They hurried to the teleportation platform.
It was through a hallway not far from the King's Hall.
A hallway with walls that, through magic, offered visibility only from the inside and had supporting pillars, similar to those at the King's Hall, through it.
The roof was that of leaves, and the floor was that of stone.
At the end of the hallway, there was the teleportation pad.
A circular pavement of marble, encrypted with magic runes, some of which not even Danny had seen before.
They reached the teleportation platform, and all stepped on it!
But nothing happened...
What was that?
Why was nothing happening?
They stepped off the platform and started looking around for clues.
"Willow. Is there anything you know that might be the cause?"
Danny asked the princess.
The princess didn't answer, and her face darkened.
"What's wrong?!"
Donovan asked worriedly.
"I'm sorry!"
She shouted.
They all looked at her with bewildered faces, not knowing what has she apologized for.
"I don't know if this platform actually works. I just wanted to get the top of the tree as soon as possible."
She said, and tears started accumulating in her eyes.
Both Alya, Mira, and Donovan went to her side to comfort her.
Alaparos and Chaos were confused.
If this teleportation pad didn't work, then what were they going to do?
Danny pondered their situation.
What he knew was that there was a circular pavement with unknown runes that the princess was told could teleport them to the top of the tree...
"Willow!"
He said.
A thought had popped into his mind, and without noticing it, his voice came out as a shout.
"?"
The princess was confused at why is he seemingly yelling at her and concluded this must be because she failed him.
This, in turn, made more tears accumulate in her eyes, and the three people who comforted her to look at him with piercing stares.
"Sorry! There's no need to cry. I just need you to answer one question."
Danny apologized.
"Wh-what is it?"
She stuttered because of the crying.
"What exactly were you told about this teleportation pad?"
He asked, and her crying stopped for a second when she tried to remember.
"'The tree shalt summon thy devil's blood, thy king's blood, and none else. Two alone shalt teleport to Faerie's top.'"
The princess quoted what she was told, and Danny's eyes opened widely.
Of course, they couldn't teleport! They didn't follow the rules!
However, the inclusion of "devil's blood" seemed suspicious. And he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever they'll find up there will bear more than just some fruit.
"When they say 'thy king's blood,' they mean..."
Danny asked.
"Faerie's king. The common folk may call royal blood king's blood, but it's blasphemous in the halls of the palace. Only the king is chosen by the tree."
The Fay princess answered.
This was something all noble Fays got beat into them because it would be bad if they were to offend the king.
"And when they say devil's blood..."
Danny asked.
Devil was one of his father's names, but also a nickname to all of demonkind.
"Demon King Satan and his descendants."
She answered.
Fay had strong relations with demons in the mortal realm's Yggdrasil Forest.
So, to not make any mistakes, the only devil was Satan, and his blood was his and his descendants' blood.
Danny sighed deeply and looked at Donovan.
"Well, then Alberich. Are you ready?"
Danny said as he walked toward the teleportation pad.
Donovan looked at him and then at the princess.
He didn't want to leave her alone with so many unknown demons.
She looked at him and, with a big smile, nudged him forward toward Danny.
She was sad about her father and the fate of Faerie, but she was happy that Donovan, the commoner who risked his life for her, was acknowledged by the tree and chosen for the holy role of Faerie's king.
Donovan took a deep breath as he followed Danny to the teleportation pad.
Danny had already stood on it when Donovan placed one leg on the round pavement.
When the new king placed his leg on the teleportation pad, there was no glow or sound.
It was as if time had moved in slow motion, and reality warped around the devil's son and the new king.
Before anyone noticed, the silver-haired Fay and white-haired Demon were at the top of the tree.
********
A floor of dense evergreen leaves that could be safely stepped on.
Sky without stars or moons, as whoever designed this realm had only an interest in flora and magic-based beings and didn't care to designate any heavenly lights.
One small branch sprouted from between the leaves, looking like the only tree in a barren green wasteland.
On that small branch, there was a fruit.
No bigger than a peach and with smooth skin the color of dawn.
Danny looked around and analyzed the area.
There was nothing else there!
Not a guard, a shrine, or anything befitting such a seemingly holy place.
"Hmm... Danny!"
Donovan called to him with a wary voice.
"What is it?"
Danny asked.
He looked in the direction Donovan was looking and under their feet. Anxity started creeping onto him as well.
There was no teleportation pad!
He would have been more worried, but if the books he read were true, there was supposed to be another way to the tree's top.
Though finding it in this barren wasteland would be a challenge.
"Let's focus on the fruit for now."
Danny suggested.
He needed a way to get Donovan to relax and thought that focusing on the fruit may help.
They walked toward the fruit waryly.
And before they knew it, they'd reached the lone branch and were at arm's reach from the fruit.
"Donovan of the Nameful Tribe and Daniel the Human Devil."
A deep, earthly voice reverberated through the tree.
"O so long was my waiting for this day, for you two. The commoner king, whom I prophesized to Oberon, and the half-human son whom Satan had told me would claim my vengeance as his father's dusk will loom over me."
The voice said.
Donovan was surprised. That damned king knew that Donovan would be his successor?
And that damn tree just revealed his name to Danny.
"How long ago was it that my father promised my arrival?"
Danny asked.
A couple of things didn't add up.
First, he was only sixteen, and, as far as Danny knew, his father hadn't left Hell for anywhere but Eden in that time.
Second, daughter? Yeshua told them planting the fruit would grow another tree.
Third, claim Faerie's vengeance? Against a god?! What sick joke was that?