So it’s come to this…

I stared at my master as he stood before me, demanding to know who I was. I’d anticipated this moment, but now that it had arrived, the words refused to come.

What could I possibly tell him? The world wasn’t forgiving enough to accept the truth, that I’d regressed from a future where I was once his disciple.

Besides, he’d never believe something so impossible.

I drew a slow breath, meeting his gaze.

Then…

“Impudent whelp. Making an old man wait.”

With a click of his tongue, he raised a single finger.

“…!”

I twisted aside just in time.

The air ruptured.

A massive dragon had materialized from nothing, jaws snapping at the spot where I’d been standing. One second’s hesitation, and my arm would have been severed.

I grimaced and finally spoke. “Rather aggressive for a greeting.”

Perhaps he found my reflexes intriguing. His eyes flickered with genuine surprise. “Hoh... you dodged that? Then try dodging this, too.”

Arrows formed in midair and whistled toward me, each carrying the force of a ballista bolt. The dragons woven between them sent ice through my veins.

“Hell…” I cursed under my breath and put distance between us.

He might be called the Divine Archer, but this transcended archery entirely. Arrows manifesting from nothing, transforming into massive spears and living dragons...

Of course, having used similar techniques myself, I had no room to complain. But being on the receiving end made me want to curse anyway.

Should I use Aura?

Defeating my master without it was impossible. But if I drew on that power, I risked being misunderstood by everyone watching.

“Tch.”

I rolled through the air and drove my fist forward.

The technique carried no Aura. Its power was diminished, but still sufficient to shatter the dragons my master had conjured.

“Hm? Were you acquainted with that old crone from the Mercantile Kingdom?” my master mused, tilting his head as he watched his constructs dissipate.

He must have meant Lady Enoxia. Even with reduced power, he’d recognized the martial form.

“Using my Aura cultivation method, yet wielding that woman’s techniques... The more I see, the more intriguing you become.”

“I appreciate the compliment!” I bit out, dodging another volley of arrows.

I was managing for now, but I’d eventually be overwhelmed if this continued. For any real conversation, it seemed I’d have to resort to demonic energy.

“No choice, then.”

I drew upon the demonic energy pooled in my Aura Heart and conjured an arrow of my own.

The arrow hummed as it spun through the air.

My master let out a dry laugh.

“Ho ho... now you’re using my own techniques. But with demonic energy, not Aura. This only deepens the mystery of who you are.”

“If you calm down, I’ll explain everything.”

Coating the arrows with Hasilan’s power, I activated the skill. With a deep growl, a massive serpent-dragon and saber-toothed tiger materialized and charged toward my master.

“Ha! Divine Beast Invocation as well?” he muttered with a deflated laugh. Then he immediately conjured more arrows.

“Alright then. Let’s see what you’re truly capable of.”

He manifested his own divine beasts in midair.

With roars and shrieks, enormous monsters bared their fangs—a dragon and monstrous bird, a great tiger, even a two-headed turtle.

The pack surged forward, tearing into the serpent-dragon and saber-toothed tiger I’d created.

I clicked my tongue and conjured slender serpents.

The serpents hissed as they slithered toward my master’s feet, seeking to hinder his movement.

“You think such trifles can stop me?!”

My master roared, unleashing a rain of arrows with a deafening crack of thunder. The bolts of pure Aura pierced my serpents, pinning them to the ground and halting their advance.

“Show me more!”

In a flash, he rushed forward, drawing his bowstring taut with a tense creak.

An incredibly short arrow formed at his fingertips.

It flew from the bowstring and shot toward me.

Blocking is impossible.

Heartstopper maximized destructive power through immense rotational force. Its disadvantage was the close range requirement, but its power was absolutely devastating.

I’ll deflect it.

I thrust my hand inside my coat. Keeping my hand hidden from view, I used my subspace ring to retrieve a short spear.

Good thing I kept this.

Praising my own foresight, I swung the spear toward his arrow.

A colossal explosion erupted with a deafening roar, unleashing scorching winds. Everyone except my master and me grimaced, bracing against the shockwave.

“Kuh!”

“Hold on! Don’t get blown away!”

But that was the least of our concerns.

My master was grinning broadly, already drawing his bowstring again.

“Haha! To reach this level, you must be one of the new Twelve Nobles! I’ll capture you and wring every bit of information from your bones!”

“Unfortunately, I’m human.”

