The evil aura in front of them pulsed. In the sky, a massive blackish-purple magic circle hovered over the entire city of Velderath. Blood-red runes formed and slowly rotated, spreading an overwhelming magical pressure.
Rashan stepped forward. "What is this…?" He reached out to touch the barrier, but Dyren immediately grabbed his hand.
"Don't do that! Your hand could be destroyed," Dyren warned.
Rashan quickly pulled back. His face turned pale. He swallowed hard, realizing how close he had come to losing his hand.
Dyren frowned. He looked up. It was clear that this magic seal was massive. He remembered this event—when the Demon General Durakh attacked the capital. But it was supposed to happen in the capital city, where the Hero was located.
Strangely, this was happening in Velderath. It didn't make sense. It deviated greatly from what Dyren knew. And not just this—several events before had also differed from his memories.
"This must be the result of what I've done," he muttered.
He tried to touch the barrier himself. But the moment he did, pain shot through his arm. His entire body felt as if it had been struck by a bolt of intense lightning.
Zrrt.
Dyren quickly pulled his hand back. Blood dripped from his palm. But this was a bit different from what he had expected. The seal could still be passed through—it just injured anyone who tried. In the novel, no one ever entered.
"If that's the case, then someone should've gone inside." Dyren felt something was off. It was as if the author had left a hidden conspiracy unspoken.
Dyren was determined to find a way in. Not to save the citizens of Velderath—but to save Mira and Mara, his party members. He needed them, and he wanted to defeat the Demon General. This was the first step toward killing the Demon King and returning to Earth.
Defeat the Demon General first.
"I have to get in." He had made up his mind.
Rashan turned to Dyren, panicked. "So we can't help them from the outside!?"
Dyren nodded. "Correct. And even worse, no one can enter."
Rashan and the others looked even more desperate. Their family members were inside. The four of them looked at Dyren with pleading expressions, like children begging for candy from their mother. Dyren took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"I'll try to break through. But I'm not making any promises," said Dyren.
Rashan and his party looked relieved. They seemed genuinely grateful and trusting of Dyren. That trust annoyed him slightly. It became a burden. After all, he didn't really care about the people of Velderath.
"Thank you. If you succeed, we'll give you all of our treasures as payment."
Dyren turned his head sharply. "Are you serious?"
Rashan was stunned. He hadn't expected Dyren to be interested in that. He had only said it to sound dramatic. He thought Dyren would reject the offer and say something like, 'I'm doing this because we're friends.' Unfortunately, his fantasy and reality were vastly different.
"Y-yes," Rashan answered hesitantly.
Dyren nodded. "Alright then. I'll defeat the Demon General."
He became excited, but Rashan and the others felt otherwise. Vannel, Brux, and Jilkan stared at Rashan with irritated expressions. As if they were about to murder him on the spot.
***
At the Adventurers' Guild, something felt strange from outside. Gorath, inside his room, quickly exited the building. When he looked up, he swallowed hard. He realized this was not a normal situation.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
He clenched his fist. Beside him stood Eli, and behind them were other adventurers. All their faces were filled with anxiety.
Sssshhhh... Boom!
An explosion occurred in front of them. Gorath and the others immediately readied themselves for battle. When the dust cleared, dozens of creatures with glowing red eyes stood there. They had horns, wore black cloaks, and their bodies radiated dark, malicious magic.
"Demon troops…" Gorath muttered, lowering his stance.
One of the demons shouted, "Kill all the humans. Leave no one alive. Find the Hero!"
Dozens of demons charged toward the guild. The adventurers were ready, but when they tried to use magic—they couldn't. Gorath, who had just finished chanting a fire spell, saw nothing happen. Everyone was shocked.
"Don't tell me…" He looked up. "Damn. It's a magic-restraining spell. This is really bad."
The demons were already moving. They fired dark magic attacks. Some adventurers were hit and thrown back—injured and dying. Gorath clicked his tongue in frustration. He grabbed the sword of an unconscious adventurer nearby.
"No choice then."
He began fighting with a sword.
***
On the other side of the city, Mira and Mara had just exited a potion shop. Mara was carrying a pouch filled with crystal bottles. Mira held two bags of food in both hands. None of it was bought with her own money—they were all gifts from Mara.
Mira grinned widely. She was happy. "A feast."
But her joy disappeared instantly when the sky suddenly darkened. The magic lights along the streets went out. People screamed in fear. Mira's eyes turned cold.
"What's going on…?"
Mara suddenly clutched her head. Her eyes widened. "My magic—"
She tried to activate a protective spell, but nothing happened. Her mana felt locked.
Mira quickly turned around. "Something's coming!"
Dozens of demons were walking toward them. All of them wore robes and carried weapons. Mira saw them and smiled. It reminded her of the past—when she had been a Demon King. Dozens, hundreds, thousands—even hundreds of thousands of demons had died by her hand.
When the demon race had been under her command, there had been countless betrayals—but none succeeded. Mira had been too strong. Until, eventually, she was sealed.
One of the demons leapt toward Mira, slashing with the sword in his hand. Mira was ready to raise her hand and strike back—but suddenly, Mara shouted.
"LOOK OUT!"
Mara pulled Mira back. But her body could no longer strengthen itself with magic. The demon's attack struck Mara, sending her crashing into a wall. Mara was injured. Mira scratched her head, confused why this human girl had protected her.
Blood dripped from Mara's temple.
Mira asked, "Why did you help me?"
Mara struggled to her feet. "They… sealed off all magic. This is all I can do to protect my party member. I'm glad you're safe."
Mira became more confused. This had never happened to her when she was the Demon King. Her life had always been filled with battles and betrayals. The strong crushed or ruled the weak. But this time—the weak protected the strong.
It didn't make sense.
Mira gave a small smile. She turned her back to Mara. "I like you, so I'll protect you. Just sit back and watch," said Mira.
A wide grin formed on her face. At the same time, magical energy surged from within her. Dark magic overflowed, making the ground tremble. The seal had no effect on Mira—the Demon King.
"I'm going to slaughter you all," she said confidently.