“My beloved! I know you have a good heart. But these people deserve to die. They ca here to kill us. Please, don’t make the mistake of pitying the enemy!”
Endal looked at Lady Som with his deep eyes. A conflict was brewing in them. A low cry ca from the side. Endal glanced towards Tumbly and let out a sigh.
Lady Som felt that sothing was wrong. She stepped forward holding Endal’s hand.
“My beloved… you?”
Endal raised his other hand, caressing the gorgeous woman’s cheek lovingly. But then he glanced over his shoulder towards the other cave where a basilisk was still struggling against the control of dark magic.
Endal spoke in a sad voice:
“Every dream ends one day…”
Listening to her beloved, Lady Som began to tremble. She brought her hand to her cheek, grasping Endal’s rough skin tightly.
“My beloved, what do you an?”
A hint of tears ford in Lady Som’s eyes causing Endal’s expression to soften slightly.
But suddenly the man froze. A white-golden fla began to burn in his eyes. With a sudden move he shoved Lady Som away, growling lowly:
“Enough! I have been deceived by you for a long ti. Now it is ti to wake up from the dream!”
Lady Som’s face went through various emotions. But eventually it turned to indifference. Her voice changed. Instead of containing a hint of innocence, it was now laden with temptation as she talked to Endal:
“So you know. How have you found out?”
“There were many small signs. But ultimately it was your perfection.”
“Perfection?”
“Yes. How can soone this perfect exist in the world? Which human doesn’t have their flaws? Their own desires? Soone like you is impossible to exist.”
“Haha. I am the product of your deepest desires. How can you reject ? Even if you figured it out, why don’t you stay in my embrace? I can be your paradise! You just need to be willing!”
“Never! I won’t betray the blood flowing through my veins! The royal family won’t succumb to evil! We slay it!”
Perceiving the conviction in Endal’s voice, Lady Som let out unbridled laughter:
“The royal family won’t succumb to evil? Do I need to remind you of how your third brother plotted against you? Didn’t he collude with evil to brand you a traitor? Or wait… do you think, this was my doing? If so, I have to disappoint you!”
A pained look flashed in Endal’s eyes as Lady Som rcilessly opened an old wound.
“There is no need to remind . I will question third brother myself. Right after ridding the world of you… devil!”
Suddenly the scene fell silent. A tense atmosphere ford between Endal and Lady Som as if the world itself was apprehensive.
[Cyclone: Wow, so Endal is not a traitor but has been bewitched by this woman? I knew she was no good!]
[Silver Blade: Is she really a devil?]
[Silent Acacia: Can we finally fight?]
[Radiant Shield: Is it our turn to fight? Perhaps Endal will deal with it alone.]
[Watchful Eye: Endal doesn’t look as if he were a match for Lady Som…]
Suddenly Lady Som took a deep breath her voice sounded like a hiss.
“Good, my beloved. You leave no choice!”
Endal’s face turned grave. He waved at Tumbly, signaling the basilisk to stick closer.
At this mont, Lady Som’s eyes turned a deep, terrifying black. She opened her arms wide. From one mont to the next a thick black fog surged out of her body. It plunged the entire cave into darkness.
The players panicked for a mont but fortunately their vision cleared instantly. The fog receded towards the outside. The players stared in confusion at the world which was revealed after the fog left.
Eventually the dark fog stopped moving. It ford a tall do, dark like the night. The space inside the barrier could easily fit a large city. The party mbers found it difficult to comprehend the situation as they scanned their surroundings.
“What is this place?”
“Did we get teleported?”
“Who are those people?”
The players were understandably confused as they suddenly found themselves in a new world. Fortune turned left and right, eagerly recording everything. For her the situation couldn’t be mysterious enough.
She was looking forward to presenting this mythical world to her viewers. A world filled with lush, colorful fields and floating temples. People of all races strolled around, all of extraordinary beauty. It was indeed like a paradise.
