Satoru's group was gathered on the bank of a nearby river.
The water was clear and shallow, and from the surface the fish could be seen moving between the stones on the riverbed. The current was gentle, calm enough that anyone could step in without the water rising above their knees.
Satoru was guided to a fallen log near the shore.
"You may rest here, Master," Liza said.
Satoru sat down without protest while the others began organizing their activity.
"Tama, Pochi," Liza said. "Split up. One of you will go hunting. The other will stay and fish."
Both girls lifted their heads at the same time.
Tama raised her hand enthusiastically.
"I want to go hunting!"
"Then go."
Tama grabbed her weapons and quickly disappeared among the trees.
Satoru glanced toward Hans.
Hans responded without a word. A shadow slipped silently from his body and slid into the vegetation, following Tama without being detected.
Meanwhile, Pochi stepped into the river.
The water barely reached her knees. She bent over the surface and tried to grab one of the fish with both hands. The fish slipped between her fingers.
She tried again and failed once more.
Pochi frowned.
"They're fast…"
Satoru watched the scene in silence.
He exhaled slowly and allowed his gaze to drift to the side. There, wrapped in black bandages, rested the sacred sword. The cloth concealed its natural glow, keeping the blade sealed from plain sight.
Satoru observed it for a few seconds.
The memory of his encounter with Akon returned to his mind.
During the journey he had sensed a few changes in the weather. Brief and strange fluctuations, as if something were stirring far away. Yet nothing had manifested directly.
No dragons.
No followers of Akon.
After the witch's death, even the weather had returned to normal.
Everything had been too quiet.
"Ah!"
Pochi's cry pulled him from his thoughts.
Satoru almost stood immediately. Hans and Liza reacted at the same time.
"What happened?"
Pochi was jumping in the water.
A toothed fish had latched onto her tail.
"It won't let go!"
Hans threw a stone. The rock struck the fish with precision and it released her tail instantly. Two more stones followed immediately, leaving it unconscious on the water's surface.
Liza was already beside Pochi.
"Calm down," she said while inspecting the wound.
The bite was small and shallow. It posed no danger.
"Come."
Liza led her back into the water and adopted a stable stance.
"You must not be afraid. In the end… the fish are only at this level."
Her hand moved quickly downward. When she lifted it again, a toothed fish thrashed between her fingers.
Liza straightened naturally and adjusted her hair.
Pochi's eyes widened with admiration.
"Amazing!"
The little girl watched Liza with shining eyes before lowering herself back into the river. She imitated the posture she had just seen: she spread her legs slightly to stabilize herself and extended her arms while focusing on the water's surface.
The current flowed slowly between the stones.
Pochi waited.
Then she moved.
Her hand dropped quickly, and when she lifted it again a toothed fish wriggled between her fingers.
"I got it!"
She raised the fish proudly to show the three adults on the shore.
At that exact moment another toothed fish jumped from the water, attracted by the small tail moving behind her.
But this time Pochi reacted.
She turned her body and kicked.
The fish was sent flying and splashed back into the river.
Pochi placed both hands on her hips with a proud expression.
"The same move won't work twice on Pochi."
Her posture was so confident that for a moment no one said anything.
Then the fish she had originally caught slipped.
Pochi realized too late.
The fish fell from her hands, struck the water, and disappeared between the stones at the bottom.
Pochi watched it go with a defeated expression.
"Ah…"
Satoru rested his cheek against one hand as he observed the scene.
After a few seconds he stood.
"I will help as well."
***
Some time later, back at the abandoned fortress.
The light entering through the broken windows of the castle barely illuminated part of the hall.
The old chamber had been transformed into an improvised laboratory. Stone tables occupied the center of the room, covered with flasks, alchemical containers, and tools that had been gathered during the previous days. Several mana lamps kept the interior illuminated even in the corners where natural light could not reach.
Satoru stood beside one of the tables.
He was not working at that moment. His attention was elsewhere.
Through the open window he could see the fortress courtyard.
There, Liza held her spear in a firm stance while facing Tama and Pochi at the same time. Training had become a daily routine over the past week, and the difference between them was beginning to show.
Tama moved quickly, circling the perimeter with light steps while searching for blind angles. Pochi, meanwhile, advanced directly from the front, relying on her strength and endurance to pressure.
Liza kept both of them under control.
A turn of her spear forced Tama to retreat, and the next movement intercepted Pochi's advance before she could close the distance.
The practice continued.
Satoru looked away.
In front of him, kneeling on the stone floor, the Black Demon waited in silence.
Behind the creature, the lich Zen remained motionless, observing the scene with his empty sockets.
