Latieana Merigold

The moment Ivy Violet saw the strong healing power radiating from me, a bright smile briefly appeared at the corners of her lips. But as if she couldn’t easily believe it, she didn’t move from her spot.

“You think I’m an idiot?”

“Why? Don’t you want it? I’m offering it to you.”

“You’re really going to give up your power this easily? After scurrying around like a rat, did you suddenly develop some noble maiden’s spirit of sacrifice?”

“No. I don’t know anything about that nonsense.”

Ivy’s brow furrowed even deeper with suspicion, but I forced out the words with an expression as if cornered.

“I don’t care about anyone else. But not Edan Dietrich. I hate seeing Edan suffer.”

It was a sincere statement. Perhaps because of that, Ivy giggled delightedly. I began walking toward her first.

“And since this is the last time, I have to say this too.”

“What is it?”

“Ivy. You’re truly wicked and filthy. Not only that—you have no conscience, no sense, not even basic manners.”

“Don’t make me laugh! If I’d grown up in a good environment, I wouldn’t have turned out like this!”

“Look at you. Blaming others again. If your logic held, everyone raised in an orphanage would be just like you—but they’re not. There was never anyone as vile as you.”

“That’s because I—I’m a witch’s…!”

“Because of the blood flowing in you? I already told you—not every witch turns out like you. All of this was your choice. And I know that.”

As I kept saying things that clearly irritated her, Ivy’s breathing grew heavier. Her chest heaved with ragged breaths, and the black veins staining her fingertips darkened further, rapidly climbing up to cover her collarbone.

Meanwhile, my light grew even brighter, completely enveloping my arms and surging upward. The darker, more grotesque veins crawling up Ivy’s neck toward her jawline became vividly visible. Though the sight was revolting to behold, I took another step forward.

“This situation isn’t my fault. It’s because you’re evil. So don’t spew lies at me as if your thoughts were truth. Shut your mouth.”

“You shut up! Shut your mouth, you vile bitch!”

The moment my healing power swelled bright enough to illuminate the entire garden, Ivy lunged toward me. A suffocating, nauseating stench of blood flooded the air.

At that exact moment, a demon plummeted from the sky toward us. Seeing the demon swooping down behind Ivy’s back, I quickly retracted my healing power and simultaneously shoved her shoulder hard, pushing her straight toward the demon.

“…?”

Since I had been approaching her first, Ivy hadn’t expected me to suddenly shove her—her body staggered in confusion.

“Just die, Ivy.”

The moment my words ended, the demon descended with a powerful gust of wind and instantly snatched Ivy up with its front claws. Caught in its overwhelming grip, she didn’t even manage a proper scream—her body scraped across the ground as she was mercilessly dragged into a corner of the garden.

“N-no… help… kuh-hack! Gah!”

I thought I faintly heard her voice, but even that whimper gradually faded under the demon’s violent movements. The demon, drawn by the light, now seemed enraged that the light had vanished. Its long, sharply curved talons—like an eagle’s—dug deep into Ivy’s body, shaking her violently and tearing her apart without mercy.

After playing with Ivy like a ragdoll for a while, the demon finally stopped when she ceased moving altogether. It let out strange cries—“kyarrrk! kyark!”—and began looking around restlessly.

It drooled thick, blood-mixed saliva, snorted through its nose, and rolled its eyes. Then, sensing something, it turned both pupils in different directions and began advancing toward me. I held my breath and retreated backward, slipping into the shadow of a nearby tree. But the demon spotted me instantly.

“Kieeeek! Kiek!”

Its grotesque mouth, lined with hundreds of thin, long teeth, gaped wide—and the moment I closed my eyes, a sword wrapped in blue aura descended from midair and cleaved straight into the demon’s head.

“Ugh!”

I clamped my hands over my mouth and lowered my head at the horrific sight. When I opened my eyes again, the demon was dead with a single strike.

“Latie.”

Edan Dietrich, standing atop the demon’s head with his cloak fluttering, pulled his sword free. Blood sprayed outward like mist.

“Edan!”

Edan swung his sword to shake off the blood, then leaped down to the ground.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine!”

Seeing me nod vigorously, Edan swiftly turned his head to survey the garden. Then he looked toward where Ivy lay.

“Damn it. They set up a magic circle here.”

Without a word, Edan furrowed his brow and walked decisively toward Ivy’s mangled form. I followed behind him.

“Hah….”

Honestly, this was unbelievable.

Her waist was bent backward, her arms and legs torn off like paper—yet Ivy was still breathing. Of course, she was on the verge of death, but surviving in this state was absurd. Edan gazed down at her with icy, merciless eyes, then spun his sword once and repositioned his grip.

