Cira had been in danger more times than she could count. Typically self-inflicted, but that didn’t make a difference here. The fact was, this new demon with twisted horns set off alarm bells in her head the likes of which she hadn’t heard since facing the dragon.

  Assuming it’s on the same level of the dragon, I’m much stronger now. Let’s see how this goes—wait no! I don’t want to fight!

  Do I not…? I am in the wrong here, after all. No matter how she looked at it, an entire city full of the weak and powerless just scattered in fear at her appearance. It was not a great feeling.

  Cira was conflicted. This woman’s horns were a similar black to that creature that called itself her father, and that pale light she conjured was undoubtedly a primordial curse. It was as if a thousand years of discontent radiated from her—maybe more. Cira felt she could somehow empathize with whatever this person had gone through, but it made her sick to her stomach.

  She’s a demon, isn’t she…?

  But I’m clearly the bad guy here.

  The square was empty of civilians now, but even the guards were cowering before her, holding their shields and weapons up with shaky hands.

  “Perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding…” Cira bit her tongue. Just looking at the demon was enough to make bile rise in her throat, and she was completely on edge, largely forgetting her mana suppression.

  “I don’t think so.” She was gone in the blink of an eye, and already attacking when she stepped out of the aether with an outstretched hand, like the woman had determined she could easily pierce Cira’s belly with her fingernails. “I can feel your malice from here.”

  She made an attempt on Cira’s gut who almost left it to her barriers, but at the last second the sorcerer conjured a weapon she knew would hold out.

  “Can you blame me?!” Cira roared, accidentally letting her thoughts seep out. The Auld Sprig met her piercing claws as they effortlessly passed through her shields. Contrary to expectation, this staff could only deflect the blow.

  Cira reeled at the gruesome display she expected to see. Wait… This certainly should have torn through her. No one can stop—

  “Don’t get distracted,” From her blind spot, the demon had appeared without warning, slicing at her back.

  “Yahhh!” Cira jumped forward, blood pouring down her leg. Pain shot up her spine, and she stumbled upon meeting the ground again, “You bi—”

  But she didn’t even have time to shout at her opponent. Narrowly avoiding her intestines pouring out again, Cira kicked her feet back and placed a protective hand over her belly.

  Why hasn’t a single one of my barriers activated? She shouldn’t be able to touch me.

  Cira didn’t even have time to think as instincts panged in the back of her head. She rolled to the right and watched another piercing claw stab through the place her heart was supposed to be.

  “I can tell by that vile weapon that you have come prepared,” The moon-white hair draped over her horns shook as the woman took steps toward Cira on the ground, who inadvertently backed up as the shimmering air intensified, “But this will be your last mistake.”

  Beneath the crushing light, the last thing Cira ever expected happened—the Auld Sprig disappeared in a puff of smoke.

  No—impossible.

  Her eyes twitched, a tinge of fear fell over her. Dad… Why am I here?

  Indomitable pressure radiated from this woman’s hands as they were enshrouded in the pale blue light. It seemed whatever her curse was, she was going to focus it all on this final attack.

  Cira instinctually kicked against the ground, trying to gain distance from it as her untapped aura thrummed uselessly. She couldn’t think of a single move to put this woman off balance, and for some reason, her will was shaken.

  “No… Not like this. Damn you, Dad!” Cira’s chest depressurized as a pained shout rose to the sky. “Whatever your game is, I will not fall here!”

  The orichalcum staff appeared in her hand and she pushed herself off the ground with it. Not back, but forward at the demon woman. She turned it in her hands, calling upon all the earth in this island to weigh against this demon like the fragment of Lazulei that almost crushed her and all the villagers out of existence. It wasn’t enough to override whatever this barrier was, but it gave her the moment of control she needed.

  For some reason, her opponent’s aura didn’t respond, but the demon still paused just like she wanted. Cira thrust the bottom point of her orichalcum staff at the demon’s neck until it rest gently, drawing but a thin stream of dark red blood.

  “Tell me, demon.” Cira’s voice was cold as aether dripped off the orichalcum, and her muscles grew tense. Bitterness dripped from her every word, “Why has my father given me coordinates to your doorstep?”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Any guard with a staff fired off protective or healing magic, shouting in a panic and moving in. All their conjurations were instantly dispelled by a single wave of the demon’s hand. Cira didn’t sense a hint of hostility, but froze when the demon placed her hand on the orichalcum staff.

  “It has been a very long time. Hasn’t it, my love?” She looked not at Cira, but at the staff. Somehow also through it to a distant place or time. After a short moment of deep confusion, her eyes landed on Cira’s. “You’re Gazen’s daughter, aren’t you?”

  Normally she would become flustered, but overall happy to have met another connection to her father, but today it really didn’t feel like what she wanted to hear. Especially not from the mouth of a true demon. Her mood soured, showing blatantly on her face.

  “Of course, you know him…” Her hands shook, drawing more blood without even noticing. “Then you must know the answer to my question.”

  Why am I even here? Cira lamented, having heard herself ask that question far too often lately.

  “Do you mind… Withdrawing your weapon?” She had ignored the staff’s point, but it was orichalcum. It cut through flesh with as little resistance as a blade through air at high altitudes. “And I shall also rescind my guard.”

  Cira had mixed feelings.

