The plot thickens.
In an effort to right her past wrongs, Luz decides to take on the arduous task of reforming the cult that was formed in the name of her past persona.
And to make this a reality, her friends - or rather her betrothed and 'concubines' - have offered to help.
Quite the predicament.
But with so many moving parts, how will our dear Luz manage to pull it off?
The DGP's Boiling Isles mission had ended. Willow and Gus, after bidding the Blight household farewell, went straight to the Owl House. It was kind of a futile effort as their memories would soon be wiped out and everything that had happened recently would never be spoken of again, like it never happened at all. Still, the duo believed it was best to at least tell Eda while they still could.
They eventually reached the Owl House where they were greeted by Eda, King and Lil' Luz. After greeting the little witch girl, Willow and Gus, reported with some sadness what had occurred earlier today. They informed Eda all about the battle that Luz and her fellow Riders fought, and how they were all returned to the Desire Temple, and were more than likely back in the Human Realm.
"I see," Eda sighed, with Lil' Luz sitting beside her. "So, she's gone again."
"She…didn't get to say goodbye," King sniffled, on the verge of tears.
Gus walked up to the little demon and gently patted him on the head.
"I know, buddy. But that's just how it is with that Desire Grand Prix. Once the mission's over, you get instantly teleported back. I'm sure Luz would've come back to say goodbye herself if she could."
"I know Luz would've if they allowed her to," Willow agreed with a heavy sigh. "But…you know what happens next. We could try and cast a spell that could shield our minds and memories. Although…I'm not so sure how effective it'll be. I've seen these people literally bring people back from the dead as if it was just another day at work for them, so…"
"No, no." Eda wiped her tears. "It's fine. It…It royally sucks that I won't remember seeing her after this…but at least she'll be safe back in the Human Realm. And…hey…bonus, at least she's surrounded by people who care about her. T-that's a plus."
Willow and Gus did take some comfort in that. Despite Sasha Waybright having at one point vowed to take revenge on Luz, the blonde human had finally seen the light and now they appeared to have become friends.
Amity would keep Luz safe. The two witches had seen the determination and resolve that she had demonstrated while caring for and protecting Luz. Willow was a little disappointed that she couldn't spend just a bit more time with Luz, or at the very least go on one date with her (Amity permitting).
"Momma?" Little Luz asked, patting her mom's shoulder. "Don't cry. We'll see big sis again! Just like before, she'll come back!"
Eda smiled and went to hug her daughter.
"You're right. One day, we'll see her again," said Eda with a shaky voice.
Willow and Gus were thankful that they were able to spend time with Luz at all. To even see her again after having their memories of the Desire Grand Prix wiped out. Life was strange that way, they supposed. But then again, Lil' Luz could be right and they might see Luz again.
"Guess it's almost time," Gus noted.
"Should be happening right about now," Willow concurred.
Eda held onto Lil' Luz and even dragged in King, hugging them tight. Willow and Gus screwed their eyes shut and balled their fists in preparation for the DGP's reality reset and memory wipe.
...
...
...
However, nothing happened. They waited for about three minutes, but still nothing happened.
"Uh…did it happen already?" Eda questioned.
"I still remember Luz," Willow announced.
"I still remember the Desire Grand Prix," Gus added.
"I still remember that other human squeezing me like a stuffed toy," King deadpanned.
Eda released her children and stood up. She scanned the area, expecting to see some indicator that something had happened but there was nothing.
"Does it normally take this long?" Eda asked, curious.
"Not really. The moment the mission's over, the reset starts just like that," Gus explained as he snapped his fingers for emphasis. "Do you think there's another round happening?"
Willow thought about it for a moment but then shook her head, "No, if that was the case, they'd still be here. We saw them get teleported away."
"Maybe Luz convinced them to let us keep our memories?" Eda suggested with hope in her heart.
The former Riders would like to believe that, but their guts were telling them that something was not right. They just hoped they were wrong about that.
Bria returned Luz's equipment to her, and the Latina quickly checked to see if any of them had been tampered with. The Driver seemed OK, along with her Raise Buckles and her Spider Phone. When she examined the Oscura Buckle, she frowned, narrowing her eyes at it. While she had accepted that the power of darkness was necessary at times, she was not going to rely on it for everything. However, she may need it to make sure the cultists did not suspect a thing. They were all expecting the Great and Powerful Empress Oscura, not some powerless human.
Meanwhile, Sasha and Marcy were checking out the outfits that Bria had brought in earlier.
"Geez, they really wanted to make us look like sex slaves," Sasha commented when she found a chainmail bikini set and a collar with a leash.
"Some of these don't even cover the important bits. Leaves very little to the imagination," Marcy observed as she found a tube top and sheer harem pants. "This one looks cute."
"Yeah," Sasha blushed, imagining Marcy doing a belly dance in that outfit. "So, Luz, what's the plan? How are you gonna deprogram the cult?"
"I..." Luz started before drawing a blank. "...I got nothing."
"So, no plan, huh?" Sasha deadpanned.
"Luz, it's OK." Amity put a comforting hand on Luz's shoulder. "Now you have us so you don't have to do this alone."
"Thanks, mi amor," Luz smiled.
"So, do you know what the cult wants to do?" Marcy questioned. "They must have a goal."
"They want to put me back on the throne," Luz answered.
"OK, then I guess the first step is to find out how they plan to do that."
"How about tomorrow?" Luz suggested, looking at the clock. "It's getting late and after the day I had, I need my rest."
"Really?" Amity cocked an eyebrow, her voice deadpan. "You feel tired after being bathed and pampered?"
"Hey, when you're relaxed, sleep comes easily," Sasha supported. "And we really should get some shut-eye."
"So...will we be sharing a bed?" Marcy asked since there was only one bed in the room, which was big enough for all four of them.
"Um..." Luz blushed, imagining herself lying in bed with the girls. She could already picture it, with Amity hugging her while both Sasha and Marcy were draped over them.
"Are you thinking dirty thoughts again?" Sasha threatened, eyes narrowing as she cracked her knuckles.
"N-no," Luz denied, rubbing her neck as she recalled how Sasha had choked her out earlier and made her pass out. "I'll just ask them to prepare a room for you and Marcy."
"Good," Sasha nodded, accepting Luz's answer. The Latina let out a sigh of relief.
'Aw...no foursome,' Luz's inner demon whined.
'Shush, you!' Luz snapped. Somehow, she could tell that the voice was sticking her tongue at her.
Bria was preparing for bed.
After she finished reviewing the list of tasks for tomorrow, she went to her bed and lay down on it. Her lips curled into a smile as she held up her High Priestess Mask before kissing it.
