Please make sure to read today’s report.
The atmosphere within the demon faction stationed near Atlanta was far from good.
They had been winning battle after battle, so a simple defeat wouldn’t have been enough to crush their morale.
Yet, an unsettling tension rippled through the camps—morale was hitting rock bottom.
And there was a good reason for it.
The biggest weakness of the Northern Continent was that it was divided into three major factions, all fighting among themselves.
In other words, even though the demons were openly on the front lines, they hadn’t united their forces.
It was an undeniable fact that the longer this civil war dragged on, the more momentum the demon faction gained.
Meanwhile, Kim Su-yeon’s decision to attack the Steel Mountain Range—regardless of her intentions—had ultimately failed.
Perhaps she had pushed too hard under pressure.
If the Steel Mountain Range fell, the path to Terra would be wide open, and the demons wouldn’t stand idly by.
Thus, four Great Demons took part in the Atlanta invasion war.
The Supreme Commander, entrusted with full authority by Satan himself, along with Lilith, Baal, and Asmodeus.
Even this alone was a terrifying force, but it was also a carefully calculated deployment.
If all seven Great Demons had mobilized, the Northern Continent might have felt threatened enough to hastily unite.
Better to send just enough troops and use the rest to secure the route to Terra—that was the efficient choice.
In fact, the combined forces of these four Great Demons were more than enough to seize Atlanta.
Satan’s plan was clearly working.
Once Atlanta was discovered, activating the warp gate was just a matter of will.
Yet, despite the city being on the brink of falling, no reinforcements from the Northern Continent appeared—a telling sign.
One thing was clear: Satan’s plan had been on the verge of success.
At least, until a day ago.
“What now?”
Lilith slumped into a chair the moment she entered the command tent and asked.
She crossed her arms and glanced around, but no answer came.
It was understandable.
The disappearance of Asmodeus.
For one of the Seven Great Demons to vanish without a trace was no trivial matter.
It meant that all creatures born from Asmodeus had turned to ash.
On top of that, even the demon lord under his command had died.
A seventh of their total forces had disintegrated in less than a day—who could dismiss that lightly?
But that wasn’t the only reason morale had plummeted.
There was an even more unbelievable rumor spreading: that Asmodeus had been wiped out in a single blow.
For the Seven Great Demons, it was an absurd and impossible whisper.
“Revenge. Advance.”
Baal, his face set hard, muttered the two words sharply.
His small, delicate hands clenched tightly, as if crushing a teddy bear.
“I’m all for it, but…”
Lilith hesitated, glancing sideways.
The Supreme Commander, entrusted with full authority by Satan for this Atlanta invasion, kept his eyes closed.
Demons were naturally independent, but those with intellect knew when to hold back.
More precisely, it depended on the opponent or the situation.
Satan’s delegation of full authority meant this Great Demon possessed the necessary capability and influence.
So Lilith didn’t panic but spoke cautiously.
“Is there really any need to worry? After all, we do have forces capable of wiping out Asmodeus in one strike, don’t we?”
That was true.
Satan had secretly included the demon faction’s strongest forces in the Atlanta invasion, just in case.
So even if the rumor was true, they weren’t without a countermeasure.
“What about Satan’s thoughts? Have you reported to him?”
Silence.
Lilith’s barrage of questions met only the Supreme Commander’s continued quiet.
“Time is precious. Don’t you hear the unrest outside? As commander, I want you to decide quickly.”
Finally, unable to hold back, Lilith pressed a third time.
Slowly, the demon’s eyes, which had been tightly shut, opened.
“Time is precious…”
His revealed irises glowed a deep green as a slightly dazed voice emerged.
Though monotone, it was a surprisingly pleasant and calm tone.
“Not wrong, but being too stingy isn’t good either.”
“What?”
“There’s more than enough gold to go around.”
“……”
Lilith and Baal weren’t foolish enough to misunderstand that as “time is on our side.”
“What do you want to do? If you’re really uneasy, why not retreat now?”
“There’s no need to fear anymore. Thanks to Lilith’s words and Satan’s insight, he is here with us.”
Lilith nodded, adding quietly, “It’s definitely a relief—except for the fact that we can’t control him.”
“So, we advance?”
“Orders. Immediately.”
Baal’s eyes flashed eagerly at Lilith’s question.
“No.”
But the answer betrayed their expectations.
“For now, I intend to negotiate.”
“…What?”
Lilith’s mouth dropped open.
Baal looked as if he doubted his own ears.
“Negotiate. Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“Explain. Demand.”
“…I felt a distortion.”
The atmosphere, which had been tense enough to snap at any moment, suddenly quieted.
“A powerful distortion, as if the world itself was momentarily torn apart…”
The demon glanced between Lilith and Baal, then smiled quietly.
“You both felt it too.”
This was one of the reasons the three demons tacitly accepted the rumor as truth.
They had definitely sensed an abnormal phenomenon.
An unknown force interfering with this world.
As holders of the title ‘Seven Great Demons,’ they couldn’t have failed to notice such a massive energy.
“I don’t know what’s going on…”
The demon rose with a composed gesture.
Long braided hair slipped down, framing a shapely waist.
“First, we must assess the situation. I understand the grief over losing Asmodeus, but using him as a rallying point can wait.”
In her calm, dignified voice, the two demons nodded in agreement.
“There’s no point in feeling sorry. He died because he was weak—no one else to blame.”
Lilith changed the subject with a chuckle.
Though teasing, she was willing to follow the other’s lead.
