Elias realized the dire situation they were in as he looked at the still unconscious Aria. Eredin was on the verge of defeat, and the King was paralyzed in fear. Gripping the Transportation scroll tightly in his hand, Elias internalized the gravity of the situation. The Demon Lord's castle had appeared in Cosmopolis, and the creature before him was more than just a demon. If Elias left now, he could save Aria, but he couldn't bear the thought of not doing everything he could to help in this situation. He asked himself what the commander would do, and in that moment, his resolve was strengthened. How could he face the commander if he died without taking action to protect the kingdom? How could he face Aria, who was just as selfless as the commander?
Meanwhile, Eredin's consciousness was fading as the creature held him by his head. He felt the effects of his temporary boost wearing off. With the little strength he had left, he reached into his back pocket and took out another explosive stake. But before he could impale the creature, his arm disappeared. The creature didn't want to take any chances now. It cut off Eredin's remaining arm, causing it to fly a few feet away, still holding the stake. However, Eredin's regenerative abilities were still in effect, and he grew his arm back. But now he had no more explosive stakes left. To Eredin's surprise, the creature suddenly spoke. "I remember you, you know," it said. "You once belonged to a heroes' party that challenged me in the past. But you failed miserably." The creature's voice sounded dark and menacing, with a hint of a woman's tone. Eredin now realized the true weight of their grave situation. It wasn't an ordinary demon they were facing, but something he didn't want to believe was possible. He gripped the creature's hand as he struggled to get away. "Who... who are you?" Eredin asked, his words strained due to extreme exhaustion. "You know well who I am," the creature replied with a chilling and malevolent smile.
Suddenly, the creature sensed throwing daggers coming towards it. With its wings, it deflected them. But it didn't realize that it was just a decoy. Too late, it saw that Eredin had caught the explosive stake and, without hesitation, impaled the creature's arm that was holding him. The creature saw that the fuse was already lit and reached its last wick. In a reflexive action, it let go of Eredin. But it was too late to do anything as another explosion engulfed the area.
Outside the castle, people were frantically running for their lives, overwhelmed by the sight of the Demon Lord's castle. Citizens, nobles, adventurers, and soldiers alike were all trying to escape the capital. The streets were filled with caravans, horses, and people carrying their belongings, creating a chaotic scene. The destruction caused by the castle's appearance had blocked many of the usual paths, leaving only a limited passage through the capital. Desperation had taken hold of some individuals, leading them to resort to looting, stealing, and even killing for their own benefit. Law and order had completely vanished, and it had become every man and woman for themselves.
Eredin, now safely distanced from the blast, positioned himself a few feet away from the creature, patiently waiting for the dust to settle. He also glanced over at Elias, who stood a few steps away from the creature in the opposite direction. Aria remained unconscious at the edge of the room. As the dust cleared, they observed the creature lying on the floor, seemingly unconscious. However, upon closer inspection, they noticed a significant change in its appearance. The creature had transformed into a woman, with clear features that were now visible. Her skin was as white as snow, her long wavy hair had turned a deep red like blood, and she wore a flowing black dress. Strangely, there were no wings or horns present, and her head was adorned only by a crown. Suddenly, the woman stirred and woke up, opening her eyes and yawning as if she had been sleeping in her own bed. Her eyes emitted a yellow glow. Gracefully, she stood up, revealing her more apparent stature. Eredin couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance between this woman and Aria. A deep sense of unease washed over him as he tightened his grip on another pill in his hand, a blue one. Eredin locked eyes with Elias, who nodded in silent agreement, signaling them to be cautious and prepared. With the woman now fully awake, she turned her gaze towards both Eredin and Elias. Making a graceful bow, she spoke in a beautiful voice, her elongated canines visible as she opened her mouth. "Shall we?"
A floor below where Eredin was, Thalia woke up to find herself no longer inside the Royal Castle. Slowly, she stood up, groaning from the pain of the fractures and bruises she had obtained during her fight against the Demon Lord creature. As she collected her thoughts, she noticed a man a few feet away, looking up and observing something. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Zephyr. Thalia's rage resurfaced, and without hesitation, she lunged straight towards Zephyr, only to be repelled by his barrier. Zephyr turned to look at Thalia, and their gazes locked. Thalia confronted him, crying out, "You! You traitor! You tricked us!" She continued to slash at the barrier in frustration. Zephyr, with his calm demeanor, replied, "No, Thalia. We betrayed him, the Hero. We betrayed Solandis." Thalia was confused by Zephyr's words. "It's too late for that now, Zephyr. We've gone too far to turn back!" she proclaimed. "But this turn of events is entirely your fault!" She accused Zephyr, her eyes filled with hatred. Zephyr looked away and said, "You're right. It has been my fault. But not for the reason you think. It was due to my weakness that I was possessed by that Demon." Thalia grew even more confused and stopped attacking. "What are you saying?" she inquired. "Listen, Thalia. If you help me defeat the abomination above, I will offer you my head," Zephyr gave an enticing offer, hoping to gain Thalia's aid. Thalia looked up and sensed the presence of the Demon Lord creature engaged in battle with someone. "I need to save my father," she resolutely stated. Zephyr remained silent for a moment and then replied, "We will try."
