Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu

– Salem –

She hadn't anticipated crossing paths with the boy so soon, but what could she have done? Ever since that extraordinary moment when she'd caught a fleeting glimpse of divinity the night before, her curiosity had been ignited like wildfire. The temptation of discovering the genius wizard in person was irresistible; she was eager to unravel the intricacies of his mind, to look beyond the frivolous bravado he projected to the world.

Reid Astera truly was one of a kind. A mastermind who had her stumpedwith the use of his otherworldly magic more than once. That made her salivate at the idea of seeing more of his masterful craftsmanship. Salem couldn't remember the last time someone had ever made her feel this way.

Each and every day that had passed ever since she'd heard of this boy, she was drawn to his genius more and more. Just where had he come from? How had he come across this strange magic of his? Was he a champion of the brother gods? No, he couldn't be. Now that she'd gotten a closer look at him in person, she did not sense the divine stench of the brother gods on him.

…But he was most definitely gifted. Touched by the divine somehow— A foreign god she had never encountered. How very fascinating. A third god? Had those two clowns been lying when they said they were the only supreme power in the universe?

Salem had half a mind to just snatch him and take him back with her to the Dark Continent— see what truly made the boy tick. What kind of tricks were up his sleeve? How deep did the well of knowledge in his mind reach? Was he even aware of how interesting he was?

Salem took a moment to take in the sight of the Titan Slayer— A handsome boy with white hair and blue eyes, almost Mistrali facial features, but with the paleness of an Atlesian. He was much taller than she had expected, towering over her as he glared at her cautiously, the wolf standing next to him growling threateningly.

Of course, she'd seen him before during his interviews, but what she was seeing right now seemed like a completely different person. Impressive— somehow, he'd even fooled her. From the confident, rambunctious hero rallying the world of Remnant behind him…

…To a man so filled with hatred and rage that it easily encompassed the entirety of the continent. A man so furious that had Salem been anyone else, she may have collapsed under the weight of his gaze. Now she knew why he was the Titan Slayer. This tremendous pressure wasn't anything she'd felt before. He truly was one of a kind.

He'd yet to speak even a word, and Salem was almost satisfied with what she'd seen of him. This was a man worthy enough to challenge her— worthy enough to be called her equal. Even if, compared to her, his magical strength was merely that of an infant, he had immense potential.

"What's the matter, Astera?" Salem asked with a smirk. "It feels as if you are trying to kill me by glaring."

He didn't respond, but his giant wolf barked at her.

"Oh, I'm not here to cause any trouble if that's what you're worried about." She added. "So I suggest keeping that mutt of yours on a tight leash. Before he does something he would come to sorely regret."

Reid's expression twitched, but then he put a hand on his wolf, and the canine suddenly turned into tiny particles that quickly disappeared into the aether.

"You really are full of surprises." She hummed.

"What do you want?" He finally spoke, starting with a question. "Why show yourself now?"

"So confrontational~" She chuckled. "Rest assured, Astera. I'm only here to speak to you. I simply could not resist after sensing whatever it was you did last night."

Reid remained silent once again.

"Playing with divine powers, are we, Astera?" Salem took a step forward. "Do you not know how dangerous that is? You could've alerted the brother gods by accident. And, well, you and I know their presence wouldn't be favorable for either of us."

Reid tensed as she walked closer to him, but he didn't try to attack her. He knew he didn't stand a chance against her if they were to fight, showing that he could read her strength. But of course, he could. He was no fool.

"And so?" Her grin widened as she saw Astera's pupils change into slits. "What prompted you to do such drastic experiments?"

He refused to answer, but she felt the pressure become ten times harsher. Of course, Salem knew she wasn't going to get any answers from him. Why would he give her any? It wasn't as if she'd given him a reason to trust her.

To him, she was the ultimate bad guy. The Demon Lord to his Chosen Hero.

"…So much anger in those eyes. Oh, if looks could kill…" She giggled. "How unbefitting of a hero~"

Reid scowled at that, his fists clenching tightly. Before she knew it, his arm extended forward as he grabbed Salem by the collar, his fury getting the better of him. But Salem didn't do anything in response— her grin persisted as she challenged his enraged glare with her relaxed gaze.

She would let him have this. He probably needed it.

"What do you know about heroes?" He responded with a deep growl.

Salem said nothing.

"You, who oppressed this world for countless years, all for your own sick amusement." He accused. "Who refused to use her power to rebuild. Who used it to start this pointless war that stretched on for millennia. You, who got her daughters killed out of selfishness."

Salem's expression twitched. Ah, so he knew about that as well? Ozma and his blabbering mouth…

"What does a heartless monster like you understand?" He added with a snarl as the ground beneath him began to crack and shatter. "You have no grounds to talk about heroism. Someone like you deserves nothing but to be torn limb from limb and sent to the deepest parts of hell."

