Scarlett’s gaze remained fixed on the elevated platform across the chamber, where Rosa sat upon a hideous throne. Before the non-regal seat, perched on a short pedestal, was the heart of the Abyssal Vilewyrm, pulsating with a sinister energy.

Even at this distance, Anguish’s vicious grin was unmistakable, the Vile clearly enjoying the situation. Rosa’s eyes bore a profound darkness within them, seeming to peer into one’s very being.

Among the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions within Scarlett, a chilling rage surged to the forefront.

That was just the expression she had expected from the demon upon their reunion. There had been some flicker of hope that Rosa would be the one in control once they arrived, but Scarlett knew there had been no guarantee.

“Oh, spare me the glare, Red~” the Vile taunted, her voice somehow resonating across the chamber like a haunting melody. The words and cadence mimicked those that Rosa often used, yet Anguish managed to twist and turn them in a way that made Scarlett’s hair stand. “Our earlier heart-to-heart notwithstanding, this is the first time we meet face-to-face for some time. What do you think about my soon-to-be vessel? Rather fetching, isn’t it? And it comes with such an endearing little persona. I know you certainly didn’t keep her around for nothing.”

Anguish seemed anchored to the throne she was on, but that didn’t stop her from moving her shoulders and head as if showing off Rosa, the bard’s wavy brown hair falling to partially cover her face.

A sardonic giggle escaped Anguish, this time feeling as if it truly could have come from Rosa, as the demon nonchalantly blew away the stray locks. “It’s always a delight to assume corporeal form like this. I’ll have to remember to express my gratitude to Rosa dear for lending it to me.”

“Is…is that it?” Allyssa whispered beside Scarlett. “The Vile?” She wore a disconcerted expression as she stared at Rosa.

“It is,” Scarlett replied, stepping deeper into the expansive boss room while striving to maintain her calm and surveying the surroundings. The oppressive aura here was tenfold more suffocating than outside, and the dark walls and seemingly non-existent ceiling cast an ominous ambiance over the space.

At the chamber’s epicenter, drawn onto the floor that had veins of molten rock crisscrossing through it, lay a sigil that occupied at least half of the room. Within it stood a woman with disorderly silvery hair, draped in dark robes, her uncannily green eyes fixated on Scarlett and exuding an intensity that would make most anyone feel uneasy.

Malachi.

Scarlett’s gaze dropped to the floor beside the woman, where various objects were scattered around key points on the sigil. Most conspicuous among them was a black orb, its core pulsating with swirling colors, intermittently channeling energy into the ground and the crimson veins threading throughout the room.

The [Astral Soulstone] was on the verge of being completed. It seemed as if the ritual had progressed significantly.

“Don’t you think you are being rather rude, Red?” Anguish’s voice sounded out. “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself, or shall I do the honors?”

Scarlett’s attention snapped back to the Vile. “Cease with the farce, Anguish. And do not address me so casually.”

The demon simply laughed, leaning forward with Rosa’s body as far as her movement allowed her. “I’m hurt. Is Rosalina the only one permitted to address you thus? And after we had been in a partnership for so long. Ah, but who am I to question you? You are the one who calls the shots, after all.”

“There has never been a partnership between us, and I suggest you stop testing my patience. You are swiftly dispelling any doubts I may have harbored about ridding this realm of your presence.” Scarlett stopped just shy of the sigil’s edge, redirecting her focus back to Malachi, who continued scrutinizing her closely without speaking.

“Always so grave and serious. I suppose that’s one of the qualities I like about you,” Anguish said, reclining against the throne, its back crafted from the deformed bone of some demonic creature encased within black stone. “But I believe we are digressing. Our inquisitive fiendling acquaintance here seems quite intrigued by you and your companion, Baroness. I’ve already informed her about you, but for some reason, she seemed to doubt my sincerity. I do so wonder why.”

Scarlett locked eyes with Malachi for a moment, peering into the woman’s harsh, unwavering gaze.

“Allow me to introduce—” she began.

