In a desolate, barren wasteland shrouded in eerie silence, the final moments of Demon Lord Lirien played out in desperation. Just before her defeat, she unleashed her last act of defiance—casting the Relic of Enhancement far beyond anyone’s reach, a desperate attempt to deny her enemies its unimaginable power.

By some mysterious force or cosmic whim, the relic was teleported to an unknown, secluded land. Its arrival lit up the grim, barren landscape like a beacon, its radiant glow piercing through the haze.

A shadowy figure, cloaked in mystery, spotted the light from afar. Intrigued and cautious, he approached, his every step crunching against the lifeless earth beneath. As he drew closer, the relic’s brilliance grew more blinding, pulsing with energy as though alive.

When he finally reached it, he paused, staring at the object that shimmered with a strange, alluring aura. A relic—no, not just any relic. This was the Relic of Enhancement, a fabled artifact said to amplify the ability of its wielder beyond mortal comprehension.

Without hesitation, the figure reached out and grasped it. A surge of raw energy coursed through his veins, electrifying his senses and igniting his very soul. His body thrummed with newfound power, every muscle brimming with strength, every fiber of his being sharper than ever before. But as the power consumed him, it brought with it a dark price—evil thoughts began to seep into his mind, insidious whispers urging him toward conquest and domination.

With the relic clutched tightly in his hand, he felt invincible. A sinister smile crept across his face as he envisioned the worlds he could bend to his will. Driven by newfound ambition, he vowed to crush his enemies, obliterate his rivals, and claim the ultimate power for himself.

However, as his dark campaign unfolded, he uncovered whispers of other artifacts—ancient relics of equal or even greater potency scattered across regions. A thirst for domination grew into an obsession. The Relic of Enhancement was only the beginning; he hungered for more, for treasures that would cement his dominion over not just his foes but entire worlds.

His journey of conquest transformed into an unrelenting hunt, his every action driven by a singular purpose: to claim every powerful artifact in existence, amass limitless strength, and become the supreme ruler of all creation.

Six months had passed since Yoshi and his companions departed the Fujimori Wisteria Forest Kingdom to aid neighboring regions. Their journey had been fraught with challenges, each one more formidable than the last. Meanwhile, back in the kingdom, life in the bustling kitchen where the maidens worked continued as usual—though something about Yukio had started to catch the attention of her friends.

Despite her pregnancy becoming apparent, Yukio often insisted on working. Her radiant complexion and glowing skin were impossible to ignore. Even the head chef and the leader of the maidens encouraged her to rest or take a leave of absence, but Yukio remained steadfast, carrying out her duties with grace and poise.

One morning, as the maidens busied themselves in the kitchen, one of Yukio’s friends finally decided to address the noticeable change in her appearance.

“C’mon, Yukio! Spill it already,” teased one of the maidens with a playful grin, drawing the attention of the others. “You’re looking more stunning than ever these days. There’s definitely something different about you.”

The others murmured in agreement, their curiosity piqued.

“It’s almost like…” the first maiden paused dramatically, leaning closer as her voice dropped to a whisper, “you’re… pregnant with child.”

Yukio’s cheeks flushed a deep red, her flustered reaction betraying her secret. Her friends immediately caught on, their eyes lighting up with excitement.

“Ah! So, you have been seeing someone!” exclaimed another maiden, her tone equal parts shock and delight.

“Who is it? Who’s the lucky guy?” chimed two more of her friends, leaning in with wide, curious smiles. “Is he charming? Cute? Come on, tell us everything!”

At first, Yukio hesitated, her playful teasing met with their growing impatience. Finally, with a shy smile and a touch of nervous laughter, she confessed, “It’s… Joseph.”

The collective gasp that followed was immediate and deafening.

“Joseph?!” they all exclaimed in unison, their astonishment evident. “You mean Prince Yoshi’s companion?!”

Yukio nodded, her blush deepening as her friends erupted into a flurry of excitement and questions, each vying to know more about the unexpected revelation.

