The air around them trembled, like gentle ripples on the surface of water. From the swirl of pale light, the figure of a woman slowly materialized, a spiritual silhouette that shimmered softly, her face carrying both serenity and a wound from the distant past.
"Lucifer?! Is that really you, Lucifer?"
Her voice trembled between hope and disbelief. Lucifer stared at her for a long moment, as if looking at a memory he never expected to return.
His hand reached out, gently touching Chloe's shoulders, realizing that her body was now a spiritual form.
"It has been a long time, Miss Chloe." His tone was deep and calm, yet behind it lay an unspoken longing.
Gabriel stepped forward, offering a graceful greeting. "Long time no see, Miss Chloe."
"Gaby? So it is you. It has been a very long time since we last met." Chloe gave a faint smile, as if holding back memories that were spinning rapidly inside her mind.
"Miss Chloe, it has been a long time. I heard you were killed by the Zadkhiel group." Gaby's tone was flat, but her eyes carried sorrow.
Chloe lowered her gaze. Her eyes flickered, like waves in still water.
"At that time, my spiritual body was captured and forced to sleep for billions of years. But two years ago, I awakened and escaped from them." Her voice trembled with pain.
"Miss Chloe, what happened during the last two years?" Gabriel asked.
"For two years, I was constantly pursued by groups of fallen angels and dark angels. Even Zadkhiel offered a reward to anyone who could capture me." Said Chloe.
Lucifer sighed softly.
"I am very sad seeing you in this condition."
"Miss Chloe, do not give up. There is still a chance for us to reverse the situation. It is only a matter of time until we overthrow them," Lucifer said.
Lucifer then explained the situation of God Marrec, who was now bound inside Enatur's body.
Chloe listened without interrupting, her delicate fingers pressing against her temple, absorbing every detail as her eyes slowly darkened with emotion.
"So that is how it is. Uncle spiritual soul resides within this boy's body. But if the medicine ingredients have already been gathered, I can perform the alchemy process and save him from the Soul Core curse."
Lucifer looked at her with renewed hope. "You can really do it, Miss Chloe?"
She lifted her hand. "Do not misunderstand. I will do this for Uncle Marrec and also to repay your contribution to him back then," Chloe said firmly.
Chloe took a deep breath. The air around her vibrated, following the rhythm of her spirituality.
"Lucifer, Gaby, extend your hands. With the support of your spiritual energies, I can last longer."
Without hesitation, Lucifer and Gabriel extended their hands. Chloe grasped them both. Lucifer's hand emitted a pitch-black aura while Gabriel's hand glowed with silver-white light.
Both colors spun together, flowing into Chloe's body like a vortex. The light around her body thickened.
The paleness on her face faded, replaced by signs of revived spiritual vitality. After some time, she slowly released their hands and closed her eyes.
"Please wait for a moment, I will meditate first."
Lucifer bowed deeply. "Do not worry, Miss Chloe. We will stand guard."
Chloe sat cross-legged in mid-air, her spiritual aura forming a gentle ring around her. The energy spread slowly, making the surrounding air whisper softly.
---
Time passed without a sound. The sky above the ravine darkened. Chloe's spiritual body emitted fluctuating waves of energy, causing the sand nearby to tremble.
Finally, her eyes opened. A purple glow flashed from within them.
"I can last longer now." She stood, her gaze alive once again. "Lucifer, take me to Yunia. Let me handle the Soul Core curse."
Lucifer looked relieved. "Alright, Miss Chloe. You may come with me now. My plan is to head to Lord Marrec's secret place."
Lucifer opened his storage space. He took out the Golden Skull.
"The Golden Skull is now complete," he said, handing it to Chloe.
"Well done, Lucifer. With this, we will proceed there immediately," Chloe replied calmly.
Chloe turned her eyes toward Enatur and walked closer. Her spiritual aura caused the air around her to sway softly. Enatur gulped nervously.
"M-my name is Enatur Vermillion. Nice to meet you, Goddess Chloe!" he stammered, bowing stiffly.
Chloe gave a faint smile, noticing the boy's red hair and red eyes.
