Murmur Murmur
Keith had done an exemplary job. He gathered all the remaining knights in the kingdom and prepared them for the upcoming battle. Under his focused leadership, the evacuation of residents was proceeding smoothly and steadily. He ensured that panic wouldn't spread, even with an enormous, malevolent dark hole swirling right above the sky.
The evacuation was only halfway done when the carriage carrying Komraad and the girls finally arrived. Moments after their arrival, a loud, bone-chilling screech ripped through the air, vibrating off the buildings. It came from the enormous black hole in the sky. The terrifying sound instilled such fear that some residents lost consciousness. Immediately afterward, a swirling swarm of inferior demons poured out of the portal.
The inferior demons were monstrous: twisted humanoids, just over six feet tall, with thin, wiry limbs and dark, leathery skin. Their faces were bat-like. Flat-nosed with large, twitching, pointed ears. Glowing red eyes stared out from deep sockets, and their wide mouths were filled with sharp, yellowed teeth. Two large, veined, bat-like wings stretched from their backs, folding around them like a cloak. Their long fingers and backward-bent legs ended in razor-sharp claws, making their movements unsettlingly quick. They looked like creatures dragged straight from a nightmare.
Rein, with quick thinking, managed to cast a massive water barrier, enveloping the kingdom to block the initial rush of inferior demons and buy precious time for the remaining residents to escape.
"E-Everyone! Hurry up! The barrier won't hold for long!" Rein shouted, her expression strained as she struggled to maintain the immense shield.
The inferior demons immediately began trying to penetrate the water barrier with brute force, clearly focused on causing mayhem and destruction.
As soon as the last of the residents were evacuated, Rein dispelled her water barrier so everyone could engage the demons properly and fight with full force.
"Everyone! Protect the kingdom at all costs!" Keith roared, his voice firm with resolve.
"For the kingdom!" The knights shouted in a unified, determined chorus.
The moment the inferior demons flooded the kingdom streets, the battle began. It was intense and obviously one-sided. The knights were heavily outnumbered, and while the demons weren't individually strong, their sheer numbers overwhelmed the defenders.
Thankfully, the gang was on the scene, each of them showcasing their unique powers and abilities.
Amalia, who we had assumed was just a normal housewife, wielded earth magic with finesse and expertise.
[Earth Magic: Summon; Mud Puppet]
Amalia summoned a horde of gigantic, hulk-like creatures made of mud, each towering over ten feet tall. She commanded them individually at will. With her summons, she smashed the approaching inferior demons like irritating mosquitoes. Her mastery of earth magic was second to none, a skill worthy of the once-known Head Knight of the Vermine Kingdom.
Amalia's husband, Miguel, and the other former Head Knight, was a master swordsman. He wielded an enormous sword similar to Astrid's. Even without magic, his monstrous strength and overwhelming techniques were more than enough to overpower the inferior demons.
[Sword Technique: Mountain Splitter]
With a single, devastating swing of his enormous sword, he cut through multiple inferior demons like butter, unfortunately using the buildings and houses around him as collateral damage.
Keith, the current Head Knight and son of Amalia and Miguel, proved why he deserved his title. Unlike his father, his sword technique was the embodiment of silent but deadly. Every one of his movements was calculated, and every action he took was precise and well thought out.
[Ice Magic: Sword Technique; Winter Coffin Slash]
Keith danced around the battlefield with exquisite finesse. Every strike from his magic sword was clean and precise. A single slash would freeze the inferior demon's entire body, inside and out.
Astrid also didn't waste a single moment. She proved how practical and deadly her sword's extending ability was. Her small, nimble body allowed her to dodge the attacks of any inferior demon that came her way. Her sword allowed her to defeat her enemies from a safe distance. Just like Miguel, one sweeping swing of her extending sword was enough to defeat multiple inferior demons at once.
