The sky was gray and overcast; the soft pitter-patter of water could be heard all around as dark rain clouds covered the peaceful rays of the sun. In a countryside far from the bustling city and prying eyes of others, four individuals stood within the ruins of an isolated mansion.
Three of them, seemingly human, and one a beautiful silver-haired elf. She was slightly away from the rest of the group, wearing a light green dress lined with golden trims and a twine necklace with a wooden, circular pendant, emanating a blue light.
She squatted low to the ground, next to her exquisite, hovering staff, drawing complex white sigils around an already completed larger red one.
As she drew, one of her companions, a red-haired beauty, paced back and forth nervously. She carried a greatsword on her back, and her hair was tied into a long warrior's braid, cascading down half of the leather armor she wore. Every anxious step she took was answered with a low groan from the rotten wooden floor below her.
Creak
Creak
Creak
"Can you stop doing that? You're making everyone more nervous." An annoyed voice called out from behind her.
Yet another beauty, with short black hair and yellow, hawk-like eyes, a boon given by her goddess. She too wore leather armor, though much less of it and quite lighter; it was just enough protection to stay safe in dungeons with ease. She had a bow on her back, next to a quiver full of arrows.
"Stop? Why are we even doing this? This is foolish! We don't have enough information, we don't know the level, and we don't know the laws! Why are we even following your orders? We should be-"
"My orders?" The black-haired beauty interjected, ridicule oozing from her voice. "This plan was approved by our leader." She said smugly, turning her gaze to the stoic, blond-haired young man standing in the back. "Levels are unnecessary, laws are unnecessary, information… unnecessary. As long as he's around, we have the means to slay any monster within our own realm of power." She said with utmost confidence.
The red-haired beauty turned to the young man, her childhood friend. A person she once thought she knew well, but lately…
She walked closer to him, a pleading look in her eyes. She spoke to him, desperately requesting they stop this madness. "Please, Damien. We shouldn't be doing this. The instructors are not here, and ambushing… one of 'them' could cause more trouble than it's worth. This is not a good plan." She grabbed his broad shoulders, speaking candidly, hoping to shake him out of his recklessness.
But he simply shook her off, not bothering to even look her in the eye as he kept his focus on the circle in front of them. He answered simply.
"No. Enough is enough. This ends here and now." This monster has taken from him not once, but twice now. He glanced down at the grand holy sword newly strapped to his waist. The tool to end monsters such as this one, one of the few in existence. He had been chosen; thus, he would use it for much-needed justice.
"Just as our trusty ranger stated, this one hasn't reached its true form yet, and I only need my system to tell me the rest." Were his final words as he walked closer to the summoning circle. Disregarding his 'trusting' childhood friend.
The red-haired beauty clenched her fists in frustration. Ever since they reunited at the academy, she had noticed. Damien had changed. At first she wasn't sure if her perspective on life was just too simple for the complexities of the capital, choosing to follow his lead when she arrived.
But as time went on, coupled with the events they experienced later, she began to truly question… who in this group were truly the fools here?
She hung back, debating whether or not to send a message to the instructors or her master. In the end, she did nothing. Her fear of losing even more favor with him stayed her restless hands.
Damien walked up to the still-drawing elf. "Finished?" He asked. Inspecting the genius arrays set up by his companion.
At his words, the elf drew one last glyph and stood up. She turned and smiled at the handsome young man in front of her. "It is done, my love."
She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Damien smiled appreciatively, while the two women behind him stared vicious daggers at the bold elf.
He nodded and took a step forward. From his pocket he took out a small vial filled with red liquid. An item that took a little bit of effort to obtain. He popped open the cork and poured it onto the circle in the center.
The sigils then began to activate, glowing bright red as they illuminated the dingy space around them. No incantation was needed; just the liquid from the vial would do this time.
WOOOOM
BOOM
CRACK
SHATTER
A jolt of chaos energy spread out through the room, followed by a dense magical pressure, causing the mansion to creak and whine, while the windows that were still intact shattered under the weight of the heavy magical energy.
Damien stepped back with his group as black mist began to slowly seep out of the red circle's center. Thankfully, the dense and obscuring fog did not go past the white sigils surrounding it, keeping the area secure and clear.
But as a precaution, Damien gave one final warning to the women behind him. "Layer yourself with chi or mana; don't let that mist touch your body directly. When the monster comes, don't make eye contact for too long, and keep your energy layers dense when it speaks. Its words affect the mind as well."
