I love Go, video games, and especially the tea brewed by Chacha-Maru. I hate garlic, hate class, and detest school most of all. I can do magic, I know martial arts, and I drink blood—hey, stay still, I’m about to feed. I prefer gold because it’s the color of my hair. I’m not tsundere; I’m a queen. Don't call me a loli; I’ve always been an anego. Don't ask my age or measurements, or I’ll get angry. Don't make me angry, because I am the invincible Dark Sorceress. Doll Master? Gospel of Darkness? Apostle of Calamity? Immortal Magician? No. My name is Evangeline, though there’s a wretched person who insists on calling me Kitty. ... "I don't like this place."

For Evangeline, today was turning out to be a truly terrible day. She had inexplicably landed in this bizarre world, was immediately challenged by some strange, four-legged giant scorpion, then swiftly dispatched a ridiculously obnoxious woman, and the most baffling part? She was now dragged into some inexplicable war. Ah, perhaps that’s too much—too many inexplicables...

"Hmph," she sighed heavily, peering up at the sun through the tip of her parasol. Evangeline was furious. Though as a True Ancestor, sunlight didn't hurt her, this temperature was clearly excessive... Summer was absolutely the worst. "Chacha-Maru, brew me some tea, I need a drink of... ugh." She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing she wasn't at Mahagane Academy anymore, and Chacha-Maru hadn't followed her. Right now, she was a lone commander, no one to order around.

"Damn it, I really don't like this place." Reiterating her stance, the slightly positive impression she’d briefly held for this world after her curse was lifted once more tipped heavily toward dislike... Such scorching heat, no tea, no games, no servant attending her—the dignified strongest Demon Lord reduced to such a state! How humiliating! In a world this awful, even regaining her full strength felt pointless.

"Ah, I really want to go back." Suddenly, she felt nostalgic for Mahagane Academy. Even though it was also a place she mostly despised, at least there she could enjoy delicious iced tea, be waited on by the most attentive maid, relax comfortably in her own cottage for an afternoon nap, or even lounging on the sofa while leisurely playing video games... What a heavenly life that was!

"Ugh, this is so boring. Hey, master of this world, could you maybe release a few 'B's for me to pass the time?" Evangeline sighed listlessly, squinting her dull eyes as she spun the parasol in her hand and continued walking forward.

"Miss, I apologize, but you must stop here." Just then, a steady voice sounded suddenly nearby. Evangeline halted at the sound, lazily turning her gaze toward the source of the voice. Standing atop a small earthen mound not far away was a tall, young man completely encased in golden armor except for his head, looking formidable and imposing.

"Oh, oh..." Seeing this person, Evangeline's listless eyes finally sparked with a hint of life. She appraised him up and down, remarking with a touch of excitement, "That outfit is quite nice. Are you from Saint Seiya? It has a certain flair to it." She then pointed at his head, offering a suggestion, "If you added a horned helmet, you'd be the Gold Saint of Taurus... Hmm, what was the name of that muscular guy again?"

The man clad in golden armor paused slightly. Although he couldn't understand a word of what she was saying, he could perfectly discern the mocking tone in her voice, which caused him some degree of embarrassment. He coughed dryly and adopted a stern expression. "First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Li Dingzong. Since I am standing here, you should already know my identity. While confronting a little girl like you was not my original intent, being drawn into this war leaves me no choice, so..."

As he spoke, a white-bladed greatsword materialized in his previously empty hand. Air currents visibly swirled around the blade’s edge as he pointed it at Evangeline, stating coldly, "I will take your heart."

"Oh, I see." Hearing this, Evangeline nodded as if understanding dawned, though her face betrayed no comprehension. If anything, she looked exactly as nonchalant as before. She spoke calmly, "So, you're like that woman before—one of the participants in that so-called 'Goddamn Battle Royale,' huh?"

"The woman before?" Li Dingzong frowned at the mention and subconsciously asked, "The woman you're referring to, was she wearing green leather armor and wielding a black longbow?"

Evangeline shrugged. "I don't recall such minor details. After all, she was just cannon fodder, not worth keeping in mind. But she was probably the one, talking about some 'Ultimate Strike Arrow,' hah! It was hilarious." After saying that, she actually burst into laughter.

Seeing this, the man's frown deepened. He spoke in a low voice, "Where is she now?"

"Are you an idiot? Since I'm standing here, it obviously means she’s dead, you know." Evangeline squinted sideways, looking at him as if he were an imbecile, and sighed slightly. "Well, I generally adhere to a 'no killing women or children' policy, but that only applies to ordinary people. If someone targets my life, they only hold the title of an 'enemy to be slain.'"

