Masquerade

“Come on, Al, step it up!” Lilim called as Alice was using Rosary to deflect and block upcoming strikes. At the break of dawn, both girls made their way into the training hall, Alice telling herself that she shouldn’t slack off anymore and Lilim knowing that she would have to keep an eye on her. After a small warm-up, the succubus came up with an idea for today’s training. Something that wouldn’t be too taxing on the still-recovering half-angel but would let her shake off some of the rust that she gathered in the past two days. Scavenging through all of the closets and storage, she found a half-broken piece of white chalk and drew a medium-sized ring in the middle of the training hall. The idea was simple. Whoever gets pushed out loses.

As of now, the score was three to zero for Lilim. Alice, being used to much more open spaces, had a hard time even finding her footing within the circle. Let alone fighting. She felt much more comfortable at a distance than close. Even utilizing Rosary’s length wouldn’t help, as the spear covered a good third/fourth of the entire length. She learned that in their very first match, as any swing left her vulnerable to succubus’s counter. As for stabs, those were easily deflected by Prince’s much sturdier blade.

Currently, the said black blade was coming at her from left and right, high and low. Alice had to hold Rosary close to her body, keeping it vertically, as it was the only way she could react quickly enough to block incoming attacks. She deflected a swing aimed at her head by clashing her own blade against it. The black sword got pushed down, and Lilim used this occasion to aim at her legs. Alice swiftly twisted the pole of her spear diagonally, causing the sword to bounce off and retreat.

Seeing that mere swipes and slashes wouldn’t do, the blue-eyed demon decided to change her tactic. Holding Prince like a rapier, she made one swift stab. It hit the spear right where the pole and blade met, causing Alice to take a step back from the sheer force put into the stab. Then came another bunch. Each of them carefully aimed to not wound the younger girl and to still put pressure on her. She had to commend her for blocking all of them; however, she was pretty much at the edge of the ring. One more of them, and she would lose again. The half-angel took a quick look back, noticing just how close she was to overstepping. Turning back, a flash of a black blade made her panic. Wanting to take a step back but also not fall out of the ring, she ultimately tripped, trying to sidestep it, and fell on her butt.

“Ow, ow, ow.” Alice lamented as she massaged her aching rear. Lilim approached her and helped her get up, as well as dusted her off. “I thought you said that it wouldn’t be hard training.”

“And it wouldn’t be if you were paying attention. You are too focused on the ring instead of fighting. Here, it might not mean much, but in an actual fight in a tight place, if you will only focus on not getting your back against the wall, some demons will use it against you. It’s good that you are wary, but with sheer defense alone, you won’t win…How about this; I’ll only act defensively, and you will try to push me out of the ring.”

“Sure, sure. As long as I don't get my ass bruised up more, everything is fine with me.” The half-angel added as she took her place in the middle of the ring. Lilim followed her with a smirk on her face, and Alice knew that she had something to say.

“I heard that massage is great for bruises, so you know~” The succubus winked at the green-eyed girl.

“I-I thought that you don’t want me to lose more.” Alice wasn’t sure if Lilim made that remark deliberately or not. If so, then she knew how to distract her. She had to shove those thoughts away for now. Otherwise, she will seriously have to reconsider getting a massage.

She acted swiftly. Rosary made a bunch of slashes and stabs at the awaiting succubus. Prince fended them off without fail. Alice tried to replicate the same disorienting style as Lilim, though her eyes made it too obvious for the demon. She really had a bad habit of focusing purely on the spot she wanted to aim for. Lilim was parrying each strike. Surprisingly, Alice was not retrieving her spear; instead, instead kept on pushing pressure on the older girl. Her strikes were also growing bolder, starting to even aim for her head. Still, the spear’s blade had yet to come close to her.

An obvious flaw that succubus spotted was just how chaotic her movements were. There wasn’t much flow to them, and each spot to strike was chosen randomly, in vain hopes of scoring a hit. That was something they would have to work on later. Alice fainted a swipe to the right, and as the black blade was about to come into contact with the spear’s pole, she quickly brought it down, going for the legs instead. Lilim kept a level head and struck Prince right into the hall’s floor, causing the upcoming blade to stop right at it as she took a step back. Expecting for the half-angel to retrieve her weapon, her blue eyes widened in shock as Alice brought the spear high into the air. Pulling Prince from the ground, she held the black blade above her, just a second before the spear could hit her. Alice, in turn, turned the spear in such a way that the pole’s arms faced the succubus. Said arm struck the demon with a staggering force, causing Lilim to drop her katana, mostly from the shock.

