Chapter 56
A black energy began to boil fervently. Atanas, finally sensing that the real battle had begun, gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword.
“Ugh!”
As the demon and the descendant of the hero exchanged blows frantically, Benio spotted Flora falling and froze in shock.
“Kn–, cover my back!”
He shouted to the knights and then dashed full speed toward where Flora had fallen.
Of course, the ice dolls tried to block him again.
“Get out of my way, you useless things!”
Cursing in words he normally wouldn’t use, he pushed the ice dolls aside, just as Atanas had done, and pressed forward.
He threw himself and caught Flora.
“Haa… haa…”
Flora, not even opening her eyes, let out a silent sigh of relief.
‘I thought I was going to die like this.’
Though she trusted Lucipher’s people, she had secretly worried about the worst-case scenario happening.
‘I did trust them.’
“Flora… Flora…”
Even shaking her gently, Flora wouldn’t wake up, and moisture welled in Benio’s voice.
He wanted desperately to comfort the small, trembling little bear in front of him, but Flora had to make every effort not to open her eyes at his call.
‘Sorry, brother. If we want to survive, there’s no other way.’
In her mind, she silently apologized and waited for Janet to deliver the line she had prepared.
“I have already consumed that child’s soul. She will never awaken again.”
Janet’s calm words froze everyone, including Benio, who was holding Flora.
Even Atanas, facing her, glanced toward Flora with a stunned expression.
“Did you think I would let you who killed my king go so easily?”
Ha ha ha—a short laugh, and Atanas’s gaze returned to Janet.
He stared silently at her as she laughed lightly, her hair falling to her shoulders, as if she found it amusing.
“The soul of your child… was truly delicious.”
Licking her lips with a dark red tongue, she looked as if she had just finished a tasty meal.
“How dare you…!”
Benio’s grip on Flora tightened. Though his face showed he didn’t know what to do with someone so precious, he held her closer.
“Father… her body… Flora’s body is so cold.”
Following Benio’s choked voice, warm drops fell onto her face.
Startled by the sharp pang of conscience, Flora wanted to get up and wipe his tears immediately.
“You wasted the chance I generously gave you. It would be wise not to think about surviving. Not just that child, but all of you will become my prey.”
Janet’s harsh voice, imbued with malice, reached even the knights in the distance.
Yet Atanas didn’t flinch, gripping his sword tightly. His fierce face became even more terrifying, radiating killing intent.
“Benio, stay back with the knights. This fight is entirely my responsibility.”
A calm voice settled over the area, bringing a cold silence.
Anticipating the battle intensifying, Benio hugged Flora protectively.
“If I kill you, I can take back my daughter.”
“You, a weak human, would kill me?”
Despite the sneer, Atanas stood firm, pointing his sword at her.
“I am not a weak human standing here.”
A strange light began to flow from the tip of Atanas’s sword. Yet he continued speaking, unaware of it.
“I am merely a parent here to save their child.”
Flora felt relief at pretending to be asleep.
‘A parent here to save their child…’
She realized how foolish she had been in the past, trying to push away someone so devoted to their child just because they were Lucipher’s descendant.
‘It’s impressive that someone can say something like that without shame.’
Even after so much time, humans remained endlessly fascinating.
Flora recalled why she had become interested in humans in the first place.
‘Because of that foolishly brave human who kept caring for me, even knowing I was a Great Demon.’
A human who argued with old friends about how a child shouldn’t be treated, who insisted on accepting the enemy of humanity as a friend—a truly foolish and brave person.
“It’s okay, Flora. Everything will be fine. Your father will surely save you.”
Benio swallowed his tears, hugged Flora closer, rested her head on his shoulder, and began moving.
‘There are two foolish little bears here and there.’
Because Benio adjusted his stance, Flora could narrowly open her eyes again.
He had to face the approaching ice dolls while holding her.
‘Do me a favor, Janet. This difficulty level is too high.’
Swallowing the words she couldn’t say, she subtly turned her gaze toward the source of immense power.
Even from a distance, she could see the incredible energy surrounding Atanas.
‘Holy energy…’
No matter how humiliatingly he was called a hero, the holy energy—proof of Etar Lucipher being a hero—flowed through his bloodline to this generation.
‘If others could see it, they would be stunned by its pure, radiant light.’
Flora watched the knights struggle with the ice dolls, then secretly observed the two fully engaged in battle.
‘Janet must have noticed the holy energy too.’
Janet stepped back quickly at the force Atanas emitted.
‘Lucipher is truly Lucipher.’
Watching Atanas fight desperately, Flora felt as if Etar were laughing beside her, and she couldn’t help but smile inwardly at the imagined voice: “How is it? Not bad, right?”
‘Yes, Etar. This time, in this life, I’ll try to be happy with them.’
Despite their fierce and threatening appearances, they were pure, innocent, kind, naive, yet unwavering in their beliefs. How could she dislike them? Flora certainly could not.
She realized that long ago, she had crossed the line she had drawn in her heart for them. It made her past self seem ridiculous.
But only for a moment—then she felt majestic.
‘Yes, my weak little bears. I’ll protect you. Who else will?’
In a world that would eventually perish and be reborn, people like them would be needed.
And personally, she did not want to abandon them.
Flora chuckled inwardly and closed her eyes peacefully. The end of this tedious play was approaching.
Energy radiated from Atanas’s body, making Janet flinch and step back.
‘Holy energy?’
She hadn’t expected that one of the powers capable of defeating demons would emanate from Lucipher.
‘Huh, I thought he couldn’t use holy energy? Well, it doesn’t concern me.’
What mattered now wasn’t whether Lucipher could wield holy energy—it was that the end of this delightful play was near.
‘Unpleasant, but not bad skill. Desperately fighting to save her master isn’t bad.’
Yet it was still insufficient.
The one to end this play had to be Atanas, not Janet.
‘If he fails to finish it, I can’t hand over my master.’
No matter how devoted, someone incompetent could not be Flora’s parent.
This was Janet quietly testing Atanas, unknown to anyone.
She had long resolved that if Lucipher failed this trial, no matter the king’s wishes, she would never give up Flora.
With subtle anticipation, Janet attacked faster than before.
Atanas’s crude sword, without even a special gem, was wielded with great strength.
As Janet moved to dodge, she deliberately glanced back with a worried expression the moment his attacks intensified.
In that split second, Atanas’s keen eyes caught where she looked.
“I’ve heard demons have a core that’s their weakness.”
He muttered quietly.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“You’ll soon know.”
Atanas began charging forward like a maniac, showing no hesitation against Janet’s attacks.
“Stop! Stop!”
Despite the countless wounds on his body and the ear-piercing screams, he ignored everything, running straight ahead. He raised his sword, clenched so tightly that the veins on his hand bulged, and brought it down.
Bang!
“Ahhh!”
As the sword struck the empty throne, Janet’s scream followed.
Crash!
Ice spikes embedded in the sword, but Atanas did not stop.
The ice throne had already shattered, yet Atanas swung as if determined to erase the throne from this world.