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Eredin swallowed the blue pill the instant he knew the woman was going to attack. Elias assumed a defensive position, but the woman suddenly vanished from their view. Eredin felt her pass through him like the wind, surprising him. When he followed her path, he found her standing in front of the King, who remained paralyzed from immense fear. The woman looked down at the King and said, "I do not like being ignored." Then, out of thin air, she pulled out a weapon - a black scythe adorned with red lines.
The King understood that the woman was addressing him, so he slowly lifted his head to look at her. His eyes were lifeless, as if he knew he was going to die. Before Eredin and Elias could react, the woman attempted to slash in a clean horizontal motion. However, to their surprise, the attack was abruptly stopped by a strong barrier that protected the King. The woman turned her gaze towards Zephyr, who was floating mid-air.
The woman snickered and then vanished, flying straight towards Zephyr to attack him. However, before she could strike, Thalia intercepted her, matching her speed. Their eyes locked, and the woman engaged Thalia in a barrage of attacks. Thalia skillfully deflected and counterattacked, even with only one dagger. She proved to be a formidable opponent. Their movements were too fast for normal eyes to follow, disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, in the midst of their deadlock, Zephyr went to help the King. "Your Highness, I'm going to help you escape. Please, get up," he urged, holding the King's arm. Despite his terror, the King tried to listen to his advisor and got up. Eredin noticed Zephyr's arrival and remarked, "Took you long enough," in a friendly tone. Zephyr gratefully replied, "Thanks to you, Master Eredin." However, Eredin warned him, "You need to exorcise the Demon yourself. My anti-possession pill is not perfect yet and unstable." Zephyr acknowledged the risk but emphasized that they couldn't waste any time while Solandis was in danger. Eredin agreed, and as Zephyr guided the King to safety, they also needed to tend to Aria.
Elias went to carry Aria, but their task was not going to be easy. Thalia was sent flying towards them, crashing into one of the columns. The woman's voice carried a hint of annoyance as she remarked, "Such arrogance."
Thalia opened her eyes and saw Elias. Their eyes locked, but Elias suppressed his anger, knowing that this was not the right time or place to address their issues. Thalia's gaze averted from his, as if she was embarrassed about something.
Zephyr sighed, gently placing the King near Aria. "This will not be easy," he muttered. The woman walked elegantly towards them, and now, in a line, Zephyr, Elias, Thalia, and Eredin stood with the King and Aria behind them. They were making their last stand. The woman stopped just a few steps away from them and proclaimed, "My, I have to apologize. We have been engaging in... such an intimate manner that I have forgotten to introduce myself." She attempted to be less vulgar in her words as she bowed before them. "I am Asmodea," she said.
They were all confused, except for Zephyr, who recognized the name. "Asmodea, the goddess of the forgotten realm and the sister of our goddess Lunaria," Zephyr recited his knowledge. Asmodea's face lit up with joy, pleased that someone knew who she was. "Yes, that's right," she replied.
Zephyr then shared his information with the group, explaining, "As I was possessed by the Demon Thalassa, she made it possible to summon the dark goddess by combining two powers: the Demon Lord's crown and the Hero's Divine protection."
Thalia's mind raced as she pieced the puzzle together. "But doesn't that mean..." she began, but Zephyr interrupted, saying, "Yes, the Hero truly perished. It would have been the end of it if not for Aria." Zephyr looked at Aria with sadness in his eyes. "Why Aria? She doesn't have the divine protection. She is not the hero!"
Eredin tried to refute Zephyr's statement, but Zephyr explained further. "I have seen it. The cunning demon Thalassa knew that Aria had been granted the Divine protection of the goddess by the Hero Arlan before his demise." Asmodea listened attentively, ecstatic to finally understand how it all came to be. "None of us knew the true plan, not even me," Zephyr admitted, feeling ashamed of his incompetence that led to this moment.
Thalia, seemingly worried and anxious, asked, "What about my father? Can he still be saved?" Zephyr sadly replied, "I do not know. But all hope is not lost." He pointed to Asmodea's crown and declared, "The ritual is incomplete. Without the two remaining gems in the crown, she will never have full power!" Zephyr's bold proclamation brought a glimmer of hope back to the group.
Asmodea smirked and confidently stated, "You might as well give it to me. I know you have it," pointing at Zephyr's pocket. Zephyr taunted her, saying, "You can go ahead and try." He then conjured a solid barrier, ten times stronger than the ritual site, to protect them. "Did you really think I would only be spouting words without a plan?" Zephyr declared with confidence. "Even as the old fool that I am, I am still the Archmage of Sorcelight Institute and the Wizard of the Hero's Party!" With that statement, he slammed his staff on the ground, completing the impenetrable barrier. Asmodea, the dark goddess, smirked in response.