5th Day of the 1st Fire Cycle[1], 2000 g.c.
The Witch's Lounge at the very top of the Sycamore Tree exhaled luxury and danger in equal measure. Saturated in violet hues and candlelight, the space thrummed with seductive energy, as if the air itself had been soaked in mana-charged pheromones. Sweet oils, musky and floral, clung to the lungs, mingling with the breath of anticipation. The room was awash in sensual colors—deep purples, moody reds, and the silver kiss of moonlight spilling across the velvet furniture and smooth wooden floors through a towering glass window that curved like a spider's eye. Time itself felt slower here, dreamy and taut, like the whole place was caught between a fantasy and a battlefield.
Four of the Panty Raiders' most elite witches lounged lazily, each woman dressed in slinky lingerie accented by intricate lace masks shaped like feline faces. A soft hum of magic resonated from the crystal orb floating in the center of their gathering, projecting surveillance images from the lower floors. Most of the footage centered on the Devil King of Velonica, whose recent arrival had sent a ripple of unrest and twisted arousal through the guests. His presence had become an unspoken force—a weight they could feel pressing down on them, even sixty stories up.
Kiranna burst in, late and unapologetic, her boot heels hitting the polished floor with confidence. Her leather skirt clapped with each step, a deliberate contrast to the silken nightwear of her sisters. She was still adjusting her leather bra plate, an attempt to hide the streaks of thick, pearl-colored residue clinging to the line of her neck. The room's energy shifted slightly as eyes turned to her, especially those of the Lesser Erinyes seated across the couch's armrest.
Danni raised a sculpted brow, her petite brown frame wrapped in a soft yellow robe marked with white diamond lace, sitting crossed-legged with her lush thighs slightly exposed, tail rhythmically flicking her side.
"Someone is very overdressed and underdressed at the same damn time," she said dryly.
Silence stretched for half a breath as the sisters took her in. Then Danni blinked, unimpressed. "And girl, is that nut in your hair?"
Kiranna smirked without shame, plopping down next to her. "Well, I saw a dick I wanted to suck. Didn't have time to clean up with this emergency meeting being called."
Luvina's voice slithered through the air from across the room like silk drawn across steel. "I think preparing to deal with a Demon Lord is a little more important. Unless you don't like living?"
Kiranna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. It's givin' headache already."
"So the Devil of Velonica is a Demon Lord now?" Danni asked, her eyes fixed on the orb as it replayed my earlier encounter.
"Correct," Luvina answered sharply. "Expect his power to make S-Class look like a warm-up act."
Danni sighed. "Dang. I'm really not trying to fight this dude. Why is he here, again?"
"Failed coup in Velonica," Luvina replied. "Thanks to Beau Soleil and our very own Kiranna."
Danni gave Kiranna a side-eye smirk. "Kira, girl, how bad did y'all fail for the Devil to be at our doors the exact same night?"
Kiranna leaned back with a shrug. "Pssh, it wasn't even my fault. I didn't even see the Devil. And Beau would be dead if not for me. Some human warriors showed up, and then the Devil's allies came outta nowhere. It was insane."
"Were they strong?"
"Bish, yes," Kiranna nodded emphatically. "But those pills we got let us hold our own against another Demon Lord. If we use 'em against the Devil, I bet we can kill him, honestly."
Luvina's tone turned cold. "You just missed seeing him fight. It won't be easy—or probably even possible—to take him on with brute strength."
"Especially after how fast that Caprigyne Clanmistress got clapped trying to touch him," Danni added with a small shudder.
Azumi, lounging half-sprawled atop the couch's armrest in white laced boyshorts and a bra that barely kept her full figure at bay, laughed loudly. "That shit was funny, though."
"We shouldn't laugh at the weak," came Trixy's disapproving tone, her golden-threaded black thong glimmering as she leaned in to take a sip of tequila from her silver chalice. The wildcat stripes decorating her thighs and hips flexed with every subtle move.
"Maybe you shouldn't," Azumi snapped back. "But I'm not above laughing at a weak bitch. Ha."
