Baal PoV

That night was really peaceful. Unlike in the towns that had all those thieves which had back up this foreigner assassin was stupid enough to come without any to inform them or call for back up so I got my first bit of decent sleep since I cast the Nightmare Inferno.

Damn I need to be careful with that spell. The rebound may be just a week of nightmares but that takes its toll on your mind. To not be able to sleep for a whole week while at the same time you have to hang on for dear life on the back of a drill rabbit while travelling I felt exhausted.

I woke up the next morning only after waking up naturally well into the morning. The sounds of the people outside training or chatting near the market told me it well into the day. I look out and see the monster training scolding a few animals and teaching them how to properly move around. On the other side I spot Hugh doing the same thing to the trainees I went to Galton with.

Seeing them again made me feel a bit outcast. I should have been in the middle of that if I wasn’t a demon and grew up so quickly.

The next thing I looked at with sharpened eyes were the shadows and alleys. After a while I confirmed there was no one sneaking about, though I stayed on the alert.

I then get dressed and with my armor on and with my weapons strapped into the correct spot I leave.

(For those who are wondering he puts his weapons like this. The scythe is strapped on a sheath that holds it on his back. The sickle with chain is on his left side and his dual sickles are on the right side. The gun has a holster just behind the chain sickle.)

I leave the room refreshed after my first good sleep in a while. Though I was cheerful the paladins and guards were far from it. All of the experienced Paladins were fully armed for combat though they tried to hide it I could tell the subtle difference in armor from the normal one.

Baal: So they brought out the good stuff.

The armor was shining white a bit different from the normal steel which was probably enchanted to shine like mithril. The design is a bit different as well. The normal armor looks like heavy full plate steel armor.

(http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131111224324/elderscrolls/images/a/a7/Nord_Plate_Armor.jpg)

The new armor was still that but the design gave it a more intimidating appearance like a monster would.

(http://i.imgur.com/fQdwxJd.gif)

Seems Raio’s took my word for it and is now on total alert. Guess I wasn’t the only person who didn’t trust foreigners who weren't craftsmen. Speaking of craftsman I head off to Sophia’s shop. I was excited to see what she would think up of.

Arriving I walk in and see Sophia over a mannequin with steel plate armor on it.

Sophia: Oh you're here good. What do you think?

Baal: Its this?

Sophia: Yep. What you see is because of an enchantment that hides the real form. If you were seen in full armor with it. People would mistake you for a demon without even transforming.

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/fc/42/db/fc42dbd94a51a59fc8f60c28e6f822c5.jpg)

Baal: So what’s it made out of?

Sophia: Well that steel armor you gave me was melted and reformed. The blacksmith also added a coating of mithril but I made sure the enchantment turned the white color into an intense black to fit your demon image. Now then put this puppy on and lets see the real form.

She pulls everything off the mannequin and pushes me into the back. Like I said before the armor looked like any full plate steel armor. I still put it on though since I paid for it. Even the helm I added to see but it just made me feel like a newbie adventure getting his first set of heavy armor.

Sophia: You ready?

Baal: Ya but I can't help think I was cheated looking at this gear it feels like i’m a newbie.

Sophia: Thats a charm of the armor. It makes your opponent underestimate you now come out here and transform.

I walk out and surprisingly the armor that looks like it would restrict my movements. Sophia was standing outside with a large mirror that showed my whole body.

Sophia: Go on.

I did as she asked and activated my transformation. The same moment I started to change I could see the slits the armor starting to turn black. Suddenly the helms eye slits opened up a bit and at the spot they connected in a V it split and ran down the middle and opened about 1 inch. I also felt a shift in the shoulder guards. When I looked at the mirror I saw that they were folding and seem to break making 3 pieces. Each ended in a sharp point and were fixed one on top of the other like scales. This separation kept following down the arm as the arm guard broke down into sections which overlap each other. After it reached the elbow the iron began gathering on the top and ended with a long sharp point which continued until the wrist where it opened up but remained the same way. The breastplate began warping as well and started to make strange figures that gave it a demonic form. I felt the back of the armor open up as my wings spread. The legs also looked spiky and looked like a dragon's scales laying over one another with many sharp edges. The last thing I felt was my horns that were appearing and riding close to my head. As they leave from under my feathers from behind the head the helm began to shape according to them. It had also become larger to hold my larger head with the feather so now it took a slight similarity to my normal head as a tengu.

(http://www.padnd.com/arkuth/images/people/armor_full_plate.png)

Sophia: Wow...your...scary in that armor.

