The heroes gathered once again after Poda-Bruss had concluded the construction of his special domain with the king's support. It was publically announced as the work of royal mages. Equipped with cloaks to hide their identity just in case they met a demon lord, they were now ready for departure to Sonosis.

"See you guys later!" shouted Siege

"We'll be back with good news," said Poda-Bruss

The heroes held hands with Blodelshein and in an instant, they disappeared into thin air. Since Blodeshein did not know the exact location of the demon lord's castle, she scoured the minds of Pronuses and used their thoughts to pinpoint the ideal location. When they finally landed back into existence, they were in the middle of an alley in the capital city of Sonosis. The atmosphere of the area was different from Avangarden, the sky was red with ominous clouds swirling into the center above the demon lord's castle. Poda-Bruss and Blodelshein had never been this close to the demon lord's home before.

When they finally made their way to the entrance, they were surprised that the entire security of the area was wiped out by an unknown force. The guards' bodies lay on the floor, lifeless. The door was ajar as well, another intruder must've invaded the castle.

The group carefully entered the castle, and the gruesome scene within made Orchestra puke a little in her mouth. The distinct stench of fresh blood was dizzying as it made her choke. As they continued through the bloodied halls of the building, they noticed that the invader was most likely wielding an axe as shown by the large gashing wounds across the bodies. Whoever this was clearly did not care about stealth or being humane.

When they heard a sharp scream from the floor above, they promptly rushed to the source. This was the castle's throne room, and the door was wide open. Seeing the heroes, a small Pronus ran toward them and hid behind them and a woman with a large dual-ended axe swiftly continued the chase.

"⌈Motor Control Lock⌋"

The woman fell down with a thud, cracking the floor tiles, but she kept her eye contact with her prey, who was still cowering in fear behind Orchestra.

"We should go somewhere more discreet..." said Poda-Bruss, holding the small demon with one hand and the woman on his shoulder

Blodelshein sensed her surrounding but found that everyone in the building was already dead.

"Let's just stay in the throne room"

"Then I shall search the room for anything of interest. There may be some clues regarding the demon lord here"

Orchestra and Blodeshein tied up the demon and the lady with rope and sat them down on the spots of the carpet yet to be stained by blood.

"Alright so who are you guys?" asked Orchestra

"..."

"Come on, let's make it easy for the both of us. Look, we're heroes okay? Now can you tell me who you are?"

"He-heroes?!"

"That's what I said"

"This is taking too long, I'll just read their minds," said Blodeshein

"Wait, why didn't we do that in the first place?"

"I'd rather not overuse it if possible"

Blodelshein scanned the strangers' minds and scoured for their identity.

"Done. This small demon is the demon lord and this tall one is a hero"

"Wait, really? This tiny demon is the demon lord?!"

"Stop calling me tiny godammit!"

"Well, I guess I'll trust you on this one. So what do we do with it"

"Why don't we take her to our base?" said Orchestra

"Poda, are you done with your search?"

"Yes, but I couldn't find anything important. There is no sign of a demon lord anywhere around here"

"I'm a demon lord!"

"...What's up with this one?"

"Oh, this one's actually the demon lord"

"Wait, really?"

"Yup, unbelievable, huh?"

While the conversations continued, Blodeshein could feel the hateful glare radiating from the axe-wielding hero.

"You're name is Solas right?"

"..."

"Don't worry, we're your allies as fellow heroes"

"...Why did you stop me from killing the demon lord?"

"Well, it was a bit sudden so I just acted on reflex. Also, it'd be more valuable to use this demon lord, wouldn't it?"