Trixy's tail wiggled in irritation as Azumi's lion-like tufted tail tapped hers teasingly.
"The biggest problem is Orion's prophecy playing out," Trixy said. "Even my Tarot Deck supported his warning about the Devil."
"I'm glad he's here," Azumi grinned. "Finally get to see what the fuss is all about."
Luvina's eyes sharpened as she leaned forward. "Just remember, he's dangerous. And he didn't come alone. The man in the white cowboy hat—he's full of mana. Just as much as Azumi or me."
Danni's lips parted in greedy curiosity. "Can we capture him and drain him? We're almost out of those Wolvens Azumi caught."
"He seems strong," Luvina warned. "I'd suggest caution when engaging him."
"Wait," Kiranna interjected. "Are we still using the Devil to kill the Angels?"
"Before I answer that…" Danni turned toward Trixy. "Didn't you say you overheard the Angels plotting to off us?"
"Yes," Trixy nodded. "I overheard Orion saying he planned to erase us once our usefulness ended."
Danni clicked her tongue. "Then yes. We're making them both fight each other."
Luvina smirked. "With Danni wrapping up the last batch of Cultivation Pills, our contract's complete once they retrieve them."
Kiranna's brow arched. "So they're coming here tonight?"
"I've already sent the call," Luvina confirmed. "Expect one of them at any time."
Azumi hopped up to her feet with an electric bounce. "This is already looking like the greatest party ever!"
"Now, ladies," Luvina's voice cut clean through the rising energy, "time to take your places as floor guardians. Use the pills if he appears on your floor. Don't hold back. And remember—whoever defeats the Devil gets to become his personal drainer."
Azumi raised both arms like a child in a candy store. "Welp, I'm off. Hehe!"
She skipped out, her laughter echoing down the hallway like bells laced with menace. Luvina proceeded next while Danni followed at a slower pace, shoulders slightly slouched as the looming threat weighed her down.
Trixy rose gracefully, her bright eyes catching Kiranna with a stare that said more than words ever could. Mistrust glittered behind her mask, but her lips twisted into a polite smile. Without a word, she shimmered and shifted—her body shrinking down and reforming into a sleek black cat with sharp lemon-yellow eyes. With a flick of her tail, she darted after the others.
Left alone in the quiet lounge, Kiranna crossed her legs, fingers slipping into the satchel hidden beneath her armor. She brushed against the clinking bottles and tiny metal capsules within, a confident smirk curling her lips.
"If those Angels are coming," she thought to herself, "then I just need to stall him. That's simple with the amount of pills I just took from the storage. Bring it on, Devil. Time to find out how great this demon dickhead is."
Down in the lower half of the Sycamore Tree, just entering on the second floor, my crew and I stepped into silence.
The air here was different—muted, like a room that hadn't been laughed in for weeks. The muffled echoes of our steps bounced off the glossy wooden floor, and only a few naked Imps and semi-robed Pandarens passed by, heading downstairs with blank faces and shifty eyes. The once-persistent scent of arousal that had lingered so heavily on the lower floor barely clung to the corners here. Still, my [Super Smell] could catch the tail-end hints of recent sex—the mix of sweat, pheromones, cheap perfume, and oils that hadn't yet faded fully. Sometimes that skill of mine was too good for its own use.
Alex and Ameera followed just behind me, walking side by side in quiet conversation. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but they were getting deeper into that bonding stage—talking about favorite foods, spices, and weird cooking methods. Alex liked his meat grilled with flames he summoned himself, while Ameera had some wild fascination with fruit pies and fresh-caught fish. Their little world was forming behind me, while Dream Flower and Nicole were making sure they stayed locked into mine.
"So you get a Guardian Armament from a Bible? How did you even learn all of this?" Dream's question was asked with a mix of wonder and disbelief, eyes wide and voice soft.
Nicole's curiosity was more innocent but laced with awe. "Trappers are Angels? Like in the children's story?"