"How are the preparations progressing?" Satoru asked.
The Black Demon immediately raised his head.
Even while kneeling he looked imposing. His dark, distorted body cast an irregular shadow across the floor, and the smile forming on his face was far too wide to be comforting.
"Everything progresses according to your will, my lord."
His voice carried an evident tone of pride.
The mid-ranking demon that had been worsening the barony's deterioration was the Hell Demon. Both he and the Black Demon had originally served under the same Golden Demon King. However, the difference between them within that hierarchy had been enormous.
The Black Demon was not just another subordinate. He had been part of the group of generals closest to the Demon King, a figure known even to lesser demons who had never come into direct contact with their sovereign. For creatures like the Hell Demon, his existence did not belong to rumor but to evident authority.
Thus, when the Black Demon appeared before him, there had been no real resistance.
The Hell Demon immediately recognized a superior from the former demonic hierarchy and accepted obedience without opposition.
"The monster army has already been assembled. The creatures respond without difficulty to our commands."
His smile widened slightly.
"And the teleportation circle required to mobilize them is almost complete. Only minor adjustments remain."
He bowed his head slightly.
"All of this has been possible thanks to my lord's power."
Satoru did not react to the flattery.
The silence that followed was brief, but enough for the demon to hesitate for a moment.
His expression shifted slightly.
Satoru noticed.
"Do you have something else to say?"
The Black Demon hesitated for only a moment before answering.
"If my lord permits a question…"
"Speak."
"Why not conquer the city directly?"
The demon tilted his head slightly as he spoke.
"The barony is weakened. With your power, taking Muno would be simple."
He paused briefly.
"From my perspective… it would be the most efficient path."
Satoru did not respond immediately.
He walked a few steps toward the window and looked again at the courtyard.
Tama attempted to enter from the right flank. Liza rotated her spear and forced her to stop before she could close the distance.
Then he spoke.
"The city is poor."
The demon blinked.
"The resources I need are not inside Muno," Satoru continued. "They depend on external trade routes."
He looked back at the demon.
"The merchants currently operating in the region are low-level opportunists. Their presence is a direct consequence of the demonic influence that has been manipulating the barony."
The Black Demon nodded slowly.
"Even if I took the city," Satoru continued, "that situation would not change immediately."
His voice remained calm.
"The demonic influence in the region is also insufficient to maintain absolute control at all times. Maintaining that dominance would require constant supervision."
His eyes briefly shifted toward Zen.
"That would mean dedicating time to matters that do not interest me."
Several other reasons appeared clearly in his mind.
Ruling a poor city had no value.
There was no long-term plan for Muno.
Furthermore, direct domination over humans would only complicate the relationship with the demi-humans who accompanied him.
And there was another factor.
Humans.
An open conquest would generate rebellions. Political conflicts. Probably intervention from other territories.
All of that would require constant attention.
And although he and Hans possessed considerable strength, they were still only two individuals.
Placing too much pressure on the humans would only create unnecessary problems.
Satoru set those thoughts aside.
"There are several reasons," he said at last. "But you do not need to concern yourself with them."
The Black Demon immediately bowed his head.
"I understand, my lord. I appreciate your explanation."
Satoru nodded once.
"The meeting is over."
The demon lowered his head until it touched the floor.
***
Days later, the undead dragon once again emerged from the depths.
Its enormous skeletal body rose above the fortress as it spread its wings, creating gusts of wind that shook the grass in the courtyard.
The group was ready to depart.
Tama and Pochi looked at the creature with obvious excitement.
"We're flying again!"
"Yes!"
Liza, however, seemed less certain.
Satoru approached her.
"How are you feeling?"
Liza tried to remain calm.
"I'm fine."
Hans observed the scene for a moment before walking toward Tama and Pochi. Without saying much, he lifted each of them under one arm.
"It cannot be guaranteed that nothing will happen," he commented in a practical tone. "You are still too weak to fly without support."
He jumped.
In a single movement he landed on the dragon's back.
"Wooaaah!"
"It's so high!"
Tama and Pochi squealed with excitement as they looked down from above.
Satoru turned his attention back to Liza.
Then he opened his arms.
"Hans has a point."
Liza blushed slightly.
"W-with your permission…"
She first tried to hold onto Satoru's sleeve.
Satoru observed the gesture.
"That will hardly help."
He stepped closer and wrapped one hand around her waist. Liza lowered her head in obvious embarrassment.
Then she felt the ground disappear beneath her feet.
"Huh?"
Both of them began to rise.
Satoru carried them through the air toward the dragon waiting above the fortress.
