My Childhood Friend Told Me to Go Marry the Most Beautiful Woman in the Kingdom, So I Seriously Started Improving Myself—and Somehow Ended Up Making Women Fall Hard - Chapter 79, 80 & 81

Chapter 79: The Demon’s Objective

Just moments ago, Captain Falcon had been puffing out her chest and striking dramatic poses.

Now she calmly closed the front of her jacket and formed a composed smile.

“…Gemini.”

At her call, Gemini snapped upright.

“Yes!”

Avoiding my gaze, he hurried to the corner of the room.

A few dozen seconds later, he returned—fully changed into his Sixth Unit uniform—and headed out for night patrol.

“…Sorry about that, Hort. Once the captain gets started, there’s no stopping her.”

“At least try to stop her.”

“I did! I really did! But it’s impossible—for me! Seriously!”

The sheer intensity behind his excuse was impressive, if nothing else.

Gemini threw his cloak over his shoulder and headed for the door.

“I’m off. The Sixth Unit works best at night.”

With that, he disappeared as if fleeing the scene.

That left only Captain Falcon and me.

The noise from outside the shop felt distant. The fabric-lined walls absorbed the sound, making the silence inside the room feel heavier.

Captain Falcon leaned back in her chair and glanced at the buster sword on my back.

“…That’s a fine sword.”

“Captain Brigitte finished it for me.”

“I thought so. That old loli hag—ah, I mean, that master craftsman—her skills are the real deal.”

She crossed her legs.

“Hort. I’ll get straight to the point. The secret investigation is over. Daitaros is the culprit.”

“You’re certain?”

“Certain.”

There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her voice.

My throat felt dry, but I silently urged her to continue.

Captain Falcon began speaking in a calm, steady tone.

“The spies who infiltrated the Royal Knight Order this time. We’ve identified most of those connected to the demon cult. Among the knights whose families were harmed… nearly all of them had ties to the cult.”

A chill ran down my spine. Natasha’s face flashed through my mind.

“The victims… were connected?”

“Connected, yes. Not the knights themselves. Someone in their families. Relatives. Financial links. Family records… various connections.”

Captain Falcon poured water from a pitcher into a glass. The sound echoed strangely loud in the quiet room.

“Our Sixth Unit operates deep in the back alleys of the pleasure district at night. We captured several low-ranking cult members there.”

“…Did they talk?”

“Ufufu, who do you think I am? Of course they talked.”

Her smile looked the same as always—yet something terrifying lurked behind it.

“They told us something interesting. The people believed to be victims… were actually used as sacrifices.”

“Sacrifices?”

“Yes. They were used to summon demons.”

“Demons?! Who was doing that?”

“It seems the cult assigned special roles—called Priest and Priestess.”

Priest and Priestess… people capable of summoning demons.

Cold sweat slid down my back.

“That’s even possible?”

“Yes. The Priest and Priestess summoned demons. And those whose wishes were granted by the demons offered sacrifices in return.”

A dark anger began to rise in my chest.

To offer your own family as a sacrifice…

“And they had their wishes granted in exchange?”

“That’s right. The man I captured had his wish fulfilled—and half his body had already turned demonic.”

“Turned demonic?”

“Yes. He desired power. In the end, the demon overtook him.”

“…So how does that connect to Daitaros?”

Captain Falcon raised one finger.

“There’s a strong possibility Daitaros himself is possessed by a demon.”

“And as Vice-Commander, he could coordinate with other demons?”

“Exactly. The Third Knight Order has the largest numbers. The most information. The Second Unit handles most of that information flow—and Daitaros sits at the center of it.”

Commander Adelheid’s documents flashed through my mind.

That day, when files were sent to the Second Knight Order. It hadn’t been random.

Captain Brigitte had already explained that those documents were being used as camouflage for the cult’s communications.

And those same channels were likely being used to pass information to infiltrators within the Third—and even the First—Knight Orders.

“…So Daitaros used internal records to select which families to target, then fed that information to the cult.”

Captain Falcon paused briefly.

“And there’s one more thing. Once we began making arrests, Daitaros’s side realized an investigation was underway.”

“…So we’re out of time?”

“Yes. The stage of moving quietly in the shadows is over.”

Her gaze sharpened.

“Hort. Before I met you today, I had already reached my conclusion. So I’ll say it clearly. We’re arresting Daitaros. I’ve already reported to Marshal Graetz. We’re coordinating with the Second Knight Order as well.”