"You are finally back, My Empress," Bria sighed, her cheeks pink. For years, she had been pining for her beloved Empress Oscura. After she vanished, a hole had opened up in her heart. However, instead of letting the hole consume her, Bria decided to give herself a purpose. So, with the rest of Glandus High, she started a cult to worship their Dark Empress, keeping her memory alive.
Years ago, during Empress Oscura's reign, she had infiltrated the WATTs. Just like many of the members, she claimed that Empress Oscura's rule was unjust and that the madwoman needed to be stopped. Just like fools, the resistance accepted her. They found her abilities with Construction magic useful, none of them realising that she was a spy. She would not let a pathetic little rebellion remove their rightful ruler from the throne.
She had sent any intelligence she managed to gather to Empress Oscura. Though joining the WATTs risked drawing Her Empress' wrath, Bria felt it was a worthwhile sacrifice. After all, the strong were destined to rule and those weaker than them were only meant to serve. Bria was not as powerful as Oscura and thus she would serve her Dark Empress, even if it meant sacrificing her own life.
She did not care if outsiders believed that worshipping Oscura was madness as they were weaklings who did not understand true power, even when they saw it with their own eyes. After all, they had worshipped a false witch who wanted to kill them all due to his bigotry. Oscura, however, wanted to make them all better, and if she decided to destroy their world, it was only because they deserved it.
When the oracles told Bria that Oscura would return, she was elated and had made preparations. She had the oracles keep their eye on Oscura while they got ready to bring her back to Glandus. During the preparations, Bria had witnessed their Empress' power when she fought those monsters. The only thing that annoyed her was seeing her fight alongside the Blight girl.
When she learned that Her Empress had chosen Blight as her betrothed, Bria was heartbroken but she hid it well. This was Her Empress' choice and she should honour it. However, Bria was determined to prove herself and perhaps Her Empress would take her as another bride after marrying Blight. After all, someone as powerful as Empress Oscura deserved more than one spouse, did she not? She would even be happy just to be a concubine like those other human girls, which would give her a chance to share a bed with her.
And if Her Empress' betrothed and concubines became a bad influence... Well, Bria had ways of taking care of bad influences.
"Goodnight, My Empress."
Giving the mask one last kiss goodnight, Bria laid it down beside her pillow and closed her eyes. They had much work to do tomorrow.
"Yes, I'm so honoured to accept this award..." Adrian mumbled in his sleep as he hugged his stuffed teddy Slitherbeast. "I'd like to thank me, myself, and I...zzz…"
"Adrian. Adrian, wake up!" Terra shouted, grabbing her roommate's shoulder and shaking him awake.
Adrian immediately snapped out of his sleep and sat up, his head whipping to the right and left in a panic. He then removed his sleep mask and was greeted by the sight of Terra, which creeped him out as the old woman had a scary smile on her face. Adrian glanced at his clock and furrowed his brow when he saw how late it was.
"You had better have a good reason to wake me up from my beauty sleep at this Titan-forsaken hour," Adrian griped.
"Follow me, Adrian. I have something to show you," Terra beckoned as she hurried to his door, acting like a child on Krampmas morning.
"Ugh…this had better be good," he whined as he forced himself out of bed. The sooner this was over, the sooner he could get back to bed and into his dreamland.
"Trust me, it is."
Terra led Adrian down the stairs and to the basement. Once they were in the basement, Terra told Adrian to 'mind his arms' as vines shot out of the ground and wrapped themselves first around herself before wrapping him up. The former Head of the Illusionists Coven screamed in fright as the vines dragged both of them down through the ground before depositing them into Terra's secret sub-basement. When the vines unwrapped themselves from their bodies, Adrian was shaking.
"Terra! What the hell was that about?! You know I hate travelling by vine!" Adrian raised an eyebrow when he spotted a large white sheet covering something in the middle of the room. "So, what have you got there, Terra?"
The old witch kept silent as she walked towards the large white sheet.
"Just something I picked up at the Day of Liberty festival," Terra answered with a sweet smile that hid the sadism underneath. "It's quite a fascinating find, if I must say."
Once she was close to the sheet, Terra gripped it in one hand and pulled it down. Adrian gasped and jumped back as he looked upon the Pawn Jyamato, instantly recognizing it from the pictures of the Day of Liberty attack. It was one of many of the monsters that attacked the adults and tried to take the children before Oscura and her minions made short work of them.
"What in Titan's name?! Why do you have that thing here?! I thought they were all killed!" Adrian shouted.
"Almost all of them, except for this little one that I managed to pick up. Oh, don't look so scared, Adrian. You can come closer. It's quite well restrained," Terra urged.
Reluctantly, Adrian did get closer to the table before he inspected the creature with both fear and disgust.
"Is it- is it dead?" Adrian asked nervously as he poked its arm. Suddenly, the Pawn Jyamato jerked and grunted, causing Adrian to yelp and jump back.
"That answers your question, deary?" Terra chuckled.
"What sort of demon is it?" Adrian questioned.
"Believe it or not, this thing is actually a form of plant life."
"Really?" Adrian studied the strange creature. "It doesn't look like any plant I've ever seen."
"I doubt anyone in the Demon Realm ever has! This thing is completely different from any type of plant I've ever read about, created, or seen in the wild!" Terra exclaimed giddily. "And you won't believe what else!"
Terra snapped her fingers, and some of the vines raised the jars of Pawn Jyamato organs she had harvested from it. Adrian visibly cringed at the disgusting jars.
"And…dare I ask…why did you take those?" he questioned; not really sure he wanted the answer.
"Indeed you can~!" Terra sang. "These organs are very similar to that of our own: a heart, lungs, kidneys, oesophagus, intestines. Aside from a few that are missing, it's basically similar to us. But instead of flesh, it's nothing but plant matter and its blood is filled with some form of chlorophyll! What we're looking at is a sentient plant creature!"
Adrian looked upon the creature with some morbid curiosity. How could a creature like that exist? And for that matter, how was it not dead after Terra clearly had taken so many of its organs?
"How is it even still alive? You took its heart and lungs."
"And that brings me to the other fascinating thing I discovered: it can regenerate at an unprecedented rate, practically instantaneous! As soon as I removed an organ, it was able to regrow it in less than a couple of seconds! Hence, why it is not dead," Terra explained.
Now Adrian was confused. If such a creature could heal itself that quickly, then how were Oscura and those minions of hers able to destroy them with such efficiency? They barely seemed to be struggling against them, while the other witches were not even able to put a scratch on them.
"Can it…talk?" Adrian hesitantly asked.
