The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed-Chapter 167: Frozen Self-Defense (2)

A Demon Appears in the Treasure Vault.

The demon’s features were so androgynous that it was impossible to tell if it was a boy or a girl. Staring at the creature, I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease.

‘Why is a demon here?’

I combed through my thoughts but came up empty.

Did I miss something?

Even as I questioned myself, the answer remained a firm no.

There was no connection between Ashies’ story and demons—not even a hint of one.

Sure, stories didn’t always unfold like programmed scripts, but even with that flexibility, this demon’s sudden appearance felt absurdly out of place.

And yet, the longer I looked, the more something nagged at me.

‘Have I seen it somewhere before?’

The demon seemed oddly familiar.

If so, it had to be one of the NPCs from Tower of Souls.

But where had I seen it?

“Hmm?”

As I searched my memory, the demon—who’d been lazily kicking treasures around—locked eyes with me.

“Huh? You?!”

Its eyes went wide with surprise the moment it saw me—like it knew me.

Then, as if reuniting with an old friend, the demon broke into a bright, mischievous smile.

“Wow! I was just looking for you, and here we meet? This is amazing! I’m already having so much fun!”

“...Do you know me? I don’t recall ever meeting you.”

“Of course, I know you! You’re the Master of the Mage Tower, aren’t you?”

If my hunch was right, Mirabel was supposed to be the Mage Tower’s master.

Why would this demon think I was the master?

I had no clue what twisted logic led to that assumption, but technically speaking, I was the master of the Mage Tower now.

Still—

‘The Mage Tower?’

A realization struck me like lightning.

“...Demon Elder, the Mischievous Zakaryl?”

“Wow! You know me? How did you know? Did the Mage Tower’s master tell you?”

Zakaryl beamed, nodding innocently.

Meanwhile, I swallowed nervously.

The Mage Tower wasn’t a major area in the story—just a brief stop. Its members weren’t that important either.

Except for Zakaryl.

The Mischievous Zakaryl.

One of the Mage Tower’s Elders.

Contrary to popular belief, the Mage Tower wasn’t full of noble scholars—it was a den of lunatics. And even among them, Zakaryl stood out.

A creature of pure, guiltless malice, willing to commit mass murder just for fun.

The fact that this lunatic had shown up here was a giant red flag.

Especially now, when it was showing interest in me.

“...Do you need something from me?”

“Yep! Morgana said I’d get bored, so she told me to come play with you!”

Morgana.

The witch who’d been with Mirabel.

And she’d sent Zakaryl to me?

Did Mirabel put her up to this?

I had no idea what was going on.

But one thing was clear—

I was in serious danger.

“You’re the Master of the Mage Tower, so you must be even stronger than its master, right? Hmm... But I don’t sense any power from you. What kind of strength are you hiding?”

“Wait a second. Playing with me won’t be much fun. I know someone far more entertaining. Why don’t I take you to them instead?”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. They’re just upstairs, so if we head—”

“No way! I want to play with you! The Mage Tower’s master must be super strong! Show me your power! Let’s play!”

Zakaryl spread its limbs wide, wings unfurling like a monstrous shadow.

A black sea poured out, engulfing the treasure vault.

Sharks swam through the inky waves, their fins slicing through the darkness before they shot upward.

*****

The Princess’s Room.

The already chilly room grew even colder, reflecting Ashies’s somber mood. Snowflakes drifted down from the ceiling.

For someone who had rarely thought of her family, this sudden reunion was overwhelming. She knew it was a sad situation, yet ironically, no tears came.

The same was true for her emotions.

Confusion outweighed sadness by far.

Ashies knew she was different.

Back at Lake Fortress, the others had mourned Darka’s death, shedding tears freely.

But Ashies?

She only felt a faint ache in her chest.

Maybe too much time had passed to fix what had already been broken.

Karami had tried so hard to help her.

Now, all she felt was guilt.

Ashies buried her head in her knees, growing even more despondent.

And then—

An unfamiliar, malevolent presence flooded the air, causing Ashies’s pupils to dilate. Her drooping head snapped up.

“...Rami?”

Her head darted around the room, searching.

But Karami was nowhere to be seen.

Her heart dropped like ice.

The aura came from underground.

All hesitation vanished as Ashies moved with startling speed, unlike her usual sluggish demeanor.

She froze the floor and slammed her foot down, shattering the ice and plunging straight into the underground vault.

What greeted her was a black abyss.

Ashies landed softly on an ice platform she conjured midair.

“Well, well! Another interesting guest!”

