Venus stepped forward, her voice commanding as she declared, "My name is Venus, and I will be the officiator for this duel."
Murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd. Gurei voice rose above the rest, laced with doubt. "Are we seriously considering this? Our real Demon King is dead. Shouldn't that invalidate the duel?"
Venus responded sharply, "The previous Demon King was killed in combat by someone intending to claim the throne. By right, she is still our ruler... or rather, our Demon Queen."
Skepticism lingered in the air. "But we don't even know who she is."
Rae ignored the chatter, addressing her opponent. "Can we get this over with? What is your name again?"
The other woman, standing with calm determination, answered, "I am Reina."
Rae nodded curtly. "Alright, Reina. Let us begin the vampiric ritual for the duel."
Before the ritual could start, Reina interjected. "Before we proceed, are weapons of any kind acceptable in this duel?"
"Yes," Rae replied. "I accept a fight with any weapon you choose."
"Good," Reina said evenly. "Let's get this over with."
With the formalities completed, Venus raised her hand, her voice solemn. "Then this duel is officially recognized as a demon king and vampiric duel. If you are both ready, I will now officiate."
"I am ready," Rae affirmed.
Reina nodded. "I too am ready."
"Then the duel begins now."
The moment the words left Venus's lips, Reina surged into action, her crimson wings snapping open as she took to the air. Her intent was clear: she sought an aerial advantage.
Rae narrowed her eyes, analyzing her opponent's strategy. Clever. She's keeping herself airborne to avoid grounding, which would make her vulnerable to my electric arcs. I could use flight magic, but that would drain too much mana, and she knows it. She's forcing me into a ranged battle.
Weighing her options, Rae considered her arsenal. She could combine earth and wind magic for an attack or rely on light magic, though its effects might be minimal against a celestial opponent. She hesitated to reveal her celestial heritage, preferring to keep that advantage hidden.
Let her think she has the upper hand for now, Rae thought, her focus sharpening.
Reina's movements were swift. In an instant, she descended with a powerful kick aimed at Rae's face. Rae dodged with equal speed, countering by grabbing Reina's ankle mid-strike. Using her momentum against her, Rae spun Reina and hurled her into a nearby wall.
The impact echoed across the area. Wasting no time, Rae unleashed a barrage of earth-made projectiles. Reina attempted to recover, flapping her wings for lift, but Rae anticipated the move. Her twin blades gleamed as she sliced through one of Reina's wings, the vampiric speed amplifying her strike.
Reina let out a cry of pain, but Rae showed no mercy, advancing with deadly precision.
Then, without warning, the world around Rae shifted. Darkness engulfed her, and the scenery transformed into an ethereal, almost surreal landscape.
An illusion, Rae realized, her senses on high alert.
Suddenly, a flurry of attacks struck her from all directions. Reina exploited the illusion's disorienting effects, landing blow after blow. Rae gritted her teeth as her amethyst ring absorbed the damage. I just need to hold on... then I can break out of this.
Channeling her gravity magic, Rae unleashed a pulse that shattered the illusion. As the darkness lifted, her crimson eyes locked onto Reina's.
"There you are," Rae said, her voice cold.
Before Rae could act further, a voice cried out. "My queen! My queen!"
Rae turned, startled. "Trina?"
The newcomer, a demon woman, glared at Rae with fury. "You vile beast! What are you doing to my queen? You hurt her! I'll kill you!"
Reina raised a hand to stop her. "Enough, Hildebrand. I see now that I cannot defeat her with my strength alone." She turned, addressing another figure. "Norn."
A towering figure stepped forward—the half-spider, half-woman creature with chitinous limbs. "Yes, your Majesty," Norn replied, her voice shaken
Reina's voice was resolute. "Activate protocol Angel Storm."
"Voice recognized. ID 120001RC identified," Norn intoned. "Commencing activation of protocol Angel Storm. Shutting down ego. Assessing danger level... Danger confirmed. Calculating solution... Solution determined. Shall I proceed?"
"Yes," Reina ordered.
Rae's eyes widened as Norn began to levitate, her body radiating an otherworldly glow. "Wait," Rae muttered. "Isn't this cheating?"
Reina's gaze remained unyielding. "It isn't. Norn is a biomechanical magic weapon designed by the Celestials. As per the rules, any weapons are allowed."
Before Rae could respond, Norn's power surged. The air rippled with energy, and Reina vanished in an instant.
The ground trembled as tears appeared in the sky. Monsters began to rain down, their numbers overwhelming. Rae's heart pounded. This isn't just a duel anymore—this could destroy the entire human kingdom.
Steeling herself, Rae launched into the air, determined to stop Norn. But before she could close the distance, Norn moved with inhuman speed, tearing into Rae's flesh. Pain wracked her body, but Rae refused to fall.
Then, as abruptly as it began, Norn froze mid-action. Her mechanical voice broke the silence. "Error. Celestial DNA detected. Scanning for subject ID... Subject ID not found. Determining solution... Solution found. New objective acquired: transporting subject to Core Terminal."
Before Rae could process the words, the world around her blurred. Dimensional rifts tore through reality, and she was whisked away into an unknown realm.
When the chaos subsided, Rae found herself in a futuristic chamber, its sleek metallic walls glowing faintly. A quantum computer stood at the center, humming with energy.
What is this place? Rae wondered, her gaze drawn to the glowing console.
Taking a cautious step forward, she murmured, "Liza, can you access the mainframe of this computer?"
[Uploading code now,] Liza responded.
As Rae waited, a brilliant light filled the room, blinding her. When it dimmed, a voice echoed, cold and unyielding.
"You are not supposed to be here."