From a Broken Engagement to the Northern Grand Duke's Son-in-Law

Surprisingly, the tide of battle favored the Special Taskforce. But it wasn’t that they had suddenly grown stronger.

The primary cause was simply the arrival of Mihaila Trominia.

“Fall back!” Mihaila roared, unleashing a wave of Divinity.

The sacred power blazed like a miniature sun. Faced with such overwhelming holy energy, Ram’s expression contorted in pain, and he leaped backward.

He moved just like the frog he resembled.

Disgusting.

I raised my bow, scowling as I watched Ram retreat.

Crackle. Sizzle.

Electricity arced from the arrowhead.

Krrrrzzzzzt!

A massive bolt of lightning shot toward Ram.

“Ribbit?”

Ram stared at the approaching arrow, alarm flickering across his amphibian features, before raising his hands to catch it.

Boom!

He caught the arrow between his palms.

As a technique designed for single-target devastation, its destructive power was exceptional, yet it failed to wound Ram.

It did, however, force him back several paces.

Still not enough.

I clicked my tongue and raised my bow again. Divine beasts materialized around me as a matter of course, my arrows spinning in the air.

With more than twenty flying at once, it would not have been an exaggeration to call it the second coming of the Divine Archer.

Except, these arrows were laced with demonic energy.

I wonder if they’d call me the Demonic Archer.

Well, it mattered little what others called me.

“Ribbit! You’re a nuisance!”

As I loosed the volley, Ram deflected every single arrow with his tongue.

Clang, clang!

The arrows clattered uselessly to the floor. The squad’s attacks were similarly blocked by Ram’s tongue or his palms.

“Argh!”

“Lady Mihaila! Use your divine power!” Lancelot shouted, gripping his spear.

Ram had caught the weapon in his hand, leaving Lancelot unable to advance or retreat.

“I know! I’m doing it now!”

Sacred light rained down, searing Ram’s skin.

“Ribbit—!” Ram scrambled backward, frantically patting out the flames consuming his body. “That crazy bitch, ribbit!”

“Shut up, ugly frog,” Mihaila spat, already gathering more Divinity.

Judging by her mouth, she was no different from a common thug. Hard to believe this woman was once a saintess. The goddess she served must have had a truly peculiar eye for talent.

But more pressingly...

That skin is a problem.

I sighed, studying Ram’s slick hide. The Count of Gluttony’s amphibian nature meant his skin was coated in a layer of mucus. The problem was that this mucus caused most attacks to simply slide off.

Such a headache.

I let out a soft breath and scanned the battlefield.

None of Ram’s attacks had landed a decisive blow, but the same was true for us. The fact that we were in a stalemate despite our numerical advantage was a testament to his strength.

First, I have to do something about that skin.

I took a deep breath and roused my Aura.

Crrk. Crrrk.

My fingertips began to tremble, shaking uncontrollably from the strain. Perhaps it was from the continuous use of demonic energy.

“Hah.”

Damn it.

I tried to steady my breathing and endure the pain, but my body refused to obey. Still, I couldn’t afford to show any weakness here.

I nocked an arrow, aimed, and released the bowstring.

Krrrzzzzzt!

Another bolt of lightning flew. This time, he wouldn’t be able to catch it.

Because at that very moment...

“Now!”

“I know!”

BOOM!

Mihaila’s Divinity poured down on Ram’s head like molten gold.

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaah!” he shrieked, thrashing on the ground.

But there was still one arrow left for him.

KRRRRZZZZZZT—!

An arrow, infused with demonic energy, slammed into his chest and discharged its electric fury.

“Grrrrrrrk! You bastards!” Ram howled, his eyes blazing with vicious light.

He raised an arm, plucked the arrow from his chest, and shoved it into his mouth, crunching it to pieces.

Then...

Rip— Riiip—!

SHHWAAAK—!

To extinguish the flames clinging to his body, Ram tore at his own skin, peeling it away in strips. The mucus-coated hide was gone, revealing only grotesque, raw muscle beneath.

“Damned humans. I’ll eat you all. I’ll devour every last one of you!” Ram roared, his demonic energy surging.

It was clear now that he hadn’t won his place among the Twelve Nobles by playing children’s games. His power was far greater than that of any ordinary Demonkin.

It was so potent that even Mihaila clicked her tongue and took a step back, though she held her ground.

“I think something just went very wrong.”

“My thoughts exactly,” I replied coolly to Mihaila, taking a deep breath.

Though I kept a calm facade, I knew things were dire.

He’s abandoned defense for pure offense.

I couldn’t gauge the exact increase in his attack power, but he was undeniably stronger. He must have used his demonic energy to enhance his physical abilities. 

That meant the tongue he had been flicking around moments ago was now a weapon capable of inflicting grievous wounds with a single graze.

