Episode5：THE DEVIL’S GIRL

That's when it happened. Ahead of Quon's eyes, a huge fissure suddenly appeared in the empty air. Quon's mind was filled with the sensation as if the atmosphere was cracking and the space was collapsing. The fissure gradually expanded and finally broke.

The space that opened up like a whirlpool glowed with a twilight color. Quon's eyes cannot see beyond the crack, and his instincts warn him that it is not of this world. It is as if he is about to be plunged into an infinite hell.

What's that ......? Is that what these Hexenbiests put out?

It was when he was about to guess its true identity. A figure emerged from the depths of the whirlpool. As it gradually grew larger, it appeared as a girl.

Her hair is a wet-feather color with accents of azure deeper than the deepest ocean, and it extends down to her shoulders. Her eyes, as large as a cat's, are slightly slanted, and her deep blue pupils, like those of the ocean, shine like serpents. Combined with her petite and slender physique, she is both lovable and brave. Her black-based outfit, together with the coat draped over her shoulders, wraps her in a dignified manner, and her snow-colored thighs, which peek out slightly from between the hem of her skirt and her boots, shine brighter than the stars in the sky, creating a sensational color within her loveliness.

Girl ...... is about the same age as me. But who the hell is she?

The girl floats silently in the air for a while, gazing at the scene below. The power of levitation, which is beyond human knowledge, gives Quon a sense of shock and fear, but the girl does not show any sign of concern. She looks down at Quon with her pretty, cool-headed eyes, as if to show off her power. In contrast, the Hexenbiests also notice her appearance and look at her.

What's going on is that you guys did this. You've come a long way in about 10,000 years.

The girl moves softly through the air and sits on the roof of a nearby house, cross one legged and on her cheekbones. Although outwardly she appeared to be a pretty young girl, her presence and intimidating presence showed a high-handedness and arrogance that could be called either The Queen or The Devil King.

The vast amount of magical power emanating from her alone stimulates Hexenbiests. They, who instinctively sensed who the owner of the magical power was and how powerful she was, could only silently shudder and tremble.

“What's up? Come on. I'll deal with you myself.”

The girl lands on the ground and walks up to Hexenbiests. Her gesture is graceful and yet somewhat arrogant. Her confident pose, coupled with her gestures, strikes fear into the hearts of Hexenbiests.

Every time the girl takes a step closer, the Hexenbiests takes a step back. Quon's body is freed from the hands of the Hexenbiests and falls down in an unceremonious manner. Quon's existence was no longer in their eyes, and fear of the girl was imprinted in their brains.

Somehow, Quon managed to crawl on the ground and escape to a safe place, where he watched the girl and the Hexenbiests. Normally, he should have run farther, but he couldn't. The girl's eyes restrained him as if he was sewn into the ground.

Finally, the battle broke out before his eyes. ...... No, it was a scene of horrific carnage that can be summed up in the word "overrun".

The Hexenbiests all let out a yell and charged at the girl as if they were a single group. Was it a determined counterattack, or were they unable to resist the instinctive impulse that was still smoldering deep within them? Quon, who is not Hexenbiests, cannot see into it.

However, it was a complete waste of time. The scene of one by one the Hexenbiests being killed by the girl's hands was as destructive as a young child trampling ants, but it also seemed to be driven by emotions different from the desire to kill.

With a swing of her hand, their body would be cut in two, and with a kick, their head would be crushed. It was hard enough for Quon to kill one of Hexenbiests, but it didn't seem like the same Hexenbiest.

The battle, the carnage, is over in a matter of minutes. The screams of the Hexenbiests, which must have numbered in the hundreds, are no longer audible. Or perhaps it was a desperate cry for life. Thinking of this, Quon looked around.

The ground is covered with countless rolls of what used to be Hexenbiests, and the town is dyed in their red blood. And the girl who made it lands in front of Quon. Despite all the carnage, there is not a scratch on her body, not even a drop of blood on her face. She silently walks up to Quon without breaking her cool-headed smile. She steps on the remains of the Hexenbiest lying on the ground and puts her one hand on her waist.