Rein also demonstrated her exceptional mastery of magic. Since we started traveling, she has improved dramatically. All her training allowed her to use defensive and offensive water magic simultaneously, with incredible speed and precision. She defended herself from the inferior demon attacks with a personalized water barrier and instantly shifted to offense using aqua bullets. She did this with such perfect precision and accuracy that her opponents couldn't find any openings.
Finally, Komraad, the Beastkin, utilized everything at his disposal. His strength allowed him to rip through his opponents with effortless ease. His speed allowed him to move around unpredictably. His beastly instincts enabled him to evade and predict any attack coming his way. Since the fight began, he had already taken down hundreds of inferior demons, and the count was still rising.
Everyone was fighting uniquely and powerfully, but no matter how strong they were, the fight never seemed to end. Demons kept pouring out of the enormous dark hole in the sky. Every moment they stayed and fought, the harder it would be for them to push forward and execute their plan.
"We can't stay and fight here forever! We'll lose all our strength and stamina before we can even get inside the palace!" Keith shouted in worry, his voice barely heard over the chaos.
Everyone shared the same worry, but no matter what they did, the number of demons was increasing faster than they could take them down. Hope was about to be lost. They were starting to feel the heavy toll on their bodies when a miracle no one expected happened.
A part of the enormous wall surrounding the kingdom suddenly shattered, and something massive emerged from the hole.
A giant tortoise entered the fray, carrying tons of people on top of her shell. It was Nessie and Stephany's men, rushing to the rescue. Even the witches from the Witch's Isle were with them.
"Fae! We received your call! I hope we're not too late!" Stephany shouted, making a grand entrance. Her men and the witches roared in unison.
Everyone was initially confused, but instantly relieved that backup had arrived. Fae was the only one who understood what was happening.
Fae hadn't been sulking in her room, she had been desperately trying to contact Stephany using the communication orb she had given us. Thankfully, Stephany's gang was staying inside the Witch's Isle. After Fae explained the dire situation, Stephany immediately rushed toward the kingdom to help. The witches volunteered to come along to repay us for liberating them. A month of travel was shortened to mere hours thanks to Nessie's enormous speed, and now they were here to shift the balance of the fight.
"Everyone, leave these demons to us!" Stephany ordered.
"Thank you, everyone," Fae responded, tears of happiness mixing with her relief.
Nessie, Stephany, her men, and the witches took over, helping the Vermine knights fend off the inferior demons. Amalia and Miguel also stayed behind to help coordinate the defense.
Komraad, Keith, and the girls left the chaotic battlefield and left everything to their allies, continuing their original, crucial plan. It didn't take them long to arrive at the palace. Waiting near the gate was May, fighting against the inferior demons and awaiting the girls' arrival.
May wasn't wearing her usual maid outfit. Instead, she was clad in battle armor, wielding a massive magic shield.
"Girls, please follow me! I know where they're keeping the Princess," May relayed, her eyes burning with fierce determination.
The girls followed May toward the other side of the palace, while Komraad and Keith went straight for the throne room to defeat the perpetrators and destroy the source of the massive portal.
Keith and Komraad were still in the hallway of the palace when they saw someone waiting, blocking their path. It was the demon-possessed Head Butler that Komraad had fought before.
"Hey, Keith, you go first. This one's mine," Komraad said, his voice flat and serious. He had unfinished business with this demon, and he wanted to end it with his own hands.
"Be careful," Keith responded, nodding. He then proceeded toward the throne room, where the Prince and the portal source were located.
The Head Butler didn't try to stop Keith, his target was exclusively Komraad.
"Hey, ass! Looking for a rematch?" Komraad taunted, a grim smile on his face.
"Ha-ha. Ha-ha!" The Head Butler laughed, then his expression snapped to seriousness. "You're the reason I embarrassed myself in front of my boss! You're going to pay for it with your life!" He spat, his voice filled with rage and fury.
"It's not my fault you're weak," Komraad countered, trying to push him further. Without hesitation, Komraad tore off the artifact bracelets he was wearing, unleashing his full power immediately. He knew he had to finish the fight fast to prevent himself from going completely berserk.
