"I detest your icy, slippery little companions." The female demon glanced at him, her lips curving into a captivating smile, but her voice was cold, "And everything ugly."
The female demon, with her black hair and blood-red eyes, suddenly appeared on the deck. Tall and slim, she was completely wrapped in an oversized black robe, with only a hint of red lips and a segment of a white neck coaxing out from under her hood.
She seemed to be carrying something on her back, propping up the robe and making the golden insignia on it particularly noticeable.
The main part of the insignia was a golden '工' character, with two delicate skulls in the indented spaces on either side. Any demon with a bit of reputation would recognize this insignia.
This was the insignia of the Witch King.
Only the direct descendants of the Witch King were allowed to use this insignia.
In the eyes of a wizard, all demons are the same kind of demon.
Blood-red eyes, a heart of darkness.
Just as in the eyes of a demon, all wizards are similar– their flesh emanating a fragrance, souls containing essence.
But discrepancies are always there.
Within the Alliance of Wizards, there exist indifferent Wizard Council and Moonlight Council.
In the world of demons, the influences of several Demon Kings also distinctly segregate.
The Black Ship was a subordinate of the Sea Demon King.
And the female demon who just boarded the ship belonged to the Witch King.
Harry, who was sunbathing and sleeping on a deck chair, had already tumbled into the cabin. His copy of 'Ladies in Flowers' had already disappeared somewhere, and in its place was a clump of roses, vivid and dripping with color.
"What can I do for you, charming lady?" He knelt in front of Nikita on one knee, his face bearing a cordial smile, his red eyes shining like rubies.
If only he could clean the drool at the corner of his mouth, he would be perfect.
"Put on your robe before you speak to me!" The female demon held her head high, her tone filled with utter disdain.
To a witch demon, the robe represented the most rudimentary respect.
Neither the pink POLO shirt, nor the white and green striped beach pants, could make the female demon feel Harry's sincerity.
"Such expressions are simply adorable!" Harry clenched the rose in his hand, tightening his squeeze. Drops of ink-green juice mixed with purple-red seeped out from between his fingers. His red eyes reflected a yearning, like a mad artist seeing a rare treasure: "So adorable that I want to eat you up!"
Nikita paid no heed to Harry's delirious ramblings. She stepped lightly, bypassed the swooning man kneeling before her, and strided directly towards the cabin.
"Hey! Little fairy. How about learning some manners before educating others about respect?" The blond young man had somehow blocked the cabin's door, biting on an unlit cigarette, looking at her with a lazy gaze.
A gust of wind from the sea blew, causing the female demon's robe to rustle, tightly encasing her exquisite figure.
The object she was carrying on her back also revealed a clearer silhouette.
It seemed to be a child.
The blond young lad squinted his eyes.
A witch demon carrying a child wanting to see the captain was too unusual in the world of demons. After all, for demons, the only advantage of a young one is its tender meat and smooth texture.
He licked the corner of his mouth.
The corner of the demon's robe stirred, revealing a dark red Law book with a gold-threaded exterior.
"I'm in a hurry." The female demon raised her head, revealing a pair of captivating eyes. Her dark red pupils sparkled with dangerous hues in the dazzling sunlight.
The blond youth chewed the cigarette in his mouth, slowly savoring the golden tobacco.
He did not respond, but his breaths grew longer.
Above them, the tortured muscular man hanging on the main mast moved his head slightly, as if regaining some vitality.
"We have plenty of time, gorgeous!" Behind her, Harry's fawning voice rang again, "Besides, the little fellow on your back smells even better than you."
The voice was close, as if right by the ear.
The female demon did not look back.
She heard a long drawn-out inhalation sound circling right behind her neck, unending, as if it had no end.
A chilling breath spread from behind her with the inhale, ready to swallow her at any moment.
Witch Demon elders always said that the minions of the Sea Demon King were but a mob just emerged from bestiality, bloodthirsty, lacking reason.
Now, Nikita felt that this summary was not complete.
She thought there needed to be an addition: this mob was also a bunch of crude fellows who had no tolerance or patience for ladies.
She knew that if she didn't give something up, she might find it difficult to enter the cabin just within reach.
The little figure on her back shrank.
She hesitated no longer.
"She comes from the Black Prison." Nikita gently stroked the child on her back, whispering these words.
"Cough, cough, cough." The blond young man seemed to be choked by his own chewed tobacco, clutching his chest, bending over, coughing frantically, not noticing his exposed waist under the bewitching gaze of the female demon.
"Thud!" The muscular man hung up on the mast, struggling to break the ropes binding him, heavily crashing on the deck. The black ship dramatically rocked a few times, stirring ripples across the calm sea.
The icy breath behind her disappeared tracelessly. Nikita could even clearly feel Harry holding his breath, blushingly distancing himself from her.
A satisfied smile crept onto her lip corners.
A female demon always knows when she can stun everyone.
...
"Come in." A gentle but slightly nasal voice came from the cabin.
Pushing aside the blond young man who was bent over coughing insanely in front of her, Nikita lowered herself and crawled into the dark cabin.
In the sky, the big bird that had been circling for a long time cried and suddenly flew away.
"Is it her!" The muscular man touched his bald head, asking in a hoarse voice.
The blond young man was still coughing.
Harry squinted his eyes, watching the big bird go further and further until it became a dot, disappearing in the azure backdrop.
He knew the muscular man was referring to Nikita.
He also understood his meaning, questioning whether the big bird, that had been monitoring the black ship for three days, was looking for Nikita.
This big bird is the wizards' scout.
The scout only shifts its gaze once it sees what it intends to see.
"For such matters, you can only ask the Captain." Harry took out his 'Ladies in Flowers', using it as a fan, grinning at the muscular man with a slick tone.
...
Coming down the downward-leaning stairs to the cabin, Nikita felt somewhat bewildered.
Like the color of the ship, the cabin was pitch black, its space seemed claustrophobic and couldn't hold many things.
This was quite different from the spacious and luxurious hall she had imagined.
Whether during the years when she was a wizard or the days of her decline into a demon, she scarcely saw such confined space. Wizards and demons with slightly superior abilities always had various ways to expand space and create a comfortable environment for themselves.
She blinked, quickly adapting to the dim light in the cabin.
Not far from where the staircase led was a thick wooden pillar, which, judging by its location, was likely the main mast of this black ship. Some wooden boxes were casually piled up under the pillar, and a wine barrel with iron hoops was rolled into the corner of the wall. The barrel lid was open, exposing the emptiness inside.
The female demon's slender eyebrows furrowed.
She could feel the child on her back shivering.
She reached her hand out and gently patted.
"The ship's a bit old, make do with it." A gentle voice came from the lower left, Nikita was only then startled to realize there was a small patch of light in this dark ship bottom.
Right above the illumination was a piece of iron railing, through the gaps of which, the brilliant sun shone into this dark cabin, creating a splash of variegated colors, and rendering the shadows leaning against the left wall even darker.
That gentle voice came exactly from that darkness.