I could tell it was a lot for them. I broke down the basics—told them how Alex and I fought a Trapper months ago, how we both bore Lord Seeds, how my Guardian Armament was unique and born from an Aeon. That I wasn't a regular Oni. That I didn't even fit into the mold for normal anything.
Nicole looked at me like I was already halfway to godhood. Dream Flower, though? She wanted to see what I could do. I'd caught her whispering to herself more than once that my way of using mana didn't follow any tradition. It bent, it broke, it danced. It was new and alien to her. And she liked that.
Gaia really was behind. I mean, with so few men around, innovation probably wasn't at the top of many folks' to-do lists. Women here seemed more interested in indulgence than invention. Pleasure before progress. Hedonism over hypothesis. It said a lot about how this matriarchal world spun.
But I didn't dwell too long on that thought. My nose twitched again—mana. Strong. Dense. Pressurized. It rolled off the nearby door like heat waves off a summer concrete surface. Whoever or whatever was behind that door had just either been in a hell of a fight—or a hell of a fuck.
Then the door flung open.
Out stumbled a pale-beige Majin, completely naked, with white horns and spiked blonde hair sticking up like he'd just been electrocuted. His light blue eyes locked on me immediately as he staggered into the hall, pants around his ankles and no shame whatsoever.
"Hey, you, the Oni! You're an Oni, right? You've gotta be!"
Dream looked perplexed. "Why is that man with his dick out calling out to you, Lord Xi?"
"The fuck if I know. And I'm not trying to find out. Let's keep walking."
Nicole glanced casually. "It's not a bad size."
Dream nodded. "I've seen smaller."
"Y'all enjoy the show, I'll be upstairs."
But the man wasn't giving up. "Hey, man, where are you going? Wait a second, dude!"
Alex walked up beside them with a confused frown. "Yo, why is some naked guy chasing Xi?"
I didn't slow down, but the Majin did. Sort of. He shuffled after me awkwardly, hand waving, mouth running.
"Yo dude, you have no idea how awesome it is to see another Oni here. At first, I thought you were an Ogre with the burnt skin tone, but then I noticed the horns. You're from the Mayonaka Clan, ain't it?"
I stopped cold. That name grabbed me—like a whisper from a ghost. My fists clenched slowly.
"What do you know about the Mayonaka Clan?"
He smiled, catching his breath, still shirtless and ridiculous. "Are you serious? Not many Oni have horns that aren't black. The clans that do? Kinda famous for their colors."
"Seems I'm more ignorant than I believed."
He nodded, easygoing. "It happens, dude. People respect our kind for our might, not our mind."
He stepped forward like he wanted to hug me.
Bad move.
I summoned The Blue Queen with a snap, and its cerulean barrel aimed down. I fired a shot just inches from his foot. The spiritual bullet cracked the floor and hissed blue flame and smoke up from the impact.
He stopped. "What the hell, dude?! What kinda weapon is that?!"
"If you don't want the next one to pierce your manhood, I suggest you pull your pants up and keep a respectable distance, my nigga."
"That's fair, my guy. I forgot he was out." He bent over, tugging his pants up, finally, and brushing his hair back down with his hands. "By the way, I'm Grandmaster Headtrip of the Shirasagi Clan. Not to brag, but I'm a VIP Guest here."
"Demon Lord Xiro of the Mikazuki Clan. King."
His brows raised. "Whoa, Demon Lord? Wait, Mikazuki? You're not with the Mayonaka?"
As the others caught up, I gave him the rundown. Yeah, I had Mayonaka blood, but I was born and raised in Velonica. Never met another Oni. Headtrip said most Oni clans left from Xanadu about fifty years ago. Mayonaka Clan led the charge. Only two families stayed behind: the white-horned Shirasagi, like him, and some of the black-horned Kurozumi.
"Still," he added, "pretty awesome to meet an Oni Demon Lord. We should fight later. After I get my MP back."
"I'm never ducking a fade. I'm down whenever."
Dream was the one to redirect. "So, Sir Headtrip, what are you doing here on this empty floor?"
