Chapter XII: Assassins in the Night

Twenty-two years ago, the second anniversary of the birth of the Hyland prince, Hyland Castle

The Hyland King and his Shepherd were striding to the guest hall. The arrival of their unexpected guests from afar made the king felt terribly uneasy. A man of his stature, the great ruler of Hyland welcomed many guests from foreign lands, especially the unusual ones.

"They appeared near the gates?" asked the king.

"Yes, your majesty. They moved in with the rest of the Malakhim."

"Is the guest hall secured?"

"Yes, the prince and his entourage are safe. We halted all affairs of the banquet. Your squire praetors have everything under control." Explained the headmaster Archon.

"The sooner I get there the better."

Soon, they reached the doors to the protected guest hall. The sound of soldiers slamming their chest plates in salutations echoed through the hall. The door opened and the king continued his march toward the other side of the room.

His presence was announced by one of the soldiers and every attendee turned their heads at the entrance and bowed while clearing the way for the Hyland King. He could hear the laughter of his small boy. His concerns were at ease but not completely gone since he couldn't see him because of the crowd. He moved closer to his throne and with the last person moving to the side he finally saw his son and his two new guests.

The little prince was playing with a flying rappig creature and a small, aged elder man with white hair was smiling at the scene. The bodyguard squire slowly nodded at the King, ensuring him of the safety of the situation.

King calmly breathed a sigh of relief. One of the entourages announced his presence once again. The old man slowly turned to him, smoking his pipe.

"This is an interesting place. A human castle with many Malakhims and humans living together. This is a scene that would make many people I knew long ago proud and happy." said the old man.

"And you're interesting guests. This castle hasn't seen such visitors for a long time." The King answered.

"It seems everyone here can see us without a problem." observed the old man as he checked the guest hall once more.

"My headmaster's domain ensures that no small detail escapes our attention here. Daemons, Malakhim or in your case… even Seraphim."

The King moved towards the prince, interrupting his interaction with the flying Seraphim. He smiled at the boy and he smiled back at him. The king put his hand behind the prince's head and slowly walked toward his throne. He sat there with his son now standing beside him.

"What brings you here, Seraphim?"

The old man staring blank at the king said,

"The boy. We've come here to bring him home."

The sudden and immediate laughter filled the air. Praetors, other guests, and the King himself laughed for a few seconds. But the flying female rappig Seraph continued where the old man left off.

"We have sensed his birth throughout the Earthpulses. It was unexpected this time that he would appear here of all places again, but it won't change a thing. The fate demands that he returns to where he belongs."

The King's laughter ended and serenely replied,

"I think you've mistaken Seraphim. He is my son and the future king of Hyland. The person you are looking for is not here. You probably have more luck searching the other far continents."

"He is not your son." The old man suddenly spoke, like he didn't care who he was talking to. The King's furious eyes were locked on him. He exhaled heavily,

"It is a simple matter, king of the Hyland. He is a gift. A gift bestowed to us all to guide humans and Malakhim in the dark days to come. As the scion of balance, his destiny lies elsewhere."

The King raised his voice and nearly yelled at him,

"You think that I'm not aware of who and what he is? He is not the first one to be given to our people. His kind always ruled the high court for millennia. He is a gift to us by the gods. His destiny is to rule our sacred land!"

The old man unfazed and unaffected by the king's statement said,

"He is probably going to be the last one."

"Then the more reason that he stays here, where he actually belongs."

The old man shook his head,

"I have watched your own people. They are suffering while you're busy with what exactly? Affairs that you do not understand? Guess you're too wrapped up in some futile attempts to tempt the fate than to be there for your people to be a good king."

The people's expression turned to fear as the Seraph spoke his mind. The King's gentle gesture was gone in an instant,

"So you know how to rule, do you? You do not understand the sacrifices I make. You speak of good kings and absent rulers little Seraph so you must know these things. My every action is in the service of my own people and the future that benefits them. You do not know me or the things I do, do not dare to presume. You have not earned the right!"

"You don't understand his nature. This boy needs proper guidance. He will sacrifice. He will always do that. He will keep giving and sacrificing until nothing left of him, not even his soul. Then you will have to deal with the consequences without his presence." said the old man.

"Then he will sacrifice only for his own people!"

The king shouted and slammed his fist in anger. Then there was total silence in the court.

The flying female rappig Seraph broke the silence and quickly talked back in a last vain effort,

"Be reasonable. He is a pure and perfect vessel! He exists to purify malevolence and to guide people away from it, not to kill and wage war! He's a pact holder, you must let him return with us. The Empyreans are going to slumber if he is not there when the time comes and the malevolence will…"

The King once again raised his voice and cut her short. "The Midgand people failed their gods. We didn't. The goddess always blessed our kingdom innumerable times. We always worshiped her, ensuring that she would never give up on our people. He will be the perfect vessel when his training ends. And He will lead the Hyland and its people to glory."

"You're delusional if you think she has your best interest in mind. Your goddess is nothing but a deceiver and a trickster. The very reason that she is not in the mainland along other Empyreans is that her schemes lead nations to ruin!" said the old man.