The kitchen erupted into a mix of laughter and congratulations as the maidens celebrated Yukio's revelation. Their joy was infectious, but amidst the cheerful atmosphere, one of the maidens, taller and more voluptuous than the rest, leaned against the counter with a teasing grin.

"You know," she began, her voice light and playful, "it could have been me instead of you, Yukio. Remember? You took over my shift that day I wasn’t feeling well. Lucky you!" Her cheeks turned a faint pink as she added with a dramatic sigh, "And let’s not forget—Mister Joseph is quite the handsome young man." She quickly turned her head away, pretending to hide her blushing face with a coy smile.

The other maidens burst out laughing, teasing her in return.

"Don’t worry," one of them quipped, "maybe there’s a Joseph out there waiting for you, too!"

Meanwhile, far from the Fujimori Wisteria Forest Kingdom, Joseph sat with Yoshi and their companions around a crackling campfire. Suddenly, he sneezed, quickly covering his mouth and nose.

Yoshi, noticing the unusual occurrence, raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Joseph?" he asked with genuine concern.

"Are you cold or something?" Lyra added, tilting her head curiously.

Joseph waved a hand dismissively, sniffing lightly. "Oh, no, I’m fine. It’s probably just someone talking about me," he joked, eliciting a chuckle from Lyra and a skeptical glance from Yoshi.

"Well, if you say so," Yoshi replied, though his eyes lingered on Joseph a moment longer.

Back in the kingdom, as the maidens retired for the evening, they gathered in their quarters, eager to hear more about Yukio’s love story. Yukio shared small details about her relationship with Joseph—the moments they spent together, the walks through the forest, and the quiet conversations that deepened their bond. The other maidens listened intently, hanging on her every word.

However, one particularly bold maiden couldn’t resist steering the conversation into spicier territory. "So," Maiden 5 began, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in her eye, "was it… hot? Was Master Joseph a beast in bed?"

The room fell silent for a moment before Yukio’s face flushed crimson, her mind involuntarily flashing back to an intense and passionate memory of her and Joseph together. She fidgeted, unable to meet their amused gazes.

"Hey! You can’t just ask Yukio about her sex life!" Maiden 6 interjected, glaring at Maiden 5. "That’s personal and not something to share!"

"Alright, alright," Maiden 5 said, raising her hands defensively before rolling her eyes. "Just curious, no harm done."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The discussion eventually shifted back to lighter topics, ending with most of the maidens wistfully expressing their own desires. Some dreamed aloud about finding a partner like Joseph, while others mused about the possibility of being with a prince. As the night wore on, they all went to bed with laughter and dreams of romance lingering in the air.

***

Meanwhile, on the other side, Yoshi and his companions pressed forward on their journey to the city of Kochi, which had already spanned eighteen long days. As they approached the city’s border, they were met with a horrifying sight—smoke and flames billowing into the sky, signaling an attack.

"Oh no! It’s begun!" shouted a local traveler, a citizen of Kochi, who was among their group. Without hesitation, they hurried toward the source of the chaos.

The group arrived just in time to see the valiant hunters of Kochi clashing with monstrous demons, fighting desperately to protect the city's sacred relic. But despite their best efforts, the attackers were relentless. Yoshi and his companions wasted no time joining the fray, assisting the warriors in fending off the relentless tide of creatures.

In the midst of the carnage, one figure stood apart—an enigmatic being whose strength seemed limitless. He wielded magic with terrifying mastery, effortlessly dispatching anyone who stood in his path. His aura surged with overwhelming power, each movement imbued with dark energy. He made his way toward the city lord’s throne, brushing aside any resistance.

The city lord, sitting helpless on his throne, seemed utterly powerless before the relentless assault. But his eyes flickered towards something—something around his neck. A pendant. It glowed faintly, and for a brief moment, the city lord’s expression shifted to one of fear.

The mysterious being, sensing the relic’s presence, reached out and tore the pendant from the city lord’s neck, his grip tightening around the object as the lord’s eyes widened in terror.

"Please," the city lord begged, his voice trembling. "You don’t understand. You can’t alter time. The consequences will be catastrophic."