He smiled like an idiot. "Even-numbered floors are the best floors to have sex without people watching."
The more I heard about the Sycamore Tree, the more I was intrigued. "So the floors have different themes? Interesting."
"Odd-numbered floors are where you find the parties. But every ten floors? That's when you meet a Theme Mistress. You have to defeat or dominate them to get higher since you're not VIP."
A mental note I quickly made.
"Bosses every ten floors. So I can't just skip to the top, huh?"
Ameera's voice came sharp. "You know a lot about this place. Do you happen to know which floors they hold prisoners?"
"Sex slaves? Oh yeah, somewhere between floors 20 and 50. You lookin' to buy one? They don't fuck as good as a VIP Guest like me."
Alex raised his hand protectively. "She's good, bro."
"Whoa, is that your woman, dude?" Headtrip sniffed twice, his nose wrinkling. "Wait… you're a Tengu? I thought you were a Celestial. No wings threw me off. What a crazy group, this is."
"Aight, my nigga," I said, turning back to keep moving. "We appreciate the info. Now we gotta finish climbin' this mothafucka."
He wasn't done. "Come on, dude. You're an Oni, I'm an Oni. We should party together. Besides, I know where the elevators to the Witches' floors are. No need to travel through every level."
Dream clutched her chest dramatically. "Pleeaasee, Lord Xi. I don't wanna do that much walking in heels if I don't have to."
Nicole folded her arms and nodded. "She has a point, milord."
I sighed. "Fine. Women, I swear..."
"Hell yeah, dude," Headtrip said, grin never fading. "Follow me. We're actually close by the elevator on this floor."
"I really didn't need him to find the elevators," I thought. "Hell, I even know what floor Melech's on, all thanks to you, Tsuki."
In my head, [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] whispered.
"Thank you, Master. I think we make a kick-ass team."
I looked back at the Oni leading us. His golden hair bounced with each step.
"This Headtrip nigga seems like a himbo. The blonde ain't helping him shake the allegation, either."
"The blonde hair and blue eyes are common traits in a Highland Oni," [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] replied. "They're known for high-speed combat. And yes... education is not their strong suit. Most Oni clans believe 'might is right.'"
"So you think he's dumb, too. Got it."
Headtrip led us to the edge of the hall where a plain stretch of wall gave off a faint pulse of mana, almost undetectable unless you were really paying attention. With a cocky smirk, he pressed his palm to the wood. It shimmered like heat rising off pavement before a quiet, mechanical hum rolled through the air. A seam split the wood vertically, revealing a hidden panel that folded open like flower petals in bloom. Behind it stood a circular elevator, carved from pure orichalcum that glowed subtly with pink filigree, pulsing with mana veins that snaked through its surface like a nervous system.
The Sycamore Tree's magitech was next-level. It was elegant and seamless, merging ancient mysticism with clever architecture. As we stepped onto the lift, the floor beneath us reacted, absorbing the energy of our mana signatures. I couldn't help but wonder who'd designed this place. The way the tree drank ambient mana like background music and redirected it through the veins of its wood… it felt feminine, but methodical. Purpose-driven. I kept the thought tucked in the back of my mind.
As the lift ascended, Headtrip took that moment to throw in some exposition.
"First up, we're going to floor ten," he said, tossing his hair like he was on the cover of a romance novel. "The Kinky Diamond Chamber. It's run by my girlfriend, Zawa Moon."
Dream Flower tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "Sounds… kinky."
"You have a girlfriend?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
"I can have any girl, dude. Once they've had a taste of my cock, they never want another man."
I snorted. "Talk yo shit, then."
But he kept going.
"I know it's something you can't relate to. You darker skins don't get as many women, right? They say we lighter-skinned get more attention, but I'm not judging."
I cocked my head. "Don't get many? Nigga, I'll take yo bitch if you don't chill with the disrespect."
He laughed, waving his hand like he was dismissing a joke. "It's nothing to be ashamed about, dude. Plus, having smaller horns doesn't make you lesser as an Oni."
"Now you're talking shit about my horns?"