The King was enraged but slowly and calmly, talked to him, "We taught everything we had on Malakhim and Seraphim to Claudin Asgard and he respected our tradition. You, on the other hand, have appeared on our doorstep and answered my hospitality with insults and accusations… And you want to take my son away?!" He looked at the little prince and saw uneasiness and sadness in his eyes. The King lowered his voice and his raging expression ceased to exist.

The praetor squires began to ready their weapons.

"Today is his birthday. I will not ruin my son's happiness over some pointless argument."

He then waved his hand slowly at the two Seraphim.

"Get out of my sight."

The praetors moved in front of the king, the old man gazed into the little boy's green eyes for the last time as the guards blocked their view. After a few seconds, both of them started to walk slowly towards the exit with warlocks trailing behind them.

"We were too late. The humans are doomed Zenrus. We were wrong in thinking that they have changed."

"No, that's not the case Zui Fuu."

The flying rappig slightly tilted towards Zenrus and then he continued,

"His destiny is tied to all Empyreans. If it has been decided that this faraway land be his birthplace, then so be it. There is a reason outside of your and my understanding. When the time comes and when he is ready, the hands of fate will guide him back. It is our only hope..."

The doors closed. The tension was high in the guest hall. The king stood up and went to Shepherd's side, whispering,

"Under no circumstances, you or anyone else have the permission to mention anything about the Empyreans other than the goddess. Have I made myself clear, Shepherd"

The Shepherd confidently and slowly nodded in acknowledgment. The king returned to his son's side and gently picked him up and held him above his head. He then started to slowly move him around in a circular movement like a carousel. The boy started to giggle as the king smiled back at him again.

"My son…"

"You will be our hope, our salvation, our deliverance…"

"…And You will be our Shepherd."

Present day, Baskerville's Inn

Avernus suddenly opened his eyes. He could see someone's face but his blurry vision barred him to identify the person. Slowly and barely, he started to distinguish a pair of large golden eyes with long black hair.

"Velvet?" gently mumbled.

But contrary to his expectations, the face turned into a sinister and smirking blond witch.

"Wake up sunshine!"

"You…"

Disappointed, he slowly began to sit. After putting his right arm on the ground, the enormous pain spiked up in his body, nearly losing control.

"Ouch… What the…"

He checked his right arm and noticed it was now covered in a bloody bandage.

"Sorry for failing your expectations sweetheart. Velvet's not here anymore. She left as soon as the wound dressing was done." Explained Magilou. She grimaced and asked,

"It wasn't the first time she hurt you, was it?"

He remembered that night when she "killed" him.

"Yep, she gave me a good beating before. I got to hand it to her, she was the first daemon in my whole life that hurt me badly." Answered the sorcerer. Avernus began to open the bandage. Although Magilou continued to talk,

"Let me give you some advice. When a girl is a daemon with a damaged conscious and you're in constant danger of being devoured or get hit or slashed by her, I suggest that…"

She stopped because of the scene she was trying to forget just came into her view again. The bandages were gone, the flesh on his right arm was nearly torn off. There were a few areas still had some skins on them. He tried to move his figures but instead, the pain answered his attempts.

"Eww! Gosh, I hoped that you didn't open your bandages. Her fangs ripped most of your tendons off. I tried to heal them but it's a no go. I'm sorry darling but your right arm is kind of useless now. It is just there for the show." Magilou explained.

Avernus eyes were squeezed shut because of the pain. He released his clenched jaw and barely managed to mumble a question,

"It that what you told Velvet that scared her off?"

Magilou raised both her hands and answered, "She had to know the truth of how much her action hurt other people."

Avernus gaze was directed downward. He collected himself and lifted his left arm. He started to mutter something and began to draw an unknown ward in the mid-air, like writing something with force on a solid invisible wall. A red glowing circle of magic appeared and a series of unreadable writings began to rotate around it.

He pushed his hand into the circle and after a few seconds, he pulled it back. He was holding a red glowing orb. He brought it near his injured arm but hesitated for a moment. He closed his eyes and held his breath. Magilou was sitting there, observing another new magic arte she could not understand.

"This is amaz…"

All of a sudden, Avernus slammed the orb onto his arm. "GOD DAMN, IT HURTS!" He yelled loudly and groaned in pain. Out of fear, Magilou jumped back and immediately stood up. His right arm glowed for a few seconds and then it started to cool down. Only a few trails of steams were visible coming out of it. His arm was returned to its unharmed and original form.

"I have never seen healing magic like that." Wondered Magilou.

Avernus began to move his fingers and twisted his hand around, checking its functionality. It was now back in working order.

"It wasn't a healing magic Magilou. I reverted my arm back to its previous state."

Magilou narrowed his eyes at him, clueless to what he was saying.

"That's a secret arte, Magilou."

"Dark magic… promises of eternal life and promises of youth…" she whispered.

"Call it whatever you like. I don't care." Avernus was unmoved.

"How many times have you done it?" asked Magilou.

Avernus sighed, "That was my first time."

Avernus stood up and began wearing his gauntlet. Magilou put her hand beneath her chin and said,

"Then it explains it all! Your blood, your magic, your artes…"

The gauntlet locked on his arm with a clinking sound. Avernus raised his head and looked at Magilou with a baffled look.

"I'm not stupid Avernus. Your blood is not normal human blood. It is mana-blood! And you also gave Velvet some malevolence through it."