"There is no need for cowardly scheming such as using a demon lord. Our job as heroes is to kill the demon lord. Anyone who is in my way is no ally of mine"

"What's up with this one..." said Orchestra

She was reminded that heroes came in all shapes and forms. Before meeting her predecessors and successors, she thought that all heroes were about the same; charismatic, strong and equipped with a solid sense of righteousness. While she did meet many heroes like that, being Siege, Poda-Bruss, Kallen and Blodelshein, she also met heroes with... unique personalities. Reginn was still righteous and protected others, but he had a sadistic edge to him, a side of him that enjoyed the dominance he felt over others. He also had the intelligence and strength to back it up, though he lacked in common sense. Kaizer was similar to him, except that she felt much more human, perhaps due to her strength being more human. While at first she seemed to be sadistic and sociopathic like Reginn, when you got to know her, you could see that she liked the company of others. She was also lazy and clumsy, which made her feel disarming.

She began to wonder what it meant to be a hero. Why was someone like Kaizer chosen to be a hero? Was it her drive for affirmation? Her strength? Belief in the Goddess? She pondered those questions as they made their way back to the entrance.

On their way, they crossed paths with 4 strangers. One with a tall build, glasses and a white beard, a young man with blue hair, a zombie-like lady and a boy wearing a cloak.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where you're going with that," said the blue-haired man, grabbing Poda's vacant shoulder

"..."

Noticing that something felt off, Blodelshein tried to read the mind of the demons but failed. Surprisingly, the strangers seemed to have noticed and looked around for a bit before focusing their attention back on the heroes. This was bad news.

"We're... evacuating. Someone or something came and destroyed the castle and everyone in it, so we're-"

Suddenly a whistle began to blow from the cloak of the boy.

"...She's lying," said the boy

"...So could you tell me again? What were you doing in this castle" said the blue-haired man in a much more threatening tone.

Blodeshein realized that they needed to go now and grabbed Poda-Bruss and Orchestra's wrists in order to teleport away, but in an instant, the large white-bearded man with glasses bodied her and knocked her all the way to the wall on the other side.

"⌈Maximum Barrier⌋!"

Poda-Bruss accordingly put up a barrier tightly around him and Orchestra.

"Quick, retreat!"

Orchestra quickly grabbed Blodelshein and took to the sky while Poda-Bruss ran carrying Solas and the demon lord.

"⌈Motor... Control... Release⌋..."

Blodelshein undid her skill, returning Solas's ability to move again. Solas summoned her axe and took her stand against the chasing strangers.

"Don't wait for me, you guys go on"

However, the strangers had a different plan in mind.

"Karudo, you go after the winged girl. Velvel, you go after the one who created barriers. I'll fight this arrogant hero and Alcaeus... uhh... you can go back to the demon lord's castle. Try to find... something I guess?"

With a sigh, Alcaeus stopped following the chase and began to walk back to the castle. There was no arguing it, he'd just be a burden to the other demon lords if he fought alongside them. Especially since he was almost killed by the axe-wielding hero.

When they finally reached Solas, Karudo, the bespectacled man, vanished into thin air while Velvel, the zombie-like girl jumped up to the roofs of the buildings and continued pursuit of Poda-Bruss.

Zealot vs. Solas

The blue-haired man, called Zealot by his enemies, lost his cloak and revealed his glorious form for all to see.

"If you move out of the way, I'll let you live"

"I never make deals with demons"

Solas spun her axe and smashed Zealot, but he was able to block it with just his index finger.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"I'm not lying. I'll really let you go, you know?"

Solas backflipped away, before charging in for another strike. This time, her axe was covered in a white flame. Zealot automatically used his finger to block it once again, but this time, it was chopped clean off. However, he did not feel any concern, but rather, curiosity. From the looks of it, Solas was a Pravus. She may hide her wings, but her mannerism and hair colour told him more than enough. Therefore, that strike was likely imbued with holy magic, extremely effective against demons like him. Even then, it was surprising that she was able to damage him like that. Even the strongest holy magic couldn't even scratch him. She must've been using some kind of talent.

He regrew his finger right away before going on the offensive. Solas blocked Zealot's punch with her axe but was still blown away through multiple buildings. Zealot cracked his knuckles as the last time he felt this thrilled was when he fought Reginn.

Solas recovered from the rubbles and stood back up with both her hands holding the axe. She was clearly bleeding from all corners of her body, but she stood there as if it was but a scratch.

