The academy corridor was thick with the metallic scent of blood.

 

Though it was a path she often traversed, the scene before her was utterly transformed.

 

Bodies lay scattered—some collapsed, others dismembered beyond recognition. Amid this horror, a girl with golden hair struggled to draw breath, blood seeping from her wounds.

 

“……”

 

Iria, arriving at the scene a moment too late, took a slow inventory of her surroundings.

 

It didn’t take her long to understand the grim reality: the chaos had been orchestrated by a demon.

 

From unleashing the monsters to erecting the barrier, everything pointed to a deliberate attack.

 

Iria’s gaze fell on Rena, leaning weakly against the wall, her breaths shallow and labored. Rena’s eyes were hazy, but she managed to focus on Iria.

 

“I-Iria……”

 

Rena’s voice trembled as she spoke, heavy with pain. Though she had lost a significant amount of blood, she was not yet on the brink of death.

 

Her words came slowly, but the urgency behind them was unmistakable.

 

“I’m f-fine, so r-run away… It’s not an opponent you can win against…”

 

Rena’s words, though shaky, were filled with concern for Iria. Despite being half-dead, she still worried about Iria’s safety, unwilling to let anyone else suffer because of her.

 

Iria adjusted her grip on the dagger, her silence heavy in the air.

 

Was she getting angry? An unfamiliar emotion surged within her, mingling with the remnants of her usual self. It was a feeling she couldn’t quite name or understand.

 

Setting Rena down gently in a safe spot, Iria turned her attention toward Seir, the demon who had brought this chaos upon them.

 

That was when the two non-human beings faced each other in the center of the corridor.

 

“Is it you?” Iria demanded, her voice steady and unwavering.

 

“Who are you?” Seir replied, her tone defensive.

 

“Answer the question,” Iria pressed, her intensity palpable.

 

Seir flinched at Iria’s forceful demeanor, recognizing the shift in the atmosphere. This was not the same girl who had fought bravely moments before; this was someone entirely different. The demon could sense an underlying power emanating from Iria, which put her on high alert.

 

Though wary, Seir was still one of the elite forces of the Demon King’s army. She had faced countless opponents and had no intention of backing down now. Despite her caution, she believed she could overpower this mysterious figure standing before her.

 

So, she decided to provoke her.

 

“So what if I did?” Seir taunted.

 

“……”

 

Seir chuckled.

 

“Why? Is that girl over there your friend?”

 

“……”

 

“What, seriously?”

 

“……”

 

Iria remained silent.

 

Perhaps she couldn’t find the words to respond. The demon’s question about the collapsed Rena was a painful reminder of the distance that had grown between them. Iria had been grappling with this since the first time she was asked that question.

 

But this time, she could answer.

 

“That’s right, she’s my friend.”

 

If she didn’t feel that way, there would be no reason for the emotions welling up inside her now.

 

And normally, she wouldn’t go this far just to save a classmate.

 

Rena, watching Iria, was taken aback. To her, it seemed like Iria was risking her life to protect her.

 

Her insides felt as if they were burning.

 

She didn’t want anyone to die anymore, especially if it was because of her.

 

That’s why Rena tried her best to stop Iria, even while enduring the pain.

 

“D-Don’t do that! Please, I beg you……”

 

But Iria’s expression remained unnervingly calm.

 

Not a hint of fear showed on her face, even in the presence of an opponent who had murdered academy professors.

 

With a faint smile, Iria spoke confidently.

 

“I’ll win.”

 

Rena found Iria’s confidence so compelling that she couldn’t bring herself to stop her any further. Moreover, it was the first time she had seen Iria smile.

 

As Rena sank back down to her spot, the battle began.

 

It was a clash between a non-human entity intent on harm and another that, despite not being human, embodied a singular human emotion.

 

The figures of the two fighters disappeared from Rena’s sight.
***

 

Seir and Iria’s swords collided in the center.

 

The sharp sound of metal against metal echoed through the corridor as the two beings assessed each other and swung their weapons.

 

Both were so fast that landing an accurate strike was nearly impossible.

 

When reflexes exceed human capability, everything else appears to move in slow motion.

 

In this realm of extreme speed, where every action replayed like a slow-motion film, Seir spotted Iria and surged forward.

 

“Too slow!!”

 

Seir, momentarily boosting her speed by unleashing magical energy, swung her sword with devastating force.

 

The single strike, carving a massive arc, sliced through the air and the walls of the academy’s interior. It was a blow powerful enough to belong to one of the Demon King’s elite forces. If it had connected, even Iria would have faced severe damage.

 

However, Iria was not in the path of the swing. The figure Seir had spotted in that heightened state of speed had vanished without a trace.

 

“Who’s too slow?”

 

The voice came from behind, startling Seir as she hurriedly turned her head.

 

Iria, enveloped in a swirl of cyan-colored wind, had already assumed her stance—two steps ahead.

 

Seir, having created an opening with her wide swing, was unable to block Iria’s swift strike. Iria flowed into her attack with a quickness that was almost graceful.

 

And then, with a tearing sound, black blood erupted from Seir.

 

“Kuaaaahhhh!!”

 

As Seir let out an agonized scream, Iria seized the moment without hesitation.