With a twisted smile, he revealed his monstrous form to the city lord, who recoiled in horror.

"An archdemon," the city lord whispered, unable to tear his eyes away.

The archdemon, as he now revealed himself, only sneered. "Foolish mortal. You have the most powerful tool at your disposal, and yet you squander it. The relic of time is the key to controlling all that has been, all that is, and all that will be."

The city lord tried to reason with him, his voice desperate. "It feeds on your soul, consuming everything you hold dear. Every event, every possibility—it devours them all. You can never control it, for it will eventually turn on you."

But the archdemon only laughed, his voice dark and cold. "Once, I was human. But now, I am something far greater. After I encountered the relic of enhancement, my power grew beyond measure. I vanquished my foes with ease. The relic transformed me, amplifying my abilities, elevating me to a position of unimaginable strength. And now... now I possess the relic of time."

Crushing the pendant in his hand, the archdemon revealed the glowing, blue relic of time, pulsing with an aura that rippled through the air.

"At last," the archdemon declared, his voice triumphant. "The power to manipulate time itself is mine! No one can stand in my way now."

But as the relic pulsed with unimaginable power, the archdemon’s expression twisted into one of shock. For in that fleeting moment, a vision of infinite possibilities flashed before his eyes—visions of past, present, and future—culminating in a single, horrifying image. His own demise.

"Impossible!" he screamed, his voice tinged with panic. "This can’t be! With all this power, I should be invincible!"

The city lord, now calm, regarded the archdemon with an eerie composure. "No one is invincible. You have glimpsed the infinite flow of time and seen that even you are not beyond its reach."

The archdemon's eyes narrowed as he stared at the city lord, realization dawning upon him. The city lord had known all along. The relic’s power, far from being a gift, was a curse, and no one—no matter how powerful—could escape the web of fate it wove.

"You knew I would come for it. You foresaw the future," the archdemon hissed, his realization dawning upon him. The city lord’s rapid aging now made sense—the toll of his prolonged use of the relic of time had cost him dearly. The lord had tried to delay his inevitable fate, but the price was too great. He had decided to stop, to let time run its course, knowing it would soon end his life.

"Whatever it may be, I will not succumb to failure," the archdemon continued, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You are only human, while I have transcended that state. I have become an archdemon. And when I claim all the relics and treasures for myself, I will challenge the deities themselves and make them bow to me."

The city lord chuckled darkly at the archdemon’s words. "Just because you think you've seen it all doesn't mean you know it all," he replied, his tone sharp. "You really believe the relic of time can rival the power of the superior deities? Ha! I doubt it could even keep pace with those who are on par with it."

The archdemon’s expression hardened, but the city lord wasn’t finished. "You're not the only one seeking dominion over creation. There are forces out there that exceed you. You may have evolved into an archdemon, but that doesn’t change the fact that you still carry the soul of a human within you. You’re no different from those you've left behind."

The archdemon’s eyes burned with rage. He knew the city lord had spoken the truth, but his pride and arrogance refused to allow him to accept it. Instead, he unleashed his fury, his anger manifesting in a torrent of black flame.

But before the city lord was consumed by the flames, he offered one last piece of wisdom. "Rather than destroy the world, you could use the power you have to restore balance, to protect creation."

The archdemon’s fist clenched, the flames enveloping the city lord, who was incinerated in an instant. Black lightning crackled through the air as the lord was reduced to nothingness.

After the gruesome death, the archdemon turned his attention back to the ongoing battle. His minions fought fiercely against the city’s defenders, but his focus shifted when his eyes landed on Yoshi and his companions. A cold smile curled on his lips, as he recognized them from the vision granted by the relic of time.

"So, these are the ones who would dare to stop me," he muttered to himself. "I will end them now, before they become a burden. With the power of the relic of enhancement and the relic of time combined, I will alter the outcome to my will. No one can stand in my way."

As he prepared to unleash his full power, the world seemed to tremble around him, the relics at his command pulsing with deadly energy. The archdemon knew that he had only one goal left—to destroy all who stood in his path and reshape reality as he saw fit.