Chapter 22: A demon, but with hearts set on humanity.

Ankira’s expression grew utterly serious once more. He pointed at the unconscious Lester:

“The origin of that魔核 inside you, and the source of your strange power—all the answers lie with the one who started this mess.”

He looked straight into Rosie’s eyes, his gaze carrying rare solemnity and a trace of barely noticeable worry.

“For the sake of your safety—and to lift the sealing predicament we’re all in—Miss Rosie, I sincerely beg you to stay with us for a while. At least until this guy wakes up, until we figure out exactly what happened, and find a way to break this mana seal. Then you can decide whether to leave. It won’t be too late.”

Seeing the wavering in Rosie’s expression, he added one final, decisive push, waiting only for her to voice her agreement.

Rosie thought of how they had just fled from Demon King City. That black-robed figure would never let this go—he would hunt them down relentlessly.

If they were caught again because their powers remained sealed… she didn’t finish the thought, but the implication was clear.

Rosie pressed her lips tightly together. This feeling made her deeply uncomfortable.

She was a demon now, yet her heart still leaned toward humanity.

She would have preferred they all just died.

But Satan would surely regard her as one of the Demon King’s people.

If her departure caused them to be defenseless and wiped out, then Rosie—deep down—might feel a tiny, nagging pang of remorse.

And after dealing with them, Satan’s next target could very well be her.

Unknowingly, she had already become a grasshopper tied to the same rope as them.

Rosie bit down hard on her lower lip. A fierce struggle raged inside her.

Ankira’s words landed like heavy stones, pressing down on her heart.

She looked at Lester lying lifeless on the ground, then thought of that terrifying black-robed figure—Satan.

Finally, with an extremely faint nod—like a sigh—she gave in:

“…Fine.”

Her voice was mosquito-thin, yet it clearly conveyed surrender.

“Phew…”

Ankira secretly let out a breath of relief. The tension in his nerves eased slightly.

He looked at the two utterly drenched, pathetic “soaked dragons” before him, then glanced at the unconscious Demon King on the ground and shook his head helplessly.

“Alright. You two look like drowned rats. We can’t just stand here letting the cold wind blow through us forever, can we?”

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and his purple eyes sharpened as they scanned the gloomy, damp forest surroundings.

Utilizing the spider race’s innate, razor-sharp sensitivity to terrain and shelter, he carefully searched for a suitable place to rest.

“Don’t just stand there debating,” he called back to Rosie, his tone noticeably lighter now.

“Priority one is finding somewhere sheltered from wind and rain—somewhere a bit warmer to settle down. Come on, let’s look for a cave or an abandoned cabin nearby.”

“…Okay.”

Rosie silently agreed in her heart. With complicated emotions, she watched Ankira casually hoist the tall, limp Lester onto his back like a sack of grain.

The great Demon King remained completely oblivious, head dangling powerlessly.

The sight stirred an indescribable mix of feelings in Rosie’s chest—anger, guilt, unease, and a faint thread of… worry she refused to acknowledge.

“But… where exactly are we?”

Ankira carried Lester on his back and turned in a slow circle, eyeing the nearly identical dense trees and pervasive mist. He couldn’t tell east from west.

“Completely unfamiliar forest…”

“I know where we are.”

Rosie frowned. Her voice came out muffled, carrying a resigned, almost fated tone.

She hesitated before adding:

“This is… the lakeside where I was last stopped—right before Lester captured me.”

She lifted her head and gazed toward the faint shimmer of water deep in the woods, memories surfacing.

Unlike back then, the human army that had once been stationed by the lake had long since withdrawn—after the priestess’s disappearance—falling back to the distant New Orleans-Cochise Hills region to fortify their defenses.

“I see.”

“But…”

Ankira suddenly sniffed the air. A predator’s sharpness flickered across his handsome face.

“I smell something interesting—traces of lingering human activity.”

A gleam of excitement flashed through his purple eyes. The corner of his mouth curved into a playful, predatory smile.

The look on his face seemed to say: If we run into a few unlucky stragglers, they’d make perfect “snacks” to regain some strength.

The thought made Rosie swallow nervously in an instant.

Right at that moment, her completely empty stomach let out a loud, protesting growl.

From the moment she hatched until now—through birth, battle, and desperate flight—she hadn’t taken a single sip of water or bite of food.

The fierce hunger had finally caught up with full force.

“……”

Rosie’s cheeks flushed faintly. She awkwardly covered her stomach with both hands.

“Looks like we all need to refuel.”

Ankira gave a soft chuckle and said no more.

Following the faint residual scent of humans in the air, he strode deeper into the forest.

Rosie hesitated for only a second before ultimately choosing to follow close behind his tall figure.

Warily, she advanced toward the unknown ahead—toward the small cabin or hideout that Ankira’s senses told him might hold supplies… or danger.

Every step was filled with unease and uncertainty.