"Getting serious from the get-go, I see. Well, I guess I have to get serious myself," the Head Butler responded. He then released an extremely strong, ominous presence around him.
Komraad initiated the attack first. He launched himself forward at high speed, using his sharp claws to try and rip the Head Butler apart. He thought his attack landed, but it was just an afterimage.
Komraad noticed the illusion immediately. "Coward!" he shouted.
The demon's chilling laugh echoed throughout the corridor as he started explaining his power.
"As a courtesy, I will tell you my name before I end your life. My name is Mizzari. I didn't show you my true power last time because you didn't deserve it. But now that you've angered me, I will make you regret ever being born. My powers allow me to create copies of myself or anyone I wish, for I am the master of illusions. You'll die before you ever find my real body."
Mizzari created hundreds of copies of himself, swirling around to confuse Komraad and attacking him in his blind spots. Komraad struggled to identify the real body.
After sustaining heavy damage, Komraad started to get exhausted and overwhelmed. Not only that, if the fight dragged on any longer, he would lose his sense of self and go berserk again.
I have to finish this quickly, Komraad thought, forcing himself to close his eyes and focus. His concentration became superb, and his beastly instinct was dramatically heightened.
Come on, Komraad, being a hunter is in your blood. Stop thinking and let your senses take over, he coached himself internally.
Mizzari thought he had found an opening because Komraad was standing motionless. He decided to end the fight once and for all. Fortunately, Komraad located him just before the final strike.
Hundreds of Mizzari copies launched themselves forward, ready to rip Komraad apart with their sharp claws. But using his keen sense of smell, Komraad managed to pinpoint the location of the real body.
"Found you!" Komraad smirked. He grabbed Mizzari by the neck, and all the multiple illusions instantly vanished.
"Argh… err…"
Mizzari choked in Komraad's iron grip. As he was about to lose consciousness, he made a final, desperate effort to trick Komraad. In the blink of an eye, he transformed his appearance, using his illusion power to make himself look exactly like me in my human form.
Komraad froze in shock, seeing my face and hearing my voice.
"K-Komraad, please release me. I don't want to die again," Mizzari begged, using my face and my voice.
Mizzari thought Komraad would release his grip, but the opposite happened: his grip tightened even further.
Komraad grinned, a predator's sneer. "I've already memorized how Ina smells, and unlike her, you reek of bloodlust," he informed the demon.
Mizzari instantly transformed back into his original face, his desperate trick having failed.
Using all his strength, Komraad smashed Mizzari with a single, brutal punch to the face, sending him flying and crashing into the wall. The impact shattered the stone, and Mizzari's unconscious body was buried beneath the rubble.
After defeating Mizzari, Komraad immediately put the artifact bracelets back on to stabilize his sanity and prevent himself from going completely berserk. His body then gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground, resting for a moment to regain his strength before rejoining the fight.
May and the girls, on the other side of the palace, ran as fast as they could to rescue the Princess.
"Miss, how did you know where they're keeping her?" Astrid asked May out of curiosity as they ran.
"I've always known where they were keeping her for the past five years. I was personally tasked by the late Queen to be Princess Raya's maid. I've been by her side since she was little, protecting her no matter what," May explained, her voice cracking with urgency. "But when the King and Queen passed away, everything changed. I tried to save the Princess and get her out, but my voice wasn't reaching her anymore. My only remaining hope is you girls. Please, save her before it's too late." May's plea was genuine, her deep care for the Princess evident.
"You got it, Ms. May," Fae said, trying to ease her mind a little.
May felt she could truly rely on these girls and believed they would be able to bring the Princess back to her senses. It took a while, but the room where the demons were holding Princess Raya finally came into view.
"We're near the room where they're keeping her. It's just beyond that door," May informed them.
They were about to reach the door when Saro, the demon-possessed maid who had snatched the Princess, suddenly appeared right in front of them, blocking their path.
"Fufufu… it seems we have some uninvited guests," Saro said menacingly. "Sorry, but none of you are passing through this door."
"This is bad. The more time we waste, the harder it will be to reach the Princess," May worried aloud.