***
The doors of Muno Castle slowly opened as the consul walked through the main corridor.
The man walking there had the perfect appearance of a human official. His posture was straight, his expression composed, and his steps measured. No one who looked at him would suspect that this body was nothing more than a fraction of something far more monstrous.
The Hell Demon possessed the ability to divide his existence.
Most of his power was outside the city, where his main body led the monster army secretly gathered. That mass of creatures waited for the final signal to march upon Muno.
The body now walking through the castle was only an offshoot.
A lesser extension of himself, sufficient to maintain the illusion of normality inside the city while the plan unfolded.
That offshoot occupied the identity of the barony's consul.
Walking beside him was the ruler of the territory.
Baron Leon Muno was a stout man, with a rounded face that made his soft features even more evident. His black hair was combed back and a small mustache decorated his upper lip. He wore elegant clothing, though far from the excessive ostentation preferred by other nobles. His drooping eyes gave him an almost tired air, as if the weight of governance had shaped his character into resignation.
To the demon, that was simply another sign of weakness.
A man like that was easy to manipulate.
It had been simple to enter the castle, simple to advise him, simple to redirect the city's decisions toward whatever the Hell Demon desired.
A city governed by someone like that was destined to fall sooner or later.
The demon slightly raised his gaze toward the ceiling as they walked.
His thoughts turned to another being.
The Great Black General.
The Black Demon.
Even now, remembering their meeting produced a strange sensation in his mind. For a creature of his rank, suddenly standing before one of the former generals of the Golden Demon King had been like witnessing a legend appear.
An opportunity.
If they worked together, there was a real possibility that the former lord would return.
The Hell Demon was convinced of it.
He also remembered how surprised he had been when he saw how quickly the Black Demon reorganized the preparations for the army. The number of monsters gathered was impressive on its own.
But what had truly surprised him was the presence of countless undead.
That had not been something he had planned.
It could only mean that the general possessed allies or resources far greater than he had imagined.
For that reason, the city of Muno had lost almost all value to him.
Now it was little more than a final tool.
"Consul."
The baron's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Leon looked at him with curiosity.
"I still do not understand why it was necessary to gather the entire city in the plaza."
The demon resumed the calm smile of the official.
"I have an important announcement to make."
His tone was calm, almost friendly.
"An announcement that will be key to Muno's future."
The baron seemed encouraged.
"So you truly have found a way to deal with the problems of this land?"
The demon slightly inclined his head.
"That is correct."
Leon looked relieved.
Then he lowered his voice slightly.
"By the way… is it all right that Karina was not informed?"
The Hell Demon remembered the baron's second daughter.
It had been a minor oversight.
A moment of distraction that had allowed the girl to discover something she should not have seen.
Even so, it no longer mattered.
When Karina escaped from the castle, she had been gravely injured. She had fled into the forest in the middle of the night.
The chances of her survival were practically nonexistent.
The demon kept his smile intact.
"Do not worry."
"Lady Karina worked very hard on her studies yesterday. She deserves to rest."
He made a light gesture with his hand.
"If necessary, we can explain everything to her later."
Leon nodded with relief.
Walking beside them was his eldest daughter.
Soruna.
Unlike her father, she possessed a far more elegant presence. Her black hair fell softly over her shoulders and her posture conveyed a natural tranquility. Her delicate features resembled the ancient sculptures of the south, and a small beauty mark at the corner of her eye accentuated her serene gaze.
Even beneath her formal dress, her figure carried a femininity that was difficult to ignore.
She also accepted the explanation without suspicion.
A fourth individual walked beside them.
The "hero."
Hauto.
A young man of similar age to Soruna, with black hair and dark pupils. His build was strong and masculine, typical of someone accustomed to physical labor. He wore white knightly clothing, over which rested a straight sword within a blue scabbard.
He wore no heavy armor.
Only a metal shoulder guard and leather gauntlets protected his arms.
For the citizens of Muno, that man was the savior who had arrived to protect the city.
He remained silent, simply following the group behind Soruna.
The four of them finally reached their destination.
The doors leading to the balcony opened and the group stepped outside.
The plaza before the castle was full.
Practically the entire population of Muno had gathered there. Men, women, and children clustered before the building with expectant gazes, looking up toward the terrace where their ruler stood.
Baron Leon Muno stepped forward.
He was not a particularly talented speaker, but he did not need to be. His presence did not command respect through authority but through familiarity. For years he had governed the barony without excess or arrogance, and although his administration was far from brilliant, most of the inhabitants saw him as an honest man who did what he could for his people.
