Chapter Summaries

Shien and Aiyi fought their way through the demon-refined creatures in Arutol Canyon but avoided destroying it because Vivian's Squad was still inside. They encountered Jacinta and his twin demons Jess and Lis, who had come to stop the ritual, and the chapter ended with Jacinta recognizing Aiyi.

• Shien and Aiyi killed and burned the demon-refined creatures as they advanced deeper into Arutol Canyon.
• Aiyi suggested destroying the canyon, but Shien refused because Vivian and the others might be harmed.
• Shien sensed someone approaching and led Aiyi toward them.
• Jacinta arrived with Jess and Lis, intending to destroy the ritual's source before it grew stronger.
• Shien greeted Jess and Lis around a corner while Jacinta stared at Aiyi in surprise.

Shien reunited with Jacinta, Jess, and Lis while holding Aiyi, whose powerful identity stunned the demons. Jacinta realized Aiyi was deeply attached to Shien and decided he could not afford to offend him.

• Jacinta, Jess, and Lis froze in shock when they saw Aiyi holding Shien's hand, revealing that they knew her true identity.
• Shien released Aiyi's hand, then picked her up, leaving the demons horrified and Aiyi astonished.
• Shien asked Jacinta why he was there and whether he had been searching for something.
• Aiyi ordered Jacinta to answer Shien, and Jacinta concluded that he could not afford to offend Shien.

Jacinta explained that the Demonoid Larva was the core of the Demon Refining Ritual and that killing it was the only way to stop the ritual. He asked Shien what he intended to do, and Shien said he was on Aiyi’s side.

• Shien and Aiyi learned that Jacinta and his companions had been tracking the Demonoid Larva to stop the Demon Refining Ritual.
• Jacinta explained that the Larva could shift between reality and illusion, making it difficult to detect and kill before it devoured the final sacrifice.
• Jacinta realized that Aiyi was leaving the decisions to Shien and began treating him as someone to take seriously.
• Jacinta asked Shien what he planned to do about the ritual and the secrets of demonkind.
• Shien told Jacinta he was on Aiyi’s side and patted her head, prompting Jacinta to silently wish he would be gentler.

Shien and Aiyi left Jacinta to handle the Demonoid Larva while they pursued their own matters and searched for those responsible for the incident. Jacinta decided to notify Lady Sera about Aiyi’s unusual closeness to Shien, while Shien and Aiyi left together, playfully bickering.

• Shien told Jacinta he and Aiyi would split up from the demons and investigate House Galuoli’s role in the canyon incident.
• Aiyi agreed to act with Shien and told Jacinta to handle the Demonoid Larva.
• Jacinta accepted responsibility for the larva and watched Shien and Aiyi leave with Jess and Lis.
• Jacinta decided to notify Lady Sera about Aiyi’s trust in Shien.
• Shien teased Aiyi as they walked, then backed down when she glared at him.

Vasco and the nobles pursued the powerful monster after it escaped their Demon Refining Ritual, while Vivian’s group tried to find a way out of Arutol Canyon. Georido confronted Vivian’s Squad, and Shien and Aiyi rushed toward them after sensing they were in danger.

• The monster broke free from the Demon Refining creatures and flew away despite Vasco’s group attacking it.
• Vasco ordered the nobles to pursue the monster, and they agreed after he reminded them they had no way back.
• Vivian, Tier, Lumya, and Merika prepared to escape the canyon, while Tier and Merika sensed that its magic power was behaving strangely.
• Georido arrived with nobles and knights and blocked Vivian’s Squad from leaving.
• Aiyi sensed that the girls were in danger, and Shien sped toward them with her.

Vivian and her companions fought Georido’s forces as Merika’s defensive magic and Tier’s swordsmanship helped hold them off. With Vivian and Merika exhausted and Lumya occupied, Georido shot Tier with an arrow, leaving her wounded as the battle continued.

• Vivian led Tier, Lumya, and Merika out of the cave, where Georido’s forces blocked their escape with flames and charged them.
• Vivian used Decoy and Resist to draw the knights’ attacks onto her while Georido ordered his mages to fire from beyond Decoy’s range.
• Merika cast Freeze Whirlpools and blocked the barrage, then collapsed from exhaustion as Georido ordered the knights to target her.
• Lumya engaged two knights to protect Merika, while Tier cut through the remaining attackers with her Magic Sword.
• Georido shot Tier in the side with an arrow, and Vivian, Merika, and Lumya cried out as Tier coughed up blood.

Tier was struck down by Georido’s cursed poison arrow, and as her companions faced defeat, she surrendered control to the power within her and asked it to protect them. Just as Georido ordered his men to seize the women, Shien arrived with an overwhelming surge of mana.

• Georido’s Arrow of Swift Poison hit Tier, leaving her unable to move as the curse and poison spread through her body.
• Tier saw Merika rush to her, Lumya fall wounded, and Vivian face encirclement, then called on the power within her to protect her companions.
• Georido celebrated Tier’s apparent defeat and ordered his men to take the women, intending to keep Vivian alive and claim Merika and Lumya for himself.
• A violent surge of mana swept across the battlefield and froze the nobles and knights as Shien descended before them.
• Vivian and Merika recognized Shien and reacted with delight at his arrival.