“Oh my gosh! I didn’t hit too hard, did I?” Worried sick, she came over to the succubus, who was massaging an aching spot right in the middle of her head.

“Don’t worry, I’ve been through worse. It will leave a bruise though.”

“Sorry, I didn’t want to put so much strength into it an-”

“Hey, calm down. I’ll live. Though you have surprised me, I hadn’t thought that you would consider using Rosary’s pole as a weapon. What’s next? Using it to deck me right in the face? ” Lilim flashed her a toothy grin; however, it quickly vanished as she noticed the ashamed and bashful look on the younger girl’s face.

“I-umm, might have considered this too…” Speaking honestly, Lilim preferred the current option. She preferred to have her teeth straight and in her mouth, not outside of it.

“You know, getting me some proper armor for the next sparring session might not be a bad idea.”

“But hey, I did well this time, right?”

“Better than previously, that's for sure. So, do you fancy another one?”

“You’ve just read my mind.” A buzz coming from the benches made the younger girl stop. Who could be calling her, and for what reason at this hour? Unless a demon appeared while they were practicing. Quickly grabbing her phone, Alice was further confused by the fact that Beatrice was calling her. Whatever it was in that case, it had to be urgent.

“Al, could you and Lilim meet me in Ezekiel’s office? We have received an unusual request, and I’d love to have you hear it as well.” After that, she hung up, not waiting for her response. Just what could this weird request be about? Telling Lilim about it, both girls made their way towards the office.

Surprisingly, or not, Beatrice, Ezekiel, and Tvardovsky were already waiting for them, with concern and confusion painted on their faces. And the presence of the phone recorder made both girls even more curious. Taking a seat beside Beatrice, the bishop cleared his throat as he started.

“Today’s morning, we have received an urgent call from Silver & Steel of all things.” Alice raised her eyebrow. What could a jewelry company want from them? Let alone one as big as them? A sponsorship offer? She genuinely had no idea what to think of it. “Allow me to play the recording.” Bishop Ezekiel pushed a button, and the old recorder sprung back to life.

“Good morning, this is Daniel speaking, a general manager of the Silver & Steel jewelry company. We would like to request your assistance with securing an upcoming banquet hosted by Mr. Silver. We are aware that this is not the usual task that your Force takes care of; however, Mr.Silver has been worried sick by the recent increase in demonic activity in Znena, fearing for his and his guests safety, and has personally requested your services. Of course, the Force will be handsomely paid for the task performed. We are hoping for a swift and positive answer.” That was where the message cut off.

“As you can see, the request was made personally by the CEO himself. Of course, normally we wouldn’t have paid any mind to such a thing, as we are not private security. However, I have agreed to aid them.” Shocked, Alice stared at the bishop, not muttering a word, while Lilim tried to figure out what the big deal was. Wasn’t it a job like any other? They could just send one or two of their units and call it a day. “I have agreed to take it, as it will allow us to keep a closer eye on Mr.Silver.”

“Bishop, I don’t think I follow. Why him? What’s the reason?” In response, Tvardovksy pulled out a folder from under his coat and handed it to the confused half-angel. Inside were old newspapers, all of them talking about Mr.Silver. It wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary; however, they focused on how apparently he was apparently a part of a cult, becoming a summoner and cutting deals with demons in exchange for his entire wealth. In short, cheap rumors that had no confirmation.

“That’s the reason, Miss Alice.” Tvardovsky took back his folder. “Seeing how he barely visits the branch in Znena, the bishop decided that it would be a perfect opportunity to take a look at him. Of course, we do doubt that he would try anything in our presence, but his guests, on the other hand…Who’s to say that some of them wouldn’t spill out anything interesting? And correct me if I’m wrong, but Miss Lilim, demons are also often summoned to gain wealth and don’t take it kindly when left without payment, am I right?”

“Of course. Most of us are just as greedy as we lust for blood. And the ones summoned in order to gain wealth are much, much more demanding in payment than those summoned for killing. Pretty much, they will always screw you over with their payment. Additionally, seeing how that guy makes jewelry, such demons would flock to him.”

