Theo traveled using the Blue Flame Pegasus, accompanied by none other than one sleepy Floof.
"Are we really going to risk our lives to save one measly human? I thought you were better than that, Theo." Apo commented while wiping the crust from his eyes.
The Floof Demon was still sleepy, and only the prospect of devouring souls was why he chose to accompany Theo in this troublesome matter. He wanted nothing more than to return to sleep, "I would rather be playing dress-up with the two devils than be here."
Apo does not care about Rose, and he expects better of Theo as well, "Arggghhhh if you want a woman, you can just find one in a brothel. The woman we were supposed to torture looked like she was ready to give you her body if you had just asked. Just go with that, easy."
The Archduke Demon lazily commented.
"I owe her for taking care of me," answered Theo.
Apo snuck Theo a judging glance, "Whatever puts you at ease, picky dick."
"I know several ways to sever our life connection and kill you," Theo commented.
"Do it then; I'll at least get the chance to try and kill y—oh my Demon God, what the fuck is that?" Apophis felt his fluffy hair stand on ends as he sensed thick malice enough to contend with a Demon King's.
Not too far ahead, the two of them could see a mansion engulfed in flames as hundreds of Demonic Followers dressed in purple robes and clothing marked with the crest of the Black Star hurried to enter the burning mansion.
'They really were planning to ambush me. Also… this killing intent… it's intense… it is familiar.' He could remember how the "Original's" psyche ignored the sensation in the past, knowing he was in the comfort of his own home, but, Heruzen never forgot.
He could remember its first appearance after he spoke to a maid. It was a distinct sensation; though it was not targeted at him, Theo remembered its malice.
'Is this the same intent that had been following me? I know my detection skill is currently laughable, but I remember sensing this dangerous sensation. I have always wondered whose it was... did it come from Rose all along?' Theo stopped his thoughts, for even he felt uncomfortable to continue thinking.
Rose is his fiancée; she's kind but also somehow intimidating. His interaction with her earlier hinted that Rose was far from being an ordinary woman — that's why he got a "reaction" — thinking back, Theo felt a chill running down his spine.
It is one to have killing intent pointed at you with impunity, 'But to hide something this potent right in front of me is not something I expected. I should be worried, scared, so… why am I getting even more excited?'
He could feel his heartbeat increase, his soldier gathering strength to stand; it was an unexpected perverse reaction even for him, 'I really do have problems.'
But, while Theo was getting mixed feelings, the Archduke was panicking for his own life.
Apophis felt as though he was being crushed and ripped to pieces by the killing intent and the Demon's instincts told him one thing, "Fuck this, I'm leaving!"
Apophis unhesitatingly jumped from the back of the Pegasus. He was a Demon who hungers for souls, but he's not an idiot willing to jump in the maw of danger just for some woman he couldn't bed.
"Oh no, you're fucking not." Theo caught Apophis by the neck and pulled him back to his side.
"You asshole! What are you doing!? Unhand me!" Apophis cursed as it flailed around with its stubby appendages, "I am not going to die here, especially not at the hands of Demonic Followers. Such irony is not fit for my greatness!"
Theo just sneered, "You are now trapped in the body of a Floof; you are way past irony. Suck it up; I need you near me! Besides, if you run now, you're not getting your souls, and I will die, which will, in turn, be the cause of your death."
"Oh, shit… you're right! Dammit, this contract can't even make me abandon you! But even if I help you, you know we're going to die, right!?! That killing intent is not normal!!!!" He argued.
"Are you afraid?" teased Theo, "You can't have the souls if we don't kill them."
The Floof Demon looked at him with disgust, "I'm not afraid; I'm smart. Whoever possesses that intent is an evil, ruthless, psychopathic old son of a bitch. Only those who spent decades, no, centuries on battlefields can get that kind of malice stuck to them. There is not enough soul to entice me into facing an Asura of War to ju—was that Hyper-Regeneration I just saw?"
"Possibly." Theo answered as he followed Apophis' eyes, "...wait, that IS Hyper Regeneration."