"How graphic~" She responded, gently touching the fist grabbing onto her collar.

Salem effortlessly lowered his fist, and with it, Reid fell to his knees, his eyes widening in shock as a magical force kept him in place.

"You are correct, Titan Slayer. I am a monster. A monster beyond anything you can imagine." She nodded, watching him struggle and fail to get back up on his feet. "Numerous heroes before you stepped up to vanquish me. Thousands of years worth of mighty warriors, and yet none of them…"

She crouched to his level, staring at him as he gritted his teeth.

"Not a single one of them had even a fraction of this anger festering in your heart." She added before chuckling. "Come now, Astera. How do you think I've managed to find you?"

Astera froze, his eyes widening at the implication. Indeed. Due to Salem's… 'grimmified' essence, she shared their ability to sense someone's negative emotions.

To sense one's overwhelming fury from the other side of the world… Salem had been shocked when she'd first felt it. Just exactly what had happened to enrage him so much? Such wrath was unforeseen. It had happened so suddenly— it appeared out of nowhere, and Salem couldn't pinpoint the source for a while.

It was so strong that it felt like it eclipsed all of Remnant. Yet, strangely, it was… controlled. Contained by something.

Of course, she knew this was due to this 'pressure' thing Astera could do, mixed with the magic in his very being. Such a beacon of overwhelming negative emotions would terrorize the weaker Grimm in the area…

…While possibly awakening nearby Titans.

Truly, this boy was unlike anything she'd seen before. Oh, if only he were aware of his unrivaled potential that could surpass the very gods.

"But I've not come here for a lecture." She said, releasing her magical hold on him before helping him up. "Now, would you be so kind as to tell me what exactly you did last night? If you wish, I'm willing to trade my own understanding of magic~"

Astera looked at her, his mouth agape as nervous sweat trailed down his cheek; his hand in hers trembled in fear as he'd gotten a taste of her magic. Surprisingly, however, he remained steadfast as he pulled his hand away, his scowl returning.

"Go fuck yourself."

"Oh my." Salem scoffed playfully. "Please, Astera. If you wish not to tell me about this… divine artifact you've come in contact with, could you at least speak more about this dungeon?"

"I have nothing to tell you." He growled.

"Hah. I'm trying to make a dialogue between us. Why must you shut down this old lady so rudely?" She shook her head with a sigh. "Haven't your parents taught you to respect your elders?"

Astera said nothing, but Salem found this endlessly entertaining. He was so serious for no reason— hadn't he realized that all of this was just a game to her? A game she'd been forced to play for countless years.

A game that had only started to feel exciting again when he showed up.

"Oh, Astera." She giggled. "Just because we're enemies doesn't mean we can't chat with each other now, can we? If you must know, Ozma and I still talk every once in a while over some tea."

Again, Astera refused to entertain her. His gaze bore deep into hers, his sharp blue eyes meeting her glowing red ones. Too bad for him, Salem hadn't come here for nothing. She would get her answers one way or another.

"Well, I did try to be nice." She shrugged. "But I suppose stubborn morons like you must always force my hand."

Reid tensed as she raised her arm, aiming it in the general direction of Mistral's central city as a red orb of dark magic formed in her hand.

"If you do not tell me what I want to know…" Her spell intensified, its power increasing a hundredfold in an instant. "I will wipe Mistral off the map."

Astera's eyes widened as he gripped his sword. A surge of magic electrified the air, crackling with an intensity that resembled the flash of lightning. Dark, roiling clouds gathered ominously overhead, swirling and thickening as her immense power surged through the atmosphere. The very air trembled with energy.

And he could feel it. It was a miracle he didn't pass out.

"You're bluffing." He said as he bared his teeth at her.

"Am I?" She chuckled. "Care to take the risk?"

"If you release that spell, you won't just destroy Mistral." He growled, sweating bullets. "All of Anima will be obliterated."

"Oh, good. You're aware of what I'm capable of, then." She responded, loving the fear wafting from him. "And so, stuck between a rock and a hard place, what will the hero decide?"

Reid analyzed his position, trembling hand over his blade as he looked for a way out of this crisis. Salem loved every second of this— this fear of his, this desperation mixed with his fury and hatred. It was exhilarating.

"Does he truly believe that the secrets he keeps hidden possess greater worth than the countless innocent lives at stake in Mistral? As the shadows of the Demon Lord loom ever closer, will he ultimately yield to the mounting pressures and relentless demands placed upon him?" Salem mockingly narrated as her red eyes shone in mischief, looking at his hand hovering over the golden sword. "Or perhaps… He is convinced that he can outpace the sinister and formidable Queen of Grimm? Oh, how exciting!"

