Published: January 24, 2026
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At the bottom of the great hole left by Orun and Stig’s disappearance, Fuuka and Demon faced each other.
“An ambush? How brazen. I’ll kill you for sure! Even if you scream and cry, I won’t show mercy—brace yourself!”
Demon, having recovered from the damage caused by Orun’s attack, glared at Fuuka with bloodshot eyes full of rage.
“Enough with the chatter. Come at me quickly.”
In response, Fuuka drew her sword, enveloped in a cold and sharp killing intent.
“You little brat!!”
Offended by Fuuka’s words, Demon’s veins bulged as he used distance shrinking to close in on her.
He swung his greatsword down with force.
Demon’s swift sequence of movements was too fast for ordinary people to react to, usually deciding the outcome of the fight.
However, Demon’s opponent was Fuuka Shinonome.
The Sword Princess of Kyokutō, a swordsman who was reaching the pinnacle of martial skill.
Just before Demon’s greatsword could reach Fuuka, her figure blurred.
In the next moment, Fuuka was gone from that spot,
“Gahhh!?”
Demon’s scream echoed around.
With her back turned to him, Fuuka swung her sword stained a reddish copper color, wiping the blood away.
Demon knelt, clutching his side where blood flowed endlessly.
Turning back, Fuuka looked down at Demon with cold, ruthless eyes.
“Th-That sword… is it a cursed sword!? Then you’re…!”
Seeing Fuuka’s sword, Demon’s voice betrayed his unease.
But his agitation soon faded, replaced by a look of joy.
“So, you’re the ‘Sword Princess’! Coming to me yourself! Ha ha ha! This is just perfect!”
His eyes gleamed as if forgetting the pain where he had been slashed.
Grasping his greatsword tightly, its blade too turned a reddish copper color, just like Fuuka’s.
“Finally. This day has come at last! Now, let’s have it—a death duel beyond human understanding!”
Shouting with joy, Demon raised his greatsword to strike.
At that moment, Fuuka used distance shrinking to bring Demon inside her range.
“Sorry, but you lack the skill to duel me.”
Fuuka stated the fact plainly as she swung her sword against the greatsword, which was not yet powered with any force.
With her returning strike, she hit Demon’s greatsword, disrupting his stance and slashed him.
“Ugh…! Not yet!”
Blood gushed from Demon’s wound, oddly moving as if it had a will of its own.
A sharp-tipped blood mass charged at Fuuka.
She elegantly dodged and parried it with her swordsmanship, keeping her distance.
Demon closed in on Fuuka, following her movements.
Once in range, he swung his greatsword.
Without even glancing at the giant blade approaching her, Fuuka dodged with minimal movement.
Demon’s attack barely missed, leaving him open for the red-copper blade to strike.
What seemed like a single slash from Fuuka’s sword carved countless cuts into Demon’s body.
“Gah!?”
Fuuka’s assault did not stop there.
With a flowing motion, she moved into Demon’s close proximity and placed her hand against his bloodstained chest.
She released a powerful qi blast, carrying the shockwave of her energy strike.
“Ugh!?”
Demon spat blood and was blasted backward, bouncing twice or thrice before rolling on the ground.
“Damn it…! How is this possible…? Me, powerless…? Unbelievable… this can’t be…”
Lying face down, Demon murmured like delirium in the face of Fuuka’s overwhelming strength.
“Is that all there is to the Western demon’s power?”
Fuuka approached slowly, her voice dripping with boredom.
“Damn it… don’t look down on me…!”
“I’ve seen enough. The Western demon is not my specialty, but I’ll exorcise you properly, so don’t worry.”
As Fuuka sheathed her reddish copper sword, an aura of cherry blossom pink mana, almost white, began to cling to it.
A being spoken of in legends since ancient times—the vampire.
The Cyclamen Cult had conducted human experiments to create such creatures.
After years of research and experimentation, a demon humanoid reflecting vampire traits was born.
That was Demon Ogre, the war demon.