"What... what was that?"
"It's human—!"
"That's Miss Sunfield—It killed Miss Sunfield!"
"RUN! EVERYONE RUN!!"
Panic erupted like wildfire. The air turned thick with the scent of blood and terror.
Stan stood still, eyes locked onto the grotesque figure that had appeared where Sunfield once stood. His heart pounded violently. I didn't... even see it move. What is this thing? Those gauntlets... it's a demon.
His instincts screamed at him to run—to escape, but something deeper inside refused. He knew what would happen if he left. He couldn't turn away.
With trembling hands, he unsheathed his sword. The moment the blade emerged, it shimmered and crystallized, reacting to the tension around it.
"Ahhh, this inferior defeated the gigongomos? What a shame," the demon mocked, his voice dark and heavy, followed by a thunderous laugh. "She was fragile—I thought she'd dodge."
"Tum," Nito muttered grimly.
Suddenly, the atmosphere warped. The very air twisted unnaturally around them.
Craaaack… Crrrkrrrrroooʻdd…
Stan's eyes widened. This again! This sensation... the distortion!
He recognized it instantly—Nito's power.
The wave of reversal began, radiating outward. Without hesitation, Stan slashed toward the wall with his blade. The same phenomenon triggered. Time inverted.
Flash. He was back again.
Looking up, he saw the elf—Miss Sunfield—alive, waving at him. The flood of memories hit like lightning. He didn't waste a second. Sprinting forward, he grabbed both Nito and Sunfield and yanked them into the office, locking the door behind.
"That power—it came from you," he panted, pointing to Nito. "So... you're the one behind the reversals."
"I was right—partially. I thought it was the elf..." Stan muttered to himself, staying pressed to the door.
"What was that thing?" Sunfield asked, still shaken.
"That was actually—" Nito tried to speak, but the sentence remained unfinished, as though reality itself refused to allow it.
"You died," Stan said plainly, knowing why the words wouldn't come.
"I... I died?" Sunfield echoed, startled. "Wait... how do you know that?"
"Nito's reverse powers don't fully affect me," Stan explained.
"And... who killed me?" she asked. Her tone was too composed.
She isn't surprised. Has she... died before? Many times? Stan thought.
Splash!
"Ahhhhhh!" Sunfield cried, flinching as a brief echo of death washed over her.
"What!?" Stan turned sharply. Nito looked equally disturbed.
He had used his power again.
------------
"You died," Stan repeated to Sunfield, then turned to Nito. "Come here!"
"What if he breaks the door?" Stan asked.
"He can. Anytime," Nito said grimly.
"You're right... He's a demon."
Nito exchanged glances with Sunfield. She gave a subtle nod.
"That demon just killed you," Nito whispered.
Stan blinked. "Huh? Wait. I'm alive, right?"
Sunfield nodded again, confirming it.
"Wh... How?" Stan gasped.
"That demon broke down the door, pierced your belly with his gauntlet... then I reversed time," Nito answered.
Stan's face went pale. His gaze darted toward the door.
Thud.
Thuddd.
Heavy sounds from above.
"It's on the roof," Stan said, breath tightening. "We're... trapped."
They stood inside a wooden cage with their predator circling. Bigger teeth, sharper claws, superior size—it wasn't just a predator. It could sense them. Hear them. It knew them.
"Listen carefully," Stan whispered. "This is our reset point. Reverse only if Sunfield dies—or if I say so."
"What!? I'm alive!" Sunfield whispered back.
"And you'll reset at another point—when I tell you," Stan said firmly.
"At what point?" Nito asked.
"I'll tell you... when I have a plan."
"Okay," Nito replied softly.
---
Stan stared at the ceiling. I hope he came alone…
Gasp.
Silence.
The trio waited for the first move.
CRAAK—
He really attacked first, Stan thought grimly. He doesn't see us as a threat.
Just like before, the demon targeted Sunfield, crashing down from above with terrifying speed. But this time—Stan was ready. He whipped his sword upward in front of her, intercepting the strike.
Silence.
The gauntlet met his blade with no sound—no echo of the impact.
Stan slashed upward and hurled the demon out of the door. The beast crashed violently into the opposite wall.
THUD.
"What was that?"
"Did someone fall?"
An imperial soldier ran up. "Hey! Are you okay? Are you hurt—?"
The figure stood in the cloud of smoke.
"Chuckle. That elf... she didn't even flinch. But you—you pushed me." His grin widened unnaturally. "I like it."
As the smoke cleared, they saw him for the first time.
Humanoid in form, but unmistakably monstrous. Pale white skin crisscrossed with jagged black stripes—like a white tiger born of nightmares. Two sharp horns jutted upward from his head. He wore a short-sleeved black-brown shirt, and a tattered trousers-like garment. On his hands—massive, gleaming golden gauntlets.
"So this is what a demon looks like..." Stan whispered, steeling himself for the confrontation.