Volume I Chapter 5 Part I: Friendly Enemies

Suddenly…

“Grahhh!”

From the shadows lurking a few meters away from Quote, a wolf of around 1,5 meters of height charged at Quote, aiming its snout armed with sharp white fangs at him.

This enigmatic wolf had a strange, flaming, black pelage and fierce, dark, orange eyes and strong paws displaying dangerous large claws, ready to tear apart any flesh they manage to touch.

Yet…

Quote did not even flinch for a second, and finished off Sayune, cutting her neck as blood splashed on his mask and then it slid down.

Right after, Sayune’s hands holding Quote’s left foot dropped down to the yellowish sand lifelessly.

Meanwhile...

*BA!*

In the middle of the wolf attack, it was stopped by ‘something’ between Quote and the wolf that kicked it away, knocking back the wolf painfully and cracking several of its bones.

*Ihhh*

The wolf cried in pain for a second and then kept its distance, looking at Quote as he removed his black mana blade from Sayune’s corpse.

Right after the wolf was pushed away several meters, a hooded creature wearing a long brown tunic faded in from an optic and magic camouflage.

It was Qoo, and right behind him was also Iri.

“Hehehehehe…” Quote laughed, as the mana blade on his wrist dorsal retracted.

“Hehehehe...this is just so wonderful. I never expected you to be here this early,” Quote added, exclaiming with excitement, as he apparently knew who was this wolf was.

The wolf by its side looked at the Sayune's corpse and howled for a few seconds.

*** *** *** ***

*Gasp* *Gasp* *Gasp*

Sayune stood up from the sand, heavily breathing as she was feeling a severe headache.

“Khh…” Sayune closed her eyes, placing both of her hands on her head, trying to endure the severe pain.

But suddenly she heard a familiar voice whispering intimately, right behind her.

“Embrace the oblivion.”

‘This is…-’

But a second after hearing those words, a dark purple arcane circle of around 9 meters in diameter appeared under Sayune, interrupting her thoughts.

And then several purple mana chains caught her limbs and started to draw her into the circle.

“?! No!...-agh!” Sayune shouted as she was being swallowed by a strange magic sequence and runes she has never seen before in her whole life.

But no matter how much Sayune struggled, she was unable to break free.

And then, in that precise moment, she turned her head to the right and noticed an important detail.

Sayune managed to see herself lying on the sand, as Quote removed his black mana blade out from her neck while a wolf tried to jump on Quote.

…

“Impossible…” Sayune mumbled and then looked down to her hands realizing she was now in her ‘spiritual’ form. She was nothing more than a soul.

“Then this means...Pandora!” Sayune shouted and turned her head and looked forward.

There Pandora was, wearing her usual black astral dress with white outlines and long black stockings.

Pandora fixed her dark yellow orange-ish eyes with large, narrow, black pupils on Sayune, like threatening dragon eyes while her long, white, and silky hair gently fell down to the middle of her back.

Besides that, her whole image was heavily impacted by two black-carmine red, scaly horns coming out from her forehead backwards.

“Pandora! Do something, you cannot let him bury this...our chance!” Sayune shouted, asking for a second chance from Pandora, while the chains kept pulling her in, about to swallow her completely.

There was no response.

Pandora limited herself to turn around, giving the back to Sayune.

“Your shining dreams of future are just an illusion…” Pandora murmured while walking away as she was fading out in little grains of sand.

“Our time is running out Pandora! Don’t let them bury our chance, PAND-!”

Then…

Sayune’s soul was completely swallowed by the hands of the Nether Goddess, and Pandora dissapeared.

Nightmare Realm, Steel Citadel.

The Steel Citadel, this was the legendary town of the exiled Elins known as Reapers, which had withstood several Demon Lords attacks and defeated them.

Two black, large, high, and gothic style towers were able to be seen from afar. This was the palace built by the Reapers and Castanics as their headquarters.

These towers were surrounded by numerous houses and other buildings also with a gothic style. All this along the large and sturdy black walls composed the Steel Citadel, a massive fortified city.

Due to these characteristics, this citadel was almost like a safe heaven for the Reapers and Castanics within the hostile lands they were submerged in.

However, something had changed since the last attack of the third Demon Lord Valmorgur towards the citadel and Valmorgur’s dead at the hands of Zelel.

