"…I think I misheard you."
"You heard correctly."
"You said you found traces of a demon? When exactly?"
"Precisely three days ago, after dinner. Around 7 PM. I was sparring with a fellow student. During the match, her power suddenly surged."
Ruina answered calmly.
"Who was it?"
"Bella Hoenne."
"Second-year, Knight Department, ranked 19th. Daughter of the Hoenne Viscount. Comes from a wealthy family."
The Hoenne Viscount owned a prosperous territory and was one of the key clients of the Golden Turtle Merchant Group.
"If her power surged, what do you mean?"
"Exactly as I said. Her physical strength increased, and her aura expanded in an instant."
"That alone isn't enough."
Tap, tap. Fernan drummed his fingers on the armrest.
"Any physical changes?"
"None."
"She wouldn't have taken a drug before a spar, so it's likely the result of an aura cultivation technique."
"Are you suggesting I was mistaken?"
"It's possible you were overwhelmed by the weight of the word 'demon.'"
"I felt demonic energy—if only for a moment."
"…That changes the story."
Fernan uncrossed his legs.
"Any other witnesses?"
"No. It was just the two of us in the sparring room."
"You're certain it was demonic energy?"
"It was faint—extremely faint—and only for an instant. But that unique, ominous sensation isn't something one forgets easily. Of course, I can't claim to be completely certain."
Ruina trailed off slightly. Even she still harbored some doubt.
"To my knowledge, Bella Hoenne is your friend. One of your two closest, along with Aina Rium."
"…How did you know that?"
"That's not the point. I'm asking whether you might be overreacting. Because she's your friend, you may be more anxious."
"…Honestly, I can't deny that."
Ruina couldn't be sure it was really demonic energy.
It had been so faint, so fleeting, and there was not a single reason why her friend Bella Hoenne would ever make a pact with something like a demon.
"Bella is a diligent student. She always takes her classes and training seriously. She enjoys reading and often visits the library and bookstores."
"And?"
"I looked into demons at the library and read that they exploit openings in one's heart. But Bella is always cheerful and gets along well with her family. I just can't see how she would have come into contact with a demon."
Even so, having witnessed what happened with Berian, and recognizing that demons were once again revealing themselves in this world, Ruina had come to Fernan.
Because she wanted confirmation. Because she didn't want to believe it.
"Tell me exactly what happened."
"…Alright, then."
That day had been no different from any other.
"Ruina!"
She had attended class as usual, and class had ended as usual.
"Want to spar today?"
"Sure."
She had then sparred with her friend. It wasn't something they did often, but it wasn't all that rare either.
"Today's going to be a little different."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. Lately I can really feel myself improving."
They faced each other in the sparring arena prepared for student duels, swords drawn.
They were using real swords, not wooden ones, and were wearing armor for safety.
"You brought a safety scroll, right?"
"Yeah."
Safety scrolls were required for real-sword sparring—they activated a magical barrier if the impact exceeded a certain threshold.
"I'll go first."
Bella gripped her sword. It was a Zweihänder, a long and massive blade as tall as she was.
A weapon that suited her perfectly, as she preferred to crush her opponent with weight and power rather than quick thrusts or slashes.
The enormous Zweihänder began slicing through the air.
Ruina, instead of dodging, stepped forward to meet the incoming blade.
—!
'Her strength…?'
A heavy impact traveled through the sword.
It was different from before. Her sword had become heavier and fiercer than ever.
The seriousness in Ruina's eyes deepened as she realized Bella wasn't lying when she said she could feel her skills improving.
Clang—
Ruina twisted her wrist and deflected the Zweihander. Just as she moved in to strike at the exposed opening, Bella quickly retreated.
'She's fast.'
It wasn't just her strength. Her speed had changed as well.
After a single clash, a brief moment of calm returned.
"How was that?"
"…It's definitely different from before. Heavier, and faster."
"I knew it."
Bella smiled brightly.
"Lately, I feel like I have better control over my body. Like there's energy just brimming inside me. Still, it's good to hear it straight from you."
She readied her stance again.
"Let's go again."
"Okay."
Clang!
Sword clashed against sword.
There was no sense of holding back. Bella charged in with full power from the start, and Ruina had to match her accordingly.
