Early in the morning we ate a quick breakfast and decided to go to Dulinor to meet with Guildmaster Tongu, which we put off ever since me and Lizzie reunited.
"Well, while we are here, why don't we take out time?"
"You mean... like a date?" Lizzie who used teleportation magic to get us near the city asked me with a cute look on her face.
"Yep, like a date," I smiled seeing her blushing and put on two magic items I recieved many years ago from Hestia. One hide my appearence and made it look human and second could fool status stones (magic items used for showing someones status, namely level and color of their karma).
"Take these too, please," I handed two extras I had to Lizzie to mask her as regular Azure elf.
"Hehe, we look like we used to," Lizzie laughed softly and interwined our fingers.
"We sure do," I smiled too and started walking to the gate.
It wasn't that hard to get through the check point through the Status stone and my guild card. We entered the city and I got a little surprised, there was a new market opened in a nearby plaza.
"Hmm... these gemstones are quite rare. How much?"
"Two gold for a piece," the shopkeeper told me and measured me and Lizzie before he whispered to me, "Though I'm willing to go to one and a half if it's for a wedding ring."
Looking each other to the eye we grinned and made a deal. For ten bags worth of the gems. 'After all I need to remember Yuki and Skaly.'
"Those were some nice pieces, do you have some special plan with them?"
"Maybe?" I grinned again and continued walking the street.
Supprisingly, there were no people who recognized us. But that could also be becouse I mostly talked only to people from the guild and craftshop. 'Though the alchemy shop also helped me a lot in the past... should I stop by too? Nah, Natasha is deffinitely doing some weird experiments anyway...'
"Hmm... are you planning to make... engagement rings?"
"Whuh?!"
"So you do? Zaru I love you!"
Lizzie jumped up and stright up hugged me while kissing me at the same time.
With Lizzie acting all cuddly, we made our way to town centre and got some skewers for a snack.
"Darling... look over there," Lizzie secretly pointed at one side alley.
There was a group of men kicking something small.
"I'll be right back."
I used hide presence and walked to the side alley. Like a wind I moved around them to get a better look. But what I saw made me loose all my nerves. I beat down the guy and hanged them with Thread control. Lizzie, seeing the men hanging in the air quickly came to me.
"Darling what happ– a beastman? Those trash-heads!" Lizzie almost burned them with fireball, but I managed to stop her.
I took out a potion and healed the beastman girl in my arms. The was clearly a wolf-type beastman, but I couldn't say the exact tribe she was from.
"She has a slave collar on her. Do you think that..."
"Yeah, they probably used her as a bait for monster. Given size and pattern of her bruises it was probably Sahuagin or some simmilar water based monster."
"I should've burn them anyway," Lizzie's eye lit up with dark flame.
"No need for that now. I will extract information first and then give them to our friedly Renzir."
"Fine, let's leave it at that."
"Okay, now to wake up this little one. Come on, wake up," I shook the girl lightly.
"Uuhhhhh... wh–what... what... is happening? M–my head doesn't hurt? What happened?" The girls blue eyes were murky, but not cold yet.
"We happened. I'm Zaru and this is Lizzie, my lover. What's your name?"
"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what?! L-l-l-l-l-l-lover?!" Lizzie started blushing at a really weird time.
"My name... is Bree... my sister... she... she's still there! I need to help her! Please I know it's unbecoming, but I need to save my sister! I don't have anyone else, I will do anything you ask of me! Just please save my sister!" She wept as she lowered herself on the ground and even licked my boots.
"Okay, okay. Slow down and tell me everything from the begining."
...So, to summarize Bree's story:
She and her family lived in Bahurt duchy which was to the south of the Astenna kingdom, but was destroyed by Wolfman principality Valor and her brother died in the war. After that, their village was attacked by a horde of monsters and most of the people were killed. Bree, her sister Tara and their mother tried to escape to another village, but were caught by slave trader who took them here. During the travel their mother was sold to a noble and raped right before the two girls, who were forced to watch.
'I don't know who that noble is but his death sentence was sealed right now.'
After withnessing such an act, they were sold to adventurer party which actually worked for Night breeze company.
"Night breeze sounds familiar..."
"It should. It's the organization that plunderes villages and sells the people to slave merchants. Sometimes they even do more horrible acts. Actually they were the first organization I attacked and brought to justice after arriving in Astenna kingdom. You remember the Night of dancing blood, right?"
"That was you?"
"Yep. Me and guildmaster Tongu actually, but I cut down most of the people. I never thought they would regroup here. I should pay them a visit."
"No, WE should pay them a visit," Lizzie smiled and took Bree to her arms, "I will take this one to Tongu so you can do your part."
I nodded to Lizzie and patted reassuringly Bree between her ears.
"Big brother... be safe," Bree took my sleeve before leaving and I smiled at her once more.
'Why did she called me big brother? Now I feel old! I'm just little over twenty you know?'
"Alright, let's see where they are hiding, (Memory search)... I see, well, let the hunt begin."
I used a spell to look into the minds of the advnturers and found a place where they got Bree. With that location in mind I didn't need the adventurers so I killed them and stuffed them in the Magic bag.