Reid didn't share her excitement as he ground his teeth together, clearly enraged at how casually she was taking this otherwise disastrous situation. It mostly definitely was from his perspective, but to Salem?

Wiping out kingdoms wasn't new. She'd done it many times before, sometimes by awakening a nearby Titan and other times by simply snapping her fingers. If Astera truly thought his secrets were more important than an entire kingdom, then he'd be no better than Ozma.

…But she knew better.

Reid exhaled and let go of his sword, his fury only rising the more he stared at her.

"Fine." He said. "You win."

"And the hero submits to the Demon Lord's demands~" She giggled, lowering her arm as the spell extinguished. "Wise choice, Titan Slayer. Now, if you'd be so kind? Oh, and if you lie to me, I will eradicate the five kingdoms. But I'm sure a moral hero like yourself would never do such a thing."

Salem glanced at his clenched fist, her grin widening as she saw his own blood trickling down. Oh, this rage was wonderful. It was a miracle he hadn't tried attacking her yet, but he knew better. His survival instincts weren't letting him do something that idiotic.

Astera exhaled again as a strange… silver sludge-like entity emerged from the collar of his shirt. Salem blinked, leaning closer to inspect it properly. She quickly realized that this was the source of the divine energy. Only this time, it was tamed and not quite as explosive.

This made her realize that her experience sensing divine power was… not as good as she had thought. Perhaps the relics' near-endless power deluded her into thinking she was an expert, but seeing something like this made her rethink that idea.

"Fascinating," Salem said. "And what might this be?"

"A golem." He answered curtly. "What you sensed back then— it was its creation ritual."

"Ah, I see." She hummed before she chuckled again. "I suppose 'clear answers' weren't part of the deal. Clever. Very well. I'll let you have this one."

She then straightened her back, looking up at Reid's enraged glare.

"But I am not satisfied. Now then, I saw you make your way to Anima, which makes me curious. What is it that you wish to find here? I imagine it's for a personal reason, not related to your position as the owner of MSC. After all, the journey was made in secret." She said. "I want an unambiguous answer this time."

Reid clicked his tongue.

"…A dungeon." He answered, and as she looked at him expectantly, he clarified. "It's a portal to a different world."

Salem raised a brow. Now, that was interesting.

"Oh?" She narrowed her eyes. "Show me."

"Not part of the deal." He argued.

"It is now~" She responded cheekily, tracing her index finger over his chest.

Reid's face flushed with anger, his jaw tense and poised to erupt. But as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, a strange calmness settled over him. Though the traces of his rage still flickered, a composed resolve replaced the fury that had threatened to overwhelm him.

Hm? Salem noticed it. It was as if he'd figured something out. What's he planning now?

"Follow me."

With no other choice, Astera led her somewhere deeper into the woods. Salem followed with curiosity, humming a pleasant tune before stopping in front of a strange… purple wormhole thing. She blinked in confusion— that wasn't there before… was it?

Reid then threw something at the wormhole, causing it to reconstruct itself into a door. Salem was in awe—what was that? How did Astera find this? And what did he do just now?

"Intriguing." She muttered, watching as Reid opened the door.

"In here." He told her as he went in.

Salem observed the door for a few moments before following him, her fascination reaching its peak.

Looking for Astera when she'd felt his rage was the greatest decision she'd ever made.

– Reid –

As the blinding light of the dungeon dies down, I take in my surroundings. A wide, dry shrubland with nothing interesting for miles, but I spot a civilization in the distance— a small town about ten or so kilometers from where I'm standing. However, seeing that I'm not anywhere near it, I guess it's unrelated to the quest. It's still an epic-tier dungeon, so I'm not really worried about what I'll find here.

What I'm really worried about is the incredible risk I took by leading her here.

"You know, Astera, I did believe you when you spoke of this 'different world' business," Salem says as she scans the area. "But seeing it for myself… I am in awe."

She's a monster. And not just in the sadistic way she acts— she's on an entirely different level of strength. I knew she had to be, at the very least, as strong as the four maidens combined. That was the bare minimum. She was always someone whom I had to be wary of.

But sensing that spell she nearly used to destroy Mistral made her feel like an unscalable mountain. She makes every struggle I've been through feel like child's play in comparison. I didn't even need to use Observe to understand the difference between us.

Checking her stats only confirmed it.

Name: Salem

Title: The Witch of Eternity

Age: 4270

Race: Human [Grimmified]

Level: ?

HP: 10,000,000

MP: 50,000,000

AP: 2,500,000

STR: ?

VIT: ?

DEX: ?

INT: ?

WIS: ?

CHA: ?

LUK: ?