The three nodded as they followed his instructions, layering themselves generously with their respective powers.
While they readied themselves, the black fog, with nowhere to go within the protective circle, began to rise to the high ceiling. Causing the circle to eventually look like a large tube of smoke, an invisible chimney billowing black fog from its core.
And then…
SWOOOOOP
The magical pressure subsided, and the smoke began to meld and unite, compressing to a much smaller size with a more slender frame.
POOF
Then silently, gracefully, a figure emerged from the black smoke.
Jingle - Clack
Jingle - Clack
Jingle - Clack
Shoulder-length pink hair swayed gently as she walked. The sound of anklets and fine jewelry rang rhythmically with each step of her glamorous getas. The two slender black horns on her head curved slightly to the sky, their red tint radiating power and supremacy.
Her irises, pink in color and shaped in a four-petal pattern, rotated clockwise within her black sclera.
She gazed around at the dusty room before her as she strode forward, her black kimono covered in red rose petals hung loosely on her voluptuous form as it swayed hypnotically with each approaching stride. A black choker connected to her ceremonial dress with elastic, straplike material, allowing the sleeves to slip free from her porcelain shoulders, showing divine skin that radiated regal perfection and matchless seduction.
As her two clacking geta came to a stop at the edge of the circle, the translucent pink veil she donned couldn't hide the amused smile on her delicate face as her eyes locked onto the group that had summoned her.
"Oh? So it was you... boy." She said, quite clear of the setup before her, yet unperturbed by its atmosphere.
Damien felt his anger rise at the untroubled tone and casual demeanor, but he held it down. In this place, he now had the power and the chance to end all of this.
"Devil! This ends now. Cancel the contracts you've forced upon others, or you die here!" He said as he unsheathed his new sword. As he did, it began to glow radiantly with holy power, a holiness unmatched anywhere else on the continent, so the legends boasted.
But the devil was unfazed by the bright display, nor did she cower from the rays shining on her jade-like skin. In fact, the overbearing glow didn't even earn a squint from the being, let alone a glance.
Instead, she laughed. A scornful, derisive luster carried it throughout the large hall.
"Kikiki! Die? How audacious! And where did you get a toy like that? It's truly a wonder why the heavens favor fools like you. Kikiki!" She couldn't believe it; this useless lout was trying to threaten her with some old relic? Backed by just his three personal latrines shivering behind him? What was this nonsense?
"Shut up!" He shouted. "You have no power here; in this place you're no different than us mortals. With the playing field now leveled, I'd advise you to change your tone and free those you coerced!" He demanded righteously, earning an even greater bout of laughter from the entity.
"Kikiki! I can't with you. Kikiki!" She placed a tender hand to her stomach, tilted her head back, and laughed loudly, completely at ease. The genuine disregard and ridicule made the red-haired beauty to the side shift nervously while she gripped her greatsword a little tighter. This did not feel right to her. Something was wrong; her instincts were telling her so. The devil in front of them did not have the slightest worry standing within their restrictive circle.
"Like you? Like mortals? Kikiki! Perish the thought." The pink-haired devil shook her head. "You lower beings truly think you have meaning. Haughty and defiant as always." She smiled beneath her veil once more, unbothered by the human's rising anger.
Damien gritted his teeth. "Last chance to-" But his words were cut short by a shrill screech to his right.
"Shut up, whore devil! You think you monsters can decide the fate of our plane!? Who matters in this world!? Who are you to decide! Fucking die!"
An arrow, tipped with holy light and wind magic, pierced through the air without warning.
WIZZZZZ
FLICK
CLATTER
But with a simple flick of the devil's wrist, a pink energy intercepted the speeding arrow, taking away its momentum and redirecting it to tumble uselessly to the ground some distance away.
The devil glanced at the fuming, black-haired archer, then turned to Damien. She looked at him with mock pity.
"Awww, poor boy. As per my contract, I can't kill you…" Her eyes filled with 'sorrow'. "...but surely, you realize that you've brought these women behind you… to their ruin… right?" Her eyes slowly transforming into cheerful malice.
The trademark eyes of a devil.
Damien's heart trembled at the words. And with that attack, the negotiations were, without a doubt, no longer an option.
He quickly turned to his elf companion and shouted urgently. "Do it!" As he swiftly activated his [Superior Appraisal], with the system, no stats could be hidden from his vision. Anything below the divine power of his goddess was his to inspect! She had to have a weakness!
"Kikiki, they never learn, do they?" The devil grinned at the human's signal.