"I made a few careful incisions around its throat. It does possess the organs for speech, but I do not know if it possesses the cognitive ability to form words. I tried to speak with it, but it kept screaming at me before I had to put it to sleep. Hopefully, once it calms down, I can properly have a conversation with it," Terra explained.
Adrian was at a loss, wondering what purpose Terra could have for keeping such a creature. He was not going to deny that the creature did make for a great subject of study for any Plant witch worth their salt. But it was not as if Terra was exactly welcomed amongst her peers from the Plant Coven.
Perhaps Terra was looking to use the discoveries she made from this monster to justify a place for her among their former colleagues. While he did feel some happiness that at least one of them was getting back to the top, he also felt a tiny bit of bitterness about it as well.
"Well, I'm…so happy for you…Terra. Now, if that's all, I need to get back to bed. I need my beauty sleep."
"Then you need to have some of my special tea," Terra said as she offered her roommate a cup. "It's my special brew that will give you a good night's sleep, and you'll be refreshed when you wake up. You'll feel like a new witch."
"Thank you, Terra." Adrian took the cup, failing to notice the evil smile across his colleague's face. He took a sip before downing the whole cup. "Aah, just what I needed–" Suddenly, the cup fell from his hand and shattered on the floor. Terra watched as Adrian collapsed to his knees, holding his throat as if he were choking. "What...have you done...to me!?" His eyes widened in disbelief as he was betrayed by Terra.
Terra knelt, gently patting his head.
"I needed to test something. Nothing personal, Adrian. But let's face it, Illusionists like you don't really serve much of a purpose in the grand scheme of things. Your lot are entertainers at best. But at least, this way, you'll be useful for something."
Terra stepped back as Adrian fell to the floor, violently thrashing as he screamed bloody murder. His veins glowed green under his skin as vines began to grow out of his body. Terra's eyes and smile widened with glee as she observed the process taking place. If this was a success, then she would have her revenge on that wretched girl for everything she had done.
The following morning, Luz woke up with Amity sleeping beside her. Her fiancée had removed her DGP uniform, leaving the witch only in her tank top and panties. Luz realised that, while staying here, she would need some other clothing. As Luz sat up, she glanced at the rack of clothes and shook her head. As much as she liked to see Amity in one of those outfits, she did not need the distraction. She may need to send some of the cultists out clothes shopping for her fiancée and 'concubines'.
"Hey, wake up, sweet potato," Luz said, shaking Amity awake.
"Five more minutes..." Amity mumbled, turning away so she could go back to sleep.
"OK, fine," Luz smiled before leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. She got out of bed in her underwear and threw on a robe. Tightening the belt, she went to the door to open it and was greeted by the guards.
"My Empress," they greeted.
"I want some breakfast for myself and my betrothed," Luz ordered. "And don't forget about my concubines."
One of the guards nodded and quickly ran off to pass her order to the kitchen staff. Closing the door, Luz went and slipped back into bed to cuddle with her fiancée.
After breakfast, which appeared to be toast, bacon and eggs with juice, Luz had called Sasha and Marcy to come meet with her in her bedroom. They sat on the bed, with the blonde and Taiwanese girl only in their tank tops and DGP pants.
"Alright, so what do we do about the cult?" Luz asked.
"You did say they planned to put you back on the throne," Sasha reminded. "Let's start with how they're going to do it."
"Well, there is no throne anymore," Luz informed them. "After I was banished, they restructured the government so now there's a council made up of the former Coven Heads with a new version of the Coven System in place. Instead of using sigils to bind witches and demons to a single coven, they're just exclusive societies that focus on those magic types."
"I guess they couldn't let go of the old ways, huh?" Amity commented.
"It's the system they have used for decades," Luz defended. "But they still kept the Multi-track curriculum I enforced years ago, so that's good news."
"So, there's a new government but these cultists just hate it because you're not the one running things," Sasha summarised. "Luz, I think you need to find out how they plan to do this. Call Bria to have a meeting so she can update you on whatever plans they have."
"That I can do," Luz said, nodding. After all, none of these cultists would dare refuse a command from Empress Oscura.
"And be careful," Amity added, her voice filled with concern. Luz smiled back at her confidently.
"Don't worry, mi amor. As long as I can keep up the act, these guys will do anything I say." She walked over to the microphone that was left on her desk and turned it on before speaking into it, "Head Priestess Bria, I would like to see you. I need updates about any plans the cult has going forward." She turned off the microphone and put it down. "There, now I'm going to go meet with Bria and we'll find out what we need to know."
"Oh, and what do we do in the meantime?" Sasha asked.
"You could explore," Luz suggested. "As long as the cultists believe you're my concubines, you're pretty much under my protection and they won't lay a finger on you. I do recommend you go get a massage, though. Sven squeezed all the stress out of me with their four hands."
"I'm sorry, did you say four hands?" Sasha blinked, wondering if she heard that right.
Later, Bria went to Luz's bedchamber to escort her to the meeting. Luz was already in her imperial garb. As much as she hated it, she had no other clothes, and the cultists would not see her in anything else. It was her signature look, and she needed it to maintain the illusion.
Bria was happy to be walking alongside Her Empress. It was just the two of them now, a moment that she would cherish.
"You know, Bria, I seem to recall that you joined the WATTs a long time ago," Luz remembered.
"Yes, I did, My Empress," Bria confessed. "The fools were just so focused on trying to stop you to wonder where my true loyalties lay. While I was with them, I gathered as much information as I could and sent it to your palace," Bria informed.
"I see," Luz nodded, remembering the messages she got on the WATTs. She knew she never planted a spy among them since they managed to figure out how to uncover if any of their members were secretly a Phantom in disguise. However, it was thanks to the spy that she discovered Kikimora was a double agent. Now she knew it was Bria who helped her.
"My Empress, I was moved by your words about hope and the future," Bria confessed. "And so were many others."
"Thanks, Bria," Luz smiled, glad that she managed to reach them.
"That is why we have been working on a plan to help you spread your message," Bria continued as she opened the door to the meeting room. "Please, after you."
Luz entered the room, followed by Bria. There was a long table where the high-ranking members of the cult were gathered - a mix of four witches and demons. Luz could only surmise that they were the strongest members of the cult right under Bria.
"My Empress, allow me to introduce you to our strongest members. The first is Geo Gardener." Geo was a male witch who had brown skin and what appeared to be scales surrounding his completely red eyes with no visible irises or pupils. He had shaved his head and covered the top with an intricate tattoo. His robe hid it well, but he was ripped underneath.
Geo gave a silent and firm nod, never breaking eye contact with Luz.
"And then we have Vuvu Zelos," Bria introduced the next member, who was a bald and green-skinned male demon with pointed ears and a pair of antennae sticking out of his head. He had no eyebrows and instead possessed ridges above his eyes. He also wore earrings on his ears.
