Volume 10 Chapter 40 The Twin-Fanged Arrow
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Fit? Hey?”
Fit stared into the void, eyes vacant, unblinking. No answer. No flicker of recognition.
”…Damn it.”
Was she dead? There was no time to check properly. I threw myself into the wooden crate, practically landing on top of her. Her body didn’t even twitch beneath me—dead weight, cold and still.
”Oi, Fit. Don’t joke with me—”
In that pitch-dark box, it was just the princess and me. If anyone found out later, they’d call it disrespect. I could only hope she’d forgive me for it.
I took her hand, pressed my thumb to her wrist.
…No. She’s alive. Holy hell, she’s still alive.
There was a pulse—faint, but steady. And yet something was wrong. Too wrong. This wasn’t the stillness of sleep.
”Fit. Are you asleep? Wake up.”
Normally, I’d carry her on my back and run, but not now. Not here. I shook her shoulders, desperate. Even slapped her cheek, apologizing inwardly for every touch. Princess or not, survival came first.
Still nothing—until I pinched harder, shaking her face like a madman.
”…Eh?”
”Fi… Fit?”
”Wha—what?”
Her voice. She was back.
I froze, staring at her as if she’d risen from the grave.
”Fit. You’re awake?”
”…That voice. Captain? Where are we…?”
A faint light seeped in from above. She’d reached for the lid, and I grabbed her arm before she could open it.
”Wait. Don’t. There are enemies outside.”
She froze.
The glow flickered across her profile—then vanished as she lowered the lid again.
”Captain… are you hurt?”
”Yeah. Burns, cuts, and probably poisoned too. Sorry. Came to save you, but I’m kinda dying over here.”
”You came to save me? I… I’m sorry, but what’s going on?”
”What, you don’t remember? We’re in Portline. Middle of the enemy’s damn base.”
”…Enemy base?”
The words had barely left her lips when a thunderous explosion ripped through the air.
”What the—?!”
”Quiet. That’s Magic. Strong enough to level a house. They’re looking for me.”
”So you’re being hunted. By who?”
”Their leader, I think. Calls himself Roldi. Uses all four elements—fire, water, wind, earth. Always extends his fingers when casting. Paranoid bastard—wouldn’t even step close when we fought. He’s got some kind of Unique Skill—causes weakness like a poison.”
”Roldi…”
Her voice trembled to a whisper.
”…The lake…”
”Huh?”
”I remember now. That mask—I lost it there. That strange woman kept coming closer and closer until…”
”Mask? Woman?”
”But just before—she ran away, didn’t she…?”
”…Fit, what are you even talking about?”
She was muttering now, lost in her own storm of memories. I frowned, watching until she blinked and came back.
”…No, sorry. Forget it. I’ll explain later. Right now, we’re in trouble, right?”
”…Yeah. Primlena and the others are waiting at sea, but we’re too far from the rally point. I can’t swim like this. If you can still move, head north—get help.”
That was the best chance we had. With her, we could turn this around. Roldi’s abilities were dangerous, but Fit could outmatch him.
”…No. I’ll carry you.”
”Don’t be stupid. The enemy’s too close.”
Running while carrying me? Impossible. They’d spot her before she took ten steps.
”It’s fine. Just wait here a bit.”
”What—wait, you’re not seriously—”
Flame light poured through the cracks again as she stood, her long hair catching the glow. Then, with one fluid motion, Fit leapt out into the night.
”Where are you?! How long will you hide?!”
A man’s voice roared through the inferno.
”Some ‘hero party’ you are—cowering like rats! Or are you waiting to stab me in the back?! Is that it, Brave Knight?! Pathetic!!”
So much for the calm strategist I’d met before. His composure was gone, replaced by fury. Or maybe he was pretending—to draw her out.
Damn it. She really went.
Fit… please be okay.
The lid slammed shut again. I couldn’t stop her. All I could do was watch the shadows dance across the cracks. My arm creaked as I forced the lid open a sliver.
”…Who are you?”
Two silhouettes flared to life in the fire’s glow.
Fit stood tall, facing Roldi head-on.
”You hurt the people I was protecting. I’ll make you pay for that—right here!”
She drew a single arrow from her quiver, nocked it to her bow, and aimed without hesitation.