“Won’t the Vice-Commander try to flee?”

“The encirclement is complete. And if he truly is possessed by a demon, running won’t save him.”

“Possessed…?”

I unconsciously held my breath. The weight of the buster sword pressed heavily against my back.

“Hort.”

“Yes.”

“You stand out. Far too much. …So I owe you an apology. I used you as bait.”

“Bait? …You mean if I moved, the enemy would react?”

“Yes. They would take the bait. And that meant you could have been killed. At the time, I couldn’t determine whether it was Uragar or Daitaros. So I let you draw them out. I’m sorry.”

Something cold ran down my spine.

And yet, strangely, my legs didn’t tremble.

“No. If it helped narrow it down… When is the arrest?”

“Early tomorrow morning.”

Captain Falcon stood and looked directly into my eyes.

“We needed time. Time to draw him out—and to identify the most dangerous ones: the Priest and the Priestess.”

“Did you find them?”

“Unfortunately, no. We haven’t located either of them.”

“You haven’t?”

“Yes. Recently, there haven’t been any confirmed demon summonings.”

“…How do you even detect something like that?”

Captain Falcon suddenly straightened—and struck a dramatic pose.

“We learned from those we captured. Those who carry demons gradually lose their sense of self. They become increasingly devoted to their own desires, and little by little, the demon consumes them. And those whose wishes are granted eventually offer everything—and become demons themselves. If it were the Priest or the Priestess, that tendency should be even more pronounced. But unfortunately, no one matching that description has been identified.”

I swallowed hard.

So the demon’s goal… was to take over people.

Chapter 80: Operation Begins

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day.

Before dawn had fully broken, a thin mist crept along the ground. My breath turned white in the cold air. The stone pavement of the royal capital felt icy beneath my boots, the chill seeping all the way to my core.

And yet, the capital was wrapped in a tense, suffocating atmosphere.

Even though the buster sword on my back felt cold, my body was heating up. I could feel my emotions steadily rising.

The Fifth Unit had taken position in the slums, fully mobilized.

A temporary command post.

Inside the gates.

Carefully selected positions blocking every escape route.

Torch flames flickered as Captain Oren stood with her arms crossed.

“You made it, Hort.”

“Yes.”

A short reply was enough.

Not a single knight of the Fifth Unit looked sleepy.

The sound of armor clasps being checked again and again.

The faint ring of swords shifting inside their sheaths.

The quiet murmur of someone whispering a prayer under their breath.

The air felt solid.

I knew every face in the Fifth Unit. In these past three months, so much had happened.

At first, they had treated me like an outsider. Then they began to acknowledge me. We fought together. We protected the slums together.

And yet… it was said that even within the Fifth Unit, someone might be possessed by a demon.

An enemy among fellow knights.

And today’s operation wasn’t something we could announce to the residents.

The First Knight Order.

The Second Knight Order.

The Third Knight Order.

All three moving within the capital on the same morning—

That had never happened before.

It was on the scale of a full invasion response.

And the target wasn’t some foreign army.

It was Vice-Commander Daitaros of the Third Knight Order’s Second Unit.

And behind him… the demon cult.

There was no turning back now.

They had offered up their own families and lovers as sacrifices, and even now they continued pretending to be knights.

If that was true, then we had to arrest them.

“Hort, you’re my support today.”

Captain Oren glanced at the sword on my back.

“…That sword. You’ve made up your mind, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then make sure your actions are worthy of it.”

The operation would begin at the exact same time across the city.

We weren’t naive enough to think the enemy would wait quietly. That’s why Gate Guard Captain Uragar had already sealed the gates leading outside the capital—no suspicious individual would be allowed to leave.

Inside the royal castle, the First Knight Order took charge.

Around the castle and the noble district, the Second Knight Order moved in.

Everywhere else within the capital was assigned to the Third Knight Order.

A small signal rose from the royal castle—

A flare of smoke climbing into the sky.

“All units in position! Evacuation guidance for residents handled by the Third Order’s outer division! The Second Order has completed the lockdown around the castle!”

All across the capital, the atmosphere shifted at once.

Somewhere in the distance, steel clashed.

Though it was too far to see, the scrape of metal and angry shouts cut through the cold morning air and reached us clearly.

It had begun.