Avernus slowly began to nod.

"Okay, a very good assumption witch. It seems you've done your homework pretty well. Now let's go outside we have work to do."

"Not so fast mister." She began to walk like a child around Avernus.

Avernus let out an exasperated sigh and started to rub his forehead as if he was warding off a headache, "What is it now, witch?"

She instantly stopped in front of him.

"Hmm… let's see. It would be bad; I mean very bad if anyone discovered your little secret."

Avernus sneered at her and said, "No, it wouldn't. Because in this group, no one's a saint. And no one would even care what I'm using to ruin people's lives as long as it gets the job done. On the other hand…"

Magilou felt that she won't like what's coming next,

"You are or were an exorcist. Probably a praetor or even a legate."

She let out a loud laugh, "Nah! Haha! you're so wrong, darling. But it is amusing to see someone accusing you on that level!"

"I know the symptoms of an enhancement ritual when I see one. Your eyes, your ears. You were under so much pressure and experimental artes that I feel only pity for you. After all, these are my own people's techniques. The abbey used them to enhance the abilities of its exorcists. The only way that you could receive those is by a high ranking member of the abbey."

Magilou grinned but stood silent.

"Did I hit the spot Magilou? Are we good? Can we go now? Please?" said the serious warlock.

"More nonsense coming out of you! Ah fine let's go, you're no fun at all as usual."

Triumphant, Avernus moved out of the room. On spur of the moment, he remembered about his book that he left on the hallway table. He quickly went to check if it was still there. The small candle was still lit and the book was near it but, it had been tampered with. Among those highly detailed and well-written pages, there was one with a crayon portrait of a woman. He quickly closed the book to avoid Magilou's prying eyes.

The group was waiting outside. The night was upon the city. As Avernus and Magilou exited the tavern, he could see Laphicet hiding behind the Rokurou and Velvet uncaring as always, was looking in other direction of the street.

"You two took your time." said the swordsman.

Magilou didn't respond and instead walked to Velvet's side. Avernus raised his shoulders in response. Laphicet slowly went to his side. He smiled at the little Malak and said,

"Everything's alright Laphicet, you don't need to worry about it anymore." And he tapped on his shoulder.

Velvet anonymously checked Laphicet and Avernus's right hand from the corner of her eyes. Eizen was standing there, arms crossed. He gave Avernus a skepticism stare. He noticed and dismissed it by looking away.

"Hah! Good thing I showed up in time Velvet." said the witch.

"Oh no. Don' tell me you're coming too." Said the annoyed Velvet.

"If I travel with you, that exorcist with the traitor Bienfu are sure to show themselves!"

Rokurou narrowed his eyes and said,

"Did you just told your own fortune?"

"Yes! And there it shall be! I have been in the villa before you know. Oh I can also see what you people going to say in the future: "How useful to have Magilou along.""

Velvet was angry. More furious than before. She said,

"If you get in my way, I'll kick you out so hard."

Eizen walked to the Velvet's side and said,

"We need to be careful, we're being watched all the time."
"There are shadows and they're surely hiding in them. Let's look for someone with a red scarf." As Velvet finished her sentence the group started to move. Avernus was walking behind, scanning the streets for any signs of Tiamat.

"Over here…"

He heard the whisper coming from a nearby dark alley. He shook his head and mumbled,

"Not this again…"

Avernus slowly walked towards the alley. There was total darkness. As he began to look closely; a light orb jumped out and entered his body.

"It is not scary Ti. I'm not a kid. Come out so I can introduce you to the group." said Avernus.

"No. Not yet."

"What? Why? They're going to find out soon. Laphicet and Magilou are already suspecting. Eizen doesn't trust me anymore and who knows what Velvet and Rokurou think."

"I said not now."

Avernus gritted his teeth and said,

"Fine. If things go south, It's on you."

He noticed that the group was already two streets away from him.

"Tsk. We are behind we need to…"

"ACHOO!"

Someone disastrously sneezed near him but before he could turn his head, a strong wind hit him hard and threw him into a set of empty wooden crates. He crashed and smashed into them. Avernus sat there in the middle of all broken timber and plaques, looking in confusion with widened eyes towards the source of that loud sneeze.

He saw a familiar girl with very long brown hair in a white long coat and white shorts looking at him with her deep dark blue eyes.

"What kind of wind arte was that?!" demanded Avernus. She hastily shook her head and said,

"I'm sorry! I didn't want to…"

As Avernus was struggling to stand up, a window close to them opened and a man appeared, yelling at them both,

"What the hell is wrong with you folks? People are trying to sleep!"

Avernus stood up and slapped his clothes to clean the dust, he answered,

"We're sorry. We didn't mean to wake you up."

"Silence! young people like you always think it's the best time to..."

Avernus frowned and closed his fist; The wooden window suddenly shut in the man's face and the sound of a loud bang was heard. The man was silent."

"Then get some sleep asshole…" mumbled Avernus.

He looked back but the girl wasn't there anymore. He exhaled and shook his head. After a brief walk, Avernus joined the group. They were already done talking with a city guard wearing a red scarf.

"What's wrong with you today?" Rokurou out of nowhere asked him.

"Huh?"

