"...Hmm?"
The demon Andrew felt something was off.
Usually, humans would show clear signs of fear when he appeared like this.
It wasn't just because of the overwhelming demonic energy he possessed, but the Seal he bore that instilled fear in humans.
Violent Gale.
Since the birth of civilization, the wild, ferocious winds that tore through settlements, destroying homes and ruining crops, had always been a source of fear for humans.
While overflowing rivers could be managed with large-scale constructions, the unpredictability of Violent Gales made them a symbol of the unknown and terror.
So, Andrew naturally assumed that the human who might have approached the Winter General would be intimidated by him.
But the human standing before him showed no such signs.
No, in fact, the human seemed to be evaluating him, looking him up and down as if assessing his worth.
'So it's true about Melvinger.'
When he was first dispatched here, Andrew scoffed at the idea that the human wreaking havoc in the Fury tribe might be a Melvinger.
From what he knew, the current successor of the Melvinger family had already gained considerable fame across the continent.
In a situation where he was busy running around trying to restore his family's prestige, Andrew didn't think he'd bother coming to such a barren frontier.
That's why, when the Blood Wolf King first mentioned the name Melvinger, Andrew had dismissed it as an excuse.
After all, the repeated failures to conquer Anthromorph were likely met with a believable excuse.
The Blood Wolf King had, after all, tried to rise to power using the Winter General forty years ago, only to be crushed by Usdun Melvinger.
Considering the weight that the name Usdun Melvinger carried in the Fury tribe, it wasn't hard to believe it was used as an explanation.
But now...
'So it's true?'
Blonde hair, blazing like the sun, and emerald eyes that sparkled like jewels.
These were certainly the symbols that represented the Melvinger family. Not to mention the overwhelming scent of mana that radiated from the person.
'It seems I've stumbled upon an unexpected treasure.'
Andrew had entered the Black Snowfield to obtain the Ice Crystal, following the orders of his organization.
By striking a deal with the Blood Wolf King, the plan was to allow his forces to take full control of the Black Snowfield and remain as a strong ally, in exchange for handing over the Winter General, who would soon become useless.
But now, the current successor of the Melvinger family has appeared?
Considering there were still many high-ranking members within the organization who held deep grudges against the Melvinger family, this was a perfect opportunity to earn high scores.
Of course, Andrew wasn't about to underestimate Elric.
His opponent was the nemesis of all non-humans.
He couldn't be sure what kind of tricks he had up his sleeve.
However, Andrew didn't hold him in particularly high regard either.
'Based on the organization's assessment, his level is at best that of a magus, or perhaps slightly below.'
Andrew's eyes gleamed coldly.
'There are rumors that he became a disciple of the White Night, but it's unlikely his abilities would have dramatically improved in such a short period. Even if he learned some new spells, it wouldn't make much difference.'
Whoosh!
Andrew quickly sensed that no foreign mana was mixed into the freezing storm raised by the Winter General.
It seemed the White Night and Blue Lion, whom he had been wary of, weren't here after all...!
'I can take care of this without much trouble.'
As Andrew considered the possibility of wiping out the Melvinger bloodline completely, he lunged ferociously at Elric.
Screeeech!
"What the—? Attacking as soon as you see me?" Elric remarked, sounding incredulous as Andrew launched an assault without so much as a word.
'I heard the Melvingers were recognized for their past achievements and ranked above even dukes in the Empire... but he doesn't seem to have the dignity of a nobleman.'
Andrew belonged to Gregory, one of the most prominent factions among the demons, and even within that group, he was an elite or noble who had inherited the True Name of "Insane."
Naturally, Elric's casual demeanor didn't sit well with him at all. The only thought in Andrew's mind was that it would be best to eliminate him as quickly as possible.
The Seal of Violent Gale embedded in Andrew's right shoulder shimmered ominously as a fierce gust of wind surged forth.
It whipped up into a massive tornado, aiming to tear Elric to shreds...!
With the freezing cold of the Winter General adding to it, Andrew was confident this would be more than enough to rip Elric apart.