"Hence, we decided that Purgatorio would be perfect for such a task. Just make sure not to blow off our true intentions, and we should be fine.”

“Well girls, what do you say? Our first mission all together.” Beatrice sounded oddly cheerful about the prospect. Though if Alice was to guess, it was probably due to the fact that it would be the first mission where none of them would get hurt. Probably. “Al, I know it might not be too exciting, but I think that’s for the better.” The blonde-haired angel added, seeing the uncertain look on Alice’s face.

“That’s not it; it’s just…I dunno, we are simply looking into a rumor at best. And if he would turn out to be a summoner, then the best we could do is to hand him into the hands of whatever branch is taking care of Thorn.” In response, she heard Beatrice’s barely stifled laugh.

“Well then, you will at least get a taste of what most branches go through.”

“I somehow both envy them and not at the same time.”

“You will get used to it.”

“So.” Lilim cleared her throat, focusing the entire attention on herself. “When and where will the banquet be happening?”

“From what they told me, Znena’s Culture Hall, right at 8.p.m. For the rest of the day, Purgatorio is dismissed. Go and prepare yourself. Should anything change, I’ll notify you.” Hearing that, Purgatorio left the bishop's office and made way towards Beatrice’s car. The way back home was spent in silence with Alice and Lilim, lost in thoughts about the upcoming task. While the half-angel understood its importance, she couldn’t help but feel that something was off. If Mr.Silver seriously would be so worried about demons, then why would he host a banquet in Znena of all places? A town that was a target of Tetra. Perhaps she was overthinking this. She probably was. After all, it was like Beatrice had said. Most of the Holy See Forces didn’t deal with extermination like them; instead, they were tasked with more mundane tasks.

Arriving home at such early hours felt weird. Especially with all of them present. Alice and Lilim went to Beatrice’s room as the succubus wanted to learn more about the man who had hired them. Booting up the computer, the blue-eyed girl learned he was quite a respected person in the fashion and jewelry industry. Originating all the way from Thorn, his brand made its way to most of the major cities, Znena included. The rumors about him being in cahoots with demons dated pretty much to when he started his business. Once the computer finally booted up and the browser opened, the first thing that appeared when Alice searched his name were myriads of news outlets that spoke only about the upcoming banquet. It both scared and amazed her how fast they got, even to the smallest of details. Apparently, it was hosted as a means to seal a deal that Mr.Silver has signed with one of the Znena investors. As well, it was supposed to show a brand new project made in collaboration with L’Amour, a respected clothing brand.

In the next paragraph, there was included a list of guests, or at the very least the few most important personas that will attend the banquet. Robert Smith, the said investor, a main manager of L’Amour, Charlotte Augé, as well as a bunch of other affluent and highly positioned shareholders of Znena. She would have to ask Beatrice or somebody from the Force to look into them, just in case it would turn out that some of them have been dabbling with demon summoning. Surprisingly, the list didn’t end there. Right at the bottom were two rather distinct names. Annette Roseau-Silver and Acelin Paun. Alice’s eyes lit up upon seeing those two mentioned. To think that Znena would also be visited by one of the most famous models and fashion designers. And that she was going to work under them tonight. Perhaps she could get to like more mundane works.

“So a full-on celebrity galore?” Lilim commented as Alice filled her in with the details. To be frank, the succubus has not heard about most of these people in her life, though running away from demons and living in the wilderness for quite some time probably contributed to this. Alice seemed especially glad about the presence of that whole Annette, dreamily sighing about getting an autograph.

“You could say so. And to think they wanted us personally.” A bright smile appeared on the half-angel’s face. “I genuinely hope that no demon will try to attack.”

“Don’t jinx it, Al; do not.” Lilim warned her. She might not have believed in jinxes that much, but she still knew that it was better not to challenge fate.

“What are you girls talking about?” Beatrice popped into the door’s frame, holding a shopping bag in her hand. Noticing the computer screen, she got her answer. She was glad that both of them took this so seriously. It might not have been the usual task they were used to; however, if Alice’s wish about humans and demons coexisting would come to fruition, then those were the kinds of jobs she would have to primarily take in the future. And any job where she wouldn’t have to risk getting herself killed would be one more peaceful night for her. “I’m going shopping; is there anything you may want for dinner in particular?”

