Naturally, there were many demons stationed here as well.
'The level is high.'
These weren't just ordinary beasts or low-level demons like those
encountered in the Luiple region.
Each one was a high-ranking entity with refined skills.
"The demonic energy is so dense, it could be believed to be from any part
of the Demon Realm. What are the demons thinking? Why are they going
this far…?"
After a few battles, Seina muttered in disbelief. It seemed hard for her to
believe she had to exert this much effort, to the point of exhaustion.
Nonetheless, Seina didn't utter a single complaint, as if she didn't want to
be a burden to Jaekiel. She continued pushing forward without rest, and
eventually, they arrived.
"Master, according to the map, this is the center of the second floor of the
underground maze. The elders should be nearby."
Seina wiped the sweat from her forehead as she spoke.
Suddenly, the two of them stopped at the same time. They sensed a fierce
energy clash.
"..."
Seina and Jaekiel exchanged glances.
Deep in the distance, the energy of magic collided and spread, sweeping
over their bodies each time.
The battle seemed to be intense, based on the pulses of energy they could
feel.
At that moment, some beings approached first.
More specifically, they were demons that had risen from the ground.
What had seemed like just a black pit quickly transformed into the shape of
human assassins upon sensing Jaekiel's energy.
There were ten of them in total.
They were similar in skill to the demons Jaekiel had faced in the Thorn
Forest. They appeared to be specialized assassins, skilled in stealth and
underhanded tactics.
The one in the center spoke.
"We've finally found you. There's no need for a fight. We're not interested
in the woman, but what about traveling with us?"
They cautiously approached Jaekiel and Anes but also subtly tried to coax
them. They didn't charge recklessly.
'They're smart enough to gauge strength.'
It meant that they understood their own weakness and had the intelligence
to come up with a plan. They were much more advanced than the demons
Jaekiel had faced on the first floor.
"You found us? Who are you—ah?!"
An assassin-type demon, who had appeared late, twisted its head at an
unnatural angle in disbelief.
There was a hint of shock in its voice.
"Snow Ghost… Is that… the Snow Ghost?"
"The Goddess's scheme worked perfectly. As expected, humans have a
habit of coming to find their own kind when they're tormented. How
pathetic."
"If it's really the Snow Ghost, I don't think we can overpower them. How
should we approach this?"
"If we can just stall, that will be good enough."
The word "Snow Ghost" seemed to have an incredible impact, as the
assassination-specialized demons began chattering amongst themselves.
Seina whispered quietly to Jaekiel.
"They must be mistaking your incredible cold energy for the Snow Ghost's.
Truly, you are something else, Master."
"Mmm."
Jaekiel gave a noncommittal response.
'They don't even consider that I might be the person they're talking about.'
It wasn't an issue of trust. It was only natural that they couldn't imagine the
Snow Ghost, someone so revered, living in the present era.
In fact, it worked out well.
Wasn't the Snow Ghost the target of the demons from the beginning?
If Jaekiel were to be confirmed as the Snow Ghost among humans, he
might be criticized, and Seina might act a little more annoyingly. This was
for the best.
"Snow Ghost… Let's just keep them occupied."
"Right, the Goddess will be at the center anyway."
The demons began to approach Jaekiel.
They seemed to aim at capturing him rather than killing him, pulling out
black cords made of magic.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Seina immediately stepped forward.
Whack!
With a single strike of Seina's ice whip, she sliced through all the black
cords the demons swung.
"Master, I'll handle these guys. Please hurry to the center. You have
something you want, right?"
Jaekiel trusted Seina and did as she said.
Without hesitation, he froze the ground to move quickly across it.
Whoosh!
As he passed by the assassination-specialized demons, Jaekiel swiftly
beheaded two of them with his blade-like hand. It would help Seina.
"I've taken down two. The rest is up to you."
Whoosh!
The momentum with which Jaekiel advanced, freezing the ground and
walls, was terrifying. Even before using Sun Water, his speed was fast, but
now it far exceeded that.
Boom!
When he released his mana, the space compressed around him.