"It's an honour to meet you, Empress Oscura," Vuvu greeted.
"Marina Hydros," Bria introduced the third member, who was a green-skinned female demon with fins for ears and ocean-blue hair. Under her right eye was a beauty mark. Her robe, which covered her slender figure, had a plunging neckline to reveal her cleavage. Around her neck, she wore a black choker with a pendant that resembled Oscura's magic circle.
Marina winked at Luz when she was introduced.
"And finally, the twins, Tuvar and Badriah Gemini," Bria introduced the last and fourth member in the room. They were a two-headed demon, whose right head was a male witch while the left head appeared to be a female witch. The male head had blue hair with a streak of purple in it and wore glasses while the female head had piercings in her nose, and ears and had done her purple hair up in a ponytail.
Wait, Bria called them twins so they must be conjoined or somehow fused due to some kind of magical mishap.
"Greeting, My Empress," Tuvar greeted politely.
"So great to finally meet you!" Badriah greeted Luz excitedly, waving the right hand of their shared body.
Bria pulled a chair for the Empress at the head of the table.
"This is where you'll sit, My Empress," Bria presented. Luz took the seat before Bria took an empty seat on her right. As Head Priestess, she was the Dark Empress' right-hand girl.
"Bria told me you had a plan in the works," Luz said, adopting a professional and cold demeanour. "I want details."
"Yes, My Empress," Marina complied before she cast a spell circle to activate a projection above them. "For four years, we have been working on a plan to put you back on the throne once you've returned."
"And how did you know I would return?" Luz inquired, curious.
"Our oracles predicted that you would return during this Day of Liberation," Marina answered.
"I see," Luz nodded. The cult's oracles must have been pretty talented to predict her arrival so accurately. "So, about this plan, what does it entail?"
"First, we need to remove certain obstacles," Vuvu explained as the image changed to show the Council of United Covens. "The council is the highest governing body of the Boiling Isles and is made up of Belos' former Coven Heads."
"After you were banished, they formed a new Coven System that did not include the sigils," Bria interjected. "The covens have instead become special societies for witches and demons who excel at a specific form of magic."
"Exclusive clubs, basically," Luz summarised.
"Yes, and by joining a coven, you can receive benefits without limiting your magic," Bria continued. "Honestly, I just see it as a way for those pathetic fools to cling onto the old status quo despite how much everything has changed."
"So by removing the council, we can put you back on your throne," Vuvu added.
"But how would you do it?" Luz asked. "The Coven Heads are the most powerful witches in their respective fields. I doubt it would be easy."
"It's simple, My Empress. Ever since the new government was formed, we have sent our members to infiltrate the covens to get close to the council members," Tuvar explained, touching his glasses. "It took some time and careful planning, but we're confident that our agents managed to keep the council fooled and unaware of their true intentions. I am quite proud of our–"
"Yeah, yeah, boring spy stuff, big whoop. In any case, as soon as you give the order to strike, our agents will make their move and then bang, boom, pow! We take them out!" Badriah added excitedly, a smile on her face. "With the council gone, the Isles will be desperate for new leadership and that is when you'll swoop in and take the throne!"
Luz looked at the faces of the Isles' council members, hiding her apprehension. Among them were Lilith and Raine, Eda's sister and spouse.
'Hm, it's a good plan,' the dark voice within Luz's mind spoke up. 'Remove the ones in charge and take their place. Just like how we did it before.'
'And cause another rebellion,' Luz retorted, remembering how Oscura's Phantoms killed anyone who was a threat to her rule. History was going to repeat itself at this rate. She saw the cult's high-ranking members and Bria looking at her expectantly. 'Right, I need to say something.'
"It's a good plan," Luz lied. "But I did this all before, and it resulted in a rebellion rising against me. I'd rather not have that happen again."
"I'm sure you would not be threatened by some mere rebels, My Empress," Geo said confidently, cracking his knuckles. "And if the people don't like it, we'll make them."
"By force?" Luz questioned, masking her worry.
"That is an option, but we don't necessarily need to use violence," Marina countered, shaking her head a little at Geo's more brute-force tactics. "We can instead use potions to make them more compliant or use Bard magic to alter people's thinking."
'Mind control? That's worse than killing them,' Luz thought in horror.
'Is it?' Empress Oscura asked. 'Taking their free will is a bit better than taking their lives. You won't have blood on your hands this time.'
'No, I'll just have to live with the fact that I took away everything that made them who they are, reducing them to nothing more than my puppets. Belos did the same thing with the Coven System!'
'Only their desire to rebel would be erased from their minds. Beyond that, their lives won't change.'
'...Wait, why the hell am I even discussing with you like it's a real option?! I'm trying to stop this cult from usurping the new government!'
'I'm just giving you other options in case you can't stop them. Sometimes, you need to make the best out of a bad situation.'
"My Empress, are you okay?" Bria asked with concern. "You've been quiet for a minute."
Luz shook her head and returned to her authoritative demeanour.
"I'm fine, Bria. Just thinking. Listen, Bria, all of you. While I appreciate your hard work in infiltrating the UC, and getting ready for war if the people of the Isles rise up against us, I have to tell you that fighting them head-on, even with my power, will result in casualties, a lot of casualties, on both sides."
"We are prepared to lay down our lives for you, My Empress," Marina acknowledged.
"I understand that, but you all forget that one of the many advantages I had in bringing the entire Isles under my heel: the Phantoms," Luz stated.
Vuvu, Bria, Geo, Marina, Tuvar, and Badriah raised their eyebrows at the mention of Oscura's monster army.
"I'll be frank with you, any one of those Phantoms was equal to or greater than a hundred of the strongest witches and demons on the Boiling Isles. Thanks to their unique powers, along with my own, I was able to quickly take control of the Boiling Isles. And while there were rebels, they were kept in check thanks to my Phantoms and power. Now while I have regained my powers, they have changed and unlike last time, I cannot connect to the realm from which I summoned the Phantoms. Meaning, if we go into this with nothing but force, we'll end up losing just as many followers as they have Scouts even with me at the vanguard," Luz explained.
Luz stood and looked each of the cultists in the eyes.
"The last thing I want is to rule over a land that is half dead. What's the point then? With that in mind, a bloodless revolution would be better, personally. If we can make these fools see that I am clearly the superior choice to rule over them, we can avoid needless bloodshed. We'll use force, but only when it is necessary and only as a last resort. Too much and the people rebel, too little and they won't take me seriously. It's all about finding balance."
