Kefra's seemingly delicate body slammed heavily into the ground.
The force was so great that even the ground trembled violently.
The other Demon Hunters couldn't help but turn their heads away, shrinking back, completely daring not to look at Kefra again.
Miserable. Truly, unbearably miserable.
"Cough… cough."
As the dust slowly dispersed, Kefra lay on the ground and coughed lightly twice.
The injuries weren't too serious, at the very least, she could still move.
It was just that her breathing felt a bit strained.
Kefra shot Viktor a somewhat unconvinced glance.
"Don't you know how to give way to a woman?"
Viktor stood there expressionlessly with both hands in his pockets, looking at her.
"I gave you a chance."
"Unfortunately, you didn't win."
Kefra swayed slightly and struggled to get up from the ground, then sat down cross-legged.
That throw from Viktor earlier made her feel like her lungs had shifted out of place.
She gently rubbed her chest, trying to ease the discomfort.
Fortunately, Demon Hunters recover very quickly.
Supporting herself with both hands, Kefra leaned back slightly, showing her long and powerful figure.
"Hoo... Ha... that was really satisfying."
Her voice carried a hint of wildness and satisfaction, as if the fight just now had been a long-missed pleasure.
Although Kefra hadn't used her full strength, she knew very well that her brother-in-law hadn't used his "full strength" either.
And the "full strength" of the two of them wasn't quite the same thing.
After all, Viktor's main profession was a mage.
At this moment, Viktor suddenly bent down slowly and picked up her dagger.
That silver-white dagger was held tightly in Viktor's hand.
Kefra stared at him blankly, then watched as Viktor used the dagger to cut a gash across his palm.
Her gaze stayed fixed on him, not daring to miss a single detail.
Drip! Drop!
Bright red blood slowly dripped down, flowing onto the ground.
Under his powerful recovery ability, the wound had already completely healed.
Kefra murmured softly, "What amazing recovery ability."
"Viktor, a guy like you choosing to be a mage instead of a warrior is really wasting your tal..."
She was about to say he was wasting his talent, but then she thought about it again, this guy was the youngest fourth-tier mage.
She immediately shut her mouth.
It could only be said that geniuses are like this.
Even though he was a mage.
No one would think his strength was limited to being just a mage.
And Kefra, along with the other Demon Hunters, all knew exactly what Viktor was doing.
Verification.
Demon Hunter weapons are made from special materials.
If Viktor really had a demon within him, just cutting open his flesh would be enough to verify it.
Demonic blood would be absorbed by the dagger, while normal human blood would not.
That was also the reason why the Demon Hunters had gone to such lengths to try to injure Viktor.
And now, Viktor had picked up the dagger and cut himself open, personally giving her the verification.
There was no demon on him.
This was a very simple verification method. If Kefra wanted to, she could even directly scratch the Second Prince in the Northern Territory with a weapon to verify whether there was a demon on him.
But she couldn't.
She couldn't do that to the Second Prince.
At the very least, not in the Northern Territory, not on the Delin family's land.
So she let Owiser return to the royal capital.
"I'm very glad I don't have to be your enemy, Viktor."
As Kefra spoke, her gaze rested on the black crystal pendant on Viktor's chest.
She narrowed her eyes and revealed a naturally curved smile.
Whether Viktor was colluding with demons or not, Kefra had already prepared herself.
If there really was a demon possessing him, the pendant would make him lose his demonic power.
If Kefra had wrongly accused Viktor, like now, when Viktor proved himself, then that pendant was her compensation.
"After all, I practically handed my life over to you."
Hearing this, Viktor glanced at Kefra.
The recovery ability of Demon Hunters was unbelievably strong. In such a short time, she had already fully recovered.
She comfortably stretched her body.
After fighting Viktor, Kefra felt completely refreshed.
Even the two Demon Hunters who had been brutally beaten by Viktor earlier had now fully recovered as well.
They all stood behind Kefra, awaiting orders.
After getting beaten up, Kefra's mischievous side started acting up again. She hooked a finger under Viktor's chin and looked at him with a bright smile.
"Hey, hey, Viktor, don't go back later."
"Tonight, how about playing some interesting games with big sis?"
Viktor ignored her and simply took out the pendant from his clothes.
"You Demon Hunters have an operation tonight, right?"
Kefra froze for a moment. The words "How do you know?" almost slipped out, but she quickly shut her mouth.
Even so, her reaction was basically an admission.
Viktor held the pendant and spoke calmly.
"This thing of the Demon Hunters can detect whether there's demonic presence nearby."
"I know that when you had Liya pass this thing to me, you were already suspecting me."