At the same time, smoke began rising from another direction.

I swallowed without realizing it.

…Fighting had already broken out everywhere.

Knights who once stood side by side were now crossing blades.

Cruel—

And yet necessary, if we were to purge the demons.

The final target of this operation was Daitaros.

If we failed to capture him, the entire plan would collapse.

Operations were unfolding across the city.

Arresting lower-ranking cult members.

Detaining hidden collaborators.

Protecting the residents.

Most of the knights were assigned to defend the streets.

That was why the captains themselves were handling Daitaros—and those already fully possessed by demons.

At Captain Oren’s signal, the Fifth Unit moved into combat.

Knights we had considered allies until yesterday turned their blades against us.

“Sir Daut.”

“Yo, Hort. Leave this spot to me. Stick close to Captain Oren and back her up properly.”

“Yes!”

Daut saw me off as I sprinted through the alleyways.

The stone walls were cold. Curtains were drawn tightly over the windows. I could tell the residents were awake—but holding their breath in silence. Knights were stationed everywhere to prevent any demon attacks.

It wasn’t only us who were afraid.

Those protecting and those being protected—

We were all sharing the same morning.

Captain Oren and I headed toward the rendezvous point.

The central plaza of the capital.

An old square with a fountain in the middle, small shops lining its edges. Normally, the scent of fresh bread would drift through the air.

Today, it smelled of sweat, oil, and magic.

Captain Oren.

Captain Falcon.

Captain Uragar.

Commander Snake.

To capture Daitaros, the Third Knight Order had chosen a direct assault led by its four strongest fighters.

Deputy captains were left in charge of their respective units while the operation advanced.

Commander Snake dominated the space with nothing but his presence.

He didn’t raise his voice, yet everyone around him naturally fell silent. I straightened my back without thinking.

“You bastards, Daitaros chose the wrong path. It’s up to us to punish him.”

His voice was low.

Was it just me, or was there a hint of sadness within it?

“Any movement from Daitaros?”

“None so far.”

Captain Falcon tapped the map with her fingertip.

“The encirclement is complete. All escape routes are sealed. …That is, if he’s still human.”

Captain Uragar’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

“There’s a possibility he’s possessed. We can’t let our guard down.”

“Right.”

Captain Oren let out a short breath.

I looked at her back. Just by standing here, I knew there was no turning back for me.

“Hey, womanizer.”

Commander Snake’s gaze pierced straight through me.

I responded reflexively.

“Yes.”

“Watch our fight. You’re the witness.”

It was already known that I’d been investigating the Third Knight Order.

In the distance, steel clashed again. This time, screams were mixed in.

Somewhere, a demon spread its wings and rampaged in monstrous form.

From another direction came the explosive crack of magic. The air trembled. The morning mist scattered in an instant.

Across the capital, captain-class fighters were clashing with dangerous enemies.

Meanwhile, other knights rushed to protect civilians. No one was holding back.

The entire capital had become a battlefield.

“Well then, shall we begin?”

“Shut it, muscle freak. I’m taking the lead.”

For the first time, I saw Commander Snake draw his sword.

The blade twisted like a living serpent.

“That’s—!”

“A segmented sword. It can extend and retract freely. Combined with the Commander’s magic and skills, it becomes a terrifying weapon.”

Captain Oren’s explanation only made Commander Snake’s presence feel heavier.

“Ah, Snake. Quite a dramatic morning, isn’t it?”

Before Commander Snake could storm into the Second Unit’s barracks, the door opened.

Daitaros Mephi stepped out.

He wore the same gentle smile as always, his glasses sitting neatly on his face.

But his build—

He was no less imposing than Commander Snake.

“Shut it. I hate complicated talk. So just answer straight. Are you a demon?”

At Commander Snake’s blunt question, Vice-Commander Daitaros nodded with the same calm smile.

“You figured it out. That’s right. I made a contract with the demon Mephisto in exchange for my soul.”

“Tch! At least try to lie a little.”

“What’s the point of lying to you, Snake? Lies don’t work on you.”

“Hah! If it were your lie, I might’ve believed it.”

Captain Oren had told me the two of them were from the same generation.

There was probably history between them that only they understood.

“Well then, enough talk. We’ve already begun on our side.”

From behind Daitaros, former members of the Second Unit stepped forward—now transformed into demons.

“I wanted power. And I obtained it, Snake.”