The girl looks down at Quon. Her shoulder-length hair sways in the air. She looks like a normal girl. She is in her late teens. Her black-based costume is modern, and her snow-colored thighs, peeking out slightly from the hem of her skirt, exude a seductive charm that is in keeping with her age. Unlike her girlish clothes and appearance, however, the coat on her shoulders was masculine and spoke eloquently of her bravery.

“You have good eyes, you do.”

She muttered as she gazed into Quon's amber colored eyes. She smiles as she interrupts Quon, who wonders what she is talking about.

“No, I'm talking about here. But that doesn't matter. It looks like you're safe for now.”

“Yeah, thanks for the help. Still, it's amazing. That many Hexenbiests in an instant. ......”

Quon brushes away the dirt with his hand and looks around again. Hundreds of Hexenbiests, which should have filled the surrounding area just a few minutes ago, had been cruelly tossed to the ground, and a silent calm was blowing in the town. It told us that not only had the Hexenbiests been exterminated, but also The Humans in the town were as well.

“They are not Hexenbiests, but properly Sacred Beasts. The moonless-dawn color horns on their heads are proof that they are creatures of The Heavenly Realm. There are no creatures called Hexenbiests. If that were Monsters, it would be the same twilight color as in The Magical Realm, right?”

...... Sacred Beast? The Heavenly Realm? What are you talking about?

While expressing his gratitude, Quon casts a look of disbelief at the girl.

“By the way, who the hell are you ......?”

He knew that this might be a very rude way to ask her after she saved his life. However, the scene just before and the intimidation he sensed from her made him more fearful and distrustful than grateful.

Ignorance breeds fear, fear breeds distrust, and distrust excludes civility. As an instinctive defensive response that cannot be suppressed by reason, Quon asked with his hand on the sword he carried, ready to pull out at any moment.

However, the girl's reaction is very different from what Quon imagined. Her expression, which is not likely to move even by leverage, is slightly disturbed, forming a blinding stare, so to speak. Her cat-like eyes widen and her serpentine gaze loses its luster. However, it also collapses in an instant, and she returns to her original pose.

“...... Well, ...... no, I'm talking about this one. Don't worry about it. I am Alpina. I am what you would call The Devil.”

Alpina speaks in a clear and lively tone and manner that reveals a somewhat arrogant and irreverent temperament. In contrast, Quon's expression becomes clouded and his suspicion grows stronger.

“...... The Devil? It is an imaginary creature that is talked about in myths and fictions. It is a cog in the wheel of creation created to bring rationality to the desires that arise from The Human's ideals and delusions, or so the mainstream story goes.”

The religious beliefs of The Kingdom of Prerahar people are divided into two halves. While atheists used to be all atheists who believed in The God, The Angels, etc., atheists, who do not believe in such paranomal beings, now account for about half of the population, and their number is increasing. Many also say that atheists tend to be basically concentrated among the younger generation.

Quon is more of an atheist. However, he does not intend to deny the existence of theism, but only thinks it would be interesting if there were such a thing. However, that does not mean that he can be amused by this girl's words. Theists only believe in the existence of such beings. It is another thing to say out loud that I'm such a being. If anything, you would have to declare it a primary delusion of grandeur and be concerned about the mental state of the person in question.

“Hahaha, you say some pretty terrible things. However, by the looks of it, it must mean that The Angels and The Devils have not descended to The Earthly Realm in recent years. Indeed, it has been about 10,000 years in this planet's time since I last descended to The Earthly Realm.”

But," Alpina rebuts in her mind.

Do it mean to say that even they have disappeared from The Earthly Realm, let alone me? Certainly, there is no advantage to remaining in The Earthly Realm. ...... Should I find them and talk to them?

Quon calls out to Alpina, who is lost in silent contemplation.