At this mont, Endal finally spoke up clearing the players’ confusion:
“Be careful. Don’t get lost in the beauty of this world. This is a devil’s domain.”
“What does this entail?”, asked Radiant Shield curiously.
“Powerful devils can’t act freely in Crunaboul. They are suppressed by the might of the gods and will be hunted down by the heroes of all races as soon as they are detected.
Thus, they either send infernals to cause chaos, which weakens the influence of the gods, or they use thods to hide and avoid using their powerful magic.
But devils also have developed ways around those restrictions. One of the most prominent being the use of domains. It allows them to temporarily unleash most of their power.”
The party mbers nodded in understanding. Even Silent Acacia listened closely as this concerned the fight against powerful NPCs.
“As expected of a royal descendant. You are quite knowledgeable, my beloved.”
A sultry voice suddenly echoed within the entire domain. The fog in front surged as soone floated out of it.
It was a giant female devil, rivaling so prominent mage towers in height. The players stiffly raised their heads, observing the figure from below.
Their eyes wandered over her bare feet with pointed nails along the black leather covering her shins, adorned with heavy, shining chains. A long skirt hung from her waist towards her shins, its sides cut back enough to reveal her long, bare legs.
Her chest was hidden under a black and red corset, but the prominent curves were extrely tempting. Her arms laid bare, revealing pink skin and fair hands. Black, feathery wings opened wide behind her back.
Her sharp face appeared to be crafted by the most talented sculpturer, the look in her slanted eyes able to make everyone’s hearts lt. Above her head sat two curved red horns, which automatically attracted mana to gather around her body.
The players involuntarily felt a heat rise in their chests.
“Is this… a succubus?”, asked Bloody Edge in a hoarse voice.
“Yes.”, confird Liam as he drew his swords. The crisp tallic sound drew everyone’s attention. Even Endal looked at him in surprise.
The prince closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were burning with determination. The familiar white-orange fla began to engulf his body. He straightened his back, leaving his dispirited self behind, portraying a heroic image.
As Endal made his move, the players felt their bodies return to normal. Lady Som’s influence was pushed back by Endal.
The friends broke out in cold sweat. Only now did they realize how much the succubus had enraptured them. If Lady Som had attacked them in that state, it was uncertain if the party would have been willing to fight back.
“Listen, adventurers. Tumbly and I will take care of the devil. You guys can help by destabilizing this domain.”
“How?”
“It’s simple: destroy everything you see.”
Cyclone’s eyes lit up, an evil grin forming on her face.
“This sounds like fun!”
Endal nodded at the players before jumping on Tumbly’s back and rushing towards the giant Lady Som.
“It pains to see you die at my hands, my beloved.”, sighed Lady Som.
But Endal’s answer was a sword engulfed in blazing flas. A shield of devilish magic ford spontaneously in front of Lady Som. As sword and shield collided it didn’t cause so world-shacking commotion. Both cancelled each other out and the exchange continued swiftly.
anwhile the players were still in awe, watching from the floor. Out of curiosity Silver Blade checked the two NPC’s statuses.
[Endal Yntheno
Rank: ???
Level: ???
HP: ???]
[Paradynim, High-level devil
Rank: ???
Level: ???
HP: ???
Status: Clone]
Silver Blade inhaled sharply.
“Only a clone…”
The friends couldn’t stop watching the high-level fight. It gradually ramped up. The flas surrounding Endal burned higher and higher while Paradynim bombarded him with dark magic. For now, it was difficult to say who had the upper hand.
After a few seconds Liam averted his eyes, reminding his friends:
“Let’s go, guys. We have our own mission.”
“Oh, of course.”
“Coming.”
The party finally got moving. Liam told them not to worry about destroying the foliage. Although it had so use, it was barely effective. What they needed to focus on were the statues of the devil scattered throughout the domain.
The party ran along a broad gravel path. Ignoring the fight in the sky, the view was picturesque. Lush trees, colorful flowers, and impressive temples filled the world. Unfortunately, the party couldn’t enjoy it as they neared the first statue.
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