"I guess I'll just have to knock you out and leave you be"

"I do not want your pathetic grace, demon"

"Well, think of it as my show of strength. The strong can kill any opponent, but the truly strong can choose the fate of their opponent with no repercussions. I'm not worried about you harming me, so that's why I'm letting you go. I don't particularly like killing you see"

"Liar, all demons crave the blood of humans"

"No no no, not all demons are like that. Personally, I just want everyone to be happy. Killing always results in someone being unhappy, and I just don't want that"

"What childish ideal"

"Of course, but the simplest is the best, no?"

Solas once again enveloped her axe with holy magic before charging at Zealot, but he chose to just stand there and tank the hit. This time, he was able to block the strike with his finger.

"Impossible..."

"Well, I suppose so, but seeing is believing right?"

Solas tried to backstep away, but Zealot followed and flicked her forehead with his fingers. She was knocked out and lay unconscious among the rubble. Zealot decided to leave her there for now as he was sure she could find her way back somehow. He himself decided to check up on his comrades.

Karudo vs. Orchestra & Blodelshein

Orchestra on the other hand was flying above the turbulent cloud that overlooked the demonic kingdom. This was a strange sight as the kingdom was positioned in a rainless desert, therefore this must've been a regional curse or a domain.

However, before Orchestra could go far, the white-bearded man teleported above her and slammed her to the ground. Orchestra began falling rapidly as Blodeshein fell from her grasp, but she was able to save her before they faced the floor, but Karudo teleported once agin and slammed Orchestra's face against the ground. He then backed away and waited for her to stand back up.

"My name is Karudo, the protector of the demon kingdom and I cannot let you leave alive"

Orchestra got up and rested Blodelshein against a wall. She now had two lives in her hands that she had to fight for. She unsheathed her blade and faced this demon. Karudo teleported once again behind her and swung at her with a nearby pipe, making her stumble. However, the pipe was now completely bent and he was impressed by her defense. She turned around to attack him, but he was extremely nimble and fast for his size and dodged the swings. Karudo grabbed Orchestra by her neck and lifted her up, choking her to death. She struggled with all her might but could not escape the grasp. Her life flashed before her eyes as she wondered why this was happening to her. She was born royal, yet she had to suffer and sacrifice herself. Now she would be one of the first heroes to die. It was pathetic. She didn't want to die. She couldn't die yet. When Blodelshein woke up and saw this, she immediately cast a spell on Orchestra.

"⌈Mind's Protection⌋..."

When she fell to the ground lifeless, Karudo approached Blodelshein to finish her off as well. He thought about what could have happened if Arcaeus didn't give them the anti-psyche amulet. He may have been weak, but he still proved useful to the team. Karudo decided to give Arcaeus a small reward when they met again.

"Goodbye, hero"

However, behind him, a glowing magic circle appeared beneath Orchestra, and a scroll of paper which appeared out of thin air burned up above her. Before his eyes, her body then began to contort and her wings spread wider. Multiple horns began to grow out of her head, creating a sort of crown. Her eyes had a deep bloodred hue Her fingertips transformed into vicious claws and when the metamorphosis finally ended, Orchestra stood back up, but her aura was completely different. She stretched her body as if she had been in a slumber and looked around at her surroundings.

"Hmph, I suppose I'll have to kill you again"

Karudo teleported in front of her and did a roundhouse kick, but she was able to block the strike with both arms and only moved back an inch. Karudo teleported away and noticed that this was no longer the hero he had fought before, this foe was much stronger.

"This body... Heh, it seems like the king took good care of herself. Now... let's test it out"

Karudo vs Grimm

Orchestra charged with her hands bare and sliced with her claws, but Karudo easily blocked and parried the attacks. When she realized that her claws were ineffective, blades extended directly from her palms and she continued the barrage. Karudo teleported away to a rooftop, but Orchestra followed suit with a single leap. Not only was she stronger than before, but her speed increased as well. They fought throughout the city, causing large amounts of property damage. The denizens of the dominion fled in fear as the violence spread. Seeing this, Karudo knew that he would have to end this fight soon. He grabbed Orchestra tightly, almost destroying her ribs and teleported outside the city into a desert area. Since he was in a far more familiar environment, he had the home field advantage. He picked up his speed and teleported rapidly all around Orchestra before she could react. The sands raised to the wind with each step obscured Orchestra's views and when she turned around to counterattack, he was already gone. Karudo could now freely attack her without a worry of retaliation.

