A Lady... Not to Be Messed With

Demons—one of the most powerful races in the world. Born from pure lineage, they’re known for wielding dark as their primary element. Creatures of remarkable adaptability, able to evolve mid-battle and quickly keep pace with any opponent. They are the only race to have claimed power and ruled over the Kingdom of Luthiria from the time of the great war… until now.

After conquering Luthiria—by far the largest kingdom in terms of landmass—the demons eventually split into two distinct castes: High Demons and Low Demons.

High Demons: Those of untainted blood, unmixed with any other race. Their power is immeasurable, and most of them belong to the royal ruling class.

Low Demons: Those with impure blood—hybrids. The majority are commoners, part of the newer generation that did not take part in the Holy War fifty years ago.

Of course, the division was inherently racist—based purely on strength.

But that didn’t mean that Low Demons were always weaker. In fact, it wasn’t rare for a hybrid to possess enough strength to overpower one of the High Demons.

As is the nature of this world, offspring born of crossbreeding between different creatures often ended up far more powerful—gifted with multiple elements and unique magical abilities.

Still, regardless of whether a demon was high-born or low-born, their physical and magical prowess was nothing short of monstrous. There was a common saying passed down in that world:

“Four human men to match a single Lesser Demon.”

…If that doesn’t speak to their terrifying strength, what does?

---

Meanwhile, back in the forest, just as the fight between Shiro and the Silent Blade, Alice, was about to erupt—

Leo stepped in.

“Hey, go easy on me, would you? I’d like to walk outta here with all my fingers, if that’s not too much to ask.”

Leo spoke with a calm, teasing tone, grinning as he faced Alice.

She returned the smile—subtle, yet sharp—raising her blade high and readying herself to strike.

“Don’t worry. I won’t go for your tiny fingers... I’m aiming for your neck.”

And with a burst of speed that completely defied Shiro’s senses, Alice vanished from sight the moment she finished speaking. She shot toward Leo like a meteor, the air cracking in her wake, scattering lightning and shockwaves as she flew.

She was even faster than before.

Normally, when a fighter enhances their speed with a skill or ability, no matter how fast they get, you can still catch a glimpse of their movement—if you’re at a similar level. And in such cases, dodging would come down to either inhuman reflexes… or a well-timed shield.

Everyone knew that.

But this time… that rule didn’t apply.

In the blink of an eye, the tip of Alice’s blade was already at Leo’s throat. He couldn’t even see her coming. Then—she clenched her grip.

He felt it.

An icy chill creeping down the edge of the blade.

The distance between his neck and the sword?

Not even measurable in centimeters—completely invisible to the eye. But Leo could feel it, mere millimeters from piercing through his throat. That freezing tip was close enough to taste.

And in that final moment—he ignited a flame by his right side.

The blast flung his body to the left, just barely allowing him to dodge Alice’s attack in the nick of time.

Ziiiin—

The piercing sound lingered in the air.

Shiro’s eyes widened, shocked—not just because Alice’s strike had been blindingly fast, or because Leo had somehow dodged it.

It was the ice.

Right before her blade had reached Leo’s neck, a frost had burst from its tip, freezing the green grass of the meadow he’d stood in only seconds earlier.

The frost spread across the field—over five meters wide.

"..W-What was that..?"

Shiro was stunned.

Alice had already returned to her usual posture, casually eyeing Leo with a glimmer of admiration. Meanwhile, Leo was rubbing his cold neck, flashing that same smirk right at her.

“Not bad... What was that, some kind of super intuition?”

She asked in her usual tone — this time laced with a curious mix of interest and faint praise. Whatever just happened, she labeled it as nothing short of supernatural instinct.

“Ahaha, of course not,” Leo replied with a chuckle. “There’s no way an average guy like me could dodge that kind of strike just by stepping to the side, right? If I’d relied purely on my reflexes, I’d be an icicle by now… wouldn’t I?”

Alice smiled faintly. He had figured it out — her intent to freeze him from the start. He had sensed the chill of her blade before it even struck. He wasn’t just some newbie… He might even be evenly matched with her.

“Whoa now… what’s with that charming little smile? You planning to beat me by making me fall for you or something? I mean… if you keep looking at me like that, it might just work, y’know…”

Leo grinned as he said it, not bothering to hide how taken he was by her expression. His playful tone didn’t irritate Alice — if anything, it made her squint her eyes and smile wider. This time, though, it was a devious grin full of delight.

“Oh, nothing special. I’m just relieved, that’s all. Not everyone’s as pathetically weak as the last guy I fought…”

She cast a sideways glance at Shiro as she spoke, her words hitting him like a slap in the face. He threw her a silent, protesting glare… which she promptly ignored.

