Conquering The Novel

After Silvia dealt with hypnotizing Alice, we quickly exited the Gate.

Click!— Click!— Click!— Click!

As soon as we reached the other side of the gate, the reporters began taking pictures of us while the adventurers served as security, keeping them away.

!?

"What the hell is going on with these people?" Faced with the constant light emanating from the cameras, Silvia yelled while covering her face with one of her hands.

However, soon after, we noticed that the gate behind us had vanished and enormous white light had extended all the way to the sky which seemed to be like a huge pillar.

!?

"...What exactly is that?" The enormous light reaching the sky caused a commotion as all the reporters present exclaimed in shock.

Step!— Step!— Step!— Step!

We suddenly heard footsteps coming from the entrance. While security moved aside to make room for the person to come closer, reporters continued to rush toward the person on the crowded rooftop.

And as I looked in the direction of the footsteps approaching us using my skill Hawkeye, I was met by a woman with white hair tied in a ponytail, a common blue right eye, and a patch covering her left eye.

She was dressed in a long grey coat with a white T-shirt underneath, fitted black leather pants, and black heels.

"...Jessica Spades!" I muttered to myself as I saw her but she immediately stared back at me as she felt my gaze even from such a distance.

"...."

It\'s not that I wasn\'t expecting her, but since it was our first encounter after her conference, I am not sure how she would respond when she saw me in person.

"What is the President of the Hero Association doing here?" Silvia frowned while speaking.

"...We just spent three hours inside the gate, but it\'s been three days in our outside world because time inside the gate moves much more slower than it does outside," I mumbled to myself.

!?

"...Hmm? So she came to check on us?" Silvia spoke perplexed after overhearing me.

"It seems we are the only ones who have cleared this mysterious black gate so far, so I believe she came here to get information about it from us," I replied with a smile.

"...."

"That patched eye of hers... it\'s dangerous!" Irethiel abruptly said telepathically.

"...Yeah, it sure is," I agreed.

"I think you should leave before she approaches us, Silvia, as I believe she can—" I said, turning to face her, but to my surprise, she had already left.

"...."

"...Should I also leave?" Irethiel inquired telepathically.

"No, it\'s too late; she already sensed your presence," I replied.

Then, without warning, my surroundings began to shift and I suddenly found myself in an endless white room. Obviously, I know who was responsible for this change.

"Hasn\'t it been a while, Ares? Or should I refer to you as Ares the Executioner?"

The voice came from behind me.

"...No, this is my first time meeting you," I replied as I slowly turned toward the voice and was greeted by Jessica, who was sitting on a white chair, relaxed, with both of her legs on the table in front of her.

"Ah, fair enough, you were pretty young when we first met, so it\'s understandable that you don\'t remember me," Jessica shrugged.

"So, tell me, why did you bring me here," I inquired as I used my skill location swap.

Swap!

—

Instantaneously, Jessica\'s position and mine were switched, and I found myself sitting in Jessica\'s seat.

!?

"You sly brat! You\'re quite audacious to use that skill on me in my own domain," Jessica remarked, grinning, as she sat back down on another white chair that had appeared out of nowhere in my previous location.

"...."

"...You still haven\'t answered my previous question, be quick as I am already tired after clearing that vexing gate," I said.

"The only one who asks questions here is me," Jessica said abruptly appearing in front of me and slamming the table.

Thud!—

"...."

"What is it that you want to know?" I questioned while returning Jessica\'s glare as she stood in front of me.

"Why don\'t you explain this?" Jessica exclaimed, and out of nowhere, she was now grabbing Irethiel who was now in her original form by the neck and lifting her in the air.

"Ahk," Irethiel struggled to free herself from her clutches.

"Why are you being accompanied by a demon?" Jessica inquired, her gaze fixed on me as she continued to choke Irethiel.

"...You already know the answer to that," I replied, returning her gaze.

"...."

"Oh, that\'s intriguing!" As Jessica stopped strangling Irethiel, she said in a surprised tone, "...So you already knew about what my left eye is capable of huh, and you weren\'t much surprised witnessing my domain either,"

Cough!— Cough!

Irethiel collapsed to the ground, clutching her neck and gasping for air.

"All right, let me rephrase my question: ...Why do you have a demon as your slave?" Jessica asked.

"I don\'t see a problem with that. After all, it would have been problematic if I had been a demon\'s slave, isn\'t that right?" I spoke while still seated in the chair, my fingers entwined as I stared at Jessica.

!?

"...Huh? Do you think it will change anything—"

"Miss Jessica, why don\'t you hear me out before making any more assumptions?" I interrupted her sentence.

"...."

As Jessica heard me, she just gave me a blank stare.

"Firstly, who do you suppose notified the Hero association of the release of a demon lord seal?" I inquired her and in response, she just furrowed he eyebrows.

"Do you believe that someone by chance happened to stumble upon the demon lord\'s lair and discovered that one of the demon lords had been released from the seal?" I continued with a smile.

"...."

"...So you were the one who gave that information to Ivica? ...And you want me to believe that you obtained that information from your demon slave!" Jessica made a remark before turning her gaze to Irethiel.

"Yup, that\'s right, I knew you were a smart woman, no wonder you\'re the head of the huge hero association," I said while nodding.

"...Stop the nonsense! So you\'re saying she can detect the presence of the demon lords when they are unsealed?" Jessica inquired, her gaze fixed on Irethiel, who was still on the ground, glaring at her.

"She certainly can!" I replied.

!?

"... If what you\'re saying is true, won\'t we now be able to tell when the demon lord\'s seal has been broken and easily deal with them while they\'re still weak?" Jessica spoke hurriedly.

"...."

\'Wow, what hypocrisy I say. Wasn\'t she just about to suffocate Irethiel to death? How can she expect her help now?\' I reflected inwardly.

"I don\'t give a damn if you think I\'m a hypocrite; I\'m willing to go to any length to prevent the catastrophe posed by the demon lords," Jessica replied.

"Of course, she can read our thoughts in her domain," I muttered to myself, shaking my head.

"...You are aware that demon lords cannot be killed nor do we have any ways of sealing them again, correct?" I asked curiously.

"Of course, I know that the ordinary people cannot kill demon lords, ...but the chosen ones can!" Jessica remarked.

!?

Thud!—

We heard a loud thud and saw cracks appear on the white room\'s surface, and Jessica\'s domain began to crumble.

Crack! — Crack!—

"Damn, she\'s already here!" Jessica muttered.