"So this is Yunia's son. His hair and eyes are exactly the same as hers, but he does not resemble Yunia. Perhaps he looks like his father," she murmured gently.
She then turned to Lucifer. "Take me to Sandy Dracule City, within the Vampire Kingdom. I have stored an ancient treasure belonging to the Van Dammon family there."
Lucifer nodded. "Understood, Miss Chloe. We will depart now."
---
Their long journey began. The rented car rattled along the sandy road, traversing barren valleys and endless desert plains.
The desert wind carried fine dust that clung to the windows. Lucifer gripped the wheel silently, occasionally glancing at the sky.
"We cannot allow anyone to see us," he said briefly, and they all remained silent after that.
Two days later, the horizon shifted colors, and a desert city emerged from behind a mirage: Sandy Dracule, the ancient vampire city standing at the desert's edge.
Lucifer parked the car near a stone gate engraved with ancient symbols. Chloe wore a hooded cloak, concealing her translucent spiritual body.
The city was quite traditional, many vampires going about their business. They walked slowly, observing their surroundings.
Their steps led them toward the outskirts of the city, their eyes gazing at the vast empty desert.
"Everyone, follow me!" Chloe ran at high speed, and they all followed behind her.
Chloe stopped in front of a massive stone towering thirty meters high. The stone stood like an ancient guardian.
Chloe lifted the Golden Skull and placed it into a hole in the stone, its shape perfectly matching the skull.
When the object fused, the skull's eye sockets glowed. The wind gathered wildly, creating a sand tornado that swallowed them inside.
They shielded their faces with their hands, while Chloe remained still, her eyes fixed on the stone as it began to shake.
"For some reason, I am starting to dislike deserts." Enatur complained.
He snapped his fingers, forming a cube-shaped protective barrier that shielded them from the fierce winds.
"Good thing you created a protective space," Gabriel said.
"Good job!" Lucifer added.
Cracks spread across the surface, the entire stone slowly splitting apart with a deep rumbling sound. From the crevice, a descending staircase into the underground emerged.
Chloe moved first, followed by the others. Torches along the walls lit up one by one as they passed through the corridor.
The corridor stretched long and silent.
Eventually, they arrived at two gigantic stone doors, five meters tall.
Chloe pressed both hands onto the surface. Spiritual energy flowed out, and blue light ran along the ancient carvings.
The heavy sound of stone shifting echoed deeply. The doors opened, revealing a large chamber filled with relics of the past: chests, ancient scrolls, gold treasures, and more.
Chloe's eyes locked onto a shelf stacked with dusty scrolls. She opened them one by one. "Hm, this scroll... and this one too... it seems everything is complete!"
Enatur's eyes froze on two black katanas leaning against the stone altar.
"Goddess Chloe, why are there no ownership seals on these two katanas?" Lucifer asked.
Chloe wiped the dust on the katana's hilt, staring at it with nostalgia.
"Uncle Marrec instructed that these katanas be given to his grandchild as the future successor. From what I heard, either Zengolus or Blard already has a fifteen-year-old daughter."
"That is true. That girl met us a few days ago," Lucifer said.
Chloe nodded slowly, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"Enatur, can you store everything inside your storage space? Fortunately, all the recipes I need for the Soul Core are already here."
"O-of course... I will do it," Enatur answered awkwardly.
He extended his hand and absorbed everything inside the chamber into his storage space.
The chamber became empty.
Chloe stood in the center of the room, her gaze sweeping across all the relics.
"For now, our focus is to heal and repair Enatur's spiritual soul. Now take me to Yunia."
Lucifer bowed respectfully. "Alright, Miss Chloe. I will take you to Mother."
They turned and left the cave. The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Outside, as they prepared to return, the eerie silence of the desert made their skin crawl, as if something was watching them.
Gabriel looked to the sky, narrowing her eyes. "Would it not be better if you reveal yourself now?"
Lucifer and Chloe readied themselves. Footsteps rumbled through the air.
A man with shoulder-length curly red hair floated above them. His red eyes stared sharply at Enatur.
His mouth opened. "That red-haired boy..." his finger pointed straight at Enatur. "What is your mother's name?"
His gaze made Enatur flinch instinctively.