"She took out Ling Yi..." Li Dingzong’s face darkened. Although the seven people allied with him had never displayed their full strength to one another, their general cultivation levels were similar, making it hard to judge who was stronger. Moreover, each of them held back one or two ultimate techniques. Yet this little girl in front of him—just from her tone—sounded like she had dispatched one of them without effort. Thinking of this, Li Dingzong dared not be careless any longer. He said sternly, "It seems you are no ordinary person either. That’s right, as a Host of the World Heart, you couldn't possibly be ordinary. However... no matter how strong you are, your journey ends here."

He gripped the sword hilt tightly. A visible, tangible stream of energy began to swirl rapidly around the sword's body.

"Oh ho..." A smile touched the corner of Evangeline’s mouth, uncertain if it was sarcasm or disdain. She flipped her hand lightly, and the parasol vanished from her grip. She beckoned toward the man opposite her with a finger, "You seem quite confident. Hurry up and attack; it will help me pass the time."

"That's what I intend!" Li Dingzong roared, charging forward, dragging the white-bladed greatsword behind him. As he ran, the greatsword gouged a deep furrow in the earth, instantly kicking up dust and stones, accompanied by howling winds—the air fluctuations emanating from his blade tore at the ground like a storm.

"Not bad, an interesting trick." Evangeline, however, remained unconcerned, still wearing a relaxed smile. She even crossed her arms, her eyes showing a trace of admiration.

"Hmph." To be so completely underestimated by a mere girl filled Li Dingzong with immense humiliation. The greatsword, under his drag, unleashed even fiercer fluctuations; the ground cracked before the sword even arrived.

Sensing the seismic power rising from the ground, Evangeline frowned slightly. Then, the instant Li Dingzong rushed up to her, a beam of intense cold light shot from her gem-like eyes.

"Frenzied Slash... Ugh!" Li Dingzong was just about to raise his greatsword to cleave upward at the girl, but upon noticing that cold light, his expression shifted drastically. His straight trajectory instantly changed, and he flashed sideways with the sword at an unbelievable angle.

Crack! Almost the moment he dodged, a massive ice sculpture, radiating a bone-chilling cold, instantly appeared where he had been standing.

"Oh, not bad. You managed to dodge that one," Evangeline praised, brushing a strand of golden hair away from her ear.

"You..." Looking at the huge block of ice, Li Dingzong’s face immediately sank. He knew that if he hadn't sensed the sudden change in the surrounding air and reacted purely on instinct, he would be the one encased in that ice sculpture right now.

"No incantation required, just a glance to unleash such high-level ice magic. No wonder even Ling Yi was killed by you," Li Dingzong stated grimly. He finally understood the source of the girl's confidence.

"So, do you still have confidence now? If you don't attack, I might just start making my move," Evangeline grinned, a flicker of excitement dancing across her face. She lightly raised her hand, and intensely frigid energy began to spread from her palm.

"Hmph, I already said it. You're done here."

Facing this enemy who appeared weak but was proving terrifyingly strong, Li Dingzong raised his greatsword once more and leaped high into the air, bringing the sword down upon the girl with the force of Mount Tai.

"Ha! Is your head full of water? Jumping into the air like that!" Evangeline scoffed, laughing loudly at the sight.

Given Li Dingzong's defense, he couldn't withstand Evangeline's ice magic. On the ground, he might have been able to dodge using his agility, but once airborne, he was nothing more than a moving target, and a mage was a turret... A turret versus a target—the outcome was obvious. Li Dingzong had clearly known moments ago that her magic was instantaneous, yet he still abandoned the advantage of the ground to jump into the air, which was clearly seeking death... Therefore, in Evangeline's view, the man was either insane or had suffered a momentary lapse in judgment.

Evangeline loved target practice; although it lacked technical finesse, the spectacle was thrilling. So, facing the enemy descending from the sky, Evangeline merely raised her hand. In less than half a second, immense magical power condensed entirely in her slender hand, instantly transforming into bone-chilling cold, and then—

"Shadow Spike!" Just as her ice magic was about to be unleashed, a faint, ethereal voice sounded near her ear. Then, the surrounding space was violently distorted, interrupting her spell. Even the enemy who should have been airborne was instantly returned to his original spot.

"Hm?" What stunned Evangeline even more was that at this exact moment, she saw a blade glowing with a faint black light protruding from her lower abdomen. Blood dripped tap-tap-tap onto the ground. The blade had struck from behind her, piercing straight through her body in an instant.

"My apologies, I am the killing blow." A man's icy voice echoed from behind her. Evangeline instinctively turned her head, only to see a man dressed in black, resembling a shadow, standing behind her, gripping the long blade that had skewered her torso.

"You bastard..." A trace of blood leaked from the corner of Evangeline's mouth, her eyes filling with killing intent.