He gave Avernus's arch nemesis, Magilou the best quality ammo to fire at him, "Who knows, what can a lonely exotic man do in a foreign land but find a woman to leap and cry in her bosoms?"

Avernus pointed his finger at her and in his serious and cold voice said,

"Shut the hell up, circus clown."

Velvet rolled her eyes and shook her head,

"Stop with this pointless blabbering and let's get to work."

"What did you find?" asked Avernus.

Eizen pointed to a sewer hatch near them,

"According to our contacts, there is a tunnel over there that connects to the castle."

"You mean the villa? I was there before but I didn't use an underground entrance."

"We are a big group Avernus, sneaking into the castle via any top side entry point are sure to be noticed by the guards," Rokurou answered.

"Oh, yes. You're right, my bad."

Eizen came closer to him with his still ongoing skepticism said,

"You're awfully acting strange tonight… It seems you're not yourself."

Avernus waved his hand at him,

"It's nothing really, I'm fine."

Velvet opened the hatch and the group entered the tunnel. The underground waterway was vast and huge. Laphicet was checking the walls but nearly tripped into the water. Fortunately, Velvet was near and caught him before he could fell. He looked into her cold eyes,

"Thank you…" unfazed by his innocent eyes, Velvet continued to walk. Magilou, scheming as always came to Laphicet's side,

"Watch your step Laphicet. There are giant crocodiles in these waters."
"Crocodiles?!" screamed Laphicet.

Rokurou sighed and said,

"Oh boy, here we go again..."

Eizen, hands-on-hips said,

"An alligator's favorite food is a gabbler witch."

Avernus grinned and added,

"Yes, especially if they're affected by some painful void magic. The more they scream, the tastier they become."

Magilou began to glare at them both as the group resumed their journey.

"Some assassin's crew we are," whispered Velvet.

Avernus began to analyze the place,

"knowing about this entrance, having agents on the inside to perform several types of operations, already established branches working all over the empire, they are a serious and fearsome organization. I need to keep reminding myself."

Laphicet started to walk slower until he was near Avernus and asked him,

"Do you know more about them? I mean you worked with them before, right?"

Rokurou acknowledged Laphicet's statement and said,

"Yeah… I always wondered that too. The old lady treats you way better than her normal assistants."

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her yourself? All I did was just raiding some camps or churches. The same usual stuff she asked of you before." replied Avernus.

"Then you don't know anything more?" Laphicet tried to inquire more but Avernus shook his head from side to side.

"But I know a lot of detail!" said Magilou.

"What?!" asked Laphicet.

Magilou snickered and said, "They always make sure their dead won't ever go to waste."

"Their dead people?!" Laphicet began to shiver from the fear.

"Oh, that's right! A long time ago, one of their operatives sneaked into the villa. When he was discovered by the guards, he tried to escape via this very tunnel. He jumped into the water to escape but then… Crunch! A large alligator ate him in one big bite! Only one of his arm remained, floating on the surface."

"I think I don't want to know more!" pleaded Laphicet.

"But I haven't told you the good parts yet! They learned that they could serve alligator meat in the tavern. Alligator meat, coated with human blood becomes delicate and yummy. Perfect for dishes like mobo curry."

Laphicet nearly fainted. He shouted,

"Then I ate...!"

Velvet, having an evil grin came to Magilou's side which nearly startled her and said,

"I have to try it then… I want it to be coated with the blood of a lying witch."

Magilou also saw one Avernus raised one of his eyebrows and with an enigmatic smile said,

"I think I would have a bite from that as well. We can put one of our counterproductive assets to good use."

Magilou walked away from Velvet and stood near Laphicet,

"Oh cut it you two. It was just a joke to calm the gloomy kid down."

"A joke…?" muttered Laphicet.

"Totally. I made that part up. Mabo curry is actually made from man-eating catfish who…"

Before Magilou could finish her nonsense, Avernus and Velvet eyes met each other and in their mutual contact, He gave her a signal. She nodded and quickly blindsided Magilou into the water stream.

"SPLASH!"

Eizen and Rokurou chuckled and the group began moving forward.

"See? It is only peace and quiet when she is not here." Said Rokurou.

"True. The best part is our combat performance is still unaffected." Added Eizen.

Magilou struggled to come out of the water. Soaked and coughing hard, she barely managed to catch her jester hat and yelled,

"I'll get you all for this! Especially you sorcerer man!"

After walking through several corridors. Avernus sensed several daemons up ahead. As each step the unknown creature took, the metallic sound echoed through the dark hallway.

"Living armors…" Avernus thought to himself.

"Tread carefully, there seem to be some daemons roaming the tunnels." Warned Avernus.

Magilou in a disappointing tone said,

"So much for a group that wants to protect everyone from daemons but they have daemons right under their noses."

Rokurou moved his hands closer to his sheathed blades and said,

"Then what was the point of building those huge walls around the capital if daemons can still slip through somehow?"

"Don't forget that if we have a daemon outbreak inside the walls, those massive protections will make it near impossible for everyone to escape." Said Eizen.

Velvet began to stroke her chin and her eyes locked in the distance,

"Abbey's security is lacking here. Something doesn't add up here."

Avernus took his staff from his belt and said,

"Then keep your eyes open and try to avoid fighting, but be ready if the situation changes."

