Before the Hero Party arrived, the Demon Sword and Lucy were already engaged in an intense battle.

In truth, the Demon Sword could have easily overpowered Lucy but chose to hold back. It was purposefully allowing Lucy to hone her skills, despite her limbs being severed and her lack of experience wielding a sword. Although she possessed immense power, it was unrefined and wild.

‘At this level, she’s going to have a hard time later.’

The Demon Sword, which knew the contents of the DLC almost as well as Lee, the reincarnator, was the only character with a consciousness who had been consumed alive as a reinforcement material for Hnoni.

‘That crazy goddess probably didn’t foresee this kind of side effect.’

Thanks to this, Abyss, who initially intended to align with the demons, was now contemplating following the Hero, anticipating the exquisite and high-quality regret that would follow.

But then,

“Lin?”

Both the Demon Sword and Lucy simultaneously sensed the porter’s danger. The red thread connecting to Lin was trembling anxiously, and Lucy prepared to leap straight to his location.

“Where do you think you’re going? Stay and play with me a little longer.”

“Get lost! My place is by Lin’s side!”

With a burst of power, Lucy launched herself off the ground. The force of her jump, strong enough to alter the surrounding terrain, easily tore through the darkness the Demon Sword had enveloped them in.

“Wow…”

Abyss watched Lucy’s retreating figure as she headed straight for Lin and couldn’t help but admire her.

That girl… she’s finally starting to get her head straight.

However, the outcome was not favorable.

Despite blocking countless attacks, the Hero Party managed to bypass Lucy and land a hit on Lin. The porter collapsed, and Lucy began to lose control.

[Estellian Secret Art]

“Sever and Split—!!!!”

The sword energy, infused with bloody power, hurtled towards the Hero Party. Reinpolt, horrified, stepped forward, gripping his shield tightly.

[Master-Level Defensive Art]

“Deflect!”

Krrrrkkk-!

The sword energy scraped across the shield, producing a chilling sound as it was barely redirected by the shield that Reinpolt braced diagonally against the ground. Despite the skill's name, Reinpolt had to withstand the full force of the sword energy, which forced him to his knees as he struggled to deflect its trajectory.

Though he managed to deflect it, the sword energy flew towards the anchored ship and sliced it in half.

The ship groaned and began to sink into the sea, and no one could muster a scream.

“She’s gotten stronger…?”

Naidrion was shocked by the firepower that surpassed even what he had witnessed during the Demon Lord’s subjugation. Lucy resumed her stance, gathering power once more. Watching the blood-red energy begin to coalesce, the archer shouted in alarm,

“Tigria! Why are you just standing there? We need to subdue the demon and the Hero!”

“Not a demon.”

“What?”

“Not a demon, but a porter.”

“Whether he’s a porter or whatever, there’s demonic energy pouring out of him, especially from his arms!”

Arsil snapped irritably, but the mage looked at her incredulously.

“Forgotten? The porter touched the Demon Lord’s horn with his bare hands and placed it in the sacred coffin?”

The entire Hero Party froze. Even Reinpolt, hoping it wasn’t true, looked at the mage, but as always, Tigria reminded them of the uncomfortable truth.

“The power: Since the demonic energy hasn’t disappeared, the demonic taint he absorbed back then hasn’t either.”

“Ha… damn it…”

Arsil, feeling hopeless, clutched her head and muttered.

“What have I done…?”

Not only had she failed to purify her comrade from the demonic taint with holy power, but she had also accused him of being a demon and attacked him. Worse, she recalled that she had pushed Lin even further, believing the demonic energy would naturally disappear once the Demon Lord was dead.

“Arsil! You’re responsible for calming the Hero down.”

“What…?”

“This mess is your fault!”

When Reinpolt harshly scolded her, Arsil was left speechless. The saint, who had always acted with conviction and faith, now desperately wished she could turn back time.

Though her lips were parched and her throat dry, Arsil mustered the courage to peek out from behind the shield.