“That kind of trash power? I’ll destroy all of it.”

“If you can, then try.”

The moment Daitaros gave the signal, the demons behind him lunged at us all at once.

I drew my sword and took my stance.

“Hort, don’t die!”

“Yes!”

And just like that, the battle between Daitaros’s demon legion and us began.

Chapter 81: Fierce Battle

The demons charged at us.

Bat-like wings burst from their backs, tearing through the mist with heavy flaps. They weren’t flying. The wings only amplified their leaps, twisting their momentum midair.

That made their movements impossible to predict.

Before I could fully grasp their pattern, black shadows closed the distance.

Bodies that had once been knights were now grotesquely twisted.

Arms had transformed into bone-like scythes.

Horns jutted from their shoulders.

Half of a face had peeled away, replaced by black scales.

Their human shape had broken somewhere along the way.

They weren’t beastfolk.

They were something else.

Distorted.

Grotesque.

“…They’re coming.”

Captain Oren exhaled quietly.

The clawed blades fitted over her hands clicked into place—like the talons of a beast.

The faint scrape of metal against armor rang out, almost like a signal.

“Hort, I’m trusting you with my back. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes!”

I stepped diagonally behind Captain Oren.

I drew the buster sword from my back and held it like a shield.

The blade was wide. With a longsword, all I could do was barely deflect attacks. But with the buster sword—and by wrapping it in wind—I could use it as a shield without even feeling its weight.

My fighting style had changed. I was better at supporting than charging the front line anyway. The buster sword carried magic, and each strike landed with overwhelming force.

The pale blue blade glowed faintly within the mist.

A demon folded its wings and lunged forward. The bone blade of its arm swung down, aiming straight for Captain Oren’s neck.

She didn’t dodge.

She stepped forward.

Her clawed blades flashed diagonally.

Zan—

It wasn’t the sound of flesh tearing. It was harsher—slicing through armor, bone, and magic all at once.

The demon’s arm dropped from the elbow down.

The severed limb bounced against the stone pavement—its fingers still twitching.

“…!”

A piece of what used to be human was still moving.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Not even for a second.

The next wave came. Two this time.

One slapped the air with its wings and slid sideways to flank us.

The other charged head-on.

Captain Oren tore through the one in front.

Her claws stabbed into the demon’s chest. With them still embedded, she yanked it closer—then smashed her forehead into it.

Thud.

A dull, crushing sound. The demon’s skull cracked like stone, and black blood sprayed outward.

The one flanking us came straight for me.

The edge of its wing had hardened into a blade. It wasn’t flapping—it was cutting.

I caught it with the flat of my buster sword and shoved it back with beginner wind magic.

Bang. The shock traveled through my arms. Heavy. Inhuman strength. The blade bit into mine.

But the mithril edge endured without even a shriek of protest.

“…Tough…! But I won’t lose!”

Each of them had once been a knight. And now, empowered by demons, they were even stronger. Every single one surpassed an ordinary knight.

“Wind Cutter!”

The wind blade alone wasn’t enough to finish it. But it could keep it in place.

Half of the demon’s wing was sliced away.

Not feathers—flesh tore apart, exposing bone.

The severed edge frothed black.

The moment the demon groaned, I brought the buster sword down.

“Hah!”

“Nice swing. Real combat strengthens you more than any training ever could. Hort—survive no matter what!”

“Yes!”

I barely had time to breathe before my eyes scanned the battlefield.

The fight had dissolved into chaos.

Around the plaza.

At the alley entrances.

On the rooftops.

Wings flapped everywhere, sparks flew, and screams echoed.

In the direction of Captain Uragar—toward the main road leading to the gate—Gantetsu stood at the front.

With a body as solid as a shield, he absorbed a demon’s charge head-on. Then, without retreating even a step, he drove a fist like a lump of iron straight into it. The demon he struck was smashed into the stone pavement.

Near Captain Falcon, Gemini fought fiercely.

He wielded twin swords, slipping into a demon’s blind spot before striking. He was clearly stronger than in our trainee days. It was obvious he’d been pushed hard under Captain Falcon.

And Captain Falcon herself rushed ahead of the demon she had just blasted away and swung her battle axe right where it would land.

Everyone was desperately handling their own demons.

Even so, there were too many.

And their movements weren’t human.

They didn’t take corners like people. They leaped with their wings.

