After that, Yuri continued to explore the imitation copies of the Devil’s Grimoire.
Since Cedric had sealed off the passage, she couldn’t reach his consciousness like before. But thanks to a few original pages used to create the copies, she was able to trace faint remnants.
The Devil’s Grimoire kept changing hands, sowing chaos across the world. Within it, there were entities Yuri recognized.
“Cheon-se Cheon-se Cheon-cheon-se! For the revival of the Cheonma Cult!”
It seemed to be referring to the previous generation of Cheonma—the Heavenly Demons—that the Shadowless Sword had mentioned.
They had sealed the Devil’s Grimoire and tried to absorb the malevolent energy leaking from it. Perhaps that’s why their consciousness wasn’t clearly imprinted.
Except for one person, whose mark stood out.
He kept challenging the Devil’s Grimoire, attempting, like Yuri, to draw new power from the realm of chaos. But his foundation was ultimately demonic magic, and unlike Yuri, who started with the Soul Slash technique, he had his limits.
Still, his approach inspired Yuri.
“Hmm…”
After finishing one round of exploration, Yuri opened her eyes again.
She saw books riddled with holes, as if eaten by insects.
Every time Yuri entered the grimoire, the imitation copies lost strength. Now, most had scattered and turned to ash.
“How was it?”
Hernando was waiting behind her.
“Well, not much is left.”
“Wait a moment.”
Hernando held out his palm toward Yuri as she walked out.
“There’s still some malevolent energy remaining.”
“Ah.”
Yuri checked her body. The residual energy from exploring the imitation copies still clung to her from head to toe.
She summoned the Soul Slash, cleansing all the harmful energy from her body.
“I keep forgetting.”
“You’re probably the only one who can get away with having that energy on them.”
Thanks to the Soul Slash, Yuri was protected from the dark magic’s influence.
“Hernando.”
“Yes?”
“I think Cedric is trying to summon an otherworldly being.”
Hernando nodded at Yuri’s words.
“You mean what you mentioned before.”
“Yeah.”
When Yuri first explored the imitation Devil’s Grimoire, she vaguely sensed that the otherworldly entity was connected to the original.
The more she explored, the clearer it became.
“There seems to be a place where a being, feeding on human death and despair, reigns like a god. Cedric appears to be trying to summon that being through human sacrifices.”
“A world like that sounds like hell.”
“Maybe he’s already summoned it. We have to stop him quickly.”
Hernando glanced back.
They planned to continue exploring in Valshad until the imitation grimoire lost all its power. But progress was faster than expected, so they wouldn’t need to stay long.
“Your Highness, Marilose has made a proposal.”
“What kind?”
“She said if you cooperate with one thing, she’ll leave Valshad and join the fight.”
“No.”
“Huh?”
“No marriages.”
“What…?”
Hernando twisted one eyebrow, looking at Yuri.
“That’s not it. She asked for help with the orc extermination.”
“Oh, really?”
“Are you getting too cocky just because you’re popular right now?”
Yuri’s face flushed slightly.
“I was just joking.”
“Actually, it’s true.”
“What?”
“She first suggested marriage, but I refused. So it changed to orc hunting.”
“Why did you refuse?”
“Why? You don’t mean, Your Highness?”
The two bickered as they left Marilose’s workshop and headed up to the castle.
The servants at Valshad Castle seemed used to it by now; no one paid any attention to their noisy quarrels.
Soon, Yuri and Hernando went to the castle’s training grounds.
Francesco was doing push-ups while standing on his hands.
Showing that level of physical ability without using mana proved he hadn’t neglected his training.
“How’s it going?”
“Progressing well. Though it depends on his willpower.”
Francesco was modifying his body to regain mana. Hernando performed magical surgeries daily to remove the malevolent energy and ease Francesco’s rejection of mana.
But the most important factor was Francesco’s own determination. Even if Hernando removed traces of dark magic, Francesco had to work hard to purge it completely.
Part of that was pure physical training and sweat.
“Hmm…”
Watching him, Yuri smiled softly and murmured.
“Want me to help?”
She approached Francesco, who was sweating alone on the training ground.
Entering the realm of soul, she observed his body. The concentration of malevolent energy was much lighter than before.
“Francesco, you’re doing well.”
“Huff, huff…”
Francesco stopped his push-ups and stood up.
“This is something I have to endure.”
Though he still couldn’t use mana, he felt the changes in his body most keenly.
“Today, I’ll help you in a special way.”
“How?”
“Come here.”
Yuri sat Francesco down and took his hand.
The energy of the Soul Slash flowed into him.
“Isn’t this what you always do?”
Francesco wasn’t surprised by Yuri’s actions. Recently, Hernando’s magical surgeries involved Yuri’s help a lot.
When Yuri infused Soul Slash energy into Francesco’s body, it consumed the dark magic Hernando had separated.
But even this had limits. Though Soul Slash was a divine technique, it was still someone else’s energy. It couldn’t penetrate deep inside Francesco’s body.
After purifying him once, Yuri stood up.
“The special method starts now. Take the sword.”
“Huh?”
“Do you know when people sweat the most?”
Yuri raised Guilty and pointed it at Francesco.
“When their life is in danger. Doing push-ups alone only makes you sweat as much as others.”
“No…”
Suddenly, Yuri swung the sword at Francesco with such deadly intent that he instinctively jumped back, sensing a threat to his life.
“Wait, wait…”
“Take the sword.”
Of course, Yuri was acting.