“Lucy! I’m sorry for attacking the porter. It was a misunderstanding… This side is at fault for making you angry, but continuing this standoff will only lead to a war of attrition…”

“Shut up, right arm.”

“Huh?”

The suppressed rage in her voice made it sound like she had no emotion at all. With a blank expression and tears of blood streaming down her face, Lucy spoke softly.

“The one who hit Lin… the porter… was that right arm of yours. And the one who injured my body was that right arm, so I’ll at least rip off that right arm of yours.”

She almost called him Lin, but remembered the Demon Sword’s advice and quickly changed her words. These bastards weren’t worthy of hearing Lin’s name.

“I’m willing to negotiate if you want.”

“Really?!”

“First, Arsil, give me your right arm.”

Lucy expressed her deep affection for her former comrades.

“Then, all of you, give me one limb each, and hand over Reinpolt.”

Of course, it wasn’t to reclaim her ex-fiancé.

As soon as she uttered Reinpolt’s name, her murderous intent deepened.

“…She said it.”

Arsil dumbfoundedly repeated the words to her comrades, who were equally shocked. Even Naidrion looked at Arsil with a pitying gaze.

Finally, Reinpolt stepped forward.

“Luciena, it’s only natural that you’re angry with us. But you can’t deny that your behavior has also been excessive!”

[Estellian Secret Art]

“Heavenly Strike.”

“Ah, damn it!”

As soon as Reinpolt cursed, Lucy slammed her sword, imbued with power, directly into his shield at close range. The overwhelming pressure twisted Reinpolt’s usually handsome face into something grotesque.

“Grrrrraaaaahhhh…!”

“I don’t care what you did.”

“Luciena, if we continue like this, it will only be a war of attrition. Even if you’re angry, we need to talk…”

“But I will never forgive you for trying to harm the one who protected me with his life.”

The elf shut his mouth as he saw the madness slowly creeping into Lucy’s eyes.

“Do you really want to see this through to the end?”

“I thought you were the ones who wanted to see it through to the end? And like I said, I don’t care.”

The mage, realizing Lucy was stalling for time, fell silent.

“Past events are past, but this one’s on me. Lucy! If you want my right arm, I’ll give it to you…”

“I’m finally starting to understand what true love is, but my past keeps dragging me down.”

The saint should never have spoken. Realizing she had made another mistake, Arsil shut her mouth too. Lucy wasn’t deliberately stalling, as the mage thought. She was slowly increasing her power to crush Reinpolt, shield and all.

Reinpolt, with blood vessels bursting in his eyes, endured the pressure. Hidden behind the shield, Lucy continued to speak only for herself.

“Do you get it, Arsil? Lavin said you were in love too?”

“What…?”

“The past where I couldn’t treat him well, the past where I flirted with other men in front of him… Ha ha ha… That guy was only thinking about killing me!”

Grit Her teeth ground together.

“Instead of counting what I did for him, it’s faster to count how many times I didn’t hurt him… how many times…!”

[Estellian Secret Art: Heavenly Strike]

Kwak!

“Uuuuuuuurrrrrghhhhhhh!!!!!!!”

“You are the biggest obstacle to my love, and the disgraceful stain that prevents me from standing proudly in front of him.”

A horrifying sound came from beneath the shield. If this continued, the shield knight would die. Arsil and Naidrion reluctantly prepared to attack, but Tigria was faster.

“Capture, net, weaken, intimidate, slow.”

“…?!”

Though she quickly retreated, Lucy was already targeted by Tigria’s magic, which she used to slow down the Demon Lord.

“Now! Secure the porter! He’s Luciena’s weakness!”

“Reinpolt, you bastard! That’s what you suggest?!”

“That will only provoke Luciena further!”

“Understood. In that case, we’ll either continue this standoff or die to Luciena. I’ll follow orders.”

Enraged, Reinpolt raised his shield and charged at Lucy.