Everybody crouched and slowly moved in the shadows to avoid most living armors that were roaming the area.

After passing the second hallway, Avernus pointed out to a large wooden switch at the end of the room, guarded by walking armors.

"We need to turn that switch but there are a total of five living armors patrolling around it. Stealth is not the option anymore." Observed Avernus.

Velvet unsheathed her wrist blade and dashed towards the daemons,

"Then we will fight them head on!" she shouted and the group followed her except for Avernus and Magilou.

"Velvet! Wait! Oh… God damn it!" Avernus furiously ran and joined the fray.

"Blades of the wind slice them! Air Thrust! Wind lance!" Eizen conjured his wind artes and hit the walking armors with near to no effect.

"Heavy armor ha? Then eat this! Stone Lance!" Eizen launched his second set of the attacks but the daemons deflected them.

Velvet and Rokurou were also not very successful in their attempts to hurt the monsters. Living armors then went on full assault and made everyone switched to their defensive postures. However, Avernus rushed towards the nearest daemon and engaged it in one on one staff and spear duel.

They both swing at each other without blocking, pure flurries of long weapons swings. Avernus managed to lock the daemon's spear with his staff and then pushed it down on the ground. He put his right foot on the spear and with a heavy push he broke it. The daemon lost control and dropped on its knees.

Avernus quickly grabbed the large purple glowing eye with his left arm and pulled it off from the head, crushing it afterward. The rest of the armor then fell apart on the ground.

He looked at the group that was watching him in action and yelled,

"Go for the eyes everyone, GO FOR THE EYES!"

"Alright!" shouted Rokurou and attacked the daemons with dual swords. His short blades made attacking against the monster's long weapon harder for him but like Avernus, he locked the spear between his swords and threw it upward, denying the daemons its weapon. Rokurou jumped on the living armor's shoulder and stabbed its head, gouging out the eye with his short blades.

He sliced the eye and kicked the remaining pieces in mid-air. The rest of the body was disintegrated into nothingness.

"That's two!" shouted Rokurou in triumphant.

Avernus nodded at him but suddenly heard Magilou screaming for help. He looked back and saw her dodging one of the living armor's attacks as it tried to stab her with its spear.

Avernus sighed and switched the Dreamshadow to his left arm. He opened his right hand and held it up.

"Blazing Javelin" He calmly whispered. A flaming spear began to appear out of thin air. He moved his hand and found the javelin's balance point and then gripped it. He closed his left eye and narrowed his right one, aiming the conjured weapon.

"Stop moving so much..."

As Magilou tripped and fell, the monster stopped and prepared to push its spear into her chest. Magilou closed her eyes.

"Got it!"

He moved backward and throw the Javelin with full force. The fiery spear flew fast towards the daemon's head, illuminating the low light corridor along the way. The Javelin pierced the eye and the living armor's head tilted backward and the body ceased to function.

The witch opened her eyes and touched her chest, looking for a wound or two, then she loudly said,

"I'm alive!"

Magilou began to laugh but the stuck flaming weapon started to glow and then it exploded, throwing the witch along with the debris over a few meters.

"Damnation! I will never ask for anyone's help. Especially not from you Avernus!" Screamed Magilou.

"You're welcome!" Avernus smirked and responded. Then he checked Velvet and saw her with Rokurou double-teaming one of the living armors.

She was on her rage, therefore; the monster was struggling to defend against her attacks. It soon lost the balance and gave Velvet a window of opportunity to drag the monster to the ground. She then grabbed the head with her demonic arm and crushed the eye along with its metallic skull.

"Such power…"

On the other side of the room, Laphicet and Eizen were attacking the last remaining daemon with their artes.

"Void Mire!" shouted Laphicet and pinned the monster in a void filled hole. Eizen dashed and gave it an uppercut to the face, lifting it upward. Laphicet used a levitation arte to hold the monster inverted in mid-air, giving enough time to Eizen to use his Air Thrust wind rings to cut off the skull. The eye dropped to the ground and Eizen destroyed it beneath his boot.

The group came back together. Avernus looked at Velvet and said,

"Good fight Velvet."

She slowly nodded at him and responded

"You too."

Laphicet clenched his fist at the remains of the daemons and said,

"You don't want to make me angry!"

Rokurou quickly moved to his side and scolded him,

"Laphicet, apologize for losing your temper!"

Laphicet jumped back and instantly replied,

"Oh! I'm sorry!"

But Eizen said,

"Come on, let the boy try to act tough."

Avernus also joined the conversation and told Laphicet that,

"Anger is not your enemy Laphicet. It is your partner. When the two of you work together, your foes will burn in a glories fire!"

Magilou suddenly walk towards Avernus and scoffed him,

"Oh, here we go! Another marvelous lesson from the almighty sorcerer, sir Avernus."

"Why did you save her life?"

Velvet abruptly and seriously asked him,

Avernus lowered his head and sighed,

"I don't know and I'm regretting it right now…"

In the midst of conversation, Laphicet looked at the ceiling. His eyes filled with shock and horror.

"Oh… Guys…"

Everyone began to look up and saw a large number of Slime daemons hanging from the ceiling.