The whole situation was confusing for the Reapers. Why did Zelel kill Valmorgur in the first place and then offer an alliance to the Reapers?

It was a tricky situation. Even so, Lhya took that fact as proof that Zelel was looking forward a change, for a better tomorrow of her people. Going from enemies to allies in a single day wasn't a great idea for the Reapers at all.

The atmosphere within the citadel had been tense and heavy ever since the demons were allowed to enter the citadel, as they were now walking within the vast citadel of the Reapers.

Both the Demons and the Reapers, looked between themselves every now and then wary of each other’s movements as both sides seemed uncomfortable due to the actual situation.

The Demons have been the Reapers’ natural enemies, and vice versa, ever since the Reapers entered the Nightmare realm forcefully. This explained the complex atmosphere plunging the citadel.

Even so, the Reapers just looked at the Demons, giving threatening looks to them while the Demons did the same thing to the Reapers.

Although just the Reapers had their hands near their weapons in case the Demons tried to suddenly jump on them while the Demons just remained in silence as they carefully advanced, wary of every Reaper around them.

Meanwhile, a few Reapers spoke among themselves when they saw numerous Demons walking down the main street connecting the North Gate to the Palace.

“What is the Crimson Princess thinking?”

“No one has heard a single thing other than the direct order given by our Princess to let the Demons enter the citadel...what is happening?”

“The commanders Lailyn, Tyat, and Dekarin seem to agree with this too…”

“It is the first direct order that our Princess have given to us since we entered this realm, she must have a good reason. Now... keep an eye on those lizardmen over there.”

The different Demons by their side: lizardmen, werewolves, vampires, etc, just stood in silence, walking towards the palace without any weapons on them, although even without a weapon they were still a huge threat towards the citadel.

*** *** *** ***

Reapers’ Palace headquarters meeting room.

The room was large and lit by light-blue magical flames hanging from the main pillars of the building.

All of the ceramics and cement had a gray color, giving a sober atmosphere to the room.

Meanwhile, in the center of the room, there was a long brown table with black, high-class chairs next to it.

The room could easily host around 100 people, although now there were just around 50 people within it.

On the north extreme of the table, Lhya was sitting on her modest throne, with two royal guards behind her, and Lailyn, Dekarin, and Tyat sat on the sides of the table next to Lhya.

They were wearing their usual armors, as this meeting wasn't friendly at all and both sides knew this fact.

In addition, more Reapers were guarding the entrance and others were dispersed within the room, actively guarding the Demons who, at just four, were outnumbered.

Most of them were Officers of the Reapers’ army ranks.

On the other extreme, there was Zelel, the first Demon Lord along with her two Demon royal guards behind her and Surya sitting next to her Highness, at the right side of the large table.

Zelel was seating over a black demonic chair that she had summoned, with one of her legs over the other looking at the scene with an eerie smile.

Lhya was looking straight forward, carefully inspecting Zelel’s attitude, trying to decipher the reasons behind the words that Zelel told her a day ago.

‘What are we?’ Lhya thought to herself, as this question had been in her mind ever since she and many others became Reapers.

“Before we start our meeting and discuss this Bloodpact we made, would you and your people present yourselves to my Officers?” Lhya inquired, breaking the tense silence within the room.

Zelel by her side, stood up and introduced herself with her usual suggestive voice alongside a short yet elegant bow.

“I am Zelel, the First Demon Lord, also known as the Time-Blade. Nice to meet you all, I hope this alliance brings new horizons for both of us.”

While Zelel introduced herself, the Reapers looked at her with their natural curiosity, as they managed to perceive that Zelel was way stronger than any other Demon they had seen before.

Then, she sat back again on her chair looking at Lhya with her emotionless gaze and made a single and short sign with her hand.

After this, Surya stood up and introduced herself.

“I am Surya, the second commander of Zelel forces. I am happy to meet so many impures at the same time.” Surya said condescendingly, fixing her plum-violet eyes on Lhya.

She was clad in a revealing carbon black steel plate armor, which rattled as she bowed upon introducing herself and then sat back onto her seat.

The Reapers looked at each other puzzled upon hearing the word ‘impures’ and then from behind Zelel, one of her royal guards stepped forward.

As the Reapers saw, it was a female demon with a fragile build, similar to Zelel and Surya although she had no horns and had a height of around 5’90’’.