Alex leaned forward. "Is he dissing you, Xi?"
"Everybody knows that the bigger the horns on an Oni, the more popular they are with the ladies," Headtrip added with a smug grin.
"This lil' dick nigga is about to get on my last nerve."
Ameera shifted next to me. "Is anyone else… feeling a bit different?"
Nicole nodded slowly. "You feel it too, Ameera?"
Alex blinked. "Feel what?"
That's when [Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] whispered in my mind like a soft breeze.
"There is a submission spell being cast by Magic Gems placed along the wall," he explained. "The spell itself calms aggression, forcing a test of will against mind control and power loss through submission."
I narrowed my eyes. "Remote casting of Magic Gems? That's new."
"Correct, master," he answered. "But it is a highly advanced skill to use. Not something an average Gem User would know how to do."
The elevator chimed softly and opened with a sweep of motion. The moment it did, a wave of scent hit me—sweet vanilla, tinged with the ozone crackle of high mana concentration. The air was thick with arcane potency, the kind you could feel licking across your skin like silk dipped in static.
The entire floor shimmered like it was born from a dream. The walls, ceiling, and floor were crafted from a crystalline glass, smooth as ice and warm to the touch. Elegant silks draped from chandeliers made of Mana-reactive yarns, while the furniture was crafted from blends of carbonized gem materials and plush cotton. The craftsmanship was undeniably feminine—but deadly.
We were alone on the floor. No ambient noise. No movement. Just silence and beauty that masked a trap.
Ameera and Nicole didn't even last a second. The moment they stepped out of the elevator, the magick hit them like an invisible wave. I watched their bodies soften—shoulders drooped, eyes dimmed, lips parted in a sigh of pleasure. Their breathing grew shallow, sultry. The spell latched onto their mana and rode it like a tide.
Dream Flower clenched her fists and staggered slightly, fighting the pull. Impressive. Out of the three women, she was clearly the strongest.
"What the hell is this spell art?" she groaned, blinking rapidly. "It's making me drowsy."
"That's just Zawa's floor enchantment," Headtrip said casually, watching the girls like he was used to this. "It makes people weaker than her become submissive in their nature."
"If this keeps up, it's going to be taxing on my MP to counter."
Alex looked around, confused. "There's a spell being cast? Why don't I feel anything?"
"You must be pretty strong. The spell is practically invisible when you have a high amount of mana… or if you're a Godwalker."
"That can't be right," Dream muttered. "I am a Godwalker as well."
"Really? Must be the mana thing, then."
Then Ameera turned to Alex, her voice dripping with heat.
"Lord Alex," she purred, reaching out to touch his chest. "Allow me to please you in whatever manner you desire."
Alex froze. "Wait… huh? Ameera? Are you okay?"
"Please, Lord Alex," she repeated. "Allow me to make you feel good with the use of my body."
"I…" Alex blinked rapidly, face turning red.
Dream looked over at him, amused. "Looks like she's under the effect."
Nicole slid up to me without a word, taking my hand and placing it between her breasts like it belonged there.
"Lord Xiro…"
"Yeah," I said flatly, "Nicole too."
[Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi] chimed in again. "The formula to recreate the spell's effect has been copied. Feel free to use [Absolute Spell Removal] to dispel the effect from the floor."
I smirked. "I've got an idea that'll be more fun."
Lifting my left hand, I reached out with my mana and called the magitons swirling through the air. [Magick Reconstruction] surged to life in my palm, threads of arcane coding realigning themselves mid-air like glowing DNA strands unraveling and reforming. I altered the mana's properties—turned the submissive effect into a truth-serum-like enchantment instead. I needed Zawa's floor charm active for what I had planned.
Still, I eventually cast [Absolute Spell Removal] on the others, letting the aura burn away in a flash of cerulean fire. The moment the spell faded, Dream sighed in relief.
"Thank you for the assist."
Ameera and Nicole both blushed hard, looking away from everyone. Their minds were clear, but the memory of what they'd said lingered. That told me this wasn't full-on mental control—it was enhancement, a coaxing of their inner desires brought to the surface. That was more dangerous.