"Don't worry. We'll finish this demon before that happens," Rein assured her with a serious tone.
"No, you must proceed to the room now. I'll stay here and create an opening for you girls," May suggested, hefting her massive shield.
"But what about you, Ms. May?" Fae asked worriedly.
"Don't worry about me. I also have a score to settle with this demon, so please just focus on saving the Princess before it's too late," May insisted.
The girls reluctantly agreed.
"Oh, what are you girls whispering about? Let me join in the fun!" Saro teleported behind their backs. The girls were startled by Saro's speed, but May, who was familiar with the demon's ability, predicted the move and instantly defended with her magic shield.
Using the size of her shield, she briefly obscured Saro's vision. Before Saro could react, the girls were already able to slip through the door. Saro was too late to notice. She tried to teleport and stop them, but May wouldn't allow it.
[Earth Magic: Shield Technique; Unbreakable Prison]
May conjured a huge, rectangular cell made of thick, heavy rock, trapping Saro and herself inside. Saro tried to teleport out of May's magic, but no matter what she did, she couldn't escape.
May had specifically created this magic to trap demons and prevent them from escaping. The only way for it to be dispelled was if May lost consciousness.
"You're staying here with me," May declared, her eyes burning with resolve and vengeance.
"Oh well, guess I have to play with you for the meantime," Saro responded nonchalantly, starting to size up her opponent.
As the girls entered the room, they were met with absolute darkness. The room felt like a whole new dimension. In the middle of it was the Princess, being slowly enveloped by a suffocating dark mist.
"Princess! We're here to save you!" The girls shouted.
"No, please go away! I don't deserve to be saved," Princess Raya's voice echoed throughout the dark space, filled with despair. "Because of me… because of me, all of you lost someone important. It was all my fault. If only I hadn't met Ms. Ina, all of this would have been prevented."
After Saro took her away, Princess Raya had used her clairvoyance to witness everything that unfolded in her room, including seeing my death in her brother's arms in horrifying detail. This tragedy finally caused her to give in to despair after years of desperately holding onto hope. The guilt and sadness were palpable in her voice.
The girls rushed closer to the Princess to talk to her and reach her heart, but inferior demons suddenly materialized in the darkness and attacked them.
"Fae! Go ahead and talk things out with the Princess! Astrid and I will protect you!" Rein instructed.
"Got it, big sis!" Fae responded, running toward the center with full determination.
Fae rushed toward the Princess, trusting Astrid and Rein implicitly. The inferior demons targeted her, but Astrid and Rein protected her with everything they had.
Fae managed to get close, but the Princess was on the verge of losing herself, almost completely engulfed by the dark mist. Fae gently held the Princess's hands and started comforting her.
"Princess, please don't blame yourself. Ms. Ina's death was not your fault. Helping you was her choice, and we supported it," Fae said, her voice clear and earnest. "Ms. Ina wouldn't stand by and do nothing when a girl is crying and asking for help. She did that for all of us, she found us and gave us warmth and hope. She wanted to do the same for you because she's the kindest person there is. So please, stop being hard on yourself. Your heart was in the right place, so don't ever regret meeting Ms. Ina or meeting us."
Fae gripped her hands tighter. "Knowing Ms. Ina, she wants us to push forward, even though she's gone. She wants us to find happiness and courage in ourselves. I finally realize that now. So please, Princess, let's choose to live, for Ms. Ina's sake."
Even after Fae poured her heart out, the Princess didn't respond. The girls feared it was too late, as the Princess's entire body was completely engulfed by the darkness. But Fae refused to give up.
"Princess, for once in your life, be honest with yourself! What is it that you truly want to do? Tell us!" Fae shouted one last time, hoping the raw emotion would pierce the darkness.
It took an agonizing moment, but then a glimmer of hope appeared. A radiant light began to emanate from within the dark mist that enveloped the Princess. Fae's last attempt hadn't been in vain, her voice had reached her.