But the body’s instinctive sense of danger moved differently from reason.
“Wait, wait!”
Cold sweat streamed down his back.
Unable to use mana, he couldn’t fully keep up with Yuri’s movements.
Even if she planned to stop before the blade touched him, facing a sword strike flying at his throat at incredible speed triggered his instincts to scream.
Sweat poured down like rain, something he’d never experienced even doing handstand push-ups.
“How is it?”
“It’s effective, but…”
“Good. Let’s see if you can survive.”
Yuri had exceptional talent with mana, and Soul Slash was a divine technique she controlled at will. She was skilled at releasing and retracting killing intent.
Her killing intent was more threatening than anyone else’s.
Francesco’s mind knew it was an act, but his body couldn’t tell if Yuri’s attacks were real.
Yuri’s sword sliced through a few strands of his hair and cut the edge of his clothes, yet left no scratches on his body.
“Huff, huff…”
Grasping his chest, Francesco struggled to keep up. Yuri’s relentless pressure forced him to move without rest. His body was already pushed beyond its limits.
Sweat streamed down.
If he’d been alone, he would have collapsed and given up long ago. But Yuri’s blade kept driving him, urging him to move if he wanted to live.
“Francesco, if I accidentally cut you, you’ll really die.”
“Shut up!”
Francesco dodged every attack—rolling on the ground, dropping low, even taking humiliating postures—all to survive this sparring.
Suddenly, Guilty slashed toward Francesco’s shoulder.
There was no way to avoid it.
Yuri intended to stop before contact.
But Francesco’s body, already on high alert, sounded the emergency alarm. His muscles tensed, and parts of his brain that usually slept were activated.
A white sword aura flared.
Clang.
The two blades clashed.
This strike was beyond what Francesco could normally react to—but he blocked it.
“Ah…”
A faint sword aura lingered on Francesco’s blade.
He hadn’t fully regained his former strength, but this was a clear sign of progress. Since losing his mana, he’d never produced such sword energy.
Francesco stared at his sword in a daze.
The aura faded quickly, but he couldn’t look away.
Yuri patted his shoulder.
“So, Francesco, how’s my training?”
“Thank you.”
He answered so sincerely that Yuri’s eyes widened.
This wasn’t the usual grumbling Francesco.
He looked at Yuri with clear eyes and smiled.
“Thank you, Yuri Briol. It’s because of you.”
Seeing that earnest expression, Yuri suddenly thought of someone.
Laurent Flandre—his eyes were just as pure.
Had the Holy Knight Francesco not always been like this? Had his despair and pessimism come only after losing his mana?
Yuri cleared her throat.
She didn’t like this kind of mood.
“Hmph. It’s not like I’m doing this just for you, Francesco!”
But Francesco smiled knowingly.
Yuri snapped back, flustered.
“You shouldn’t be thanking me. I’m taking you along for the orc hunt. This time, we’ll have to fight with our lives on the line. Otherwise, we’ll die.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course.”
The moment felt so warm and genuine that Yuri impulsively decided to bring Francesco along for the orc raid.
Francesco’s face began to scrunch up.
“That expression suits you.”
“You devilish bastard.”
“Indeed. I am the Black Devil.”
“…”
Though the Alliance forces had defeated Okua and his army, a small number of surviving orcs kept regrouping and raiding the grasslands.
Their numbers had dwindled, but the orcs’ brute strength still surpassed that of humans.
If someone like Okua were to rise again while Marie Rose was away, Valshad could be in serious danger.
So, as a condition for joining this war, she requested a thorough re-subjugation of the surrounding orcs.
“Clean out every last one of those little pests. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“There’s no time to waste. Handle this as quickly as possible.”
Yuri decided to swiftly circle the area around Valshad with a small group, including Francesco and a few of Valshad’s knights.
Though the knights weren’t as skilled as those from the continent, their extensive experience fighting orcs meant they wouldn’t be a hindrance.
Their eyes gleamed as they looked at Yuri.
“We follow only Your Highness!”
They were about to fight alongside the legendary prodigy of Briole, whose reputation had been nothing but rumors until now.
“That’s right. Just follow me. No fancy tactics. Run in and smash them. There aren’t any large clans left like before, so it shouldn’t be too dangerous. If things get rough, stick close to me.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Jared, Simon, and Guiness, veterans of the Alliance army, felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
They had once struggled so hard to fight orcs, and now they were going out on raids with just a small group of knights.
Not only Yuri, but they too had grown this strong.
“Let’s go!”
The hunting party led by Yuri charged across the grasslands without hesitation.
The scenery blurred past them. Trees that had been distant on the horizon suddenly loomed close, and new stretches of land appeared one after another.
Yuri unfolded a map, which marked the orc encampments.
Though smaller than before, their numbers had increased.
Yuri intended to wipe them all out.
“Orcs breed like cockroaches. If we leave them be, their numbers will just keep growing. If we take them out now, we won’t have to worry for a long time.”
She pointed ahead. There was an orc settlement.
“See it?”
“Yes!”
“Attack. Kill them all. And if anyone even thinks about showing mercy, I’ll kill them myself.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The orcs, unaware of Yuri’s group, were going about their daily lives. Then, suddenly realizing the enemy’s presence, chaos erupted.
Mounted on her horse, Yuri leapt over the fence and charged into the settlement.
One orc, facing her, screamed in despair.
“Akuaaktar!”
That was his final word.
The orc’s head flew through the air.