BOOM
The elf quickly complied, slamming her staff onto the ground. A white shockwave flowed out, engulfing the room in holy essence. When it reached the white sigils on the ground, they activated, glowing bright as small pillars of light surrounded the summoning circle, trapping the devil within.
But the pink figure just stood there, unpanicked and unstressed; she just continued to smile at Damien while her irises spun lazily.
The red beauty raised her sword and called out to Damien, who had yet to make any commands during this hasty assault. Typically a second was all he needed to formulate a strategy to victory, one of his exclusive boons aiding his thought speed.
"Damien, what's the strategy?"
"..."
But Damien did not answer. However, the other three party members weren't bothered by his silence; it usually meant the being was a bit stronger than expected, so extra time to analyze was needed.
With that thought in mind, the three knew their job for the time being: stall for time!
They sprang into action, not bothering to check on the face their leader was currently making.
The elf raised her staff and waved it gently, her silvery voice assisting with a shortened chant.
"[Sacred Forest]!" At her words, green, ethereal vegetation began to sprout within the hall. The plants and trees were just a simple projection, but the purifying effects on demonic beasts and devils were quite real.
She didn't expect to kill the monster, but hindering its movements and casting for a while should be no problem.
So she thought…
"Hotkeying a devil?" How offensive.
SNORT
A pompous snort answered her chant; as the noise tore through the air, a pink energy began to flow out from the devil's body and across the ground below. Though it traveled everywhere, the brunt of the energy struck the elf directly.
And under her horrified eyes, it began to aggressively invade her protective layer of mana like it wasn't even there. Within a second, it entered her body with no obstructions.
DING
The elf felt the mana within her magical circuits run wild as a notification popped up in front of her.
[
Warning! You've been stricken with [???]!
[???] - Debuff: Your mana has been [Disrupted]. Channeling spells is currently unavailable.
Duration: Calculating… 3 - 12 hours.
]
She was horrified. Unless she could get someone to dispel the energy within her, she couldn't cast spells for 3 hours at a minimum? And why a range and not an exact time!?
"Still not taking us seriously yet? Whore devil!" Unaware of her elf companion's situation, the black-haired ranger, now far in the back line, shot a volley of light arrows towards the entrapped monster. Hoping to keep her occupied while her lover thought up a strategy for success.
FEW FEW FEW
Dozens of arrows rained down on the summoning circle.
But the devil only rolled her eyes. That one is clearly the weakest amongst this lot. She waved her hand, and like last time, a pink energy robbed the projectiles of momentum, scattering them around.
However, this time, the energy did not stop. It continued on, tearing into the ranger's protective chi, shielding her from outside influence.
"S-shit-" Was all she managed to voice before her panicked eyes saw the devil in the distance, bending forward rather suggestively, one slender hand on her knees and the other under her chin.
The back of her fingers rested lazily beneath her jaw, the tips touching her throat.
FLICK
And with a flick, she brought her fingers forward in a 'non mi interessa'-like gesture. A rude taunt to onlookers, but the action served more than that singular purpose.
The ranger, with her hawk-like eyes, watched as the gesture, ever so slightly, lifted the veil on the devil's face. Revealing a captivating smile sporting two golden canines.
The ranger just stood there after seeing that, listlessly staring at the beautiful woman.
DING
[
Warning! You've been stricken with [???]!
[???] - Debuff: You've been [Hypnotized]. You are currently [Dazed], awaiting orders.
Duration: 5 minutes.
]
"Kikiki! Whore devil, you say? It took you but a smile to bat for the other team. Aren't you ashamed? Kikiki!"
The ranger didn't answer; she just continued to stare at the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, unmoving. The sky could fall, and she would be none the wiser.
The devil scoffed. This was the cream of the crop of the hero academy? Surely nepotism was the culprit here. She wondered how the 'others' were currently faring in life, her increasing boredom evident as her thoughts began to drift away from this pitiful little game.
But her interest was quickly roused again as a figure swiftly appeared behind her, disregarding the circle, entering directly to deliver a devastating blow.
PUFF
The sword maiden, wrapped in red chi, swung her greatsword with all her might. She had already made her decision; a minute hadn't even passed, and half the team was out of the battle. They needed to retreat.
She had been the only one to take a glance in Damien's direction after the assault started, and the look on his face brought her no comfort. No, it only raised her internal urgency.
But as she swung her blade on the devil's flank, the sword passed through the body of the woman effortlessly, making the figure explode into a cloud of dense black fog.