"The amulet... Remove the amulet..." communicated Blodelshein telepathically

Orchestra found the amulet worn around his neck, shining under the bright sun. She did not quite understand why the amulet mattered, but she decided to follow the order. However, when she tried to reach for the amulet, Karudo always teleported away. Frustrated, Orchestra let out a large blast that incinerated all nearby areas. Karudo managed to escape unscathed. All of Orchestra's previous armour was destroyed as well, and after the smoke settled, she could be seen donning a new jet-black armour that matched her horns and wings. She also grew a long tail as well.

"⌈Royal Flame⌋!"

A large golden cone of flame spewed out from the palm of her hand, extending from the blade. The fight had gone for too long, it was time to go in for the kill. Karudo teleported right in front of her and grasped her neck once more. This time, he squeezed much harder and his anger at the destruction of the city could be felt from his expanding aura.

While struggling in this chokehold, Orchestra saw the glimmer of the amulet. By the end of her claws, she was able to break the chain holding the amulet around his neck and the amulet fell to the ground.

"⌈Cognito Lock⌋"

Suddenly, Karudo loosened his choke and followed the amulet to the ground, unconscious. Without the anti-psyche amulet, he was vulnerable to Blodelshein's psychic attacks. However, Zealot was able to catch him before he fell to the ground.

"Whew, that was close! What an interesting hero!"

Ignoring Zealot, Orchestra quickly flew back to Blodelshein.

"So who are you?" asked Orchestra

"I should be the one asking you"

"Hmm... I guess there's no harm in telling you. My name is Grimm, maybe you know me as the demon who made the deal with the king Orchestra"

"Is this what the contract was about?"

"Yep. She got the strength she needed to beat the demon lord and after she dies, I'd inherit her body, giving me access to the royal blood. But from the look of things... that didn't go as planned. Where is this place? Who are you? What are we doing here?"

"It's a long story. You don't seem malicious, so I'll spare you. But I need Orchestra right now"

"Orchestra? Isn't she dead? And what do you mean spa-"

"⌈Mind Release⌋"

Grimm fell unconscious into Blodeshein's arm, but when she woke up, her mind was back to Orchestra's.

"Wh-what happened?"

"You died"

"What?"

"Well, you almost died. I was able to reinforce your mind so it stayed intact within the body. Do you remember the contract? Well, the demon you made it with is back and is still inside your body"

"But I thought the contract only worked when I died..."

"Not exactly. A dead body cannot be fully possessed, only controlled, so it must've been activated just before you died, replacing your mind as the host"

"And you said the demon is still in my body?!"

"Yes"

"...Can you get rid of it?"

"Sadly, no. Due to the contract, your body is now owned by the demon, Grimm. If I killed Grimm, the body wouldn't be able to sustain itself"

"So what does that make of me?"

Blodeshein pondered for a second before coming to a conclusion.

"We should make a new contract with the devil"

"...Alright then, what do you need me to do?"

"This is going to be a three-way contract so your body needs to be simultaneously controlled by you and Grimm, so just relax and don't struggle"

"Okay"

Orchestra loosened her eyes and slumped her body. Suddenly, Grimm was back, but now it was both Grimm and Orchestra in the same body.

"Gah, what did you do?! I don't remember this in the contract! - Is that the demon? - Huh? Is this body hosting two souls at once?"

"Could you guys stop talking, it's confusing. Anyways, Grimm, I'm going to need you to form a new contract"

"...What contract?"

"You need to give Orchestra her body back and in return..."

"In return...?"

"I won't kill you"

"Heh, as if I'd fall for that bluff. Alright, kill me then! - Wait, no!"