“You’re that girl’s accomplice,” Malachi interrupted, her words laced with a venomous threat. “You were the one who sent her to find me.”

“Oh my, I do believe she has seen you through, Baroness,” Anguish remarked. “But ‘accomplice’ feels too tame a descriptor. I would say ‘puppet master’ is a much better fit.”

Ignoring the Vile, Scarlett maintained her focus on Malachi. She wasn’t sure exactly what fabrications or manipulations Anguish might have attempted, but it was clear that the demon’s intent would be to pit them against each other.

“It is true that I played a part in Miss Hale’s quest to locate you,” she began. “However, I trust that you are shrewd enough not to trust a Vile’s words regarding my character.”

She stole a glance over her shoulder at Allyssa, who stood a short distance behind her, crossbow in one hand and a vial of a gleaming silver liquid clasped in her other. The girl wore an anxious expression but seemed ready to act, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. That was good.

“Rosa claimed she was sent here by a member of the Talonborn Circle,” Malachi said, distrust unmistakable in her raspy voice. “It appears I was lied to.”

Scarlett turned back to her. “Miss Hale’s statement was no lie. The circumstances surrounding my involvement were rather convoluted, forcing me to act in a very circumlocutory manner due to constraints imposed by a pact of non-interference with Anguish. However, rest assured that my objective and yours do not clash directly.”

Malachi’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

“If you’d only asked, I could have revealed that ages ago,” Anguish announced.

Malachi’s head snapped towards the demon, and with a quick gesture, a wave of viridescent energy streaked across the room and struck Anguish. “Silence.”

The Vile’s head momentarily slumped, yet her laughter persisted resonating through the room. “Someone’s growing tense. I wonder how long that little trick of yours will continue working.”

As those words rang out, the air around Anguish seemed to shift, somehow lessening. Moments later, she raised her head slowly, her expression suddenly weary and spent. “Cripes and buggerations, that feels dreadful,” she spoke sluggishly. “You’d think one’d get used to having your mind pinioned into a jar and your body played with like a marionette, but apparently not.”

Rosa.

“Rosa!” Allyssa exclaimed from behind Scarlett.

The bard managed a feeble smile as she sat limply on Anguish’s throne. “Great seeing you as well, Allyssa. Wished the circumstances could have been a bit better, but I didn’t have much time to prepare for guests.”

“Rosa,” Scarlett said evenly, focusing on the woman.

Rosa directed her smile at Scarlett. “Hiya, Red. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, always looking stylish with that tiara of yours? Guess that means there’s an army of toasted demons trailing the halls here. Call me peckish, though, but I’m not quite sure I like the ‘gift’ you arranged for me this time. I’ll be lodging a complaint to the higher-ups.”

“I am your sole superior.”

“Well, there you have it. Consider my complaint lodged.”

Scarlett stayed quiet for a few seconds, observing the worn-out woman. When Anguish had been in control, the demon had exuded menace and power, but now, Rosa looked like she hadn’t slept for days. Scarlett had no doubt the woman had endured considerable suffering under Anguish’s influence. “…I will take it into consideration.”

“You have been deceiving me, Rosa,” Malachi stated. “I’m disappointed.”

Rosa slowly shifted her gaze to the intense-looking woman. “In my defense, you weren’t much better. I still can’t recall ever signing up for being bound to a cursed throne while we summon a demon to raze half the continent. Besides, technically, I never lied. I just danced around the truth a little. A truth I wasn’t entirely sure of myself, by the way.”

Malachi did not seem convinced or amused by the bard’s response, redirecting her attention to Scarlett. “You are a noble of the empire and the girl’s benefactor, I presume. I have banished Anguish for the time being, so speak. What is your purpose here? Why have you interfered with my plans?”

“I suppose I shall properly introduce myself this time,” Scarlett said. “I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford, and for the past six months, I have been Miss Hale’s employer. As for ‘interfering with your plans’, I would say that is not an entirely accurate description of my actions. I merely moved to expedite your plans somewhat and to alleviate the burden placed on my retainer.”

