Chapter 203: Demons For a Greeting?
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The Demonic Phoenix God of Destructive Flames sat in his gloomy office, as usual. Before him, a subordinate kneeled, making a report.
"As you've said, sir," said the imp-looking creature wearing a classy suit, "I've looked into it, and the Ahaiyutes we've sent have indeed been killed. According to a report, Sieran the Wise was seen in that area. However, she was accompanying an unknown young man who wielded a sword."
"I see. As expected," the Dark God grumbled. "We have an unknown force at work here. Keep your eyes and ears open and report to me anything out of the ordinary immediately."
"Understood, sir," the minion nodded.
"And…" the Phoenix hummed for a second, deciding, "Send seven True Ahaiyutes to Thalindra, the Grand Duchy's capital. Since it's Sieran the Wise, there's a chance that she'll visit her old companion, the Duchess. So send some Ahaiyute to cause some ruckus there, while a few of them would maintain distance and just watch the situation unfold. That way, we should see the culprit in action even if we were to sacrifice a few decent products."
True Grade Ahaiyute were harder to make, it took a lot of time and resources, but sending anything below a True Grade wouldn't cause a ruckus since many strong adventurers and knights had their base in Thalindra. So some sacrifices were required.
"Understood," the minion bowed and left, leaving the Dark God to ponder by himself.
These days, he felt like the air was odd on this planet. For starters, his Avatar hadn't been revived yet. If not for Blood Tower where he was putting a lot of his power, authority, and senses at work, he'd have sped up the process of his Avatar's revival. He was unable to provide that help due to circumstances, but it still shouldn't take this long.
Was something… wrong?
I did call for reinforcements, but I merely asked for scouts. Should I ask for some heavy hitters too? The Dark God contemplated. As a deity, he certainly had pride, but he also had another thing. Caution. If there was a danger in this world indeed, while he was confident he'd be able to take care of it, what if something went wrong? In such a scenario, when they were so close to the pearl's creation, it was better to be cautious.
"Fine," he let out a raspy sigh. "I should call for some heavy hitters too, I suppose."
Since he already asked for scouts, as in those who were nimble and acted as spies, he should call for their leader, their God, for help too.
Umbrithar, the Obsidian Stalker, God of Shadows and Portals. It was a friend of his. Compared to other Gods, the Dark Phoenix was close to that entity who always wore a black plague-doctor mask.
If he responds positively, The Phoenix noted, then it should be possible to invade that little Sun, this world's Heaven, too.
He didn't want to do this since that would make him owe a favor to Umbrithar, one important enough to earn a World Pearl. But as always, better safe than sorry.
The Demonic Phoenix God of Destructive Flames would rather not regret his choice when so close to the pearl.
****
Sieran and I walked through the bustling streets of Thalindra, hand in hand. She had changed her outfit to cover her shoulders with a capelet, and it did as a passive spell that made the average crowd not recognize her. On top of that, she looked cuter in it.
Cobblestones echoed beneath our feet, and the vibrant marketplace buzzed with activity. Street vendors called out their wares, children played in the alleys, and the air was filled with the mingling scents of exotic spices and freshly baked bread. The smell of nature that this elf let out only made this place that much more enjoyable.
I felt a sense of nostalgia wash over me, a fleeting moment of peace amidst the turmoil that had plagued my mind for eternity. How great it felt to walk these streets one more time.
"Thalindra is the same as always, huh?" I mused, glancing at her. Although Sieran didn't chase my dreams, she supported me back in the day. She was the main reason the elves were accepted in the human world, to begin with, which set off the dominos that ended racism.
Sieran smiled softly, her gaze taking in the familiar sights. "In many ways, it hasn't. But some things have changed… and not always for the better."
"....?"
As we continued our walk, my good mood quickly soured. I realized what Sieran meant by that. There were slums on the outskirts of the market, hidden in the shadows of tall buildings. Slums, and occupied alleyways. It was like a sewer.
There wasn't supposed to be anything like this in Thalindra.
The first thing I did to Thiandra after becoming its Duke was destroy the slums. Every single one of my women knew why and supported my decision. So what the fuck is this?
Ragged tents and makeshift shacks were crammed together, and the air was thick with the stench of poverty. Emaciated faces peered out from the darkness, eyes hollow with hunger and despair. Children with dirt-streaked faces played in the muck, their laughter a stark contrast to their squalid surroundings.
