Night fell over Mithril City.
The heavy darkness draped across the city like a curtain, while tens of thousands of lights shimmered together into a sea of scattered lantern-glow.
Although there had been a string of serial murders recently, life still went on. Thanks to the Demacian Crown Guard family and the city watch suppressing the news, no widespread panic had broken out.
"Heh-heh-heh-heh~~~"
Humming a carefree tune, Duke strolled along the path back toward the Crown Guard estate, quite satisfied with himself. To have won over the Durand family had been an unexpected bonus.
He hadn't expected that a spur-of-the-moment idea, meant only to add leverage for his journey to Demacia, would draw the attention of the Durands.
Waking Galio had been more than just a bargaining chip. In truth, he had done it to amuse a child.
After all, how could anyone not like such a thoughtful little girl as Luxanna?
Every sensible child deserves a sweet reward, that's a truth as old as time.
But waking Galio had drawn the Durand family's eyes to him, and from them he had obtained their ancestral journals and centuries of accumulated knowledge.
With their backing, two-thirds of his Demacian venture was already accomplished.
Most importantly, he had gained Galio's blueprints.
Granted, building Galio alone would be all but impossible for him at the moment, the sheer amount of petricite required was staggering. Even Durand himself had only succeeded with the full backing of Demacia's royal family.
Still, the technical designs contained valuable methods he could study and adapt.
His own research into petricite had been stalled for some time. Now, with the Durand journals, he could push forward again.
Perhaps he could even incorporate it into his next project, the study of the Original Sins.
He still had a blood sample from the green giant. That sample alone had immense research value and could serve as material for a third Sin.
Pride, Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Sloth, seven sins in all. Two had already been born.
Once this Demacian trip was over, the third would soon follow.
As Duke was humming and passing through a long street before turning into a narrow alley, a sudden sense of danger prickled at his heart. His left eye narrowed slightly, blue light flickering across his iris, and the world shifted before him.
The night was no longer just darkness, but broken into blotches of shadow and depth. And within those shadows, a sultry figure was tailing him, moving stealthily on catlike feet.
Her gaze was filled with hunger and greed. Two whip-like tendrils trailed restlessly behind her, twitching as if in eager anticipation.
"This is…" Duke's step faltered for the briefest instant, but he continued walking as if nothing had happened. Inwardly, though, he was puzzled.
"Go for a stroll once in a while, and I bump into another demon?
"Nocturne's still howling in his bottle, so why is Evelynn prowling about?"
"And those eyes…"
Thanks to the Divine Eye, Duke could see her expression clearly. Evelynn's gaze was like a predator about to devour him whole.
"Planning to eat me alive, are you?"
He sighed inwardly. "Honestly… Vayne is probably still searching for Evelynn's trail, and I just happen to run into her first.
"I really am cursed when it comes to Demacia."
With a private grumble, Duke quickened his pace ever so slightly. Since Evelynn had delivered herself to his doorstep, he wouldn't be polite about it.
Among the great demons of Runeterra, he had already captured two. Add Evelynn, and that would make three.
Still… Evelynn's reputation wasn't exactly impressive.
What use was she, really?
A demon who fed on sadism and the pain of others, able to turn invisible, awaken hidden desires, shapeshift, and stalk prey unseen.
Perhaps he could hand her over to Camille, train her into a covert operative.
Give Evelynn limited freedom, let her gather information while feeding herself on the side. That might not be a bad arrangement.
After all, the Ferros Clan only had Camille as a true spymaster. As for Duke, he was the artisan, responsible for the technology.
Dakcor, the head of the family, oversaw everything, a manager, really.
The three of them formed a stable structure, but their overall power was still far too thin.
The Original Sins obeyed only Duke. They didn't heed Camille at all.
All the more reason to turn Evelynn into their spy.
With his mind made up, Duke deliberately steered his steps toward the rundown outskirts of Mithril City. No matter how prosperous a city was, there was always a place where the poor scraped by.
That was where he headed.
Evelynn, following unseen, noticed his direction with faint suspicion. But the thought of food soon overwhelmed all else. Right now, she only wanted to hear the boy scream.
After centuries of haunting mortals, was she really about to fall prey to some human child?
If Tahm Kench or Nocturne could read her thoughts, they'd mock her mercilessly for being naïve.
Demons were indeed terrifying, yet compared to Duke, they were toddlers with baby teeth.
To underestimate him was to risk eternal captivity.
At the same time, elsewhere in the night, Vayne also noticed Duke heading into the wild outskirts. A flicker of doubt crossed her eyes. After a brief hesitation, she fired a grappling line and followed silently.