“Expedite…” Malachi studied her closely, a hint of recognition showing on her face. “You were the one who slew the Vilewyrm.”

“That is correct.”

“…So not only is your grasp of demons and their lore impressive, having even struck a pact with a Vile, but you also boast an acute awareness of me and my plans, it seems. Yet, your name has never reached my ears. And that relic concealed within your grasp…” The woman’s eyes traced down to Scarlett’s hand, where [Ittar’s Genesis] was hidden beneath a piece of fabric. She then shifted her gaze to the sigil at her feet, contemplating the Astral Soulstone at its center. Finally, she returned her attention to Scarlett. “You are no mere baroness. Are you affiliated with the Followers of Ittar? Or…with her?”

Scarlett arched a brow. She suspected she knew who Malachi was referring to. From the woman’s perspective, only one person should be aware of her plans, and thus, it was reasonable to come to the conclusion that Scarlett was connected to her in some fashion.

“I assume you are referring to Mistress?”

At that, Malachi’s eyes seemed to glow in an even more intense shade of green.

“I do have some involvement with her, yes,” Scarlett continued. “It is not surprising that you are unaware of who I am, however. I have only recently become active since, as you well know, it can be advantageous to remain beneath the notice of influential individuals.”

“I see. So, what is your purpose here?” Malachi asked bluntly.

Scarlett’s mouth drew into a line, suppressing the slight wave of irritation that sprang forth at the woman’s disrespect. It was made slightly harder than usual due to her lingering anger directed towards Anguish.

“…It is quite simple,” she replied after a moment. “I am here to ensure that Miss Hale emerges from these events largely unscathed and liberated from the clutches of a Vile. As I mentioned, my goal does not directly oppose yours.”

Malachi frowned. “All of this, just for that?”

“That would depend. What do you mean by ‘all of this’?”

Suspicion lingered in the woman’s gaze for several seconds before she motioned towards Rosa, seemingly choosing not to answer the question. “As you can see, the girl is fine. Anguish is trapped within her, and everything is proceeding as planned.”

Scarlett glanced at Rosa’s worn appearance, questioning Malachi’s definition of ‘fine’.

“I take issue with that statement,” Rosa interjected, lifting a single finger from the armrest her hands were stuck to. “Though I doubt anyone’ll bother doing something about it.”

Scarlett considered the bard briefly before turning back to Malachi. She wasn’t going to argue the point with Malachi. She had known from the outset the predicament this plan would place Rosa in, but it was a necessary sacrifice.

Malachi studied Scarlett. “…If that’s all you came to do, then I suggest you take your leave. Your presence is not needed, and the girl can come find you once we’ve finished.”

She clearly doubted Scarlett’s words, and perhaps with good reason. It was strange that Scarlett was here, holy relic in hand, after ostensibly having fought her way through the entire citadel. Not to mention how suspicious Scarlett’s apparent knowledge and motives were.

If only it had been so simple that Scarlett could leave things at that.

“Before you ask that I leave, there is something I must say,” she said.

Malachi remained silent, watching her closely.

“I am aware of your purpose here, and I do not care if you displace Anguish from her seat. She is my enemy, so that would only work in my favor and simplify matters greatly for me in the future. However, with that said, I feel compelled to issue a warning.”

“And what is that?”

Scarlett considered Malachi for a bit, then gestured towards the sigil drawn on the floor and the orb that served as its centerpiece. “The Astral Soulstone cannot be—”

“Scarlett!” Rosa’s cry pierced the air, and from the corner of Scarlett’s eye, something emerged from the shadows. She barely had enough time to react as a four-legged demon leaped at her, drool dripping from its maw. A sharp pain sprang up from her right arm where its fangs tore through her clothes and the magical defense provided by [Sidhe’s Flowing Garbs].

Just in time, she activated the teleportation ability of her [Garments of Form], dissipating into a thin mist and reappearing a short distance behind where she had been.

