The whole area was leveled, scorch marks the telltale signs of where Wanxi's lightning had landed. Perdi perched on her shoulder as she rubbed her head, exhaustion dragging at her eyelids.
Gyuho wasn't as exhausted, though he was beginning to feel fatigue, evidenced by his slower movements. His head returned to normal, though his hands were still claws. Chewing on a piece of green jerky, his eyes glanced around warily.
Casmere stood guard, unaffected and unabated. His energy was severely depleted, but he had enough reserves for a final showdown, as it were. An amber stone in hand, he was running it over his bone pick as grinding sounds filled the air around him.
Bie was currently figuring out the ins and outs of the changes The Demon Killing Method brought to him, as well as trying to control his wings ears. With a bit of effort, he withdrew them from their veiled state, the wings shrinking once again to be a bit smaller than the size of elven ears, hiding beneath his bobbed hair. Interestingly, although he had expended the most energy, he was the second most energetic of the five, stretching his limbs and loosening his joints.
Lulac was ecstatic, his eyes glimmering as a radiant violet halo spread out from something beneath his trembling hands. Squatting over a stalk of grass, he marveled at the strong sense of familiarity that arose from looking at it.
The stalk was like a glistening jewel, the stems and sheathes a transparent, radiant violet. The nodes and internodes in the stalk were like miniscule bones, fine and glimmering as the purple light flickered within. The culm was steadfast and mighty, the joints flexible and yet firm. The root, slightly visible through the cracked ground, were of purplish glass. Lastly, the leaf blades were fine and even sharp, giving off the sense of a blade or a saber.
Staring at it, Lulac felt a vague sense of a higher thought. One could even call it a steppingstone to enlightenment, the inspiration and mysterious feeling it gave was simply that strong. His eyes reflected the stalk, and his hands couldn't help but inch closer at every second.
This was a Violent Stalk, though it had some variation from being born in the Violet House. The grasses from earlier, the constant energy fluctuations, and the very blood of the demons condensed into a pool that was greedily absorbed by a sharp looking grass, the plant refining itself even further.
It was to the point that it had already become a Medium Special rank spiritual plant, the aura within it still contained since it didn't reach Eminent rank. As such, it only worked as a tonic to beings who aligned with its properties, the properties of the Violent Stalk being similar to the feeling Lulac got when exercising the Twisted Mansion technique.
Sitting in a lotus pose, he plucked the Violent Stalk precisely, even carrying the roots. Empty purple motes of light appeared in his Inner World, and the Violet Stalk rushed towards his Torch. It easily bypassed the Sconce's rings, quickly performing the Grafting process.
Moments later, purple stalks of grass were reflected in Lulac's eyes. Lilac aura tinged with violet grass shoots spread from him as he jumped in joy, easily rising three meters in height before confidently standing on the ground.
"I finally did it. hahaha! Now, I can show you that I'm a lot more useful than I have been...you can all rely on me!" Lulac's sad, fairylike face wore a prominent smile, and he could not help but feel deep confidence. Inside of his head, Bie scoffed, but his own visage contained slight interest. He decided that he would at least pay attention to the periwinkle boy, seeking to gauge his effectiveness in the future.
"Sure, but I'd rather rely on Perdi! Thank you for being so patient..." Wanxi affectionately rubbed the doll's face before clutching it to her chest, giving it a warm embrace. Perdi let out her normal muffled noises, her sown on mouth turning at the ends in joy.
Gyuho simply clapped, and Casmere nodded. Lulac felt like he was the king of the world currently, although he also felt a strong desire to compete with someone. This was partly the effect of the Violent Stalk, and partly his own subconscious beckoning his traits to become more pronounced. As anyone could tell by now, this Sad Drink was certainly hot-headed...
"Is everyone ready? We should continue, no~?" Bie's voice became cheerful once again, having had his fill of stretching. His blood became placid, unlike the tingling sensation on the back of his head. Glancing at the purple sky, he sometimes felt as if the lazy clouds were eyes that were intensely gazing at the group.
The four all sent their own signs of affirmation, so the Pinions of Ire quickly evacuated from the ruined site. Though that was not enough to hide them from the watching demon, who hid in a meadow deeper in the forest.
Instead, that demon laid behind a tree. His body unseeable for now, he played a subtle tune on his flute. His fingers slid over the holes on the bone, a savage undertone permeating the lackadaisical vibe he carried. Each glide was like a footstep to the squadron, the five unknowingly drawing closer to the calculating demon who played without care.
Demons darted before the five, each weak enough so that it wouldn't alert them to retreat. Yet they were strong enough to affect their energy reserves, chipping away at their reserves with each encounter.
Casmere and Bie became noticeably warier over time, the two being the more perceptive of their group. White plus signs became Bie's pupils as he withdrew the Cassius Eyes, and he could see that the demons coming their way were quite afraid. If he was only a bit stronger, he would be able to see the exact illusion that plagued him, but reflected in his eyes was only shards of uncomfortable feelings.
Casmere noticed the tightened, contracted muscles of the beasts. Each acted as if they were on their last legs, bringing out the maximum power their chimeric forms held as they ferociously charged. His suspicions grew with great potency, but he could only dance to the woodland tune the demon surreptitiously performed.
A butcher's knife reflected a soft purple glint, splatters of blood upon it mirroring the lazy purple sky. Birds chirped in a rather forced manner, and beasts gathered and hid behind the trees. The singing of the fauna seemed to entwine seamlessly with the demon's unhurried playing, and soon the unnoticeable tune became more pronounced.
In Bie's wing ears, an unfurling sensation appeared as the jaunting of a flute licked at his audible perception. It spread like a plague, infecting every member of the squadron surely and thoroughly. The covertness of the Luring Music was no longer necessary, and their pace quickened quite considerably.
In the meadow, the demon kept playing as he stood in the front of the tree, his tall figure sticking out from the short flowering plants waving in the breeze. In a moment, he would greet his visitors, and he was quite content to do so.
And the moment arrived quickly, the Pinions of Ire arriving in the meadow in the course of a minute,