DSB 140

“Hans.”

“Yes, I know.”

Norman bowed to Biakin, he was putting on a show for humans.

Though he was actually a demon using magic, he raised the orb as if it were a holy artifact brought from the temple and muttered something.

Then, a net like the one that had captured Karon covered Yutis’ body.

“The items brought from the temple were helpful. That means he is an evil being.”

Yutis was unable to control his suddenly enlarged body, he fell face-first onto the floor as the net wrapped around him.

At that moment, Luceris appeared before Yutis’s eyes.

[This… uh, what should I do?]

“That thing must be a demon too.”

“Yes. I’ll restrain him.”

Luceris had shrunk in size. He appeared before Yutis and flustered about what to do, and Norman targeted him too.

“Yutis…!”

Edmund had rushed over after hearing reinforcements had arrived, he was stunned upon seeing Yutis visible from afar.

At first glance, he thought it was Luceris, but something was different.

Yutis turned his gaze toward the person calling his name. Edmund looked at Yutis with concern, but the soldiers following him flinched in shock at the sight of Yutis.

“L-Lord… Is that the young master?”

Seeing confusion spread even among the northern soldiers, Biakin shouted.

“Does this one look like someone chosen by a god to your eyes!”

“It seems the barbarians know nothing of divine power.”

Yutis glanced at the bewildered northern army, then turned his gaze to the mocking imperial soldiers. Norman appeared before his eyes.

“Even your own side is horrified by your appearance. Won’t your place to return vanish? You fought so hard, only to be abandoned.”

Yutis slowly closed his eyes. In the past, showing this form to others would have been dreadful. That feeling hadn’t changed. But what had changed was that he wasn’t swayed by their words.

Perhaps because of that, while his desire to kill the demon before him burned fiercely, he didn’t feel the urge to smash everything whenever he saw blood.

It was an unfamiliar feeling.

[So?]

When Yutis opened his eyes again, Norman’s widened in shock.

Yutis stood up to his feet. The net was far too weak to restrain him. Because of that, it was slowly tearing apart.

Norman and Biakin frowned slightly. The latter was determined to drive the final nail into the coffin of victory rather than watch any longer, he gave the command to charge at the disorganized northern army.

[I don’t care if others mock me or fear me.]

Because there’s one person who’s different.

[At least let me thank you for one thing.]

Because he finally has the wings he’d always envied.

As Yutis spread his wings, the feeble net tore apart. And as he prepared to take flight, Norman shouted.

“Wait! You—uh—where do you think you’re going! You plan to show that form to other humans? To the Empire’s people too?”

Yutis didn’t answer.

“Yutis, you’re not a monster. That form… it’s just the influence of the guardian’s power.”

Edmund spoke to calm the northern soldiers. Like Luceris, he was pure white. Whether others would accept that explanation was another matter.

Luceris was a dragon, but Yutis was human.

He knew that and mentioned it cautiously. If others didn’t accept it, it would inevitably hurt Yutis.

[Father, please take care of things here. I will bring my wife back.]

As he flapped his enormous wings, dust swirled around him. Biakin refused to let him go and shot arrows at him, but they were deflected by his tough skin.

Perhaps because he had transformed into a form true to his instincts, he seemed to know where Lebel was.

Lebel’s demonic energy remaining on his body was revealing his location. Yutis stared at one specific spot.

And he took flight to go find Lebel.

“That bastard!”

Norman stuck close behind Yutis to prevent him from reaching Lebel. Naturally, to chase after the flying figure, he had to spread his wings.

“Your Highness! Sir Hans!!”

The imperial soldiers were startled by the large, black wings sprouting from Norman’s back. It was an understandable reaction, as they didn’t know his true identity.

“You stupid demon.”

Biakin clicked his tongue at Norman’s actions, which had thrown the imperial soldiers into chaos.

He had succeeded in revealing Yutis’s true form, but failed to subdue him. Norman should have captured Yutis before he himself appeared.

He had been so confident, yet in the end, he had been outmatched in the struggle of strength.