After nearly half an hour, Duke reached Monument Way, then cut toward Galio's resting place.
Gazing at the colossal sentinel, he turned into the forest nearby and found a clearing.
There, he pitched a tent, set up a table and chairs, and laid out Galio's blueprints for comparison.
"May as well camp outdoors tonight," he murmured. "Catch Evelynn, toy with her a bit, and study the schematics while I'm at it."
Hidden in the shadows, Evelynn licked her lips as she watched him.
A craftsman, was he? Excellent. That would make tonight's little game all the more fun.
Slipping out of darkness, her insubstantial limbs melted into sultry curves. The demonic lashes on her back faded, leaving the alluring shape of a woman with a figure that no man could resist.
Her hips swayed as she glided across the grass toward the tent.
When she was just a meter away, Duke looked up, sensing her presence. Evelynn's face blossomed into a coquettish smile, lips curving upward as she beckoned to him with one slender finger.
Duke's mouth twitched. Does she really need all this theater?
Still, to play along, he rose to his feet, though his gaze kept drifting back to the blueprints on the table.
Truth be told, the schematics were far more tempting to him than Evelynn was.
"You are… who?"
Putting on a hint of nervousness, he cautiously stepped closer.
Evelynn's left hand caressed her waist, her right hand lifted invitingly, fingers curling toward him. "Come to me."
"Um…" Duke stepped forward again. Magical energy surged within him, ready to strike at any moment.
"Are you lost?
"I'm just doing some research here, need me to walk you home?
"You look cold. Want a blanket?"
Evelynn's inner heat flared at his voice. She closed the distance, reaching for his shoulders. But just as she was about to speak,
Thwip-thwip-thwip!
Three glowing silver bolts slammed into the ground where she had stood. Evelynn leapt back instantly, baring her fangs as her bewitching face twisted into something demonic.
"Hunter!"
With a rustle of cloak, Vayne descended from above, planting herself firmly in front of Duke. Her crossbow aimed unflinchingly at Evelynn as her cold voice rang out:
"Demon."
Duke rolled his eyes. He had been just one step away from seizing Evelynn completely. But of course, Vayne had to show up and ruin it.
"Demacia and I truly are cursed to clash," he muttered, massaging his brow.
Vayne's voice was like ice:
"I'll paint my arrows with your blood."
Raising her left arm, she loosed another silver bolt. Evelynn slipped into shadow, vanishing, and Vayne's shot struck only air. Without hesitation, she hefted her right-hand crossbow and pulled the trigger.
Boom!
A burst of alchemical fire shattered the night's silence. Dozens of bolts rained down, carpet-bombing Evelynn's last known position.
But laughter echoed all around them, Evelynn's mocking voice.
"Little girl, you'll need sharper eyes than that.
"Here, let big sister help you."
Her lash-whips lashed out from the void, snapping toward Vayne, while jagged shadow-spikes erupted from the ground, surging toward her.
Vayne twisted aside with practiced grace, but she had forgotten Duke was behind her.
Duke recognized the technique at once. Evelynn's Q, Hate Spike.
"Really… cursed luck."
Clenching his right fist, his left eye flared. Evelynn's disguise unraveled before him.
And then,
Boom!
His punch landed like artillery fire. The shockwave ripped the whips and spikes to tatters, the gust igniting with scattered sparks until it became a rolling inferno.
Fist-Gauntlet Style, Carpet Bombing!
Caught mid-step, Evelynn was blasted out of stealth. Before she could recover, Vayne's bolts streaked toward her throat and heart.
Panic flickered across Evelynn's eyes. She hadn't expected her "sure kill" hunt to flip against her so suddenly.
Hunter and prey had switched places.
"Ahhh!!"
With a sharp cry, Evelynn blurred into afterimages, her whips carving a crescent slash through the air. The strike severed the silver bolts and split the burning gale, though her tendrils were seared in the process.
For demons, silver was the deadliest poison.
Leaping back, Evelynn glared at the two of them. But then, just as quickly, she slipped back into a sultry smile.
"You children really are impressive. Such effort! Very well, big sister will give you a gift."
Pursing her lips, she exhaled a cloud of shimmering pink haze.
The moment Duke and Vayne saw it, the mist had already enveloped them.
W, Allure!
"Enjoy your night!" she sang with a giggle, retreating into the shadows with a few flickers of movement.
But Duke covered his nose and mouth, releasing Gluttony and Pride without hesitation.
"Catch her!!"
End of chapter....
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