”…I see. So he wasn’t alone after all. Did the man flee?”
Roldi’s gaze flicked about, searching for me even as he faced her. Every move measured, cautious. Even as commander, he fought like a seasoned soldier—alert, analytical, precise.
Was he once a warrior?
The United Kingdoms were built on war. He must’ve spent years at the front, though his fighting style didn’t quite fit a soldier’s mold.
No… it reminded me of Suzette.
The way he analyzed, the way he moved—it was her all over again.
And that badge—the Federation Committee’s insignia. Why would a demonkin wear that?
He fought with cold precision, never risking a disadvantage. Everything about him screamed of espionage, not open battle.
Of course. A spy.
He must’ve infiltrated the Federation’s upper ranks. That badge wasn’t just decoration.
The battle began the instant Fit loosed her arrow.
No signal, no warning—just the shattering crack of air as her killing shot tore through the night toward the demon’s heart.
But even an A-rank adventurer like Fit wasn’t enough to take Roldi easily.
He met the strike without even flinching.
”What—?!”
Roldi spun, his finger snapping toward Fit as if to point a warning and a spell at once. Like in the fight with Klock, he tried a counter—dodge and reply in a single breath.
Before his Magic could form, though, his arm was pierced.
”What the—!? I should have dodged—!?”
The arrow cut through Roldi and vanished into the ink-dark beyond. Still, to everyone’s surprise, the man clutched his left arm and stared wide-eyed.
Fit—the Twin-Fanged. That was her A-rank moniker. It wasn’t just a name. It was her ability.
Why a princess walked the path of an adventurer, nobody could say for sure. Talent, surely, must have been part of it.
”Woman…!!” Roldi snarled.
Even in the shadows, the firelight carved his anger across his face. He raged far too violently for such a small wound. Maybe he couldn’t bear being bested by a woman.
He thrust his finger out at Fit again.
At that motion, a second arrow flew. Fit tried to throw herself wide and dodge, but something struck her leg—she staggered as blood sprayed.
One arrow, two attacks. An invisible strike like a shadow’s slash—visually it might resemble the Cianie Knife’s cut.
”Wind Magic? No—he’s not weaving power. …A Unique Skill user, huh,” Roldi guessed.
”I don’t have much magic power,” Fit answered, calm as a mirror.
Roldi’s brow furrowed. Had he suddenly forgotten how to hide his feelings?
”Shut up. Don’t get cocky over a scratch!” he spat.
He seemed unusually emotional—unlike the coldly efficient officer they’d first met. Maybe he hated women, or humans in general. Maybe Klock had been spared simply because he was a Brave Knight.
Fit looked relaxed; Roldi seethed. But the advantage was still uncertain. The wound to the leg mattered, but Roldi wasn’t a melee fighter. The duel was far from decided.
Fit moved next. She notched a third arrow, but Roldi read the motion. He dove behind a rolling crate and hid. Arrows couldn’t find a target that vanished.
In that brief cover, the Majin folded magic into shape. Only his fingertips peeked out—and then it was Fit’s turn to be thrown.
”Rafika (Gale)!”
”Kyah—?!”
The gale ripped Fit off her feet. Faster than any attempt to run, wind swept her into the air, spinning wood splinters and debris in a spray as it hurled her backward.
”You human woman—! Don’t waste my time!” Roldi barked.
He sprang from behind the crate. Pressing his fingers to the ground, he made earth surge up. This time his earth magic pushed forward like a rising wall. Roldi rode the lifted stone and soil, launching himself with the momentum.
Two spear-like columns of water formed in his hands. As Fit tumbled, one of the spears arced down toward her.
He meant to grab and impale her—closing distance because he’d been cautious with Klock—but perhaps anger had hurried him. Charging a ranged master at close quarters was risky.
He misjudged.
”—Gah!?”
Roldi’s thrust failed. He lost balance midair and crashed down, unable to land properly.
The burning building behind him threw fierce light and black shadows. A viscous tide of blood began to pour from his wound.
Hand to his throat, Roldi turned—and the reason for the chaos became plain.
”Klock Livorno—”
A black blade had been driven through him. A man stood with only a knife in his hand.
In the instant that Roldi leapt and left his guard, cutting him was easy. From Klock’s arc in midair, predicting Fit’s path and slicing through space to meet it was simple math. The fatal throat cut—primarily a lucky hit—was there all the same.