“Everyone, on your guard. Treat him like you’re fighting Pepia.”

My words seemed to have the intended effect. The squad members’ faces hardened with tension as they stared at Ram.

But Ram paid them no mind. His bloodshot eyes darted about as he flicked his tongue in and out.

“Killkillkillkillkill.”

The frog’s gone mad.

I clicked my tongue and sent my divine beasts forward, clad in Hasilan’s unbreakable thread.

The serpent-dragon and the saber-toothed tiger shot toward him in unison.

THUMP!

But Ram kicked off the ground, taking a tremendous leap that landed him right in front of Hans.

BANG!

“One down.”

His eyes gleaming, Ram swung his hand down at Hans.

In that instant.

“…You’re in the way.”

Kai appeared before Hans, his daggers flashing as he slashed at Ram’s wrist.

The technique meant to slay the heavens bloomed from the tip of Kai’s dagger.

SHWIIICK!

“Gahk!”

Ram grimaced at the blood spraying from his wrist and swung his other hand. But it made no difference.

“Useless. I’m everywhere.”

Kai vanished from Ram’s sight, leaving behind a blur of afterimages as he began to carve wounds all over the Demonkin’s body.

Shwick! Shwick! Shwick!

Flowers of blood began to bloom in the air.

“Kerrrrk! You little fly!” Ram roared, flailing wildly.

But he couldn’t catch Kai. Only more wounds appeared on his body.

“I’m tired of your ribbiting.”

After several more strikes...

“LITTLE FLYYYY!” Ram bellowed, slamming his foot into the ground with all his might.

BOOOM!

The marble floor began to ripple as if it were a swamp.

Kai let out a soft groan and leaped back. In that instant, Ram’s thigh muscles contracted, and he appeared right in front of him.

“Die, human.”

Just as his ribbiting voice echoed and his tongue shot out...

“He can’t die just yet.”

“I have no desire to see a Demonkin run rampant.”

Lancelot and Roxen appeared before Ram, their eyes holding different resolves.

CLANG!

Ram’s tongue slammed against spear and sword in a deafening roar. Lancelot and Roxen’s feet slid back, but they had blocked the attack.

“Hoo... damn, that was close,” Lancelot muttered with a wry grin. He immediately turned his gaze to Lea and shouted, “Lady Lea! If you would!”

“Leave it to me.”

Lea’s quiet reply came as she flooded the area with her Aura.

The rippling ground froze solid, and with it, Ram’s legs were encased in ice.

“Ribbit?!”

Ram’s surprise was only natural.

“Release me! Release me now!” he shrieked.

What a rowdy monster.

“It’s time to end the noise,” I said slowly, aiming my bow at him.

Creeak.

The bowstring groaned as I drew it taut.

Two arrows. Both arrowheads were coated in a special poison Hans had prepared. A poison that suppressed demonic energy.

This alone would be enough to neutralize him. But to ensure his death, I needed something else.

A catalyst.

The object Pepia had destroyed to vanish before was a type of catalyst. Ram had been manifested here through a similar object.

If I killed him, he would simply return to the Demonic Realm through it. To kill him permanently, then, I had to destroy that catalyst first.

Where is it?

I focused Aura into my eyes and steadied my breath.

My vision expanded, as if I were looking down from the heavens.

It has to be near here.

A catalyst was only effective within a certain distance of its user. Furthermore, if the user destroyed it themselves, they could return to their original location.

It was common sense for a summoner to either wear the catalyst or keep it within arm’s reach.

But Ram’s body had nowhere to hide anything, which meant the catalyst had to be hidden somewhere on this floor.

Where are you...!

As I frantically scanned the area, my eyes fell upon a stone in the corner, etched with runic characters.

Found it.

The corner of my mouth lifted as I aimed at the stone. Of course, one arrow was still reserved for Ram—an arrow that would obliterate his demonic energy.

And to top it off...

“Eat this!”

...Mihaila unleashed her Divinity.

Thwip.

Shuuuuuk—!

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Ram shrieked and rolled on the floor, but this time, he couldn’t regenerate. The catalyst shattered, scattering into the air, and the arrow lodged in his heart devoured his demonic energy, preventing him from healing.

Ram dragged his grotesquely twisted body across the floor, crawling toward me.

“I-I want to live! Ribbit! I want to live!”

It was, in a way, a plea for mercy.

Others might have forgiven him at such a sight, but not me.

“So sorry. I’m not one to spare my enemies.”

I drew a Mithril dagger from my coat and walked slowly toward him. I raised the blade high and plunged it into his neck.

Shunk!

A fountain of blood erupted as his body twitched and spasmed.

A moment later, he fell still.

And so fell Ram, the Count of Gluttony—one of the Twelve Nobles, brought down by the Special Taskforce.