CH 53.2

[▷SYSTEM

Story progress 32%]

Time had stopped short all of a sudden and a system window that announced the third episode popped up in her mind.

[▷SYSTEM

3rd Episode. The Demon’s Savior.]

[▷SYSTEM

– Mission: Convince Paimon.

– Reward: Activation of a new episode.

– Failure Penalty: Player’s death.]

[▷SYSTEM

‘The Demon’s Savior’ is the prequel episode to the ‘Whereabouts of Magic’, which consists of separate rewards for each of the stages.]

When the window disappeared, Julia was returned to reality once again. Kimaris hurriedly looked around while supporting her as she stumbled. Since Paimon’s fire had already been so powerful, the surrounding area began to get engulfed into a sea of fire.

“Julia, Julia, open your eyes! Why would you even protect me!”

“Hiick, how dare you actually block this body’s attack?! I won’t let you go. I won’t forgive you!”

Paimon’s whole body started burning fiercely like that of fire itself. He then hurled huge fireballs that were made of magic without stopping while Julia still blocked them all. However, it was simply impossible to block any physical impairment, so the fire and smoke could still pass through the shield intact.

Julia let out a violent cough as she confirmed the time limit to parry the attack.

‘We still have about 9 minutes left. It’s okay, at this rate, Lady Agares will definitely come soon.’

Only Bael and Agares could actually break Paimon’s attribute resistance of Paimon himself, who was the highest leveled demon. Kimaris muttered quietly as well while he covered his respiratory tract just like he was having the same thought too.

“I’ll lure Paimon outside. So, in the meantime, Julia, don’t look back and just run to Agares’s office instead.”

“Absolutely not—cough cough! If I leave now, you will definitely be attacked by Lord Paimon. If I can just hold out a little longer, Lady Agares will soon come…”

“I’m fine, Julia.”

He calmly brushed Julia’s hair to make her believe him. However, the more he did that, the more Julia grew anxious.

‘If anything should happen to you, the lives of your enemies will definitely pay for it.’

‘And not just myself, but everyone else too. In regards to Paimon, really, stay away from him and make sure to have me or even someone else with you wherever you go while he’s still in the nest.’

She had a hunch that if she were to leave now, it was either Kimaris or Paimon who would inevitably be hurt. And the scapegoat would probably be Kimaris…… He was also a member of the 72 demons, but still, he couldn’t be compared to Paimon’s magical power.

“I can’t help it even if they say that I’m overly greedy. But I just don’t want to survive alone by sacrificing someone else instead.”

She tightly grasped onto Kimaris by the collar. In the meantime, Paimon, who had been indiscriminately blowing fire, was screaming in anger as his attacks still got blocked.

“I can’t do this! It’s just a mere human and a bug-like slave! Why are you blocking this body’s attacks every time?!”

“And this time, I feel like I can make it as well.”

Her gaze eventually turned to the tiny figure that was being devoured by the raging fire. Kimaris, who had read Julia’s firm determination in her eyes, instantly hugged her without saying a word. Then, she began to run outside in order to avoid the blazing smoke.

Paimon chased after them as soon as they ran away. However, when the attack didn’t work, he could no longer contain his anger and turned the area around him into a sea of fire once again.

Julia looked up at the skill window as the time limit was rapidly decreasing. If this situation were to still continue, she would eventually have to use her skills one after another. It was okay for her to collapse due to her own lack of stamina, but it still bothered her that every time something had happened, it would cause her surroundings great worry.

She muttered desperately within herself with her eyes tightly closed.

‘Lady Agares, please hurry.’

Each time a fireball with the size of a house had struck the shield, her feet shook and her eardrums rang with a roaring roar. Kimaris hugged Julia, who kept on cowering, even tighter in return.

“I just can’t stand it anymore. I really can’t stand it. I will kill all the worms that dare to go up against this body!!”

“Uht, what is this all of the sudden…”

Julia slowly lifted her head while frantically clutching onto her fluttering hair. Paimon, who had now been floating in the air, was sucking in all the surrounding air using his ability. The fire that contained all the oxygen was suddenly increasing in size just like a bomb trying to explode. Then, a rapidly spreading flame blocked right at Kimaris’s feet.

The hot air instantly rushed through her respiratory system. Julia clutched her chest while her body started writhing with much difficulty.

“Uhhukk! Cough cough!”

“Julia!”

“I, I can’t breathe…”

A dangerous rasp squeaked out from her throat. Paimon laughed madly as he watched the two of them being cornered. A huge mass of lava appeared above his head, which was glowing just like the sun. It was the final blow that had been prepared by Paimon himself.

“Haha! Get all burned and die!”

It was at the time when Julia’s eyes had been tightly closed that beyond her pitch-black vision, a distant red flash could be seen. And at the same time, a cool voice seeped in her ears.

“Out of the way.”

While standing on the highest spire in the Devil Castle, Bael stretched out his hand.

The red magic that he just released had eaten up all the fires that surrounded Julia and Kimaris before rushing towards Paimon. The burning child’s body was swallowed by an even larger fireball than before.

Two flames of a set of subtle different colors were intertwining violently. Paimon resisted with all his might, but his purple flames were simply pushed back helplessly by the much stronger crimson flames.