 

She kicked off the ground and leaped again; her figure—enhanced by mana—shot through the air like a silver streak.

 

The sound of her small dagger slicing through flesh resonated with an echo.

 

Iria severed Seir’s ankle ligament and then sliced through the tendon of her sword arm, aiming for her eyes next.

 

What unfolded was less a battle and more a grotesque dissection. Iria reversed the direction of her sword and gouged out one of Seir’s eyes.

 

She could have aimed for the throat, but this was a small act of revenge for reducing Rena to such a state.

 

Iria halted her assault, the blade pressing against Seir’s neck, poised as if ready to plunge into her flesh.

 

Iria, who had brought a demon to the brink of death in an instant, looked down at Seir with cold, unyielding eyes—eyes that regarded her as nothing more than trash.

 

Seir spat out the blood that had pooled in her mouth, her body drenched in crimson as she glared up at Iria. Cursing through gritted teeth, she hissed, “D-Damn bitch…”

 

Iria remained silent, unperturbed.

 

“A half-assed bitch, being friends with a human…”

 

“Are those your last words?” Iria replied, pressing the dagger harder against Seir’s neck.

 

The blade broke the skin, blood oozing out. The foul smell of non-human blood filled the air. Seir was in no condition to fight back.

 

Seir tilted her head back to evade the blade, their gazes locking in a tense moment.

 

“Why are you doing this? You’re similar to me. Whether it’s you or me, we’re both demons, aren’t we?”

 

“……”

 

“If you think about it, we have no reason to fight, right? There are so few of us compatriots as it is, so we shouldn’t hurt each other… Isn’t that right?”

 

“I’m not your compatriot.”

 

Iria raised the blade’s tip further, the steel sinking deeper into Seir’s neck.

 

Monsters aside, Seir was definitely not a demon. Though they may appear similar outside, one could easily discern their differences by the aura they emanated.

 

Seir’s reasoning was flawed.

 

In front of Iria, the concepts of good and evil held no weight. In this world, it didn’t matter who was deemed good or evil; they were merely divided into the strong and the weak.

 

Despite both Seir and Iria having taken the lives of humans, their fates diverged sharply.

 

The reason was simple: Seir was weak, and Iria was strong.

 

Iria saw it as nothing more than that.

 

However,

 

“…Tch. I’m really witnessing all sorts of foolishness, seriously.”

 

Seir twisted the corner of her mouth upwards, a cruel smile playing on her lips, as she seized Iria’s wrist. The strength in her grip was incomparably greater than before.

 

With a sharp cracking sound, Seir’s body began to swell. Her muscle fibers expanded visibly, a grotesque display of power.

 

Her red eyes gleamed with malice. Having pushed her magical energy to its peak, Seir reinforced her body and forcibly broke Iria’s wrist.

 

Demons possess far superior regenerative abilities compared to humans, so the injuries Iria had inflicted began to heal almost instantly.

 

Stepping back, Seir surrounded herself with a pulsating aura of black magical energy. The oppressive wave of power reverberated through the entire floor of the academy building as if declaring that she would spare no human within.

 

“Preaching after gaining the upper hand for a moment? I’ll show you the difference in levels.”

 

“……!”

 

Iria quickly turned at the tremor of magical energy radiating through the surroundings.

 

While she remained unaffected by the energy, Rena was not so fortunate. Exposed to the overwhelming magical force, Rena was now vomiting blood, her eyes clouding over with pain and fear.

 

Iria felt a rush of concern. She realized that having a hostage complicated the situation. Even if she could manage a one-on-one fight, Rena’s presence made it far more precarious.

 

“……”

 

Should she flee?

 

Or should she attempt to subdue Seir before more harm could come to Rena?

 

In the first scenario, protecting Rena while escaping from a demon who had unleashed such power seemed nearly impossible. But if she chose the latter option, she would have to use magical energy in front of Rena. Both choices were fraught with difficulty.

 

As Iria contemplated her options while standing at the edge of despair, Seir, sensing her hesitation, swung her sword – not at Iria, but at Rena.

 

“So that’s the one you’re worried about?!”

 

With a swift motion, Seir unleashed a slashing attack, sending a blade of dark energy hurtling toward Rena. It wasn’t a direct strike; the attack extended toward its target like a wicked arc.

 

Iria had no choice but to rush forward, her instincts kicking in as she moved to intercept the attack.

 

“Now I’m really curious,” Seir taunted. “If I kill the human you’re protecting so desperately, what kind of reaction will you have?”

 

“……”

 

Iria thought about how she could break through this situation.

 

“I-Iria… Cough, cough! I-I’m fine…”

 

Her contemplation didn’t last long.

 

With a fierce determination, Iria smashed the barrier with her fist, creating a hole, and then threw Rena through it.

 

“Huh? Eh? What?”

 

Rena, flung into the air, sounded bewildered, but Iria believed she would be fine. After all, Rena was a capable human who wielded mana. She would likely emerge unharmed if she fell from about three floors.

 

Iria just hoped Rena would be safe.

 

With only the two of them left, red magical energy rippled around Iria. She shed the wind that had enveloped her and cloaked herself in the vibrant red energy.

 

It was the first time she had used magical energy inside the academy building.