I spread my wings and while using «Hide presence» I flown to the place from their memories in the slums. Then I used «Sence presence» to find people inside. In the main hall was ten people. I also senced around twenty weaker presences, most likely children. 'Hm? What is that one doing...' I senced a stronger presence near one weaker one.
"I don't know what he's doing, but it can't be anything good (Fireball)" I blasted away the doors and entered the room, there I used my «Thread control» to cut of their heads before they could even realize what happened.
The smell of blood filled the room and I moved to the underground.
"NO! It hurts! It hurts! IT HURTS! Please stop! STOOOOOOOOP!" a crying and screaming girls voice reached my ears and my blood started to boil, becouse I recognized the smell in the air. There was no doubt about the man raping the girl he was with.
I silently entered the room and entered the room. There I found a girl around twelve years old chained to bed. She was of a rare demihuman race called Bloody cats. She had red fur. Her tail was cut of and the base of it was still bleeding. The man on top of her was a rather handsome dude who you could never thing of as someone doing such artrocities.
"Heheh, congratulations, now you are a woman—"
I couldn't listen to him calmly so I placed my hand on his shoulder after removing my bracelets and said coldly, "Are you enjoying yourself?"
I threw him against nearby wall and took a blanket from my Magic bag and throw it at the girl.
"Wh-who the hell are you? Where are my men?!"
"Your men already smell flowers from bellow. And as for me... Well, I'm a demon to guys like you," I tried to calm myself down and I used «Thread control» to immobilize him.
By moving one finger I cut of his genitals.
"AAAHHHHHH!"
"Why are you crying? You raped little girl and thought you will get out without pinishment? Think again."
I cut off his little fingers on both hands and feet and promptly stopped the bleeding by using black flames.
"P-pleaaaaaase! S-somebody he-help meeeeee!"
"I told you that everyone is dead. And you will join them shortly," as I coldly declared so, I continued to cut off his arms and legs, joint by joint until only a torso remained.
The girl was frightened to the bone and didn't even dared to get of the bed, yet watched as the man was tortured alive. 'Is she... smiling?'
"Do you want to finish him?" I looked at her and took out a knife.
"Yes. But I will do it by my hands," she shook her head and with her ears twitching she moved slowly to the body of the man. Seeing this, I noticed she was still bleeding from her cut off tail. Luckily I quickly found the rest of it lying next to the bed and while she was slowly crawling towards the man, I splashed some healing potion over it while holding the tail next to the wound and it quickly grew back.
"Thank you, sir demon," she smiled and accepted second vial I handed to her.
Now full of energy she stood up on her legs and walking wobbly she stood before him. An evil grin appeared on her face and with every step it became brighter and brighter.
"You are not so tough without your dick are you?" she laughed and kicked his jaw, making the torso fell on it's back. She sit on his chest and placed her fingers on his eyeballs, crushing them in the process.
"Aaaahhhh!"
The man screamed and she moved to the man's abdomen. Her nails that were cut short grew claws and she scrached open his body. She pulled out his intestine like a rope. The man was already dead when she got to his heart.
"I thought it was a stone… well whatever," she crushed the heart in her hand, spurting the blood over her face.
"So, what are you planning to do now, girl?"
"I'm not a girl, I'm Hikari and I'm from Bloody cat tribe. You… are not just a regular demon, right? A demon lord maybe?"
"That is correct. I'm a demon lord from Snowy mountains, the name is Zaru."
The girl fell on one knee.
"Then, from now on, I, Hikari of Bloody cats swear my undying loyalty to you Demon lord Zaru. Please do whatever you see fit with this berserker."
"What?" I couldn't belive my ears. She was a weak girl of barely twelve years old, yet she was conducting herself like a regular adult.
"I will follow you until end of time and space. Even if my body is cut to shreds, I will bever stop moving."
"Hold it! Don't you have a place to return to?"
"I used to, but it was destroyed by Wolfmen pricipality Valor two years ago. Henceforth, I shall be your subordinate, my lord!"
"Urgh… Fine, I will take you under my wing. That being said, I have a question, do you have an idea where I could find a girl from Tundra wolf tribe called Tara?"
"Yes my lord. She's held down in the dungeon with the rest of the kids. Her sister is currently out with the adventurer team that this man used as guards."
"Thanks Hikari, take me there now please."
"Understood my lord," she bowed and started walking.
We entered the underground dungeon soon after that. It was a place dug up by the members of Night breeze used to smuggle contraband from outside in the city and vice versa. And of course this place was also used to hold the contraband. There were magic beasts from all around the world like Obsidian lions, Prixens, Shockholders and much more. All of them were weakened by lack of food so it was easy for me to use dark magic to dominate them.
"Summon: Tempest"
"Hey, Heyyyy! Did you call?" Tempest sprung up from the summoning circle and made a cute pose on top of my palm.
"Yeah, I want you to go with these guys to second floor and let Gurako to take care of them I have a feeling we will get some strong monsters to guard us if we give them names."
"Understoooood! I will let them knoooow!"
"Thanks. Then let's use this spell, (Mass teleport)"
After sending them off, I headed to the next location where the children were hidden.