Boom!
A shockwave burst out. A faint aura was swirling around Bella's Zweihander.
Ruina didn't panic. Instead, she brought forth her own aura in a cool blue light to counter it.
'She's too strong to overpower.'
Bella's aura technique had always focused on physical destructiveness in line with her swordsmanship. A frontal confrontation was a poor strategy.
As waves of slashing strikes rained down like a storm, Ruina calmly deflected them.
"As expected of you, Ruina!"
With a short exclamation, the power in Bella's sword doubled. As the numbing pain spread through her wrist and arm, Ruina realized there was a limit to how long she could keep deflecting.
Clang—
She parried the sword and kicked Bella in the abdomen. Bella stumbled back a step, and Ruina immediately closed the distance.
The massive Zweihander was effective for its destructive style relying on its weight, but that same size came with a clear disadvantage in close-range combat.
But in that moment—
Clang!
The Zweihander suddenly twisted at an odd angle and blocked the space between them.
Ruina's sword shook violently, and shattered fragments of aura scattered in every direction.
Overwhelmed by the massive shockwave, Ruina was forced to retreat.
"How…?"
It was different from before again. Especially the aura—it had grown wilder, with an eerie sensation that felt both unsettling and strangely familiar.
'It's almost like…'
"I'm not going down that easily!"
Crimson aura surged up and engulfed Bella's entire body, pouring over her sword.
Ruina's thoughts were cut off. If it had been an illusion, the unsettling feeling she had sensed earlier was now gone without a trace.
Crash!
A narrowly avoided sword strike slammed into the ground, denting the hard training hall floor.
"I can't control it very well yet."
"…Bella. Did you take an elixir or something?"
"I've taken a few, yeah. Looks like they're finally kicking in."
Bella smiled as she adjusted her grip on the sword.
"Let's go again."
"…And that's what happened."
"You said the aura output suddenly increased, and you sensed a faint demonic energy."
"At first, I didn't think it was demonic. But the more I think about it… it might have been."
Bella Hoenne was ranked 19th. It wasn't a low rank by any means, but there was still a clear gap between her and Ruina.
The fact that gap had narrowed so drastically in such a short time was definitely strange.
"What's Bella's condition now?"
"She's fine. No physical abnormalities like with Berian, and she didn't lose her mind. Even after the spar, there were no particular issues."
"I see."
"It could just be my misunderstanding or overthinking, but…"
Fernand cut her off.
"But you want to be sure, just in case?"
"Yes. We're talking about demons, after all."
"I feel the same. If something's off, we need to investigate it."
Honestly, Fernand had thought capturing Berian would reveal everything about the demons.
But it hadn't. Even after learning Berian was a demon's pawn, and digging through his background, even interrogating him after his transformation, they hadn't uncovered anything useful.
"…I know I'm in no position to ask, but—is there a way to find out?"
"There isn't."
Still, they had to try everything they could.
If Bella really had used a demon's power, there was one commonality between her and Berian.
Neither of them had ever met a demon. Nor had they formed any contracts.
"You're saying it seeped in without their knowledge. Honestly, I'm skeptical that's even possible, but if we assume it is, then we'll need to compare their movements and investigate where their paths overlapped."
"That's the best we can do for now. Thank you for your help."
"This isn't just your problem—it's a continental issue. Of course I'll help."
"Then I'll go talk to Bella—"
"No, there's no need for that. We'll know everything by tomorrow. Just head back for now. I'll call you again then."
After sending Ruina off, Fernand called for Hyde.
"Bring me the full record of Bella Hoenne's past movements."
"And Berian's. Including everything from before you started shadowing him."
"Yes, sir."
After the start of the new term, it took less than a day for the complete records of both individuals' movements to be compiled and land on Fernand's desk.
"…Dormitory, academy, and the city."
"Yes. Within the academy, she only went to lecture halls, the training hall, and the library. And in the city, just restaurants and bookstores."
"Same as that bastard Berian."
But that wasn't necessarily strange. In fact, it was rare for academy students to deviate from that kind of routine.
It was the daily life of an utterly ordinary academy student.
"Ruina, I'd like you to arrange a meeting with Bella."
"Did you find a lead?"
"No. Precisely because I didn't, I want to meet her in person."
