#1 Blazing Flame of Exorcism, Blooming Crimson Lotus of Love (Daom – Falling in Love)

* * *

Daom is the maid of this mansion.

At the same time, she is a familiar, a demonic succubus, subservient to the man who is the master of this mansion.

When her Master-nim chose and took over this mansion, there was already a demon occupying this territory.

Even after Daom and Master-nim settled down here, that demon still did not show itself.

In any case, it was not normal.

For a demon to deliberately enter and make a home in a territory already occupied by another demon.

And for a demon to tacitly allow someone who invaded its territory without warning to remain.

Even if the opponent was a weak demon, this was something that could not happen.

Among demons, invading another’s territory is absolutely unacceptable, and if a demon simply allowed it, they would be completely looked down upon.

From a human perspective, it might seem like a simple matter of pride.

However, it was a problem unique to demons, immeasurable by human standards. The word ‘looked down upon’ was merely used because it was somewhat similar; it didn’t accurately express the demons’ true concept.

Anyway, something impossible had happened.

Master-nim had taken over this mansion, but even after that, they could constantly feel the presence of the original territory owner.

While always sensing that presence, they did not know its exact location. They couldn’t specifically tell who the opponent was, or whether they were weak or strong.

If they had tried to find it, it wouldn’t have been impossible. But her Master-nim,

─”It’s better not to do anything unnecessary. Just stay quiet for now.”

had stopped them, so they didn’t bother trying to find it.

Moreover, to avoid unnecessarily provoking the opponent, they lived in a way that minimized the exposure of their demonic power and demonic aura.

Still, they thought that they themselves were a considerably powerful high-ranking demon, and Master-nim was an even more formidable being.

Therefore, they had no doubt that they could easily deal with the unidentified demon that had settled here.

They believed that Master-nim not bothering to search for the opponent, and not provoking them into a fight, was for some other reason.

After all, no one could know Master-nim’s true intentions.

Only Master-nim themselves could know their own mind.

They simply thought that.

* * *

‘That is.’

The door to the basement opened, and Succubus Daom, along with Exorcist Wolyeong, saw what was beyond that door.

And for the first time, they learned its true identity.

The original ruler of this mansion’s territory. A demon that had nested here, whose name, existence, and identity were unknown.

The very opponent who had continuously asserted its presence throughout this mansion, where Daom and Master-nim lived, with traces of its uncontrollable, overflowing demonic power.

‘That is─dangerous.’

That was the thought that came to Daom’s mind the moment she first saw it.

The room was dark. There was nothing to rely on but the faint light coming through the door that had just been opened, and the light from the lantern Daom held in her hand.

However, this darkness was no problem at all for Exorcist Wolyeong, nor for Daom the demon. They could clearly discern what lay beyond the darkness.

The mansion’s basement. A vast, vast, vast underground space, so large it made one wonder how they hadn’t noticed it until now. The ceiling was similarly high, high, and high.

They confirmed the presence of something lying there.

“…A dragon.”

No, it wasn’t. She muttered to herself, then Daom immediately denied it.

That was not a dragon. If it truly were a dragon, Daom would have been annihilated the moment she stepped into this space.

That long, massive body, lying there and filling the enormous underground space, was…

“An Imugi, perhaps.”

Wolyeong provided the answer instead.

What was in the mansion’s basement was a gigantic, sleeping Imugi.

* * *

『────────.』

In any case, it was enormous.

And it was asleep.

‘…An Imugi… It’s not the first time I’ve seen one, but this one is special.’

Considering the Imugi’s state and the demonic aura emanating from it, I was quickly able to analyze and conclude the situation.

An Imugi. Still immature, approximately 200 years old since its emergence.

If it had been a normally formed Imugi, there would have been no problem. It would have been treated as a spiritual being, not a demon, and leaving it alone would have caused no issues. In fact, disturbing it would have led to big trouble.

However, the Imugi before my eyes was filled with malice.

It was wildly emitting such a dark aura that simply by existing and breathing, it could wither away life.

Perhaps, for some reason, the very foundation of this monster’s emergence was unstable.

Otherwise, a being destined to become a sacred dragon would not emit such evil aura and malice.

It is likely a mutated individual, born and raised in contaminated land.

A pitiful existence, whose status as a spiritual being had fallen, degenerating to the level of a mere demon.

‘A demon is a demon. There’s no need to pity it. Such emotions are a luxury. Such emotions are not right to begin with.’

Whether its origin was pitiful or not, it was clearly a demon that needed to be annihilated.

For now, that’s all there is to think about.

‘Still, the timing was good.’

The Imugi is currently asleep.

It’s not merely in a state of slumber; it’s preparing for its next evolution.

In other words, molting. It was in the stage just before evolving its existence one step further through that molting.

Its quiet presence in this place with its massive body must be because it wants to focus on absorbing and digesting the spiritual power gathering in this land.

The reason it quietly allowed demons to invade its territory was also because it was focused on preparing for its molting.

However, if they had caused a great commotion or tried to do something useless in its territory, it would not have remained still and would have awakened.

‘─In other words, if I try to exorcise this creature.’