Apophis' eyes turned to slits, "I want that." his Greed overpowered his fear.
Theo nodded in agreement, "That's an amazing find, is it not?"
With a wide grin on his face, Apophis celebrated, "Your woman is nowhere to be found, and with all this chaos, that only means one thing. GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! We're free! We're free to do what we want! And I want that fucking Hyper-Regeneration! Get that, and I'll charge with you on the battlefield."
With a Floof on his back, Theo jumped from the Pegasus' back. Their laughter mixed with Demonic Followers' death throes, and when Theo was about to land and break his leg, a glowing circular panel appeared underneath his foot, "Wind become my foothold."
Wind gathered below his foot; dust turned to smokescreen and blown away after Theo willed for its presence to leave him.
"What are you doing here!?" Hyper Regeneration skill personified asked.
Theo stood in front of Sneha, his head held high, "I'm here to kill you."
Again, Theo never lies, but Sneha just ignored his words, for her eyes remained rooted at the fluffy creature on his back.
"Follower Sneha of the Black Star greets the Archduke of Greed," Sneha curtsied at first sight of Apophis.
She could feel it, the aura of an actual demon emanating from the tiny and frail body.
She celebrated at the stupidity of the Saint who brought their deity of worship to their midst, but something was amiss.
"So, these are the ones who promised to relieve you of your pain?" the demon on his shoulder asked, "You must have been really stupid then. How could I have been tricked by someone like you."
?!?!?!?
"I'm still stupid; you're just stupider," answered Theo nonchalantly.
"If you want to burn yourself, take my name away from your mouth." Apophis snarled.
Theo just laughed, "But, yeah, she probably is. My memories aren't intact, but only a Demonic Follower can aggravate a Demon's Marking."
Apophis showed his tiny fangs, "Hooh? That's good, that's good, that means she's one of the reasons why you suffered, right?"
"That's right."
"That means she's one of the reasons why you hate me so much, right?"
"Quite a stretch... but, yeah."
"That means she's the reason why I am trapped in this body?"
Theo looked at Sneha from the down up and smirked, "A little, yes."
"Then, fuck her up," Apophis commanded.
Theo, however, just paused and looked at him, "Why do I have to do that? Do it yourself."
"Can't, too weak. Sealed in this body and used a part of my lifespan to erect the barrier earlier. This had been a long night for me. Besides, you promised I'll only be a chip in this one. Why not show me a good show?" Answered Apophis.
"But I can't beat her with my current level of strength, though. I already woke up just in case, but I could tell this woman was far more dangerous than we expected. I do not know the skills levels, but, from what she showed me, I suppose she's at least level 175; I am severely under-leveled to face her." Complained Theo.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but there's no use in playing around. We have no idea where the hostage is; from its looks, I suppose the bearer of that dreadful killing intent is her. Now that I can sense it better now, she's in a perilous situation—" Apophis looked up and saw the bodies flying up, the fire that raged as well as the increasing madness, "—worst case is, she's under a Corruption Curse, either way, you'd have to start anyway."
"I don't have a choice; I'll have to kill her myself, but I'm not doing anything for you anymore after we take it," Theo said and quietly cracked his neck. He tapped the floor with his leg and glanced at the room behind Sneha, 'That must be the torture room; fresh blood was still there, and that crystal.'
Theo was seething, but he remained calm on the outside. He could read the situation very clearly. He's unaware of Rose's position or what she's doing, but, there's one thing for sure, she cannot waste any more time, 'But still... why is she not breakin—SHIT!'
Theo's instincts shot up, telling him to run away.
A wave of killing intent washed over him, activating his body and mind to their absolute limits!
He reacted before completely grasping the situation and raised both arms instinctively as a foot entered his peripheral vision.
However, all this time, his eyes remained rooted at the pair of black eyes, glaring at him with deep seether anger, 'She's set on killing me quickly.'
It was no secret, 'She was testing the waters... she was more patient and decisive than I thought... should I do it now?'
