Ray dodged the grasping hands, kicking and striking them away.
In the graceful movements, there was a sudden flash of savagery, tracing a silver arc.

The dark, filthy hands shattered upon impact with Ray’s limbs, wrapped in her silver magic.

That silver magic was the very proof of the bloodline Ray inherited.

Argentooth.
This was Ray’s unique arcane ability as a battle mage.

The Silver Fang destroyed and crushed anything that stood in its way.

Ray knew this demon sorcerer.
He was the tracker who had pursued her right after her escape.

Oppressor Malevris.
No matter how many times she shook him off, he relentlessly followed.

That was the annoying thing about demon sorcerers.
Since they borrowed the power of demons instead of relying on their own abilities, they could do things that were otherwise impossible.

A demon that helps its master track down targets is fairly common, and Malevris must have contracted with one of those demons.
It’s the same with hiding his presence.
Only someone like Ray, attuned to sinister feelings, could sense him. It’s nearly impossible to locate an enemy using a demon’s power to cloak themselves.

And more than anything, the most troublesome thing was his primary magic, those black hands.
The cursed hands that numbed the senses and induced exhaustion upon contact.
For someone like Ray, who specialized in close combat, it was the worst possible matchup.

‘Why is that guy still there…?’

Ray frowned as she sensed Roman’s presence still lingering behind her.

‘I’ve done more than enough.’

She had bought time.
If Roman hadn’t left yet, that was his problem.

The reason Ray protected Roman wasn’t because she hoped he would survive, even if she didn’t.

She just didn’t want to owe anyone.
It simply annoyed her to think that someone might die because they got caught up in her problems.

But even though Ray thought she had done enough, she kept glancing in Roman’s direction.

At the moment her focus slightly wavered because she was concerned about Roman—

“I’ve got you now.”

Malevris’s voice rang out triumphantly, confident.

‘Too late…?’

Even Ray judged it was too late to pull back her outstretched fist to block.

Shiiing—! Thwack—!

A black bullet exploded through the grasping black hand.

The explosion sent a gust of wind, violently whipping Ray’s hood.

“What are you still doing here?!”
“I’m paying tuition. Physical enhancement, gotta get my money’s worth.”

And besides, if you’re not around, I’ll lose the bet!

Roman kept that second reason to himself as he continued to fire more magic bullets.

Thwack—! Thwack—!!

The bullets fired continuously.
Some missed, likely because there wasn’t any precision guidance, but the relentless barrage of bullets formed a curtain of fire, forcing the black hands to fall back.

Seeing this, Malevris squinted his eyes and prepared to summon his next attack.

‘Magic bullets alone are destroying my Touch of Evil?’

There was no spell.
What that kid was shooting were just compressed balls of pure magic energy.
How much magic must be crammed into those bullets to break a demon-imbued spell like Touch of Evil?

‘Or could it be that his magic is of a higher grade than mine?’

There’s a hierarchy among demons.
The power of a higher-ranked demon overwhelms that of a lower-ranked one.

But Malevris dismissed that idea.

‘There’s no way. No way a brat like him could have a demon of a higher rank than mine.’

There’s no chance that a novice who can’t even cast proper spells and just fires raw magic blobs could have contracted with a demon superior to his.
It was far more plausible that this rookie didn’t understand the true cost of using magic and was burning out in a reckless burst of emotion.

‘Foolish idiot. A demon sorcerer must be more calculating and cold-blooded than any other magician.’

Use the bare minimum of power to achieve your goal, and always remain rational to avoid being consumed by your contract with the demon.
That was a fundamental principle for anyone who wanted to survive as a demon sorcerer.

And Ray knew that all too well, as someone who fought against them.

Even if the cost wasn’t your lifespan, there would still be a price to pay.
Often, the cost was more dangerous than just losing your life.
More often than not, the price involved some form of suffering, and it could deal permanent damage to your mind.

Roman’s power, in the end, was only draining his own life.
It wasn’t something to be recklessly used in a wild outburst.

“Hey! You’re going to die if you keep going like that!”
“Just focus on what’s in front of you!”
“This... crazy bastard…!”

He’s really going to kill himself at this rate.

Seeing Roman’s suicidal rush, Ray charged forward with all her might.

That idiot had done this during training too.
What kind of demon sorcerer goes berserk just because they get scratched in a sparring match?

He’s a madman, unable to control his emotions.
A guy who only lives for today without any thought for tomorrow.

That’s how Ray saw Roman.

To stop him, she had to end the fight itself.

With power gathered in her legs, she leaped forward.

Now that Malevris’s cursed hands were dwindling under Roman’s magic barrage, this was her chance.

Thud—! Swoosh!

With two strong steps, Ray shot forward like a comet.

A brilliant silver glow gathered in her hand.
Her magic, Argentooth, was a magic designed to break curses.

Even the protective spells Malevris had woven around himself would be nothing more than paper before her fangs.

Ray’s fist slammed into Malevris’s chest.

At the same time, a giant beast’s head suddenly burst out from Malevris’s chest.

“Huh?”

Crunch!!

The beast’s jaws closed around Ray’s arm, biting down to her wrist.
There was no pain.
Her silver-coated arm didn’t allow the beast’s teeth to penetrate.

But just because there wasn’t any visible damage didn’t mean she was unaffected.

‘My strength…’

A wave of fatigue overwhelmed her.
She tried to pull free, but her body wouldn’t respond.

‘I’ve gone beyond Argentooth’s protection range.’

She had focused too much on the attack.
She should have paid more attention to her defense…

This was the result of her lack of real combat experience.
Ray’s mistake was due to that.

“You wretched…”

Malevris’s voice was harsh and rough, the sound barely recognizable as human.
It was a twisted echo of his original voice.

