Chapter 52

Jeffriel’s body gradually turned into a phantom.

It was the afterimage left behind by his use of high-speed movement to depart.

And the final words he spoke were faint and indistinct, carrying a touch of relief and kindness.

“The one most eager to know about your current life… is none other than the Second Demon Princess…”

“If that’s really the case… then either she or I must be under some kind of spell.”

Sheffy murmured softly to herself.

She could sense that Jeffriel had already left for somewhere beyond the Kingdom of Aurus.

Jeffriel used the last of his remaining magic power to maintain the 【Zero】 domain magic, and with precise control of his magic, he opened a small gap in the domain.

Anyone stepping into the domain through that gap would not be subject to 【Zero】’s restraint.

After a brief moment.

As expected, from that rift in the domain.

——【Demon Surge】 appeared.

It looked like a vortex-shaped portal, originally rotating counterclockwise, but now spinning clockwise, which meant that the person concealed within was actively revealing themselves.

This was the very 【Demon Surge】 Sheffy had seen earlier, appearing not far behind Jeffriel.

She had not been able to confirm who was hidden within it.

Now, Sheffy simply sat down in place… sensing the magic particles that became clearer as the concealed figure within 【Demon Surge】 revealed themselves, further confirming the fact.

The one hiding… truly was the Second Demon Princess of the Demon Clan, her younger sister, Belith Harl.

The clockwise-spinning 【Demon Surge】 ceased its rotation.

And the person within was about to emerge.

Sheffy narrowed her eyes, observing the scene.

First, a slender, snow-white calf stepped out, a small bare foot wearing high heels lightly touching the ground.

Then followed a sky-blue dress, its fabric rustling in the wind created by the pressure of magic.

Silver hair, of the same lineage as Sheffy’s, cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, gleaming with a beauty surpassing that of the stars.

And when a face, somewhat similar to Sheffy’s but appearing more mature, emerged from

【Demon Surge】…

Sheffy no longer doubted her identity.

“It really is you… Belith.”

“Hoo…”

With an equally peerless beauty, the Second Demon Princess, Belith, slowly opened her tightly closed eyes. Unlike Sheffy’s deep violet eyes, Belith’s eyes were a dark purple hue.

Her appearance indeed bore some resemblance to Sheffy’s, yet the differences were also quite apparent.

Compared to her petite elder sister, Belith was slightly taller, though not by much.

If Sheffy could be called a loli, then Belith would be a tall loli!

Then, there were the five wings on her back.

Three wings on the left, two on the right—an asymmetrical arrangement, yet possessing a unique aesthetic charm.

Exactly as in Sheffy’s memory, Belith’s expression remained as cold as ever.

——As if Sheffy had been born owing her money.

But this time… Belith did not immediately utter the kind of humiliating words that Sheffy remembered so vividly.

Instead, she slightly lifted the hem of her blue long dress towards Sheffy, moving with elegance, and gave a slight curtsey.

“Elder Sister, it is truly wonderful to see you safe and sound.”

“Stop that. You’re making me feel nauseous. What are you really up to?”

Her elder sister’s response seemed to be exactly within Belith’s expectations.

Her cold face suddenly showed a faint, helpless smile, which made Sheffy—still sitting cross-legged on the ground—shiver uncontrollably!

Hiss… this girl clearly came with ill intent!

—

55. An Unreachable Distance

Belith pressed down the hem of her dress, her every movement perfectly adhering to royal etiquette.

She walked over to Sheffy, crouched down, and her five wings seemed to try to envelop Sheffy within them.

But Sheffy shrank back. Seeing this wasn’t working, Belith tilted her head slightly and asked,

“Elder Sister… why are you sitting on the ground?”

“Of course it’s…! Tch, never mind. Just say it—what exactly do you want? If you come any closer, I’ll hit you!”

If I don’t sit on the ground, am I supposed to stand up and compare heights with you?!

As the elder sister, being half a head shorter than her younger sister—how could one reason that away anywhere!

This was an eternal pain in Sheffy’s heart.

Mother…! Look at you! No principles at all when having children! Have you no sense of seniority or order?!

Therefore, Sheffy was determined to uphold the principle of staying seated to avoid being shorter, holding firmly to this bottom line.

She refused to stand, and Belith would not force her to.

The elegant silver-haired girl rose to her feet, placing her hands behind her back, gazing into the distance at the gradually collapsing 【Zero】 barrier caused by Jeffriel’s departure.

In her eyes, the starlit sky revealed by the retreating domain shimmered in response, its brilliance reflected in the depths of her gaze.

——And before her sat her sulking elder sister.

Belith had heard the entire conversation between her sister and Jeffriel just now.

Elder Sister had said… she wished to remain in the human nation…

Belith slowly reached her hand out toward Sheffy.

Her voice, in truth, lacked much confidence… even carrying a hint of pleading.

“Elder Sister… will you come home with us?”

“No.”

“……”

This time,

the reply was swift and decisive!

In truth, Belith had little time to press further.

A sword light had already struck forth, giving an answer on Sheffy’s behalf.