Magilou screamed and ran behind Avernus, grabbing his waist,

"Eww! Slimes! I'm sorry! I was joking my greatest best elegant graceful lovely hero! Don't let them touch me!"

Velvet saw her hand on Avernus's back and glared at Magilou. She slowly moved near her and shoved her away from him using her hip.

"Hey! What was that for?!" complained the witch.

Eizen opened the switch and yelled,

"Let's go! Don't just stand there staring at them."

The group followed Eizen and ran into the newly opened hatch.

They navigated through some large stone debris. Rokurou jumped down from a rock and said,

"This place is huge. I hope we're not lost."

Velvet was feeling down. Magilou noticed her gloominess and came to her side,

"What is Velvet? The thought of killing a man weighing heavy even on a daemon's conscious like yourself?"

"No, but I'm wondering why you're so bold and perky about it."

"Oh, you don't understand. I'm not here to murder anyone. I'm just tagging along to find my traitor."

Velvet growled in anger as she remembered it was a mistake to engage in a conversation with Magilou.

Avernus helped Laphicet climb down a few rocks and said,

"Nobody will touch him. He is mine."

Laphicet in a sad tone of voice asked,

"Do we really have to kill him? Can't we just do something to make him stop his nectar business?"

Rokurou answered,

"He won't listen to us. He is a shady character. When I was at the tavern, some people were talking about him. He was the one who leads the church and the people three years ago through the dark days. And when Artorius came about, he used his power to silence any competitors for the high priest rank and a nasty cleaning operation swept through them. Leaving only him to get promoted."

Avernus looked at Velvet and repeated himself,

"I don't care who he is. I'm the one who will do the killing, understood?"

She sighed, closed her eyes and continued moving forward. After passing through several tunnels and corridors, they reached a large ladder. They climbed it and soon, they found themselves at a library.

Everyone was checking their surroundings, Magilou ran toward a books shelf and said,

"Wow, there are so many books! And these are some rare collection of special tomes! These rich royal folks have so much money to burn."

Laphicet eyes were widened in excitement. His mouth was half opened and his eyes were leering at bookshelves. Velvet noticed his enthusiasm and suddenly she remembered something familiar.

"Clink!"

The group turned to the source and saw a bookshelf moving, revealing another one behind it.

Magilou held up her arm in the air.

"I didn't do anything." She said.

Laphicet ran to the newly found bookshelf and cheered,

"Ah! These books are all in the ancient tongue."

Avernus moved to Laphicet's side and took a closer look,

"I think I can read them…"

He tried to read the titles but to his surprise, he couldn't.

"What? Why can't I read these? I… My memory…" he felt incredible dizziness and headache. He also nearly lost it. Avernus put his hand on his eyes, trying to ease off the pain. He could hear Velvet talking to Laphicet,

"These books have nothing to do with our job."

Avernus looked at Laphicet and saw him depressed and sullen. He felt Velvet passed him and picked one of the books from the shelf and gave it to Laphicet.

"If you want it just take it. Don't pretend to be noble. You're deep in with the daemons."

Rokurou face palmed himself and complained to her,

"Oh my gosh, Velvet. What is wrong with you? Can't you just relax for a moment?"

Velvet furiously looked at Rokurou and said,

"Relax?! Did you forget that we came here to kill someone?"

She then went to the exit door. Laphicet eyes followed Velvet all the way to the door. Contrary to what many thought, he could sense the sliver of kindness that still existed within her.

Avernus attempts to control his dizziness and headache were successful and joined them outside of the library. The main hallway was massive. Velvet checked both ways and called out to Magilou,

"So, which way to the worship hall?"

Magilou started to walk to the left and to right talking to herself,

"which way… which way indeed."

Velvet gritted her teeth in anger,

"I asked you a question witch."

"What? I told you that I've been here before I never said I knew the layout of the castle."

The death glaring was also added to her now full angry expression,

"And I said we'd give you the boot if you started to annoy me."

Magilou sneered and answered,

"Kick me out? Then you need to find the exit door first."

Avernus moved to Velvet's side and said,

"Don't try to hold a conversation with her. You will go mad."

"Yep, that's it! Light up and the way will show itself!" said Magilou.

Avernus pointed at the right side,

"Let's check that way."

The group moved between the hallways. There were a few guards on the lookout but Avernus, Eizen, and Rokurou took care of them without a problem.

Laphicet sighed and Magilou caught the wind of his depression once again.

"Feeling nervous kiddo?" asked Magilou.

"A bit…"

"Don't worry. I can teach you a spell."

"Like "Eeny, teeny, spiny, crow" thing?"

Avernus narrowed his eyes at Magilou and asked,

"What the hell is that spell?"

"No! that was a fortune-telling method to remove the veil of fate. This small one will improve your chances in your life and your fortune. Here is what you must say: MAGIKAZAM!"

Avernus and Laphicet were standing there waiting for something to happen.

"See? It totally worked!"

"I don't know… What did it do?" asked Laphicet

"It was a useless spell to dispel a pointless worry."

Avernus sighed and said,

"Why you're wasting our time with nonsense again?"

"Because we are all burdened by some pointless things, unknowingly even. So kiddo say after me."

"Okay..."

"Magikazam! C'mon say it!"

