I am a female swordsman.

"Hehehe! An empire? No matter how many humans there are, they are nothing more than a few more screaming, wronged souls added to our swords!"

Puno, emitting a strange, wicked laugh, completely disregarded the so-called Empire. The taciturn Tamos paid no further attention to the human female cub he had taken in. In young Tiana's mind, the Empire was the greatest nightmare. This pair of country bumpkin demons, who looked down on the Empire and seemed to live in some remote desert, had no idea how powerful the Empire truly was.

Still weak, Tiana closed her eyes again and decided to leave without saying goodbye when she woke up the next morning.

Although she looked down on the country folk outside the empire—well, I should say country demons—Tiana's remaining kindness made her determined not to bring trouble upon them.

Silent all night.

The next morning, before dawn, the desert was still bitterly cold. Shivering from the cold, Tiana quietly left, and the last embers of the campfire were extinguished with her departure.

"madness."

A concise and accurate assessment was bestowed upon the quietly departing human female by the seemingly dormant [Puno]: In this dog-eat-dog world where the strong prey on the weak and the victor reigns supreme, kindness is tantamount to foolishness that leads to one's own demise. Only powerful and ruthless beings can survive here.

The Demon King [Tamos] is one of the best among them.

After an unknown amount of time, Tamos, like a dormant volcano, greeted the first rays of sunlight that broke through the sky, grasped the Serpent's Belly Sword, and stood up majestically!

"Heh heh! Tamos, hurry, hurry, I can't wait any longer! ...The blood of the human warriors, more and more, is entering this desert!"

"Quiet, Puno. I said..." A deep, powerful voice, like muffled thunder, came from beneath the mask. Tamos was just as eager for the impending battle. But calmness was the spice of enjoying the carnage! "...Keep quiet while I fight."

………………

"Bah!! Lackeys of the Empire!"

In the yellow sand, Tiana, once again caught up by the Empire's pursuers, coughed up a mouthful of blood. This time, her pursuers were several sword spirits, wielding high-energy lightsabers meticulously crafted by the Empire's artisans. They belonged to the Empire's "White Gloves," the royal family's personal assassins.

"Verify the target and execute the order."

The leading sword spirit coldly issued the execution order, and several of them attacked simultaneously, their crisscrossing sword lights instantly surrounding Tiana. They were no different from the lowly pursuers below, who underestimated their target and were killed instead.

Seeing the blazing lightsaber completely blocking her escape route, a look of despair flashed in Tiana's eyes.

boom!!

The Imperial Sword Souls, who had launched their attack, were suddenly struck by a tremendous force! Amidst the exploding and bursting yellow sand, shadowy figures, like sand shards, mercilessly reaped their lives! Blood mist occasionally burst forth from the yellow dust, adding an exciting splash of crimson to this arid desert!

Faced with the sudden attack, the leading Eagle Falcon Sword Soul was filled with shock and rage. He unleashed a powerful sword strike, cleaving the yellow sand in two. Amidst the ear-piercing clash of blows, the writhing, coiling snake-belly sword, like a centipede, defiantly retaliated.

"What……?!"

Once again, Tiana escaped death by a hair's breadth and stared in disbelief at the scene before her. That was a professional [Sword Soul], yet she had died so weakly at the hands of that country bumpkin demon.

"Obstructing the Empire's wanted criminals is an unforgivable crime!" Eagle Sword Soul gripped his lightsaber tightly, coldly scrutinizing Tamos.

"Hahaha, come on, let us witness the swordsmanship of a human swordsman!"

His response was a wild, excited shout from Puno. No words were needed; the howling killing intent that filled the space was proof of a deadly battle.

A few minutes later.

As the last swordsman's lightsaber and he himself were brutally twisted and shredded by the serpentine sword, Tamos, bathed in blood, brushed the pieces of flesh off his body. Steaming mist of blood continued to evaporate from his body. From this battle, Tamos had learned some small techniques from human swordsmen.

Savoring the afterglow of the battle, Tamos turned and left without a trace of lingering affection.

"Wait, wait a minute!!"

Tiana witnessed the entire battle firsthand. Having been trapped by the Empire's pursuit for so long, she felt as if the clouds had parted to reveal a clear sky and a powerful path ahead.

However, Tamos ignored Tiana and headed towards one of the few oases in the desert. In that place, even more brutal and fierce battles raged for the limited resources.

Gritting her teeth, Tiana first scavenged usable supplies from a pile of scraps of meat.

Then, struggling and dragging her frail, small body, she chased after the direction where Tamos had disappeared. She wanted to learn from this demon, to learn how to become stronger, and then take revenge on the empire! She was willing to give up everything for this!

And so, a particularly strange pair appeared in this desert.

Chapter Sixty-Five: Tiana's Past (Part Two)

In the unforgiving desert, there are no relationships like those in normal human society.

Compared to the ever-present threat of death, the bottom line for things like emotions, honor, and morality can be set very low. This is why genuine and pure feelings are so precious in the desert of death, forcing even those who scoff at them to take them seriously.

Starting from a certain day.

A small human figure appeared behind the Demon King [Tamos].

Some speculated it was spare food, others that it was the Demon King's pet, and still others that it was some kind of exploitative relationship. But whatever the speculation, none of the creatures surviving in this extremely harsh desert believed that the human cub could live for long, and some of them began to bet on how long the human cub could survive.

A week? A month? Or even less?

The lighthearted chatter quickly faded. In a place where human power doesn't reach, who would pay much attention to a human? If it weren't for that warlike demon, she wouldn't even be the center of attention. These alien monsters surviving in the desert have their energy constantly focused on survival.

I thought that once the discussion about humanity subsided, it would be completely forgotten by people, like the yellow sand that has vanished.

