Enlightenment?

There, Regis saw Lea who was trying to stab the dagger through own neck and her sparring partner who was stopping here.

'What the hell is happening??'

Confused, Regis tried to hear what they were talking about.

The demonic woman had a twisted smile on her face, "Heh, do you really think you'll succeed in killing yourself?"

Lea, who was pinned to the ground, remained silent.

"Still keeping your mouth shut, huh?"

The demonic woman stood up and said, "Let's see… to make this not boring, I may let you do what you want if you manage to injure me…"

Hearing this, Lea's eyes lit up, "Okay…"

She said in a groan as she stood up, ignoring the pain on her body.

'I don't want to be like them… I don't want to be like them…'

These words echoed in her heart.

It was taking all her strength to remain in control of her body.

'Things can't go on like this…'

She was very alert when it came to making sure that she was still in control of herself.

There had been many instances in the past where she found herself smiling after killing someone.

The feeling of joy.

The feeling of bloodthirst.

The two emotions were intertwining in her heart, making her almost lose herself to the temptation of demonic power.

Now presented with an opportunity to be free of everything, Lea didn't hesitate to clench the axe on her hand and rush towards the demonic woman.

Clank— Ching!!!

She brandished her axe and struck vertically.

The demonic woman only sneered and dodged with little to no effort.

Lea didn't give up and continued attacking.

The scene of her attacking and the demonic woman dodging continued for a few moments.

However, no matter how hard she tried, Lea wasn't able to touch even a breadth of the demonic woman's hair.

'I can't give up…'

Lea pleaded in her mind.

The suffering that she had undergone were extremely close to driving her insane.

Just the memory of Greg's twisted smile as he reaped the lives of others sent a chill down her spine.

'I don't want to be like that…'

Woom—

As if answering her thoughts, the demonic energy in her heart pulsated.

It was then that Lea felt it.

An all-powerful sensation that filled her very being.

She and the others weren't like Regis who had perfectly adapted to demonic power.

If Regis's compatibility to demonic power was at 100%, theirs, including the other inferior demonic humans would range in between 5%-20%.

This depended on how their body adapts to the demonic power.

After all, demonic power wasn't meant to be wielded by humans in the first place.

However, at this moment, Lea discharged all the demonic power she had in one go.

The demonic woman's eyes widened as she saw Lea, who suddenly appeared at her side and was already swinging her axe.

"Wha—"

Boom—!!!

Smoke filled the surroundings.

'Woah…'

Regis exclaimed in his mind at the sight of what had transpired.

He suddenly remembered something that Aunt Amabel had said in one of her stories.

(When someone who pursued the path of energy was desperate, though it could only happen to about one in a million…)

(There would be an instance where they would be able to use strength that exceeds their capacity…)

(A phenomenon known as…)

'Enlightenment…'

Regis's eyes shined as he saw what he believed to be the enlightenment that Aunt Amabel had described.

The smoke in the surroundings settled before long, revealing the figure of Lea.

She collapsed on the ground, having a hard time breathing.

However, she kept looking in front of her.

After a few seconds, the figure of the demonic woman appeared.

She was holding her sword in a defensive stance, her whole body was full of cuts and bruises.

Like Lea, she was also grasping for breath.

After seeing Lea, the demonic woman silently walked towards her.

Smiling, Lea said, "I injured you. So you better keep your promi— Kurghh!!!"

However, the demonic human suddenly kicked her stomach.

"Promise? What promise?"

The demonic woman looked at her with hatred as she kept kicking her in the stomach.

"Why would I make a promise with an expendable like you, huh!?"

"Didn't your parents tell you stories about how you should never trust demonic humans?"

…

Her words made Lea widen her eyes.

She was all too aware that she should never trust anybody, particularly those who had something to do with demons.

However, she had been too desperate.

'I just want this to end…'

Sniffle~ Sniffle~

Lea had never been one to cry easily no matter what.

However, it was too much for her.

She was only a young girl, after all.

"Haha! That's right!!"

The demonic woman laughed with a crazed expression.

"Cry! Cry more!!! You expendable fucking piece of shi—"

Thud!

A subtle sound of something hitting the ground echoed in the area.

Sensing this, Lea slowly opened her eyes.

Snow-white hair and a pair of blood-red eyes that seemed to be staring through her soul.

"R-Regis…?"

She whispered, unable to believe what she was seeing.

Regis sat on the ground beside her.

He put her head on his lap carefully and placed his hand on her forehead.

Sensing the thick mass of corruption aura within, Regis sighed.

'This would be a lot of work.'

It was his first time trying his Corruption Manipulation on a human, but he didn't have any choice.

He felt that if delayed it a bit longer, then it would all be too late.

Therefore he didn't waste any more time.

[Corruption Manipulation]

A soft chant was all Lea heard as she fell asleep.

'Carefully… Carefully…'

Regis repeated in his mind as he delicately handled the corruption aura in Lea's mind.

He sweated, but he never let his focus drop.

After all, just a single mishap in this procedure would be fatal.

Just the thought of Lea meeting the same ending as his experiments in the past was not an idea that Regis would like to entertain.