Laphicet then followed her chanting,

"Magikazam…"

"I just can't hear you, say it one more time! With feeling MAGIKAZAMAZAM!"

Laphicet with all his power shouted,

"MAGIKAZAMAZAMAZAM!"

Magilou's face then changed to a smirking up-to-no-good expression and to his surprise she began scolding him,

"What the hell are you doing? We're trying to sneak in and you're shouting?"

"But I…"

Eizen then ran to Magilou and gave her a back head slap, resulting her to nearly hit the ground,

"Shut up!" shouted Eizen.

"Ow! That hurt! I was trying to help the boy."

"Your ignorance knows no bounds Magilou…" said Avernus as he and Laphicet joined Velvet in front of the group.

"Hmph! Daemons, Malakhim, and sorcerers all are tense and rigid people!"

They soon reached the worship hall. Velvet opened the large doors and saw someone on the other side of the room, praying. He moved closer and readied themselves. Velvet called to the priest, asking,

"Hey, are you Gideon?"

He replied,

"I'm praying, who are you?"

"I asked you first, priest."

"such improper behavior but of course, what would I expect from a daemon and her cronies."

Velvet noticed something wrong and at that moment, someone jumped from the shadows and landed between them and the priest.

"Stop right there." The unknown person showed herself to be Eleanor Hume; the same praetor who fought them at the Zekson port. Now, she was accompanied by a new pair of Malakhims and two new exorcists.

"I called it!" Shouted Magilou.

Eizen and Rokurou prepared for confrontation. Rokurou looked at Eizen and asked,

"Is this ambush a part of your reaper's curse or do you think Tabatha sold us out?"

Velvet calmly started to talk to praetor Hume,

"So, you figured it out that he's the head of the nectar operation."

"Of course. I followed the trail of destruction you caused and all of the evidence pointed at the high priest Gideon." Answered Eleanor.

"After knowing all this, you still defend him?" asked Velvet.

"The trials and retribution he deserves is for the abbey to oversee."

The priest freaked out and yelled at Eleanor,

"What?! After all, I have done for the good of the abbey, you want to put me through trials?"

Magilou started to laugh and began to move away from the scene,

"Oh, it is going to be wonderful seeing you guys fight. Make them miserable!"

The sound of a metal extending was echoed through the hall. Avernus readied the Dreamshadow and yelled,

"Let's do it then!"

Both groups dashed at each other. Velvet and Eleanor were locked in intense combat. Her sword met her staff and her claw met her light magic.

"Stand aside exorcist and I will take care of this right here right now!" shouted Velvet.

"I cannot let you do that! The laws of the abbey are clear!" said Eleanor.

Eleanor tried to push on with her Malak artes against Velvet and the group. Velvet went into the full defensive. Eleanor resumed her assault but a spinning staff hit her and made her retreat. She checked the other side and saw Avernus walking towards her as he caught his weapon. He looked at Velvet and said,

"Her exorcist artes hold no power against me, you can go and focus on her Malaks." And then winked at her. At first, she didn't understand what he meant but after a few seconds, she remembered her discussion with him about the food that she can eat. Velvet nodded and started to fall back.

Eleanor remembered how fast Avernus took care of her first two Malakhims at Zekson port. Scared but determined she readied herself for the attack.

"You! You fight like an exorcist! Why are you consorting with daemons? Have you no conscious?! Have you no shame?!"

Avernus coldly smirked and answered,

"I'm not like exorcists, praetor Hume. Exorcists are like me."

She cried in anger and attacked him using her staff. Avernus smoothly parried all of her strikes. Eleanor noticed the calmness and coldness in his expression which reminded him of her teacher; Artorius Collbrande.

The door opened and a fresh group of Malakhims and exorcists entered the fight. Eizen and Rokurou moved to engage the reinforcements but Malakhim launched a barrage of fireballs at them which barred their advance. Avernus moved back and summoned a magic barrier which absorbed the rest of the fireballs.

Velvet then started to attack Eleanor again. She saw Velvet charging and summoned her third Malakhim. Bienfu appeared in front of Velvet and yelled,

"I will stop you! Leave madam Eleanor alone daemon!"

Velvet slapped him out of the air with next to no effort, throwing him into Laphicet's arm. For a moment, their sights locked into each other. This development gave Magilou the chance to move closer to him,

"I finally found you Bienfu! Did you think you can run away from me forever?" said Magilou.

"Miss Magilou?!" Bienfu's voice stuttered upon seeing Magilou's face. She grabbed him by his hat and began chanting the pact.

"You will return where you belong. The descendant of the seventh grove, renew our broken vows! Remember the true name I bestowed you, Fuschie Cass!"

The magic circle of Malakhim pact engulfed them and afterward, Bienfu absorbed into the Magilou. She let out a maniac laugh and her eyes glowed with magic energy.

"It is now on!" shouted the witch.

Eleanor noticed the Bienfu's disappearance and said,

"Are you another exorcist like him?!"

The smile faded away from Magilou's face. She pointed at Eleanor and said,

"Wrong praetor! I'm a witch. The insignificant world is a plaything to me and the fates of all men are but nothing to me. But you can call me Miss Magilou!" she declared and performed her usual drama pose.

"Another human consorting with daemons? Have you gone mad?!" said Eleanor.