She had short white hair, and her eyes were covered by a black blindfold, but despite this fact, her movements were incredibly precise without a single hint of hesitation.

She was wearing a black, full dress with a black choker around her neck and a short skirt and bloated shoulders, the dress also covered her arms to her wrists with frilly sleeves. Besides this, her dress had an outline of white roses on the bottom part of the skirt.

Her dress also had a slightly low cut, and her hands were covered by tight, black, leather gloves.

On the other side, her chest and female figure were slightly exhibited by her tight dress.

She also wore long black boots and black transparent high-knee socks. Since her skirt was short and had lateral cuts to improve her mobility, her bright beige skin from her tights could be seen.

“I am Nova, Assassin specialist of my Highness.” She introduced herself with a stern expression along with a bow while holding the black, white braided hilt of her long katana, which was sheathed in a black scabbard.

Her katana was hanging from a tight, black belt on her waist. It was around 1,5 meters long, and she also had a sheathed broadsword on her back.

Upon seeing this slight hostility from Nova, the Officers within the room got nervous and some of them summoned their weapons, but Lhya raised her hand signaling for them to stop.

“But Princess-…” One Officer protested.

“Lower your weapons, that is an order,” Lhya spoke without hesitation, with a firm and severe voice.

“Tsk…” The Officer gritted her teeth and unsummoned her weapon reluctantly.

“These impures are getting restless my Highness,” Nova pointed out.

“Fufufufufu...” Zelel giggled at the short scene and then exclaimed.

“Regan, you must introduce yourselves too.”

“Eh? Yes, my Highness..” The male royal guard behind Zelel stepped forward.

This man had short white hair and light green eyes and was wearing a black, tight, assassin suit.

Unlike his counterpart, he wasn't wearing any gloves or a blindfold or even wearing any weapon on him, but his body build was corpulent and slightly muscular.

However, on his wrists, he had two black, iron bracelets which were camouflaged with his attire. Each of the bracelets had a sharp and deadly blade within them.

“I am Regan, and along with my sister, Nova, we are the Assassin specialists of our Highness,” Regan introduced himself, giving a short bow towards Lhya and the others.

In addition, Regan and Nova were Nephilim twins, and since their childhood, they had stood out because of their abilities, which had called the attention of Zelel since the very beginning.

Thus, they ended up being within the elite of the elite within Zelel’s ranks, known as the best assassins within the Nightmare Realm with a number of 71 successful missions out of 71.

“Fufufufufu...good. You now know my people that I brought with me. May we start the meeting now?” Zelel asked calmly.

“I am surprised that you bring your own ‘Assassins’ to an alliance meeting. It is almost like insulting my trust.” Lhya replied back, as she was used to a different kind of diplomacy, back in the Daydream realm.

“Fufufufu...the only difference between mine and yours, is that mine accept the fact that they are assassins instead calling themselves ‘soldiers.' Both are the same thing in the end, don’t you think?” Zelel replied back giggling.

“Ha. That’s an interesting point of view. I will keep it in mind.” Lhya replied back, a little caught off guard by Zelel’s answer, though she did not show any visible sign of it.

“Back to the main point of this meeting, we as Reapers already gave you all that you demanded, it is your turn now, Zelel,” Lhya replied back, fixing her dark orange eyes on Zelel.

“Fufufufufu...I am grateful that your kind did, we will for sure try to accomplish your demands too.” Zelel replied nodding her head once.

“Just remember our pact, we want a definitive peace for our people and look forward to the very best for our people,” Zelel added.

Lhya stood in silence a few seconds, as she knew that the Demons by themselves are tricky, more so the ones with such power as Zelel, Lhya needed to think carefully about her next step.

“I want you to reside in my palace alongside your people if you want too. I also want a few answers too. That would be all for now.” Lhya explained her demands.

The Officers at her sides murmured between themselves, with a clear opposition to their Princess’ strange and sudden decision.

“What?”

“We should be fighting them! Not allying with them!”

“This is stupid…”

“Oh? May I know the reason?” Zelel asked, surprised by Lhya’s first demand. Even Surya widened her eyes upon hearing Lhya’s demand.

“You must have your friends close, and your enemies closer,” Tyat exclaimed with her arms crossed, and then fell into her usual silence, looking at Zelel.