I look towards her and she had actually backed up.

Baal: Didn’t you expect something like this?

Sophia: No the design was a bit different. More simple.

Baal: Maybe it became like this because my form is different than what was planned since you never asked me to show you it.

Sophia: Ya that seems about right. But man if anyone sees you like this.

She walks around me taking it all in. My weapons had all been strapped into the proper spots.

Sophia: They would scream “Its a Demon” or something like that. Thats the image you're giving now.

I look at myself again in the mirror and pulling out the scythe I took a few poses and was satisfied.

Baal: This is great. Now I can have both the good knight image and the demon boss one as well.

Sophia: If you could let out pressure or like some demon bosses that black fog it would probably cause some serious fear to those around you.

I looked a bit more and grinned wide in my helm before turning back to human form and chuckling

Sophia: You're a strange man for one of the natives.

Baal: Hmm what's weird?

Sophia: You don't know? Well normally, at least from our point of view, natives dont usually ask for custom armor like you. From what I know the only people who have ever asked were the king and the 6 popes of the 6 great churches.

Baal: Well I guess then I am weird but its not like I will change because you told me that. Anyway thank you for the work.

I bowed and turned back to human form and removed the helmet and left since I paid beforehand. I pull the helmet off and store it and leave hearing Sophia saying good bye.

As I exit the shop happy with my purchase I feel that all to annoying feeling of a rat looking at me. My eyes instantly flies and spots all the culprits. 6 in total, 1 master assassins, 2 powerful mage and 3 seasoned warriors.

The assassin was hiding in the covers of the alleys while the mage and warriors were at the stands in the main street.

It irked me to see them hide so poorly...or am I just too good at finding them. From the gear they are wearing I would gauge them to be around mid 300s to low 400s but considering anyone can wear lower grade armor I would wager on high 300s to high 400s. Such pains in the asses. I examine all of them but don't see the mark of any guild, which was obvious they wouldn’t have on since they planned to stalk someone.

With all of them to the left side of Sophia’s shop I head to the right which was where I was already going to go since the cathedral is that way. I plan to see if they will take the opportunity when given so along they way I head into a somewhat spacious alley and cast shadow cloak and hide. Before that though, I leave them a little gift.

As I had suspected the whole party carefully comes into the alley armed ready to fight. When they see no one they enter cautiously the assassin at the back. I chuckled to myself at how simple they were as they drew closer to my little gift. Unfortunately they were stopped.

Assassin: Wait guys. I feel something off.

The assassin moves carefully and he examines the ground looking for traps. Let me tell you when I said I hide in shadows its not an understatement. As long as I’m in the shade of a building or within a house away from light I can be in front of an experienced assassin without him noticing me. To affirm this point I had walked behind the party and set up a timed magic circle at the entrance of the alley and then walked to the other side without them noticing and set up the same spell.

At the moment I’m walking about setting up small traps here and there for the soon to be panicking party. As I finish my preparations I walk into the light just outside the alley and look towards the party.

Baal: Good luck boys.

They all looked with dumbstruck faces as I appeared from thin air. The same moment the two circles at the end of the alleys activate and two thick walls of earth rise closing the alley. From my side I could hear them panicking.

Assassin: I knew it. Its a trap.

Water mage: How did you not notice before.

Assassin: It’s a trap I’ve never seen or felt before.

Knight: Move it I’ll smash these walls real quick.

Assassin: Wait they may be m…

Before he could say it the stupid warrior rushed forward activating a large series of spells I had set up for him. Warrior based classes are powerful in close combat but unless they are part magic class they are just as weak as if they had no armor on. With a large series of consecutive explosions from the alley the warrior fell over with only 20% of his life while breathing heavily from the massive damage.

Assassin: you moron can't you hear me for once. If he set up one trap he definitely set up many more.

Fire mage: This guy is good. He made a trap that did consequent damage which stacked on top of the previous one if it hits the same area. Since it was many fire bomb spells he could cover so much space. Its like a warrior classes nightmare.

Assassin: can you get us out of here with air magic.

Water: We did learn how to fly but it will be shaky if he try with such heavy people.

Assassin: Get me out at least then I can keep up with the guy while you wait for backup.

Water: Alright but it will cause a bit of damage. [Geyser].

The spell activated under the Assassin and shot him upwards. I had already vanished from the area but nothing kept me from being careful of this so as a safety precaution if they thought of doing this too quickly I set up a few more spells. [Hell Chain]. The spell activated from 7 small circles, thanks Dok for perfecting small circles. The chains shot out and grabbed the assassin and held him in mid air for the duration of the spell which was about 30 seconds unless he could break out or had help doing so.

