It has already been a year since I came to stay at the House of Phenex.
Compared to the seal that lasted thousands or tens of thousands of years, it was but the blink of an eye, but the sensation of living with my feet planted on the ground felt like it had been a very long time.
Mediating the childish squabbles between Sera and Hwaryeong, occasionally keeping Ophis company, and teaching the disciple before my eyes—this was my daily life.
A relatively peaceful time.
Of course, that "peace" was strictly by my standards.
"Kuh...!"
The ground of the training field caved in as Ravel sank to her knees with great difficulty.
Her defensive magic circle had already shattered into pieces, unable to withstand a single small magic bullet fired from my fingertip.
"Your control of Demonic Power has improved, but you still lack reaction speed. If you defend only after seeing the opponent attack, it's already too late. Read the flow, Ravel."
"Y-Yes... Master...!"
Drenched in sweat, she stood up, panting heavily.
In her eyes, frustration burned alongside a fervent desire to become stronger.
I watched her silently.
"Master! Could you please show me just once?"
It was a sudden request.
"What are you talking about?"
"Your... true form, Master. I want to see your form as the Chaos Dragon!"
It seems she wants to see my dragon form.
"It might be a bit too much for you to handle right now..."
I inadvertently voiced my refusal.
Even I think my form looks less like a dragon and more like something out of the Cthulhu Mythos.
A mass of chaos where light and darkness intermingle, taking the shape of thousands of devoured souls screaming.
It's honestly fascinating that others even call it a dragon.
It has a gruesome appearance that shaves away one's sanity just by looking at it.
In fact, there were quite a few lower beings who died of heart attacks from sheer terror upon seeing my dragon form.
It's not something to show a child.
"Please...?"
Ravel didn't give up, grabbing the hem of my clothes and pleading.
Seeing those desperate eyes, it was hard to refuse.
"Why do you want to see it so badly?"
"I am learning from you, Master, but I still think I am weak. I feel that if I see your true form, I might be able to understand the nature of the power I am learning—to feel its greatness even a little bit more!"
Haa... She makes a fairly plausible argument.
This kid is now a full-fledged High-Class Devil.
It's an astonishing achievement, reached after only a year of my training.
In my view, she is likely stronger than her brother Riser at this point.
Perhaps because she is a major character in the original story, her talent is undeniable.
Since she has reached this level, her mental fortitude must be stronger than that of most adult Devils.
...Will it be okay?
"Don't come crying to me later if you have nightmares."
"I'll be fine!"
"Fine. Let's move away from here first. If I transform in this training ground, I'll end up destroying your entire mansion."
"Ah, yes!"
We moved to a wasteland far from the Phenex territory.
Unlike the well-tended garden, it was a desolate land without a single sign of life.
I saw Ravel swallow hard with a tense face.
"I'll show you just this once. It will only be for a brief moment, so keep your eyes open."
"Yes...!"
Crack—! Cr-r-rack—!
The human form collapsed.
The horrific sound of bones breaking and reassembling echoed through the wasteland.
Muscles and skin twisted grotesquely and swelled.
As all the power within me was unleashed, the surrounding space screamed, and finally, the entity of chaos with swirling light and darkness revealed itself.
The muscular upper body was covered in dark, rock-like skin, but the center revealed raw, red flesh like a torn wound.
Above the neck, two main heads were positioned as if hating each other, and around them, smaller, tentacle-like heads squirmed, baring sharp teeth.
Embedded in the two pairs of massive wings were purple eyes blinking as if alive, casting a gaze that seemed capable of driving one to madness just by meeting it.
As the long, bony tail swept the ground, the earth melted and lava boiled up.
"Grrrrrrrr..."
My very existence crushed the atmosphere and cracked the earth.
"Whoaaaa..."
Contrary to my expectations, what burst from Ravel's mouth was not a scream.
Far from being terrified, she was looking up at me with eyes mixing pure awe and admiration.
...She has truly unique tastes.
"Satisfied?"
As I returned to my human form and asked, Ravel nodded with an ecstatic expression.
Her cheeks were flushed red with excitement.
"Yes! It was... it was truly magnificent...! Strong, beautiful, and overwhelming everything... it was a perfect form!"
"You have some seriously twisted tastes, too."
"Is that so...?"
Ravel tilted her head as if she genuinely didn't understand.
"No, well... I'm glad you liked it. Let's go back now. Your parents and brothers will be worried."
"Yes...! Master!"
Since that day, Ravel began to devote herself to training even more than before.
Her eyes held a clearer goal.
Watching the growth of a young disciple.
It was a daily life that wasn't as bad as I thought.