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The dark mage kneeling before Daphne, despite his deeply lowered head and impeccably respectful posture, was inwardly snickering.
Part of the reason was that he had never personally encountered a Calamity before, but more than that, the Daphne standing before him looked endlessly small and weak.
‘To think I have to submit to something like that.’
He clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath, and several others standing beside him felt the same.
“Calamity.”
The dark mage at the very front spoke, his black eyes gleaming.
“If you intend to kill us and then look for him, I suggest you reconsider.”
He curled his lips into a grin as he continued.
“He has already been tainted by our aura.”
Daphne had remained silent until then. And so the dark mages—those who had absolutely no idea why the Calamity had come to bear the title of ‘Calamity’—mocked Daphne. They must have assumed that her silence meant she had been shocked by their words.
“So, Calamity.”
They spoke in a tone that was half threat.
“Grant us your power.”
“…”
Daphne slowly closed her eyes.
She organized her thoughts.
‘The dark mages before me are not followers of ‘Yan,’ the leader of the Wraiths. If they wanted to exchange hostages with Yan, that would be one thing, but judging by how they’re demanding power the moment they see me, they’re clearly a faction that has split from Yan.’
‘Which means they know even less about me… about the Calamity.’
“Ha, haha.”
That was why Daphne laughed.
“Hahaha!”
It was so absurd that she couldn’t help but laugh.
After laughing for quite a while, Daphne slowly clenched her fist.
Then she enunciated each word with deliberate force.
“So now you pieces of shit actually think I’m complete trash.”
The dark mages immediately frowned arrogantly.
Then they tried once again to spout threats that carried no weight.
“Calamity. If you insist on acting like this… Urgh!”
But they never finished speaking.
Dozens of dark mages were lifted into the air all at once.
Their collars had been seized, and though they struggled desperately and coughed for breath, Daphne did not let them go.
“If I act like this… what?”
“Cough… Ggh…!”
“Were you actually planning to challenge me?”
Unlike her actions, Daphne smiled brightly as she asked.
But it was by no means a genuine smile.
She was consumed by fury, and it was nothing more than a sneer born from her rage.
“You insignificant insects… dare?”
“Ghk… Hah…!”
“Listen.”
Starting from the ground beneath Daphne’s feet, the entire space was gradually engulfed by the aura of death pouring from her.
This was the domain Daphne had created.
A domain that belonged solely to her, where everything obeyed her will.
“You will all die today.”
“Gaaah!”
“N-No…”
Without the slightest hesitation, Daphne took their lives away.
It was astonishingly simple.
Just a flick of her hand.
They collapsed like marionette dolls whose strings had been cut.
Daphne stared silently at the dark mages before slowly raising her hand again.
“But you will not die peacefully.”
Immediately, those who had collapsed unconscious with rolled-back eyes began twitching violently, their whites exposed.
“Ugh… Aah… Aaaagh!”
“Aaaaah!”
Forcing a life that had already been taken back into a body inflicted unimaginable agony.
It would feel as though their limbs were being torn apart and their organs twisted.
Daphne hoped they would suffer even more than this.
“This is the punishment I bestow upon you.”
“Ghh… Ugh! Aagh!”
“Curse your own foolish arrogance.”
Daphne spread her palm wide.
Pitch-black energy surged upward, swirling between her fingers.
The dark mages instinctively realized that if they were struck by it, they would writhe in pain far greater than what they were suffering now.
So, even while writhing in agony, they desperately shouted.
“I-If you do this to us… y-you’ll never find your family!”
The moment Daphne heard Rache’s name, she hesitated slightly.
Seizing that opening, one of the dark mages shouted again.
“If you want to find your family, then you’d better spare us willingly…!”
“We found them.”
But at that moment.
Shio, who had somehow appeared directly behind the struggling dark mage, tilted his head.
Grinning broadly, he pointed at the dark mage’s shadow.
“Here. Right here.”
Then he reached into the shadow and slowly pulled something out.
It was none other than the unconscious Rache.
More than half of Rache’s body had turned black.
When the dark mage said, “He has already been tainted by our aura,” he had meant that Rache had been exposed to the aura of death.
‘These insane bastards…! These sons of bitches never intended to let Rache live from the very beginning.’
Daphne could feel her fury rising to the very top of her head.
She had never faced an enemy like this before.
She had never been this enraged…!
Whoosh!
Black flames erupted from Daphne’s entire body.
The flames shot toward every single dark mage.
“Die.”
Thus, for the first time, the Calamity bestowed death upon humans.
***
“…!”
Yan, who had briefly lost consciousness, suddenly lifted his head.
It was not because he sensed someone entering the underground prison.
It was because of the strange tingling sensation coursing through him.
‘This is definitely…’
He twitched his fingers.
His stiff hand could no longer properly perceive causality.
Yan unconsciously bit his lip hard.
If the energy was this overwhelming…
Then something had undoubtedly happened to the Calamity.
He wanted to rush to the Calamity immediately and ask through causality what had happened.
But he could not.
He was imprisoned.
And standing before him was the continent’s only Swordmaster, Heros Akion.
“So.”
Heros spoke in a slow yet distinct voice.
“You are the leader of the Wraiths.”
Yan composed his expression and let out a faint chuckle.
Suppressing the discomfort in his bound hands and feet, he slowly raised his head.
“I’m truly honored that the Hero himself came to see me. I never imagined I’d receive such an honor.”
The corners of Heros’ lips curled upward.
“An honor? Do you truly believe that?”
Taking another step toward the prison bars, Heros continued.
“The one you should consider it an honor to face isn’t me, but the Emperor.”
“What?”
“Do you hate the Emperor?”
It was a question that came completely out of nowhere.
‘Did he hear it from Daphne?’
No.
The timing didn’t match.
Daphne had been talking with him here before rushing off to find her older brother.
Someone who valued family that much would never have stopped to report to Heron when every second mattered.
‘Then how…?’
Forcing down the anger rising in his eyes, Yan slowly shook his head.
“What is it you want to hear from me?”
Yan mocked him.
“If you want, I’ll tell you exactly what you want to hear. It seems that’s what you’re after.”
Heros lowered his chin and laughed quietly.
Despite his youthful voice, the way he stubbornly pressed forward was rat
her impressive.
It was also amusing.
Letting his laughter fade, Heros slowly lifted his eyes and met Yan’s gaze.
“Tell me where the sacred relic is.”
As Elise’s image surfaced in his mind for a brief moment, he questioned Yan.
“Is it in the temple?”