The assembled witches and demons nodded, some reluctantly but others seemed inclined towards this route of taking over the Boiling Isles. After all, some had family members in different parts of the government or just as Coven Scouts. If they could get away with putting Empress Oscura back on her throne with minimal casualties, all the better.
"Wisely said, My Empress. Use your compassion to nurture those who accept your power and your wrath shall be your mighty sword, only used to put the nonbelievers in their place," Bria praised. "I am so very moved that you care so much for us that you would take an approach that minimises the loss of life among your devoted followers."
As much as Luz didn't like the first half of how that was said, she did pay attention to the room. She noticed how some of the demons and witches liked her idea.
'Which also means that some of them aren't fully on board with hurting people. I can use this.'
After the meeting with the cult's high-ranking members, Luz immediately excused herself so she could return to her bedchamber to think. The truth was, she needed to tell Amity what she had learned.
"They're planning a coup," Luz informed Amity.
"Wait, what?" Amity questioned as Luz poured herself a drink before downing it.
"And according to Bria, they've been planning this for years and even planted spies in the United Covens. They are just waiting for orders from me."
"So, just don't give the order," Amity simply said. Luz shook her head.
"It's not that simple," Luz retorted. "If I say no, I'd look suspicious."
"Neither can you say yes to a coup," Amity countered.
"I know, but I think we might have an out."
Amity raised her eyebrow in curiosity.
"Go on."
"The proposal for a bloodless coup was brought up, and a good number of the cultists seemed to like the idea. Actually, I'd go so far as to say they were relieved," Luz explained.
Amity cupped her chin as she digested this information.
"I see. So not everyone in this cult is out for blood, nor are they completely ready to bring up arms against others."
A look of melancholy befell Luz as she recalled her past, "When I killed those Coven Scouts, the ones that fought back, I only saw them as the enemy. I gave them chances to run away, to live, but rarely did they take it. I had so much power, I didn't need to kill them. I could've incapacitated them. I knew they must've had family who were worried about them. Wives, husbands, daughters, sons, mothers, and fathers. Those Scouts meant something to someone, but I wiped them out all the same. Titan, I was a monster back then…"
Amity sat down next to Luz and hugged her.
"You weren't in your right mind. So many things happened to you because of–"
"Don't go there," Luz interjected. "No more playing the blame game."
"Sorry."
"Anyway, the point is these cultists have lives outside. They have friends and family, and they're aware that if I rise to power, they risk having to go against someone they care about. We can use that to convince these people to stop," Luz reasoned.
Amity had to admit, it did sound like a good idea. But it was a long shot of an idea. In cults such as this, there were bound to be hardliners who were fully prepared to shed their blood and the blood of others to see the cult's ideals realised.
"We should run this by Sasha and Marcy and get their input," Amity suggested.
While Sasha went to get a massage and Amity stayed in Luz's bedchamber, Marcy decided to do a bit of exploring. Despite their current situation, Marcy was still in awe about the Demon Realm. She had always fantasised about coming to another world, having adventures, and exploring an entirely different realm.
Back then, and well, maybe a little bit now, she sought the isekai life. Whenever she was not with Anne or Sasha, Marcy felt alone, an island in a vast ocean. She was still a bit socially awkward and could barely look a person in the eyes when she talked. This often made her come off as either disrespectful, creepy or just plain weird. It didn't exactly help that she would sometimes ramble on and on about topics she liked, sometimes to the point of it being annoying. And she did not forget her tendency to be oblivious to her surroundings, making her accident-prone. She lost track of the number of people she had bumped into back in SJMS and the ones in high school until she corrected herself.
But all that aside, she was living her dream right now. She was in another world, and she was in this other world with Sasha, her girlfriend.
Girlfriend, that was a word she had never thought she would say in this lifetime.
Ever the hungry knowledge seeker, Marcy had taken to exploring the confines of the cult's base of operations. Since Luz had dubbed Sasha and Marcy her concubines, they were allowed almost free reign. There were certain areas where they were not allowed entry, however, and for the sake of not upsetting the cultists, she and Sasha abided by that.
But that didn't mean the nerdy teen could not learn more about the world she was in. She had consumed a lot of books while at the Blight Manor, but sometimes getting information directly from the people might divulge something that the history books left out. To that end, Marcy looked around for any of the cultists that at least looked friendly enough, eventually spotting a demon as she hurried after him.
"Excuse me!" Marcy called out. "I was wondering if you could answer some questions, please?"
The demon cultist turned around, sighed, and gave Marcy an uninterested look.
"Yes, what do you want?"
"I was wondering, are there any interesting stories or historical titbits about the Boiling Isles? It's my first time being here, and I wanted to get to know more about your world," Marcy asked sweetly.
The demon cultist rolled all four of his eyes as he replied, "Why?"
"Oh, well, like I said, I wanted to–"
"No, I mean, why are you even bothering me?" he clarified.
"Excuse me?" Marcy blinked.
The cultist sighed heavily again as he told her, "Look, girl, I know you're the Empress' fuck toy, but that doesn't mean you can waste my – or any of our – time. If you want to know more, then go read a damn book. Or better yet, don't. I mean, your job is to please the Empress. Why does a slut need to know history?"
Now Marcy knew that her and Sasha being concubines was just a cover story but being called a 'slut' like that kind of hurt.
"Oh, uh…I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to waste your time," Marcy apologised as she rubbed her left arm.
"I mean really, why are you even this far into the keep? You should be at the Empress' side, ready for when she needs you to warm her bed. Now, be a good little slut and go back to the Empress!" he ordered.
"HEY!" Marcy turned her head around and watched as Sasha marched up the hall towards them, her face contorted in fury. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL HER?!"
"Oh, great, the temperamental slut," the demon scoffed.
"I don't give a shit if you call me that, but don't you fucking dare call Marcy a slut!" Sasha warned. "Apologize to her right fucking now!"
"Excuse me? Why the hell would I apologise for telling the truth? You and she are just lowly pets, and our Empress could easily replace you all. Personally, I think she should trade up. There are plenty of demons and witches here who could do what you two can, but twice as good, if not three times better," the demon cultist chuckled mockingly.
"Fucking son of a bitch," Sasha growled.
"Sashy, please, it's alright," Marcy urged.
"Yeah, 'Sashy', listen to the slut and walk away," he mocked.
"I'm going to rip your eyes out of your skull and make you eat 'em! Now either you apologise to her, or I'll–!"
"Do nothing," he cut her off. "You think I'm scared of you? Hell, you think any of us are scared? We all think the same thing! So, here's my suggestion: both of you go to the Empress' bedchamber, fuck each other until you're passed out and then present yourselves to the Empress when she's ready for bed. It's honestly the only thing you two human sluts are good for."