“Ha?! You filthy impure crap, do not insult my Highness if you want to keep your head!” Surya exclaimed, upset. She slapped the table and stood up at the same time upon hearing Tyat’s words.

The Reapers, seeing this sudden reaction and driven by their nervousness, summoned their weapons once again.

But Lhya, Tyat, Lailyn, and Dekarin remained calm.

Simultaneously, Nova by her side took the hilt of her katana and pulled out a tenth of the blade, ready to draw it and defend her Highness.

“Ha, Surya always making a scene,” Regan exclaimed ironically, as he tensed his muscles, ready to stop any attack from the Reapers.

“Fufufufu…Surya.” Zelel just giggled while lifting her hand, signaling to do nothing Nova sheathed her blade, and Regan relaxed.

“I am sorry, my Highness.” Surya bowed politely and sat back.

After that, the Reapers unsummoned their weapons again.

“As you can see, we still look at you as enemies, and the only way to change that, is for us to have all of you closer and to get used to your presence. If we want this alliance to work, we must work as one.” Lhya replied back, explaining the reasons of her demand.

Zelel stood in silence for a few seconds and then replied.

“It will be interesting. I accept your demand; we will settle down here among your people.” Zelel accepted without thinking about it twice.

In comparison with Lhya, Zelel’s word was absolute, and if her people were against it, she would kill any opposition.

Since the very beginning, Zelel had been a merciless and bloody ruler. Even so, she somehow won the respect, loyalty, and love of her people, as, unlike the other Demon Lords, she had always fought for the unification of the Nightmare Realm, although in her own way.

“Good, I hope the best for both of us. Now, regarding my questions, you said that you would explain what we really are, and who Leliel is, didn’t you?” Lhya spoke her next and last demand.

“Leliel is my sister and the second Demon Lord; we are both Liliths. She was sealed a decade ago by an unknown source.” Zelel lied, yet it was impossible to Lhya to determine this fact.

“I see, but I remember Commander Surya said that ‘Leliel made her move.'” Lhya pointed out.

“Fufufufu...indeed, but we haven’t had any kind of communication with her, Surya is an expert at tracking dark mana and/or mana signatures, that’s how we managed to know that she moved,” Zelel explained.

“And respecting what you really are, you ‘Reapers’ are a mix between dark mana and mana, a mix of both worlds. Your species is the key for us to step into the other world and vice versa.” Zelel added, but this explanation just plagued Lhya’s head with more questions.

But before Lhya could form her next question, the doors of the meeting room were abruptly opened by a Reaper, interrupting the meeting.

“My Princess! The Timeless Wizard is in trouble!” The Reaper said flustered upon entering the room.

“She is fighting with the Sinister Wizard! We don’t know why but...she is way weaker than the last time we saw her.” The Reaper added in a hurry while trying to recover her breath.

“What?” Lhya exclaimed in surprise as she stood up from her seat.

She was unable to understand the feeling within her fragment of life, but deep inside her, Lhya knew that Sayune warned about something like this.

“We must mobilize and bring her here before it is too late. Now!” Lhya exclaimed as the Reaper nodded and then Lhya looked at Zelel.

“This is your time to prove yourself to be a worthy ally and help us to save a friend of ours,” Lhya exclaimed, as Zelel was able to taste her despair.

“Fufufufufu...as you wish,” Zelel replied shortly, with an eerie smile on her face.

‘Sayune, what are you doing?’ Lhya thought to herself, as she still remembers that she refused to help Sayune back then, when she warned that something like this would happen.

“I will give a little push to all of you so that you can connect with your deepest demons within you,” Zelel exclaimed, as she stood up off her throne.

“I warn that it can be dangerous if you cannot control the demons within all of you,” Zelel added.

“My Highness, will you infuse them with dark mana? That can be troublesome; they are impures, they barely control the amount they have now...It is a bad idea” Surya opposed.

“That’s not our problem,” Zelel replied back giggling and then snapped her fingers.

A second after, Lhya and every other Reaper within the room felt a sharp headache as numerous voices whispered within their heads.

“Aghh…” Lhya cried in pain while gritting her teeth while others fell on their knees, trying to endure the sudden and painful infusion of dark mana to their mana bodies.

‘Finally...I have been waiting for you...to awaken your true form.’ Lhya heard a female voice in her head...it was Surya’s voice.