"Hikari release all the kids and bring them to the exit of the dungeon. I will come after I have a talk with Tara."
"Understood master," Hikari nodded and I continued to the cage way in back. There, I found a girl looking exactly same as Bree, though, there were some diferences. Tara was literarly just a sack of bones and skin. She probably didn't eat for weeks and as for water... she probably didn't get to dring anything for some time as well. Her left leg was missing from knee down. She was chained and rised so high that she couldn't sit properly. Seeing that, I cut the chains immediately and the girl fell to the ground. She was still alive, but extreemly weak. 'Those bastards were probably using the children as food for the beasts when they weren't usefull anymore.'
"Tara, your sister send me for you."
Her ears twiched and she looked up at me tiredly.
"Wh-who... are you..."
"My name is Zaru and I'm a demon."
"I... Tara... you know... my sister?"
"Yes. She asked me to help you."
I picked her up and walked out of the room while giving her potion to heal her wounds and exhaustion in one fell swoop.
Walking out I noticed Hikari and nineteen kids waiting for me already. All the kids here were demihumans of age span between six and twelve. Making Hikari the de facto oldest here.
"So, which one of you have somewhere to go?"
My question was answeared by silence and paiful looks of the children towards the floor.
"Well, I thought that would be the case. Wanna go with me then?"
The kids looked unsure, but nodded either way. After all, if they stayed here, they would die sooner rather then later.
"Alright. I will take you to my dungeon. I'm demon lord Zaru of Snowy mountains, you can rest easy now."
"Please take care of us Milord!" the kids said as one, with Hikari at their head.
"Of course. I will put you to some easy work right away. Those who are weakened come here I will give you a potion. If there is anyone who can read, I would ask you to help me find evidence on actions of these people and their associates. Now, let's get to work. I will give you some jerky as reward afterwards."
"YESSIR!" The kids saluted and with sparkling eyes divided themselves into smaller groups.
(Zaru, do you hear me?)
(Lizzie? Is this telepathy? What's wrong?)
(Nothing. It's just that we are leaving the guild right now.)
(I see. I how long will you get here?)
(In about ten minutes. The raid will start after we secure the perimeter.)
(Okay, I understand. I will get the kids out before that and set up a show just for those adventurers.)
(Fufu, that sounds just like you.)
(Yeah, yeah. I'll cut the link now.)
"Okie dokie, bye~"
The healthy kids were fast at work and the sick ones were treated quickly so there was no harm done. After that I send half of the kids to the dungeon.
"(Pure black.) Okay, now the adventurers won't see inside the building. Tara stay here for a while, I prepare the suprise for the outsiders."
"Oh–okay," Tara nodded and patiently waited at the chair I put her on.
Meanwhile, I took out the corpses from my Magic bag and reanimated them with necromancy. I let the undead guard the doors and collected the rest of the kids.
"Alright I will tell you the plan now. The advanturers expect to raid criminals so we will suprise them with the undead and demon waiting for them instead. Tara on my signal you will jump through the doors out. Your sister and my friend are already waiting out there. After that the undead will come out and as I know the guildmaster she will come to your rescue killing the undead and destroying the (Pure black) spell in the process."
"But, why put up such a show?"
"Becouse if it looks like these guys do bussiness with demons, it will criple their reputation in the underworld as well as their regular bussnisses. Doing that will help those in simmilar situation to yours as well."
"You are really kind for a demon lord, milord," Hikari looked up at me.
"Well, I used to be a human after all."
I took of the bracelets and spread my wings, guarding the remaining kids around me.
"Okay. Let's do it," I nodded to Tara and she rised on her one leg jumping towards the doors.
"Help! Help me! It's a demon!" Tara jumed through the doors and fell on the ground before three adventurers in first line.
"Sister!" Bree called out to her from Lizzie's arms.
"Get her away! I'm going in! (Photon slash)!" the guildmaster Tongu readied her magic sword with Light magic atribute that was on par with replica of a Holy sword owned by duke Durel who owns this duchy.
"That's our guildmaster! No one can stand their ground against high level magic like that!"
"(Blue flame wall)" I countered the spell that tore through the (Pure black) with highest level fire magic I knew. Though, to be honest it almost got destroyed too.
I put up black mask I got in abandoned mansion few months ago on one of my solo adventures.
"Well, well, well. Who would have thought that a holy knight would be present. No, sorry about that, you are paladin, right? Though, there is little to no difference between the two to me," I smiled under my mask.
"Your laugh will end soon Demon!"
"Make me."
I smiled and placed my hand on Hikari's shoulder, with a finger tapping on her neck.
"Give those kids back and I will make it painless for you. This is your last chance!"
"Last chance to what? You want me to give those kids away? And what will happen next to them? If they are lucky they will die in some back alley. Rather then letting that happen, I will keep then and… fufufu, no, it will be better if you don't know. I will leave for today paladin, but there is always next time."
"Oraaaaaaaaahh!" The guildmaster closed the distance between us almost instantly, but sadly for her, I had already prepared teleportation spell so her thrust hit only empty space and me with kids were instantly transported to my throne room.