The assassin slumped while being chained showing how defeated he felt. The other 5 also felt rage from such a humiliating defeat like this.

I laughed all the way to the cathedral and only stopped when I was near Commander Raio.

Raio: What's so funny to have you laughing so hard.

I tell him what happens. Those around us also heard and started laughing out loud while the commander struggled to keep from laughing as well. His face was twitching as he held his laughter in.

Raio: If only I was there to see it. Anyway I see you got new armor. Pretty plain looking if you ask me.

Baal: Sophia made it. It changes when I transform.

Raio: If its armor Sophia and those she has connections with it must be strong. Let me guess, this look is to throw others off right.

I nod.

Raio: Good Sophia is good at thinking ahead it’s helped save many of our lives.

Baal: So anything new happen?

Raio: Yes. We received a report that 3 large parties of at least 100 people arrived bearing the flag of the White Wing Hero’s Guild. The guard didn’t like seeing so many of the same guild in one place. Especially when its an unknown guild like their own so they blocked their passage and reinforced their patrols. We did pass of the message to them about our feeling of unease and it seems they took our word for it.

Baal: So you think war is coming?

Raio: I don't know but judging by who they are after you they may see you as a threat and want to get rid of you so you don't interfer.

Baal: Wouldn’t they do the same to you and the church?

Raio: We aren’t attending to anyone anymore during this time not even our own kind just to be safe that now one infiltrates. The 7 foreigner bishops were also dismissed and sent to other cities. Today we also had the trainees sent as well with a cover being they were going to a dungeon to train.

Baal: and the guild members that are already in the city?

Raio: Ever heard of the guild that watches over the natives.

I nod.

Raio: They are collaborating with us and have an agent behind each and every member of the guild within the city. Unlike the foreigners who you seem to notice instantly as soon you are near them. These are in a league of their own.

Baal: How much better can they be?

???: Good enough to sneak up on you.

The voice was right into my right ear and it made me sweat cold. I felt paralysed by fear but I willed myself to turn to see the owner of the voice. The figure in front of me was of a well endowed woman in a skin tight black cloth clothing that seem to make her shimmer. Only her black endless eyes were visible with a bit of her pale white skin around them. Unless you focused you would completely miss her. Her very presence was faint and seemed almost nonexistent and it was clear that she was letting me feel her presence so I can see her because if she wanted to I would remain blind. On her waist was a long thin curved blade with a shorter one on the front the size of a dagger.

(Her look is like any ninja https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/15/a2/9d/15a29d8158e1e6afad2b660aa709567a.jpg)

Raio: Good to see you.

Ninja: Like wise commander.

Raio: Looks like you scared the boy to much.

Ninja: I was watching him from a small distance since he left this morning like you asked. I’m impressed by the skill he showed in spotting hidden foes. To spot a master rank assassin is no easy feat.

Baal: F-from the way you speak I can only expect grandmaster rank for you.

Ninja: Good intuition boy. My name is Hikaru, I’m an agent of The Assassins Guild that works hidden within the Church.

Baal: She’s been here since I arrived.

Hikaru: Yes Demon Prince, I know all about you. Michel has asked me watch over you when you were still here as a baby. It’s only the time you spent in Galton Castle that I have not seen your growth.

Raio: His Grace sees you and Lilian as our the people who will bring change to our world so he has the best protect you from the shadows.

I was in shock. To think I was stalked from when I was a baby and even now I was still watched.

Baal: By chance was me being watched also to keep me from trouble.

Hikaru: Of course. Didn’t a few random adults ever scold you or saved you at least once.

Thinking I did remember a few who did. When we started hunting rabbits we didn’t know how to butcher them and a hunter appeared and taught us. When we got hurt once hunting a few fox that was too much for Lilian, Plum, Rook and I, a retired guard saved us that time as well.

Baal: So all those life threatening moments we were saved was you that intervened.

Hikaru: Of course. I would not let Michel down. He sees a lot in you so I have protected you. We should continue inside where it's safer for me to be exposed.

I nod and the woman vanishes like air. Her existence itself feels like its vanished and I start wondering if I was hallucinating. Raio sees may face and throws one arm over my shoulder and starts dragging me inside.

Raio: Dont worry about it kid. All the assassins of the guild can be called a mystery. For someone who just met one i’m amazed you could even talk with her. Let me guess you’re wondering if she was an illusion.