Shien unleashed his full magic power and used Celestial Breathe to heal Vivian's Squad, including Tier. He then slaughtered Georido's nobles and knights with Magic Power Detonation, leaving Georido alive and begging for mercy as Shien continued to glare at him.

• Shien released an overwhelming storm of magic power, stunning Georido's group and drawing Aiyi's attention.
• Shien cast Celestial Breathe, healing Vivian's Squad and removing Tier's curse and lethal poison.
• Shien killed a fleeing noble by detonating the magic power in his body, then learned and maximized Magic Power Detonation.
• Shien used Magic Power Detonation to kill the fleeing nobles and knights, sparing only Georido.
• Georido vomited amid the carnage and begged Shien not to kill him, while Shien stared at him with undiminished killing intent.

Shien killed Georido after crushing his limbs and chest, then went to check on Vivian's Squad. Tier remained unconscious, burning with chaotic, sinister magic until a black horn emerged from her forehead and she attacked Shien.

• Shien crushed Georido's limbs and chest, killing him as the rest of his hunting party lay dead.
• Shien checked on Vivian, Lumya, and Merika, and Merika embraced him in relief.
• Lumya noticed Tier had not awakened, and Shien found her body feverishly hot as dark magic spilled from her.
• Aiyi warned everyone to get away as Tier's hood slipped back, revealing a black horn and crimson eyes.
• Tier grabbed Shien, and blood sprayed into the air.

Tier pierced Shien’s shoulder, then absorbed magic through her horn and rapidly grew stronger. As Tier charged the group, Aiyi intercepted her and fought her in a destructive midair clash while Shien healed his wound and asked Vivian what was happening.

• Tier pierced Shien’s shoulder, breaking through his resistance, and Shien kicked her away.
• Tier rose with her body twisting, absorbed magic through her horn, and roared as her level climbed past ninety.
• Tier charged Vivian and the others, but Aiyi intercepted her and caught her attack.
• Aiyi and Tier exchanged powerful blows that shook the canyon, while Aiyi deflected Tier’s attacks with one hand.
• Shien used Celestial Breathe to heal his shoulder, then asked Vivian what was happening.

Vivian explained that Tier’s horn was the manifestation of a Unique Skill that made her stronger by absorbing mana but drove her into a destructive berserk state. As Tier rampaged in the arena, Vivian said the only way to stop the skill was to cut off the horn.

• Lumya, Merika, and Shien asked Vivian why Tier had become so terrifying as she fought Aiyi.
• Vivian revealed that Tier’s horn activated her Unique Skill, which absorbed nearby mana and continually increased her strength.
• Vivian explained that the skill also made Tier lose her reason, and that one of her past rampages had fatally injured her grandfather.
• Vivian described how House Elbain concealed Tier’s ability and treated her as a dangerous outcast, leaving her isolated through much of her childhood.
• Shien asked how Tier could be stopped, and Vivian answered that they had to cut off her horn.

Shien rushed in to stop Tier as her horn absorbed magic power and made her increasingly strong. After unsealing his Holy Sword and binding Tier with layered enchantments, he cut off her horn, leaving her fate unresolved.

• Shien charged at Tier while Aiyi withdrew from the fight.
• Tier overwhelmed Shien with her strength, forcing him to evade her attacks with Instantaneous Movement.
• Shien unsealed the Holy Sword, and its radiance drew the attention of Vivian, Lumya, Merika, and Aiyi.
• Shien bound Tier with several enchantments before her growing strength could break her free.
• Shien struck Tier's horn with the Holy Sword, and the horn broke off and fell.

Shien stopped Tier’s rampage by catching the horn that had fallen from her head, and she lost consciousness as her power subsided. After everyone confirmed she was safe, they noticed the Holy Sword Shien had briefly unsealed, while Aiyi grew interested in both Tier’s potential and Shien’s strength.

• Shien caught Tier’s fallen horn, ending her transformation and causing her power to fall back to level sixty.
• Shien caught the unconscious Tier and reassured Vivian, Lumya, and Merika that she would recover.
• Vivian thanked Aiyi for helping restrain Tier, and Aiyi said Tier’s Unique Skill and potential intrigued her.
• Aiyi sensed that Shien’s Holy Sword still held greater power and judged his potential to surpass every Hero in history.
• Lumya and Merika recognized the Holy Sword, but Shien resealed it and discouraged them from asking about it.
• Merika gazed at Shien with growing interest, and Shien focused on dealing with Tier’s situation.

Tier woke after Shien and Aiyi stopped her berserk transformation, and she realized the danger to Vivian's Squad had passed. Shien led the exhausted group toward the royal capital, unaware that a massive black shadow was approaching.

