Chapter 79
Aaron didn’t respond to Nancy’s comments, seemingly not having heard her.
Although Lenny said she wasn’t sure about the exact location of the resurrection ritual, it didn’t matter.
As they followed the path Lenny led them down, demons scurried away in panic, searching for Iije. All Nancy and Aaron had to do was chase after them.
When they entered the audience chamber where the demons fled, a notification appeared.
Iije, a demon with sharp ears and an androgynous appearance, stood before them.
“You never get tired of meddling, do you?” Iije sighed, the voice so neutral that it was difficult to tell whether they were male or female.
They were kneeling in front of a large stone in the center of the chamber but staggered as they stood. Though they looked weak, appearances could be deceiving when it came to strength.
Iije fought evenly with Aaron, nearly matching his skills. For the first time, Nancy saw Aaron struggle, so she joined the fight.
The lesser demons who couldn’t escape were caught in the crossfire and quickly incapacitated. Although Nancy’s limit was only 30 seconds, it was enough.
The moment she created an opening, Aaron struck. Iije collapsed, bleeding, and let out a furious scream.
“Don’t celebrate just because you’ve taken me down. In the end, your endless resistance will be in vain. Victory will still be ours!”
Ignoring Iije’s words, Nancy began chanting the sealing spell she had grown used to by now. She had successfully sealed all the Four Cardinal Guardians—an accomplishment no other hero had ever achieved. She, the one who had been dismissed as too weak to be a proper hero!
Overcome with emotion, Nancy ran to Aaron and embraced him.
“It’s all over!” she exclaimed, looking up, expecting a kiss.
Aaron hesitated for a moment before planting a kiss on her forehead. While she felt elated, something about Aaron’s expression seemed unsettled.
Even though Iije had put up a decent fight, Aaron couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. If that was all there was to it, why had previous heroes failed? It didn’t add up. And who was this ‘Shije’ that Iije had accidentally mentioned?
“You two are amazing!”
Lenny approached from behind Aaron. She had hidden behind a pillar to avoid the fight but emerged now, clapping her hands in admiration.
“To think you defeated all the Four Cardinal Guardians by yourselves! Who could’ve imagined someone would accomplish such a feat! Nancy, you are the greatest hero ever!”
Nancy smiled shyly at the praise, but Lenny’s next actions caught her attention. Lenny glanced briefly at the stone where Iije had been kneeling, then slowly approached the large monument that sealed the Demon King.
“There’s no one left to revive the Demon King now. A new era of peace has dawned. Aren’t you happy?”
“Of course, I’m happy—”
Nancy started to say, but she was interrupted by Aaron, who suddenly raised his sword at Lenny.
Shocked, Nancy fell silent. What was he doing? His face had turned frighteningly serious.
“Step away from the Demon King’s monument,” Aaron ordered coldly.
“…Why? I’m just curious and wanted to take a closer look,” Lenny responded, her voice filled with confusion.
“In your rush to transform, you couldn’t hide the wound, could you? You’re bleeding.”
Lenny’s eyes widened as she instinctively glanced down at her abdomen, but there was no wound, no blood.
Realizing she had been tricked, Lenny immediately leapt toward the pebble next to her, grabbing her sword.
“So you’re Shije. Iije and Shije are the same person,” Aaron declared confidently.
Even though Shije was weakened from the earlier fight, there was a strange confidence in their expression.
“Did my stupid sister mention me? Or was it that lovesick fool who babbled about me?” Shije sneered. “Either way, those idiots were useless.”
Nancy, still processing the situation, looked back and forth between Aaron and Shije, confused by the rapid turn of events.
She quickly checked to see if her mission was truly complete.
Only three of the Four Cardinal Guardians had been sealed. This meant that the person Aaron was currently fighting—Lenny, or rather Shije—was indeed the fourth. But if that was the case, then who had she sealed earlier? What was that pebble she had left behind?
“You look confused, hero. Haven’t you heard from previous heroes? Succubi are excellent at swapping places,” Shije said with a sly grin.
“Lenny!”
Nancy gasped, realizing too late that the one she had sealed was the innocent, curious girl she had thought was helping them.
T/N: When Shije mentioned ‘sister’ in the dialogue, the word ‘noona’ was used, so it’s revealed that he identifies as a man but is still a succubus (서큐버스) instead of an incubus.
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