They kicked off walls instead of following paths.

They dropped from above.

They ignored footing entirely.

“…!”

A shadow of wings fell behind Captain Oren.

From the rooftop.

I reacted on instinct and raised the buster sword. The falling demon’s claws crashed against the blade. The impact forced me down to one knee. The stone pavement groaned beneath me.

But I held.

“Captain Oren, behind you!”

“Good catch!”

She didn’t turn around.

Without looking, she extended the claws on her left hand backward.

As if she had eyes on her back, the strike was perfect. Her claws tore into the demon’s side, ripping through its ribs. The demon twisted in agony.

My gaze was already moving again.

How many had we taken down so far?

Then Captain Oren’s right claw flashed.

One clean strike. The demon’s head fell. The severed head rolled across the ground, its wings twitching violently.

“…Don’t let your guard down.”

There was no time to think about stamina. My throat burned dry.

Then, somewhere in the distance, the air itself tore apart.

Even amid the chaos of demons and clashing steel, that sound was different.

Not metal.

Not magic.

More like the sickening rip of thick cloth being shredded.

My gaze was drawn to it instinctively.

The Second Unit’s barracks.

Commander Snake and Vice-Commander Daitaros had collided.

Commander Snake’s segmented sword extended, slithered along the ground like a serpent, sprang upward, and sliced through the air.

Daitaros raised one hand with that same calm smile.

At the end of his arm, his skin split. Black scales surfaced. His fingers lengthened into claws.

He still looked human—but he wasn’t human anymore.

He wasn’t even trying to conceal the result of his contract.

Commander Snake’s blade shot toward Daitaros’s throat.

Daitaros took it head-on with his neck.

And the sword stopped.

As if an invisible membrane blocked it, the blade was forced back.

After that, even my eyes couldn’t track their speed.

The segmented sword lashed out, was deflected, struck again. Black blood scattered like mist whenever it connected.

Commander Snake shouted.

“Damn it! Daitaros! Why?!”

Daitaros answered with a smile.

“Pure strength. Instinctive command. Achievements born from intuition. Snake, you wouldn’t understand. The feelings of a man who worked endlessly, used his head, and still couldn’t catch up—who had to accept being second best.”

Before he even finished speaking, wings burst from Daitaros’s back.

Bat-like wings.

But not for flight.

Their edges were blades. A single swing sliced through the air.

A black gust cut past Commander Snake’s cheek. A thin line opened on his skin, blood scattering.

My back went cold. This was beyond human combat.

If those two fought at full power, this entire battlefield in the plaza would be wiped out as collateral damage.

“Hort!”

Captain Oren’s voice snapped me back.

More demons had gathered in front of us.

Shadows of wings.

Bone blades.

Black blood.

I stepped forward, raising the buster sword like a shield.

I would not let Captain Oren’s back be broken.

I drew in a breath and activated the magic stored in the sheath.

“Storm Cyclone!”

A roaring vortex burst into existence, swallowing the demons.

One of the stored advanced wind spells—released all at once to sweep away the cluster of enemies.

“Nice!”

The demons caught within the attack, unable to escape, were finished off by Captain Oren.

The ones standing before me had once been human.

But now—

They were demons who had abandoned being human.

♢

I didn’t know how long the battle had lasted.

Maybe only minutes.

Maybe hours.

My body was exhausted, and the sight of corpses scattered across the battlefield crushed whatever emotions I had left.

Even breathing hurt.

“Hort!”

My reaction to Captain Oren’s voice was slow.

A demon raised its claws toward me—

—But a shadow moved first and blocked it.

“Eh?”

“Hey, brat. Is that all you’ve got?”

The voice from the shadow was Gantetsu’s.

“Why are you here?!”

“Shut it. It’s not like I want to save a cocky brat like you. But I’m a knight. Protecting people is my job!”

Gantetsu cut down the demon that had attacked me.

But a demon’s claws were already buried deep in his abdomen.

“Use healing magic!”

“This much is nothing. Hey, brat.”

“Yes!”

“It’s the final phase. Don’t die.”

With a deep wound tearing across his stomach, Gantetsu ran off—toward the next demon, toward the final stage of the battle.

And just as he said, the number of demons around us was thinning.

The captains, breathing heavily, had cut down countless enemies and were now covered in wounds themselves.

And the fight between Commander Snake and Daitaros was reaching its end.