartbeat of hesitation was all it took.
The man who had been standing farthest away—the one who had not moved while everyone else closed in—shot toward me like an arrow.
In the blink of an eye he was right on top of me.
If I hadn’t been distracted by the boy I could have at least reacted. That tiny pause cost me dearly.
Slash!
I twisted as hard as I could, but still had to give up my side.
I managed to yank my sword free and block the follow-up, forcing distance between us.
Pain like flesh being torn open. His hand really had ripped into me; blood ran down those razor-sharp nails.
“Heh… I only came because the higher-ups ordered it, but it looks like I’ll be taking home a better prize than expected.”
“What… are you…?”
This was no ordinary opponent. Nothing short of a top-tier monster could wound me. Yet every instinct screamed that the man in front of me was something far worse.
I had never seen him before, but the sticky killing intent crawling over my skin, the primal fear I couldn’t suppress, the arrogant gaze that looked down on me—all of it told me exactly what he was.
He spread his arms wide and spoke in a leisurely voice.
“I am Balikan of Pride. Consider it an honor that you met me today.”
A demon. And not some nameless low-level demon either. At minimum mid-level—maybe higher. Worse, he already had the first strike and the advantage.
“A demon, of all things… What made you think you could walk into Felches?”
Felches—more precisely the Academy—was packed with some of the strongest people on the continent. Even a demon would be committing suicide by coming alone.
“Heh… Girl. You’re right that Felches is a troublesome place even for us. But thankfully, you lot went and opened a brand-new entrance.”
“So you crawled in through a rat hole, you bastard.”
He was talking about the very breach Freesia was repairing right now.
“And the place where that entrance appeared just happened to be extremely convenient for us. We planned to erode it slowly… but it seems we’ve been found out.”
His expression, however, was pure leisure.
“Still, one decent-looking girl and one mage? I’d call that a solid haul.”
Behind me Freesia was still completely absorbed in the barrier magic; she hadn’t noticed any of this. If she joined the fight our odds would improve, but she needed more time.
“Hey! What’s the crowd for? Scatter, damn it!”
While I was still weighing options, a familiar voice rang out from a distance.
The same guard who had nearly arrested me days ago—the one now posted at the slum entrance. He must have decided he couldn’t ignore the commotion inside.
“What the hell? Get lost already—hey, you there… Urgh!?”
He shoved through the blank-faced men, saw the pile of unconscious bodies, and clearly mistook them for corpses. He recoiled in horror.
“Honestly. I have no use for trash like that.”
“Run!”
The demon turned toward the guard. His hand moved several beats faster than the man could react to my warning.
“Guh…?”
Balikan’s hand punched straight through the guard’s armor and out the other side of his gut. He flicked the blood off as if he had touched something filthy, then strolled back toward me.
“Well. No more need for talk. Why not come quietly? If you follow without resistance, I’ll even grant you the special privilege of serving as a succubus under the Demon King’s grace.”
Blood was still pouring from my side; my vision had started to sway.
I wanted to stall until Freesia finished, but time was no longer on my side.
“You bark pretty well for a mutt…!”
The instant the words left my mouth I charged.
I had to put up at least some resistance before I blacked out, before I could no longer lift my sword. If luck was with me and I managed to wound him, Freesia would have a fighting chance once she came to.
White Aura already blazed along the blade. Blood loss made concentration hard; the Aura flickered and wavered, unstable.
That unstable Aura left a trail of light as I swung at Balikan.
Clang!
He raised one hand and casually batted the attack aside. In perfect condition I might have at least broken a nail; as I was now, it was hopeless.
But if there was time to feel disappointed, there was time to swing again.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I kept swinging even as every blow was blocked. I kicked, head-butted, drove an elbow—anything.
The more I moved, the slower I became. Balikan turned it all aside with insulting ease.
“Hmm… I prefer a puppy that knows how to act cute over a cat that just thrashes around…”
True to the name “Pride,” he toyed with me like a cat with a mouse. It should have been pure despair. Yet I felt none. Dying here was already certain. Being dragged off alive would only be worse.
So I would spend every last drop of my life if I had to. At the very least, I would protect Freesia.
I had nothing left. I wrung out the final dregs of strength.
The white Aura flared brighter than it ever had. They say some people reach enlightenment on the brink of death. Maybe that was me right now.
If only I’d had this power earlier… but I was simply grateful it had come at all.
Whoooosh—
It was a slender sword, yet the sound it made was like a massive club cutting the air.
Balikan sensed something wrong, but he was a beat too late to dodge.
Shlick!
The blade that hadn’t even scratched a fingernail severed his wrist clean through.
“Gaaaaah! You little bitch!”
Thud!
Enraged by the unexpected counter, he smashed me away with his remaining hand. Having poured out every last scrap of strength and taken the blow without any defense, I felt consciousness slipping.
Still, looking at Balikan’s severed wrist—and meeting Freesia’s eyes as she finally turned toward us—I allowed myself a small measure of relief.