I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game-Chapter 295: Meeting

Those who commit evil (惡), worship demons (魔), act recklessly in pursuit of their desires, and hide among humans to hunt them.

Also, those who operate covertly across the world, making humanity tremble in fear.

Stronger and quicker to grow than hunters, these beings rule through terror.

They are the Demonfolk (魔人).

In one hidden lair, a group of Demonfolk gathered for a meeting.

Each of their names carried weight.

Normally, they were too selfish to cooperate, and it was rare for those with power to assemble in one place.

But the reason they gathered now...

It was because their lives were on the line!

"...Is everyone here?"

The Apostle of Wrath, despite his reputation, spoke in a subdued voice, betraying his fear.

"....." "....." "....."

Around fifteen people were gathered, but no one spoke; they only exchanged wary glances.

Empty seats dotted the room.

Everyone knew, though, that those missing weren’t absent because they didn’t want to be there.

They couldn't make it.

They had been eliminated.

Sigh...

The Apostle of Wrath looked at the empty seats and let out a heavy sigh.

"So, the Apostles of the Seven Deadly Sins who have been dealt with so far are... Greed, Lust, Pride, and Gluttony, right? Four of the seven have already been taken down. And the lesser apostles below them are probably being cut down by the Demon Execution Squad as we speak..."

A murmur of discomfort spread through the gathering.

Pride, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth.

The strongest demons, the Seven Deadly Sins.

And now, only three of them °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° remained intact.

The first to fall was Greed.

He had been responsible for the notorious ghost town civilian abductions, where he captured people to create Black Magic Stones.

Thanks to that foolish Apostle’s stupid decision, an incomplete demon had descended, only to be slaughtered by the "Butcher Berserker."

The Apostle of Lust? He didn’t live up to his name and ended up dying like a fool, ensnared by a shrine maiden in a forest in Japan.

As for Pride, there hadn’t even been a proper Apostle for it.

The head of the Shinga family, who was supposed to become a powerful Apostle through accumulated deeds...

Shin Do-hwa.

After years of meticulous preparation, that potential Apostle was dealt with unexpectedly in China.

"I—I wasn’t eliminated!"

"You should consider yourself lucky just to be here."

The one who had just interjected angrily was Greed. Though the Apostle himself had survived,

the source of his power, the Tree of the Demon Realm, had mysteriously vanished, stripping him of all his strength.

For now, he was just another low-level Demonfolk.

However, there was a chance his power might return in the future, so he was invited to this gathering.

"...Lately, the Butcher Berserker has gone even crazier. She’s even started using some kind of ice attribute sword."

"I’ve seen it. That white-clad figure, slicing through demons until her clothes were soaked in blood. I thought she’d weakened, but no, she’s become even more dangerous."

"Damn those Demon Execution Squad bastards...! As if they weren’t enough, now the Velvet Hunter Academy has gone wild. Their rookies are not rookies at all."

Indeed.

Led by the Butcher Berserker Baek Seol-hee, the Demon Execution Squad had been hunting down Demonfolk like they were exterminating vermin, scouring every nook and cranny, even the sewers, to wipe them out.

Whenever they tried to cause some trouble or trigger an explosion at a gate, cadets from the Velvet Hunter Academy would somehow show up to deal with the monsters.

Even the Hunter Management Bureau, which had nearly fallen into their hands, had been restored to full functionality.

If the Demonfolk had only been facing trouble in Korea, they might have found solace in operating abroad.

But now, the Velvet Hunter Academy’s reputation had spread far and wide, and no country hesitated to send requests to Korea.

"Utopia... those bastards are a nuisance."

Yes, at the root of all their problems was Utopia.

And if it were only one Utopia Party, they might be able to manage, but new Utopia-like teams were constantly being produced, turning the situation into a nightmare for the Demonfolk.

"It’s not just Utopia. The real problem is the Velvet Hunter Academy, founded by Lina."

The Apostle of Wrath bit his lip as he spoke.

"..." "..." "..."

No one responded.

Everyone knew Lina and her Velvet Hunter Academy were the true problems.

But the issue was that none of them here could stand against that monster of a girl.

Honestly, even if the demon they worshipped fully descended into the mortal realm, no one could be certain what would happen if Lina appeared.

Savior of humanity.

Great Sorcerer.

Demon King.

Lina’s name was terrifying and dreadful to all the Demonfolk.

"Well, I think that’s an easy fix."

A man who had remained silent throughout the meeting raised his hand.

All eyes turned to the man sitting in one corner of the table.

"...You are... Deception?"

He wasn’t one of the strongest Seven Deadly Sins, but he was close, serving the Lord of Lies.

"Yes, that’s me."

"What did you just say?"

"My demon lord has told me that Lina reeks of deception."

"...What?"

"What do you mean by that!?"

"Have there been any recent incidents where Lina herself was directly involved? Not the Demon Execution Squad, Utopia, or any academy parties—just Lina?"

He looked around as he asked.

The attendees exchanged glances.

The Apostle of Deception observed the atmosphere and then nodded solemnly.

"Exactly. There haven’t been any. Lina hasn’t officially acted in nearly ten years."

"Th—That long!?"

"How could we not have noticed that?!"

The Apostles shouted in shock.

"Well, because of the reputation of the Velvet Hunter Academy, the Demon Execution Squad, and the name of the Great Hero, everyone has been under the impression that all of this is her doing. And since we’ve never been hit this hard before, prideful Demonfolk like us never had a reason to gather like this."

"Hah...!"

The Apostles were left speechless, their mouths hanging open.

"...So, are you saying Lina is just a figurehead now?"

"I can’t say for sure, but the odds are high."

"Wait a minute! Even if that's true, the Demon Execution Squad and Utopia are still active. What’s your plan for dealing with them?"

"Hmm, there's an old Korean saying: 'The darkness beneath the lamp.'"

"The darkness beneath the lamp...?"

"Yes. Soon, the Velvet Hunter Academy will be accepting new cadets. Given the academy’s growing prestige, they’ll likely have an unprecedented number of applicants."

The Apostle of Deception smirked.

"I will personally enroll in the academy. With the power of the Lord of Lies, it’ll be easy. And during the entrance ceremony, neither Utopia nor the Demon Execution Squad will be present. Only Lina will oversee the event."

"...!!!!"

"And during that ceremony, I’ll crush every single one of those fresh recruits. Do you think the academy’s reputation will remain intact after that?"

The Demonfolk, previously overcome with despair, now had a strange fire burning in their eyes.