“I’d love to keep you alive and torment you for the rest of your life so you’d truly understand suffering—but you’re not even worth that much. You’d just be a waste of time.”

Ivy’s lips twitched faintly. But Edan’s blade swiftly pierced her heart.

Watching a human heart being stabbed right before my eyes was horrifying. But this was Ivy’s end. I didn’t blink once as I witnessed the witch’s final moment.

Soon, she died with her eyes wide open. Her skin, entirely blackened and rotten, and her unfocused pupils stared emptily at the grass stained with blood.

Even the word “pitiful” felt too generous for such a worthless end.

Once Edan confirmed her breath had fully ceased, he turned swiftly. Only then did I begin to hear again the eerie sounds of demons flying through the sky.

“Let’s go.”

Without giving me time to respond, Edan grabbed my hand tightly and began striding across the palace. All the large windows inside the palace were shattered into pieces. Looking up through the broken panes, I saw demons frantically flying beyond the palace walls. And on the walls themselves, an unknown, intense light flashed like an explosion. Feeling my hand clench tightly in his, Edan spoke as if to calm me.

“The Imperial aura knights are luring demons to fight atop the walls. It’s a sudden situation, but they can handle it sufficiently. My brother will secure the capital—we’re heading north now.”

True to his word, the moment we exited through the front gate after crossing the palace, Killian Dietrich and Hillstain Mathias came into view. The two men, standing in the trampled garden, were urgently issuing orders to hastily assembled subordinates.

The Emperor and Empress had vanished in an instant. But Killian held his position perfectly, rapidly assessing reality and executing necessary actions. Sensing Edan’s presence, Killian turned his head and locked eyes with him. With a sharp gaze, he gave Edan a small nod—and Edan nodded back in reply. After that brief exchange, Killian turned his attention back to his subordinates, while Edan pulled me along by the hand.

And then—Hillstain’s gaze turned toward me. A faint, chilling smile spread across his lips as our eyes briefly met.

…Something had changed.

The way he stared at me had transformed—he now looked like a beast eyeing its prey, ready to pounce at any moment. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and my heart sank. I quickly averted my eyes from Hillstain’s gaze.

***

This is the worst.

We used the portal inside the Imperial Palace to reach the entrance of the Grand Duke’s castle, but an even greater chaos consumed my mind. The North was deteriorating into an even bigger mess than the capital. Countless demons, too many to count, flew through the sky, rampaging wildly. Lights from aura knights battling the demons around the Grand Duke’s castle flashed in all directions.

And… far off, from the indestructible wall, an intensely bright, unfamiliar light was shining. Thanks to that, the village seemed less invaded by demons than expected—but still…

“Your Grace!”

Ruben, covered in blood, appeared and handed Edan a sword—the same one used last time when the indestructible wall was breached. This sword amplified Edan’s aura power more than twofold, enabling immense strength—but at the cost of equally severe side effects.

“Report.”

As Ruben began briefing Edan on the situation, I gazed toward the Grand Duke’s castle and northern territories, now swallowed by darkness with all light extinguished.

How much potion remained in the temple? What about the other holy maidens? Had demons invaded there too? Come to think of it—what happened to the Grand Priest who was in the audience chamber?

My head felt like it would explode. Countless thoughts raced through my mind.

Ordinary knights struggled to kill demons. Typically, ten or more regular knights were needed to handle what a single aura user could defeat. The temple needed to quickly distribute potions to aura users to mitigate their side effects—only then could…

“E-Edan! I…!”

I called out to him urgently—but froze like a broken machine.

For a moment, I felt I had to do something—but what? How? If I made potions, how many? By when? Even with help from other holy maidens, could I possibly produce enough potions continuously to suppress side effects for all aura users?

No. Just thinking about it logically, it was impossible. It wasn’t even about the limits of my healing power—my body simply wouldn’t endure it. And besides… the desire for my healing power among powerful aura users like Hillstain Mathias. That was…

Overwhelmed, my thoughts ground to a halt. Lowering my head, my eyes trembled uncontrollably. Everything was ruined. Peace had been shattered.

“Latie.”

Edan, having finished his conversation, turned to look at me.

When I lifted my head, I saw Edan—having wiped all bloodstains from his hands and fully prepared to rejoin battle.

“Go to the old fortress.”

“The old fortress… you mean the Archmage’s secret chamber?”

“That’s the safest place. And from this moment onward, you will never set foot in the temple again.”

“…!”

Edan’s eyes, speaking coldly, seemed unfocused, as if gazing at something far away.