"There are always some things in this world where there can be this many coincidences, right?"

Ariel moved her fingers, and between the opening and closing of the gaps, the images of the whole world kept shifting nonstop.

It ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) was like switching between some ancient kind of black-and-white image magic and the color image magic that had already matured in the present—frames split apart, then gradually merged again.

But the moment it switched to black-and-white, Burt and Dolan’s figures—beneath that skin—had threads of blood-colored radiance slowly seeping out, vivid to the extreme. It was a color unlike humans. A bloodlike hue, set off against this already ashen background, was blindingly conspicuous—like a swarm of parasitic threadworms, drilling through their humanlike shells and diffusing in chaotic strands.

"Speaking of which, I only just got this eye, and I haven’t had time to get used to it yet. I shouldn’t have been able to spot you two this easily. But what a coincidence... that worthy-to-be-praised Demon General what’s-his-name, just now, provided me with his blood, so I was able to lock onto your identities at a glance."

Ariel flipped her palm over. In her palm, there was the same smear of bright red.

It came from the Demon General Basaroka just now.

Because the timing had been too rushed, Ariel still hadn’t fully mastered how to use this Delusion-Breaking Eye. What was showing up before her eyes right now was only the true "colors," not their true faces.

But that was already enough.

With comparison came distinction.

Before she completely mastered the Delusion-Breaking Eye, as long as she could remember a person’s "base color," then any disguise would still have nowhere to hide from her eyes.

"You two have been deliberately trying to make us go with you this whole time, just to lure us into some trap or something, right? If we really went with you, maybe even I would accidentally take a spill... Sure enough, as long as I don’t get tangled up with that guy, my luck is always good."

The corner of Ariel’s mouth sketched a wild arc. While feeling relieved at this stroke of luck, her five fingers made a grasping motion in the air, then she swung them down hard.

In an instant, the wild wind roared!

Scalding currents of air surged up around Ariel, making her jet-black hair look like a galaxy hanging upside down as it whipped and danced in the wind.

"What?!"

Burt’s face changed drastically, as if he’d sensed something. A strange pink radiance flashed rapidly around his body as well, resisting that searing heatwave.

But those scorching flames were like they had a mind of their own—each wave stronger than the last. Just the impact of those flames alone forced him to retreat again and again.

"This is a fourth-rank martial artist’s power?"

Beside him, Dolan—who had just been looking down on Ariel—was also horrified. He practically wanted to slap himself to check whether he was dreaming.

Fourth-rank?

This is fucking fourth-rank?

You’re telling me this is fucking fourth-rank?

Fourth-rank can casually suppress the two of them?

Why don’t you just say this thing is some big shot whose soul reincarnated—she looks young, but inside she’s already old as a demon!

"You idiot, calm down! Look carefully—this is Divine Favor!" Burt shouted.

Dolan snapped awake.

So that’s it. Divine Favor!

Then it wasn’t strange at all!

Power that came from a god often brought an out-of-spec shock. It wasn’t like history had never seen ordinary people with Divine Favor defeat top-tier powerhouses.

"The core body of Divine Favor is often very weak."

Dolan and Burt exchanged a look, then nodded in tacit understanding.

The strange pink radiance around Burt suddenly surged, temporarily holding back those rolling waves of flame.

Meanwhile, Dolan’s figure gradually faded. Under Burt’s cover, he disappeared without a sound.

"Almost got tricked by you."

Dolan sneered in his heart.

Divine Favor really was powerful, and it gave someone the right to be arrogant.

But people who possessed Divine Favor usually didn’t pay much attention to training themselves. After all, when you already had overwhelming power within arm’s reach, if you didn’t develop it, would you really start from zero and train the hard way?

So the Divine-Favored themselves were often the weak point.

"In the end, you’re just a... fourth-rank martial artist!"

Dolan circled around layer after layer of the surrounding wall of flame. That carefully arranged defense only made him more certain of his guess.

He spat out a small black bead. The bead spun rapidly, and it actually opened a small hole soundlessly for a brief moment at a weak point in the wall of flame.

Dolan slipped into the hole. He didn’t use the imposing black sword hanging at the side of his black trench coat. Instead, with a slightly coquettish twist of his wrist, a delicate dagger appeared in his palm.

A deep purple cold gleam flowed along the dagger. It was one of the top toxins in the Abyss. Even a tyrant-class magical beast wouldn’t last more than half a minute under it.

Without any hesitation, Dolan’s figure flashed, and he stabbed the dagger straight toward the other party’s heart!

"I won!"

A flicker of excited light flashed in Dolan’s eyes.

But...

What greeted him was not some frail person with no preparation, someone who could only scatter divine power around.

It was...

"Charging your face into my sword like that—out of all the idiot enemies I’ve killed so many times, you’re the first."

Ariel abruptly opened her eyes. In those bright, deep-black pupils that had already returned to normal, Dolan’s suddenly terrified expression was reflected clearly.

Ariel’s body, taut like a drawn bow, slowly uncoiled. The power she had gathered was compressed even further. Her five fingers clenched tight, and from her side she swung out that ruler-shaped greatsword that was almost taller than she was.

"Eat my exclusive signature move—Heavenly Fire, Draw the Blade!"

Boom!