Sasha looked about ready to make good on her threat, but her fury seemed to quell as she smirked and crossed her arms. Marcy bit her bottom lip as she raised her right hand and pointed behind the cultist. Curious, the demon cultist turned around, and he wished he hadn't. Standing right behind him was none other than Luz and Amity, both with cross looks on their faces.
"M-M-My Empress!" the demon cultist yelled as he swiftly got down on his knees. "Forgive me! I did not realise-!"
"Did you just call my concubines 'sluts'?" Luz asked.
"I…I…" he stammered, his skin paling as his bravado fled.
"And did I also hear you call them 'replaceable' and 'fuck toys'?" Luz asked again.
The cultist was sweating bullets at this point.
"I want you to gather everyone in the throne room. Right. NOW!" Luz ordered.
"Of course! As you command, My Empress!"
The demon cultist was about to bolt out of there but froze when Luz spoke again.
"And you," Luz said threateningly. "If I don't see your ass in the front row, I'm personally going to come for you and make sure you learn why everyone fears my wrath. And don't you speak a word as to why this meeting was called. Now go!"
The cultist squeaked a "yes" before running off as fast as the wind.
"You two okay?" Amity asked the two human girls in concern.
"Yeah, it's just…I mean…I knew we probably were not looked upon favourably, but…I didn't know they thought of us like that," said Marcy, feeling a little hurt.
Sasha hugged her girlfriend close, stroking her hair as she comforted the Taiwanese girl.
"I don't care what you do, Noceda. But I'm going to kick his ass for what he said to Marcy!" Sasha swore. "And don't you dare try and stop me!"
"You'll have your chance to get your pound of flesh, Sasha," Luz promised. "Nobody talks to my friends like that."
Just as Luz had commanded, that demon cultist managed to spread the word to everyone in the castle. The rest of the cultists, along with Bria, were now gathered in the throne room. Just like the rest of the castle, it had been designed to fit a Dark Empress. Hanging from the walls were banners embroidered with Empress Oscura's magic circle, and leading from the door to the ornate throne was a long red carpet.
Murmurs could be heard among the cultists, all of whom were wondering why the Empress had called on this meeting so suddenly. When some of them asked Bria, even she did not know. It worried the cult when their Head Priestess herself was not informed and, from the looks of it, she was concerned as well. However, when compared to one particular demon cultist, the others' worries paled in comparison.
Soon, Empress Oscura stepped into the throne room, flanked by her betrothed, Amity Blight, and with her two concubines walking right behind them. The cultists all went down on their knees as the procession walked along the carpet until they reached the throne. For a moment, the Empress appeared to study her throne before she sat upon it, with Amity standing on her right while Sasha and Marcy stood on her left. The Empress had a death glare in her eyes, and it was directed at everyone in the room.
They all could feel the tension thicken as soon as she arrived. It was an overwhelming pressure that threatened to crush them at any moment.
Something had happened, something so bad that made their Dark Empress, their goddess, very angry.
Bria, summoning her courage, daringly asked the Empress, "My E-Empress, y-you seem angry. Has something happened?"
Luz shifted her gaze to Bria, making the girl jump.
"Why yes, Bria. Something did happen, and I felt that it needed to be addressed with everyone here."
"Oh my, what is it, My Empress?" Bria asked worriedly. Luz stood up from her throne, folding her arms behind her back as she glared at her flock.
"It has come to my attention that many of you view my concubines, Sasha and Marcy, as 'pets'. That I view them as disposable and replaceable. I have even heard them referred to as 'sluts'."
A good number of the cultists gulped and rightfully looked nervous, while Bria looked absolutely shocked and appalled when she heard this.
"My Empress, this is outrageous! Forgive me, I didn't know!" Bria immediately prostrated herself before Luz. "Rest assured, I have never once thought that of your concubines! I swear to you, I will rout out those who dare to insult them and have them punished!"
"Bria, stop," Luz interrupted, silencing her Head Priestess. "I want to make something very clear to you all: Amity is my betrothed, and I love her with all my heart. Sasha and Marcy may be my concubines, but they are no less important to me. They are my important treasures! And I will not stand by and let anyone insult my treasures! You think they are disposable?! That they're replaceable?! DO YOU?! SPEAK NOW! WE'RE ALL EARS!"
Everyone flinched when they heard the harsh words of the Dark Empress, and some looked close to peeing their pants.
"They are more than just concubines to me. They are my confidants. They are my friends." Luz shifted her gaze to Sasha and Marcy and smiled at them. The two girls looked at Luz and smiled back, grateful to hear her say that. The Latina returned her cold gaze to the cultists and continued, "And they are also more than capable assets to me and my court! Now, I could sit here all day telling you why that is, but I think it's better to show than tell. You!"
Luz pointed towards the demon cultist from earlier and everyone immediately made a huge circle, stepping away from him. The demon cultist was shaking, assured that he was going to die today.
"This filth dared to insult my concubines." Luz singled him out before giving an order, "Step forward."
The demon cultist, reluctantly, took a step forward.
"Y-yes, My Empress?" the cultist asked. "What will be my punishment?"
"I want you to fight my concubine, Sasha Waybright."
"Y-Yes, My Emp– wait, what?"
The other cultists looked visibly confused, even Bria shot up from her prostrating position.
"Um, M-My Empress, I do not think that's a good idea…" Bria pointed out respectfully.
"Are you saying I'm making a bad decision, Bria?" Luz asked, eyes narrowed, with a threatening edge in her voice.
"No, no! I-I merely wish to point out that Garam is one of our better fighters, a-and I do not wish to see your precious concubine harmed," Bria explained.
"Now are you implying that my concubine cannot handle herself in battle? Do you think I would only choose them to keep me company solely for their bodies?" Luz questioned.
Bria just kept silent. She had no words to say in response. Who was she to question Her Empress' decisions and choices?
"Sasha, please educate Garam. Show him why the Empress doesn't just let anyone in her bedchamber," Luz ordered.
Sasha normally would be reluctant to say this but considering that Luz was giving her a chance to exact some payback on this demon cultist, she felt it was warranted to say it.
"Of course, My Empress," said Sasha with a gleeful smile.
The rest of the cultists backed away, moving as far as they could to allow the two as much room as possible, forming a ring. A barrier rose around Sasha and Garam, separating them from the rest of the cultists and providing a place for them to fight.
"And Garam, you had better fight with everything you got or else Sasha's liable to kill you, just so you know," Luz warned.
Garam gulped, but still furrowed his brow as he opened his cloak and revealed that he had four arms to match his four eyes. Sasha cocked her hip to the right as she placed her hand on that same hip and chuckled.
