Blue Flame Demon Lord Gabriel found himself in a dilemma.
He could not simply retreat.
Not after gathering his full force.
Not after crossing into Human Territory.
And certainly not after publicly besieging the Silver Fox Clan.
If he withdrew now, his prestige would suffer greatly.
The independent Demon Generals he had been trying to recruit would reconsider joining him.
After all, who would willingly follow a Demon Lord who marched into enemy territory only to retreat in embarrassment?
Yet continuing the attack was equally problematic.
The accusations had been proven false.
He no longer possessed any legitimate reason to attack the three clans.
If he forced the issue, other Demon Lords could use it as justification to interfere in his affairs.
Gabriel's gaze slowly shifted toward Finley.
A trace of disgust appeared in his eyes.
Not only because of the mistake.
But because of the Rat Demon General himself.
The cowardly nature of rats had dragged him into this situation.
The disgust deepened when he looked at the elegant human clothing Finley wore.
Gabriel had never understood why some demons became obsessed with imitating humans.
Finley felt the Demon Lord's gaze settle upon him.
His entire body trembled.
Cold sweat soaked his back.
The pressure alone nearly made him collapse.
Hatred gradually filled his eyes as he looked toward George Twenty-One.
Why hadn't the fool died?
If George Twenty-One had died, none of this would have happened.
The truth would never have been exposed.
And Gabriel would never have become a laughingstock.
The more Gabriel lost face, the greater the chance Finley would become the scapegoat.
"The Lord will kill me after we return."
The thought echoed repeatedly through his mind.
His thoughts raced frantically.
What could he do?
How could he save himself?
As he desperately searched for an answer, his thoughts returned to the night at the broken hill.
Then his eyes widened slightly.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
He looked toward Fae.
Then toward Brendon and Gidon.
Why had all three clan leaders been there?
One clan leader would have been understandable.
Two would have been suspicious.
But three?
At night?
At the exact location where the Crow Demon had appeared?
Finley suddenly felt as though he had found a lifeline.
He immediately stepped forward.
"Clan Leader Fae, may I ask you a question?"
Without waiting for permission, he continued.
"Why were you and the other two clan leaders at the broken hill that night?"
The battlefield grew silent.
Fae froze.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed.
The killing intent he had been directing toward Finley gradually faded.
Perhaps the rat was not completely useless after all.
Gabriel looked toward Fae.
"Madam Fae."
"What is your clan's relationship with the Crow Demon?"
A wave of pressure descended from the sky.
Fae immediately felt the pressure of a higher lifeform bearing down upon her.
Her breathing grew heavier.
Her mind raced.
She could not simply claim ignorance.
Too many witnesses had already seen her actions.
She had gathered the other clan leaders.
She had searched for the Crow Demon.
If she denied everything now, nobody would believe her.
As she searched for an excuse, Finley spoke again.
"My Lord, I believe there are only two possibilities."
Gabriel glanced toward him.
"Continue."
Finley swallowed nervously.
"The first possibility is that they were going to meet the Crow Demon."
The surrounding demons immediately began whispering.
Every gaze turned toward Fae.
Finley continued.
"The second possibility is that they discovered a treasure."
"A treasure hidden near the broken hill."
"And they were on their way to retrieve it."
The whispers grew louder.
Gabriel slowly looked toward Fae.
His golden eyes gleamed.
"Madam Fae."
"Which one is it?"
His voice remained calm.
Yet everyone could hear the threat hidden beneath it.
"If it is a treasure..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Then perhaps you would allow me to appreciate it."
Fae clenched her fists.
She finally understood.
They were forcing her into a corner.
Either she admitted a relationship with the Crow Demon.
Or she surrendered a treasure that did not exist.
Neither option benefited her.
At that moment, a new aura descended upon the battlefield.
An aura equal to Gabriel's.
"Gabriel."
A calm voice echoed through the sky.
"Even after becoming a Demon Lord, you still enjoy bullying weaker demons."
Everyone looked upward.
The clouds parted.
A massive crow slowly descended.
Its wingspan exceeded ten meters.
Its feathers gleamed like metal beneath the sunlight.
Yet the edges of those feathers appeared worn and dull.
Age had finally caught up to the once-famous Demon Lord.
Seeing the newcomer, Fae quietly released a breath of relief.
The Iron Wings Demon Lord.
Harold.
Leader of the Iron Crow Clan.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed.
"What is he doing here?"
His gaze shifted toward Fae.
The relief in her eyes did not escape his notice.
Had she invited him?
But why would Harold agree?
The old crow's lifespan was nearing its end.
Any serious battle could become his last.
Furthermore, the Iron Crow Clan possessed no second Demon Lord.