As we walked deeper into the floor, the decor became even more seductive. Orbs of soft light floated around the room. The architecture turned more flirtatious—pillars shaped like curved legs, furniture resembling giant jeweled corsets. There were love letters folded into origami traps, whips made from sapphire vines, and restraint circles glowing with runes. It was like Hello Kitty went dominatrix.
"Now that I can relax my concentration," Dream said, turning in a slow circle. "I can appreciate the beauty of the place. Hunnie, this is cute."
Nicole nodded, brushing her fingers across a glowing gem wall sconce. "The amount of Magic Gems everywhere is an interesting choice."
Headtrip chuckled. "You ladies like the crystals and stuff? Zawa's known as the Gem Witch. She can create this stuff like it's nothing."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Look alive," I said. "We've got company."
From the far end of the hallway, they emerged—sixteen of them. Beautiful, terrifying, and identical in their eerie allure.
Crystal Dollgirls.
Each one had the flawless form of a naked humanoid woman, sculpted from pure Magic Gems. Ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz—no two were alike. Their carved faces held expressions of innocence and submission, like anime heroines caught in peril. But their bodies were designed for seduction and violence. Mana throbbed inside them like molten light, enough to rattle the bones.
"Are those Golems?" Ameera asked, stepping back.
"Finally," Alex said with a grin. "I get to let off some steam."
Dream smirked, stepping forward. "Let me join for this one, Alex. I need to pull my weight some in this party."
"That's cool with me. Try to keep up."
"Y'all keep your wits about you," I warned. "They're all S-Class. High end."
Headtrip shrugged. "Not going to help them, dude? Those CDs will encase them in a crystal prison that'll drain their MP."
Nicole smiled. "I'm not fully sure about Lord Alex… but I know Dream Flower can handle herself."
I crossed my arms. "This might be good training for Alex. So I'mma chill and watch."
Ameera cheered. "Go, Lord Alex! Go, Dream Flower!"
Nicole turned to me with a sparkle in her eye. "Lord Xiro, can I bother you for some popcorn?"
I smiled and conjured Omnis Mana into my palm. "Oh, no problem. Here you go."
While I created Nicole and Ameera their own customized buckets of popcorn—Ameera's rimmed in violet sugar dust, Nicole's lightly buttered with lemon zest because she was that bougie—Alex and Dream Flower walked ahead into the growing tension of the crystal-lit arena. The crystalline tiles reflected faint hues of gold and violet across their steps, mana glimmering through the floor like veins in living stone. Alex, ever the flex type, lowered his cowboy hat to shield his eyes, but his smirk betrayed the bloodlust he'd been quietly nursing for hours. Even with all the distractions—the naked bodies, the glittering hallways, the seduction everywhere—he hadn't lost sight of the real reason he was here. The Panty Raiders were involved in his father's death, and Alex wanted payback.
Dream Flower's grin was a different flavor—mischievous, sharp, and almost hungry. She scanned the gem-crafted enemies with her piercing yellow eyes. The front of her pink-and-white dress billowed gently with her motion, the dual thigh splits making it hard not to watch her, especially with how freely her legs moved. I won't lie—you know my perverted ass was peeking.
The Sycamore Tree responded as it often did to incoming violence: reshaping space. The floor subtly shimmered, and in a blink, a spatial distortion slid in like stage curtains, creating a contained pocket dimension for the fight—clear to our eyes, but separate enough to avoid damage to the rest of the floor. The damn tree had intuition. It always knew just when someone was about to throw hands.
Dream tilted her head slightly as she spoke, voice lazy with disinterest. "I hate to break such pretty toys."
One of the Crystal Dollgirls, a gem-bodied beauty carved from pale rose quartz, tilted her head back. "Help me... Use me..." Her voice grinded through distorted pitches of pleasure.
Another, aquamarine in tone with a petite frame and overly rounded breasts, moaned as she walked forward. "Use... meee first…uzzt"
Alex squinted under the brim of his hat. "Freaky ass dolls."
