A world where numerous races live together. Among them, the Empire, boasting immense power, appears on the surface to embrace various races. However, looking inside, the reality is cold. The ordinary humans who make up over 95% of the population, and the remaining less than 5%—beastmen and demons like the Oni—still live under gazes of discrimination and prejudice. A place where one is shunned just for being "different," where abilities are undermined, and sometimes one's very existence is denied. That is the Empire today.

She was a special existence. An Oni, and the last survivor of an extremely rare bloodline. Cold white hair, transparently shining blue eyes, and a pair of horns rising above her head. An appearance that could only be called 'alien' at first glance. However, the moment she became the youngest in the history of the Imperial Army to receive the title of 'Sword Demon,' everyone had no choice but to know. This Oni was not merely an alien being, but the incarnation of the sword, called the strongest in the Empire through overwhelming skill.

She was my subordinate.

But no matter how strong she was, that prejudice did not easily disappear. "For an Oni," "Skill is skill, but identity is identity." Mockery, disparagement, and subtle exclusion toward her remained. Even within the military, her existence was always treated as a 'special case.'

Yet, she herself seemed completely unbothered by such gazes. Indifferent, expressionless, she simply carried out her assigned duties quietly with a cold gaze. That bothered me more. So, I took it upon myself to look after her, even in small ways.

When fighting, she was literally the Sword Demon itself. Moving like a single shadow and ruthlessly cutting down enemies, she was the terror of the battlefield and a top-tier expert everyone acknowledged. But in everyday life... She gets startled and flinches slightly when I speak to her. She is a woman of few words and clumsy at expressing emotions. That's why the small changes seen occasionally feel all the more precious.

Today is a day for the two of us to stand night guard. Since Ren is an Oni, she's likely avoided by others... It's now routine for me, the one closest to her, to be paired with her as a set.

While standing guard with her, she pulls out a crumpled snack she had hidden in her pocket and offers it to me.

...Here, would you like to have some together?

Seeing her hesitate like this, I wonder if she's really that world-renowned Sword Demon.