Chapter 26 – The Most Unexpected Ally

The day after his farewell with Ada and the rest of Opera, Ren walked alongside Yura Aseina along a forest path, the trees closing in overhead as if trying to conceal the sky. The air was still, broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath their steps.

“Are we just going to walk all the way to Yukihana… or do you plan on opening a portal?” Yura asked, impatience lacing her voice.

Ren, lost in thought, didn’t answer right away. He stopped, materialized his katana, and fixed his gaze on an unseen point ahead.

“Sorry… I was thinking. There’s something I need to do before we go.”

She eyed him with a mix of curiosity and caution.

“And what exactly are you planning?”

“Put this on,” he said, handing her an amulet. “We’re going to visit an old friend.”

Unlike Ada, Yura didn’t press further. She simply slipped the talisman around her neck, trusting him without question.

“We need reinforcements if we’re going to invade Yukihana.”

Once both wore the amulets, Ren carved a dimensional rift into the air. Darkness swallowed them, and on the other side, the ruins of a castle rose before them. Its battered walls looked as though they had endured centuries of war and abandonment.

“What is this place?” Yura asked, shoulders tensing.

“This… is Umbra. The capital of the demons.”

Instinctively, Yura’s hand went to her katana. The air dropped in temperature at once, as if the place itself had responded to her suspicion.

“Is this a trap, Ren?”

“Lower your blade… there’s nothing to fear.” His voice was calm, almost serene, as he strode down the main hall.

They walked between shattered columns and broken stained glass that let through pale beams of light. The echo of their footsteps seemed to stir the dust of ages. Finally, Ren pushed open a massive iron door with both hands. The screech of the hinges reverberated through the vastness… as they entered the throne room.

“This is…” Yura murmured, looking up at the cracked vault.

“That’s right. The demon king’s main hall.”

A slow, deliberate applause shattered the silence, its sound bouncing across the walls.

“I see you’ve finally opened your eyes…” a deep feminine voice resounded from every corner.

“I warned you it was all a lie, and that eventually, you’d come crawling back to beg for my help…”

“Everyone makes mistakes,” Ren replied evenly, his tone controlled. “I needed to see it with my own eyes. I couldn’t rely on your word alone… Demon Queen Lilith.”

“Did you say… Demon Queen?” Yura asked, startled.

Light footsteps echoed in the empty hall. Yura braced her hand on her katana, bracing herself for some colossal, grotesque being to emerge from the shadows. But when the figure stepped forward, her grip slackened instantly.

“…This has to be a joke,” she whispered in disbelief. “That little girl is the demon queen? Are you kidding me?”

The figure stood before them—brown skin, long lilac hair, barely reaching Yura’s chest in height. She looked less like a dreaded sovereign and more like a lost child playing dress-up.

“Did you get lost, little one? Want us to take you back to your mother?” Yura said, bending down to pat her head.

Ren immediately went pale.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you—”

The girl batted the hand away indignantly.

“Don’t mock me, bratty Yuki! My name is Lilith—the terror of Umbra, undisputed Demon Queen!”

“Does your mom know you’re playing demon queen?” Yura teased.

“Yura…” Ren cut in, his tone grave. “This is her form after losing all her power. Remember: I killed her sixteen years ago. But demons don’t die… they only reincarnate.”

Yura froze in place.

“I… I’m terribly sorry, Lady Lilith.”

The demon queen folded her arms, feigning offense.

“Hmph. I’ll let it slide only because you’re a friend of this fool. Now… tell me, what business do you have disturbing the great Lilith?”

Ren knelt before her.

“Great Lilith, I regret what happened in the past… but I need your help.”

“Oh, how ironic… the murderer begging me for aid.”

“That’s right. I must liberate Yukihana, and I need your strength.”

Lilith tilted her head.

“I see… you want to free your friend’s homeland. From some traitor, no doubt. And what do I gain from all this?”

Ren removed his talisman and placed it in her hands.

“Do you remember what we spoke of sixteen years ago?”

The girl held it delicately, and for a fleeting moment, her eyes reflected nostalgia.

“Yes… I remember perfectly. Nothing has changed since then.”

“You know I’m greedy. You can’t buy me with a flimsy promise of ‘prosperity.’” She scowled and flopped into her throne, legs dangling like a bored child at a grown-up meeting. “If you want my help, you’ll have to give me something… tangible.”

Ren didn’t avert his gaze.

“Name it.”

“Three things.” She raised a finger for each. “First, complete freedom to move through human cities without interference from your kings or guilds. Second, access to Urus’ trade routes. And third…” —her smile turned mischievous— “your word that when I regain my power, you won’t try to kill me again.”

Yura frowned.

“Is that a condition, or a threat?”

“It’s a warning, Snow Princess.” Lilith hopped down from the throne, her light steps carrying her until she stood right before Ren. “In return, I’ll fight under your command until Yukihana is free.”

Ren was silent for several seconds, weighing each condition carefully. Then, at last, he extended his hand.

“Deal.”

The little demon queen smiled, revealing a hint of fangs.

“Then let your promise be carved in stone, human. Because if you break it…” —for an instant, her eyes burned crimson— “there will be no place in this world where you can hide from me.”

Ren met the gaze of the tiny queen, realizing that handshake sealed far more than a simple agreement.

And in the oblique rays streaming through the shattered stained glass, Lilith’s silhouette seemed less like a child… and more like the latent shadow of a power that would one day awaken again.

As Yura watched in silence, she understood that in this moment, they had not only gained an ally… they had also invited into their ranks a potential enemy.