Then the front line of the dollgirls charged like glass-blown zombies, arms forward, stiff hips swinging. They were beautiful, yes—but also unnatural, like someone's twisted idea of a sex symbol with no soul, just hunger.
Alex met their charge head-on, moving with a fluidity that was all muscle memory and fury. He sprang into the air, twisting mid-spin, and launched a burning crescent kick aimed at the ribcage of the lead dollgirl.
"Art of Shukaku: Burning Flare Kick!"
The collision lit the room in a blinding flash of red-orange light. The dollgirl's torso cracked with a deep fracture as she flew backward, her gem-body ricocheting off another dollgirl, crashing them both into a plush crystal couch that shattered like sugar glass. Alex landed, already shifting into a low stance—until he saw it.
His foot, where he'd made contact, shimmered. A thin crust of crystal had formed around his boot.
He grunted, lifting his leg and slamming his fist into it. The casing splintered off, hitting the floor in jagged chunks.
"That can't be good," he muttered. "Looks like we can't physically touch them without danger."
Dream Flower stepped beside him. "If that's the case, then I won't."
She slipped into a casting stance, shoulders loose, fingers flowing like water. Her aura burst into view, her Bio Mana exhaling off her skin like perfume made of energy. A sphere of concentrated Water Mana formed between her palms, but it wasn't smooth—it writhed with storm-like tendrils, each flicker snapping with barely contained pressure.
"Wash away my enemies—Superior Water Mana Arts: Yoruba's Tears!"
The orb exploded forward in a straight beam, moving like a solid column of churning liquid. It crashed into the nearest dollgirl, liquefying her instantly, her cry echoing in a ghostly whisper. The spell then slammed into the four behind her, sending them spiraling backward into the rest of their group like bowling pins sculpted from sapphires and diamonds.
I let out a low whistle. "Interesting. A beam of light, but made out of water. Magick be wildin', yo."
Nicole, munching popcorn beside me, spoke between bites. "Dream Flower is one of Endora's Orishas. She's pretty strong, milord."
That made me blink.
"Endora's Orishas?"
[Moon Sage: Tsukuyomi]'s voice slid into my mind with a chime. "The Orishas are unique Godwalkers who have reached the battle power of a Demon Lord. While the title of Demon Lord is used for a special ranking Sociovore that owns a Lord Seed and a Crown of the Demon Lord, there are other titles given to powerful Sociovores and Humans who have similar or stronger battle power."
I narrowed my eyes at Dream Flower, watching her movement. "The fact that I couldn't sense it in her means she is really good at hiding her true powers."
"Correct. If you want, I can give her a proper analysis to display her true stats."
"Nah," I thought, grinning. "I'mma watch her in action first. She's gotten my interest, now."
Ameera, sitting nearby and now thoroughly over her earlier embarrassment, leaned forward. "I didn't know she was an Orisha. Now I understand why she always seemed so relaxed."
"So Orishas are that strong?" I asked.
Headtrip scratched behind one of his ears. "I would say they're pretty tough. I once fought one to a stalemate after battling for a Dayhalf. Damn bastard just wouldn't stay down."
Nicole added, "We had one in North Velonica four years ago. She easily beat everyone during sparring practice. She would've enjoyed dueling you, Lord Xiro."
Hearing all this gave me that old itch. I'd been the apex predator for so long, I almost forgot what it felt like to wonder if someone out there could give me a run. And now? I was curious.
But we weren't done here yet. The rest of the Crystal Dollgirls were recovering from Dream's assault, crystalline skin refracting the ambient lights of the arena in chaotic beauty. I could feel them building mana again, bodies cracking into aggressive motion. They were pissed.
Nicole crunched into her lemon-zest popcorn, unbothered by the chaos erupting in front of her like it was a midnight movie.
I pushed up my three-eyed shades and grinned. I wasn't in a rush. For the first time all night, I was actually starting to enjoy myself.
[End of Chapter]
[1] April on Earth