The two remaining men in black watched as their companion was punched into fragments right before their eyes, their brains short-circuiting for about two seconds.
They made an immediate decision: run. This was not a being they could afford to provoke.
The two of them split up, one darting to the left and the other to the right.
Lilith watched their retreating backs, momentarily stunned.
“Eh? They’re even splitting up.”
She looked down at her fist. It was perfectly clean. The man from before had likely been vaporized instantly by the punch; not a single drop of blood had even splattered on her.
“Oh well, time to chase.”
She broke into a run, her speed incredible.
In less than three seconds, she caught up to the man in black on the left.
She reached out and grabbed him firmly by the back of his collar.
The man was jerked backward so hard his feet left the ground.
But Lilith didn't throw him immediately.
Because just as she caught this one, the man on the right who had already run some distance away glanced back and made a very wise decision.
He started running even faster.
“Hey! Your friend is still here!” Lilith shouted at his back.
No one answered. The man didn't even turn his head, accelerating as he vanished into the depths of the forest.
The man in her grasp struggled a few times, muttering some muffled curse. Lilith didn't hear it clearly, nor did she intend to.
She pinned the man in her hand and slammed him directly into the ground.
She looked down at her surroundings.
There was a tree nearby.
Lilith reached out with her other hand and gripped the trunk.
Then, she pulled with all her might.
The massive tree was ripped out by its roots.
Even Lilith was a bit taken aback.
“...The strength of this body is just ridiculous.”
She looked at the tree in her hand and then hurled it toward the distant man in black.
The tree spun through the air across the clearing with a whistling roar, accurately smashing into the back of the man who had already run quite far.
A short, sharp scream echoed from the distance.
Lilith brushed the dirt off her hands and turned back toward the clearing.
The young girl was still standing there, hands over her mouth and eyes wide, frozen like a statue.
Her gaze swept rapidly over Lilith, her eyes filled with terror.
Lilith frowned and looked down at herself.
Her clothes were filthy, her feet were covered in mud, her hair was a mess, and then there was the way she had just fought.
She certainly didn't look like a respectable person.
The girl’s mouth opened and closed, hesitating for a long time before she finally squeezed out a complete sentence.
“Th-thank you...”
Her voice was trembling. Her eyes were red and filled with tears that threatened to fall but didn't.
She took a deep breath, seemingly trying to steady herself, then turned and stumbled toward the elderly man.
The elderly man lay on the ground, his chest caved in from the strike of the man in black. His breathing was so faint it was almost inaudible.
The girl knelt down, crying as she placed her hands on his chest. A pale green light ignited from her palms once more.
It was obvious that her magic was almost depleted.
Lilith stood quietly to the side, watching her cast the spell.
The green light fell on the old man's wounds. Although they began to heal, the effect wasn't ideal. Lilith estimated that at this rate, the man would be dead before the wounds finished closing.
Sweat began to bead on the girl's forehead, and her hands were shaking. But she didn't stop.
Watching the ball of green light, Lilith suddenly spoke.
“This healing spell... can you teach it to me?”
The girl's hands flinched. She looked up at Lilith with an expression of pure disbelief.
“Y-you want to learn healing magic?”
“Mhm.” Lilith nodded. “Watching you use it just now, I thought it seemed pretty impressive. It looks very convenient for self-healing.”
The girl stared for two seconds, then nodded vigorously.
“O-okay! I'll teach you!”
She continued the treatment while taking deep breaths, trying to keep her voice steady.
“The principle of healing magic isn't actually that complex...” She held out one hand, condensing a small ball of green light in her palm. “You guide your own magic to the injured area, letting the magic attach to the wound to repair the damaged tissue.”
She paused, adding, “If you're only healing yourself, it's very simple. Just send the magic to the location of the wound. If you have enough magic, you can even achieve limb regeneration.”
Limb regeneration.
Lilith's ears perked up; she was very interested in that ability.
“However,” the girl's tone became serious, “healing others is much more difficult. Everyone's body is different, and magic attributes vary. You have to ensure your magic doesn't harm the other person, and you must control the precision so the magic only repairs the wound without damaging the surrounding tissue.”
Before she could even finish, Lilith had already crouched down beside the elderly man.
She reached out and placed her hand on his chest.
“Wait!”
The girl's face changed instantly, and she reached out to stop her.
“You can't just give your magic to someone else—”
The words caught in her throat.
Because she saw it.
The old man's wounds were healing.
And they were healing fast. The caved-in area of his chest rapidly restored itself, and the puncture wound from the sword closed up at a visible speed.
The girl's hand froze in mid-air, her mouth hanging open, unable to utter a single word.
Lilith looked down at her hand, then at the old man's wounds. Her expression shifted from curiosity to surprise, then to thoughtful reflection, and finally settled into a look of realization.
She thought to herself, “Haha, so that's how it is. It seems I really am a genius.”
Suddenly, she noticed something odd. She hadn't actually followed the girl's instructions. She had simply placed her hand there, and her magic surged out automatically. The moment she had the thought of 'healing,' the magic took effect.
She hadn't even consciously done anything.
Lilith withdrew her hand and looked at the old man's chest. The wounds were completely gone, leaving not a single trace.
The old man's breathing became steady and deep, and the expression of pain on his face vanished.
She was silent for two seconds.
Then, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
The girl stood nearby, staring at the old man's perfectly restored chest, then back at Lilith.
“Y-your magic is at least Rank 7 or higher...” Her voice was trembling. “Who exactly are you?”
Lilith stood up from the ground and brushed the dirt off her knees.
“Me? I’m the Demon King~” Lilith said with a smile.
The girl clearly didn't believe her, taking it as a joke, since the demon race and all the races of the continent had been mortal enemies since ancient times.
She simply viewed Lilith as a high-level mage who was unwilling to reveal her true identity.
Rate on N.U.
