Coming back to her senses, she saw Luke grasped for air, so Nora finally put out her bloodlust to save Luke. That was the most dangerous thing Luke been through in his second life.
"I'm sorry, my prince! I was just so angry that I released my aura!"
Luke gasped for air repeatedly, tears forming on his eyes. His mind was okay but, a five year-old body can't simply handle that pressure.
He looked at Nora, looking at him apologetically with tears dropping down her eyes. Luke patted her thighs, smiling at her, to let her know that he was okay.
'It was my fault anyway.', Luke thought.
"I'm sorry, Nora. I'm just making sure that we're not fighting our own kin. I'm totally at fault here."
Luke slightly bowed his head in front of Nora, then she burst out and cry on the floor of the carriage.
"I'm sorry!! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!!"
Nora wept while she hugged Luke.
"I'm alright, Nora! Sheesh!"
'I can't believe I'm hugging someone at my age in my past life like this.'
Luke reminisced the hard lived seventeen years of his past life, looking at the soldiers outside. But then, he saw four children familiar to him.
'Is that Brother Feng and the others?', Luke thought.
The four children were carrying leather armors to deliver, their bodies coated by something that Luke can't clearly see.
He had never met them again ever since Luke and Mizu won the game of tag and being caught by the Commander.
Feng carried armors in a sack by the shoulder to reduce the burden, Jed was carrying his delivery by the arms with a struggling face, and Earl was pulling a wagon full of armors on the ground while eating a meat on a stick.
The three boys race towards the tents, throwing leather armors towards the soldiers, while the only girl on their group followed them behind.
Luke shivered when he saw who was the girl. It was his Sister Mimi that got banned from the palace for a month when she and Jed tried to prank the soldiers, making a big hole on every soldier's trousers, that they were hanging to dry.
'It's Sister Mimi!! I better get down! Her instincts are sharp.'
Luke immediately lay down on the chair with a scared face. Luke used Nora as a wall and hid behind her.
But suddenly, Luke heard three knocks on the window and looked. His world turned dark immediately for him as he saw Mimi grinning outside the window, looking at him.
'Uwaaaaaah!!!'
Meanwhile, at the ruined castle, Lilith walked on the paved floor wearing a big hat, looking like a witch. The human camps scattered all around the castle were easily overtaken by the army's charge.
There were many humans who were tied up, staring at Lilith as she passed by them, while the demon soldiers saluted to her by pounding their chests twice. She saw Adam brandishing a dagger, tying the remaining humans that surrendered.
"How's the charge, Commander? Any casualties on our side?"
Lilith stood a little far from the commander, but he recognized her immediately and pounded his chest twice then kneeled.
"None was even injured on our side, my queen. But there were some who clearly doesn't know what to do that got killed in an instant.", Adam looked at Lilith who was standing behind the sun light like a goddess that descended.
"That's a given. We can't free the whole sheep herd of there were goats mixed in. Ready the troops and rest, I'll go find someone."
Lilith's serious face turned to nervousness while trudging towards the camps of the human leaders. They were having a conversation that seemed troubling.
She continued walking towards the throne hall that was now only filled with fallen pillars that were used as sittings for the human. When she was close enough, the humans stopped bickering and stared at her.
"What do you want? We have no time for you. Go away."
One of the five humans waved his hand to make her go away but, Lilith never stopped walking towards them then stopped in front of a middle aged man that seemed reasonable in Lilith's eyes.
The man stood up, his hair was showing little grey hair on every part of his head while his beard had a grey color. He looked at Lilith with gracia on his eyes.
"What do you want from this old man? Tell me and I'll help you at my best.", the man said.
"Duke Levi, why are you so respectful towards her? She's clearly just a - Uargh!"
"Shut your mouth for a second."
Lilith took a glance at the burly who punched his comrade.
'He clearly saved that man's life. These two guys are smart ones, at least. Shall I test them', Lilith smiled, impressed by what they've done.
"A smart worm will curl up if threatened while the other runs. I wonder what does that mean?", Lilith mocked them a little to see they will do.