“Anything you’ll cook will be fine. But Beatrice, you seem weirdly cheerful about the whole idea.”

“I do?” An embarrassed smile appeared on her face. “I guess it makes me feel rather nostalgic. Truth be told, I did a lot of such things back in the day.”

“You did? Seriously, you will have to tell us about your youth someday.”

“I don’t think there is much interesting to be told, and others might not be for your age yet.” Beatrice added, her face was getting a reddish tint. “Though it is mostly because there will be so many of our people present on the site that I won’t have to worry about you too much.”

“Beatrice, I’m a big girl; you don’t have to worry about me.”

“I know, I know. It’s just how moms are. Oh! I better be going. I’ll be back soon.”

“Now she's got me even more curious to hear about her.” Lilim said just as she heard Beatrice close the doors.

“Yeah, don’t give yourself hope. I tried to no avail.”

“Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky.” The succubus then focused her attention on the computer screen. She squinted her eyes as the image of Annette appeared. She could swear that she had seen this woman somewhere already. Excusing Alice, she went to the half-angel’s room. Not even a minute later, she returned with a black magazine in her hands, which caused the younger girl to freeze. Opening it right in the middle, her eyes wandered from the picture to the screen and back a bunch of times.

“I can see why she became a model…and that’s all natural?”

“Lilim!” Alice’s face was as red as a beetroot at the moment. She was glad that Beatrice went out. Knowing the succubus, she would have no problem or restriction looking for the mag while she was home.

“What? All I said was that she looked great. And I can see why you have it bookmarked.” A smirk that the half-angel was way too accustomed to told her that Lilim had something in mind. “Hmm, I might even wear something similar if you want.” Succubus sent her a wink, which only caused Alice to become even more red on the face than she thought was possible.

“L-LILIM?!” The black-haired girl in question laughed upon hearing how high-pitched her girlfriend’s voice got. She closed the magazine and sat near her.

"Relax; I was just joking. Though you seem rather tense about all of this.”

“I am? I suppose…I guess I’m slightly worried about this. I mean, it is the first time I’ll be doing something like that, and I don’t want to screw anything up.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Aww, come here.” Lilim put her arm on Alice’s shoulder. “I’m sure you will do great. And you heard our veteran. She did this a lot of times, and if the worst comes to be, I’m sure she will take care of everything.” The succubus gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks; I suppose you are right. And what was that for?”

“Do I need a reason to give a kiss to my girl?”

“No, I guess not. Though you could do it more often if you want.”

“I’ll make sure to remember that."

Beatrice returned from her shopping, and after eating dinner, Purgatorio slowly got themselves ready for the upcoming banquet. From the call that the older woman got from Ezekiel, beside them they have mobilized three other units as well as one newly formed from Grad. He reckoned that this should be enough to deter any demon that would think about attacking any of the guests. Once seven was on the clock, Beatrice and the girl got into the car. They could already take their positions and maybe even exchange a word or two with other members. The Culture Hall was situated in the very center of Znena, just a street away from the town hall. Obscured by skyscrapers and other town buildings, once it came into view in the evening sky, Lilim felt her eyes widen.

It looked more like a Roman temple rather than anything else. Grand, made of beautifully glistering white marble bricks and with pillars of the same color supporting a black dutch roof, it stood out from the other buildings. And that not mentioning all of the decorations that have been made. Two flags hung on the left and right from the entrance, representing Znena’s crest, which showed red mountains with a white and gold shield right in front of them on a dark green background. As they got closer, Lilim also spotted a lengthy red carpet, protected from both sides by stanchions, and a bunch of spotlight lamps right behind them. It looked like they really wanted to make an impression on them.

Beatrice parked her car on the side, and from there they could already spot a bunch of people dressed in familiar white riot police uniforms. One of them approached them after they left the car and showed them an overall plan of how exactly they were stationed. Lilim was supposed to take place right at the entrance, assuming that she should be enough of a deterrent should something happen. Both Alice and Beatrice were to make sure that everything would be fine inside and, in case a demon would try to attack and get past the front in one way or another, deal with it without putting the lives of guests in danger.