Under the candlelight around them, the black crystal pendant glimmered and shone.
Kefra looked at the pendant in Viktor's hand and said nothing.
As for why Viktor guessed this, it was because Viktor really did have an 'Original Demon' living in his house.
"If nothing unexpected happens,"
Viktor said, his eyes gradually narrowing as he stared at Kefra, "Your Demon Hunters have already begun their operation, and…"
"My home area has also already been marked off by you."
When he said this, Kefra's gaze wavered slightly, carrying a hint of complexity.
"Viktor, I…"
"If you wanted to give this to me, you could've just handed it to me directly this morning."
Viktor shook the pendant lightly.
"But instead, you gave it to Liya and had her pass it to me."
"One night is already enough time for it to detect demonic presence."
After that, Viktor put the black crystal pendant away again, pressing it back against his chest.
Kefra looked at Viktor, feeling a bit shocked inside.
She hadn't expected Viktor to understand things so clearly.
The feeling he gave her…
Was like someone who had once been a Demon Hunter.
But that was impossible.
Once someone became a Demon Hunter, they could never become a mage again.
"You called me here not just to verify me."
"It was also to let your teammates investigate."
"To see whether there are demons hiding near my home, right?"
In just a few words, Viktor had completely exposed all of her thoughts.
Kefra couldn't believe it.
She stared blankly at Viktor, her mouth opening slightly.
"I… I didn't want to hurt you…"
"I know. Otherwise, you wouldn't have handed your life over to me."
His gaze was calm and indifferent, like a narrator telling a story, utterly unconcerned with everything around him.
But at that very moment, a mysterious force suddenly surged forth. Rocks were pierced through by countless flowers, which then rapidly grew.
Flowers of all kinds bloomed, their petals radiating brilliant light, completely surrounding Kefra.
The Demon Hunters stared at the scene in shock. They felt a dangerous aura and an unease rose in their hearts.
Very soon, that unease gradually became reality.
The flower buds burst open in an instant. Multicolored pollen drifted away on the breeze, releasing a captivating fragrance.
The Demon Hunters were unfortunate enough to come into contact with the pollen, and a powerful wave of drowsiness immediately washed over them.
Unable to control their bodies any longer, they collapsed to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.
Only Kefra remained, standing there, still conscious.
She looked at Viktor in shock, disbelief flickering in her eyes.
"When you handed the pendant to Liya, I could've hidden the demon in advance."
"But I didn't do that."
Kefra's mind shook violently, as if she had heard something she simply couldn't believe.
With those words, Viktor was practically laying his cards on the table.
He had exposed the fact that he really was connected to demons.
"You… really…"
Really colluding with demons?
She stared at Viktor in a daze, but only heard his calm voice respond.
"Of course not, because you got one key point wrong."
Viktor kept both hands in his pockets and turned to face Kefra directly.
"I indeed haven't colluded with demons."
"Because they aren't worthy."
Those arrogant and cold words were like a terrifying demon itself, carrying an oppressive aura that enveloped Viktor and rapidly swallowed the entire space.
A suffocating atmosphere spread out, making one shudder with fear.
At this moment, Kefra stared blankly at Viktor, as if she could see a ferocious, trembling phantom behind him, staring straight at her.
"I never need demons to strengthen myself."
Viktor slowly extended one hand, his palm gradually opening.
In his palm, three differently colored magatama rotated continuously, emitting mesmerizing hues.
The three magatama seemed to be wrapped in dense magical power, forming three clusters of energy that radiated the aura of calamity.
Viktor clenched his fist and squeezed hard.
As if crushed, astonishing magic power erupted, vast like an ocean.
Terrifying power condensed into physical form. Lush green plants and a massive tree broke through the rock and rapidly grew within the enormous cavern.
At the moment the giant tree fully emerged, streams of fiery red magma flowed across its trunk. The blazing flames ignited the branches and leaves, lighting up the surroundings completely.
Wild winds surged. The magma roiled endlessly beneath the roots, and the flames danced along with the storm.
The overwhelming pressure enveloped Kefra. Her mind nearly stalled for several seconds as she struggled to resist the shock sweeping through her body, staggering back a few steps.
But she still asked, staying true to her original intent.
"Then… what about the demon you mentioned?"
"Demon?"
Viktor withdrew his hand and put it back into his pocket.
His expression was calm as still water, yet carried an unfathomable sense of mystery.
That apocalyptic scene was like it had been snuffed out, abruptly ending and falling completely silent.
Only a calm voice remained, yet filled with boundless arrogance.
It left Kefra's mind blank, her thoughts completely frozen.
"A pet I keep."
"That's all."