"Fine, I hoped that'd work but I guess not. How about, sharing the body and I won't destroy your persoanlity? I could erase all your memories and keep you as a pet you know"

"I guess that's better than nothing... - But how are we going to share? I did grant her the power to defeat the demon lord you know"

"I'm guessing you won't take anything less than 50:50?"

"Hmm... - Wait, I have to share this body with a demon 50:50?!"

"This is the best way to solve this problem. Besides, we can make it so he's only active at night"

"Fine..."

"Alright, time to make a demonic contract"

A large circle glowing blood red illuminated the ground beneath them and a scroll appeared mid-air.

"The conditions are: 1. Orchestra will be the full owner of her body under the sun 2. Grimm will be the full owner of the body under the moon and 3. I, Blodelshein, will never harm Grimm or Orchestra. Is that correct?"

"Yep - I think that's all..."

"Then let this demonic contract be sealed"

The scroll burnt up in a blue flame as the magic circle dissipated into the air. Since it was still midday, Orchestra took back full control of her body.

"I don't think Grimm is particularly malicious, so I wouldn't worry about her"

Orchestra sighed at the absurdity of the situation. At least it was better than giving up her ownership of her body or dying.

The two decided to check up on the others and found Solas lying down motionlessly. Blodelshein made the decision to teleport the other two heroes back to Siege while she stayed behind to help Poda-Bruss. After, handing them over to Siege for care, Blodelshein returned to the battlefield after a goodbye.

Poda-Bruss vs. Velvel

Meanwhile, Poda-Bruss was running for his life with the demon lord in his arm. Large bones protruded from the sides of the building and from the ground beneath him as he carefully maneuvered around them while keeping up speed. He ran aimlessly, unaware of where to go next. Finally, he came directly against a brick wall, cornered by a gigantic skeletal figure of which only above its torso was visible. On its shoulder sat the zombie girl with her staff in hand.

"Too bad for you... This is the end..."

"⌈Maximum Barrier⌋!"

He knew that he could not win against this monster, he simply lacked the offensive capability needed to beat a necromancer like her. The gigantic skeleton slammed down its fists on him, but the barrier was able to hold itself up. There was no real way for him to do any damage, so he decided to use his mana exclusively for defending. The demon lord woke up from the loud sounds.

"Wh-what's going on?!"

"Stay calm, I'm waiting for my friends. Hopefully, I can hold this barrier for long enough"

"Wait! I can help!"

The demon lord looked around at her surroundings and suddenly picked up on something.

"Do you think you can break through the wall behind us?"

"Sure, but that'd mean I'll have to lower this barrier"

"Trust me, this is the only way we'll survive. Just follow me"

Slightly confused, he decided to trust the demon lord. She had no reason to lie afterall, they were in this deadly situation together now. After a strike, Poda-Bruss immediately let down his guard and smashed through the brick wall. It turned out there was a river flowing behind them and the two slid down a muddy slope into the water.

"Tch..."

Velvel got off her skeletal beast and summoned a skeletal steed instead. She rode the beast and chased soon afterwards. Poda and the demon lord waddled their way through the water and made it to the other side where they encountered Blodelshein.

"Oh, Poda-Bruss. Need some help?"

"Thank goodness you're here, but how did you know that we'd find her?" asked Poda-Bruss

"That doesn't matter right now" replied the demon lord

She then summoned her bow and arrow. The bow was crafted from a deer's antler and it was white like ivory. She focused her aim and calibrated her trajectory as Velvel on her steed approached across the river. Finally, she let go of the bow and it struck the amulet directly, destroying it. Blodelshein capitalized on this by using her psychic attack to knock her unconscious. However, when she approached for the kill, Zealot appeared and lifted the decapacitated Velvel into his arms.

"Sorry folks, but no one dies today under my watch. See you guys again soon!"

Zealot walked away to the heroes' surprise and the group decided that they gathered enough intel for a day and returned home. It was a long day, but they now had a pile of work cut out for them.