There was still a good half an hour left before the banquet was supposed to start, and Beatrice had already gone inside while Alice stayed with Lilim, allowing her head to rest on succubus’s shoulder. Sitting at the pedestal, they observed in silence how both people from the Force as well as from other private securities slowly were taking their places. A few guests had already arrived and along with them, the first bunch of paparazzi and news reporters. Both girls stayed mostly out of the way until a familiar face approached them.

“Fancy seein’ ya ‘ere.” The voice of the red-headed woman caused Alice to smile gently and Lilim to get slightly wary. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised meetin’ ya in such a place. So demoted to security guards, were ya?”

“Just for tonight. So, Clementine, from the looks of it, you are doing just fine in Grad. And seeing how they trust you to such a degree, they must have taken quite a liking to you.”

“I may or may not have pleaded for me to get ‘ere, but let’s go with yer version.” The half-angel giggled upon seeing an embarrassed Clementine. She would have never expected that. “Frankly, I was hopin’ that Sadza might be attracted by this whole commotion…I guess neither of ya heard anything ‘bout him.” Alice and Lilim shook their heads. They both doubted that he would stay anywhere near Znena, especially after their encounter, though who knew? Perhaps he was hiding somewhere around.

“Sadly no. Sorry if it will come out as nosy, but why are you so focused on finding him? You made it sound like he did this before, at least once.”

“While that’s true, I can’t help but feel worried about him. He never vanished for so long previously. Gosh, if he were to hear me right now…he should have known better to not play with a woman’s heart…” Clementine took a deep sigh as she muttered the last part, hoping that neither of the younger girls heard it.

“So were you two, like um, together?”

“Wha-? No, no, no, no. At least not yet, I think?” Lilim shook her head in disappointment. So that’s how it was. “I can’t tell. I mean, I like him, but to this degree? I don’t know. Why I don’t know? Why must it be so confusin’? Ya know what I mean, right? Right?”

“You are just as hopeless as Alice.” The succubus cut off the demon before she could continue her rambling, earning herself a pout from the half-angel. “For a change, what’s your job here anyway?”

“Oh, I guess they just want me to stand outside and make sure that no one suspicious gets in.”

“So you are stuck here with me.”

“Say, will ya be willin’ to teach me a thing or two ‘bout, ya know, ‘this’ stuff? Ya seem like a knowledgeable fellow ‘bout this.”

“If you will promise to not steal Alice anymore and not punch my head off, then I’ll see what I can do.”

“I swear on my love to me master.” Lilim scratched her head. This might not be as peaceful of an evening as she had hoped for. Still, having another demon to keep her company might not be so awful after all. Especially one that doesn’t want her dead.

“Alice, come in; it will start soon.” Beatrice called out as she stepped outside, only to stop in her tracks and stare at the red-haired woman. “And who you might be?” Now that both of the girls thought about it, Beatrice never had a chance to actually meet Clementine in person. Save for what Alice told her and from what she had read in reports, she didn’t know that much about her.

“Black knight of Grad’s Third Extermination Unit Hellion; Lady Clementine at yer disposal, ma’am!” The red-haired demon gave the blonde angel a very swift and serious salute, to which the dumbfounded angel responded accordingly. At least she knew who was in charge here. Unofficially anyway, however, she didn’t need to know that.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Miss Clementine. I hope you will keep an eye on our succubus.”

“Yes ma’am!” It was followed by another salute.

“Right, Al, as I was saying, we have to go now.”

“Okay then, see you later.” Alice waved to both demons and vanished inside the building. Lilim waited until they both were gone and gestured at Clementine to come sit next to her, which the demon did willingly.

“What’s with all of that saluting?”

“She is a boss ‘ere, isn’t she? That’s how you are supposed to act.”

“She might as well be.” Lilim muttered as her gaze shifted towards the setting sun. Even more guests were making their way here, and paparazzi, just like hyenas, already waited behind the stanchions; however, it seemed like the host wanted to be fashionably late. Well, seeing how they are not bothered to get there on time, she might as well take a quick nap. In case, Clementine will wake her up.