  “You’re related to that creature… aren’t you?” There was no way to contain the poison spilling from her lips, and she prepared to cast healing in spite of herself without removing the staff from the demon’s throat.

  “And like you,” Cira couldn’t help but notice the sad look in her eyes, “I am also among the few survivors of his cruelty.”

  What…?

  “What the hell…” She felt her staff hand grow weak, and it fell away, “…are you talking about?”

  “I understand how you must feel.” The sharp and unmistakable intent to kill on this woman’s voice had faded while Cira wasn’t looking, and she found herself being spoken to like a child. It only made her feel worse as the orichalcum nearly fell from her hand. “You see us as no different from that monster who robbed you of the life you were meant to live—no, he tried. I am happy to see my darling refused to let him have his way in the end.”

  “Stop—” Cira dropped the staff, letting it return to her soul. Her hands shook, and she found herself stumbling back. The woman didn’t move, only looking at her with such concerned eyes framed between two dastardly horns. He anticipated me for so long that even this… this demon knows about me?! Why, Dad?! Just what are you after?! “Don’t say another word.”

  Cira felt her aura about to bubble over in rage, then the pale light shimmered again, washing calm over her mind.

  No… This is all wrong. Didn’t he save me so that I could walk my own path? Why must everyone expect me? I don’t want to be a part of some prophecy! Just let me be free!

  “Oh, dear…” The demon took a step toward her with relaxed shoulders, a sign that she had already given up the fight. Cira didn’t want her to come any closer, though she didn’t have any fight left in her either. She could only take steps back as her chest grew heavy, considering the best way to disappear. “There’s no need to cry, child… Please… Can you find it in your heart to hear me out?”

  The demon stopped in place and put her hands at her side in a show of being unarmed. Cira could only shake like a leaf, unsure of how to react. Suddenly a hundred scornful gazes bore down on her before the demon waved them away with a single gesture.

  Why am I here—

  Suddenly the demon moved, and Cira was too slow to react. Before the air even rustled, black horns filled her vision, and the woman had thrown her arms around Cira.

  “Wh-what…?”

  The aether continuously settled down—there was no malice in the air, and Cira was completely disarmed by the unwarranted show of empathy. The demon’s arms were warm and brought comfort reminiscent to a summer day in the garden as they wrapped around her.

  “No, stop—” Cira choked up. Her mind, body, and aura were firing at full capacity, burning up the aether, but somehow slowed down through the spontaneous embrace.

  “It must have been so hard…” Her familiar voice now trickled with worry and understanding as she pulled away, further causing Cira to melt in a slew of emotions. She unconsciously reached forward, looking up at the demon with unfounded frailty.

  “Why… am I even here?” Warm liquid trailed from her eyes, and Cira knew instinctually it wasn’t water. Her voice increased in pitch, “Why have I come all this way?!”

  She didn’t expect sympathy from the demon, but found much more as she watched her eyes twinkle in reminiscence.

  “Oh… Oh, dear.” She pulled Cira in again and held her tight. Against all survival instincts the sorcerer had accumulated thus far, she relaxed her muscles and fell into the demon’s arms. “It’s okay. I know what it feels like to be caught on a stray breeze… But against all odds, you have preserved not only your life, but your humanity until this day, have you not?”

  Cira could feel her bitter smile. For some reason, it seemed like this demon was speaking from experience.

  What right does she have… to talk about humanity?

  Cira couldn’t voice her concerns. The most she could muster was keeping her shameful sobbing to a reasonable volume. This went on for quite a few minutes as the guards had almost completely vacated, and eventually it was just Cira and the demon. She had slowly come to her senses as emotions subsided, and found herself in the arms of a genuine primordial demon—her greatest enemy. With a flash of lucidity, Cira pushed herself away.

  “You… Who are you?” She meant to sound threatening, but her face was confused and hurt.

  “Please relax… These days, most call me Connie.” The demon chuckled, taking a couple steps back to give Cira some space.

  Every bone in her body wanted to turn this into a fight. Memories of those distorted figures Cira crafted by hand as a little girl flooded her mind, and rage threatened to flush her mind, but there was something about this woman’s nervous smile that quelled the storm.

  Why does she look like she’s… seeking approval? I don’t doubt she’s my equal in combat, but I can’t imagine why a leader of her people who attempted to destroy me would suddenly comfort me and bite her nails to hear my opinion. Who the hell is this woman?

  The primordial demon Connie must have noticed the gears turning in Cira’s head and continued before she could get too far.

  “I could have been your mother, you know.” Connie chuckled again, demolishing any semblance of control Cira thought she had over the conversation with a single sentence. Stratagems be damned, What the hell is she talking about?! She only continued to laugh into her hand, “Oh relax… Gazen asked me to come with him, but…” the demon’s eyes scanned over the city, flushed in the dim light of the glowing crystal ceiling. “I couldn’t abandon them. My kin… It is no lie that I am of the same origin as the man who first raised you, but it is a mistake to think that we are one in the same. Have you ever heard of the primordial genocide?”

  Cira blanched. That string of words put together was cause for concern. Without further ado, she conjured a table of crystal and poured them each a glass of spring water.

  “I think a spider mentioned it once.” Trying and failing to calm her nerves, Cira knit her trembling hands together. “Go on.”