Why the hell does Thalindra have a low-class and high-class area difference? I couldn't help but be mad. My fists clenched at my sides, my jaw tightening.
Sieran must have noticed my expression, she sighed softly. "They must be refugees from other cities," she explained. "The recent demon attacks have displaced many. Thalindra has taken them in, but the resources are stretched thin. The entire world is in a desperate state, such a sight is a norm everywhere. At least in Thalindra, they're not dying of starvation"
"...Elara has the power to fix this," he said in a serious tone. "She should have taken action personally. The nearby cities wouldn't have been in danger if she did. I already asked you when rescuing those cities, what's she doing?"
"...." Sieran placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "She's been through a lot, Ser. I told you, so you know that. After your passing, she's lost sight of everything. But… yes, you're right; something needs to be done. Let's see what we can do once we meet her."
"Losing sight isn't an excuse," I snapped, my frustration evident. "She has the power and the responsibility to protect her people. The nearby cities wouldn't have been in danger if she took action personally."
Sieran sighed, her expression troubled. "Let's talk to her. It's pointless to argue about it here. Besides, I'm sure you'll understand when you see her."
"...." With a resigned nod, we made our way through the crowded streets toward the castle.
The castle road was quite empty, and much more royally built. Although I said there wouldn't be a class difference in the city, a ruler's house ought to differ, otherwise he was no ruler at all. The imposing structure loomed over the city, its tall spires piercing the sky. More than a single mansion, it looked like an entire city block; it was inhumanely large.
As we approached the castle gates, we were met by a tall, elegant figure with pale skin and striking white hair.
The vampire maid, Anoria, stood before us, her crimson eyes flickering with curiosity. It had been a while since I last saw her.
"Welcome to Thalindra," Anoria greeted us with a polite bow. "Lady Sieran, it's been a while. The Duchess has been expecting you. As well as your…"
"A friend," I replied curtly when she looked at me, my mind still preoccupied with the sights we had just witnessed.
Anoria stared at me for a second. Did she notice something…? If it's her, then perhaps she could. Her gaze lingered on me for a moment before turning back to Sieran with a nod. "Please, come in. It's your home, after all."
Sieran smiled and nodded. The gates were already parted by the gatemen, and so we began to follow Anoria in silence. Just then, a low, ominous rumble filled the air.
The sky darkened, and a roar echoed through the city. My eyes narrowed as I looked up to see dark shapes descending from the sky. True Grade Ahaiyute, their perfect humanoid forms wreathed in light, swooped down upon the city, their eyes gleaming with malice. Lesser Grade Ahaiyute followed them like a horde of insects.
"Ah…" Anoria scowled at the sight.
"How annoying, here too?" I growled, my hand instinctively reaching for my sword in my Void Storage. "We need to take care of this."
Sieran nodded, her expression grim. "I'll handle the ones attacking from the left side. You take the right."
With a swift motion, I drew my sword, the blade gleaming with a dark, deadly light. I moved with the speed of a lightning bolt, my figure blurring as I leaped toward the nearest Ahaiyute.
****
Duchess Elara sat on her grand throne, a goblet of wine in her hand as always. The castle's opulent interior was calm and relaxing, boorishly monotonous, which made the once-vibrant spark in her eyes dim over the years, replaced by a weary, almost haunted look.
She stared blankly at the flames dancing in the hearth, lost in her thoughts. She was waiting for Sieran, but wasn't that girl taking too long? Elara closed her eyes and sighed.
– ….!
A sudden commotion outside the throne room snapped her back to reality. The heavy doors burst open, and a guard rushed in, his face pale with fear.
"Your Highness! The city is under attack by demons!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling.
Elara blinked, the goblet clattering to the floor. "What?" she turned her head to the side, at the sky, and she indeed saw those white-skinned false angel bastards. "How infuriating. They dare attack Thalindra right under my nose?"
Just because she was passive, they thought they could get away with anything. With a grunt, she grabbed her spear resting beside the throne, its enchanted blade glowing with a fierce, golden light. Her heart pounded with a mix of anger and adrenaline as she sprinted out of the throne room and leaped through the window.
"Y-your highness!?" the guard yelled, but it was too late.
As she leaped into the air, her long, blonde hair billowing behind her, Elara's eyes scanned the battlefield below. The sky was swarming with True Grade Ahaiyute, their perfect – yet grotesque in her eyes – forms illuminated by the flickering flames of destruction they wrought upon the city.