"My dear citizens," he began.
His speech was brief. He spoke about the recent difficulties the barony had faced, about monster attacks and the decline that had affected the region over the past years. He used no grand words or magnificent promises—only expressed his desire to find a solution that would restore stability to Muno.
After a few sentences he stepped back.
"Our consul also has something important to announce."
The moment the baron spoke those words, several people among the castle staff tensed. Some guards exchanged brief glances, and a few servants looked away with evident discomfort.
Leon noticed none of those reactions.
The consul stepped forward to the edge of the balcony with a calm expression.
He observed the crowd for several seconds, as if evaluating the mood of the plaza.
Then he spoke.
"I have gathered all of you here to make an important announcement."
His voice carried easily over the crowd.
"An announcement that will change the future of this city."
He paused briefly.
"Because today… all your worries will disappear."
The people remained silent, waiting to hear the explanation that should follow.
The consul's smile widened slightly.
"After all," he continued with complete calm, "you are all about to die."
For a moment no one reacted.
The words took time to find meaning in the minds of those who heard them.
Then the consul began to laugh.
His head exploded.
Where the human face had been, a grotesque mass of twisting tentacles appeared. At the center of that mass, a single enormous eye opened and scanned the plaza with pure delight.
A scream tore through the crowd.
"A demon!"
Panic spread immediately.
People began pushing each other, trying to flee in all directions at once.
On the balcony, the young "hero" reacted with delay but eventually stepped forward, placing himself between the demon and the baron. He drew his sword with a clumsy motion and raised the blade before him, trying to adopt a firm stance.
"Baron, fall back!"
His voice sounded louder than normal, as if he were trying to convince himself of his own courage.
The sword in his hands emitted a faint glow, imitating the radiance of a sacred relic. However, the obvious trembling in his hands betrayed what he truly was.
Hauto was not a hero.
He was only a farmer who had had the misfortune of encountering the Hell Demon months earlier. The demon, disguised then as a traveling priest, had presented him to the city as a chosen one of the gods and had given him a false sword to sustain the lie.
The goal had always been the same: keep the population calm while the city was prepared for its destruction.
The Hell Demon watched the scene with amusement.
"I no longer need you."
His tentacles slowly unfurled, as if enjoying prolonging the moment.
"Your lives will serve as an offering for my lord's return."
Several castle soldiers attempted to attack.
They did not get far.
The demon's tentacles moved with impossible speed. One pierced a guard's chest, another slammed a second against the ground, and a third tore part of the balcony railing away in an explosion of stone.
Part of the balcony collapsed with a crash.
A tentacle descended directly toward the baron and his daughter.
Hauto reacted by instinct.
He raised his sword and tried to intercept the attack.
The impact hurled him backward as if he weighed nothing. His body struck the balcony floor and rolled several meters before stopping.
"Hauto!"
Soruna dropped to her knees beside him, grabbing his shoulder desperately.
The Hell Demon watched the scene with clear satisfaction.
"I have waited a long time for this moment."
One of his tentacles rose again above the balcony.
Baron Leon, seeing there was no escape, stepped in front of his daughter and closed his eyes.
The attack descended.
The impact never came.
When Leon opened his eyes, he saw a small figure standing before him.
A girl held a shield before her body. The demon's strike had stopped against that defense.
Pochi.
The Hell Demon blinked.
At that same moment two more figures burst onto the balcony.
Tama appeared first. With a swift motion she threw a dagger that cut through the air toward the demon. One of the tentacles deflected it, but the weapon embedded itself in the stone floor.
The demon tried to counterattack.
A shadow descended from the side.
Liza appeared between them with a clean movement of her spear. The blade traced a precise arc and one of the demon's tentacles separated from its body before falling onto the balcony floor.
The creature was forced to step back.
Now the three demi-humans stood before the baron and his daughter, forming a defensive line.
Footsteps echoed from the corridor behind them.
The Hell Demon slowly turned its enormous eye toward the entrance.
A figure appeared in the doorway.
The demon narrowed its pupil.
"So you finally appear."
His voice dripped with venom.
"You are the one my lord warned me about."
He paused.
"Demon hunter."
Satoru stepped onto the balcony, and his blue eyes met the demon's single eye directly.
****
Author's Note:
I wanted to include a quieter scene with Satoru and the girls in this chapter. Up to this point, I haven't shown them in many "family-like" moments, so it felt like a good opportunity to slow things down a little and show that side of their group.
This arc is also one of the most important ones when it comes to character development, especially for Satoru and the direction his story will take from here.
As for the seal… that topic will come later.
As always, thank you for reading.