"Uruc (Defense)!" He shouted, 'No, not yet!'
"It's useless." Sneha faintly spoke.
"Shi-Wind Wall!" Ace stacked his shields, but a red leg smashed through his defense and smashed both arms to bits and pieces. Wall after wall, Theo crushed and destroyed everything that got in his way. Uruc was applied on his back to guard him, but he could feel the force eating at him from the inside out.
Theo was blasted outside, and he watched in slow motion as Sneha appeared above him with her fist pulled back. Sneha stole the Floof on Theo's shoulder and drew back her right fist. Her muscles unexpectedly relaxed, and a rampaging red mist surrounded her body and gathered around her fist.
'That's—not good.'
Theo could not even respond or think.
"SHIT!!!!!"
Sneha's fist penetrated his abdomen.
Sneha was battle-hungry, an addict to the feeling of coming close to death. She knows she wouldn't die; there was no risk to her life, no matter the damage. She's called the Undefeatable Berserker because even when her heart's crushed, she will rise and attack with a ferocity more savage than the last.
Even when Sneha was outclassed by Rose, blown away with a single strike, it only lit a fire in her.
Despite being a Demonic Follower, she smiles and enjoys life. However, there are times when even she would go serious. Only the objective matters when the fun is thrown out of the window.
She saw the bizarre sight of the Archduke Demon communicating with Theo as if they were friends.
Sneha abandoned any and all pretense without a moment's hesitation. Upon witnessing how the Archduke acted, she decided that killing the Saint was the best decision.
Thus, Sneha saved the Archduke and buried her fist in Theo's stomach.
When Sneha landed on the ground, her arm remained stuck on Theo's abdomen. She looked Theo in the eyes, its light wandering about, flickering its final glow, he mouthed off something, but it was barely audible, "Sil—ra."
A dismissible light glowed, Theo's body shook, and his expressions gravely changed.
"If I had known you were this weak, I should've just killed you before you even got the chance to seal Archduke. To think I would be fooled. But I supposed the saying trash is still the same no matter how shiny applies to Saints." Sneha pulled her hands away from Theo as she gave him her final words of disgust.
However, she failed to even budge her arm, "What the!?!?!?!?"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH~ FUCK THIS REALLY FUCKING HURTS!" Just as confusion settled, suddenly, the Archduke cried out in pain.
"Wha-What's happening? Archduke! I—" Reflexively, Sneha lost her grip, fearing it was her who was hurting Apo, but, soon, that was the least of her concerns, for the creeping sensation she felt in the Saint's room suddenly returned.
But now, it was clearer, stronger, and deadlier than before.
"…ha…." A small grunt came from the dying body of the Saint, and the faint light that flickered earlier found its anchor as its color changed to purple.
"Yo-your eyes, you couldn't possibly—No!" Sneha jumped back, only for Theo to be dragged away with her, "Get away!"
She shouted in desperation.
But, it changed nothing.
[Extra Skill - Demonic Mark of Greed Activated]
Suddenly, Theo's weak and dying body sprung up, his hands moved, grabbing Sneha by her temples. His morbid grin was like the crescent moon, "Too… late…."
[Soul Pact with the Archduke Demon Apophis registered]
Purple Light glowed from Theo's palms. The end of a dragon's tail appeared from behind Sneha's eyes and a head-on Theo's.
[Soul Synchronicity (Recognize)]
The dragon opened its mouth and came out of Theo's eyes as a purple beam of light and bit the tail on Sneha's end.
[Designated Original Bearer (Acknowledged)]
On the ground, Apophis grabbed his stomach. The pain was immeasurable, but seeing and hearing someone suffer the same fate as he, "If I can get baited, you humans will have it worse. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
[Demonic Mark of Greed (Deconstruction)]
Apophis laughed as he watched purple light exploding from Theo's eyes and palms.
[Deconstruction Completed]
[World Weapon Opened]
[True Magic — Demonic Mark of Greed: Skill Extraction (Activated)]