I didn't care about not being able to see her actual stats— I was too preoccupied with her FIFTY MILLION MP to worry about that. A Maiden's MP is static at only one million. Salem is fifty times more powerful. Fifty fucking times.

In comparison, I haven't even reached the six digits yet.

That amount of magic can destroy a continent ten times over and still have more than enough to spare. Since she showed up, I knew I didn't stand a chance. Salem could kill me a hundred times before I'd even notice. I was at her mercy, and she knew it.

When she said she'd wipe out Mistral, she wasn't joking. She was so casually committed that it made me wonder just how many civilizations she had destroyed. How many people she slaughtered without a care in the world to be able to do such a thing so whimsically.

Understanding what brought her to this point, I used to feel a degree of sympathy, but now I know better. She is nothing but an irredeemable monster. One that must be eliminated for the good of Remnant.

…Which is why I brought her here.

"So then, I imagine this was the world you came from?" Salem asks, glancing at me.

"What makes you think that?" I respond.

"Oh, please. A boy of unknown origins and an otherworldly set of powers suddenly shows up in Remnant." She chuckles, getting uncomfortably close to me. "I am no fool, Astera. I'm fully aware that you're not human. Or at least, not entirely."

Her intelligence and wisdom do nothing to ease my worries. Her ability to figure things out so quickly only reinforces my deepest fears about her. She understands much more about me than I'm comfortable with.

My plan here has to work.

"I am still curious, however." She adds, tracing another finger over my chest. "What brought you to Remnant?"

"Why does it matter?" I narrow my eyes. "That's a little personal, don't you think?"

"Hmm, I suppose that's fair," Salem says, her smile never changing as her gaze feels like it's staring deep into my soul. "Then help me understand; how are you able to open these portals? What was that wormhole, and how did it become a door leading to this world?"

That's… a very loaded question.

Thankfully, before I can begin to answer, the ground starts to shake violently, making me crouch to keep my balance as Salem floats a few centimeters above the earth. Following that, the dungeon quest shows up.

[What Lies Below]

Objective: A colossal insectoid has been devouring and destroying everything in the region and growing at an alarming rate! Defeat it before it evolves into something worse!

Rewards: 100 Stat points, 5 Gacha Tokens, Staff of the Insect Emperor, 5 Gigapede Chitin

Oh, great. It's just what I need. More giant bugs.

I sense the insectoid coming from beneath me, prompting me to leap away from its pounce as it screeches. I flip and glower at it, taking out Goldbrand and summoning Gwyn to help me out as Sentry surrounds my body.

Although this is just an epic-tier boss, I'm still pretty amazed by its size. A gigantic centipede that's about maybe five hundred meters in length and twenty in width. Its speed is impressive, too. I'm definitely much stronger than that, and I can handle it even with my stats inhibited by the rings, but it's something alright.

Name: Gigapede

Title: Wasteland Hunter

Age: 518

Race: Colossal [Insectoid]

Level: 272

HP: 545,000

MP: 196,000

AP: [Locked]

STR: 3024

VIT: 2621

DEX: 1801

INT: 124

WIS: 51

CHA: -3

LUK: 10

If we were in a cave or something, then I would've been in a lot of trouble. It'd be like fighting the Dreadnought Titan, but ten times worse. Out in the open like this, though? Even with my limiters, this idiot is done for.

"Magnificent!" Salem says in amazement as she floats higher into the skies to get a better look. "What manner of creature is this?!"

"Don't interfere, Salem!" I yell at her, pumping myself with enhancement potions. "The bug is mine!"

"Oh, by all means!" She grins at me. "I'd like to see you handle this!"

The Gigapede screeches in anger as it tries to lunge at the flying witch, who doesn't do anything but casually evade its attacks. Before I charge at it, smaller but still giant centipedes dig up from the ground and surround us. They're all about the size of Gwyn, who growls threateningly.

"A waste of my fucking time…" I growl.

I wave my hand and cast a sea of blue flames that burn all the smaller bugs to ashes. The flames envelop the area, lashing out at the base of the Gigapede and rapidly burning its chitin.

This draws the attention of the giant monster, who looks down at me, feeling the intense flames and sensing that its entire family and servants have been killed in an instant. The monster ignores Salem, who must be a beacon of overwhelming power for it and tries to swallow me whole as it lunges at the ground.

I leap out of its way and fly to the sky, knowing that staying on the ground will give it an advantage, even with my observation haki. Gwyn follows closely, picking himself up with his wind control, waiting for the beast's attack next to me.

I prepare for an attack, sensing it is coming for me as the earth violently shakes again. But then, all of a sudden, dozens of rock spikes begin protruding from the ground before it lunges, making me click my tongue and avoid each and every one of them with ease.

The Gigapede follows up with an attack, as if the rock spells were mere distractions, and tries to chomp me with its pincer-like mouth. I see it coming a mile away and swing my sword, cleanly slicing through a chunk of its face and making it cry in pain and rage.