Without hesitation, she unleashed a barrage of attacks, assaulting the demon as it landed a bit to the left of her original position. Dozens of tiny Aqua Mines and fires slammed into it, and only a moment later she summoned forth even more of her magic to target another demon that appeared and set its sights on Allyssa.

Both demons emitted pained howls as Scarlett’s attacks pierced their defences, their growls silenced as they recoiled and retreated momentarily. Allyssa stumbled back to stand next to Scarlett, having hurled the vial she’d held and coated one of the demons with the silvery liquid inside which clung to its body and seared its skin.

“Malachi, stop!” Rosa shouted from her perch on the throne.

Scarlett’s eyes darted around the chamber for any other lurking demons poised for an attack, but it was almost impossible to make out any movement against the pitch-black walls.

“Stop this, Malachi,” she demanded, narrowing her eyes again at the two demons that seemed ready for another assault despite their injuries. “Heed my words before you make a mistake you cannot afford. There is a crucial aspect about the Soulstone that you must know about.”

Malachi raised a bony finger, thrusting it menacingly towards Scarlett. More growls echoed from the shadows around the chamber. “There is no reason for me to heed anything you have to say. I don’t care about any connection you might have to Mistress. She is not my master, and your presence only appears as a threat to my aims.”

“Malachi, if you don’t stop, I won’t help with the ritual!” Rosa’s voice held a hint of urgency now.

“At this juncture, your willing assistance is no longer necessary, girl.”

“It is! You’re underestimating Anguish’s influence! Trust me, she still has more power here than you think!”

“She is not wrong,” Scarlett said, maintaining an unwavering gaze on both Malachi and her demons. “Anguish may still pose a threat to your plans, something neither of us desires. Furthermore, there is another danger that you remain oblivious to and that may prove an obstacle to your goals.” Her tone hardened. “At this stage, surely you do not presume to be in complete control of the situation. My presence here attests to the contrary. You should be aware enough of the current circumstances.”

“Listen to her, Malachi,” Rosa implored, though she was clearly straining herself to keep yelling.

Scarlett raised a hand, gesturing to the bard. “Allow me to handle this.”

A flicker of anger flashed in Malachi’s eyes, but the woman actually paused, as though genuinely weighing the significance of Scarlett’s words. The demonic growls throughout the room subsided, and the two injured demons in front of Scarlett refrained from attacking.

After several seconds of contemplation, Malachi waved her hand and ordered the demons back. They seemed unwilling to obey at first, but then the woman must have worked her magic in some way as both suddenly whimpered and slowly began retreating to the corners of the chamber, vanishing into the shadows. Malachi then fixed her gaze on Scarlett. “Speak.”

Scarlett didn’t let her guard down, retrieving a healing potion to tend to the wound she’d sustained. It wasn’t severe, but it still hurt. She didn’t let the pain show on her face, though. “You are every bit as cautious as I had heard, Malachi. I see you will not make this easy for either of us.” Once she’d addressed her injury, she continued. “What I was about to say, before your interruption, concerns something you are ignorant of regarding the Astral Soulstone’s role in this ritual.”

She pointed to the artifact that served as the power source for all of this. The [Astral Soulstone], alongside Rosa herself and the Abyssal Vilewyrm’s heart, formed the components required to manifest a part of the Blazes within the Material Realm. The artifact wielded enough power to bring about this phenomenon as well as suppress Anguish’s presence inside Rosa, which placed it on a comparable level to the core of an ancient dragon. You were unlikely to find any more potent power sources in this world.

The fact that Malachi just so happened to possess it wasn’t a mere coincidence.

“There is nothing about this ritual that I do not know,” Malachi said. “I have dedicated years to studying the Soulstone for this precise purpose. It will work according to my will.”

“I am not saying you are not familiar with its workings, but consider who bestowed it upon you.”

The woman’s brow furrowed, as if trying to decipher what Scarlett was getting at.

“If you are as well acquainted with that person as I am,” Scarlett continued, “you would know that she does not act without reason. Few individuals are as calculating as Mistress.”

“You think me a fool?” Malachi asked. “I have inspected the Soulstone thoroughly for that very reason. As I said, it will obey my will.”