“How much of my lifespan…!”

All sorcerers have a trump card.
Malevris was no different.

By offering his lifespan as the price, he could summon a portion of his demon’s true form.
A power far beyond the Touch of Evil, it began to extinguish Ray’s silver glow.

That was just the beginning.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

In an instant, Ray was restrained from head to toe.
And with her neutralized, the fate of the rearguard was sealed as well.

“You won’t die easily… No, I won’t kill you right away. No, I can’t let you die easily…”

Half out of his mind, his voice sounded like it was being squeezed out, as if something had possessed him.

In contrast, Roman remained calm.
Even though the frontliner, Ray, was incapacitated, he didn’t waver.

Roman, who knew nothing about the fundamental principles of being a demon sorcerer, was the one keeping his cool.

Ray thrashed around, trying to break free from the beast’s grip, but it was useless.

The demon summoned with such a heavy price would never let her go.

“It’s okay.”

What was okay?

Who was he talking to?

Me?

To me, who would probably survive only to be handed back to the slaver who hired Malevris?
To me, who would soon face unspeakable torment from the demon sorcerer?

Despite his bleak future, Roman, with a calm demeanor, reassured someone else.

In that moment, Ray saw someone from her past reflected in him.

‘Who are you really…?’

Malevris approached Roman with a sinister grin, as if savoring the anticipation of the upcoming ritual.

Ray desperately shouted, trying to break the horrible scene unfolding before her eyes.

“Stop! You were after me from the start, weren’t you?!”

Malevris ignored her.
His contract was to capture Ray alive.
Whatever happened during that process was of no concern.

Summoning another black hand to cover Ray’s mouth, Malevris stared directly at Roman and spoke.

“Now, I’m going to brand you.”

“…Brand?”
“You’ve never heard of it? Well, that’s understandable. A novice who’s just made a contract with a low-tier demon wouldn’t know.”

Malevris sneered, his eyes glimmering with anticipation, as if waiting for Roman to tremble in fear and despair over what was about to happen.

“There’s a hierarchy among demons. Just like in our world, demons have ranks and orders. Branding forces that hierarchy onto contractors as well. Just as a higher demon commands a lower one, its contractor becomes a subordinate.”

“So… demon powers create a hierarchy between contractors too?”

Malevris responded with a sneer.

His finger pressed against Roman’s forehead, his sharp nail slicing into the skin, drawing blood.

“You’ll live as my slave. You’ll be both my servant and my experiment, and in the end, you’ll be sacrificed to the demon.”

Roman, unbothered by Malevris’s threat, responded calmly,
“I’ve been thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Malevris sneered.

“Why were my magic bullets able to break your spell so easily?”

Despite the raw power of Roman’s magic bullets, Malevris’s magic was clearly several levels above anything Roman had seen. Yet, his bullets had easily dismantled Malevris’s Touch of Evil.

“Why, you ask?”
Malevris had already explained it earlier — it was a difference in rank, in power hierarchy.

“That’s what I thought.” Roman smirked.

He had already known the answer, thanks to Seir’s guidance. Without giving Malevris time to react, Roman ignited flames of pure magic all over his body.

Malevris’s magic began to melt away, disintegrating like snow under the heat. The black hands that had been restraining Roman dissolved, and with his newfound freedom, Roman grabbed Malevris’s wrist.

“I’ve got you.”

Roman’s magic flames surged forward, engulfing Malevris like a wildfire.

“What the—!!” Malevris gasped in shock.
“That’s your tuition fee. Take it gratefully.”

The black flames roared, burning Malevris with unrelenting intensity. He tried to break free, but it was too late. He had foolishly closed the distance and allowed contact, sealing his fate.

Even as Malevris desperately drew upon his remaining magic to resist, it was futile.

This was no longer a battle of magic spells, but a clash of pure magical energy. And the demon Malevris had contracted with could not match Seir’s rank.

Malevris’s power crumbled.
His magic disintegrated.
His body began to break apart.

Under the overwhelming force of Seir’s magic, the demon Malevris had contracted with could no longer protect him.

The scene looked like a ritual sacrifice, where the flames consumed Malevris as though he were an offering to eradicate evil.

To wield such power, how much of a price had Roman paid?

Ray’s eyes widened as she watched the scene unfold.

Again. It was happening again.

Even after the black hands and the beast’s head that had held Ray vanished, she stood there, frozen in place.

In this moment, her consciousness superimposed the present with memories of the past.

‘Who the hell are you…?’

Soon, the flames died down as if they had consumed all they needed.
When Roman finally released his grip, Malevris collapsed to the ground like a lifeless puppet, his consciousness extinguished.

Yet, Roman remained standing.
Standing tall, with his eyes still gleaming, he looked directly at Ray.

Unlike that person from her past.
Unlike her brother.

Roman was still standing, as if to declare his survival.

Demon sorcerers always pay a price. And when that price becomes too great, they are destroyed.

So just how immense was Roman’s capacity to withstand such a cost?

Ray couldn’t help but ask, her voice shaky as the foundation of her beliefs crumbled,
“What… are you?”

“What else?”
Roman answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“I’m a demon sorcerer.”

§

“Damn. That was exhausting.”

The strain from the contract was intense. I had overdone it again.
And tomorrow’s sparring training was going to be a mess.

Sure, it was a brutish way to fight. But hey, it worked out, so I guess it’s fine?

[Contractor, this method is far from graceful.]

‘Apologies. It’s tough being a non-magic contractor.’

[You should focus on developing proper magic soon.]

‘Yeah, yeah. I’ll get to it.’

Not like you’re going to teach me magic yourself.

[...You are irreverent.]

‘That’s unfair.’

You’re the one who showed me how to win like this, my demon.

 

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

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