The succubus couldn’t tell how much had passed as the chatter in the crowd of paparazzi became too much for her to bear, and combined with the flashes and a slight nudge on her shoulder, she was fully awake just in time to witness a lengthy black limousine arrive at the scene. Even despite the sun already gone from the sky, the night seemed brighter than day as the paparazzi purely focused on the black car. It stopped just so the doors were lined perfectly with the red carpet. The first to come out was a wall of a man. Lilim wondered how he fit in there in the first place. Standing at a good two meters, if not even slightly more, his black suit was just barely holding on to his absolutely bulked-up body. The tattoos that seemed to be spread everywhere on his tanned body and bald head added even more intimidation to him. With a man like him, why did they even order them? He looked like he could crush a demon’s skull with no problem.

The mountain of a man opened the doors of the rear seat. From the inside, first came a woman dressed in a dark purple ball gown with opera gloves to pair, which, alongside her dark red hair flowing down to her hips, almost like petals of a rose, stood out on her pale skin. Lilim had to admit that she was a beautiful woman that for sure, knew how to take care of herself. She slightly averted her gaze, feeling how her cheeks heated up gently. Annette went to the side, waving at the photographers, waiting for her husband to come out. Mr.Silver followed her right after. Despite his age showing, he would still be considered attractive. His body, still at its physical height, was complimented by a dark gray tuxedo with a blooming rose on his chest. His gray hair, made into a samurai cut, and light beard gave his appearance quite a knightly look. He was swift to take his wife’s arm, and the pair slowly made their way towards the entrance.

As they were getting closer, another and probably the last person, exited the limousine. And that probably was the most, interesting, for the lack of better words, persona that had been invited. The shortest of the group, maybe just slightly above Alice’s height, for sure knew to focus everyone’s attention on himself. His face, at least the half of it that wasn’t covered by light green and violet-painted hair, had quite striking makeup on it. Glistering green eyeliner, light purple lipstick, and an eye of Ra in both of these colors right under his eye. Then there were his nails, or rather claws, also in the exact two colors. And that was without the bizarreness of his clothes. The most eye-catching one was the feathery cape, which almost resembled a peacock’s tail due to how colorful and captivating it was. Then there was the lavender shirt and black pants. An odd fellow, that’s for sure. Though as he was passing her by, Lilim could swear that his eye kept its attention on her and that there was some malevolence hidden behind it. Perhaps he was a mind reader and saw what she thought about his outfit, or she simply imagined things.

The insides of the Culture Hall were probably even more lively upon hearing about the arrival of the main star of the event than even the ever-hungry paparazzi outside, and Alice wasn’t sure how to feel about this. She liked to think of herself as a rather outgoing girl, even if her job didn’t allow too much of this; however, she was never that much of a fan of such grand and eloquent events. All of the people dressed in elegant outfits alongside the rich decorations of the main hall made her feel small. A grand golden chandelier hung low from the ceiling, bringing a gentle orange glow to the whole hall, further supported by a bunch of smaller ones, causing the yellowish walls to glister in their radiance. Most of the space was occupied by lengthy and heavy dark oak wooden tables that were filled to the brim with various hot and cold dishes and covered by dark red tablecloths that were just barely touching the almost reflecting floor. Then there was the massive staircase at the end of the hall that occupied most of its length, looking like something taken straight out of a castle and leading to an upper floor. Alice found herself a spot by one of the smaller tables that served more like additional ‘shelves’ for salads, drinks, and other cold appetizers. It was situated in the near left corner of the hall, just where the staircase arose. She hoped that it would be just far away from the guests to not attract attention and still be close enough to interfere just in case.

And when both Mr. and Mrs. Silver finally entered through the towering and old, dark wooden doors, they focused everyone’s attention on themselves. They took their places at the free seats closest to the staircase while apologizing for arriving so late, though they had an important business that just couldn’t wait. The dinner was about to start soon, if the delicious smells coming from the kitchen situated on the right of the hall were any merit to judge it by, and the investors had already started their small talks with the well-kept middle-aged man, who was more than eager to answer any question they had given him.

Once the first meals were served, the banquet turned even more lively. After most of the guests were finished, they wasted no time and went to Mr. Silver in order to talk with him about his current project. Inviting them to the conference room upstairs, the dining hall quietly emptied, leaving a spare bunch of other affluent people who rathered preferred to discuss certain matters with his wife instead. Seemingly growing tired of the constant offers about modeling she has been offered as well as advertising their clothes, Annette, with a corner of her eye, spotted the lone ginger-haired girl. With a small smirk appearing on her face, she excused her guests and went to Alice instead.