• Tier woke in Shien's arms and learned that Shien and Aiyi had stopped her berserk rampage.
• Tier recognized Aiyi's power and silently showed Shien her gratitude for saving her and Vivian's Squad.
• Shien told everyone to return to the royal capital while he and Aiyi dealt with the canyon's ritual later.
• Merika worried about the strange magic in the canyon, but Shien reassured her that the group could leave.
• The group set out for the canyon's outskirts as a massive black shadow flew toward them from far away.

Shien made a guarded campsite in Arutol Canyon so Vivian's Squad could rest, then bathed in a nearby pool while Aiyi went to search for a cave. Tier joined him in the water and began to tell him a story.

• Shien decided Vivian's Squad could not return to the royal capital that night and set up camp in the canyon.
• Shien used four Enchantment Magic traits to conceal and protect the campsite, then made the air warmer so the exhausted girls could sleep.
• Aiyi complained about the rough campsite and left to find a nearby cave.
• Shien heated the pool with Enchantment Magic and reflected on the magic he had learned.
• Tier slipped into the pool opposite Shien, then quietly began telling him a story.

Tier told Shien the story of her childhood, her family’s rejection, and the friends who briefly gave her a place to belong. She revealed that her mother had secretly let the Slayer Faction into the royal capital, leaving Tier hated by her family and forced to leave House Elbain.

• Tier recounted how she had been feared as a child, confined and isolated, and trained in hopes of earning her family’s recognition.
• Tier described how her father kept her close for safety and how Princess of the Kingdom, a noble’s daughter, and a mysterious woman became her friends.
• After Tier’s grandfather died from injuries caused by her berserk state, her friends intervened to protect her freedom from relatives who wanted to confine her again.
• Tier told Shien that her mother was a noblewoman from the Ragna Empire who had been sent to the Kingdom as a spy.
• Tier explained that her mother let the Slayer Faction infiltrate the royal capital, and that Tier’s father killed her mother after discovering her betrayal.
• Tier said the nobles rejected her as a criminal’s descendant, and she ultimately left her family.

Tier explained to Shien why she sought to defeat her father, Aridia Elbain: she wanted to understand the heart behind his strength and find freedom from the demon within her. She trusted Shien to help her overcome her predicament and stake everything on him.

• Tier told Shien she felt little grief over her mother's death, but had asked Roxie and Ryley to build her mother a grave to repay the debt of being born.
• Tier described how her family and clansmen feared her, while Aridia watched her suffer without intervening or showing emotion.
• Tier said she resented Aridia as a heartless monster and had resolved to defeat him to see his true self and gain freedom and strength.
• Shien remained silent, recognizing that he had gained his own power easily and could not claim to understand Tier's struggle.
• Tier reassured Shien that she felt at ease with him and believed he could help her find a new path, so she wanted to stake everything on him.

Shien challenged Tier’s decision to entrust her future to him, but Tier explained that her hidden blessing from the Goddess of Fate had revealed his potential. After kissing Shien, she disclosed her true face and told him he was the first person to see it.

• Shien warned Tier that she might be recklessly betting her life on him after knowing him for less than two months.
• Tier rose from the water, straddled Shien, and kissed him.
• Shien received information about Tier’s special skill, Goddess of Fate’s Blessing, which granted her revelations and guidance from fate.
• Tier told Shien she had hidden her blessing from House Elbain, the Princess, and Vivian to protect her identity as an Oni.
• Tier explained that fate had revealed Shien’s potential to her and said he was worth betting everything on.
• Tier removed her mask and told Shien he was the first person to see her true face.

After Tier revealed her true appearance and pledged herself to Shien, he resolved to marry her. He sensed a powerful, strangely chaotic monster approaching the canyon, confronted it alone, and knocked it from the sky before recognizing its appearance.

• Tier told Shien that revealing her true appearance meant she had sworn loyalty to him, and asked him to let her stay by his side without feeling pressured.
• Shien decided he had to marry Tier and watched over her while she slept beside Vivian and the others.
• Shien sensed a powerful monster approaching, noted that Enemy Perception had not detected it, and left the camp so the girls could rest.
• Shien activated Limit Break, enchanted his hand with Harden, and punched the monster out of the sky.
• Shien examined the fallen monster and froze when he saw what it looked like.

Shien discovered that the black dragon resisting the Demon Refining Ritual was in danger of becoming a powerful sacrifice for the Demonoid Larva. He subdued the dragon and used Taming as the ritual’s corrupting force erupted inside it.

• Shien identified the black dragon as a level 93 creature whose unstable power came from resisting the Demon Refining Ritual.
• Shien decided to save the dragon rather than let the Demonoid Larva devour it as a sacrifice.
• Shien unsealed the Holy Sword, split the dragon’s fiery breath with a Magic Sword, and landed on its back.
• Shien used Fatigue and then accelerated its effect, draining the dragon’s strength and magic power until it collapsed.
• The magic power, flesh, and blood inside the dragon erupted, and Shien activated Taming to intervene.