“That’s something I can determine for myself!” he roared, his eyes glinting with bloodlust and battle-madness.

Just as a new attack was about to be unleashed—a figure appeared between us. He neutralized both my demonic energy and my master’s Aura while radiating his own overwhelming presence.

“That is enough.”

The air crackled as the ambient temperature seemed to plummet.

I exhaled in relief, grateful that someone had arrived to mediate.

“You’re alive,” I murmured, studying the newcomer.

The Northern Grand Duke, the Duke of Praha himself.

The very person our rescue party had been searching for.

* * *

After the battle ended anticlimactically, I found myself face-to-face with my master. We didn’t speak immediately, but some of the misunderstandings had been cleared.

At least he no longer saw me as Demonkin.

Because I’d used demonic energy, my master had mistaken me for one of them. Though I appeared human in every way, he must have thought I was a shapeshifting demon.

That confusion was entirely resolved thanks to the Grand Duke’s intervention.

Without him, I’d still be fighting my master.

I shifted my attention to the Grand Duke, who was deep in animated conversation with Lea. Questions about his disappearance and current location mingled with news of major and minor family affairs.

She looks much better.

Lea had been radiating murderous intent only moments ago, but she seemed to have relaxed upon meeting the Grand Duke.

Though her gaze toward the knights remained cold, the look of someone calculating when to kill them had finally vanished from her eyes.

What a relief.

I nodded, releasing another quiet sigh.

“You should have simply told me you weren’t Demonkin from the start,” my master muttered with an awkward laugh.

You’re the one who attacked without warning.

I shot him a withering look.

“Ahem... what’s with that expression?” He cleared his throat, then glanced at me sideways. “So... are you the one who claims to be my disciple and sent that ice brat here?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“How did you know I was here?”

How did I know? Because I regressed, that’s how.

I swallowed the words that rose to my throat and forced myself to explain. “It was conjecture. I’d been to the Demonic Realm before, and I noticed the flow of Aura was strange only here.”

“Hoh... you noticed that?” Surprise flickered across his features.

Thankfully, he seemed to believe my lie. There was no other way for him to make sense of the situation.

“Your sensitivity to Aura must be exceptional. Your attention to detail and observational skills appear sharp as well. A born archer, perhaps?”

He muttered to himself briefly, then looked up at me. “Second question. Explain how you obtained my Aura cultivation method. That ice brat claimed you learned it from a book, but I never wrote such a thing.”

So that lie wouldn’t work.

I studied my master. He wore an amiable expression, but wariness and killing intent simmered beneath the surface.

If I lied to him, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me, human or not. The Demonic Realm was too dangerous to keep a liar at one’s side.

I can’t let him discover the truth.

I swallowed my tension and steadied my breathing.

Honesty was never an option. Who would believe something as impossible as regression?

That meant I had to lie. A convincing lie, one I wouldn’t be caught in.

Ultimately, there was only one choice.

“I saw you once before, Master.”

“Me?”

“Yes. In the Kingdom of Romarian. You protected me and the kingdom’s people.”

“The Kingdom of Romarian... Ah, you mean what happened over a decade ago?”

“Yes, about twelve years ago. I was just a child then.”

My master nodded. “Yes, now that you mention it, I do recall that. But what does this have to do with my question?”

“Because I simply copied the techniques I saw you use.”

“What...?”

My master stared at me in utter disbelief.

He had every reason to be shocked. What I’d just claimed was that I’d mastered his techniques after seeing them only once.

I could practically see the word ‘genius’ being branded into his mind.

Good thing I listened to his stories before I regressed.

Whenever my master drank in my past life, he’d ramble about his travels from over a decade ago. Stories of journeys through kingdoms, slaughtering monsters, witnessing strange phenomena.

He’d told me everything, and the Kingdom of Romarian featured prominently in those tales.

Since it was a real event, his suspicion would be lessened. And having witnessed my abilities firsthand, he wouldn’t doubt my talent.

Sure enough, the suspicion in his eyes faded, replaced by admiration and a covetous gleam.

“You, boy, are a genius.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“High self-esteem, but not arrogant... and with your skills, you’ll reach Grand Master at minimum. Hmm...”

My master muttered to himself, his eyes suddenly sparkling as he regarded me.

Finally, reining in his Aura, he spoke with grave solemnity.

“Lad, how about you really become my disciple?”

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