Chapter 274

Chiiikk!!

“Ahhhh…!”

“S-Sivar!”

A pure white ring wrapped around Sivar’s body like a noose.

Though it was a sacred force, it was not so for Sivar. He collapsed to the ground, groaning in agony.

He looked less worse than last time when it was Erica. Erica had a blessing that affected her whole body, but this was closer to a barrier.

Yet, Sivar was still in pain. His body was reacting violently, and his skin began to burn.

If it wasn’t for the binding nature of the divine power, he would have lost it long ago.

“Squeak?! Cheep! Cheep!”

“Keeeng! Keng!”

Startled by the sudden change, both Pijon-tu and Neoburi woke from their sleep.

Being mere pets, they seemed clueless about what was happening.

However, they instinctively sensed the danger and were in a ruckus.

Chiiikk!

“Grrrgh…!”

“W-why is this happening…?”

“So, you are a demon after all.”

Just when Luna was struggling to free him, a familiar voice came through the bushes.

Luna turned her head, and a familiar silhouette emerged from the darkness.

It was Duke, the furry priest, slowly revealing himself from the thicket.

What stood out were his two legs. He had certainly leaped out of the nest.

Although he had staggered away from the shock after jumping, now he was standing proudly on two legs.

‘Ah. Right. A believer of Gaia…’

In that instant, she sensed something, realizing that Duke was one of Gaia’s followers. Perhaps he had recovered through that.

Yet, this did not explain why he seemed to be hostile towards them.

No, before that, he had already spoken as if he knew Sivar was a demon. The previous moment had confirmed this.

“…Please let me go. It seems there’s been a misunderstanding…”

It wasn’t too late. Luna slowly reached for her sword and suggested.

They had shared a bond in the nest, but that was not the case now. Duke was already radiating hostility.

If there was no bond, she would have attacked immediately. Luna wanted to resolve this through dialogue as much as possible.

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? Can’t you see that form?”

“Ugggh…”

“…”

Luna looked at Sivar, who was bound by the divine rope and suffering.

His skin was burning, yet regeneration was still attempting to happen. But if this continued, it was exceedingly dangerous.

If he were to lose control here, like last time… there would be no way to stop it. She needed to find a solution somehow.

“I told you before. I fell here after encountering demons. Those demons knew about that guy. They seemed to have a very close relationship.”

“…What?”

“It was as if they were watching from a distance. I’m now certain—he’s definitely a demon!”

“UAAAAK!”

Chiiikk!!

As Duke raised his voice, Sivar let out a painful scream. Luna flinched and turned her head.

The divine ropes binding Sivar began to tighten even more. The pressure not only increased but the divine power felt stronger too.

At this rate, Sivar might get ripped in half. Luna no longer hesitated and drew her sword.

“Release him now! Or else…!”

“What will you do if I don’t? Will you help a demon? You better think carefully.”

Luna flinched at Duke’s warning. It was eerily similar to the discussion Luna had just had with Sivar.

If it got out that Sivar was a demon, a lot of headaches would ensue, just like right now.

Would she even be able to help him if the truth came out? The moment she helped a demon, she would become an enemy not just to the Gaia sect but to all humanity.

Her thoughts were prolonged while her actions were short. With a stern face, Luna took a stance.

‘We’re already in the same boat.’

She resolved to stick with Sivar, even knowing his true identity. This kind of situation would happen countless times.

All she had to do was deal with it wisely each time. Her master had always emphasized that.

Being adaptable in any situation is a great ability. If you push that skill to its limits, it becomes wisdom.

And now, her task was to subdue Duke. Luna charged at Duke directly.

“I didn’t want it to come to this.”

Duke scoffed. It was a reaction that clearly belittled Luna.

Luna focused on him hiding in the darkness. Just at the edge of the flickering firelight.

In terms of advantage, Duke had the upper hand. He could disappear into the shadows at any moment.

Wheeeeng!

And that prediction came true. The moment Luna swung her sword, Duke’s figure vanished completely.

As soon as Duke’s figure disappeared, Luna quickly pursued him. Thanks to her exceptional reflexes, tracking him wasn’t difficult.

‘…I can’t go out.’

The problem was she couldn’t leave. Sivar was tied up behind her, and if she went out, she’d likely fall into a trap.

Luna quickly wracked her brain and returned to Sivar. She was determined to find a way to release him somehow…

Whoosh!

Another throwing weapon flew toward her. Since the trajectory was different, he must have changed positions.

Luna hurriedly swung her sword to block the attack while pinpointing the location. However, she only sensed a change in his position.

Ping! Wheeeeng!

Duke continued to throw weapons. All Luna could do was block them.

As mentioned earlier, Sivar was pinned down, and Duke was intent on killing him.

The moment she took her eyes off to chase him, he would target Sivar. How could she break out of this situation?

‘…Wait a minute.’

She quickly scanned her surroundings. As mentioned before, this was a densely wooded forest.

Moreover, Duke was slowly applying pressure by making good use of the terrain.

If she could completely erase his positional advantage, things might just turn in her favor.

“Pijon-tu! Neoburi!”

“Squeak?!”

“Keng?!”

After imbuing her sword with magic, Luna shouted to her pets.

“Duck!”

Maybe they understood her words. As soon as Pijon-tu and Neoburi heard it, they instinctively ducked down.

Especially Pijon-tu, who was as big as a person, completely fell over to get lower.

With preparations complete, Luna spun around on her left foot.

Wheeeeng!

The blade swept through all the surrounding trees like a crescent moon, carrying her momentum.

Boom! Boom!

One by one, the trees that had given Duke an advantage fell like dominoes.

It was an utterly foolish method, but there was no more efficient method.

Not long after, near where the camping site was now somewhat flattened. Rather, it looked like a dump.

“What the…?”

Duke seemed incredulous, revealing himself without hiding any longer.

Looking around as if searching for a place to hide, he shook his head.

“How utterly foolish.”

“But effective.”

Luna charged at Duke as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Duke, thinking of a direct confrontation, gripped his dagger tightly.

Just when both were about to clash…

Chill!

“?!”

“?!”

Neither chose who would move first, both frozen stiff. The reason was unknown, but their bodies had completely paralyzed.

It wasn’t due to divine power or magic. Both of them were simply immobilized.

Blood ran cold, and every hair on their bodies stood up as instinct rang alarms. Something dangerous was about to happen.

This instinct pointed in one direction. Luna slowly turned her head back.

“…Sivar?”

“…”

Chiiikk!

Sivar was still on his knees, bound. The sound of something burning was still echoing.

But unlike before, he neither screamed nor groaned. Only an unsettling silence remained.

Slowly, as if coming back to consciousness from Luna’s call, Sivar raised his head.

His appearance hadn’t changed, but Luna could see it clearly.

His eyes shone vividly in ‘purple.’

“…Ah.”

A short phrase escaped Sivar’s lips, his gaze fixed precisely on one person.

“It hurts.”

As soon as Sivar said that…

Grrrrr!

Thunder roared from the sky like a warning.