And he hadn’t expected Yutis to completely not care. Given the rumors, he’d thought Yutis would go berserk the moment his form changed. The scenario Biakin had envisioned was a Yutis, driven mad, attacking friend and foe alike.

As he pondered why Yutis remained so calm, Lebel naturally came to mind. If Yutis had gone to Lebel, he couldn’t just stand by.

“Follow me, a few of you! The imperial palace lies in that direction. The citizens in the capital are in danger!”

He had no wings, but magic could quickly transport him to the empire’s capital.

***

Lebel was sipping in his room tea while staring out the window. His gaze wasn’t fixed on the bright sunlight, but on some distant point invisible to the eye.

Biakin hadn’t appeared, and Yutis’s aura grew increasingly turbid.

The demonic energy connected to Yutis through the mating ritual went out of control and swelled to the point of bursting. It pulsed with a threatening intensity.

It felt like the demonic energy’s movement during his rut. With the holy sword present, his form wouldn’t change, but his body would be affected.

Or was his rut approaching? Of all times, why now?

It was frustrating, he had no way to know what was happening there.

Lebel turned his head. The attendant was silently watching Lebel.

The attendant never left Lebel’s side for even a moment. It was certain that this one was monitoring his every move and relaying it to Biakin.

But Biakin couldn’t be idle right now. It was certain he had gone to the battlefield.

It was time to leave this place. Lebel fiddled with the necklace.

[Come out.]

[May I come out?]

[The Crown Prince has gone to the front lines. He won’t be able to concern himself with the palace for a while.]

Lebel had long since sensed Merick’s presence, hidden from others’ gaze. A hazy mist gathered, then swirled away, revealing Merick.

Merick couldn’t help but feel pity for Lebel, who was trapped and helpless. After a moment of silent lament, he reached into his pocket to retrieve something.

“How did you come to be in this predicament, Lord Lebel? I can help…”

Merick approached Lebel, but the necklace had already clattered to the floor. Merick stared at Lebel with wide eyes.

The shackles that were supposed to restrain the demon’s power had snapped and fallen to the ground.

Merick stared at the key in his hand, then clenched his fist and turned it to dust.

“…I would only ask that you understand how much trouble I went through to secretly bring this key.”

“You should have come sooner.”

“I’m sorry. I thought I was moving quickly enough…”

“It’s a long time for humans. Because of that Yutis had to fight the imperial soldiers on the front lines for several days.”

Lebel hadn’t been trapped with his hands tied.

They were supposed to be shackles designed to prevent the use of demonic energy, but how effective could they be?

The shackles were meant to contain demons powerful enough to exist in the Middle Realm. In other words, they’re tools designed to help angels maintain the world’s balance.

Moreover, the shackles placed on Lebel only contained the aura of an angel he didn’t even know. That meant they were of a much lower grade. It just took time to break them.

If you think about it that way, it wasn’t just Merick who deserved scolding. He should have broken them sooner. Lebel sighed, then turned his head up.

Unlike when he wore the shackles, his demonic energy was distinctly stronger now. Because of this, he could tell Yutis’s condition was more serious than he’d thought.

An aura unlike Yutis’s was approaching. It was closing in on him at an unnaturally fast speed.

“Lord Lebel, something is coming…?”

Merick must have sensed it too. Then, as if something heavy had climbed atop the imperial palace, the building shook.

“Don’t panic.”

Though the palace trembled and debris fell from above, Lebel smiled.

Sunlight filtered through the broken buildings as someone appeared. Though it was a face he’d never seen before, Lebel couldn’t help but recognize it.

“I was going to come to you, but you found me first.”

[My wife….]

“Yutis. Did you wait long?”

[…I missed you.]

Yutis turned his face toward Lebel. The latter gently stroked Yutis’s face.

Relieved to have finally found Lebel, Yutis thoroughly checked his body. Lebel did the same. It was a sight he had never seen before.

Covered in dragon-like, pure white scales, yet fluffy fur sprouted here and there. The fur spread across his face, chest, and back looked soft.