The wind howled fiercely in my ears as my massive crimson wings sliced through the night sky, effortlessly carrying the weight of my older sister. For two grueling hours, I maintained a steady, high-altitude cruise, the pure physical power of my demonic core keeping me aloft without running completely on fumes. Elicia remained securely locked onto my back, her hands gripping my shoulders as she enjoyed her custom aerial transport.
As the dense wilderness below began to flatten out, the distant, shimmering lights of civilization began to prick the darkness. Up ahead, right at the center of a massive highway intersection, the glowing lanterns of several large merchant caravans came into view. They were clustered together at the crossroads, their guards pacing the perimeter with torches.
Seeing those torches immediately triggered my survival instincts. What Elicia had told me back in the village echoed sharply in my mind:
Elias is actively hunting me.
The Bureau had set the continent on fire with that absurd eighteen gold coins bounty, and my own brother was the spearhead of the investigation. If a single caravan scout looked up and spotted the massive silhouette of a blood-sucking winged demon carrying the Principal of the Sisiphon Magic Academy, the news would reach Elias within hours.
I didn't hesitate. I abruptly tucked my crimson wings tight against my spine, sending us into a sudden, steep dive away from the light of the crossroads.
We plummeted toward a pitch-black, densely wooded clearing far off the main path… a secluded spot completely obscured by towering ancient pines where no human eyes could witness our arrival. Just meters before hitting the canopy, I snapped my wings open to catch the air, absorbing the massive momentum. My boots hit the dirt with a heavy, muffled thud, kicking up a localized swirl of dust and dead leaves as I successfully brought us to a halt.
The moment our feet were firmly planted on the ground, Elicia slid down from my back. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her elegant academy uniform, a brilliant, thoroughly amused smile gracing her features despite the dizzying descent.
"My word, little Ren, That was quite the spectacular landing. You navigate the skies better than a high-tier wind elemental. If the Bureau knew their terrifying, world-threatening demon was actually a highly efficient, premium-class luxury flight service for her big sister, they might reconsider that eighteen gold price tag." Elicia chuckled, casually adjusting her cloak as she looked at me with pride.
"Well, someone has to make sure the Offspring Goddess arrives in style," I replied, a rare, faint smirk tugging at the corner of my lips as my massive crimson wings folded tightly back against my spine, vanishing beneath the heavy folds of my dark vanguard cloak.
We stepped out of the tree line and approached the towering, illuminated gates of Caria City. The massive stone archway was heavily guarded, the glowing containment runes on the walls pulsing with anti-demon magic that made my core hum uncomfortably.
I turned my head slightly, my mismatched jade and crimson eyes focusing on my sister.
"Big sister, do you have a status card? The gatekeepers here aren't going to just let us stroll in without identification."
Elicia offered a calm, entirely unfazed wave of her hand.
"No worries, little Ren. My official status card is safely kept inside the Bureau's central archives in the capital."
I nodded, entirely unsurprised. It was just like her; she hated carrying fragile, bureaucratic plastic onto the chaotic battlefields where she fought dragons, so she always left her official credentials with the high orders.
While we walked, I quietly channeled a sliver of mana and stored my leather purse containing those twenty copper coins securely into my inventory ring. As I did, my eyes caught a glint of gold on Elicia's finger. She was still wearing my rare Mana Enhancement and Healing Enhancement rings… the ones she had used back at the inn to fuel her god-tier magic and restore my severed tongue.
"I believe those belong to me," I said, holding out my right hand to ask for them back.
"Ah, right. Here you go, little Ren,"
Elicia said, slipping the bands off her fingers and dropping them into my palm. She looked at me with a curious, analytical glint in her silver eyes.
"You know, I must say, these artifacts are quite rare. Where exactly did you get them? Did the Bureau reward you with these for your high-ranking service? And your Death Chant artifacts… they gave those to you as official combat gear, am I right?"
A heavy, ironic silence hung in the air between us as I slipped the rings back onto my fingers. Elicia still had this idealized, innocent view of my past, believing I was a decorated state hunter who had been showered with legendary gifts by the government.
The truth was infinitely darker, born from blood, deception, and the absolute chaos of the underworld.
The Bureau hadn't given me a single thing. First of all, the legendary Death Chant Shotgun hadn't been a government issue; it belonged to a ruthless, high-tier drug lord named Oksana. I had spent weeks infiltrating her inner circle, perfectly disguising myself as her loyal apprentice, waiting for the exact microsecond she let her guard down so I could execute her and claim her prized legendary weapon for myself.
And as for my Death Chant Tommy Gun? That was an even bigger heist. I had successfully broken into the heavily fortified compound of the arms trafficking guild… an illegal syndicate that mass-produced black-market weapons like rabbits. I completely ransacked their research lab and stole the original, master-copy prototype of the Tommy Gun. I even remembered snatching two bootleg copies they had reverse-engineered for extra firepower, which were currently stored safely under the floorboards of my bedroom back in the city.