If I cannot exorcise this gigantic Imugi in one go, if I cannot cut off its breath.

The Imugi, feeling its life threatened, would immediately awaken and try to repel the unpleasant intruders who woke it.

Even if it’s an immature being, twisted and corrupted, having fallen to the level of a demon, an Imugi is still an Imugi. It is by no means an opponent to be underestimated.

But, it’s okay.

Because there’s no problem at all.

“Wait…!”

“…?”

Suddenly, my arm was grabbed. Daom-ssi, who had followed, was looking at me with anxious eyes.

I understood her surprise. But I conveyed with my eyes that it was okay.

Then Daom-ssi seemed to hesitate, as if she wanted to say something, before slowly removing her hand.

“Daom-ssi, please wait a moment. It will be over quickly. There will be no danger.”

And I moved away from Daom-ssi, approaching the Imugi.

Jeobeok…

I approach. I approach the Imugi.

Jeobeok jeobeok jeobeok

As I approach, I place my hand on my chest. Although my unnecessarily large breasts get in the way, I somehow manage to place my hand over the location of my heart.

Jeobeok jeobeok jeobeok jeobeok

It won’t do as it is now. So, I release the seals.

I probably don’t need to release all of them, but one isn’t enough. Three… is too much. If I misadjust, this basement will collapse.

‘As expected, two should be enough.’

I decided. Up to two seals. Releasing the seals of the East and West.

I took a light deep breath, and gently closed my eyes.

I confirmed the heart beyond, and the outline of my soul and the seals connected to it.

And opening my eyes, I recited the incantation.

“【I humbly beseech thee】.”

“【The blessing of the sunrise in the east in the morning】.”

“【The peace of the sunset in the west in the evening】.”

“【Grant unto me】.”

And enveloping my body, fire blazed.

* * *

‘Why didn’t I stop her?’

Succubus Daom thought.

A moment ago, when she grabbed Wolyeong’s arm, Daom had intended to take Wolyeong and immediately leave this basement.

It wasn’t out of concern for Wolyeong. It was simply out of concern that Wolyeong might do something unnecessary and awaken that Imugi.

If that Imugi were to awaken, the entire surroundings would be scorched to the point where fleeing would be meaningless. To survive, they had to get out of this misty world entirely before the Imugi woke up.

But in the end, Daom couldn’t stop Wolyeong.

If she had just given a single command, “Don’t go,” that would have been enough.

The reason she didn’t was partly due to Master-nim’s prior command to let her do as she pleased, and also due to the baseless anticipation that arose from seeing Wolyeong’s appearance.

As a result, Daom breathed a sigh of relief at her choice.

At the same time, she felt her inner self, which had been filled with fear, now swelling with throbbing excitement.

Hwarurururururururu-

“…Amazing.”

In Daom’s sight, Wolyeong, approaching the sleeping Imugi, was blazing with a pure white fire.

That was not a real flame. It was a flame of overflowing spiritual power.

It was a flame that burned away all evil. Just by looking at it, she knew. If she were to approach Wolyeong now, even she, a high-ranking demon, would be instantly annihilated without a trace.

It was unbelievably sacred, and at the same time, pure spiritual power.

Pure spiritual power, free of impurities, greatly attracts all spiritual beings.

Whether it be a demon or a spiritual being, or even a fairy or perhaps a god, it was the same.

Spiritual power capable of captivating even gods was now burning Wolyeong’s body.

The demon she had seen earlier in the incinerator. That demon clung to Wolyeong’s charm, which contained her demonic power, obsessing over it without even caring for its own life.

It was a behavior pattern that Daom, a high-ranking demon with intelligence and self-control, couldn’t understand before, but now she could. Seeing Wolyeong’s flame now, she couldn’t help but understand.

‘My goodness.’

‘My goodness my goodness my goodness my goodness~~~!!’

To think such an appetizing being exists.

To think such a radiant human exists.

Before she knew it, Daom’s mouth was wide open, and she was vulgarly drooling.

As if representing her burning desire, her throat-parching thirst, and the overflowing love gushing forth, saliva spilled and flowed from her open mouth, trickling down her chin and dripping onto her chest, ttukk ttukk.

Without noticing Daom’s state, Wolyeong had already approached within arm’s reach of the Imugi.

The Imugi must not have been able to ignore that presence either. It showed signs of waking from its slumber, making the floor rumble and its body writhe.

But it was already too late. Waking up now would be meaningless.

“I bear you no grudge, but I cannot leave your existence, which would harm the world, as it is. In the name of Exorcist Gyuyeolyeong, I will exorcise you, Imugi.”

Declaring proudly, the Exorcist pulled the charm she held in her hand diagonally behind her back.

What had clearly been a wooden stick about a span long had, at some point, transformed into the shape of a long sword. Moreover, even the blade of that sword was wrapped in the pure white flame that burned Wolyeong, blazing along with it.

And that sword was swung from bottom to top, in front of the Imugi.

“【Solar Fortune】”

The sword swung with a single declaration.

Following the trajectory of that sword, pure white flames spread.

Soon, it engulfed the gigantic Imugi, igniting a magnificent flame that filled the entire basement, burning everything away.