Arturo leaned his ear close to the door and caught whispers echoing down the hallway.

"Is it the killer?"

The moans sounded endlessly from behind the door, intense and passionate breaths. To Arturo, this vibe felt distinctly feminine.

Crouching down to peek under the door, his night vision kicked in, revealing bare legs with incredibly smooth, fair skin. Looking up, he saw the figure was dressed in an elegant gown, leaning against the wall, eyes fixed on Arturo's door.

His eyes widened as he pieced it together from the blue dress and wings—it was Archeas. What was she doing here at this hour, and right outside his door, no less? With her legs fully exposed, hands moving under her thighs, her flushed face and the way she was rubbing her hand, she seemed unable to control her sexual urges.

Arturo swung the door open. "Archeas, what are you doing behind my door?"

Archeas spun around instantly. "Come on, it's late, you scared the heck out of me!" She covered her eyes with her hands in embarrassment. "Oh no! Master Arturo has caught me!"

"Well, my spidey sense just went off!" "Don't look at me, Master Arturo, please!" With each step, Archeas shrank back more, her angelic wings now fully covering her face.

Arturo sighed in relief. "Come on, Archeas, get back to bed. Everyone's asleep. You're the only slave still up!"

But as Arturo got closer, he gently stroked her wing.

"So soft..."

Archeas basked in the touch, wishing it could go on forever.

"Master..."

Her face was entirely flushed, and like a good slave, she stood up straight and obeyed his commands.

Arturo retreated to his room, exchanging goodnights with Archeas, but she followed him, determined, stepping into the room before closing the door behind her. Arturo was taken aback by the slave's bold moves.

"Y-You're not going back to your room?"

"No, master, I'll stay with you."

Archeas's chest was pushing out from her neckline.

You wanna sleep here with me? What am I supposed to say? A slave can't just share a king's bed!

"A-Archeas."

"Yes, Master?"

Arturo couldn't help but stare at her chest, which seemed ready to burst out at any moment.

"C-Can I... touch your boobs?"

"..."

Archeas narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Ha! Sorry, Archeas, forget I said-"

Before he could finish, Archeas had unbuttoned her dress completely, her bouncing breasts fully exposed, along with her well-defined physique. Arturo reached out with a trembling hand towards his target. The moment he touched her ample breast, he drooled with euphoria, groping so intensely it felt like he was diving into the depths of a shipwreck.

"I can't believe I'm touching boobs for the first time, no one would believe this. Eh, it's such a dense feeling."

"Master Arturo, do you like my boobs that much?"

"Eh, yeah, I like them!"

Arturo was on cloud nine, literally, since he was feeling up an angel, but having his fill of touching boobs, he was ready to try something else. Just as he was about to leap into Archeas's arms, a pounding headache broke his enthusiasm.

"Ha! Why now of all times!?"

"Master Arturo, is something wrong?"

"No, it's just... I feel like something's off."

His "sixth sense" had kicked in again. The effects were intense, his thoughts scrambled, a massive pressure clouding his mind.

"Archeas, check if someone's peeping through the window."

"Master Arturo, what's happening to you? It's just us in the room."

"Master Arturo."

"A...Archeas!"

Arturo's eyes snapped open.

"Master Arturo?"

Archeas's face blurred, multiplying into a vague, distorted image of herself as if a multitude of faces were echoing her expressions and movements.

I feel sick! What's wrong? This pressure is too much, I don't get it, I can't figure out where such powerful energy could be coming from.

To say Arturo was terrified would be an understatement. The look on his face, even Archeas shuddered at the sight, having never seen her master so frightened and overwhelmed by something he didn't even know he had. The "sixth sense" ability activated under unpleasant circumstances, an instinct that foretold of an impending obstacle.

Suddenly, Arturo's body moved on its own, leaping out of bed and instinctively landing on the floor. What was that? A panic attack from the overwhelming pressure? The floor kept him away from danger, his "sixth sense" had guided him to safety.

He got up from the floor and as soon as he looked back at the bed, he saw Archeas standing there, naked and fully exposed, but her wings had turned sharp, no longer the soft feathers he had caressed moments ago.

Those wings had stretched out, piercing the wall with their tips. It was a clear strike aimed at her master. It was as if the "sixth sense" had sensed the danger and pushed Arturo to safety. But Arturo was struggling to believe what he had just witnessed.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Archeas slowly shifted her gaze, detaching a wing from the wall where her attack had narrowly missed.

"You were too quick, Master Arturo, yet, with that strike, I could have easily killed you. My sharp wing would have slit your throat, and you would have bled out until drowning in your own blood."

Archeas's wings spread wide, her face, once gentle and sensitive, now emotionless, aimed solely at slicing the throat of anything in her path.

"Archeas, why?!"

Arturo bolted out of the room and slammed the door. He raced down the hallway, but he could already hear the door burst open behind him.

"That's no longer the Archeas I knew, she's changed, become ruthless, but what happened to her?"

Arturo glanced back and saw Archeas soaring, trying to catch up.

"Guards! Guards!"

"Wake up, guards! Archeas has gone mad!"

Archeas caught up, and her wings folded, swooping down to the ground, her strike piercing the rocky floor of the catacombs. Arturo narrowly avoided the attack, becoming a mere shadow.

"I don't want to hurt you, Archeas, tell me what's happening, has someone cast a spell on you?"

Archeas's expression remained unchanged, she lifted her wing from the ground and delivered another blow, this time striking the wall, causing further tremors.

As a shadow, Arturo vanished from her reach and raced through the long corridors of the catacomb, moving like lightning, ascending from the depths to the surface. Climbing until he hovered near the ceiling, he saw from above that the guards, who were supposed to watch the castle round the clock, lay on the ground, bloodied, their insides turned out. The deep wounds made it clear that Archeas had already been at work, wreaking havoc inside the castle and dispatching numerous guards who must have discovered her while she committed those crimes.

