The Broken Halo

"A two-horned demon."

Simon showed no reaction after hearing the race of the rebel’s leader.

Akaza, however, glanced at Korran’s two horns before looking back at him.

"Not winged?" Akaza asked with a slightly surprised tone.

"No."

A Two-Horned Demon and a Two-Horned Winged Demon were not the same race.

Both possessed two horns, but the winged bloodline was purer and naturally stronger. Their bodies, demonic pathways, and control over demonic energy and chaos were also superior to ordinary Two-Horned Demons.

That difference was one of the reasons they ruled the Darkness Kingdom.

Simon looked at the two curved horns rising from Korran’s head.

"Do ordinary Two-Horned Demons support the winged clans?"

Korran noticed where Simon’s gaze had moved.

"Some do. Some hate them."

A faint coldness entered his eyes.

"Sharing two horns does not make us one family. The ruling clans look down on ordinary Two-Horned Demons just as they look down on many other races."

"Yet you work for them," Simon said.

One of the Black Horn officials frowned, but Korran did not become angry.

"I work for Velmora and the Darkness Kingdom because it benefits me."

His reply was calm and direct.

"The Black Horn Office gives me authority, resources, and a path to rise. If serving Black Banner offered me more, perhaps I would have made a different decision."

Sonya smiled.

"At least you’re honest."

Korran glanced at her.

"Honesty is useful when there is nothing to hide."

Simon stored the answer in his mind.

Korran did not serve the Darkness Kingdom because of loyalty to his bloodline or the ruling clans. He served because the benefits were greater than the alternatives.

That made him easier to understand and maybe even use in the future.

"What does Black Banner want from the Earth rift?" Simon asked.

"I don’t know."

Korran’s brows furrowed.

"The cell Sonya exposed intended to delay the stabilization process, but I doubt their true goal is to close the rift permanently."

"Why?" Akaza asked.

"Earth is an opportunity too large to destroy."

Korran walked away from the window.

"New territory. New resources. Human artifacts. The humans themselves. Information, and so on. If Black Banner enters Earth and establishes a hidden foothold before the kingdom secures the region, they can build something outside the throne’s immediate control."

"They could also attack Velmora’s forces from behind," Akaza added.

"Yes." Korra nodded.

"Do you believe more rebels entered the recruitment?" Simon asked.

Korran’s expression became cold.

"I would be a fool not to."

One of the officials behind him lowered his head slightly.

"The Black Horn Office will investigate every applicant again," Korran continued. "Their backgrounds, identity tokens, recommendations, and movements inside Velmora will be checked."

"Would that find all of them?" Simon asked.

"No."

Korran did not pretend otherwise.

"A skilled infiltrator with a genuine identity and no previous connection to a known cell may pass every check."

The dead Supreme Archfiend was proof of that.

Simon remained quiet for a moment.

There was one final piece of information he wanted.

"How many Two-Horned Demons are part of Black Banner?"

The question caused Korran to pause just as he was about to take a step.

The two officials looked at Simon.

Even Sonya and Akaza shifted their gazes toward him.

Korran studied Simon’s expression, but he could not find anything apart from calm curiosity.

"Why are you interested in that?"

"The leader is a Two-Horned Demon," Simon replied. "You said ordinary members of the race also resent the winged clans. I want to know how deep that resentment goes."

The explanation was reasonable, though it was a lie.

Korran thought for a few seconds.

"We have never counted them by race, but there should be more than a thousand ordinary Two-Horned Demons within Black Banner."

Simon’s eyes remained calm.

"And the winged ones?"

"Far fewer."

"How many?"

"Twelve are confirmed," Korran replied. "There may be a few others hidden within the organisation, but I doubt the number reaches twenty."

A dozen Two-Horned Winged Demons.

More than a thousand ordinary Two-Horned Demons.

Simon had received the answer he wanted.

However, Korran did not immediately turn away.

His eyes moved toward the single horn growing from the right side of Simon’s head.

’A single horn? Is he a one-horned demon? But...’

He had seen it during the recruitment.

He had noticed it when Simon first entered the Black Horn Office.

But the strange things surrounding Simon made him ignore the simplest possibility. His unusual physical strength, high S grade wind affinity, hidden background, and the way two Supreme Archfiends treated him as their leader did not fit the image of a low-level One-Horned Demon.

There were also several demon races that possessed only one horn.

However, their horns were usually more prominent or at the center of their forehead.

Korran always assumed Simon belonged to one of them.

But after hearing his questions about the Two-Horned Demon race, a strange thought appeared in his mind.

His expression changed.

"Are you actually a One-Horned Demon?"

Surprise entered the faces of the two officials.

Sonya’s brows were raised slightly, while Akaza remained silent.

Simon looked at Korran.

"No."

Korran’s eyes narrowed.

"Then what is your race?"

Simon’s expression did not change.

"That has nothing to do with the rebels or our agreement."

"You possess one horn."

"Many demons possess one horn."

Korran stared at him.

Simon did not call himself a One-Horned Demon because it was the truth.

His bloodline also contained the incomplete power of the Sky Tiger Daemon. Calling himself an ordinary One-Horned Demon would only create more questions.

One-Horned Demons were a low-level race. Most never reached the Archfiend rank, and those who did were rare enough to be remembered.

A One-Horned Demon with Simon’s physical strength and affinity would attract far more attention than an unknown race.

Korran realized Simon would not answer, so he did not continue asking.

"A secret then," his tone became solemn. "But know that many secrets are not hidden forever."

Simon calmly picked up the Fury Tempest Art from the table.

"We’ll see about that."

Korran stared at him for another moment before turning toward the door.

The two officials followed him out of the room.

Akaza picked up his medicine box and looked at Simon, while Sonya looked at Simon with a curious smile.

Simon ignored both of them.

Lilith’s words appeared in his mind.

To advance his One-Horned Demon bloodline into a Daemon bloodline, he needed the hearts of nine hundred and ninety-nine Two-Horned Demons.

Black Banner possessed more than a thousand.

They were enemies of the Darkness Kingdom. Hunted criminals whose deaths could earn him merit instead of suspicion.

Simon lowered his gaze.

A cold, calculating glint flashed through his sky-blue eyes.

To the Darkness Kingdom, they were rebels.

To him, many of them had just become possible sacrifices.

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