Zeri looked at the red-haired woman in front of her with trembling eyes.

Raphne.

The demon was herself, and the opponent was human, yet this woman seemed more like a demon than any actual demon.

The crimson glow in her eyes flickered in the air, glaring at Zeri as if it were about to consume her whole.

That gaze made Zeri take a step back instinctively.

‘How on earth is she resisting the dream magic?’

Zeri couldn’t understand why, but her magic didn’t seem to work on this woman.

‘...If that’s the case.’

Raphne had just helped Ken take down the guardian at the front. More than that, Zeri had witnessed her leaping onto the guardian in an instant and taking it down in a single strike, giving her an idea of just how strong Raphne was.

But now, all her companions were asleep, leaving it as a one-on-one situation.

No matter how powerful Raphne was, she wouldn’t find it easy to handle a high-ranking demon like Zeri by herself.

‘I need to attack before I’m taken down!’

Spatial movement magic, alongside dream magic, was one of Zeri’s specialties.

For short distances, she could relocate instantly without any incantation.

━Whoosh.

As the familiar flow of mana enveloped her, Zeri's field of vision changed, and she instantly moved behind Raphne.

‘Got her!’

No matter how strong an opponent was, when Zeri used her magic to disappear suddenly, they’d always leave an opening.

Zeri didn’t miss the opportunity when Raphne was briefly exposed and immediately cast her spell upon reappearing.

The magic flickering at the tip of her staff was a simple offensive spell, executed purely by mana without any incantation.

But that was enough.

Zeri just needed enough time to make her escape.

She fired the spell towards Raphne’s back, but at that very moment—

━With just a single blink.

With just one blink of an eye—

“I found you.”

In that mere 0.1 second when her vision was blocked.

Raphne had already turned her body and was staring directly at Zeri.

“Eeek━!!”

Suddenly, those chilling red eyes were facing her once again.

“H-how on earth!”

Neither of Zeri’s specialty spells worked.

She couldn’t put Raphne to sleep with her dream magic, nor could she exploit a blind spot with spatial movement.

Zeri, seeing all of her methods fail, clenched her teeth in fear and focused her mana for an attack.

But in the brief moment it took for Zeri to widen her eyes—

Raphne twisted her body instantly and kicked her in the side.

Boom!!

“Gah━!!”

By the time Zeri registered the pain, she was already smashed into a wall, bricks shattering and falling to the ground.

‘Wha? Why am I?’

Just moments ago, she was aiming her staff, yet now she found herself slammed into the wall, blood dripping from her mouth.

Step, step.

And she could feel the demon approaching her.

“Hey… I asked you something earlier, didn’t I?”

“N-no, please!”

“What kind of dream is Ken having?”

Zeri knew Raphne was aware of her ability to use spatial magic in an instant.

Yet the crimson-haired woman was leisurely walking toward her.

Step, step.

As if saying she could capture her anytime she wanted.

“Answer me.”

A chilling aura mixed with her voice, striking Zeri’s heart through her ears.

“A-aaah━!!”

She knew she couldn’t win.

The way Raphne fought the guardian earlier was child’s play compared to this.

She should never have judged her strength by that.

Every hair on Zeri's body screamed at her to run away from this woman, warning her that she would die if she stayed.

Overwhelmed by this primal fear, Zeri screamed.

Survival instincts took over, pushing her brain into overdrive.

For the first time, Zeri used her complex magic control to cast spatial movement in a panic.

━Whoosh.

And just like that, Zeri tore through space, escaping from the third underground floor of the temple to the surface.

She wanted to live so desperately that she managed to successfully pull off a medium-range silent teleportation—something that normally would have failed.

But—

“Ugh… Urgh… Guh…”

In that fleeting moment, her life was at stake.

The rushed, silent long-distance teleportation brought side effects.

It was like an athlete suddenly getting a cramp after intense exercise. Zeri felt her mana surging uncontrollably, and she vomited blood onto the ground.

‘Still… I made it here….’

She survived.

She escaped from that terrifying woman.

‘I can’t stay still… She’ll come after me.’

Knowing Raphne’s capabilities, Zeri knew she’d soon realize she had escaped and would chase after her.

There was no time to rest and feel relieved.

With that, Zeri, blood dripping from her mouth, immediately started running again.

“She escaped.”

Raphne, seeing that Zeri had disappeared from where she had been thrown against the wall, looked up at the ceiling.

There was a faint trace of demonic energy above.

‘…Ken.’

Raphne turned her gaze to Ken and the other two, who were still asleep.

