Kang Woo lifted one hand and made a subtle gesture. From the shadows of his body, the Nightmare Familiar emerged, oozing forth like a monstrous tide. It was an enormous mass of condensed slime, dark and glistening, laced with streaks of demonic material. Half-submerged within its surface were countless pale skeletons, their empty sockets staring outward as if trapped in silent screams.
The creature already read Kang Woo's intentions. With a wet, twisting sound, the Nightmare Familiar split itself into five enormous drills. Each segment whirred and spun, a single purple eye burning at the center of every rotating core. In perfect synchronicity, the drills drove themselves into the earth, boring deep into the ground below. Tremors rolled through the forest as soil and shattered rock flew skyward, leaving behind a colossal crater five hundred meters wide.
Above the yawning pit, blue rain continued to fall, glimmering like liquid starlight. Kang Woo stretched out his hand, and threads of Reishi gathered from the rain, weaving together into translucent panels and beams. Slowly, they formed a glowing Reishi elevator, hovering over the chasm, ready to descend into the depths below.
Kang Woo turned to Makima, his crimson eyes glinting. He extended his hand toward her, palm open in an inviting gesture.
"Can you keep up with me, Makima?" he asked, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Makima let out a soft laugh, her eyes shining with a mixture of challenge and affection.
"I told you before," she said, stepping closer until she could wrap her fingers around his. "You are my property, Kang Woo. For now and forever. And I will never let you go."
Hand in hand, Kang Woo and Makima stepped onto the waiting Reishi platform. Light shimmered beneath their feet as the elevator began its gentle, steady descent into the newly formed abyss.
As they descended, Makima suddenly tugged at Kang Woo's arm, her eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement. "Kang Woo! Look here—I can do it!"
She lifted her free hand, palm turned outward. Hovering above her skin was a faint, shimmering shape—a Quincy cross, but incomplete, only half-formed and flickering as though it might vanish at any second.
Kang Woo stared at it, utterly deadpan. "It's half."
Makima huffed, folding her arms with exaggerated drama but unable to hide the small, playful curve of her lips."At least I've made progress, I'm not that Yhwach you keep talking about . Give me some patience, will you?"
Kang Woo tilted his head slightly. "How good's your Blut Vene?"
Makima blinked. "You mean the blue veins that come out of my arm?"
She closed her eyes, brows furrowing in concentration. A long moment passed. Nothing happened. Finally, she cracked one eye open, looking vaguely embarrassed. "…Strange. I can't do it."
Kang Woo let out a quiet sigh. Without warning, he flicked her arm with his finger—and then flicked her forehead for good measure.
Makima's eyes flew wide as she rubbed her forehead, her lips forming a tiny pout.
"Oww…! What was that for, Kang Woo?!" she demanded, half glaring, half laughing.
Ignoring her protests, Kang Woo took her arm gently in his hand. A faint glow pulsed under his touch—and blue veins, shining with Reishi, began to thread their way up her forearm, flickering like lightning. But only on her arm.
Kang Woo deadpanned again, voice flat as stone. "You're a terrible Quincy."
Makima's eyes narrowed, her cheeks puffing out as she crossed her arms, glaring at him—but there was a playful glint in her eyes. "…Ugh! Kang Woo, you're infuriating," she said, her voice still gentle even in mock anger. "Keep talking like that, and I'll make sure my half Quincy powers are the least of your worries!"
Kang Woo only gave her an exasperated look. "You need to regulate where your Blut flows. It's not supposed to just get stuck in your arm."
Without warning, he lifted his wrist, and a shimmering demonic blade slid out from beneath his skin like a black, curved fang.
Makima blinked in surprise. "Kang Woo—what are you—"
Before she could finish, Kang Woo slashed the blade across his own neck and swept it toward his eye.
Makima let out a startled gasp, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. But the blade met resistance, sparking off something invisible. Blue veins rippled over Kang Woo's neck and face, glowing faintly as they absorbed the force of the blow.
Makima stared, wide-eyed. "…It can do that?"
Kang Woo lowered his arm, dismissing the blade back into his wrist like it had never been there. He turned his head toward her, speaking in a calm, instructive tone. "Blut Vene can be used anywhere on your body. You can spread it to your arms, your legs, your torso, your neck—everywhere. Think of it like wearing armor under your skin. If the Aging Devil ambushes you again, you won't suffer damage—if you're focusing your Blut Vene on your weak points."
Makima swallowed, listening intently.
Kang Woo's voice turned even more serious. "But you have to stay conscious of where an enemy might strike. If you're not concentrating—or if you misjudge—well… you'll still get hit. Or worse… mortally wounded."
Makima closed her eyes briefly, drawing in a slow, steady breath. Around her, the blue Reishi particles floating through the air began to drift toward her body in tiny, swirling eddies.
Then she opened her eyes, calm but determined. "Kang Woo. Hit me again with your blade. This time for real."
Kang Woo blinked, his expression shifting from slight irritation to disbelief. "Are you stupid? My Authority of Blade isn't a toy. The only reason it didn't cut me earlier is because my Primary reserve is practically bottomless. I can adjust its strength whenever I want—but it's still dangerous."
Makima shook her head firmly. "I insist. Please. Target my neck and arm. If not using your Authority, then use something weaker. I need to know if I can really do it… or not."
Kang Woo stared at her, his eyes narrowing. Then, with a sigh, he flicked his hand, forming a small dagger out of pale blue Reishi. Its blade shimmered softly, far less lethal than the one he'd used earlier. "…All right. No regrets now."