But then—
"You think we're alike? Don't talk nonsense. [Tear Apart]."
Elric suddenly began talking into the air as if addressing someone unseen, then stretched his hand forward.
In that instant, something seemed to flash from his fingertips, and, as if by magic, the Violent Gale Andrew had summoned dispersed into nothing.
'What in the world…!'
Andrew, who had been closing in on Elric with the Violent Gale, was understandably shocked.
Elric was right in front of him.
"[Shred]."
Shhhk!
Just then, Andrew felt part of his wind split and veer off course, making him instinctively change his direction.
The snowstorm behind him parted as well, leaving claw-like marks in the snow, as if a beast had slashed through it.
Andrew felt a chill run down his spine.
Had he taken the hit directly, his torso might have been sliced clean in half.
"Oh, you dodged that? Try blocking this then. [Swirl]."
Elric grinned mischievously and flipped his outstretched palm, abruptly altering the direction of the mana field.
Whooosh!
This time, a snowstorm followed Elric's lead, forming a whirlwind that spiraled violently.
As the freezing cold from the Seal of Brutal Cold, the ferocity from the Seal of Maleficence, and the piercing wind from the Seal of the Winter Wind mixed together, the force of the storm was now far beyond anything Andrew had summoned earlier.
Andrew instinctively realized that Elric's storm held dominance over his Seal of Violent Gale and quickly retreated.
At the same time, Andrew mustered all his remaining strength, squeezing out his demonic energy to erect a series of Violent Gale Walls.
Boom!
Crash!
Boom!
However, the hastily formed wind shields barely held together before they shattered one by one, and soon, the last wall crumbled into pieces.
'How... how is this human using the Winter General's power...?!'
Andrew was horrified.
The very powers that his organization had desperately tried and failed to obtain—Northern Wind and Winter blizzard—were now being wielded effortlessly by Elric!
Northern Wind and Winter blizzard.
A wind that tears everything apart as it devours the world, and a blizzard that blankets all civilization in white, freezing everything in its path.
These two forces were said to be among the four great powers left behind by the Demon God for future generations of demons!
For Gregory, which sought to resurrect Azazel and ignite a new Great Demon War to bring down the Empire, this was a power they absolutely had to acquire.
The Winter General was the key ingredient to seizing Northern Wind and Winter blizzard.
But now, when the organization was struggling to even approach the General, a human was wielding those very powers?
And not just any human, but the Melvinger—an archenemy...?
However, before Andrew could fully process his shock, Elric had already closed the distance between them, throwing a vicious punch at blinding speed.
The blow was so fast and powerful that it made one question whether Elric was truly a magician.
Body Strengthening Art.
Ferocious Tiger Rush – Strike.
'He's using Body Strengthening Art too!'
Boom!
Mana condensed at the end of Elric's fist, then exploded, sending Andrew's entire body flying through the air.
"Gah!"
Andrew felt the excruciating pain of losing a third of his body as he was violently flung backward.
Elric was hot on his heels.
Body Strengthening Art.
Tiger Slash – Wild barrage.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A relentless barrage of attacks rained down on Andrew, leaving him unable to gather his thoughts.
Even in his disoriented state, Andrew knew he had to regain control of the situation. He quickly flipped his body mid-air and slammed his hand into the ground with force.
From his fingertips, a gust of Violent Gale blew across, turning the earth upside down. A white earthen wall rose up, blocking Elric's advance, giving Andrew precious moments to retreat and start healing his shattered body.
He coughed up dead blood as his broken limbs slowly began to recover, and his confused mind started to clear.
Andrew had no choice but to admit that both he and the organization had severely underestimated their opponent.
The current successor of the Melvinger family was far stronger than they had assessed.
'At least a 7th Circle!'
On top of that, his mastery of the Body Strengthening Art of the Tiger King Family, thought to have been lost, meant he could be classified as a martial artist as well.
Considering his age, it was certain that Elric was on par with the Three Stars—those renowned prodigies of the Empire.
'At this rate, I'm going to lose.'