Baal: Ya it felt like I was talking with a ghost. Her presence was so thin.

Raio: Yep the first day I met her I was in so much shock I lost her the moment I spotted her. You need to focus intensely to see her even when she shows herself. If you think yourself good with hiding in the shadows you would still be too inexperienced at sneaking to hide from them.

Baal: I remember hearing they kill foreigners but don't they just revive again?

Raio: Each of them hold a special weapon with them. If they deem an action of the foreigner unforgivable they will use that to kill them. It’s special because it cuts all their links to this world and they can't revive anymore.

Baal: Though they will return with a new body.

Inside we headed up into a meeting room. In their was the 5 bishops Michel, who was smiling, the 15 commanders and next to Michel a woman 180 cm tall wearing a long dress dark blue in color, like the night sky, that was held by a piece of cloth which wraps into a large bow on her back. (kimono) Her waist length black hair was left loose. On her side was a long curved blade in an elegant black sheath.

(http://i57.tinypic.com/swe3bm.jpg)

I was captivated by the beauty. So much perfection with such a simple dress. With that sword even with that dress I could feel she could easily deal with all the men in the room alone.

Raio: Stop gawing Baal thats the young lady you saw outside.

Baal: Wha! Thats Hikaru?

She giggled.

Hikaru: You should be honored young prince. It’s not everyday that I show myself without my assassins garbs.

Baal: So the clothes really did help you vanish like that.

She grinned when she heard me and vanished from her spot and the next moment after I couldn’t feel her, her presence appeared behind me and that elegant sword was touching with the flat side of the blade on my left cheek.

Hikaru: Though a few say the clothes make the man that doesn't mean its the same case for me young prince.

All of a sudden all the commanders started laughing though controlled unlike when I told the paladins about the foreigners.

Michel: Please Hikaru put KuroI Kage

(Black Shadow. Ya ya I know creative name)

Hikura: *giggles* Ok Michel.

She removes the sword from my face and puts it back in her sheath. As I look I see the blade’s name fits it perfectly. As if a shadow itself the black sword with an all too elegant curve. On the blade, ever so subtle the irregular temper line on the blade looked like black flames that reminded me of my week of horrible nightmares.

Looking at the blade I and the fear I felt from her suddenly appearing made me jump back while losing strength in my legs while I was shaking uncontrollably in fear. Everyone in the room looked at me with worried looks at the unusual displace.

I lower my head and with my shaking hands I hold my head and breath deep long breaths. Michel and Slade come up to me and put their hands on my shoulder which makes me jump.

Michel: Calm down. What's gotten into you. I’ve never seen you so scared before.

Baal: l-l-le-t m-me ca-alm d-down.

I spent a good 5 minutes calming down before I began explaining what happened against the Silverback and the spell I activated.

All of them including Hikaru looked in horror as I told me in vivid detail what I saw happen to it and then the constant week long nightmares. A few of the commanders and even one of the bishops ran to the window because they couldn’t take it. Everyone in the room turned pale by the time I finished.

Michel: T-to think something like that exists. Baal please take great caution when you use that spell. It will cause a great toll on your mind if you use it to much.

Baal: I still can’t use the spell again yet. It can be used only once a month. Also this is created at the end of the spell.

I pull the Silverback's soul crystal and place it on the table.

Michel picks it up and examines it. I could see a bit of sweat on his face as he reads out loud what he could find out about it.

Michel: Can we have this?

Baal: Yes I have no real need for it and seeing it reminds me of the event.

Michel: Commander Celso please take this with Bishop Alexander and have this researched and then used properly. Magic ingredients like this do not come around that easily and I will definitely not force Baal to continue to hunt down powerful creatures with this spell.

A thin commander with brown crisp hair walked up to Michel and took the orb before returning to his post.

Michel: Now to get to the real reason we are here. As you may already know gentlemen. The guild by the name of White Wing Hero’s has been gathering in large numbers in this town. Normally no self respecting man would think of attacking especially when we are here but I fear the worst may happen. We currently have over 200 agents of the Hikura’s guild in the city hounding the higher ups and the lesser groups to know their every move. The vice leader himself is also her and is spying on the guildmaster and this is what he found.

He pulled out a small note book and flipped through the page.

Michel: It says an attack on Hasana will happen within the week. With at least 80% of their forces trapped outside because the guards blocking them they are start a siege on the city and are secretly making some siege weapons deep in the forest.

Hikura: Let me tell you a siege does not count as unforgiving conduct unless they do so without letting out the citizens. If they attack without warning our guild will personally hunt down every last one of them.

