Damien was following the marionette’s wooden puppet towards the direction of the dragon. He whispered quietly, “Are you sure this is a good idea, Shaitan? What if it’s a trap?”

‘It is unlikely. If the marionette had intended to trap us, it would not be at night. He is wise enough to know to avoid me during the time when I reign supreme. In addition, I sense 2 demons near the general direction we are headed, they are at a distance apart from one another.’

Eventually, the two could see a humanly figure on the outskirts of the city at a distance. The marionette’s main body. The pair approached, the wooden puppet leading the way.

“How happy am I to see you!” said a mechanical voice. “Let us prepare ourselves for the battle with Rhysthart.”

“I’ll never be prepared enough for this shit…” Damien said.

Ignoring his remark, the marionette waved his hand, and a rip in the air appeared.

It had been the first time Damien had seen the marionette’s ability ‘Puppet Show’ in person.

There was pure darkness in the rip in space, and puppets began to pour out of it. The puppets moved out in an orderly fashion, forming rows of 10. They exited the rift relentlessly. Finally, they stopped. There were 20 rows of puppets in total. 200 wooden dolls.

Each row carried their own weapons that varied from swords, daggers, spears, maces, battle axes, and much more. The majority of them, however, were wielding wires.

“Shall we?” the marionette said giddily.

“How the hell were we ever able to defeat him?” Damien questioned Shaitan. He did not receive a reply. “What’s the plan this time, Shaitan?” he asked instead.

‘There is no plan for this battle.’

“Huh? But you always have a plan.” Damien remarked, baffled.

‘The only way we will be able to defeat a renowned dragon such as Rhysthart is by force. We will just have to wound him more than he does us.’ Shaitan stated straightforwardly.

“He is right, human. We will just have to overpower and overwhelm him. This is why I requested your assistance. My children will overwhelm him with numbers, while you and my old friend will give the finishing blow.” the marionette added.

“Aren’t your puppets made of wood? Won’t they be burnt to ashes in an instant?”

The marionette made an exaggerated sigh, “This is why I dislike humans, so foolish. I do not know how my old friend tolerates your idiocy. My puppets are special creations made from the power of my ability, they will not burn so easily.”

“Well, someone has a stick up his ass.” Damien huffed.

“...If it were not for this ceasefire, I would have already shown you my art collection.”

Even though Damien found that statement hilarious, he found himself unable to laugh due to being cognizant of the marionette’s sense in art.

‘Enough idleness. Let us go slay a dragon.’ Shaitan said, having grown weary of their bickering.

Damien nodded.

The marionette spread his arms wide and said “I will show Rhysthart the beauty of my art!” while laughing deliriously.