“So... shall we continue?”

“As you wish, milady…”

Alice raised her weapon once more, fixing her eyes on Leo. He bowed dramatically, mimicking a nobleman’s flourish, wearing a cheeky grin the whole time.

---

Stalefort Academy – Faculty Hall

Inside the teachers’ hall, several instructors were gathered around, all watching the live feed of the exam projected at the front of the room. On screen, the clash between Alice and Leo raged on in the middle of the forest.

If you looked around, you’d see people chatting with colleagues, others silently watching the battle, and some even placing bets. Yet for all the buzz, the atmosphere remained surprisingly composed.

At the very front, however, sat an old man.

His eyes were hollow — no excitement, no disappointment, no bias toward victory or defeat. Just... observation.

He was simply watching. Nothing more.

In the corner of the room sat Shin, the supervisor, chatting with the teacher beside him.

“So it’s the strongest offense against the strongest defense, huh?”

Shin spoke to the teacher next to him — a short, plump man who looked more like a walking pudding than a normal man. Round glasses perched on his nose, he was watching the screen with sparkling eyes filled with excitement and curiosity.

Shin’s question cut through his focus, making him frown slightly before he finally responded.

“You always focus on the smallest details, Shin. Why can’t you just enjoy the fight for once? All that tension in your face — it’s gonna make your wrinkles worse, y’know?”

He spoke in a pouty tone, poking a finger toward the corners of Shin’s eyes.

“I asked for your opinion on the fight, not a breakdown of my facial geometry.”

Shin replied flatly, his tone as dry as ever.

“Haaah… fine, fine. I was just teasing anyway. As for the fight — there's a clear gap in skill. That boy’s fighting at around 85% of his max capability, while Alice? She’s barely at 40%. She’s just having fun out there.”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Shin raised a questioning eyebrow. The guy had just thrown out those numbers without hesitation — just from watching the fight. And yet, from the certainty in his voice, it was clear he wasn’t guessing.

Still, Shin pressed on.

“And how exactly are you so sure?”

“I never said I was sure. But isn’t it obvious?” he replied. “Alice opened the match with a frost burst — that kind of attack normally burns through a ton of energy. It takes high focus and control to channel that much ice through a single, hyper-condensed blade. Not to mention the way she moves — that speed would shred anyone’s body if they weren’t trained to handle it. You or I would snap something just trying to pull it off.”

He pointed a finger against Alice, his voice growing more serious.

“But look — she’s not slowing down. Her attacks are precise, unbroken. That means she’s got a huge energy reserve. That alone tells you she’s nowhere near her limit… Need me to go on, or are you getting the picture?”

Shin turned his gaze back to the screen.

Leo was now launching explosive fireballs, using some kind of specialized gloves, while Alice danced between the blasts like it was nothing. Without even blinking, Shin replied:

“Go on.”

“…You sure you don’t wanna miss the rest of the show?”

“I won’t, if you keep it short.”

With no room for negotiation, the teacher sighed and continued.

“Alright, look. If you reinforce a single part of your body — like your arm to punch harder, or your legs to dash — that’s fine. It won’t hurt you unless you go overboard. But if you flood your entire body with lightning-elemental magic, and move every single muscle with that unnatural speed… it’ll rip you apart. It’ll shatter your bones unless you’ve trained for years and broken a few along the way.”

He lowered his voice as he stared at Alice on the screen.

“And yet… she’s doing it effortlessly. Reinforcing herself over and over while dodging explosive attacks. That’s not normal. That’s… monstrous. She’s like a beast puppeteering every muscle in her body. It’s terrifying, honestly.”

Shin focused intently on Alice, watching her glide through Leo’s attacks like a ghost. After a moment, he murmured:

“…Looks like the fight’s already decided.”

“No, not yet.”

Contrary to expectations, the teacher disagreed — a rare thing when it came to Shin. But Shin didn’t question him. He simply turned his eyes slightly, glancing at him from the corner of his vision.

Noticing the subtle gesture, the man chuckled and raised a brow.

“Shin, what’s with you today? You’re not your usual self. Did you forget how magic works in our world?”

“No. But…”

“No buts,” the man interrupted. “Sure, Alice is using 40%, and the boy’s pushing 95%. But what about that last 5%? What is he hiding? A forbidden technique? A trump card he hasn’t played? Maybe he’s even faking it all and only using 10% right now. Highly unlikely… but not impossible, right?”

Shin didn’t respond this time. He simply returned his gaze to the screen, deciding to watch the rest of the duel in silence — letting his colleague enjoy the thrill of speculation, while secretly betting on his own quiet conclusions.

---

Back to the heat of battle.