He could have dismissed it all as mere coincidence. But a deep unease lingered in Fernand's mind.
Of course, it was more likely to be nothing.
Still, having confirmed the existence of demons through the Prophecy Book and Berian, if there was even a small possibility concerning Bella, it was right to make sure.
After all the day's classes had ended, Fernand met Bella at a café with Ruina.
"Fernand? Why are you here…?"
"Bella Hoenne. It's our first time meeting like this. I asked Ruina to arrange it."
"You asked to meet me? Why?"
"It's nothing serious. Ruina—"
──!
Suddenly, a thunderous roar rang through Fernand's mind.
With excruciating pain, the dormant prophecies came rushing in.
A sky red like blood, a terrible stench, and demonic energy.
The situation felt familiar to Fernand. Just like the day he had seen the prophecy about Andromalius.
The academy was indistinguishable from hell.
Far off in the distance, a blood-red magic circle glowed. All around, monsters and people who had lost their sanity ran wild.
They were students. Academy staff. Island residents.
He saw Aint's panicked face.
["Everyone's acting strange!"
Not just the students, but the academy staff and islanders as well.
The demonic energy, unknowingly absorbed, had lain dormant in the students' bodies, and with the descent of the demon Andromalius, it began to activate.
There were easily hundreds.]
["It's demonic energy! They've been infected!"
"You're saying the students made contracts with demons?"
"No, that's not it. If they had, I would've known.
Even so, the students were infected with demonic energy, and it threw the academy into even greater chaos."]
Time sped up.
Aint had placed her hand on the chest of a collapsed student.
[Following Gardner's advice, Aint injected mana into the student and examined their insides.
"I see it!"
The First Noble Knight, who had slain more demons than anyone besides the Empire's first emperor, finally found the answer.
"The filthy demons got clever.
They infected the students with demonic energy gradually. It was so faint that it didn't trigger any alarms, and it didn't easily sink into students either, so it must have taken a long time.
Most of it probably disappeared harmlessly. Maybe it would have continued to mean nothing forever.
But that magic circle! It's activating the demonic energy. We have to destroy it!"]
The vision changed again.
Aint was now running toward the source of the ominous energy—the red magic circle.
["No… That's not just a trigger circle for demonic energy! That's… a summoning circle!
They're trying to summon a demon!
Aint, you must stop it!"]
The scream of Sir Gardner Alpenfarsen struck Aint like a hammer.
And again, the vision sped forward. Aint had gotten closer to the magic circle and met a fellow knight she could trust with her back.
["Aint! Help me! Bella—Bella is—"
"Calm down, senior. It'll be okay."
"Bella is acting strange!"
"She's been infected with demonic energy. If we defeat the demon, she can return to normal. I'll make sure of it."]
["I swear it."]
'So it really was demonic energy…?'
He had only suspected it, without certainty.
But the Prophecy Book was speaking clearly. Ruina's anxiety had been valid, and if they left those infected with demonic energy unattended, a catastrophe would follow.
'This connects to before.'
More precisely, it was from a time before that previous vision—before Aint fought Andromalius, before Ruina swore her knight's vow while turning her back to him.
'I must stop this.'
The academy from his memories was a complete disaster. Because the infected were students and island residents, they couldn't bring themselves to kill them—and that led to even greater casualties.
That much, at least, had to be prevented.
"…Fernand? Are you alright?"
"Is it your head again?"
"I'm fine."
Fernand blinked a few times and shook his head.
Meeting the concerned gazes of the two before him, he paused to collect himself.
"Ruina."
"Yes?"
"How much do you trust Bella Hoenne?"
"She's a friend I've known since childhood. The one I trust most."
"What's going on between you two?" Bella asked, confused by their sudden conversation.
"Bella Hoenne. The reason I asked Ruina to bring you here is…"
Originally, he had simply planned to question her directly. Ruina trusted Bella, but it was always good to be sure.
However, now that he had confirmed it through the Prophecy Book, his thoughts and plans had changed.
"Because your head is full of demonic energy."
"…What?"
"And that demon needs to be beaten to death."
With undeniable proof in front of him, the solution was just as clear.
"Let's go to the Temple."
He would show the evidence to those who could not coexist with demons—and work with them.