Before it can try to burrow into the earth again, I grab it by the pincer and drag it with me to the sky. The big idiot tries to cast more rock spells— tens of boulders and stone spears soar toward me, but nothing does damage as my armor easily tanks everything it can do.

Even the venom that it suddenly shoots out of its mouth is unable to penetrate Senty, so all it can do is flail around and screech as I drag its entire body out of the ground. I've dealt with bastards who can tunnel underground before, so I know damn well how to handle it.

With it ultimately helpless in the sky, I throw it further up and begin tearing it apart with my Armament Haki. Each swing of Goldbrand goes through its body without any resistance, burning its insides and turning it into a rain of tiny cooked chunks of bug meat.

I sheathe my sword and float down to the ground, leveling up from the boosted EXP and getting my rewards.

"Quite brutal, but very effective." Salem compliments as she lands next to me. "Color me impressed, Astera. With such absurd physical strength, no wonder you were able to defeat so many Titans."

I see the door back to Remnant appearing from the corner of my eye, but Salem doesn't notice it. But of course, she doesn't. The moment we stepped in here, I removed her from the party.

Right now, she can't see or access the doorway back home.

I know leaving her in Teralos won't fix everything, but this world is far more dangerous than Remnant. Monsters of her caliber aren't rare, and a lot of them are either dead or sealed, so she's not exactly safe here. In this world, Salem isn't as much of a threat as she is in Remnant. I feel guilty doing this, but this is the right thing to do. I'm sure of it.

Because without her, Remnant would start to heal. Grimm would be far less organized, and I wouldn't have to worry about her targeting my girls anymore. I'd have so much more time preparing for when I'll have to eventually fight her because she would have no way of coming back.

Hell, other dungeons wouldn't be off-limits, either. After all, while all of them lead to Teralos, each one leads to a different location. The chances of randomly stumbling on Salem while entering one of them are astronomically low.

If I want to save Remnant, trapping Salem here is my best bet. I just need a good distraction so I can leave.

"And how so very intriguing. A beast— a mere insect capable of manipulating the earth through its magic." She chuckles to herself, glancing at the chunks of the Gigapede. "For a world to be so filled with magic, even insects have mana. Just where have you brought me, Astera?"

"Intrigued enough to want to stay here?" I ask, wondering if I even need a distraction.

"Oh, believe me, it's very tempting." She spreads her arms. "To explore a new unknown world, uncover a new understanding of magic beyond my wildest dreams, and satiate my endless thirst for knowledge… Something I never once thought was possible. And yet, here it is, right before my very eyes."

I wait for her to continue.

"But you, Astera…" She looks at me with a sinister smirk. "You've reignited my once dormant hatred— you've turned faint and dying embers into a blazing inferno."

I frown at her, confused at what she means.

"With you shattering my expectations time and time again— showing me a new world of infinite possibilities…" Salem puts a hand on my cheek, making me see the maddening fury in her glowing red eyes. "You've sparked a renewed sense of hope that revenge against those miserable gods is feasible."

…

"Of course, I can simply ignore them and relish my time in this incredible world. I'm sure its magic would last for a few thousand years at least." She says. "But if I were to do so, I would never feel satisfied with myself. Not until I have their heads on a pike. "

"You want revenge on the brother gods?"

"Naturally. After all, they were the ones who started it." She answers. "This silly, unending game between Ozma and me."

"No, Salem. They didn't start it; you did." I accuse her, surprising her slightly. "You're the one who couldn't accept Ozma's death. You're the one that tried to rebel, knowing damn well you didn't stand a chance. Your arrogance is what made the gods wipe out most of humanity and take magic away with them. You're nothing but a grieving woman who has yet to accept what happened."

For the first time since we've met, Salem's smile drops, replaced with an annoyed frown. Clearly, she is very surprised that I know these things.

"And now look at you." I scoff. "Wiping out entire civilizations because you're bored. Spending thousands of years killing and destroying on a whim. Pretending to be a god."

"You're playing a dangerous game, Astera." She warns.

"Don't misunderstand me; I'm not defending them. Those two deserve to die for their horrific crimes," I add. "I'm just saying it's pretty ironic how you want revenge when you're as bad as they are."

Salem moves faster than I can even process, grabbing me by the neck and choking me. I try to get her hand off me, but her arm won't even budge despite my boosted stats. Still, even though I'm at her mercy, I can't help but smirk.

She's not even denying it.

"Did I hit a nerve?" I growl, mentally stopping the barking Gwyn from doing something stupid. "Yeah, not so fun when you're the one being read, is it?"