All of them got what she meant and felt angry, but the man in front of Lilith raised his hands to stop them from what they're going to do.
'These guys are too hot tempered and prideful! Did they forget why we came here?!', Levi thought.
"It means surrendering is wise and running is cowardice, but we're still all worms that could be crushed in the end."
Lilith stared at Duke Levi for a moment, both showing unreadable faces. Lilith was pleased from his answer and continued to walk towards her final destination.
The four remaining men stared at her, watching her every move. Lilith let out a chuckle as she looked on their tense faces.
"Being merciful is being generous, but that doesn't mean I'm kind. You humans insisted that the Desolate Zone was also yours and pushed us back towards the inner ring where we became stronger during our stay here. Ironic, isn't it? The hunters are now becoming the hunted."
Lilith touched the wooden carriage where Luce lied down alone. She finally met her husband again for the first time in five years and this was what she saw, him laying down unconscious on a carriage for slaves.
Lilith never felt more anger boiling in her blood like this in her whole life. The five humans gasped for what they've seen in front of them.
A huge black snake with a red crown-looking scale on top of its head was released by Lilith, it was like she finally found her preys and was just staring at them at their last moments. Her aura turned the whole ruined castle into a never ending red bonfire, even the soldiers back at the demon camp saw it.
"What is this all about? Who did this to Luce?!"
Lilith stared at the five humans who were trying their best to resist the pressure from her aura.
"It was the Emperor who did something to him and the heroes, excluding the Empress. We would have never gotten here this fast if it wasn't for Luce, my lady. We would like to apologize for not taking care of him at our best."
The burly man kneeled to Lilith while trying to resist, he's clearly the only one capable of explaining the situation to her at that point.
"Daddy!!", Lilith heard a familiar voice of a little girl.
The burly man was shocked to see his daughter running towards him, his face was instantly filled with fear, not for his life, but for his daughter.
"Mir?! No! Don't come here!!"
Despite her father warning her, Mir still continued to run towards him. Only a few feet more and she'll be crushed by the pressure of Lilith's aura, not even knowing that there was something like that.
Seeing his child running towards her death, the burly man gave his best to resist the pressure and activated his star path.
[IRON TIGER'S PATH - ACALANATHA]
His eight star cores glowed simultaneously, his whole body changed into something that Lilith had not seen before. In just a moment, the man became a statue-looking being that was made of metal with a head of a tiger.
Lilith stared at him, eye to eye, hoping he'll attack, but he didn't. The man prostate in front of Lilith while crying, which made Lilith confused because she thought that the man will fight her.
"I, Hector Fraudlin Velfort, offer my insignificant life to you in exchange for my daughter's life. She's the only family I have! Kill me if you want! Just spare my daughter's life... Please!!"
Even though the man in front of her was crying and begging, Lilith's eyes didn't show sympathy, but seeing that he will even tarnish his pride just to save his daughter made Lilith be satisfied with this man.
The test for this men had been successful, even though there were some complications. Lilith being angry was a given situation, though.
Before Mir get any more closer to them, Lilith retracted her aura, together with her beast soul. She watched Hector be surprised as his daughter embraced him while crying.
"She was just scared, don't worry about anything.", Lilith smiled to see the father and daughter hugging.
She always wanted to see this seen, Luce finally hugging their child. Lilith turned around to not let them see her tears dropped from being touched.
"... Are you alright, my queen?!", Adam and his men entered the open throne hall, immediately surrounding the humans.
"Just give the orders, Commander! I'll end them here!", one of the soldiers said, his temper getting into him.
"Stay down, you bastards!! The king is right in front of you!"
The soldier, together with his pals tensed up then stepped backwards away from the carriage.
Levi finally realized that the woman in front of him is the Demon Queen, then started walking towards her.
"I am the Grand Duke of Leviathan, Levinous. Luce told me that he included me on his letters to you. I show my respect to the Demon Queen and her people as well."
Levi cupped his hands and slightly bowed, while Lilith smiled at him. Hector and the others also followed Levi.