Michel: Yes well then, their total forces number around 5000 men but we think its more. They are far spread but have been grouping up as they come closer. Their plans are to come from all sides of the city.

Baal: Have you told the king?

Hikura: Yes. I have delivered a copy of the report to him and he has begun secretly preparing for them. You may not have noticed but the city is slowly being evacuated of its citizen. The church will be working together with the royal guard and the kings army stationed here.

Raio: It will take about a week to clear the town but I think they might notice after a few days.

Baal: What of the members within the town.

Hikura grinned and with her slender finger she slides it over her neck.

Hikura: Tomorrow.

With that innocent face but that scary personality I felt a shiver run down my back.

Hikura: We should start to plan out what we will do when the fighting starts. Baal please tell us all about any new abilities you gained while being away from my eyes. This way we can include them in the strategy don't leave a single one out.

With that quiet deadly pressure forcing me I began talking about all the skills and spells I learned and even handed over the several books of Magic Circle Formation to them which made all of them slack jawed before grinning like idiots. For the whole day we talked and made strategies for any situation before we went to sleep only to do the same for the next few days.

Lilian PoV

Things have gotten weird after I started healing the land of the demon world. First of was this curved black mark on my head. It looked like half the yin yang mark from what I saw in the mirror. It was the black half and the small white spot was in the proper spot as well.

(http://www.happehtheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/YinYangView-VerticalHalf.jpg)

I looked at my stats but I didn't find anything that would make this mark appear. It appeared the night after I cleared the town of miasma. I was told that it was the first night in their life that they had a peaceful nights rest since they were born.

The villagers of the town were all skinny and pretty weak so the same day we went out and tried hunting. We found that the demon monsters here are no joke. If I thought Plum who was the size of an elephant as strong it didn’t compare to this behemoth of a rat that we found along with hundreds of other smaller ones.

Vil’crI explained to us that unlike in the Mortal world the animals that are considered, herbivores or gentle, there are the top of the food chain here. Its the demons who are at the bottom here and only the most powerful can fight them. All this was said as he killed the boss by draining its mana and life after having attached himself to its back. It clearly showed that Vil’crI could kill us if he so wished it with ease. After Vil’crI killed the boss we were able to kill at least a third of the rats before to many ran away.

With so much meat which was probably contaminated we dragged as much as we could back to the town.

As we passed the newly formed barrier that my white miasma formed. The meat was being blocked and from behind them a large pool of miasma was being pushed out. The slowly passed through the barrier as the corruption in its body was pushed out. As we dragged more in we handed them around to everyone and they were all quickly taken and eaten by the starving populace. when it came to drag the behemoth we opted to push the barrier because it would become too hard to do it any other way.

I landed on its back and began absorbing the miasma using my wings since it was easier and from the top side the white miasma was released. It quickly formed an orb around me and slowly eats away at the corruption in its surrounding while spreading. The rat that was a good 15 meters long from nose to tail slowly changed from its red color to a pink one of a normal rat with no hair. After the body was purified it was pulled in and chopped up and useful parts taken to craftsmen who have only been able to get few useful stuff in this barren land.

We continued hunting for about a week and during that time when ever we found a place to take a break I would always make more pure areas slowly making many green spots in this world.

The thing about this miasma is that if their is enough of them in an area they will slowly expand towards each other and expand the area of influence.

With the presence of all these safe spots the demon guards started to leave the town as hunters and help us out. The only trouble was Vil’cri. Because he was filled with Miasma of his own he would be blocked by the barrier and have to force an opening in it to enter the safe spots.

The effect of having the area purified is that the miasma thinned out and more powerful creatures started to appear. Instead of the great number of rat herds we found packs of 30-40 wolves which were as big as horses but still less dangerous than rats who attack in hundreds. Other powerful creatures like other demon rabbits were easy to find but hard to kill even by for Plum. One thing we noticed about Demon rabbits here and Rook is that Rook is much smarter. Not by just a bit. He is much less savage and can plan ahead if he is facing a foe of equal or more power than himself. These in the demon world look warped with little sense of self and only attack to hunt or protect their territory.

Whenever Plum find a demon rabbit she personally takes it down not letting any of us help before we purify the area around their cave warrens. I also take the time to clear their homes of miasma so that if they leave any creature that is less corrupt and can live in this pure environment can live here.

I don't know whats in store in the future but I know it will be much harder than this but I will make sure to grow stronger than this and the demon meat I've been eating is making me stronger. I will get strong enough to save this world.