"I… I want to save the kingdom and my brother," the Princess responded, her voice suddenly strong and clear as she slowly emerged from the suffocating darkness. "I want to see the world and meet new people, and have lots of adventures with all of you! I want to be free!"
All the darkness in the room slowly vanished, along with the demons Rein and Astrid were fighting.
Princess Raya finally emerged, transformed. Angelic wings sprouted behind her back, indicating she had fully awakened the Featherlight blood inherited from her father.
"Welcome back, Princess," the girls said genuinely, rushing in to hug her tightly.
"Thank you for believing in me," Princess Raya responded, her face alight with newfound hope.
Their moment was interrupted by applause coming from outside the door. It was Saro, who slowly approached them.
Clap Clap
"Wow, didn't think you'd actually pull that off. Sorry to ruin the fun, but I have to take you back, Princess. The Boss will need you more than ever now that you've awakened your dormant powers," Saro said menacingly, eyeing the new wings.
Oh no, what is she doing here? Did Ms. May lose? Astrid thought worriedly.
"Everyone, prepare to fight back!" Rein commanded. They were already exhausted from the previous fights, but to escape, they would have to fight once again.
"Princess, get behind us. We'll protect you," Astrid instructed.
"No, I'm done hiding!" Princess Raya declared, stepping forward with confidence and determination. "I finally have the will to fight!"
"Rebelling now, are we?" Saro sneered. She teleported behind their backs to seize the Princess, but Rein managed to stop her by quickly covering all of them in a sturdy water barrier.
"Tch… how irritating," Saro muttered, blocked by the shield.
Without hesitation, the Princess clasped her hands together and began to glow. She gathered all the mana in her body and used her newly awakened magic. Awakening her Featherlight heritage had boosted her clairvoyant powers, and now she could use Featherlight magic. Just like Rein, Princess Raya had a complete, intuitive understanding of magic. The only thing holding her back before was her lack of self-confidence, but that was gone now.
[Ultimate Light Magic: Garden of Eden]
A stunning garden of grass and flowers, made of pure radiant light, enveloped not only the room but the entire kingdom. Everyone in the vicinity was affected by her magic. All those she deemed allies had their strength boosted significantly, and all fatigue and exhaustion in their bodies completely vanished. Conversely, everyone she deemed an enemy had their strength and power significantly weakened.
"Tsk, so this is what the Boss was so worried about," Saro muttered. She noticed her power and strength being sapped away after Princess Raya used her magic.
"Whao, your magic is super amazing, Princess! I don't feel tired anymore! I also feel stronger than before!" Astrid noticed, testing her sword.
"Yeah, me too. We can do this!" Rein added with renewed confidence.
The girls were ready for another round of fighting, but things took a sudden turn.
Saro knew that this was a fight she couldn't win anymore. Instead of engaging, she simply teleported away to escape. "Aight, so I'm out of here," she said before poofing out of the room.
"That coward! All talk! Let's chase her!" Astrid shouted in anger and disappointment.
"Let's forget her. She's not a threat to us anymore. For now, let's focus on escaping here and providing backup to the others," Rein suggested wisely.
Everyone agreed. On their way out, they saw May, who had already recovered from her previous fight with Saro thanks to Princess Raya's magic. They quickly reunited with her and rushed outside the palace as fast as they could to help the others.
All that remained now was for Keith to save Prince Zion and destroy the source of the enormous portal in the sky.
Before reaching the throne room, Keith felt Princess Raya's potent magic surge through him.
This magic… I can feel the Princess's feelings mixed with it. Thank goodness, it looks like they were successful in saving her, he thought to himself, relief and happiness washing over him.
"I guess I have to do my part too," he added, his determination absolute.
Keith finally reached his destination. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Prince Zion sitting calmly on the throne. Behind him floated a giant, pulsating black crystal: the portal's source.
Keith stood before the throne, his eyes filled with cold anger toward the demon.
"So you've finally decided to take action, Head Knight. It took you long enough," the demon inside Prince Zion said, attempting to taunt him.
