Inside the cave, Lilith's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing in frustration. “What is it with these dogs and relying on numbers?” she muttered, her voice laced with disdain. This wasn’t the first time Lilith had faced such situations—outnumbered by Chaos Cultivators, who always seemed to swarm like flies. In terms of sheer quantity, Chaos undoubtedly held the advantage. But when it came to quality, Order had always been superior, a fact they could proudly boast.

“I can’t act until I receive the signal from the Elder Lords... but what now?” Lilith sighed, her mind racing through the possibilities. “They definitely know that I’m here, that much is certain.” Her lips curving into a grin. “Seems like my only choice is to fight.”

A soft laugh bubbled up from within her chest, echoing softly in the enclosed space. "My dear Elders, it seems fate has forced my hand. Unfortunately for you, things won’t go as planned.” Her voice cold.

Then her thoughts shifted, her grin fading into a dim, furious expression. “Abriel...” she growled. “I don’t know if you had anything to do with Father’s death, but if you did, I’ll be more than happy to separate that head of yours from your neck.”

The cave seemed to tremble slightly as her aura surged. With a flick of her wrist, an array plate materialized in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she crushed it, shattering the concealment array that had hidden the cave from detection.

The moment the concealment array shattered, Lilith who was now floating in the air above the mountain range and the four Chaos Cultivators became unsurprisingly aware of each other's presence.

"So, you've decided to show yourself," Mael's voice rand out. Though he hadn't raised his tone, Lilith heard him clearly, despite being tens of miles away.

Lilith's face remained emotionless, her scarlet katana gleaming in her hand. "You don't seem to be much of a talker. That's fine" Mael continued, unbothered by her silence. "But tell me, don't you want to know how we found you so quickly?" Mael shrugged, a playful smile on his face.

Lilith's eyes narrowed slightly, 'Who does this dog think he is?' She thought, her grip tightening. A mocking smile curled on her soft lips. "You seem to be doing enough talking for the both of us," she replied. Her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Are you overcompensating for something?" Her mocking smile grew more exaggerated, as if she were genuinely concerned. "In that case I'd be more than happy to offer you some of my demon clan's enhancement pills. I hear even the most....unfortunate souls can benefit from them. Magnanimous of me, won't you say?" Her tone sounding sincere, her expression mimicking that of a leader offering help.

"Courting Death!" A childish voice shrieked in fury. Ivy's face flushed in anger, her small frame trembling. "If you dare insult my Young Mael one more time, I'll rip your spine out through that filthy mouth of yours." She spat, her rage palpable. It wasn't just the opposition to Mael that enraged her, it was the audacity of Lilith's words, an attack on Mael's manhood that Ivy couldn't let slide.

Lilith's eyes shifted briefly to Ivy, a cold chuckle escaping her lips. "Such loyalty," she mused, her mocking tone ever present. "But is it loyalty or just desperation?"

Ivy's eyes widened, her expression twisted in shock. “The bitch is dead. I’m going to erase her from this world,” she hissed, her head tilting unnaturally to the side, as if possessed by something far darker than mere anger. A thick, dark pink aura seeped from her pores, wrapping around her like a smothering fog, Ivy's power increasing exponentially.

But it wasn’t the intensity of Ivy's aura that caught Lilith's attention—it was her eyes. The whites had turned to a deep, malevolent purple, and her pupils had shifted into something far more ominous. No longer circular, they had taken the shape of a single line above a glowing pink semi-circle, pulsating with a sinister energy.

Mael, watching with mild amusement, let out a quiet laugh. He knew all too well that Mary was not to be taken lightly. Provoking her wrath was a dangerous misstep—one Lilith might soon regret, a small smirk playing on his lips.

As for Mary’s intense feelings toward him? Mael was indifferent. Whether she fought for love, loyalty, or vengeance, it made no difference to him.

In an instant, Mary shot forward with blinding speed, leaving her golden staff behind as she darted towards Lilith like a streak of light.

Seeing this, a wide grin appeared on Lilith's face, her eyes gleaming with battle intent. Without hesitation, she sheathed her scarlet blade and dashed to meet her opponent head-on. As their fists collided, the resounding bang shook the entire realm, the force of their clash sending shockwaves rippling outward.

To an onlooker, the scene was almost comical. Ivy, standing no more than four feet tall, appeared like a child fighting against an adult woman, Lilith. Yet her strength was anything but small. Their punches were equally matched.

Ivy, gritting her teeth, used the momentum of the punch to push herself backward. Her face twisted into a maniacal grin as she opened her mouth wide, releasing a torrent of dark pink flames. The air warped as the inferno surged towards Lilith. Its heat so immense, it burned through the fabric of reality itself.

