Volume 1, Chapter 55 – The High-Ranking Demon

After the [Bulwark Hammer] sent the fallen angel Samael flying out of the mansion, Yisi stepped through the hole blasted in the wall and surveyed the battlefield from the second floor.

The outside world was still bitterly cold and blanketed in snow. However, the commotion had roused the holy knights gathered around the mansion. They had spotted the high-ranking demon Yisi had smashed into the courtyard and, under the command of their captain, swiftly surrounded it.

“Just one high-ranking demon?”

Yisi frowned and activated the Omniscient Map. The holographic-like display showed only Samael—no, to be precise, the entire city of Niru held only this one demon. But what was alarming was that the Omniscient Map revealed only Samael’s race, name, and location. The “Level” field was blurred, as if obscured by frosted glass—just like when she used “Second Form Awakening.”

In other words, his level was invisible.

“Is he using a concealment spell? A higher-tier detection spell might pierce through this, but I haven’t learned one… Wait, maybe a single-target appraisal spell would work. [Eye of God]'”

Locking onto Samael as the target, Yisi’s sapphire-like right eye instantly filled with countless gear-shaped light patterns. Everything in her vision except Samael blurred, and his information appeared directly on her retina.

But this didn’t bring her any relief. Instead, her brows furrowed slightly.

“Seriously… this is absolutely absurd. How does a monster like this even exist?”

The “Eye of God” did display Samael’s information, but it included a racial trait that left her speechless: “Taboo of the Lost Paradise.” Fallen angels had no concept of levels, so none could be displayed—not even Samael himself knew how strong he truly was.

After a stunned pause, Yisi clicked her tongue.

“Whatever. For now, I’ll just capture him. Maybe I can use him to gauge the Demon King’s strength.”

“Apply holy water to your weapons! Demons fear it just like vampires!”

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Below, under the holy knight captain’s orders, soldiers who had never experienced life-or-death battles nervously splashed holy water onto their blades. Meanwhile, the demon Samael still hadn’t climbed out of the crater left by the [Bulwark Hammer.] The sacred-attribute attack seemed to have dealt significant damage.

BANG!

The sound of a door slamming against the wall echoed as the room’s entrance was violently thrown open.

It was Camilla.

“Onee-sama!”

“I’m fine.”

Seeing Yisi unharmed, Camilla let out a sigh of relief. She brushed aside the sweat-dampened golden hair clinging to her forehead before her gaze fell on Owen’s lifeless body slumped against the wall.

“This is…?”

Suppressing the unease from witnessing Owen’s death firsthand, Yisi calmly replied,

“Owen. Assassinated by Samael. You mentioned Samael is one of the Eight Great Fallen Angels, right? How strong is he?”

“Samael is the weakest among the Eight Great Fallen Angels.”

“I see…”

Even if he was the “weakest,” Yisi had no frame of reference to gauge his actual strength.

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“Onee-sama, I suggest we retreat immediately. Every one of the Eight Great Fallen Angels possesses power rivaling an army of ten thousand. Engaging him is far too dangerous!”

“Guh—!”

Before Camilla could finish, a pained cry erupted from below. Yisi turned to see Samael climbing out of the five-meter-deep crater. Though his skin sizzled as if burning and his hair was visibly singed, he moved with unsettling ease. His crimson eyes burned with fury as he scanned the holy knights surrounding him, cracking his neck.

“What a grand welcome… It’s been so long since I’ve tasted human blood. I wonder what expressions you priests will make when I turn you into undead? Heh heh heh…”

The demon wasn’t given time to gloat. The holy knight captain, having circled behind him, leaped into the air, swinging his massive hammer down with crushing force, augmented by gravity itself.

“Die!”

BANG.

The holy knights’ eyes widened in shock as the demon casually raised a single hand and caught the captain’s full-powered strike effortlessly.

It was like tapping a table with a wooden mallet—Samael’s shoulder barely twitched, while the captain felt as if he’d struck a mountain, the recoil nearly wrenching the hammer from his grip.

“Impossible! This is a sacred weapon blessed by His Holiness the Pope! How could you—?!”

“Pathetic. But I don’t have time for you. Scram.”

His voice was as hoarse as ever, dripping with undisguised contempt. That very disdain only fueled the captain’s rage, and he raised his hammer again—

Only to find his target gone.

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Samael, who had been standing at the crater’s edge, vanished without a trace.

Bad move.

Instinctively, Yisi grabbed Camilla’s shoulder from the mansion’s second floor and activated short-range “Blink.”

And in that fraction of a second, a curved blade nearly as tall as a person sliced through the air where Yisi had just stood.

“Tch. Dodged, huh?”

This time, Yisi saw his movement clearly—a shadowy substance wriggled out of the darkness, coalescing into a humanoid figure, like a creature born from the shadows themselves.

No wonder he’d assassinated Owen undetected. With this ability to phase through shadows, Samael was undeniably a lethal threat. Yisi had no intention of risking a knife in the back while she slept.

Camilla immediately stepped in front of Yisi, summoning a wand from her storage magic.

“Onee-sama, I’ll buy you some time! The demon’s target is clearly—”

“I’m not some chatty assassin.”

Before Camilla could finish, Samael’s corpse-like voice slithered through the air again. Yisi activated “Blink” once more, this time teleporting directly into the sky outside the mansion, wary of his shadow-teleportation.

“[Wings of Hermes.]”

Invoking the superior version of the [Flight] spell, a pair of azure wings sprouted from Yisi’s boots.

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“Camilla, get out of here.”

“But—”

“Tch. He can chase me even without shadows? Camilla, don’t resist.”

Without further discussion, Yisi hurled Camilla into the air, then raised her free hand toward her. A white magic circle materialized in her palm.

“[Spatial Leap.]”

Instantly, Camilla vanished, teleported to the lowest level of the brothel—the private chamber where Yisi usually met her “pets.”

Then—

“[Repulsion Ring.]”

A circle of blazing orange fire erupted outward from Yisi without warning, expanding to a three-meter radius before colliding with a winged, shadowy figure that had just materialized from thin air. The impact sent the figure flying as if struck by a speeding truck.

Though [Repulsion Ring] dealt no damage, its instant cast and knockback effects made it a favorite among players—especially magic casters, who almost always prioritized learning it.

Seizing the opportunity, Yisi pursued Samael mid-knockback.

In games, [Repulsion Ring] came with a brief cooldown, but reality imposed no such restrictions. Having tested this before, Yisi wasn’t about to waste the advantage.

With a burst of wind pressure sharp enough to sting the eyes, Yisi closed the distance in the blink of an eye, appearing right before Samael.