"Answer my call, Raphael!"

"Answer my call, Cypress!"

The woman's attention is drawn to the sudden beam of light that emanates from them. A sarcastic smirk wrinkles her lips as she passes her gaze over their Blessings and blazing souls.

Aragons.

"My, I hadn't realized I had new visitors. Please feel free to take any of the available seats," she greets them with a charming voice.

Raia leaps at her with her blazing longsword, and an ear-splitting sound reverberates throughout the room as the Cimmerian blocks her attack with the microphone without losing her cool. Her lips curve into a devilish smile.

"What bravado!" the Cimmerian exclaims, amused. "So much for your holiness. Lady, you might want to keep your temper under control."

Raia's gaze falls on the unyielding microphone and realizes what it is.

"Raia, watch out!" Raiden issues a warning just as the performer launches an attack.

"Tormenting Echo."

The microphone releases an invisible powerful force and slams Raia into the wooden wall. She winces in pain as she collapses to the ground. A high-frequency sound rings around her ear, making her dizzy. She clenches her teeth and stands, holding her sword in one hand.

She looks at the giggling Cimmerian and her microphone. Since she delivers her magic through the usage of an object, her Black Art is a weapon-type.

Vines sprout from the floor on where the Cimmerian is standing, but the demon leaps away and swings her microphone, slicing the vines with unseen energy.

Raia's gaze shifts to Raiden. The man's sword is embedded in the ground, a deep scowl on his face.

"Release thyself, Cypress!" Raiden declares, and his sword's blade splits into segments, joined by a vine at the core— a whip sword. He tightens his grip on the pitch-black hilt and pounces on the demon like a bolt of lightning, swinging his whip sword as hard as he can.

The Cimmerian yelps as the bladed whip collides with her face, and she crashes into the wooden wall. Raia raises an eyebrow as the woman staggers to her feet, wiping her bloody face and staring at Raiden.

Raia raises an eyebrow as the performer staggers to her feet, wiping the blood off her face and glaring at Raiden.

"How dare you ruin my face!" the Cimmerian whines. Raiden leaps at her, and her eyes widen.

A snapping sound echoes as the bladed whip slams into the wooden wall, ripping a hole in it.

Raia doesn't waste any time and darts after the Cimmerian, sword drawn. She growls and swings her longsword down.

The Cimmerian, stunned, barely blocks it with her microphone, and a loud metallic clang reverberates throughout the space. Weapons locked together, they push against each other. Raia strengthens her grip and gains the upper hand. The Cimmerian flies backward against the bar counter, shattering wines and glasses in the process.

"Kara!" Raia yells, and Raiden immediately rushes toward the demon, understanding the order underlying it.

"I won't let you have your way!" snarls the Cimmerian, standing on the bar top, blood streaming down her face. Splashes of wine splatter her once-beautiful gown, and she points the microphone at them while uttering a voiceless incantation.

Raiden ducks on the ground as bluish energy ripples out from the tip of the microphone.

Raia frowns and swings her blade around, dispelling the energy. Then, small bits of bluish light float in one place and thrust themselves in her face.

"What -" she starts, but it turns into a scream as a loud ringing bell resounds in her mind, accompanied by a throbbing pain beneath her temples.

"Raia!" Raiden shouts.

"Just finish her!" Raia growls, clutching her head, then a crashing sound follows as Raiden slams into a wall.

"Stupid disciple," Raia snarls.

The Cimmerian bursts out laughing and the two Aragons look at her. She's standing on the wooden counter table, twirling the microphone with an enigmatic smile tugging on her rosy lips.

"You sure are lively fellows," the demon says, pointing her weapon at the immobile customers.

Raiden's face pales. Raia leaps forward.

"I got this, just finish her!" Raia exclaims.

Raiden nods and charges at the Cimmerian. The demon ducks down and crosses her arms in front of her face as the disciple lifts his weapon.

"Stop!" the Cimmerian screams.

Raiden freezes in mid-action, staring at her with wide eyes.

Raia gives the demon a perplexed look. The bluish spots that surround her slowly dissipate.

"Aren't you heroes?" the Cimmerian says. "So, why are you so eager to harm a human being like me? Don't kill me, I just wanna be saved."

Raia frowns, puzzled by the demon's unexpected demeanor. But of course, she knows what the demon is trying to pull off.

"You're no human, demon!" Raiden snarls.

Raia shifts her gaze to him, her frown deepening. Raiden's hands tremble at his sides, and his weapon limps uselessly. Raia senses a powerful emotion emanating from him, and it isn't good.

Don't tell me he's falling for her act?

The Cimmerian impersonates a gasp. "How harsh. I'm still a human being. This body is mine. That indicates I'm a living being. And look at me, I'm bleeding. If you kill me, I'll vanish for good. If you're that cruel, don't call yourselves priests."

Raiden flinches at her remarks, then the Cimmerian bends forward and caresses his face.

"See? I'm warm. That means I'm alive."

"Shut up, you demon!" Raia growls and lunges at her.

The Cimmerian kicks off the table and lashes out, slamming her feet into the stunned Raiden and sending him sprawling onto the stage. She laughs and leaps at Raia.

Raia raises her longsword to defend herself. A metallic sound reverberates through the air as their weapons greet each other.

"Sonic wave," the Cimmerian utters, and Raia jumps backward.

The microphone emits invisible energy. Raia avoids the blow then she charges back at her opponent, swinging her longsword around.

The Cimmerian dodges her attacks as if doing a dance move, grinning the whole while.

Raia continues to swing her sword with little effort, careful not to exhaust herself too quickly. The Cimmerian just keeps dodging her attacks, and she undeniably possesses agility. But it's not possible to catch her off guard with a simple trick. Since the demon is entirely reliant on the microphone, all Raia has to do is separate it from her and destroy it.

So her aim is to disarm the demon before killing her.

However, something is wrong. It's the absence of her comrade's presence.

Frustrated, Raia leaps back and creates a distance between her and the Cimmerian. Her head snaps toward Raiden, who is slumped against the wall and breathing heavily.

"Get a grip of yourself, Kara. She is not a human!" Raia snarls and closes the distance between her and the demon.

"But if we kill her, another innocent soul will perish," Raiden says, a hint of hesitation in his voice. He slowly rises to his feet, his eyes staring blankly to the ground. "Another body will vanish. We're supposed to be . . . saviors."