“I also have a woman I love with my life! I can’t die here!”

With an ally so close, Naidrion couldn’t fire his arrows. He drew his dagger and joined Arsil in the assault on Lucy.

“Grrraaaaaaa-!!!”

Lucy struck the shield with her sword, but it didn’t budge. Despite his personality, Reinpolt was strong enough to withstand three full-charge attacks from Lucy. He wasn’t a shield knight for nothing.

The archer and saint’s attacks followed. While Lucy wasn’t overwhelmed by them, it was hard for her to shake them off with the slowing magic holding her down.

“Coordinates set, mass, volume, density, calculation, move!”

Taking advantage of the opening, Tigria cast a short-range teleportation spell aimed at Lin, who was lying unconscious behind Lucy.

“Get away!”

Lucy, desperate to break free from the persistent assault, quickly glanced back, but by then, Tigria had already moved.

The mage successfully teleported onto the sandy beach next to Lin, and just as she was about to cast a spell directed at him—

“Oh, how unpleasantly familiar.”

“You…!”

Tigria found herself face-to-face with the black-haired girl she thought she would never encounter again.

The girl’s mouth was stained a dark crimson, her small hands filled with Lin’s blood, which she had just drunk.

“You filthy puppet of that wretched girl. How dare you show your face here?”

“I am…”

Her youthful voice grew more sultry as her body rapidly matured, surpassing Lucy in both voluptuousness and allure. If Lee, the reincarnator, had seen her, he would have described her as the epitome of a high-tier temptress.

“Lucy! Behind you! This time, it's a real demon!”

Lucy spun around, following Arsil’s urgent warning, and saw a demon swordswoman with long, flowing black hair drawing twin swords from her waist.

[Ultimate Skill]

“Sanctuary of the Dark Fang!”

“It’s a barrier! Everyone retreat!”

But it was too late.

As the dual swords struck the sand, a dark crimson light rapidly encircled the coastline, forming a massive dome. The demon swordswoman gently wiped away the blood from Lin’s chin with a look of pity.

“You fool, I’m only helping you this time.”

She then beckoned to the Hero Party, who had already assumed battle formations.

“I am Denarua, a member of the Demon Sword Party, and a dual swordswoman.”

“Dual swordswoman, the porter is a non-combatant. If you’re a warrior, leave him be and face us!”

Reinpolt made the demand with dignity, but it was only to calm Lucy’s rage. With the appearance of a demon swordswoman, cooperation with the Hero Party had become essential.

“Oh dear, I’m here because of that ‘porter’ you’re talking about. If you let me take him quietly, I won’t cause any trouble.”

For a moment, Reinpolt hesitated. If they let her take the porter, Lucy’s wrath would naturally turn towards the demons, and they could use the porter’s capture as leverage.

“Nice try.”

But Denarua was not fooled by such shallow tactics.

“Those arms of the porter contain the full power of our Demon Lord’s demonic energy. Naturally, they’re essential for his resurrection.”

“Damn it, secure the porter!”

The Hero Party members charged towards the dual swordswoman from their respective positions, but Denarua met them with ease, countering their attacks effortlessly.

In the middle of the fray, Lucy remained still.

[What’s wrong? Need my help? If I help, you can save Lin.]

“Shut up.”

[Then why aren’t you doing anything?]

“That demon is strange. She doesn’t seem to have any hostility or malice towards Lin.”

[Wow! Have you already reached such a level of insight?]

The Demon Sword whispered seductively into Lucy’s mind.

[Or maybe… does she like Lin too?]

“….!!!!!”

[Well, Lucy, it seems you have a new rival.]

Gritting her teeth,

“Lin is…”

The red-gold light returned, wrapping around her sword once again.

“Mine!!!!”

Lucy slammed her way through the Hero Party members, shoulder-checking them as she charged towards Denarua.

Watching this, the Demon Sword smirked.

[Ah, now those words carry some real weight.]