Andrew bit down hard on his lower lip.
His strengths lay in his natural cunning and talent for grand strategy, not in brute force battles like this.
Ultimately, Andrew realized that he couldn't defeat Elric on his own. He had to find a way to turn the tide, and fast.
With that, he reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll, tearing it quickly. It was inscribed with a teleportation spell that would instantly transport him to a designated location.
But—
'Why…?'
The magic didn't activate. All that happened was a dazzling effect that crumbled away uselessly.
"Of course it's not working. I made sure you couldn't use it."
"...!"
At that moment, Elric's voice echoed in Andrew's ear.
Andrew's body stiffened in fear.
Before Andrew could react, Elric had already grabbed the back of his head and slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
The earth shook as Andrew's face smashed into the ground, his facial bones shattering on impact.
***
[Not much of a challenge, huh? I thought you'd be tougher, but you're just a mob.]
Elric chuckled as he sat on top of Andrew's body, which was still twitching despite half his skull being crushed.
At first, Elric had half-jokingly debated with Mephistopheles about whether to deal with this guy seriously.
Judging by Andrew's initial aura, he seemed stronger than Kaya, the opponent Elric had faced before heading north, so he had been on guard.
But once the fight started, Elric's impression was simple.
'Too easy.'
Elric realized that it wasn't just because Andrew was weaker than expected—it was because he himself had grown significantly stronger.
The gains he had made from arrangement seemed to have been far greater than he initially thought.
『Hmph! He's just a follower of Azazel, putting on a flashy display but lacking substance.』
Though Mephistopheles dismissed the victory as trivial, Elric could tell from his eyes that he was somewhat surprised.
Elric clicked his tongue lightly as if to say, "I knew it."
He then narrowed his eyes, looking at Andrew, who was still twitching beneath him.
"So Gregory is extending its reach here too? And it seems like they have a pretty close relationship with the Blood Wolf King… I'll have to dig into this further."
Elric had no intention of killing Andrew just yet. He could feel the Seal of Maleficence stirring, eager to devour him, but Elric resisted the urge and warned Yu to keep him in line.
He then summoned the Chains of Brutal Cold, intending to bind Andrew, but suddenly, the demon began convulsing violently, like someone having a seizure, before going completely limp.
"Hey, what the hell? Why are you moving all of a sudden?"
Thinking Andrew might have died, Elric reached out hesitantly, but then he noticed the Seal embedded in Andrew's right shoulder glowing with a sinister color.
Keke! You'd better be careful.
Yu's voice echoed in warning.
Before Yu could even finish the warning, Andrew's back arched unnaturally, and he swung his hand in a sharp motion.
The force of the swing was entirely different from anything Andrew had shown before, forcing Elric to quickly raise shadow to his defense and activate White Hand.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
As demonic energy and the cold winds clashed in the air, shards of frozen demonic energy scattered in all directions.
Elric quickly distanced himself, activating three Seals simultaneously and preparing his stance with Body Strengthening Art.
Zzzzz-
Meanwhile, Andrew's limp body, which had been hanging like a broken puppet, began to float in midair, demonic energy oozing from it.
It was clear to anyone that Andrew was no longer in control—some third party had intervened.
The problem was that the demonic energy emanating from him was entirely different from the power of the Seal of Violent Gale Andrew had previously shown!
At that moment, the Seal of Violent Gale on Andrew's body twisted and morphed into a new Seal, albeit faintly.
Andrew's head suddenly jerked up, his eyes flashing with a fierce light as he glared directly at Elric.
'A demon king…?'
Elric's spine stiffened involuntarily. Whoever was possessing Andrew's body was a presence on par with Yu—if not more powerful.
A cold shiver ran down his back.
Then, an unknown Demon King spoke through Andrew's mouth.
"You. Are. The one. Who. Killed. Kaya."
Just as Elric was about to respond, he was interrupted.
『...Azazel? Could it be that he's already awakened?』
Mephistopheles, standing nearby, was wide-eyed with disbelief.
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]