He truly felt that way. In the blink of an eye, he had passed the place that
had been at the edge of his sight.
Whoosh!
Perhaps due to the immense speed, Jaekiel had to coat his eardrums with
mana to protect them. The wind around him was fierce.
In just a few seconds, he reached the center of the battlefield.
He formed an ice path that curved upwards, launching himself into the air.
As he rose, he quickly surveyed the situation below.
"Ice…?"
"This way! It's coming this way!"
"A demon?"
"I can feel the mana. It seems to be a magician…"
Everyone's astonishment was clear. Jaekiel could see the surprised
expressions of the Purple Tower elders.
Whoosh!
Of course, Jaekiel was drawing up an immense cold energy.
A spark of insight flashed in his mind.
'Freeze' was a power that completely concentrated cold energy to freeze
things.
Now that his condition had improved, it seemed possible to reverse his cold
energy and disperse it completely. A light bulb went off in his head.
The name for this technique.
"…Scatter."
Boom!
Centered around Jaekiel, the cold energy radiated outward in a circle. It was
cold, but instead of freezing, it crushed the demons that came in contact
with it.
It simply crushed them—like cracked, parched earth, the dry bodies of the
demons tore apart and crumbled into dust.
Demons and magicians… all eyes were on him.
Though their races were different, the emotions on their faces were not
much different. After witnessing Jaekiel's new technique, they simply
expressed admiration.
"The Snow Ghost…! The Snow Ghost has come!"
"How happy the Goddess will be!"
Surprisingly, it was the demons who were more overjoyed than the humans,
even though they were about to die.
The tide of battle turned in an instant.
It was at the moment when the Purple Tower magicians were about to say
something.
-Return now.
A voice echoed throughout the entire underground maze.
It felt like the word "seduction" when turned into sound. It was captivating
and incredibly alluring.
"..."
Looking up, there was a woman, her silhouette barely visible through the
gray mist she conjured with her magic.
Jaekiel's gaze turned to the Purple Tower elders.
They immediately began to explain.
"She seems to be the leader. She's been observing us from up there for a
week. She's not just an ordinary one."
"She seemed to treat this battle like a game."
Jaekiel instinctively understood the true identity of his opponent.
She possessed transcendence, unlike the high-ranking demons. She was the
one the demons referred to as the "Goddess."
But then.
-Snow Ghost, have you returned?
"…What?"
Jaekiel instinctively asked in reply.
The reason the words of the Demon Realm's Goddess were so surprising
was because the question of "Have you returned?" was more of a casual
greeting. Why ask that all of a sudden in this situation where they were
meeting for the first time?
-This Spider Goddess has been waiting only for you, Snow Ghost, even in
the wastelands of the Demon Realm. Hehehe…
The Spider Goddess.
It meant the Goddess of Spiders. However, Jaekiel was more surprised by
something else, beyond the meaning of the title.
'If she's called a Goddess, that means she's just below the Demon King.'
In the Demon Realm, a being with the title of "Goddess" was a highranking officer, one just below the Demon King, commanding legions.
Given the hierarchical structure of demons in the Demon Realm, this being
was from the highest echelon.
-Ah… I wish I could tear through the space and come to you right now, but
I shall continue to adhere to the art of waiting…
The atmosphere became tense with the Spider Goddess's words and
demeanor. The Purple Tower magicians began to look at Jaekiel
suspiciously.
From Jaekiel's perspective, this was extremely unfair.
He had never met the Spider Goddess before.
Could the opponent be trying to create this atmosphere on purpose?
"Spreading nonsense and causing confusion among the magicians. Is that
your plan?"
-If you say such hurtful things…
Each word the Spider Goddess spoke made the magicians clutch their
heads. Her voice itself was thick with demonic energy and overwhelming
allure.
-My body, my heart, are all yours. You can do whatever you desire right
now…
"What I want."
Jaekiel knew exactly what to do.
At the same time, he could resolve this issue, clear his name, and solve the
doubts of the Purple Tower magicians.
There was only one way to do so.
"…You said you were the Spider Goddess, then die here today."
Jaekiel said as he grasped an ice spear in his hand.