Thus, this invasion did not cause the Demon Race to fall into panic either. The top priority was to find the Demon King within that massive lair.
Though it looked close, that was merely an optical illusion.
The “city gate” was fifty kilometers away from the Demon King’s lair, and the entire path was filled with a labyrinth of small cities made up of intricate Demon Race nests. They could not capture Avira’s swift figure.
She stood on what could barely be called a “balcony,” preparing to jump in, when the Holy Sword’s voice suddenly rang out:
“Saintess, you are even faster than anticipated. I suggest you wait two hours before seeking the Demon King.”
Wait another two hours?
Avira was speechless. How could her past self in this world be more hesitant than her future self? Had she wasted too much time with the Demon Race guards?
She did not think too deeply about it, merely muttering the Emperor God’s earlier words: “You are more sensible than your mother.”
The answer seemed close at hand, but she could not confirm it. She could only treat the fragments in her mind as mere fancy.
During the wait, however, Avira grew increasingly bored, as if something monumental was happening right now, yet she had no right to partake.
“Holy Sword, I’m taking action.”
“…You may observe the surroundings, but try not to interfere.”
Avira jumped into the lair.
Unlike the crude exterior, the interior of the lair was a spacious area pieced together from solid stone and wooden planks, resembling a patched-up castle. The air was refreshingly clean, surprisingly comfortable.
“What exactly is happening here? Why can’t I interfere? Is the Demon King just taking a bath? Afraid I’ll peek?” Avira asked the Holy Sword.
“…” The Holy Sword remained silent.
Suddenly, a soft feminine voice came from the direction of the floor.
“Ah…”
It was a somewhat familiar voice. In this timeline, few from the Demon Race could produce a human-like sound.
Out of curiosity, Avira knocked out a few beast-like creatures that resembled Evil Demons and descended the stairs.
At that moment, she sensed a familiar aura.
It was gentle yet scorching, sweet yet dangerous. The instant it touched Avira’s skin, it caused a spasm, awakening a deep instinct within her that made her stick out her tongue, her face flushing slightly.
She knew exactly what this was!
—Demon Essence from the Demon King!
Ophitia was releasing her Demon Essence!
Avira hurried downward, twisting and turning, until she stopped before a grand hall.
What was happening behind the wall made her instantly understand why the Holy Sword had tried to stop her from meeting the Demon King.
—Amber.
Her own mother, Amber, knelt in the center of a purple magic array at that moment. Her dress was slightly tattered, as if she had been through a battle. Dangerous Demon Essence flowed over her entire body like glowing tentacles, devouring every inch of her skin. Her vacant eyes flickered with a faint red light, resembling the precursor to demonization. Demonic patterns gradually emerged on her clasped, pristine jade legs, and even her white wings were bound together by deep blue chains, along with her pleas for mercy, as she step by step approached the abyss of corruption.
On the throne, the one controlling the magic array was Ophitia.
She had deep blue hair, wore a black dress, and her beautiful legs were adorned with a black garter, making them appear even more slender and enticing. The Demon King’s willow waist was slender enough to grasp, and her face—seven parts mature, three parts cute—was etched with seriousness. Crystal-like scales shimmered with rainbow hues.
She cautiously manipulated the magic, determined to corrupt Amber into her subordinate.
In her nightingale-like voice, she said, “Amber, the Emperor God does not like angels. She treats all life as tools for order, destroyed the Demon Race, and denied all your efforts. Do you really have the confidence to protect your family?”
“I… don’t.”
Ophitia knew she had succeeded, yet there was no trace of a smile on her face.
“Join me, become one of the Demon Race. This is the angels’ fate—yours and your daughter’s. You need not throw yourselves into fire and bloodshed for a mission, slaughtering each other to become tragic fireworks in the sky of history.”
“I want to… become… a demon.” By now, Amber had submitted to the Demon King’s will.
Avira held her breath as she watched the power burrow into Amber’s body, just like how the Hero Squad had been infected by Demon Essence, gradually transforming her into a demon. However, the magic had not reached its peak; it had consumed too much energy. Ophitia nearly fainted from exhaustion.
Avira’s face was full of heartache, but she had lingered too long.
“Who’s there?!”
Ophitia snapped awake at the unfamiliar aura. Fortunately, Amber’s corruption was complete; she lay in the center of the magic array, quietly eroded by the Demon Essence, as if falling into a black pond, having lost consciousness.
Avira stepped out.
Ophitia had depleted all her magic power. How could she fight another angel now?
But she was the strongest of the Demon Race, the Demon King after all. She could adapt on the fly, pretending she was completely unaffected. And she knew the angel before her was Amber’s daughter, Avira.
“Miss Angel, I didn’t expect you to come looking for your mother yourself. As you saw, your mother chose to submit before the Demon Race,” Ophitia said with feigned embarrassment.
“Oh.”
Avira rubbed her head, feeling trapped—neither fleeing nor staying seemed right.
“Holy Sword, what do I do now?”
“Don’t worry, Saintess. You just need to be yourself.”
“…I’ll trust you for now.”
After meeting the Demon King, Avira finally understood why the Emperor God and the Holy Sword had seemed utterly unconcerned. She also knew why she was the Emperor God’s finest creation.
Ophitia was very weak.
The Demon King before her had exhausted all her magic power. But with just one glance, Avira could tell she was nowhere comparable to the one who had absorbed two seals.
【B+-Rank】
That was Avira’s conclusion.
Even after absorbing the angel Amber as a familiar, she was unlikely to reach 【A-Rank】.
In other words, the Amber of this world was not as powerful as the Dark Angel of the real world either.
In short, Avira had a headache.
How could she, in this world where power levels were severely undervalued, fight the Demon King to a deathmatch, an evenly matched battle?
One misstep, and the entire Demon Lair would turn into an uninhabited ruin, a bloody slaughterhouse for the Demon Race.
“What’s wrong, angel? Scared of me? If you want to save your mother…”
“Ophitia, what did you have for breakfast today?” Avira walked forward as she spoke.
“Hah?”
Ophitia nearly dropped her jaw. The woman before her had called her by name directly! She even walked right up. Had her depleted magic been exposed?
“Don’t come closer! This is a warning!”
“In an environment like this, you probably don’t get many good meals either. You wouldn’t even know the concept of cooking, eating cold raw meat every day, right?”
Avira’s words made Ophitia tremble.
What did she want?! She wasn’t afraid at all, and there was no killing intent either?!
What was even more baffling was that everything this woman said made perfect sense.
Avira, however, did not care if her behavior was odd.
After all, she was just playing herself.
