In a pitch-bck void, a girl with an expression of s and disdain looked down at anirl kneeling on the ground, who bore aical face to hers.

  "Had you just given me your body earlier, we wouldn't be in this mess," the girl with the mog expression said. "Now look at us; we’re both going to die."

  Despite the taunting words, the kneeling girl remained unmoved.

  "Hey! you hear me? Hello? Hellooo~"

  "I told you that obsessing over saving the world ointless. Have you succeeded? Do they even show a shred of gratitude towards you?"

  "They don’t need you! All they want is wealth and status. You’re just deluding yourself! From the start, they never needed you!"

  "Oh, but there is one pce where things are different. The church views you as a very useful tool, though they discard you as soon as you’re used up, just like your so-called good friends."

  "What? You’re talking about the mohat submitted to you? Don’t fool yourself. They only submitted out of fear of your power. To them, you’re merely a means to increase your own strength. And now, look at the result—someorohan you has killed you."

  "…Hey, you’re about to die. At least say something. It’s rather awkward for me to be the only oalking!"

  Seeing the unmoving, identical figure kneeling before her, she bent down and whispered into the girl’s ear.

  "You’re nothing but a failed waste! Realizing the betrayal so te is too little too te! Don’t even think about revenge. You ’t even live on in the face of humiliation and ugliness! As your inner demon, I truly..."

  Suddenly, a haed on her shoulder.

  "Finally awake? After all this time, my throat is dry…"

  "…You’re right. I’ve failed at everything. My y led me to this pitiful state."

  The girl lifted her head, staring at the face identical to hers. Her expression was one of madness and icy resolve, as if she inteo annihite everything.

  "So I’ll return this pain a thousandfold! A billionfold! I won’t stop until my revenge is plete!"

  The kneeling girl increased her grip, pushing the bent-ure—the so-called inner demon—into a prone position, causio grima pain.

  But that wasn’t the crux of the matter. The real issue was the bone-chilliion that spread through the inner demon as she looked into the eyes of her other self.

  After all, she was the inner demon—symbolizing the dark side of all beings, whether the weakest human, a powerful dragon, or even gods.

  And they all feared the inner demon. In most cases, the inner demon is strohan the inal self. They fear that their dark side might one day e and repce them. Evehods like sealing or self-acceptance 't entirely remove this threat.

  But why, as the embodiment of darkness and all ive emotions, was she feeling fear fag her own inal self?

  The obsession, despair, hatred, anger, and indifference were even more intehan the ive emotions she had accumuted over the past decade.

  This made it seem like she was the inal self, and the entity that terrified her was the inner demon.

  At the same time, cracks began to appear ich-bck void, which widened rapidly until it shattered.

  "…Chirp chirp…"

  The sound of approag is grew louder around her.

  Yvevrantheia looked at the is, her eyes unwavering.

  ‘The way out… It’s right in front of me.’

  She gazed at the remains of the bees—killed in her self-destructive explosion before the is appeared.

  Without hesitation, Yvevrantheia fought against the paralyzing toxins in her body, dragging her battered form toward the bee remains, and began to gnaw on them.

  In an instant, a bitter, mushy, and ing taste filled her mouth, mingled with the metallic taste of blood. It was hardly food.

  But Yvevrantheia had no choice. To survive, she had to replenish her energy, and the only avaible source was the bee remains.

  "Mmm…"

  The more she ate, the more intehe nausea became, causing her body to instinctively reject the inedible substance. A burning liquid surged up her throat.

  To avoid vomiting, Yvevrantheia hastened her eating, f the rising stomach acid back down.

  If she vomited, she would waste time ing the vomit, and with the swarm closing in, she couldn't afford to waste time.

  Whether it was because her body was overing the toxins and developing antibodies, or because she was ing the source of the toxins, the paralyziion began to diminish. Seizing the opportunity, Yvevrantheia increased her eating speed.

  In the end, she mao e all the bee remains before the swarm arrived, and her magical power artially restored.

  "Chirp!!"

  "Are they here?"

  The swarm had encircled her within a radius of about fifty meters. For Yvevrantheia’s current strength, it was almost as if they were ent.

  With her current strength and magical power, it seemed impossible to fight off such a rge swarm.

  But she knew ohing: If her strength was insuffit, she could get stronger; if her magical power was g, she could e the swarm in front of her to vert it into energy.

  In one swift motion, Yvevrantheia leaped onto the i, using her momentum to jump onto its back, and began to bite.

  "Chirp!?"

  The sudden attack threw the i into a panic. It had never entered such a beastly assault, as if the human on its back was wilder than any of them.

  It thrashed its body, trying to shake off the intruder, but the human g to it tenaciously.

  Blood gushed out tinuously, and as Yvevrantheia bit through the i’s core, it fell lifelessly to the ground.

  From the gaping wound, a blood-soaked girl stood up.

  Her face resembling the menace of evil.

  She surveyed the nearby swarm with a gaze filled with madness and ruthlesshat made the is tremble.

  At that moment, they felt a shift in their roles. They were the prey, and that frail human was the hunter.

  Suddenly, an authoritative will pierced their minds. They uood instantly—it was the will of ‘Him’.

  [ Attack ]

  For the i swarm, ands from their superior were absolute. They only o obey. In an instant, their fear vanished, repced by cold, emotionless obedieurning them into ‘maes’ that followed orders.

  Meanwhile, in the distance, a vast number of is broke through the sandstorm, advang towards Yvevrantheia.

  Thus begatle between a ‘hunter’ and tless ‘killing maes’.