The clash continued with unrelenting force.

Leo had slipped on a pair of gloves—ones clearly not ordinary—to try and even the playing field, if only a little.

These weren’t your average leather gloves. They were tough. Tough enough that Leo could block Alice’s blade with nothing but his hand, like it was a shield. And while the gloves didn’t tear, they did pick up a few light scratches.

They looked like some kind of legendary weapon—hard to come by, no doubt. To withstand that kind of speed and pressure from that girl? Not just anyone could wear them and walk away.

Fights like this usually didn’t last long. Fifteen to thirty minutes, tops. Sometimes it only took one slip-up in the first few moments to decide everything. Against an opponent who was physically, mentally, and magically on point, a single mistake could mean your loss… or your death, if it was a real fight.

Fifteen minutes had passed already—and the battle was still raging.

With time, Leo’s body had collected a few cuts. His clothes were torn in spots, and sweat lined his brow as he panted from exertion, forced to move constantly—dodging one second, parrying the next—barely avoiding that blade that kept getting dangerously close.

Alice, on the other hand, looked like she’d just started.

No sweat. No heavy breathing. Just that same smile.

"...You're enjoying this fight too, aren't you, milady?"

Leo muttered between breaths. Alice had just dashed at him like a madwoman again, this time leaving a shallow cut on his cheek as she zipped past.

"I am. And it looks like the fate of your badge’s already been decided."

“…My badge?”

The moment Leo heard the word, he paused.

His eyes shifted to his shoulder. Then to Shiro. Their gazes locked.

Leo’s eyes practically screamed, “Crap. I forgot this fight was about the badge…”

And Shiro? Shiro shot him the kind of glare that said, “Glad you’re having fun, idiot!”

Before Leo could say anything, Alice launched another surprise attack, slashing toward his side.

He managed to block with his gloves and jumped back just in time.

“That little devil… she’s controlling this fight.”

Leo took a moment to breathe, distancing himself as he searched for a way to win.

"Had enough yet?"

Alice tilted her head slightly as she asked, sensing that Leo was finally starting to hit his limit.

"Ahh… yeah, I’ve had enough.

Actually—

It’s about time I got a little serious."

"Oh? So you were playing around all this time?"

She smirked and swung her blade casually from side to side, like she was saying: 'You’re not going anywhere.'

"Something like that. So hey… don’t get mad if it stings a little, alright? I don’t like hitting beautiful women, y’know. But… maybe I’ll make an exception this once."

As soon as he said it, Leo took a step back.

His eyes shifted to Shiro—something unsettled twisting in his chest.

Shiro instinctively took a step back too.

And of course, Alice felt it too—the change in pressure from Leo’s words.

In response, she raised her magical output to the max.

A radiant, pure-blue aura burst forth from her slender frame, coating both her and her razor-sharp blade in light.

Then—

Leo slowly closed his eyes… inhaled deeply…

And a thick, pitch-black aura exploded out from him like a wave.

Unlike Alice’s aura, which circled gently around her like a veil, Leo’s darkness spread. It filled the space around them, making the air feel heavier with every second.

Even Shiro, standing off to the side, felt the weight bear down on his shoulders.

One of Leo’s eyes turned into a glowing black, while the other stayed the same.

He shifted into a stance.

Left foot forward, right back—just enough space between to lower his center of gravity.

Left arm raised horizontally like a shield.

Right fist pulled back and clenched tight with raw tension.

That aura. That stance.

They sent an unsettling pulse straight into Alice’s heart.

She didn’t show it, of course.

She just sharpened her senses to the max and waited.

She wasn’t going to interrupt.

She wasn’t going to flinch.

She was saying, 'Come at me with whatever you’ve got. I’ll deal with it.'

Leo saw her resolve.

And in response, his grip tightened as he whispered a single word—

"...Heavens.."

And suddenly—

Golden particles sparkled into existence. Like dew.

Dozens, hundreds—everywhere.

Floating in the air.

Above, behind, even beside Shiro.

Shiro flinched at the sight.

He reached out to touch one, but it passed through his fingers.

Like a mirage—visible, but untouchable.

Alice didn’t react.

Her eyes were locked on Leo. Her guard was sky-high.

The particles—tiny, weightless things—began to move.

They gathered toward Leo’s right arm, feeding into it like fuel.

With each one absorbed, the energy around his arm grew darker, thicker.

He planted his foot harder into the ground, the pressure digging a crack into the earth beneath him.

Shiro, shaken, instinctively dropped to the ground in fear.

But Alice?

She didn’t look scared at all.

She looked… excited.

That kind of smile… only a maniac wore that smile.

And it sent a shiver straight through Shiro’s spine.

"...Now we're talking."