But Lilith remained calm, her face serene, she thrust her palm forward. [Demonic Art, Step I, Crimson Palm], she muttered, and immediately a wave of red and black energy erupted from her hand, slicing through the flames with ease. In the blink of an eye, Lilith propelled herself towards Ivy, her movements graceful.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Appearing above her opponent in an instant, Lilith's gaze was fierce, her body poised for the strike. "[Demonic Art Step II, Medusa's Strike]," she whispered, her arm lashing out before Ivy could react. Her index finger, laced with Demonic Law, pierced through Ivy's skull with terrifying precision, blood spurting from the wound and splattering towards Lilith. But even as the blood sprayed, Lilith's energy enveloped her, causing the mess to slide cleanly off her skin, leaving her as pristine and dazzling as when the battle had just begun. Her expression cold, she withdrew her hand, standing over Ivy's fallen form without a single drop of blood on her.

As Ivy’s body began to fall, instead of crashing to the ground however, her figure disintegrated into a purplish-pink sludge, meshing together mid-air. In a fluid motion, the sludge reformed into her body, now curtsying gracefully as though nothing had happened. Slowly, she lifted her head, her once-innocent face twisted into a menacing scowl, her glowing pink eyes deepening in color, brimming with malevolent energy.

Meanwhile, her golden staff, still floating near her companions, began to vibrate intensely. Suddenly, a dark purple slime in the exact likeness of Ivy materialized and took hold of the staff. Syne watched the scene unfold and sighed, shaking his head slowly “Why does she always have to act so impulsively?” he muttered, his gaze drifting to Mael, whose smirk hadn’t faded. Syne could only wonder, “Did you anticipate this?”

Before he could delve further into his thoughts, the sludge-like version of Ivy, who looked identical to her from head to toe, shot toward Lilith, moving with blinding speed. Simultaneously, Ivy's original body launched itself at her as well, dark pink energy encasing the fists of both versions. With both Ivy's in attack, they unleashed a relentless barrage of punches, one after another, but Lilith's reactions were nothing short of extraordinary. Each time a fist came her way, she met it head-on, countering with her own punch. The sheer force of their blows clashed with explosive intensity, reverberating through the realm like rolling thunder.

Frustration boiled within Ivy as she pressed on, increasing the ferocity of her assault. She had believed that her speed and overwhelming power would be enough to subdue the golden-haired warrior. But who would have thought this opponent was hiding such formidable strength? Each of Ivy's attempts was met with swift resistance, her every strike perfectly mirrored, her anger deepening with every failed attempt to break through Lilith's ironclad defense.

In a swift, unexpected move however, Mary did something that caught Lilith completely off guard. Just as Ivy was prepared to strike with another powerful blow, Ivy' or rather her Slime Clone suddenly exploded into a massive wave of purple goo, expanding outward in all directions. The substance surged through the air like a tidal wave, covering the entire sky above them and ensnaring Lilith within it.

"What the..." Lilith muttered, her body now immobilized, trapped within the thick, sticky substance that stretched across the sky for miles like a massive purple spider web, pulsing with dark pink energy. The web clung to Lilith tightly, making every attempt to free herself futile. No matter how much she struggled, the energy within the slime web locked her in place.

"I can't move..." she whispered in frustration, her eyes frozen with shock.

In the distance, Mael and Syne observed the scene unfold, the two of them calmly walking through the air toward her as though they were walking on solid ground, completely unhurried. Mael's deep, calm voice broke the eerie silence as he approached Lilith, his eyes fixed on her. "You disappoint me. Lilith, was it?" he asked with quiet condescension, his tone devoid of any emotion.

As he continued walking, he gestured toward the lake in the distance with a slow, deliberate movement of his finger. "Tell me," he said, his voice a dark melody, "why can't my divine sense penetrate beneath that lake?"

Without waiting for an answer, he slowly moved closer to her, now standing just in front of her immobilized form. His other hand reached up, and with a cruelly delicate touch, he ran a sharp clawed finger across her face. The sharpness of his nail left a small, stinging cut along her cheek, causing a thin line of blood to drip down her skin. Mael's expression remaining cold and detached as he admired his handiwork.

"You see, Syne? I told you any one of us could take her down," Ivy said, her voice adorable as she cheerfully played hand games with one of her clones hovering effortlessly in the air on her golden staff.

Syne, standing off to the side, shot a casual glance at the vast purple web that now entangled Lilith. His eyes flicked over to her struggling form, and for a moment, his face flushed red. But with a quick shake of his head, Syne forced those thoughts away, refocusing on the situation at hand.

Placing a hand on his chin, he frowned slightly, his voice thoughtful. "Didn't you mention she had some kind of transformation? The last time we saw her, before she disappeared, you said her muscles enlarged and her power spiked."

Ivy's clone giggled as they continued their game, but Syne's expression darkened. "If that's true," he muttered, his frown deepening, "Doesn't that mean she could easily escape?" His voice trailed off, his mind racing. "Blaahhh, then again, so what if she escapes. Honestly that would be more fun" Syne laughed to himself lazily throwing himself down in the air, his eyes closed as if he fell asleep.