"My, oh my, who might you be? What is such a pretty girl doing here all alone?” Annette cooed, gaining Alice’s attention. The half-angel immediately stood up, straightened up, and gave the older woman the same salute as Clementine did before.

“Ma’am, I am Alice from the Extermination Force. I am making sure that no demon will cause any hurt.” Alice swiftly replied, with her cheeks slightly red from the embarrassment. Her slumping on the table could be seen as slacking off on the job. Annette laughed at the seriousness with which the girl was talking. In fact, she seemed like a soldier responding to her officer.

“Stand down, soldier; you don’t have to act so seriously around me; I’m not my husband.” The older woman gestured to Alice that she could sit down, which the green-eyed girl did as if it were another order. “Forgive me for asking, but aren’t you too young to work in such a place? I can only imagine how dangerous it can get.”

“It really isn’t as bad as it might seem, Ms. Silver.”

“Just call me Annette. Miss makes me feel so old.”

As Alice was chatting with Annette, Lilim enjoyed the tranquility of the night. It wasn’t often that either of them didn’t have to go hunt some demon or other freak down, even if recently it died down slightly, so it was a welcome change. A boring one, but much preferred. Still, they weren't sure how long the whole party would last, and she regretted not taking anything warmer than her white dress. And to think that from now on, the night will only grow colder. Thinkin about how she could make time flow faster; echoing footsteps came from her left. Swiftly turning around and expecting to see a demon, the succubus only noticed the same weirdly dressed young man from before. Also noticing her, he casually approached Lilim.

“I see I wasn’t the only one that had enough of all of that business chatter and whatnot." It seemed she got what she wished for; however, chatting with a random stranger wasn’t her preferred method of spending time. “Though I don’t know if cold nights are good for a lady like you.”

“It’s not like I had a choice; it’s pretty much my job.” She decided to answer, seeing how he didn’t seem like letting go of a chance for a small talk. At least this was better than nothing, she guessed.

“Is your job standing there and looking pretty?” Lilim didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about such a remark and just stayed silent. “Don’t make such a face, Mademoiselle. De telles moues peuvent rester sur votre visage. Et même sans eux, tu ressembles à un fantôme.” He added playfully.

“Meilleur fantôme qu’un paon à taille humaine.” She responded. Acelin had not expected her to understand him, let alone respond, though he kept a stoic face at her own remark.

“Oh dear, such a harsh tongue that not even French can sweeten it out.” Acelin was pretty much just a good few feet away from her, and the succubus didn’t particularly enjoy his company. Couldn’t he just get lost already? At this point, sitting here alone was a much more preferable option. “Say, haven’t you considered becoming a fashion model? I can already tell that you could do just fine. Especially in anything other than this white dress. And I could even help you rise to the top.” He gave her a wink. So that’s what this was all about. The demon had to admit that he had a rather unconventional way of ‘recruiting’ people.

“Yeah, thanks, no. I might look good in a lot of stuff, but ridiculous outfits like yours are too much, even for me.” This came out a bit harsher than she intended; however, it should have given him the message.

"Oh, come on, think this through.” The bizarre-dressed man got uncomfortably close to her, being just a foot or two away from her face. “You are wasting yourself out here. Any girl in your place would kill to work for me.” Lilim, not knowing what to do, took an uncertain step back, which Acelin followed almost instantly.

“I said no you creep! Now back off!” As much as the succubus didn’t want to summon Prince here and now, it looked to be the only way out of this. Hell, he could complain about it to this whole Mr. Silver, but she didn’t care. Especially when she moved back another step and he followed. A few people from the Force turned around to see what the whole commotion was about. Perhaps they could make this creep leave her alone.

“And why not? This is the only way you could repay me.” Confused by what he meant, the succubus hadn’t even registered when he got so close that she could feel his breath on her neck. This seemed to step over the line as one of the men from the Extermination Force units stationed outside started walking their way, gesturing at Acelin to back off. He didn’t seem to notice that, however, and as Lilim was about to back off, he grabbed her arm and brought her to his eye level. “I still haven’t forgotten what you have done to my beautiful feathers.” Lilim’s eyes widened in shock and pain as he increased the strength of his grip. The feathers on his cape stood up and flew in the direction of their units. They have been pierced by the arrow-like feathers before anyone had a chance to raise an alarm; the cobblestone square on which the Hall stood now covered in blood.