Heaven and earth shuddered.

The wall of flame split to both sides on its own, as if to better vent that terrifying power.

Pushed by the aftershock, Burt stumbled back several steps. Cracks like shattered porcelain began to appear across his skin, but he had no time to care about any of that. He only stared at the center of the flames in disbelief.

But he could no longer see Dolan’s figure.

The last thing he saw was only a wisp of ash that gradually blended into the fire...

"O-one... one move? Just one move?"

Burt’s lips trembled as he spat out words that carried obvious fear:

"What kind of joke is this? She got killed that easily?"

As his companion, he knew Dolan’s strength best.

Even if he couldn’t match a Demon General, there was no way he would be killed so easily by an ordinary fourth-rank.

And with only one move.

Now even he wanted to slap himself to check whether he was dreaming.

"It wasn’t that easy, was it? After all, there aren’t many people who can take that move head-on."

The flames dispersed, revealing Ariel’s god-and-demon-like figure.

She tilted her small head, looking at Burt with anticipation, and asked:

"So what, are you still doubting that a mere fourth-rank martial artist like me really killed a Demon General?"

"N-no... I... I wasn’t. You... you’re overthinking it."

Burt forced out a smile that looked worse than crying.

He didn’t grieve over his companion’s death. He only started regretting coming here. They’d run into a stupid kid fleeing for his life on the road, asked him about it, heard he had companions, and this time they’d come over with the intent to strike first and rob them—but who would’ve thought that they would casually run into a monster like this?!

Damn it. Compared to someone like her, who fought across ranks as casually as drinking water and eating vegetables, those vicious magical beasts in the deepest parts of the Abyss were so cute they were practically like cats!

"Mm. I accidentally killed that guy, but if it’s just guiding, one is enough."

Ariel said it was accidental, but it was obvious she was extremely satisfied with that strike.

As expected of her exclusive signature move—it really was strong!

"In that case, I think you should also behave obediently and—mm!"

Ariel suddenly knit her brows slightly, letting out a muffled grunt through her nose.

Those injuries she hadn’t fully recovered from in her fight with Basaroka just now were tugged open again by that strike.

Even though she forcibly suppressed that flash of pain and held her body straight, that slight abnormality was still keenly caught by Burt.

"So it is!"

A sharp glint flashed in Burt’s eyes.

"Even if this girl really is freakish to the extreme, able to defeat Demon General Lord Basaroka across ranks, there’s no way it was too easy. She must’ve taken a pretty serious injury!"

"What?"

Ariel seemed to sense Burt’s thoughts. She let out a cold laugh.

"You think that in this state, you have a chance of beating me?"

"N-no, no... how could I dare have that kind of thought about you?"

Burt put on an equally bright smile. The hostility from earlier completely vanished, as if it had all been everyone’s illusion.

In that instant, his aura also underwent an enormous change. The change was so abrupt that it made Ariel feel that Burt’s smile... actually looked a little coquettish?

"I just want to let you see my true form, that’s all."

Pink fog spread out again, thickening as it rolled.

And Burt, wrapped in that pink fog, underwent a tremendous change.

That burly-man shell covered in cracks actually shattered into pieces like glass. Immediately after...

A long leg extended out of the fog in a seductive, swaying motion.

Then slender, pale skin like jade carved into a smooth wall, and then—held only by a black bandeau—an imposing fullness that was only a notch inferior to Ariel’s at this moment. After that came a flat, smooth lower abdomen, an exquisitely soul-hooking face...

And finally—peeking mischievously out from that waterfall of waist-length hair—a little tail that swung back and forth, its tip shaped like a heart.

"Y-you... you are...?" Ariel’s eyes went wide all at once.

"That’s right. I’m a succubus~"

"Burt" smiled charmingly.

She tapped her red lips lightly with her fingers. In those crimson pupils, tiny hazy hearts also surfaced. As she blew a kiss, those alluring pink vapors wrapped around the two of them.

"You also like women, don’t you."

"Y-yes... I like... women..."

Ariel’s eyes gradually lost focus. Under "Burt’s" soul-stealing allure, she actually stepped forward unconsciously, little by little, moving closer to "Burt."

"Charm Technique!"

Not far away, Roya looked extremely anxious. She hadn’t expected that Ariel—who could even defeat a Demon General—would fall for a move like this.

Was it really that heroes couldn’t withstand a gentle trap?

But there was nothing she could do, because "Burt" was clearly on guard against her. That pink fog made it hard for her to get close.

"Like women—good. I’m a woman."

"Burt’s" fingers slid down from those red lips, tracing the devilish curves of her body little by little, and finally pausing slowly on that imposing pair.

"I’m not only a woman. I’m also a succubus—a succubus who can let you experience the pleasures of paradise. Do you like me?"

"L-like... I like succubi..."

Ariel moved even closer, and a perverted, infatuated grin even appeared on her pretty face.

"Good."

"Burt" breathed out a fragrant breeze. Her palm even brushed lightly over her own imposing fullness, adding even more seductive charm.

"Then hurry over. Hurry and throw yourself into my arms. You should know this one of mine is the real thing. It feels way better than that fake one of yours~"

"Heh heh... the real thing... real... fake?"

Ariel’s body suddenly froze.