Who else could be after his life? Without his "sixth sense," Arturo would now be lying among the guards on the ground. Archeas was somewhere in the catacombs looking for him, posing a threat not only to him but potentially to the royal family as well. He needed to act, and fast.

He scoured every corner he knew and saw no sign of Archeas—had she gone back to sleep? Arturo stayed put in a corner of the catacomb, hidden behind a crevice, much like a mouse would.

Arturo wandered through the dark catacombs, every tunnel leading to long, shadowy passages, their ends unknown. The only sound was his footsteps, tapping against the rocky, dust-and-ash-laden ground.

Arturo placed his palms to the sides.

"Kira!"

His voice echoed. He scanned his surroundings, tight passages with some tunnels sloping downwards.

"Kira! Where are you?"

Continuing down the narrow path, suddenly, a flash caught his eyes—a tiny spark near a distant crack in the wall. He quickened his pace, reached the wall, and saw that beyond the hole, there was a murmur, frightened screams.

"Kira!"

Arturo rushed, squeezing through the crack, only to tumble out on the other side of the passage. He got up, his gaze desperate, seeing a host of angels turning against Kira, who were also slaves that had defected from the demons. There was Kira, defending herself with her yellowish aura against the attack of the angels with their sharp wings.

"How dare you, miserable slaves, do you not know who you're up against?!"

Kira shouted fiercely. Arturo let out a relieved sigh, then wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead—Kira was still alive.

"Thank goodness you're safe!"

The angels were blasted away so violently by that wave of flames, they were surely dead. Kira looked at them, her expression stern and weary, having used so much of her mana that she could hardly stand.

"Want more, you wretched slaves?"

"Stop."

Arturo gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Enough. You've won."

Kira scanned the lifeless faces of the angels, their eyes no longer blinking. She let the aura surrounding her fade and started walking again.

"What's going on?!"

Kira spun around sharply.

"Why did the slaves attack me?!"

Arturo furrowed his brows quickly.

"I don't know. Archeas tried to kill me too, and maybe she's been wanting to for a long time."

Kira gritted her teeth at the thought of having expended so much magical energy on beings as wretched as the angels.

The two tried to squeeze back through the hole, but as they approached, they noticed it had sealed up on its own. Arturo lunged forward, pounding on the wall with several blows.

"Damn!"

"Isn't there another way out?"

"No! That was the only exit."

"So, what now? What do we do?"

"You tell me! You're the king!"

"Who the hell has ever explored this catacomb!"

Kira sparked several flashes between her hands.

"Move!"

Her strike made a loud noise, but the wall remained intact.

"It's no use, magical attacks don't work in this catacomb. It must be protected by some ancient spell that prevents destruction."

Arturo leaned back against the wall, head down between his knees.

"Crap, crap, crap, I hate tight spaces. Thinking about it, I'm starting to feel suffocated here."

His blunt tone echoed through the gallery.

"Hey, what are you doing? We need to keep moving."

Arturo stood up and followed her.

"Is t-that the right way?"

"No. But staying put gets us nowhere."

Right. Kira's decisive nature makes me feel better. Being near her, I worry less because if danger comes, she'll always be there to protect me, with her fierce spirit.

They continued along the only visible tunnel, which led them into a long corridor with narrow walls. Arturo reached out, barely touching Kira's elbow. She gave him a menacing look, almost making Arturo take two steps back. Arturo carefully examined the walls, noticing scattered engravings along the perimeter. With each step, his gaze explored the continuity of the engravings, clearly from a primitive era. He saw a series of stylized demons, shown in profile, bowing to a much higher engraved figure with two long, luminous horns, wearing a long robe reminiscent of an Eastern kimono.

"Those?"

"What about them?"

"Those drawings, they seem very ancient..."

"Do I have to explain this too?! What are you doing on the throne? They're our ancestors, and those figures tell the story of our lineage."

"Could you tell me about it?"

Annoyed, Kira let out a long sigh.

"In ancient times, when the world was enveloped in primordial darkness, Rajin created the world and all that inhabits it. With his divine power, Rajin shaped the earth, raised the mountains, flowed the rivers, and filled the world with life. However, among the creatures Rajin created were also the demons."

Arturo nodded, mouth agape.

"I see, so this Rajin is like God to us."

"More like for humans, not for us."

"Right!"

"Initially, humans, terrible and ruthless creatures, feared the demons and hunted them mercilessly, considering them a threat to their own survival. Rajin, saddened by the conflict between his creations, decided to intervene. With his wisdom and compassion, he split the world into two parallel dimensions: one dominated by humans and the other inhabited by demons."

Turns out, demons have a rich history and culture too. This entity that created them was their God, and they were divided into tribes, hunting just like primitive humans did.

"Do I really have to be the one telling you this?"

They moved beyond the narrow, claustrophobic corridor, where torches were scarce. Crossing the last arch, they found themselves in a vast, dark space. Automatically, their eyes adjusted to the wave of darkness.

"I'm starting to get tired..."

They stood still, backs against the wall, without food or water, supporting each other, aware that there was no escape in the intricate catacombs.

"ACHOO!"

Kira began to shiver and generated a small flame from her finger to warm up, and Arturo moved closer. He lifted his cloak and wrapped Kira's entire body in it.

"W-What are you doing?!"

Kira blushed.

"Well, it's pretty obvious you're cold."

"The same goes for you, your hands are shaking like crazy!"

With trembling arms and legs, Arturo leaned back against the wall. He flashed a smile and replied,

"I can handle it."