‘What does this mean?! Are you trying to control me?!’ Lhya shouted back to Surya’s voice in her head, while the headache started to fade away.

‘Hmmm...only if you are weak will I consume you, but you have passed my first test for now... You have surprised me, crappy impure.’ Surya replied back.

Meanwhile, Zelel was looking at the Reapers with an eerie smile, enjoying the painful scene while calmly sitting back on her throne. She looked to Surya.

“Seems like you found out your Iblis, Surya...fufufufufu…” Zelel exclaimed, carefully looking at the scene.

“Ha. I will consume her at the first chance she gives me.” Surya replied carelessly to Zelel.

“Fufufufufu...we will see. I was unable to find my Iblis once again, such a shame.” Zelel replied with a fake sad tone.

“These midgets are unworthy of such a worthy Demoness like my Highness,” Nova replied with a stern voice.

“Haha! Says the one who partnered with a midget too.” Regan exclaimed ironically, looking at Nova.

“Well, that Reaper... Lailyn, has more in common with me than what I thought, it will be fun to be her Iblis.” Nova replied to her brother with a stern yet female voice.

“Regan, maybe if our Highness brings here a goblin you will be able to get a worthy Iblis as well,” Nova added.

“Hahahahahahaha…” Regan laughed loudly.

“...wait, you said goblin? Well, bring one here then. We will frolic through the black sands of our realm, and devour the weaker demons merrily as the odd duo we are. Whatever you say, my little sister." Regan replied back to Nova, challenging her words with a mocking tone.

“By the way…Define 'fun', sister.” Regan asked back to Nova, while Zelel kept staring at the Reapers taking their heads in their hands, trying to endure the pain.

Nova remained silent, as she knew very well the ironic personality of her brother.

“You and that...midget *cough* ‘little girl’…wait, don't tell me you plan to cross the line between two ladies?" Regan accused while stepping back, shocked at the world his sister is heading in.

“*Sigh*” Nova only sighed, due to despite the years that had passed since their childhood, Regan hadn’t changed at all his personality.

Zelel, for her part, was completely focused on the scene before her eyes ignoring Regan and Nova’s chatter.

She lightly licked her lips while fluttering her wide, black wings as hearing their screams and seeing their faces twisting in pain was a delightful scene for her eyes.

A few minutes before Sayune’s death.

Arun continent, Velika province.

Velika, Free Traders Collective Hall, main meeting room.

The Queen of Pora Elinu, Valentina, along with the Princess Caut, the representative Feremi, Nethaniel, the Master Clan Leader of the Castanic Clan, and lastly Mech, the Pora Elinu’s priestess, were sitting around a long marble table next to Valentina.

Valentina was in the top right corner sitting on a black marble high-class chair, being the supreme authority of the Pora Elinu Nation, while on the top left corner was Adiar, sitting on a black marble throne.

Each leader had the people they were most confident in sitting next to them, discussing their next step in the impending war.

At this moment, Valentina was speaking about her Nation investments.

She was wearing her primaveral, white, countryside, high-class, silk dress, while her hands were covered by fine silk gloves.

“The joint work between the Castanic Clan and the Pora Elinu Nation has manufactured the Timberwolf. And not only that, we are currently manufacturing six more ships: one battleship with the codename of Direwolf, and five other ships for transportation means, to support our troops and economy...”

Valentina spoke calmly and clearly, while articulating with her hands along her speech, her blue eyes fixed on Adiar.

“...Also, Nethaniel’s people along with Lyns have been able to create a new long-distance communication device applying Noctenium technology, which will be delivered to all our allies to keep a fluid communication, since that is primordial in our current situation.”

Valentina kept explaining her Nation’s advances along the Castanic Clan while Adiar and his generals just looked at her, with a stern gaze.

“Lastly, the Pora Elinu Nation will be donating numerous supplies that should be arriving during the next week, to help Velika’s citizens.” Valentina finalized her speech and looked at Caut.

“We will also interrogate the only prisoner that our soldiers managed to arrest during all this mess,” The Princess Caut added after her mother’s speech ended.

Caut was wearing a simple white dress with light-blue floral ornaments here and there, emphasizing her short orange hair and blue eyes.