As Salem's glare continues, I'm fully aware that if she wants to, she could kill me in an instant. She knows it, too, and I can tell she's contemplating it. She knows she shouldn't, though, because then she would be stuck here forever.

After a few moments that felt like an eternity, Salem sighs, and her smile returns.

"Nicely done, Astera." She says, letting go of me. "You've made your point. Infuriatingly well."

"Then—"

"But I'm afraid that's not enough to abandon my mission." Salem quickly adds. "The brother gods will die by my hands. In fact…"

She gently runs her hand around my neck, and instantly, my HP is restored to full, and the bruise she left vanishes.

"Seeing that you believe the gods deserve to die as well, why can't we work together?" She suggests. "I imagine that, with our genius combined, slaying the brothers would be a trivial matter."

"Work with you?" I scowl at her. "You think I'd believe that?"

"Why not? We share a common goal, no? And I am more than willing to set aside my little squabble with Ozma." Salem responds, hands behind her back. "To tell the truth, I am growing weary of our endless back and forth."

I take a moment to study her expression.

"So?" She raises an eyebrow. "What say you?"

I can't detect a hint of deceit in her words; rather, it's as though the truth radiates from her very being. There's a sincerity in her gaze, a genuine desire to collaborate towards a shared purpose. But the question remains.

Why would I ever align myself with her? She embodies everything I fight against. A callous, heartless monster who barely even resembles a woman. Willingly working with her, even if it's for a common cause, feels like betraying all that makes me what I am.

Feeling conflicted, I blankly stare back at the expectant Salem, waiting for my answer patiently.

…But there's no denying the ungodly progress we'd be able to make together. With her as an ally, even temporarily, it would help me focus way more on figuring out ways to defeat the gods, perhaps through the use of specific weapons or, as much as I hate to even think about it, training under her.

I… shouldn't let my emotions get the better of me here. If I want to achieve my goals and make Remnant a utopia, then I have to be pragmatic— I need to put my feelings aside and work for a better future.

For the betterment of Remnant, I have to be willing to work even with the Devil. Otherwise, what kind of hero would I be?

Before I'm able to give Salem my answer, I sense incoming danger and quickly avoid a blast of magic, turning to look at the culprit with a scowl. What now?

Expecting to see another giant centipede that managed to hide from my fire spell, I pause in surprise at the beautiful elf woman pointing her blade at me. She has luscious blond hair, gentle blue eyes, and wears dark metal armor with the symbol of a blue crescent on the chest.

"Oh?" Salem looks at her in intrigue. "And who is this? Strangely-shaped ears. Is this what humans look like in this world?"

"Foul Leviathan." The woman announces, completely ignoring Salem. "You've broken the laws of the living world and committed a most grievous sin against Teralos. Come quietly, or your execution will be by the hands of Divine Champion Vaeri Elanoir of the Lunar Order."

What? What the fuck? Why is a Divine Champion after me? What did I do— Oh.

Oooooh… Laws of the 'living' world…

"Oh, naughty naughty, Astera~" Salem giggles as I hiss. "What have you done?"

The fucking resurrection ritual. Fuck me, they're fast. It's barely been ten minutes— how did they find me so quickly?

Name: Vaeri Elanoir

Title: Divine Champion of the Moon

Age: 231

Race: Half-Human Half-Elf

Level: 541

HP: 214,000

MP: 864,000

AP: [Locked]

STR: 2892

VIT: 1501

DEX: 3502

INT: 5602

WIS: 4501

CHA: 500

LUK: 150

Granted, I'm confident enough to take her on even though her stats are beyond what you'd see in an epic-tier dungeon. Hell, as a Divine Champion, she probably has some kind of secret weapon that her stats aren't showing.

Regardless, she's strong enough to force me to take off my rings. Fantastic…

I mean, hey, even without the rings, more EXP is more EXP, I guess…

I sigh to myself as the girl keeps glaring at me. No, I can't kill her. She's only following orders. She doesn't deserve to die. Unfortunately, I can't knock her out with Conqueror's either— she's too powerful for it to work on her.

Then again, the door to Remnant is still there, so it's not like I have to fight her.

…Could she work as the distraction I need? But if she were to fight Salem, she'd get crushed.

I slowly and quietly step back toward the door, making the Divine Champion narrow her eyes.

"Not another step, or I'll be forced to attack." She warns me. "I won't give you another warning. Drop your weapons and come quietly."

"Now, now, I'm sure Astera here didn't mean what he did," Salem says, getting in front of me. "He's a renowned hero in my world, you know?"

"Stand down, demon." The elf says, pointing her sword at the Immortal Witch. "I am not here for you. If you wish to stand in my way, I will cut you down."

"What an arrogant little girl." She chuckles, raising her arm. "Perhaps you need to be taught a lesson."