After Alice said that, she gripped her sword tightly. In that moment, a pure, radiant blue aura surged out of her, dense and focused. Despite its cool color, it was terrifying—an aura that could make your skin crawl from the sheer killing intent it carried.

Her aura didn’t spread too far. Instead, it coiled tightly around her as she took a particular stance, raising her sword in front of her, channeling the entirety of her aura into it. Her eyes shone with a fierce, glowing blue, making it clear—she was more than ready.

And then, right when the fight reached its climax, when everything was about to be decided—Shiro looked away from the two for just a moment. It was as if he sensed something dangerous, something wrong. And the very next second, he screamed, without an ounce of hesitation:

"Wait! You idiot, stop!!! That kind of aura will attract monsters!! Leo!! Stop, you idiot!, you can't beat her like this!!!"

At his sudden shout, Gild—watching everything unfold from the academy—widened his eyes slightly and muttered under his breath, "Oh? He noticed."

Yes. Shiro had realized the truth. There was no point in fighting Alice. No matter how it played out, Leo would lose. She’d take the badge, and that would be that.

Not that he had the experience to judge battles, really. And to be honest, he didn’t care who won or lost anymore. The problem wasn’t the fight, or surviving Alice, or even getting the badge. No—what came after was the real threat.

The monsters.

Any creature capable of sensing that monstrous energy would be drawn to it. They’d come to searching for the source. And when they did, Leo would be too exhausted to run or fight. Shiro? He was useless to begin with. Their only option would be to withdraw from the exam entirely.

Leo glanced at Shiro, who was yelling his lungs out, desperately trying to warn him that he didn’t stand a chance.

Then, unexpectedly... Leo smiled.

He turned his gaze back to the radiant girl before him and mumbled something only he could hear:

"Can’t win, huh? You’re not the first to tell me that... Shiro, just watch me."

He didn’t even register Shiro’s warning about the monsters. All he heard—all that echoed in his mind—were the words telling him he’d lose.

Taking a deep breath, Leo clenched his right fist, black aura surging around it, and locked eyes with Alice. That’s when Shiro knew—there was no stopping Leo now. All he could do was watch... and brace for the quake.

"Heaven’s Enhancement... Level One—Rampage!"

With those words, Leo launched himself forward with explosive force, leaving a crater behind from the sheer power of his leap.

He rocketed straight toward Alice, tearing the ground beneath him into trenches like a battering ram. Alice met him with her sword, and the moment his fist collided with the charged blade—sparks exploded.

The earth cracked and quaked violently. Shiro’s whole body shook from the impact of the blast wave. Everything around them was stripped bare. Yet Leo didn’t let up—he pushed harder, driving his fist against Alice’s sword. Her legs buckled, feet dragging backward from the pressure.

Gritting her teeth, Alice poured her energy into her feet, anchoring herself by digging into the earth. Her gaze sharpened, and she channeled even more power into her sword—so much that small tears appeared on Leo’s glove.

"I won’t lose to you! Don’t even dream about winning!"

"Hah?! You’re the one dreaming, dammit!!"

Suddenly, they were both screaming like lunatics, their voices and auras erupting through the air.

They screamed and screamed—pure expression of the will to crush the blade, to break the arm.

Their auras exploded outward, clashing, mixing, roaring with raw power. Shiro, meanwhile, was practically praying not to get flattened by a falling tree or vaporized in the shockwave. The two combatants were pushing everything—no fear, no hesitation.

And then it happened.

A massive explosion erupted at the point of contact, launching a towering column of smoke into the sky.

The quake rumbled on. Dust and smoke billowed upward. Shiro squinted toward the battleground, trying to see through the haze. Stones clattered down. The river nearby churned wildly. Then—movement. A figure surged out of the smoke, racing toward him.

"L-Leo?! H-Hey, wait—!!"

It was Leo. He burst out of the smoke, scooped Shiro onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, then flung out his hand behind them—blasting fire that launched them both into the sky.

A second later, Alice emerged from the smoke, eyes scanning sharply—only to find that they were gone.

"They ran..."

She muttered, her right hand dripping blood, still trembling from the earlier clash. Her legs gave out beneath her, body collapsing to the ground—the signal that her strength had finally hit its limit.

She looked back over her shoulder, her beautiful eyes taking in the devastation left behind. The once-lush riverbank had become a warzone, part of the stream now a cratered pit, the surrounding area scarred by countless craters.

It had been a field of grass. Now, it was proof that something terrifying had unfolded there.

"...Leo Hawk. You’re not half bad. I hope we meet again, somewhere."

Alice whispered softly, a satisfied smile on her face, already beginning to think of how to escape before the monsters inevitably arrived.