Several months later...

Just as all the alien monsters had forgotten about this human, the head of a sandworm tribe leader was found hanging from the tallest bush in the oasis. And the one who did all this was the very human child they thought should have long since been swallowed by the sand.

The desert is bustling again.

They all speculated whether the human child, having angered the sandworm tribe, would even see the next full moon. Of course, if [Tamos] intervened, the human child would be lucky enough to survive. But the question was, would [Tamos] intervene? Logically, that cruel and warlike demon shouldn't.

There is one day and night left until the next full moon.

One thing proved their guess correct: faced with the sandworm tribe's retaliation, [Tamos] didn't care at all. The human cubs were as if they had nothing to do with him.

But they guessed wrong about another thing.

The sandworm tribe failed to take the place of the desert in devouring the lives of human infants. Fighting on foreign soil and in a perilous ambush, Tiana's incredible luck once again came into play. The rampaging transfer power unleashed a force even more terrifying than the alien species; the most striking remnant of the battle was the complete compaction of a vast area of ​​desert.

Those sandworms that are good at burrowing underground were crushed into a pulp underground!

Tiana.

The other species no longer called her "human cub," but began to address her by her name with strange emotions. In the desert, respect and fear are never given by others, but are earned through one's own efforts.

………………

"I did it."

Before the campfire, Tiana, half her body haphazardly wrapped in bandages, stared intently at Tamos. She had proven herself worthy; Tamos had said he could train her into a sharp blade to take lives, and the thought of chopping off the heads of imperial bureaucrats like slicing insects made Tiana tremble with excitement!

"Hahaha, Tamos, I knew this human female had great potential. She'll definitely be a good whetstone in the future. Hurry, give her more! I can't wait to see the day you tear open her chest!"

The sharp sound shook the air, and Puno's slender figure appeared and disappeared behind the campfire, dancing wildly like a demon.

"can."

The taciturn Demon King nodded, seemingly indifferent to the matter.

This is a bloody pact between Tamos and Tiana, a vow destined to end for one of them. Human swordsmanship is truly fascinating, capable of transforming such fragile lives into astonishingly powerful ones. Tamos, growing bored with unchallenging hunts, seeks to create an even stronger prey.

Tiana, this human is the best choice!

"Starting tomorrow, if you die along the way, it won't matter much."

"Heh, don't worry. I will never die until I successfully avenge myself on the Empire!" In the firelight, Tiana's fearless, grinning face radiated a bloodthirsty beauty. Tamos seemed to linger on her face for a moment, but then, as usual, he remained seated, seemingly oblivious to everything.

………………

Time flies.

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye. For a child, this is the time when they grow taller. The little girl who was thin and short a few years ago is now a graceful young woman, very beautiful and... wild.

The time has come; the first step towards revenge!!

After years of hard work and sacrifice, and by living in extremely harsh environments to achieve her goal of reaching the top of the food chain, Tiana is about to leave this desert and strike her first blow against the empire!

Of course, in her heart, leaving was only temporary.

It's the same campsite as before, but compared to a few years ago, the dilapidated walls and furniture show obvious signs of repair, and at least it looks like a place where people can live.

"I'm leaving right away." Tiana placed her luggage at her feet, a sour date dangling from her lips. She swung her legs back and forth, seemingly defiantly defying Tamos.

"..."

"Aren't you afraid I won't come back?"

Her crimson eyes gleamed with a mischievous interest, and with her arms crossed over her chest, Tiana inadvertently revealed a touch of wild charm. The white robe draped over her body could not conceal her lithe and shapely figure.

Seeing that the demon she had lived with for so long was still a blockhead, a hint of disappointment flashed in Tiana's eyes. She snorted coldly, picked up her luggage, and strode outside.

Just as she was about to leave, the Demon King, who was usually very sparing with words, finally spoke.

"Your life is mine."

"Don't die before I get back. Next time we meet, be prepared to lie at my feet and surrender obediently, Tamos!" After making this declaration to her father-like and teacher-like figure, Tiana's previously angry and sullen face instantly lit up with a radiant smile.

In this desert, love also becomes very strange.

After Tiana left.

"Are you really not going to tell her?" [Puno]'s voice echoed softly, the demonic sword unusually heavy today. "She'll go crazy if you do this. At least let her collect your corpse."

"I will not lose." Tamos's confident voice slowly spread out, and the sword intent known as "mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood" continuously emanated from his body.

"Heh heh, since you're so confident, let me see your awakened power. Let's create another miracle for demons and slay the apostle!"

End of Chapter Sixty-Six

"So, this is the truth behind the so-called false world..."

After listening to Tamos's recollections, Huang Quan couldn't suppress the emotions welling up inside and blurted out, "This false, warm world is nothing more than a gentle haven to escape reality."

Everyone who comes into this world has some regrets about living.

Some might even say they regret it for the rest of their lives.

The cruel thing is that they know this is a place of illusion, yet they still seek a sliver of solace here. But even in this false world, there is a connection to the cruel real world, and a way to mend those regrets and remorse that are almost impossible to undo.

The gains and losses involved...

Even Huang Quan, a highly rational and self-disciplined outsider, couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. How much more so for those who are already deeply involved?

Besides, let's be honest.

She had genuine feelings for this world, the Underworld, and her affections for Midis, Ophelia, and Alizee were truly heartfelt. Naturally, she could roughly understand her stepmother's feelings at this moment. Even without using her overly keen senses, she could hear some of the noises from Tamos and Tiana's meeting next door.

After such a long separation, it's only natural to let loose and express one's overflowing emotions!

When the Sword Demon and the Demon King poured out their hearts to each other, it was naturally not like ordinary people crying their eyes out; their heartfelt greetings revealed their true feelings.