“And your desire is to seize the authority of a Vile,” Scarlett said. “I do not dispute that the Soulstone can help achieve this. However, I am here to caution you that there is more to it. While I am certain there are few as knowledgeable in matters of demonology as you, the Soulstone is a Zuverian artifact. Even if you had spent a decade studying it, I can assure you that your understanding of the artifact would not come close to Mistress’s comprehension of it. And while she may have a motive to aid you in our endeavour, I believe it is more likely her true interest lies in what happens after you have deposed Anguish.”

Malachi stared at her. “…Explain.”

Good. She was listening, at least. Of the various scenarios this encounter could play out in, the simplest one definitely included Malachi cooperating.

“When Mistress originally handed you the Soulstone, what did she claim as a reason?” Scarlett asked.

“That is none of your concern,” Malachi replied, features tense.

“I disagree, but very well. I can speculate. Perhaps she insinuated something similar to finding it rather entertaining to see if your efforts would succeed or not, no? How convenient it would be if one of the Viles were to disappear? After all, it is no secret that Mistress is no friend of the Blazes’ rulers.”

Even if the woman frequently dealt with demons and their kind, including Viles on occasion, Mistress was far from being their ally. Malachi harbored a cold disdain for demons in her own way, but it couldn’t be compared to the deep-seated grudge Mistress held, even if it was hidden well. Malachi’s fixation on replacing a Vile couldn’t hold a candle to what Mistress would do to achieve her goals.

“…Mistress would not have revealed that to you,” Malachi said, though her expression betrayed signs of uncertainty.

“She would not, no.” Scarlett shook her head. “But my familiarity with her allows me to infer as much. That is also why, much as I suspect you do, I know to question her words. Unlike you, however, I do not need to spend years scrutinizing the Soulstone for potential traps to convince myself of their absence. I already understand precisely what her intentions were in this situation.”

It wouldn’t be out of character for Mistress to assist Malachi merely for the chance to mess with one of the Viles. In fact, had that been the woman’s only option, she probably would have done exactly that. But that’s not how the events played out in the game.

“You are beating around the point,” Malachi said.

Scarlett gave a slight nod. “True. I wanted to provide enough context for you to grasp the gravity of my words.”

“And you have succeeded in wearing down my patience. Speak your piece.”

“Then I shall.” Scarlett once more gestured towards the Astral Soulstone. “In short, Mistress has tampered with the Soulstone. It will still help you accomplish your goal to supplant Anguish and usurp her Authority, as well as free Miss Hale from Anguish’s influence. However, once you have assumed that Authority, it will overwhelm you. The Soulstone will drive you into insanity and cause the power to run rampant. With a new Vile at the helm but lacking control, the Blaze of Anguish will become unstable and may very well collapse, with what remains of it subsumed into the other Blazes. When Mistress learned of your goals, she recognized the opportunity to eradicate one of the Blazes from this world, and she did not hesitate to seize it.”

In the game, the last boss of Anguish’s citadel hadn’t been Anguish or even Rosa. It had been Malachi after she completed the ritual and began absorbing the powers of a Vile, losing herself and going berserk.

Malachi's intense gaze was locked on Scarlett, the threat in her eyes unmistakable. Scarlett braced herself for another fight, prepared for any demonic assaults, but the woman didn’t move, remaining eerily still for several tense seconds.

While Malachi was likely familiar with Mistress and had collaborated with her on multiple occasions, Scarlett doubted she truly grasped Mistress’s genuine motivations. Few people did. To Malachi, Mistress held a grudge against the Viles and that might have been reason enough to participate in a scheme like this. But Scarlett didn’t think Malachi could easily dismiss her words.

There was one issue, though. After all, if the [Astral Soulstone] wouldn’t work as Malachi wanted, Scarlett was basically saying that Malachi’s goal was unattainable.

When the woman did not respond for a while, Scarlett spoke again.

“I understand why my words might be unpleasant to you. However, fortunately for you, I am willing to offer an alternative.”