Ashies locked eyes with Zakaryl.

The demon gave her a disinterested glance and looked away.

But Karami was still nowhere [N O V E L I G H T] in sight.

“Pretty lady! Who are you looking for?”

“...Rami. Where is he?”

“Rami? Oh! You mean the Mage Tower’s master? You won’t believe it! He was playing with me, and then—poof!—he just vanished! So rude, right?”

“Rami. Where is he.”

“Who knows? I was about to eat him, but then he disappeared. Left this behind, though.”

A black shark swam up to Zakaryl, carrying something in its jaws.

Zakaryl reached out and retrieved it.

An arm.

Severed at the elbow, dripping blood.

Ashies recognized it immediately.

It was Karami’s arm—the one she had always seen folded behind his back, just a step behind her.

“Where could he have gone? Oh! Maybe we’re playing hide-and-seek! Does that make me ‘it’? Pretty lady, do you—”

Crack!

Zakaryl froze solid.

The demon, now an ice sculpture, toppled to the ground.

A tiara shimmered into existence above Ashies’s head.

Her elegant face twisted into a ferocious snarl.

The sharks swimming through the black sea lunged and swallowed Zakaryl whole, only to spit the soaked demon back out.

“What the hell?! You froze me?!”

“Give... Rami... back!”

“I told you—I don’t know where he is! Keep interrupting, and I’ll eat you next!”

Splash!

Ashies leapt to another ice platform as a massive whale shark burst from below, devouring her previous perch.

The sharks circled hungrily, watching for their chance to strike.

But Ashies didn’t hesitate.

She dove straight into the center of the black sea.

The sharks lunged, jaws wide, ready to tear her apart.

Just before their teeth sank into her—

A burst of blue light erupted.

The sharks.

The black sea.

The treasure vault.

Everything caught in the light froze.

“W-what?!”

Zakaryl’s signature spell—the Black Sea.

A sea formed from demonic energy, filled with sharks that devoured everything in their path.

Even if someone defeated the sharks, they’d regenerate endlessly.

An infinite shark-infested hell.

Once deployed, it guaranteed dominance in battle.

But Zakaryl had underestimated the opponent.

Ashies wasn’t just an ice mage—she was the Frost Tyrant, blessed by Skadia and bound through a slave contract.

Her layered power overwhelmed the Black Sea, coating it with her domain.

The frozen sharks stirred again.

But they no longer answered Zakaryl’s call.

They now served Ashies.

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“What are you doing?! They’re mine!”

Zakaryl threw a childish tantrum.

Ashies normally hated hurting people.

She resonated with others’ sorrow, feeling it as her own.

But not this time.

Not even a trace of sadness remained.

“You. I’ll never forgive you.”

Instead, she was consumed by rage.

Ashies leapt high, ready to strike.

“Tch!”

Zakaryl thrust his hands forward, casting another spell.

Dark currents roared toward Ashies.

But it was pointless.

With one swing of her blade, the waves froze.

With another, they split apart.

Zakaryl’s petty tricks didn’t stand a chance.

Ashies’s ice blade gleamed with a frigid light before slashing through one of Zakaryl’s wings.

Slice!

“Argh!”

Zakaryl tumbled, clutching the bleeding stump where his wing had been.

Desperately flapping his remaining wing, he barely stayed aloft.

Ashies prepared to leap again, this time aiming to end it.

But Zakaryl panicked, frantically waving his hands.

“W-wait! That guy—he’s important to you, right? Do you really have time for this? He lost an arm—he’s probably bleeding out somewhere! If you don’t hurry, he’ll die!”

Ashies froze for the first time.

Her gaze fell on the severed arm lying on the ground.

Her burning rage cooled in an instant.

Karami’s safety came first.

There was no time to waste.

“Where is he? Rami.”

“I-I don’t know! I told you—there was a flash of light, and then he disappeared!”

Ashies raised her sword again.

“Wait! I swear! He must’ve used some kind of artifact! He’s probably still in the vault—just look around! You’ll find him!”

“......”

“Maybe he’s too scared to come out with me here? I-I’ll just... leave, okay? So I won’t get in the way?”

Zakaryl laughed nervously and slowly edged past Ashies—before bolting at full speed.

Left alone, Ashies surveyed the vault.

Zakaryl was gone, but Karami still hadn’t appeared.

Her voice trembled as she called out.

“Rami...? It’s safe now. Where are you?”

And then—

A flash of light erupted from a pile of treasure.

Just as Zakaryl had said.

And there he was—Karami.

Collapsed on the ground, missing an arm.