I wiped away my tears and straightened my back as I addressed the mysterious voice of the labyrinth. "Now that I've defeated your challenge, it's time for you to show us the way out."
The voice responded with a sly and seductive tone, "Oh? Is that what you want, my dear?"
Suddenly, a figure materialized before us in a flourish of black hair and pearly skin. It was a stunning woman, elegant in every way with her long twin tails and red-tinted eye.
She draped herself around me, her eyes sparkling with desire as she spoke in a sultry voice, "You're so strong and powerful, Lumiere. You destroyed this ultimate treasure with ease. Wanna destroy my own treasure too?"
I was taken aback by the woman's sudden boldness, but Ophelia, who had been watching the scene in shock, couldn't help but interject. "Excuse me, but how can a voice be a girl?"
Indeed, it didn't make any sense. It never crossed my mind who the voice the labyrinth could be. Maybe because I didn't care?
The mysterious woman flashed Ophelia a smile, her eyes dancing with amusement. "I am the voice of the labyrinth, my dear. And I take on whatever form suits me best."
Still a bit dazed by the woman's advances, I finally caught on to the innuendo and blushed bright red. "Uh, I'm not sure what you mean by 'destroying treasure', miss. But I appreciate the offer
Did she want me to pound something for her?
It was strange for a lady to make such a request. A minute ago she was angry that I destroyed her ultimate treasure, but now she wants me to destroy something else? Women... very hard to grasp.
"Ara~Ara... such an innocent boy," said the voice-turned-lady.
Ophelia rolled her eyes at my naivete, muttering to herself, "Men. They never understand these things."
With the woman still draped languidly around me, her long twin tails cascaded around us both in a wave of darkness. I was taken aback by her seductive demeanor, unsure of how to respond.
"Is this your true form?" I finally asked, trying to remain calm despite the woman's overwhelming presence.
The woman flashed a toothy grin. "Of course, my sweet. Don't you like what you see?" She pressed her breasts against my back, causing me to flush even deeper.
"You're a bit inexperienced with women, aren't you?" the woman teased, a mischievous glint in her eye.
I was unable to form a coherent response, and Ophelia had had enough. With a huff, she rushed towards us, separating the two of us with a stern glare.
"Stop getting so active around each other," Ophelia scolded, her hands on her hips.
I immediately apologized, but Ophelia's face turned red with anger. "Don't apologize. It's not like we're in any sort of relationship," she snapped.
The woman yawned loudly, drawing our attention back to her. "You're getting a bit noisy," she complained.
Ophelia rolled her eyes. "Crazy whore," she muttered under her breath.
The woman's temper flared. "I'm not a whore!" she retorted, her voice rising in frustration.
Moments later, the woman was beside me again, hugging my right arm tightly. Her breasts pressed against my arms. Her breath tickled my ear as she whispered, "Do you think I'm a whore?"
My face turned bright red, and I stammered a response. "Y-you're too close," I finally managed.
Ophelia was once again at her wit's end, shouting, "There she goes again, doing her whore things!"
The woman was quick to retaliate, sticking out her tongue in a mocking gesture.
Ophelia, growing increasingly exasperated with the woman's antics, decided that enough was enough and demanded to know the woman's true identity.
The woman, still clinging to me like a parasite, heaved a dramatic sigh and reluctantly informed us that her name was Isadora and that she was, in fact, a demon spirit.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise as I gazed at her with newfound interest.
"A demon spirit?" I repeated, clearly intrigued.
Ophelia, ever the stoic, rubbed her chin contemplatively and expressed her own surprise, admitting that she had never encountered such a creature before.
And well, she was right.
I'd never heard of demon spirits before. And I mean, this was me... I'd studied almost every book in the royal mansionʼs study and in the end I was met with a nomenclature I'd never heard of before.
Isadora smirked, her full lips curving into a seductive smile. "It's no wonder, my dear," she purred, her voice dripping with innuendo. "People often mistake us for feys, you see."
I couldn't help but feel a shiver of excitement course through me as I listened attentively to Isadora's explanation. I couldn't quite believe it - a demon spirit? What on earth was that supposed to be? I craned my neck towards her, eager for answers.
"Please, tell us more," I pleaded softly.
Isadora's eyes lingered on me, and I felt himself flush under her gaze. "Are you sure you want to know?" she teased, twirling a lock of her glossy hair around her finger.
Ophelia, sensing the direction the conversation was taking, bristled with annoyance. "We're not here for your games, Isadora," she snapped, her tone laced with irritation.
The demon spirit simply shrugged, not bothering to hide her amusement.
As the tension between the two of them rose, I began to feel the overwhelming urge to break the ice. "Why don't we all just calm down for a second?" I interjected, trying to diffuse the situation.
Ophelia shot me a grateful glance, relieved that I was seeing things her way for once.
But Isadora, ever the wildcard, was clearly unimpressed. "Oh, Lumiere, you're always such a little peacemaker," she purred, her voice like honey. "But why talk about boring me when you could be talking about something much more... exciting?"
Ophelia felt her blood boil at the demon spirit's obviously provocative overture towards her friend. "You can cut the act, Isadora,"
"Alright, I'll give you all some more information.." (Isadora)
It took half an hour of our time, but here's the summary of what she told us—
「Basically...
Demon spirits are a species of supernatural beings that are shrouded in mystery and fear in the world. It is said that these creatures are born from the souls of the most wicked and malevolent beings that have ever existed. Very concerning... but she doesn't look like she's dangerous. Well if you forget the part about her almost killing us. So, when these souls depart from the mortal plane, they are condemned to exist in a realm known as the Abyss, where they are stripped of their physical form and transformed into demon spirits.
Despite their origins, demon spirits are not inherently evil, although their reputation precedes them. Demon spirits are solitary creatures and prefer to dwell in the shadows and darkness, away from the eyes of the living.
Despite their seemingly chaotic and unpredictable nature, demon spirits have a strict hierarchy that governs their existence. At the top of the hierarchy is the Demon Lord, a powerful entity that rules over all the demon spirits and is rarely seen by those outside its inner circle. Beneath the Demon Lord are various ranks of demon spirits, each with their own unique abilities and responsibilities.」
"Wow, I didn't know demon spirits had such a rich history," as much as Ophelia disliked Isadora, she couldn't deny the truth concerning her history.
"Naturally, but is that really important?" Isadora looked at me right after.
"It is, but what's more important now is finding the treasure heart of this labyrinth." (Lumiere)
"Oh yeah... that's right, I almost forgot the reason I came here." (Ophelia)
"It's natural when you're around someone like Lumiere," Isadora gave Ophelia a wry smile.
"Don't start with me now, Isadora," a bit of frustration rang in her voice. Ophelia tightly gripped the hilt of her longsword.
This again?
Ignoring Ophelia, Isadora snapped her fingers; a sort of signal that she'd just recalled something. "Ah-hah!" she exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Let me show you," she smiled.