”Over here—! Hurry, you lot!!” Roldi screamed.
Pressing his torn throat, he roared, blood spouting from the wound as he called for reinforcements. Footsteps answered from beyond the blaze—many boots coming closer.
Oh no. Had the poison worn off?
Klock, meanwhile, still looked exhausted. If poison could be stacked with Magic to prolong its effect, the Majin who’d fallen earlier might recover faster than he would.
This was bad. We couldn’t afford fresh opponents.
I tried to move, but my wounds and fatigue made escape impossible.
”Captain!” Fit cried.
Klock readied his knife, standing to intercept. He counted the Majin—four or five—but then his legs gave out and he sank to his knees, unable to follow her.
”Fit!! I can’t run. The poison’s stopping me,” he said.
”Then be quiet and let me carry you,” she replied.
With astonishing strength, the tiny woman slung the bigger, trembling Klock onto her shoulders. Her steps were unsteady; she wasn’t a greatsword wielder, after all. Still, she shouldered him like a human doing something impossible.
”Acceleration.”
She bolstered herself with Magic.
”Damn it, damn it, dammit!” Roldi hissed in a hoarse voice.
A blue light eased the wound at his throat. The bleeding slowed.
”Scatter, you useless lot! Move faster! Don’t let them get away!”
”L-Lord Roldi! It’s because of your ability—”
”Shut up, you incompetents! You were healed this whole time and stood idle—move! If they escape, I’ll have every one of you impaled!”
Roldi’s orders echoed from behind as Fit ran on thin legs. I leaned on her back and tried to think of a way out.
”Captain—where do we run?” she panted.
”Run north along the shoreline. There was a small harbor somewhere—get in a skiff and sail away.”
We made for the quay. All that spread out before us was the black, swallowing sea.
Jumping into the sea would only mean drowning. We needed a boat—or to make it north and regroup with Primlena’s crew.
”There they are!”
Shadows closed in from behind.
”Fit, you okay? You’re barely moving…”
After only a few seconds of running, Fit’s knees buckled. I fell from her shoulder as her strength gave out.
”Sorry. I… I can’t. My body’s empty. I’m starving, my strength’s gone. That fight—normally I’d have won easily.”
She collapsed, drenched in sweat, clutching her chest and gasping for air. Just a few strides and she looked like she’d sprinted miles. The signs were obvious—she was poisoned too.
Damn. That wind spell—he’d laced it with poison.
And starving too…?
Had Fit been trapped here without food or water all this time? It had been seven days since she disappeared. Even if the first few were reconnaissance, she’d gone without supplies for days. No food, no water—it was a miracle she’d lasted this long.
No wonder she couldn’t carry me any farther.
”We’ll fight here,” I said.
”You sure?” she asked weakly.
Not really. But there was no choice left. We’d been found. Hiding wasn’t an option anymore. Either dive into the black sea, or stand our ground.
The demon soldiers approached—seven in total. They wore not armor but fine national dress, which somehow made their arrogance worse.
They ran up, boots pounding, and surrounded us. Three drew swords; four leveled crimson-stone staves. Veterans—ready for both close and ranged combat. This would be brutal. Fighting them all, front and back, was nearly impossible.
”Drop your weapons and surrender. Resist, and die where you stand,” one ordered.
I sighed. Even Cianie Knife had limits. It was a living extension of Cianie herself—self-repairing like a living being—but burn through too much magic, and it would need time to recover.
I wasn’t spent yet. I could still fight.
Still… gods, I was tired. Every nerve screamed for rest. My mind was unraveling. I could barely raise my head.
That was the poison’s trick—it didn’t just weaken the body. It smothered willpower itself.
(…Heh♡)
And then—she stirred.
The woman bound to my ring finger. She didn’t speak, but her presence pressed close, sweet and expectant. Like a lover leaning in to hear a promise. The Ring of Death’s Caress—Kispe Shisa. I called to her.
Her silence said: I’m ready whenever you are.
The Ring of Death’s Caress—Kispe Shisa.
I called to her. The enemy had their wands raised; in seconds they’d unleash fire.
But before they could, the air itself trembled.