In fact, the very rings Elicia had just praised were from that exact same arms trafficking raid. I had treated their underground vault like my personal shopping center, stealing all of their highest-grade artifacts: my Magic Enhancement ring, my Healing Enhancement ring, and my Mana Pool ring. Even the high-capacity Inventory Ring on my finger was snatched directly from their main vault. It had been an absolute jackpot.
And lastly, my most prized weapon… the devastating Demon Valkyrie Longsword… was a trophy of pure survival. I had snatched it right out of the cold, dying hands of a rogue Fallen Angel during a brutal, undocumented clash on the frozen Northern borders.
I looked at my sister, keeping my face completely expressionless beneath my hood as I buried the memories of my criminal thievery.
"Something like that, Let's just say I earned them through a lot of hard work." I murmured smoothly, choosing to let her believe the lie for now.
We finally arrived at the grand entrance of Caria. Standing guard beneath the heavy iron portcullis was the city gatekeeper, Luscious. He was a veteran who had stood at these gates for years, his sharp eyes scanning the incoming travelers with practiced suspicion.
The moment he saw my sister, his posture instantly shifted, and he offered a respectful, disciplined nod.
"Greetings, Elicia, the Offspring Goddess, And you, girl. Status card, please."
I felt a quiet sense of triumph wash over me. He didn't recognize me at all.
The Eirene that Luscious… and the rest of Caria… knew was a broken, pitiful sight. I used to be a heavily scarred girl who hid her face behind a thick mask, walked with a mutilated, missing left arm, and communicated only through scribbled notes because I was entirely mute. But now, he was looking at an entirely different person. Elicia's god-tier magic had completely re-written my physical state. My mask was gone, my ruined trench coat was long destroyed, and my left arm was flawlessly whole, resting casually at my side. Even with my hood down, exposing my distinct heterochromic jade and crimson eyes, the sheer lack of scars and my healthy appearance completely threw him off.
Elicia smoothly stepped forward to handle the gate fee, pulling out a handful of coins to pay our tolls while I handed over my official hunter status card.
Luscious took the card, his eyes scanning the magical inscription. The moment his gaze locked onto the name bounty hunter, his jaw practically dropped to the floor. He looked up from the card, his eyes darting frantically between the text and my face.
"Eirene...? Is that really you? You... you've completely changed! Where is your mask? And your arm?!"
"It's nice meeting you, Luscious," I replied smoothly, my voice carrying a clear, resonant tone that had no trouble slicing through the evening air.
Luscious staggered back a half-step, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. He looked like he had just seen a ghost walk right out of the underworld.
"No way… Is that your voice?! I thought you were entirely mute! And your eyes... they're so clear! What in the world happened to you over the past few months?!"
"Let's just say a lot can change when you finally get the right treatment," I replied smoothly, giving Luscious a calm, enigmatic nod as I took my status card back from his trembling fingers.
Before the gatekeeper could recover from his utter bewilderment or start asking questions that would compromise my identity, I pulled my hood down slightly and walked past him, stepping through the massive iron archway and into the city. Elicia followed closely at my side, her elegant boots clicking rhythmically against the cobblestones.
The grand streets of Caria were hushed and casting long, deep shadows. Because it was already midnight, the bustling capital had settled into a quiet lull.
"The Bureau is definitely closed at this hour, There's no point in trying to clear my name or dig into the archives tonight. We should head to my house first to rest and regroup." I murmured to Elicia, keeping my voice low so it wouldn't echo in the empty streets.
Elicia stopped in her tracks for a fraction of a second, her silver eyes widening in genuine surprise as she looked at me.
"Your house? Ren, you actually bought a house here in the capital? By yourself?"
A faint, tired smile touched my lips.
"I told you, big sister, I ran that meat shop in Town Allure entirely by myself, and my hunter contracts paid well. I'm not a kid anymore. I built a life here, hidden or not."
Elicia's expression softened into a look of profound, bittersweet pride.
"I suppose I keep forgetting just how much you've grown while I was away. Lead the way, little sister. I'd love to see your home."
With our destination set, we turned down a wider avenue and began walking through the 3rd District… the residential district of Caria. Unlike the chaotic, crowded market sectors or the intimidating, high-walled nobility quarters, this area was filled with rows of charming stone townhouses, quiet courtyards, and sleeping alleyways. The cool midnight air rustled the flower boxes hanging from the windows, creating a peaceful, domestic atmosphere that felt a world away from the blood-stained trenches and prison cells I had occupied just days ago.
But as we walked beneath the warm, flickering glow of the streetlamps, my combat instincts remained sharply on edge. Somewhere out there in the dark, Elias was putting the pieces together. We had a roof over our heads for the night, but tomorrow, the real game of survival would begin.