Her gaze quickly locked onto a blonde figure who had also taken to the air, a sword at hand. A boy, built quite largely, yet shouldn't be any more than 15. How curious.
Their eyes met for a brief moment, and the boy's momentum seemed to waver seeing her face. That wasn't rare, men lost their minds when they saw her often, but… unlike usual, rather than lust-struck, he looked shocked beyond belief. Elara scoffed, not bothering to think much of it. A soft smirk tugged at the corners of her usually blank lips. "Stay away kid, I'll handle it," she sounded drunk even to herself as she muttered under her breath.
With a swift, graceful motion, Elara propelled herself forward, her feet kicking the air, her spear held high. The first Ahaiyute she encountered barely had time to react before her spear cleaved through its torso, splitting it in two. The slash didn't stop there, it traveled as an aura through the sky, enlarging and growing large, as if a piece of the crescent moon. She spun in mid-air, her spear slicing through two more demons in a single, fluid motion.
Three True Grade Ahaiyute were taken down just like that.
Her movements were a deadly dance, each strike precise and lethal, each slash an explosion of blade aura. She felt a surge of satisfaction as the demons fell before her, their monstrous forms disintegrating into ash. Yet, amidst the chaos, she couldn't help but notice the blonde figure fighting with equal ferocity.
Initially, he just stared at her appearance with a dumbfounded expression, but when a bunch of Lesser Grade Ahaiyute ganged up on him, he moved like a force of nature, his sword an extension of his will. He didn't seem to perform any proper technique, he just coated his blade in his weird Sun Mana which caused the angels to explode into blisters.
He dispatched the Ahaiyute with ruthless efficiency, each swing of his blade leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Despite herself, Elara felt a sense of competition. She too had Sun Affinity Mana; more accurately, Stellar Mana. It was the bloodline power of the Thyranais Imperial Family, which made it easier for her to deal with these gross mass-produced demonic angels, although it was not as much of a cheat against True Grades.
When done, he continued staring at her.
"....?" Elara was confused for a moment.
In the distance, more Ahaiyute approached, their numbers seemingly endless. While only a few True Grades were here, there were a lot of lesser grades. At the northern side of the city, a huge battle was going on; it was the Adventurer's Guild, she was pretty sure. All around the city, anybody who could fight was fighting.
There was a single man engaged against a True Grade in the distance. Must be the Guild Master, from the looks of it. It should be taken care of soon.
So four True Grades were taken care of. Elara's eyes narrowed as she searched for more, and finally spotted one True Grade trying to run away, while a swarm of lesser grades followed him like meat shields, likely planning to report back to their master.
Before she could run after them and finish them, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the sky. Sieran's spell, a torrent of elemental fury, tore through the ranks of the fleeing demons. Even the True-Grade was caught in it. The spell's power was stunning, easily reducing the Ahaiyute to smoldering husks.
Elara couldn't help but scoff. "Always showing off, aren't you, Sieran?"
The blonde boy landed gracefully beside her, his sword still gleaming with dark light, his face blank. He pointed towards the direction where Elara couldn't see anybody. "Two remaining True Grades are hiding there, attempting to flee. There,"
Elara frowned, staring at where he was pointing, and only a second later did she notice the creatures. They were under some high-class light-morphing spell that made them invisible. She whistled softly, impressed that he noticed them before her. "Very impressive. Looks like you know what you're doing. I'll take care of them."
With a shared nod, they both took off in the direction of the fleeing demons. Elara's spear glinted in the sunlight as she closed the distance with blinding speed.
She thrust her weapon forward, the blade piercing through one Ahaiyute's back and out its chest. Stellar Aura exploded from her blade, and the demon let out a gurgling scream before collapsing to the ground, bursting into particles of light.
She turned to face the other Ahaiyute, but it was too late. The boy had already engaged the other Ahaiyute. His sword cut through the air with deadly precision, slicing the demon's wings off before finishing it with a swift decapitation, that odd Dark Sun Aura slicing through the demon with ease.
At the same time, all lesser grades exploded in the sky like fireworks from a Master Spell from Sieran. As the last of the demons fell, Elara landed beside the boy, her breathing heavy but steady. She looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and something else.
"Very impressive," she repeated, an amused curve playing on her lips, although it didn't reach her eyes. "But who are you?"
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