A vast surge of magic power descended like a divine weight. The harbor alarms screamed as the mana towers flared red. Then she came—graceful steps, a smile too serene for the chaos, and great white demonic wings unfurling behind her. The demon girl of the ring.
Then she came—graceful steps, a smile too serene for the chaos, and great white demonic wings unfurling behind her. The demon girl of the ring.
She offered only the faintest smile to those around her. Then she raised her own hand—her ring finger bare—and displayed it as though wearing an invisible wedding band. Like a bride come to reclaim her husband. Devoted Ring Finger Bloom — Melfidis. And then she lost interest in the world. No—she had never cared for it.
Devoted Ring Finger Bloom — Melfidis.
And then she lost interest in the world. No—she had never cared for it.
Ignoring the enemies entirely, she drifted to Klock’s side, smiling like a cat. Leaning close, she pressed a light kiss to his cheek.
Klock exhaled, half relief, half exasperation.
Around them, the Majin soldiers fell into dream.
Their eyes glazed as if sinking into eternal sleep, swallowed by an endless night. In that dream world, their bodies withered—turned to helpless children, then to dust, feeding the nightmare itself.
”Klock!!”
A voice called from the sea.
Out in the water, a shadow waved frantically as it neared the shore—the merfolk princess with orange hair, Primlena’s kin.
”…You…”
”I’m Lady Kispe’s delicate little index finger—Celestina of the Playroom,” she introduced with a smirk.
A beast-eared woman arrived behind her, carrying two unconscious humans. Her enormous chest practically spilled from her outfit, the pair resting limply against it.
”You serve Kispe. What happened? The alarm went off earlier.”
”I was just the courier,” Celestina said. “Ask them for the story.”
She handed over the wounded pair. The merfolk’s hands turned red with their blood.
”As you can see, they’re wrecked. Get them treated fast.”
”Understood. You helped us—thank you,” one replied.
Bubbles rose as a boat surfaced, turning upright to float steady on the waves.
”Don’t thank me,” Celestina chuckled. “It was Lady Kispe who helped. I just hauled them out. Oh—and I tossed the dreaming Majin into the sea to sink. Maybe I’ll come back later to collect some gratitude.”
She vanished soon after, darting back toward the Crimson Spire.
The merfolk gathered the wounded, and their small fleet began to move out.
”Primlena,” one called. “The human’s barely hurt. How’s Klock?”
”He’ll live,” she said. “Looks worse than it is. Once he tastes my blood, he’ll heal quickly.”
Klock and Fit made it safely back to Dayrid. The infiltration mission had nearly ended in failure, but rescuing Fit alone made it worthwhile. Later, Klock would sigh in deep relief.
By noon the next day—
”……”
Wrapped in bandages, Klock awoke in a monastery room. He’d survived every horror—only to face the most dangerous situation yet.
”Uh… Miss Suzette.”
”……”
”…Never mind,” he muttered quickly.
Beside his bed, his personal maid stood in silence, gazing down at him with the cold eyes of someone inspecting garbage.
Notes:
• Fit – Solo archer adventurer; first appears at Barreith volunteer gathering, introduces herself to Klock and group, joining Brave Knight against Demon Lord’s Army
• Roldi – A male subordinate of Bandanzine, executes orders efficiently, tasked with commanding forces in Orrid and coordinating the invasion strategy.
• Primlena – Orange-haired merfolk priestess, fierce yet elegant | First v8c3 | Sister of Sea General Primjune, subordinate to Primrity | Once captured and violated by Klock, now obsessed with reclaiming honor | Commands Obsidian Riders on giant fish, fights with trident | Seeks to drag Klock to Seabed Temple for marriage trial or execution | Unique note: revenge-driven siren bride who masks fury under ritual grace
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Melfidis – Plant-like Succubus, female, “Lady Kispe’s delicate ring finger.”
• Celestina – Another child from Kispe household, playful and mischievous, shows up with Alice Lau in recruitment scenes, frail but lively appearance, beast-like ears marking heritage.
• Celes – A bear-type Beastkin Succubus living with Alice after Klock’s arrival. She’s playful, physically strong, and driven by her species’ “mating season” instincts. She teases Alice often and treats life with freedom and spontaneity. No known family or formal ties; she’s Alice’s companion and occasional housemate.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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