Feeling Salem's magic, I instinctively tense. As does the elf girl as she prepares for an attack.

"Don't," I growl.

"Why not?" She asks. "Clearly, she will not let us leave until she's defeated."

"Salem—"

"And frankly, I was getting a little bored." She adds. "This will do well as entertainment."

"Stop." I insist. "Don't do this."

Salem's grin widens almost maniacally.

"Allow me to show you what I'm truly capable of."

For a while, despite Salem aiming her hand at the girl, nothing really happens. To the point that even the Divine Champion looks confused, waiting for an attack that never arrives. For a split second, I thought Salem was just fucking with me— wanting to see me panic.

But then it happens.

Suddenly, the elf girl gasps as her stance is broken by… something. Some force that's trying to crush her from all directions. The girl can't even scream as her arms, legs, and torso slowly crush themselves, bleeding from every orifice on her head. Blood vessels explode, and her skin and muscles tear themselves apart, staining her armor and the ground with blood.

Her eyes are wide— fear and agony overwhelm the poor girl as she uselessly struggles against this invisible force. The horrific scene playing before me is hard to explain properly. The closest thing I can imagine would be like crumpling a piece of paper in your hand.

"Stop!" I yell at Salem, who is prolonging the Divine Champion's suffering for her own amusement. "That's enough!"

"So compassionate." She rolls her eyes. "Can't you see? She's your enemy. She was here to kill you."

"She was only following orders— she doesn't deserve this!" I plead. "Stop, please!"

"No, not quite." She chuckles. "She's still breathing."

Seeing the girl on the verge of death and Salem being uncooperative, my body decides to move on its own as I swing my fist at the Witch of Eternity as hard as I can, miraculously landing a hit on her face and sending her flying miles away.

Immediately, the hold on the Divine Champion disappears as she limply hits the ground, unconscious but alive. I rush to her side, taking her into my arms and healing her with a potion mere moments before her HP hits zero.

"Oh, thank god…" I sigh. "Shit, what do I do now?"

The girl is still unconscious, so I can't just leave her here. When Salem returns, she'll finish her off. I have to get her out of here.

Sensing the Immortal Witch making her way here, I carry the girl with me, add her to my party, and head towards the door leading to Remnant. But to my horror, Salem makes it back faster than I thought she would, as I hear her booming voice approaching.

"ASTERA!" She roars.

My jaw clenches as I see her soaring toward me with her arms extended, preparing to release a powerful magic blast with a crazy grin that makes a chill go down my spine. I won't make it in time— I have to do that again.

Sentry responds to my commands and injects me with its divine energy, giving me the boost I need to ram through the door with my shoulder and avoid Salem's attack. I grit my teeth as I feel my muscles tearing apart, the agonizing sensation making me nearly drop the girl, but the golem armor quickly stops the injection, thus not leaving any terrible wounds.

As I make it back to Remnant, the door closes behind me and disappears, successfully trapping Salem in Teralos and saving the elf girl's life.

I stumble backward and embrace the girl tightly to protect her from the fall, panting for oxygen before I start to laugh loudly. I did it— I actually fucking did it! Holy shit, my plan actually worked!

"Hahaha!" I excitedly pump my fist in the air. "No way that worked! I did it! Hooooly fuuuuck!"

I gently set the girl aside as I clenched my trembling fists, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart. I did it. I did it. I fucking WON. God, that was way too damn close. I never want to go through this again, man.

"Fuuuck…" I pant, covering my face.

I've never felt this good in my life.

"Oz is not gonna believe it," I mutter to myself as my familiar materializes next to me. "You better not tell anyone this, Gwyn, but I nearly pissed myself just now. Fifty million MP. Can you believe that? How the hell was I ever supposed to beat that? Jesus…"

It's over. It's finally fucking over. We can actually start rebuilding and pushing back without having to worry about her. The rest of the Titans? Yeah, they never worried me. They're either dumb animals or dormant. I have all the time in the world to prepare and take them out one by one.

The biggest threat is gone. I won't have to see her for a long, long time. I know it's not fair for Teralos to give it someone like her, but as I said, there are equally terrifying monsters in it. They can handle one more.

Remnant needs some time without Salem.

I rub my eyes, chuckling to myself a little before glancing at the unconscious elf girl next to me. As for her? Well, I'll just take her to another dungeon and leave her there with a few golems for protection in case the portal leads me to the wilds or something. It's not a big deal.

"Alright, buddy." I pet my giant wolf. "Let's return this one—"

Before I can get that sentence out, my chest suddenly flares in immense agony, making me gasp as my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. A dark circle forms around where I feel the pain as foreign magic invades my body out of nowhere.

The torment engulfs me, forcing a cry from my lips—an overwhelming and grotesque sensation that feels as if something is about to burst from my chest. The agony is intense, yet amidst the chaos, I recognize the presence of this mana tearing my insides.