The warrior then felt a presence beside her swinging dangerously towards her neck.
CLANG
Her silver greatsword met the heavy swing of a black serrated katana. The strike she blocked was far from delicate or graceful like the devil's demeanor; on the contrary, it was aggressive and overbearing as it pushed the maiden dozens of feet back. Her feet sliding across the floor, forcing her out of the black fog and red summoning circle to the safe outer perimeter of the glowing white sigils.
Her hand was tingling from that single exchange. The devil's physical strength was monstrous.
What's worse, she could feel her chi struggling to fight back an invading force threatening to destroy her protective layer. She flared her paths once more, destroying the pink parasitic energy attached to her.
"Kikiki! Oh?"
SWOOOOP
The obscuring smoke began to coalesce, entering the lithe body of the devil, clearing the circle once more.
"Courage and a bit of skill. What is a competent fighter doing with a group of dogs like this? Kikiki."
The red beauty didn't answer the mocking question of the devil in front of her. She just raised her blade once more, her eyes resolved. The outcome was clear: they were outmatched. She decided to do her most to keep the devil from casting spells on her companions while they retreated.
She… She would probably die here today.
"Kikiki, a good look in your eyes." The devil chuckled. "I respect sword maidens like you. How about you come work for me instead, brave one?" She smiled beneath her ethereal veil.
The warrior ignored her as she glanced around.
The ranger was just standing there like an idiot; gone were her bigoted words and haughty air, replaced by a docile simpleton, waiting hand and foot for the commands of her new master.
The elf was no different, now shivering on the spot, confidence gone and eyes wide, unable to comprehend how a single snort had crippled a magical genius like her for half a day.
And then there was Damien. Their leader, not even bothering to lead or assist their crusade the second he looked at the devil's status.
The warrior felt frustrated with him the most. This wasn't like him, even if she had no real weakness seen on her status, with his boons, at least a simple strategy could be formed.
She was about to shout for him to snap out of it and get the rest out for now when…
THUMP
CLANG-CLATTER-CLATTER
Damien fell to his knees, his sword tumbling to the ground as his eyes looked at the entity in trepidation.
"W-what…" Was all he could squeeze out. A new feeling flooded his mind.
Despair.
It wasn't just the status that broke him. During the devil's exchange with the red beauty, past the transparent panel, when his mind was slowed to a crawl.
On the devil's back, peeking over the lowered sleeves of the dress. He had seen it.
The tattoo-like mark, revealing the truth he wanted to deny all this time.
The red-haired warrior was dazed only for a second before fear began to take over her body.
Not because she understood Damien's reaction, but because from the corner of her vision, she could see the devil…
Jingle - Clack
Ssssssss
Jingle - Clack
Ssssssss
…Stepping across the holy barrier they had set up to contain her. A light sizzle coming from her body was the only indication of the barrier's active state.
"Kikiki! Had I known you had such a light show arranged for me, I would have worn sunscreen! Kikiki!"
She walked leisurely through the holy magic, as if such destructive laws against her devil body didn't apply.
Jingle - Clack
Jingle - Clack
Jingle - Clack
She walked steadily towards Damien, while the other two conscious heroes were frozen in place, fear and despair oozing from their bodies. Their legs began to shake, and their hands trembled violently. They all knew the meaning of a devil unbarred by the order law.
A Supreme.
Sniff Sniff
"Mmmm, a good smell in the air, fresh despair. Kikiki. The natural scent of you barely sentient beings." She came to a stop in front of the slumped hero. She tilted her head and grinned.
"Already lost the will to fight? Not very heroic, is it, boy?"
But Damien didn't answer; he just continued to stare at the panel in front of him. His mind was reeling at the ridiculousness he was seeing.
[Status]
[
Name: Hannya 6th Luxuria
Aliases: Hannya, The Cannibal (Known), [???], [???]
Titles: [Kikikiki]
Lvl: [This was your plan?]
Stats: [Kikikiki]
Abilities: [Did you really think I'd let you?]
Boons: [Kikikiki]
Curses: [Your gods have no power here.]
Possible Weaknesses: [Kikikiki]
Damien: [Know your place, boy.]
]
Hannya looked down at the dazed hero with disdain. Even with all the grace given, here this fool was. It seems consequences were indeed needed.
"I'll make this quick. Since It's date night. Kikiki!"
She raised her slender hand to the sky.
RUMBLE
The world changed color, the space now tinted with a blood-red hue.
"Know the name of Hannya, the name of despair, the name of the devil."