"Hmph. No matter how powerful a mage, the physical body is fragile beyond measure. Having your body pierced directly like that, you surely cannot survive. Moreover, my weapon is the Blade of Twisted Prophecy; the moment it stabs you, your blood and internal organs are forcibly warped and destroyed." The shadow-like man sneered triumphantly. He had witnessed the entire battle and knew exactly how strong the girl before him was. Slaying such a formidable foe with a single strike brought unparalleled satisfaction, not to mention the prize of a World Heart.

"Is that so? There are two of you then? You planned this from the start? But this scene looks familiar..." Evangeline suddenly started laughing, grinning widely, a strange smile flickering in the corner of her eye.

"Uh?" The shadow man froze, unable to fathom why the opponent could still laugh under these circumstances. But as soon as the doubt arose, a sense of crisis bloomed inexplicably in his heart, as if Death himself were approaching.

"Liu Qu, retreat quickly!" An anxious shout came from behind him. There was no need for the warning; the moment the crisis sense struck, Liu Qu retreated at his fastest speed. However, even so, he was slightly too late. A chill chased his retreating steps, creeping up from the ground. Although he managed to escape the main force, his left foot was instantly frozen into a block of ice.

Liu Qu grimaced in pain. He realized this was no ordinary ice; it was like a cold poison eroding his body. Not only was his entire left foot numbly frozen, but the cold was creeping inward toward his internal organs, as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.

"Damn it, what is going on?" Under the assault of the chill, Liu Qu's face contorted, and he could no longer stand. He was on the verge of collapsing when another wave of cold air surged up from beneath the ground. Liu Qu’s face instantly paled.

"Flame Fiend!" In that critical moment, a giant entirely formed of fire appeared in front of Liu Qu, blocking the fatal cold surge for him. Simultaneously, a young man in yellow, chewing on a blade of grass, sprinted lightning-fast to Liu Qu’s side, quickly pulling him up before rejoining Li Dingzong.

"Oh, you escaped that one? Not bad luck," Evangeline said with a slight smile, her arms crossed as she observed the men before her. "One, two, three... The one who cast the fire spell wasn't you, right? Hmm, let me check... I sense two others still hiding. Come out, both of you."

"This woman..." The complexions of the three men changed instantly. Not only because Evangeline had exposed the existence of the other two, but even more unbelievably, her body, which had been pierced moments ago, was now completely healed, even her clothes were undamaged.

"Instantaneous Healing Magic?" "Is she... truly human?" "This Host... is this powerful?" The three instantly felt immense pressure.

After several shifts in expression, Li Dingzong spoke gravely, "Mo Xinming, Kosaka Taiga, you two should come out too. Since she already knows, there's no need to hide anymore." As soon as the words fell, two new figures materialized on the previously empty grassland. One was a short young man draped in a magic robe, holding a staff in his left hand while his right hand was wreathed in flames—clearly, the Flame Fiend had been summoned by him. The other was a lean young man, unarmed, with a hint of coldness in his gaze. Like the other three, these two men also looked far from happy.

Seeing that all five had emerged, Evangeline smiled again. "That’s better. While a surprise attack can sometimes yield good results, I think it’s better if all five of you attack me together."

"You think you can defeat the five of us alone?" Li Dingzong, apparently the leader of this alliance, stepped to the front, watching Evangeline cautiously.

"We'll know when we try. They are just a bunch of brats; I really don't take them seriously," Evangeline said arrogantly, looking down at him.

"Fine, in that case, I’ll certainly give it a try." The man in yellow walked out from the rear. He abruptly spat out the blade of grass he was chewing onto the ground, tilted his head, and grinned, "My name is Yun Feng. Come and test the power of this little brat on me, dammit." After speaking, Yun Feng stood still; he made no aggressive move, but...

"Hm?" Evangeline’s expression suddenly changed. She felt the ground beneath her beginning to writhe... Was it an illusion? Evangeline quickly realized it was not an illusion, because at that moment, a massive mouth suddenly opened in the earth where she stood, as if trying to swallow her whole, snapping down viciously.

"Tch." With a cold snort, a pair of black, wing-like cloaks materialized from behind her back. In an instant, she soared high into the sky, narrowly evading the attack of the giant maw. But her opponents clearly hadn't given up. The colossal mouth rose from the ground, twisted and deformed in mid-air, instantly transforming into an unknown monstrous beast that strode through the void, advancing toward Evangeline.

"A magical beast made of earth? What a collection of bizarre contraptions," Evangeline frowned slightly, though her tone carried no panic. Facing the magical beast, which was dozens of times her size, she rested her slender hand on her chin and blew gently forward.

"Shadow Snow Blizzard." A