For years, two rival demon clans had waited patiently for Harold to die.
The moment he passed away, they would immediately attack his territory.
That was why Harold had secluded himself within his clan.
He rarely left.
Every additional year he remained alive preserved his clan's dominance.
Yet today he had appeared.
Which meant something important had drawn him out.
Gabriel stared at the old crow.
"Harold."
"Are you not afraid of death?"
Harold stopped in the air at the same height as Gabriel.
Unlike Gabriel, he did not need to consume Demon Energy to remain airborne.
As a crow demon, flight was instinctive.
He adjusted his wings slightly against the wind.
Then he smiled.
"Oh?"
"You think you can kill me?"
His aura surged forward.
Gabriel immediately released his own.
The surrounding air grew hot.
Blue flames appeared around his body.
"Why not?"
Gabriel sneered.
"Do you think you're still the legendary Iron Wings?"
Harold's eyes narrowed.
He did not want to fight.
But showing weakness here would only invite future trouble.
His feathers began vibrating.
A sharp metallic screech spread across the battlefield.
The sound pierced directly into the minds of those below.
Many demons clutched their heads in pain.
Even Demon Generals grimaced.
Only Gabriel remained unaffected behind his protective Demon Energy.
Harold's voice rang across the battlefield.
"Then let me remind you why I am still Iron Wings."
Blue flames erupted around Gabriel.
Heat distorted the sky itself.
"Good."
"Today I will clip those wings."
The atmosphere instantly became explosive.
Both Demon Lords prepared for battle.
Then another aura appeared.
This one carried neither demonic savagery nor killing intent.
Instead, it carried elegance.
Authority.
And sharpness.
"You two."
A calm voice sounded from above.
"Did you forget where you are?"
"This is Human Territory."
The clouds parted once more.
An elegant man descended from the sky.
Golden hair flowed behind him.
Luxurious clothing covered his body.
Two swords with silver hilts hung across his back.
Jeremy Langdon.
Elder of the Silver Blade Academy.
Inspector of Bell Prefecture.
Gabriel and Harold immediately turned toward him.
Then toward each other.
Neither wished to fight beneath the gaze of a human expert.
In truth, neither had truly wanted to fight in the first place.
Gabriel clicked his tongue.
Then looked toward his forces.
"Retreat."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and flew south.
The Demon Generals quickly followed.
Soon, the invading army began withdrawing.
Jeremy then turned his gaze toward Harold.
The meaning was obvious.
Leave.
Harold understood.
But he shook his head.
"I have business with the Silver Fox Clan."
Jeremy studied him for several moments.
Finally, he nodded.
"One hour."
Then he turned and walked away through the sky.
Only after Jeremy disappeared did Harold descend.
He landed directly before Fae.
His eyes were cold.
"Clan Leader Fae."
"Your information had better be correct."
The unfinished threat hung in the air.
Fae immediately bowed.
"Iron Wings Demon Lord, please enter the clan."
Harold nodded.
Together, they entered the array.
Moments later, both disappeared into the silver mist.
---
Back in the Demon City, Kaelan walked into a spell store and approached an empty counter.
Behind it sat a red-furred Cat Demon lounging on a tall stool.
Without wasting words, Kaelan placed six Memory Seeds on the counter.
"I want to sell these spell seeds."
The Cat Demon's eyes narrowed slightly in recognition.
He remembered this crow.
A week earlier, the Crow Demon had visited the store to examine the spell catalogues.
Now he had returned to sell spells.
The Cat Demon immediately reached a conclusion.
The crow must have checked the available spell lists first to ensure his own creations were not already being sold.
The Cat Demon sat upright.
"Let me examine them."
He picked up the Memory Seeds and began inspecting them one by one.
As he did, the surprise in his eyes steadily grew.
The first spell was impressive.
The second was even better.
By the time he finished examining the sixth seed, his attitude had become noticeably more respectful.
Several rounds of negotiation followed.
Eventually, the transaction was completed.
When Kaelan left the store, a pouch containing eighty Low-Quality Spirit Dew hung around his neck.
Hidden beneath his feathers was another Memory Seed.
Inside it was the Shadow Demon Hand Spell.
He had chosen this particular store because it was the only one in the city that possessed the spell.
The six spells had not been enough to cover the full price.
However, after adding the Spirit Dew he already possessed, the transaction was completed successfully.
Kaelan walked through the streets with purpose.
His destination was no longer another spell store.
Nor was it the market.
It was his room at the inn.
The Shadow Demon Hand Spell was finally in his possession.
And with it, he could begin preparing for his breakthrough.
Kaelan intended to become a Demon General.