“Sheffy, are you alright…! Where’s the Demon Clan member from earlier…? Uh? Who is this?”

The 【Zero】 seal had weakened; Xiarette, in concert with the Holy Sword, swiftly broke free from its restraints.

Her first instinct was to rush to Sheffy’s side and strike at the Demon Clan member standing before her!

Belith instinctively defended, her deep purple magic forming a blade that clashed with the radiant force of the Holy Sword, unleashing a violent storm that lifted the usually serene bangs from Sheffy’s forehead.

Ha… fights between women really were terrifying.

When Xiarette regained her awareness, in her mind, time had still been frozen at the moment when the 【Zero】 domain descended.

Thus, as time resumed its flow, her fighting spirit surged, prepared to launch a fresh assault on Jeffriel. Though she didn’t understand why Sheffy had suddenly appeared here, she naturally attacked whoever stood in front of Sheffy!

At the moment when Xiarette and Belith crossed blades— the Holy Sword’s overwhelming magic clashing against the deep purple short blade— Xiarette finally realized that the enemy was no longer Jeffriel.

Instead, it was a…

Uh…

A Five-Winged Demon? And her appearance somewhat resembled Sheffy?

Precisely because of this, Xiarette held back slightly in her strike, which allowed Belith to grip her short blade tightly and, with some effort, maintain a balance of power.

A trace of cold sweat appeared on Belith’s forehead, yet her faintly smiling expression remained unchanged.

“Ah… meeting for the first time and already crossing blades… such a barbaric woman. You must be the Hero Elder Sister mentioned…?”

“Barbaric…?! You called her Elder Sister…? Could it be that you are Sheffy’s…”

“What did you just call her…?”

“Of course, Sheffy… hm?!”

That faint, almost teasing smile—vanished.

A surge of magic beyond Belith’s limits suddenly erupted, so forceful that even Xiarette instinctively frowned and retreated a few steps to create some distance.

Xiarette’s first instinct was not to raise the Holy Sword and continue attacking, but rather to seize the opportunity to quickly move to Sheffy’s side. Seeing Sheffy still sitting cross-legged on the ground had her quite worried!

However, upon circling around, she discovered that Sheffy really was just sitting.

Aside from an adorably troubled expression, there was nothing else unusual about her.

Hmm… how to put it.

‘My little sister came all this way, only to start fighting with my best friend… this is just too sad, so here I am, reflecting on what sins I must have committed.’

“Sheffy… is that girl really your sister?”

“I suppose so… though I don’t want to admit it… but blood ties are so annoyingly persistent. That girl is the Second Demon Princess, Belith Harl.”

“Hiss… what on earth is going on? How did she end up here too? And what about that Six-Winged Demon from earlier?”

“Ah… it’s a bit hard to explain! I’ll tell you later! For now, just stop fighting and follow my lead!”

For Sheffy, dealing with Belith was no easier than dealing with Jeffriel.

Every time she saw Belith, she was either met with a cold stare or outright ignored—her young heart had long been deeply scarred.

Frankly speaking, this was nothing short of domestic emotional abuse!

But today, the feeling Belith gave her… wasn’t entirely the same…

Simply put, it was as if she had taken the wrong medicine.

A tiger turning into a kitten, a big fish into a small fish.

Belith’s earlier surge of furious magic quickly subsided. With a casual flick, the short blade of magic in her hand dissipated into light particles. She slightly lifted the hem of her sky-blue dress and curtsied in Sheffy’s direction.

“My apologies… Elder Sister. I was rash just now. To be honest, it was under my orders that Lord Jeffriel came to cause trouble in the Royal Capital today.”

“Did I ask you…? Why did you just blurt it out yourself.”

Sheffy wanted to pat the dust off her dress as she stood up, but soon realized there was no dust in this space.

So, she ended up patting the air, to prove that her action wasn’t that foolish.

“You were the one who ordered it, huh.” Sheffy folded one arm across her chest, while using her fingers to press down the Holy Sword Xiarette was still holding ready. “I don’t believe for a second that you care about whether I’m doing well here in the Royal Capital. What are you really after?”

Hearing this, Belith trembled all over.

Perhaps it was out of guilt and regret…

She opened her mouth as if wanting to say something, but in the end swallowed her words.

Ultimately, she still maintained her elegance, clasping her hands before her and tilting her head with a smile.

“I know Elder Sister wouldn’t be having a hard time in the Royal Capital… because I believe Elder Sister is someone who cannot be defeated. You are not here as a prisoner of war—your presence here proves my belief. Jeffriel didn’t believe me at first, but now, he should understand it too. Elder Sister is undefeated.”

“The way you put it… I often lose to big fish. After going through all that effort to catch them, if they don’t taste good, I lose completely.”

“Indeed… Belith wanted to go fishing with Elder Sister… but it seems there is no chance for that now.”

These words, Belith spoke very softly—as if they were meant for herself alone.

Xiarette listened to this exchange between the two sisters, utterly confused.

She turned to look at her father.

On Eclight’s side, the barrier restraint had also begun to loosen.

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