I'm not sure how Salem's spell can affect me from worlds away or when she cast such a disgusting spell on me, but I don't have the luxury to ponder these things, so I urge Gwyn to flee, my voice filled with urgency.

"Take the girl with you and leave!" I scream. "Go! Farthest dungeon you've found!"

Although appearing hesitant for a split second, my familiar obeys and takes off with the Divine Champion, running away as fast as he can. I feel the foreign magic building up, slowly but surely, taking me over.

"I won't…!" I snarl as my fire magic flares, however helpless it may seem. "…Let you…!"

I take a deep breath, feeling a tickle in my throat, and then I cough up my own blood. At my command, Sentry responds, its presence shimmering with power as it injects me with its divine energy. The once-blue flames intensify, transforming into a brilliant swirl of white and gold.

With each flicker, they dance around me, rapidly consuming the tendrils of dark magic that threaten to overwhelm my essence. The air crackles with tension and power as the divine flames push back against Salem's spell, burning it away with fierce resolve.

"I won't fall to you!" I declare, persevering despite the pain of the divine and dark energies wreaking havoc in my body. "Not now, not ever!"

With a final, resounding roar that echoes through the air, the divine flames erupt, enveloping the entire forest in a blaze of unimaginable intensity. The fire surges upward, piercing through the dense clouds and creating a magnificent pillar of white-gold light that stretches high into the sky.

The radiant display illuminates the landscapes, bathing Mistral and even Remnant as a whole in brilliant gold for only a few seconds. In an instant, the pillar of divine flames is extinguished, leaving only tiny particles that slowly float down to the earth.

I fall to my knees, panting and gasping as the feeling in my chest persists, but the magic that tried to destroy my body doesn't. I clutch my chest and take a few moments to recover before I feel something building up in my throat, preventing me from breathing.

Following that, I experience what's probably the worst thing I've ever had to go through as I start throwing up a disgusting black and red mass, and, in front of my very eyes, it starts to change and take shape, growing in size as it sprouts arms and legs. By far, this is the most horrific thing I've ever seen as this… thing transforms into Salem.

Who, as soon as she regains her voice, starts to laugh like she's heard the funniest joke ever.

"Hahaha!" she cackles as she starts to clap. Now I notice that behind that insane grin, there is a mix of anger, worry, and joy in her eyes. "You almost had me there, you tricky bastard!"

Her laughter continues, and even though every cell in my body is screaming in pain, I get up anyway, shakily holding my sword as I glare at her.

"H-how?" I growl.

"You fool." She mocks in between giggles. "You acted too cooperative— I knew you were planning something, so I simply took precautions. I knew underestimating you would be my undoing."

Salem lets out a deep, satisfied sigh, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Unsuspecting moron." She says. "To think you would not notice the curse I cast onto you."

"A curse?"

"Yes. Right before that insect showed itself." She explains, tapping on her own chest.

My eyes widen in realization. When she touched me, that's why the curse started acting up in my chest first. How did I not notice it? I know I'm bad at sensing, but I would've felt foreign magic in my very magical body.

"Damn it all." I curse under my breath. "I should've known it wouldn't be that easy."

"Excellent effort, though, Astera," She chuckles. "Truly, I am beyond impressed."

Blue flames explode in my hand as I prepare for a battle I will surely lose. Injecting myself with more divine energy will help me close the gap a little, but that won't be enough. I have no way of killing her, and that state isn't reliable.

And trying to drink a potion in front of her wouldn't end well for me.

I may not stand a chance even when I'm fully recovered, but all I can do right now is fight. Because if I die here, I'd rather die on my goddamn feet.

"Oh, don't bother, Astera," Salem says as she sees me preparing for a fight, returning her to her calm persona. "I've seen enough. I'm satisfied."

"What?" My frown deepens.

"You've answered my questions. And although I am a little annoyed that you've practically declined my offer to join forces, you were entertaining enough to make up for it." She clarifies. "I'll let you off the hook for now."

I don't say anything as I watch her float off the ground.

"You're one of a kind, Reid Astera." She mutters. "Until we meet again."

With that, she flies away at a speed that makes her look like she's teleporting, making me fall on my rear and breathe a sigh of relief. I'm trembling even more now; I can barely hold a potion properly.

Fuck…

Before I'm even able to get back on my feet, I hear a guttural roar in the distance as I see an unforgiving sea of fire engulfing a part of the forest. I quickly heal to full and force myself to the sky, eyes wide in shock as I see the rampage of a Beringel Titan Grimm.

My shock turns into seething fury as my jaw clenches, hands balling into fists before I rush toward the monster.

It's just one thing after the other.

More on pa tre on