Judging from what Zeri had muttered earlier, they didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger, aside from being asleep.

At that moment, Raphne found herself at a crossroads.

Should she chase after Zeri?

Or should she wake her companions from their dreams?

The decision didn’t take long.

‘Ken said that monsters can't enter the guardian's room.’

That meant this room was currently a safe space, even within the underground dungeon.

And Zeri possessed skills that allowed her to move instantly.

If she hesitated any longer, she might lose her completely.

If that happened, they’d lose the demon sword.

If they lost the demon sword, Ken would be heartbroken.

‘…Instant Speed.’

Raphne activated her innate skill, the same one she had used when escaping with Ken in the past.

It felt as if time had slowed down, Raphne’s mind and body going into extreme focus, allowing her to move faster than anyone.

In less than a minute, Raphne dashed from the third underground floor to the surface.

‘Where did she go?’

Standing at the temple’s entrance, Raphne scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.

She soon noticed faint bloodstains on the ground.

Maintaining her accelerated state, she chased after Zeri.

“Huff, huff, this… this should be far enough!”

Zeri had been running with all her might and now, gasping for breath, she clutched her chest and came to a stop.

Her side ached from Raphne’s earlier kick, and her body was in tatters from the desperate magic she’d used.

Even managing to get this far was an accomplishment.

Surely, she had put enough distance between herself and that monster.

“Haa… Haa…”

Steadying her breath, Zeri readied her staff and began to focus her mana.

A long-range teleportation across continents was impossible under pursuit, even for Zeri.

But with this gap she had created, she could at least move to the vicinity of a nearby city.

Slowly, calmly—

There was no room for mistakes.

Even in desperate circumstances, she calmed her mind and steadily gathered her mana.

With her magic stabilized, she took a deep breath, ready to utter her incantation when—

“Where are you going?”

A chilling voice whispered in her left ear.

She had only heard that voice a few times today.

But even in those few instances, it had etched itself into Zeri’s memory, sending shivers down her spine.

Terrified, Zeri turned her head, trembling.

And there it was—the crimson gaze she thought she had escaped from, staring at her with dark energy.

“P-please… spare me…”

Tears rolled down her cheeks as Zeri, frozen in place, had no choice but to beg for her life.

Raphne returned to the Guardian's Hall on the third basement level, tossing the unconscious Zeri nearby and placing Ken's head gently on her lap.

"...Zzz..."

Ken, peacefully asleep.

Raphne gazed at his face for a while, brushing back his hair with her hand.

"He's cute."

With a soft smile, she voiced her genuine thoughts as she looked at the man she loved.

"...But honestly, he was even cuter back then."

As she remembered Ken's past self—chubby and soft-faced while he slept—Raphne puffed her cheeks in slight displeasure.

Though Ken seemed to be more satisfied with his current, slimmer self, Raphne thought it wouldn't be bad if he gained a bit of weight again.

Sometimes, she missed that version of Ken.

Of course, his well-toned body now made her heart flutter, feeling manly and reassuring, but...

Even when he was softer, Ken had been sturdy and dependable.

After spending a little time enjoying this moment to herself, savoring Ken's face as if he were hers alone, Raphne eventually seemed satisfied and took off the pendant around her neck.

The pendant that had protected her from Zeri's magic.

It was a charm Ken had given her, one meant only for Raphne.

She gently placed that precious charm around Ken's neck.

And then—

"...Mmm... Uh..."

What had seemed like a deep slumber was broken as Ken slowly opened his eyes, almost as if a switch had been flipped.

"Raphne?"

Raphne offered nothing but a gentle smile in response to Ken’s drowsy voice.

"...Is this still a dream?" Ken murmured, rubbing his eyes and staring up at her, as though unsure if he was truly awake.

Raphne had already heard every detail of Ken's dream from the frightened Zeri.

So, seeing his mistaken impression, she leaned down slightly and replied softly.

"Yes, Ken, you're still asleep."

"Oh, I see..."

Ken, still half-asleep, blushed.

“Do you... want me to do something naughty?” Raphne teased, her smile playful, as she gently ran her hand down Ken's chest.

"...Mmm..."

Ken averted his eyes in embarrassment, seemingly surrendering to her touch.

But as he turned his head, his gaze fell upon the unconscious Zeri, sprawled nearby.

"…Raphne, this isn't a dream, is it?"

"Ah, you caught me."

Ken, ever quick on the uptake, realized the truth almost instantly. Raphne could only smile ruefully, a hint of regret at her failed teasing.

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