Keith remained calm and collected, even though every fiber of his being wanted to rip the demon apart.
"I'm here to take Zion back and destroy the portal's source," Keith said, his voice brimming with confidence and steely determination.
"Oho… and what makes you think you can do it now? After all those years of doing nothing but watching your kingdom fall into despair?" The demon mocked further.
"I was scared and alone before. But now I have found strong allies who helped me come this far," Keith stated with unwavering confidence.
"Strong allies? Don't make me laugh. I already killed the only one who could have stopped my plan," the demon responded, a cruel smile on Zion's face.
Keith was triggered by the demon's words, and he finally snapped.
"I won't let Ms. Ina's sacrifice be in vain. Your reign ends right here, you foul demon!" Keith declared. He pulled out his magic sword but hesitated to strike.
"What's wrong now? Are you afraid you'll hurt his body?" The demon goaded.
Keith didn't let the demon's words fully penetrate his focus.
Wait for me, Zion, he thought to himself.
He was now as calm and cold as ice. He knew how powerful the demon was, which is why he decided to get serious from the very beginning. Without further ado, he used his most powerful magic and technique.
[Ice Magic: Ultimate Sword Technique; Zero Domain]
In an instant, the entire floor of the throne room froze solid. Keith's magic sword changed form, glowing with intense blue hues and becoming as thin and sharp as pure ice. The demon was surprised, immediately noticing that his movements became slower, and Keith became significantly faster.
Keith initiated an attack, launching himself forward with high speed and precision. The demon dodged by a small margin, but even though Keith's sword didn't hit him, the closest part of his body to the blade, his right shoulder, instantly froze.
"Hmm… interesting," the demon muttered to himself while easily unfreezing his shoulder.
Keith attacked simultaneously, barrage after barrage, and the demon simply kept dodging. Keith became irritated that he wasn't fighting back.
"Stop underestimating me, demon!" Keith shouted in anger.
Keith distanced himself and created massive ice spikes that shot up from the ground. The demon wanted to dodge, but his feet were instantly frozen and stuck to the floor.
"Oh my, what a hassle." The demon used his cursed technique for the first time in their fight, summoning a dark sphere to shatter the ice spikes before they reached him.
While the demon was distracted, Keith created an Ice Clone of himself and sent it toward the portal's source. The demon thought it was the real Keith and attacked it, only to be surprised when it dissolved, a decoy. It was a perfect diversion. Keith sneaked behind the demon, ready to finally separate him from Prince Zion's body.
"Got you!"
Keith slammed the golden artifact onto the Prince's chest, and it started glowing brightly. The demon inside the Prince panicked violently.
Keith and the demon both thought it had worked, but the artifact suddenly went dark and stopped functioning.
"Ha-ha. That got me scared for a second. It seems you didn't gather enough mana from your surroundings to activate it," the demon mocked, regaining his composure.
The artifact required a massive amount of mana to use, and Keith simply hadn't met the required amount, which is why it failed.
"N-no, it can't be," Keith muttered in despair.
He was frozen in shock and collapsed onto his knees, completely exhausted from using so many powerful spells.
"I applaud you for having a good plan, but I'm utterly disappointed. I'm done playing with you," the demon said. He then summoned multiple dark spheres and changed the gravity around Keith, immobilizing him.
"W-why leave me immobile when you can just easily finish me?!" Keith screamed.
The demon approached Keith, answering his question with a terrifying, menacing look. "I can't kill you yet, not until you and the Princess taste overwhelming despair."
"You demon! You really are rotten to the very core!" Keith shouted, shaking with anger and despair.
Keith noticed the demon was leaving the room.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" He screamed.
"I'm about to kill three precious kittens. I wonder what face the Princess would make after I kill those girls," the demon responded menacingly, walking out the door.
Keith instantly worried, knowing the demon was referring to Fae, Rein, and Astrid.
"No! Come back here! Our fight isn't over yet!" Keith shouted as a last-ditch effort, but it was useless.
The demon left the throne room laughing, eager to inflict more despair on everyone.