"Huh, four arms, four eyes, do you have four dicks as well?" Sasha asked.
"Why? You want to know how many of them I can stuff in you?" Garam retorted.
"No, I was wondering how many I should leave you. I was going to be generous letting you keep one, but now I'm going to probably rip 'em all off," Sasha grinned as she placed her Desire Driver against her waist.
[Desire Driver!]
Garam looked confused when he saw the belt that formed around her waist. That was when Sasha reached behind her back and took out the Phoenix Buckle, something that Marcy noted right away.
"Whoa, wait! Sasha's using that?!" Marcy exclaimed.
"Luz, that's kind of overkill," Amity noted.
"I know, I told her to use it," Luz nonchalantly replied.
"You what?!" Amity and Marcy exclaimed.
"This is a lesson," Luz clarified. "That Empress Oscura does not surround herself with weaklings."
[Set Ascend!]
Sasha went into her motions before staring directly at Garam, her irises flashing magenta for a moment.
"Henshin!"
[CALAMITY WING! RISING PHOENIX!]
A tornado of flames erupted around Sasha, making Garam raise his arms to shield himself from the intense heat of the flame tornado. In the next moment, the flame tornado burst apart, taking on the form of a firebird as it revealed Kamen Rider Soaron before dispersing into a cascade of feather-like embers.
[READY, FIGHT!]
"Give me your best shot, Garam. I won't even dodge it," Soaron goaded as she crossed her arms and stood still.
The cultists began to chatter upon witnessing Sasha's transformation. They recognised her from the Penstagram posts, fighting the mysterious creatures alongside their Empress. It was no wonder why Empress Oscura kept them at her side. Could her betrothed and her other human concubines be the same?
Garam was suddenly starting to regret his life choices right now but, at the same time, his pride demanded that he put this whore in her place.
"Okay, you want it? You got it, you slut!"
The demon used all four of his arms to draw four spell circles at the same time. Garam suddenly disappeared from sight. Soaron slowly scanned the room as she looked for any sign of him. When she saw him again, he was not alone as the makeshift arena was now filled with multiple copies of Garam, all of them pointing their hands at her in preparation to cast another spell. Vines suddenly sprouted from the stone floor and wrapped around Soaron's body, before pieces of the floor crept up on the Rider's body, immobilising her and anchoring her in place.
"Hmm, Plant, Construction, Illusion,' Marcy observed. "Is he a tri-caster?"
"Actually…he's a quint-caster," Bria corrected.
Abomination slime suddenly rose around Soaron, taking the shape that resembled a mediaeval Iron Maiden, complete with dozens of sharpened spikes lining its insides. The Iron Maiden slammed shut with a thunderous 'clunk', trapping Soaron inside and impaling her with its spikes. That should have been the end of it, but Garam was not done yet.
Next, he focused his magic on his four hands before firing a powerful beam of pure magical energy at the Iron Maiden. A powerful explosion ripped through the hall, shaking the castle, whilst cracking the walls and floors. A huge plume of smoke rose from the spot Soaron was standing, obscuring any sight of her.
Garam panted, smiling triumphantly as he stood tall and proud, "I'm sorry, My Empress! But she clearly wasn't worthy of standing at your side!"
Bria gulped as Garam had just murdered one of their Empress' prized concubines. She believed Empress Oscura was going to murder them all. However, neither Her Empress nor her betrothed and other concubine reacted as she expected. In fact, they all seemed to be waiting for something.
"That was your best shot?" The cultists, Garam, and Bria, all stared dumbfounded as a burst of flames blasted the smoke away, revealing Soaron with not a scratch on her armour. "The Jyamatos hit harder than you, and I do mean the fodder."
"H-HOW?!" Garam gawked, his jaw dropping in disbelief.
"My turn."
In the blink of an eye, Soaron closed the distance between herself and Garam, destroying his copies along the way as they erupted into fireballs. Once she reached him, she threw the lightest punch possible. However, in her current form, that punch might as well come from a heavyweight boxing champion times ten. Her punch landed in his stomach, sending Garam flying across the makeshift arena until he slammed into the barrier wall that protected the cultists. The demon coughed violently upon hitting the wall, his entire midsection erupting with pain as his lower two arms wrapped themselves around his stomach. To his credit, the demon managed to stay standing. A navy-blue glow outlined his body and, seconds later, Garam stopped holding his stomach.
"A lucky punch," he grunted.
"Wait, you're all better now?" Soaron asked, confused.
"Healing magic. I cast the spell on myself to auto-activate and heal me upon injury. It's long lasting, and a very potent spell. And this…" Garam cast another spell, causing his muscle mass to increase, turning him into a brawny muscle-bound brawler. "THIS WILL LET ME BEAT THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF YOU!"
Soaron made a gesture with her hand as she dared, "Come at me, bro."
Garam summoned Abomination slime and made some of the stone tiles that made up the floor come to him, forming huge gauntlets around his four arms. Once they were formed, Garam began wailing on Soaron, punching her repeatedly and causing the floor to shake with each thunderous blow. Unfortunately for him, Soaron wasn't fazed at all by his onslaught.
"So, let me get this straight: you'll heal from anything, right? Like, if your arm gets cut off, it'll grow back?" Soaron questioned.
"Sasha, don't kill him," Luz warned. "I really don't want to add to the body count I have."
"I'm just trying to get an idea of how much punishment he can take."
"He can heal from almost any severe wound, broken bones, ruptured organs, pierced organs, but I would advise against dismembering or causing too much trauma to his brain or heart," Bria suggested.
"BRIA, C'MON!" Garam complained.
"Ah, thanks!"
Garam cocked back for another punch, but Soaron beat him to it, hitting him in the face and sending him flying back towards the barrier wall again. There was an audible crack when the punch landed. When he hit the barrier, it was clear that his jaw had been dislocated.
The auto-healing spell activated and healed him, but Soaron wasn't about to let up. With the same burst of speed, she grabbed him by his throat and tossed him over her shoulder like he weighed nothing, slamming him into the floor and essentially breaking his back upon impact. Soaron then kicked Garam right into the air and then disappeared before reappearing on an intercept path to punch him in a different direction. Then she repeated the same action, but this time kicking him and sending him flying again.
Soaron went into a speed blitz attack, juggling Garam in the air as he suffered through multiple hard kicks and punches, his spell activating, again and again, to heal him from each injury. The cultists could only watch as their supposed 'best fighter' was basically being turned into a ragdoll in midair.
The phoenix-themed Rider reappeared once again, spun in the air once, and came down with a brutal axe kick right on into the centre of his chest. The attack sent him plummeting straight to the floor, landing with a powerful crash that created an indention in the floor.