However, Caut’s eyes and focus weren't at the meeting. Instead, they were on Mech, since she had been strangely uneasy and tense.

Caut was able to say that Mech hadn’t heard even a single thing about the meeting, Mech’s ocher wolf ears were completely tensed up.

“My Sentinels will keep patrolling Velika and its outskirts, we must be wary of any other attack, this situation cannot repeat itself,” Nethaniel exclaimed with a stern voice.

“Indeed, in the name of the Free Traders Collective, we are really grateful for all your help, this alliance will certainly bring a shiny future for all of us,” Adiar replied back, giving a short bow from his seat.

“We have been trying to stabilize and foment the markets again. About the prisoner, he has informed us that they were formerly soldiers from the Enlighten Union, but they deserted and joined the Iron Order, he did not say anything else.” Adiar informed.

“That’s good to hear, we can still trust in the Enlighten Union then,” Nethaniel exclaimed, yet he had his doubts about Adiar’s words, something in Adiar never fit him well for Nethaniel.

Nethaniel looked at Adiar and then at Valentina.

‘I wonder what this girl thinks about him.’ Nethaniel thought to himself.

“Good, then I will send a messenger of mine directly to Derene in the name of my Queen, that we will be sharing all our technologies with her,” Feremi informed him.

She was wearing her cardinal red victorian dress, and while she spoke, she was preparing some papers on the table.

“What?!” A Human General shouted in surprise demanding an answer of Valentina, while the others Generals of Adiar also looked at her surprised.

“It’s correct. I will do that.” Valentina backed up Feremi’s words.

Adiar was also surprised and annoyed by Valentina’s sudden unilateral decision, but he did not show the slightest sign of it and kept his neutral gaze on Valentina.

“Hahahahaha...so common of you.” Nethaniel laughed, used to Valentina’s personality.

Ever since he met Valentina, she has made this kind of unilateral decisions.

However, most of all her decisions had been accurate and well thought out, or at least that Nethaniel thought about Valentina’s decisions.

Meanwhile…

Mech was still uneasy and tense, as her sharp senses felt an abrupt disruption within the mana fluctuations.

‘Mother...what are you doing?’ Mech thought to herself, as the power given by Sayune did not just give her visions, they also somehow linked Mech and Sayune.

Caut was carefully looking at Mech from the other side of the table, while Valentina was also aware of Mech’s current situation, but she needed to focus on the ongoing meeting.

‘What’s going on...her fluctuations are-’ Mech was focusing her whole attention when suddenly…

Sayune’s mana fluctuations were abruptly cut off.

Mech immediately brought up her hands to her mouth as a tear slid down her cheek, and Caut widened her eyes upon seeing this.

Mech knew from experience, when someone’s mana fluctuations suddenly disappear from the global mana fluctuations, it just meant one thing: death.

“Himph…” Mech whimpered shortly, trying to hide her suffering and tears.

“Uh?” Nethaniel looked at Mech upon hearing her short whimper.

“Mech? What is happening?” Caut spoke, interrupting the meeting while Valentina was trying to explain her reasons of why sharing her technology with the Enlighten Union would be a good idea.

“Mother…” Mech cooed, as the only person who fulfilled part of her solitude was now gone.

The only one who could have the answers of what she is, her purpose and why those Eidolons suddenly appeared when she was in Velika was now...dead.

She was once again abandoned to her own luck, just like before.

‘I...I…’ Mech kept crying, unable to understand why all this is happening to her...it was so unfair.

‘I...I will find the answer...I must trust in myself.’ Mech thought to herself and then abruptly stood up from her seat.

“Mech?” Valentina asked surprised while Caut just looked at her.

“M-my apologies to everyone, I must attend to something of great importance.” Mech bowed quickly and then left the room as fast as she could.

Valentina, Caut, and Nethaniel were able to see her tears still, unable to understand what just happened.

“My apologies.” Valentina bowed respectfully towards Adiar and his generals and then looked at Caut.

“Caut you can go with her. Nethaniel and I will keep going with this meeting.” Valentina exclaimed softly, as Caut nodded.

Then, Caut stood up off her seat, gave a polite bow to Adiar and his Generals and left the room.

“*Ahem* Let’s continue then…” Nethaniel resumed, as he began to give the report of supplies, active soldiers, and necessary equipment…

Credits to LechnerPR for editing!