Magilou then noticed the reinforcement and cast a large thunder ball at them which resulted in an explosion which blew them away. Effectively destroying more than half of their forces present in the hallway.

Velvet called out to Magilou,

"You owe us."

"I'm nothing like Rokurou or Avernus. I forget my debts so fast!"

"Then repay us here!" shouted Velvet

"You always invest so poorly children. Okay, onward!"

The fight resumed, but this time, Magilou was also present. Along with Laphicet, she covered Eizen and Rokurou's engagement with the exorcists. She bombarded the soldiers with magical shards and electrical storms, causing the already soften up the group to be taken out by Eizen and Rokurou. Avernus and Velvet focused their attack on Eleanor and her remaining two Malakhims.

Avernus ran towards one of them and bashed him into a wall. The other one cast a whip arte and caught his staff. The Malak tried to take away his weapon but she failed. Avernus smiled and lifted the Malak off the ground and smashed her in front of Eleanor.

Eleanor stepped back as fatigue and exhaustion caught up with her.

"I'm giving you my last warning, step aside." Warned Avernus.

"Never!" Eleanor screamed and order the remaining Malaks to attack. Avernus looked at Velvet and nodded. She then charged at the Malaks and transformed her demonic hand. Velvet grabbed one of the Malaks by the head and squashed its head, devouring it instantly. The second one tried to run away but she quickly caught it and ate it in a matter of second.

Eleanor watched in dread as Velvet approached her. Having lost her power due to the death of her Malakhims she helplessly stood there, staring into Velvet's eyes. But instead of killing her, Velvet punched her hard in the stomach. Eleanor moaned in pain and passed out on the ground.

Avernus and Velvet began walking towards the priest. Gideon began backing off, fear filled his being. He began pleading for his life,

"All I did was for the good of the abbey! We need money to build the temple! I was trying to help the people as best as I could."

His appeals fell on deaf ears as Velvet unsheathed her sword. Avernus stopped her and said,

"I don't need to repeat myself but he is mine to kill."

Velvet slowly nodded and moved back a bit. Avernus walked closer to the priest, taunting,

"Is there anymore confession to make the priest or should I finish it right now?"

"Wait, who send you?! Was it the sick folks? Or the doctors? Or… was it Artorius?! Damn him! After all I've done, he wants to see me dead?! That bastard!"

Suddenly the priest's body began to emanate high malevolence. Avernus noticed it and gritted his teeth, running at him for the kill.

"Damn it!"

But it was too late as the high concentration of malevolence transformed the priest and the resulted explosion pushed Avernus and Velvet to the other side.

Laphicet saw the scene and ran towards Velvet. The newly transformed daemon priest noticed Laphicet and attacked him. Laphicet closed his eyes but the attack was blocked by Velvet as she threw herself between him and the daemon. She moaned in pain as both she and Laphicet dropped to the ground.

The lizard daemon noticed Avernus running at him and he dashed towards the door.

Velvet injured, picked up Laphicet and yelled at him,

"You can't die now! You think you can read books when you're dead?!"

Laphicet stood up and used his healing magic to cure her wounds and said,

"Don't you die either, Velvet…"

Velvet sighed and asked,

"Where did he go?"

Magilou looking unfazed at the scene responded,

"Priesty is getting away but Avernus is after him."

Velvet stood up as her wound was gone,

"He needs our help, let's go."

Rokurou shook his head as they ran to the door,

"I highly doubt that."

Further along the way, Avernus was chasing the lizard daemon. The priest looked back and yelled at Avernus,

"You won't get rid of me that easily!"

Avernus mockingly laughed as he increased his speed, closing the gap between them,

"I can promise that your death won't be pretty, priest!" He nearly reached him and as the daemon turned to him he saw Avernus's staff began to glow white. He shouted,

"Wind Cutter!"

The slashes of wind artes hit the daemon and threw him down the stairs. After a few moments, a loud scream was heard. Velvet and the rest of the group ran towards the sound, running down the same staircase. Suddenly, they encountered a strange scene. A huge bird was feasting on the corpse of the daemon priest with Avernus looking at it from up close. Velvet moved to his side, asking,

"What… the hell is that?!"

"It is a… Griffin…" answered Avernus.

In a matter of seconds, the daemon's body turned into its human form. A voice was heard behind them,

"The daemon… returned to human form? And what is that beast?" Eleanor was watching the scene, terrified.

The creature roared and began to fly but it hit a magical barrier above it and crashed into the ground.

"I know that barrier well enough…" said Velvet.

"So what? The abbey is holding this beast captive?!" wondered Rokurou.

Magilou sighed and said,

"It seems we've been successful in our mission. Time to head back."

Avernus nodded,

"That's right, let's get out of here."

As they turned back, Eleanor pointed her staff at Velvet,

"What did you do to the high priest?! And what is that daemon?!" demanded Eleanor.

"I don't know and I don't care." Answered Velvet.

Eleanor held her spear up and yelled,

"Do not mock me!"

Avernus came closer to Eleanor and said,

"You can't do anything to any of us without your exorcist powers. What do you hope to do? Hmm?"

Eleanor stood there, helpless and powerless. She dropped on her knees and began to sob as Velvet and the rest of the group passed her.

"Who are you? Who are you, people?!"