Once the dust settled, Garam was revealed to be lying on his back, knocked out of his Hulk-like form. The auto-healing spell activated again, healing his injuries. However, despite being healed, it did not recover his stamina. Normally, the spell would only take a small amount of magic to activate, but after being healed so many times repeatedly, combined with his earlier attack, Garam's magic was starting to bottom out.
Garam began to drag himself out of the small crater he had made, but stopped when he saw Soaron's red boots. Reluctantly, he tilted his head up and saw her staring down right at him. The phoenix-themed Rider squatted down and, even though he could not see her face, he could feel her smirking smugly at him.
"Just so you know, I've been holding back this entire time," Soaron informed him, causing Garam's eyes to widen in disbelief. "It's only because of Oscura's orders that I don't kill you. But I can keep putting you through the wringer for as long as you want. It's up to you, really."
Garam looked to the cultists and then to Empress Oscura, who was now looking at him with a knowing smirk. It was true, he could see it in his Empress' eyes. This girl could've killed him at the start of the duel, but she did not because the Empress forbade her. It was by His Empress' good grace alone that he was being allowed to live yet made to suffer for his transgressions.
"I…I yield…"
The cultists all gasped when they heard Garam surrender. It was not an exaggeration as he was one of their best fighters, and his combination of spells guaranteed him a win ninety to ninety-five percent of the time. But today, he met his match in the form of a human girl.
The barrier dropped, and Luz rose from her throne to walk to where the two combatants were. Soaron returned to her civilian form and stepped aside to allow Luz to approach Garam.
"According to the rules of Glandus, the weak serve the strong," Luz spoke. "So, Garam, this is my punishment for you: you will serve Sasha and Marcy. If they tell you to do something, you do it without question. Treat their orders as if they were mine. Am I understood?"
"I..." Garam started to protest, but his words felt weak.
"Am. I. Understood? Or would you rather make it an Everlasting Oath?"
Garam bowed his head, his forehead touching the floor.
"I understand, My Empress. I will serve them just as I serve you."
"Good," Luz smiled. "Sasha, do you have anything you want him to do?"
"I want him to apologise to Marcy," Sasha answered. "Then, I want him to kiss my feet."
"Really?" Luz deadpanned.
"Really," Sasha confirmed.
Luz sighed. "Marcy, be honest with me, Sasha doms you, right?"
"Luz!" Marcy exclaimed with a bright blush.
"Don't be too rough with her, alright?"
"I won't make her do anything like that!" Sasha retorted. "I'm not some dominatrix or some shit!"
Luz raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Really?"
"Ugh, fine. Just apologise to Marcy! Now, on your knees!" Sasha amended in annoyance.
Garam, with some effort, dragged himself over to where Marcy was, got on his knees and bowed his head.
"I…I am sorry, Mistress Marcy, for my arrogance and ignorance! I know now that the Empress would not surround herself with weaklings! You and M-Mistress Sasha are truly worthy of standing at our Empress' side; I promise to serve you faithfully!" Garam announced.
Marcy was not used to having people prostrate themselves before her, so this was a little uncomfortable and it was only made worse with everyone watching.
"Uh…okay, I forgive you, please get up. A-and go see a healer," Marcy ordered.
"Yes, Mistress Marcy…thank you."
Garam managed to drag himself up to his feet again and began limping his way out of the throne room.
"AS FOR THE REST OF YOU!" Luz yelled, gaining the attention of the cultists. "I hope this little demonstration has been informative. If I ever hear you badmouthing my precious girls again, you won't be facing Sasha or Marcy in a duel, you'll be facing me."
Every single cultist in the room paled when they heard that. Facing the Empress' concubines looked to be a death sentence already, but to face the Empress herself?
"Hey, I've got something to say!" one of the cultists yelled as he threw back his hood. He appeared to be a witch and demon hybrid with dark brown skin, white spiky hair, yellow eyes, and goat horns growing from his head.
"And who are you?" Luz asked, bracing herself.
"The name's Armstrong! Satyrn Armstrong!" the cultist introduced himself. "When I joined this cult, it was because I was told of how powerful Empress Oscura was despite being human! But I haven't seen any proof of that! You just had your concubine punish Garam instead of doing it yourself! I'm starting to think the great Empress Oscura isn't all that great!"
Murmurs began to fill the hall.
"Blasphemy!" Bria snapped angrily, glaring at Armstrong. "You dare doubt Our Empress!?"
"Yeah, I do! Because I haven't seen any proof that she's all that powerful!" Armstrong shouted.
"Luz..." Amity murmured worriedly, but Luz's eyes narrowed.
"So, you wish for proof then?" Luz challenged. "Very well. Then let me prove it in a Witch's Duel!"
"Fine!" Armstrong accepted. "What are your terms?"
"The winner will decide the loser's fate!" Luz declared as she stepped into the ring to confront Armstrong, the cultists giving them both a wide berth. She watched as he drew spell circles with his hands and summoned forth a pair of Abominations. He then merged both Abominations into a huge four-armed, multi-eyed Abomination that towered over her. Once the giant Abomination stood, the tiles rose from the floor and merged with the creature, forming stone armour across its body.
"This is the result of combining Construction and Abomination magic!" Armstrong boasted.
"I guess you saw the merit and strength of mixing magics as well," Luz observed. "Very well, you may have the first move."
"ABOMINATION, CRUSH HER!"
The large Abomination raised all of its fists and brought them down to crush Luz. The Dark Empress did not seem scared at all as the fists impacted her, kicking up a cloud of dust while causing the chamber to shake.
"LUZ!" Amity cried out.
"MY EMPRESS!" Bria screamed.
"Hah! I knew you were a fraud!" Armstrong gloated, laughing uproariously. But then his laughter stopped when the dust settled to reveal Luz, who had shielded herself with her six black wings. In an instant, the wings snapped open, the force causing the Armoured Abomination to stagger backwards.
Bria's eyes widened, sparkling with joy as she saw her Empress in her true armoured majesty with her six dark angelic wings spread out behind her. Something bubbled inside of her, threatening to burst. She needed to say something, anything, to celebrate this moment.
The words came flooding out of her like a dam bursting.
"REJOICE!" Bria shouted out, spreading her arms, drawing the attention of the cultists as well as Luz's concubines and betrothed. "AFTER FOUR LONG YEARS, THE TRUE RULER OF THE BOILING ISLES, HAS REVEALED HERSELF! AND HER NAME IS KAMEN RIDER OSCURA! GAZE UPON HER, FOR SHE SHALL LEAD US INTO A GLORIOUS FUTURE!"
...OK, I'll admit, that was pretty good.
Bravo.