Still unaware of what was going on outside, Alice continued to chat with Annette. The woman was much more down to earth than the half-angel would have ever imagined, and she pretty much talked with her like with someone on an equal level. The green-eyed girl tried to hide the fact that she used to follow her carrier back in the day, though it looked like Annette caught onto this rather quickly.

“So it must be your lucky day today.” Annette said with a small smile forming on her lips.

“Absolutely! I can’t stress enough how your confidence helped me back in the days.” The older woman had not expected to hear that. She wondered what the younger girl had in mind. “I mean, you know, these, are rather visible, no matter how much I try to hide them. But when I heard how you talked about your hardships, I tried to not focus so much on them-Oh my gosh! I’ve been rambling, haven’t I? I’m so sorry-” A chuckle coming from Annette cut her off.

“Don’t worry about that; I’m glad I could help.” Before Alice could reply, she heard a noise coming from the outside. Gunshots? But why? Were they under attack? Or did she simply mishear something?

“What was that?” The half-angel asked, unsure of the noises that kept coming from outside. No, she didn’t mishear. Those were gunshots. She had to go.

“What was what, dear?” Alice sent her a shocked glance. Did she not hear them? Hell, she even noticed that other guests seemed to also notice them, muttering between themselves about what was going on.

“Forgive me, Miss; I have to go.” As the half-angel was about to storm off the building, she felt something snake up her head. Looking down with eyes wide in shock, she saw a thorny whine wrap itself around her leg, its thorns digging into her skin.

“Oh no, dear, you are not going anywhere. Neither of you are.” Trying to get her leg free from the vines, her eyes drifted towards the direction of the doors, from which came a rumbling noise. Just a mere few seconds later, thick roots erupted from the ground, breaking the floor in the process, and grew onto the doors and walls, sealing them off. That was when the panic finally set in. Screams, sounds of chairs falling over, and loud and frantic footsteps mixed together as the remaining guests tried to force open the sealed doors, call for help, and even simply hide. Alice summoned Rosary and used its blade to cut through the thick roots. Annette stopped paying attention to her and, in turn, focused on the guests. Gently raising her hand up, the ground trembled once more, and a bunch of massive roots came from it, impaling a few of the investors unfortunate enough to be within their range. The half-angel froze with wide eyes upon seeing the start of the massacre.

Upstairs, the situation was no less grave. The bunch of investors that came with Mr.Silver found themselves trapped in the conference room, along with the local news crew, who, after finished deliberations about the new project that was supposed to launch, were to broadcast the announcement live. Now instead they all tried to break open the doors that simply didn’t want to budge, no matter how hard they tried. Only Mr.Silver remained calm, beside all of the gunshots and screams that came from lower floors.

“Gentlemen, could I ask you to start the broadcast?” He asked nonchalantly, as if nothing were happening.

“Mr.Silver, quit joking and come help us!”

“I believe I asked you something. Do what I say, and all of you will get out here unscratched.” None of them knew how he would get them out of there; seeing the situation downstairs was dire; however, the coldness in his voice and stare made them obedient, and soon after, the camera was on and the broadcast had started.

“Dear citizens of Znena.” What was with that greeting? None of them knew if this could even be called formal at this point. Though not wanting to interrupt whatever Mr.Silver had to say, the news crew, along with the investors from L'Amour, kept on working on the doors. It almost seemed as if they were barricaded from the outside. The fact that when they were looking through the keyhole and only saw pitch black didn’t help either. “For the longest time, we have lived in the shadow of shame, with Znena being a salt to our wounds.” The confusion that arose on everyone's faces swiftly turned into screams of terror as Mr.Silver was engulfed by a silver flame. The sheer force that emanated from it caused the foundations of the building to tremble as if hit by an earthquake. Where once stood a man, now stood a knight in silver armor, sitting on an equally silver and armored steed. The screams of fear and orders to cut off the camera momentarily drowned out his voice; however, they quickly died down as shining blades struck the doors.

“Not any more. We have come to reclaim our rightful land, stolen and vandalized by your kind. No longer will we hold back, and your town, the blight upon our kingdom, shall turn to dust. Tetra will regain its kingdom!"