In the blink of an eye, Kang Woo lunged forward, slashing the Reishi dagger toward Makima's neck, then her eye, then her chest. Each strike connected—but instead of cutting flesh, the blows sparked harmlessly against shimmering blue veins that spread like lightning under Makima's skin.
Makima stumbled back a step, then threw her arms out with exaggerated outrage. "I haven't even said three, two, one yet! You almost killed me, Kang Woo!"
Kang Woo rolled his eyes. "Bullshit. I saw the Reishi gathering around you and getting absorbed. Are you picking up my habit of lying now, Makima?"
Makima's lips curled into a smug grin. She leaned closer, tilting her head slightly as her red hair fell around her shoulders. " you were worried about me, weren't you? I guess that means I'm destined to be the next Quincy ruler, huh?"
Kang Woo let out a dry scoff. "This one… is very 'I don't know.' You're a devil—and a Quincy. That's not exactly a normal mix."
As he spoke, he lifted his left palm, forming a glowing Heilig Bogen—a radiant spiritual bow, blue light arching like crystal wings. In his right hand, shimmering Reishi gathered and elongated into a slender Heilig Pfeill, a spiritual arrow crackling with power.
"This," Kang Woo said, gesturing between the bow and arrow, "is called the Heilig Bogen… and the Heilig Pfeill. It's the offensive way a Quincy is supposed to fight."
Makima's eyes lit up, curiosity flashing across her face. "I saw the big Bogen version you made before—when you were chasing the Aging Devil. Shouldn't I be taught that instead?"
Kang Woo nodded slightly. "That's called the Sankt Bogen, Makima. , it's bigger. And it can fire up to sixteen Heilig Pfeill at once. But before we even talk about that… I need to confirm something."
He lowered his weapons, eyes sharp and analytical. "I need to know whether your devil race—and the Quincy ability that awakened in you through the blue rain—will clash."
Makima blinked, frowning slightly. "Wait… are you saying the Quincy ability I suddenly developed is because of you? I wasn't born with it… or it didn't just come from the Quincy cross you gave me?"
Kang Woo shook his head. "The Quincy cross is just a focus tool. It's there to help channel and shape Reishi into a weapon. As for the actual Quincy abilities… let me ask you this: is there such a thing as a 'Quincy Devil?'"
Makima paused for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "No… not at all."
Kang Woo gave a small, wry smile. "That's the answer. This world has nothing useful except negative energy… or fear-based power. That's it. Everything else—like Quincy techniques—has to come from somewhere else entirely."
Makima puffed her cheeks slightly, crossing her arms as a teasing glimmer returned to her eyes. "Kang Woo… are you roasting me right now because I'm a Control Devil? It's like you're mocking the entire devil race!"
Without waiting for a response, Makima raised her wrist, where her Quincy cross shimmered faintly in the falling blue rain. Determination sparked in her gaze as she thrust her hand forward, channeling her will. Slowly, lines of Reishi began swirling together in the air, trying to coalesce into the shape of a Heilig Bogen.
But even as it formed, a crack spread along the spiritual construct. Sparks fizzled, Reishi snapped like overstretched wires , then the entire bow exploded in her hand.
Makima let out a strangled cry of pain. Bright red blood splattered the air as her palm tore open, shards of Reishi vanishing like shattered glass. She staggered back, cradling her hand, biting her lip against the pain.
Kang Woo's gaze flicked over her wounds with practiced coolness. He stepped closer, lifting his hand. A dark glow surrounded his fingers as he invoked his Authority of Regeneration. Wisps of shadowy energy wrapped around Makima's hand, knitting flesh and sealing the bleeding in moments. "As I feared…" Kang Woo said quietly. "Blut Vene can work for defense. But offens—"
Before he could finish, Makima abruptly lifted her head. Her gaze locked onto his with fierce intensity—a hint of trembling, vulnerable hope shining in them. "Please… don't say that, Kang Woo," she said, voice firm despite the quiver in it. "I can do this. I know I can. Kang Woo—show me. Step by step. I promise you… I'll get it right."
Kang Woo stared at her for a long moment, the rain glistening on his dark hair. Slowly, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Tch… look at her. he thought, a spark of pride flickering behind his calm exterior. Her mentality's starting to heal. She's becoming stronger than she ever was before.
Instead of forming a Heilig Bogen, Kang Woo lifted his hand and shaped a different weapon. Threads of Reishi curled and wove together until they became a sleek, compact bow—the Kojaku.
Makima's gaze followed the shape taking form, curiosity glinting in her expression. "Kang Woo… your bow—is it the same as the Heilig Bogen?"
Kang Woo shook his head. "Let's start by forming the Kojaku first, rather than a Bogen. One step at a time."
Makima nodded, focusing as she gathered the Reishi swirling in the blue rain. Slowly, a small Kojaku formed in her left hand,.
Makima frowned a little, feeling the strain. "The bow… it feels like it burns."
Kang Woo tilted his head slightly. "That's normal. Okay—you've got the bow. Now form the Pfeil."
Makima clenched her jaw and nodded. She gathered her focus again, channeling Reishi into her right arm. A thin beam of spiritual light shaped itself into a Heilig Pfeil, trembling in the air.
Makima shut one eye as both her arms began to ache, but she quickly adapted, channeling Blut Vene to cover and reinforce her limbs.
A grin broke across her face as she held the bow steady. "What did I say? I can do it, right?"
Kang Woo couldn't help the slight smirk on his lips. "You're forming a defensive technique like Blut Vene and an offensive attack form at the same time. Your reserves are going to deplete faster."
Makima puffed out her cheeks in protest, a spark of frustration—and pride—flashing across her features. "I should get praised, Look—I proved you wrong. I can use Quincy offensive techniques… even though I'm a devil!"