“……”
Baal smacked his lips but didn’t object.
Seeing their reactions, the demon spoke calmly.
“In fact, I’ve already sent a messenger.”
At the sudden confession, Lilith’s eyes widened, then she scoffed.
“Fine. Let’s see what he does on his own. Lucifer.”
“If you’d call me Lucifer, I’d appreciate it.”
“Alright, Lucifer.”
“…Let’s drop it.”
Lucifer shook her head and gave a delicate glare.
Just then, as she pulled a black veil from her chest, covering her face—
A demon lord suddenly parted the curtain and rushed in, bowing deeply before the three demons.
“What is—”
“Reporting!”
Before Lucifer could say a word, an urgent report poured out.
And in the next moment, her army quietly closed in.
At the same time.
Kim Su-hyun arrived at the castle wall with two women, tilting his head in confusion.
He still hadn’t grasped the situation.
Only the sickening stench of blood hung in the air.
‘What is that?’
Following the foul scent, his gaze fixed on a spot.
On the ground by the wall lay a demon, riddled with holes and drenched in blood.
A boot pressed down on its head.
Each time the sole ground down harder, the demon trembled silently, unable even to scream.
The one crushing the demon’s head stood with her back to Kim Su-hyun, hands on her hips.
She was over 170 centimeters tall.
Her long black hair was styled into two thick braids that fell over her shoulders, suggesting she was female.
But something was strange.
Her white shirt was not only small but incredibly short.
It strained tightly over her ample chest, exposing a narrow waist in full view.
Her shorts were so tight and short they looked more like underwear, emphasizing the curves of her hips.
Below, her strong, sensuous thighs were wrapped in iron chains.
The bizarre outfit resembled fishnet stockings made of chains.
At least, Kim Su-hyun had never seen a woman dressed like that before.
Then, the woman formed a gun shape with her hand, aiming at the demon.
At that moment, Kim Yu-yeon stepped forward.
“Wait.”
A brief whistle sounded.
The woman turned her head slightly at the voice, eyes widening in surprise.
Then, without hesitation, she flicked her index finger upward, aiming at the demon beneath her.
“Bang.”
With a thud, a thick iron spear plunged into the demon’s skull.
The dark body leapt once, then crumbled like a rotten wooden barrel, turning to ash that scattered in the wind.
“Hi~.”
Her voice started light and playful but dropped sharply at the end.
Despite the lively greeting, it sounded hollow and soulless.
As the woman giggled and turned away, Kim Su-hyun finally understood her outfit.
His eyes caught the ornament nestled between her boldly exposed cleavage.
The deep blue rose-shaped necklace was linked by magic to the chain around her thigh.
‘An object that reacts to magic, then.’
Kim Su-hyun thought this as he slowly observed the woman.
At the same time, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over him.
Her eyes gleamed beautifully like black crystals, yet their sticky darkness seemed deeper than any abyss.
Her thick, intense gaze curved into a pleased smile, as if she was delighted by what she had just done.
The woman tapped the pendant on her necklace and swayed forward.
Without even glancing at her, Kim Su-hyun stopped firmly in front of the two sisters, as if she didn’t exist.
Just as Kim Yu-yeon was about to snap at the woman, clearly annoyed by her carefree grin—
“I heard the demon side sent a messenger.”
Kim Su-yeon quickly waved her hand and stepped forward.
“Is that so…?”
Regardless, the woman tilted her head exaggeratedly, opened her mouth, and stuck out her tongue slightly.
Her expression seemed almost hollow, a paradox that somehow suited her.
“Why did you kill him? What did he say?”
“Hmm… just because.”
The woman smiled faintly.
“Did you want to kill him? I didn’t really sense any good intentions…”
Kim Yu-yeon was about to shout, “Does that even make sense?” but was stopped again by Kim Su-yeon.
“Tell us. What exactly did you hear?”
“Not much…”
“Please.”
“Well, I don’t really remember clearly…”
Suddenly, the smile on the woman’s lips deepened.
She twisted a lock of hair on the left side of her head and held out her other hand.
In her outstretched palm was a faded comb.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, as if hoping for something.
“Maybe if someone combed my hair, I’d remember?”
Kim Su-hyun, who had been staring blankly, blinked a couple of times.
That comb looked very familiar.
It was exactly the same comb he had once gifted to Han So-young back at the User Academy.
“That comb… Chi also—” Kim Yu-yeon muttered, sighing as she stepped between them.
“Enough already.”
But the woman didn’t even look their way and insisted on having her hair combed.
“Really, Istantel Low Road!”
Finally, Kim Yu-yeon raised her voice in frustration.
Kim Su-hyun let out a soft sigh.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Hello.
Today’s note is a bit shorter because I need to announce a change in my posting schedule for the time being.
To be straightforward, I’m thinking of updating once every two days instead of daily.
The reason is that balancing school and writing has become quite difficult.
I expected it to be tough since I packed my schedule full of credits, but it’s even more overwhelming than I imagined.
Being in my final year, the school demands a lot, and the assignments are numerous.
Just yesterday, I barely finished a 20-page report, only to have two more assignments added today.
Above all, keeping up with lectures is challenging.
I’m not sure what level the professors expect, but honestly, I can barely understand half of what they say.
Since I promised my parents I’d graduate properly while continuing my writing, I can’t neglect my studies.
So, until things settle down, I plan to switch to posting once every two days.
I’m deeply sorry to the readers who enjoy the side stories, but I ask for your understanding.
Thank you, and I apologize again.
(__)