---
Darys stared the woman straight in the eyes, too weak to summon any strength. So instead, she relied on her natural ability—her eye.
She locked her gaze on the woman's, silently enchanting her into lowering her guard.
...Crunch... Crunch...
The woman, under the silent command of Darys' eye, began walking toward her.
Let me bite that neck. I need to replenish my mana, Darys thought.
As the woman drew nearer, Darys extended her arm, reaching for her head.
...Grab... Ughhh...
A grunt escaped her lips as her left arm was seized and twisted in the opposite direction. If she weren't a high-ranking demon, she would have been flailing in agony.
But she was. A demon of high rank—of the blood demon clan. Pain was nothing new.
"At last, I can feel that power," the woman said in a low tone. "Tell me—where did you put the orb?"
"W-Who are you?" Darys asked weakly.
"Me? No one. Just a widow seeking revenge," the woman replied, her expression distant, almost hollow. "Anyway, let me just—" she paused, sniffing the air.
...Sniff... Sniff...
She leaned closer to Darys.
Seizing the moment, Darys lunged at her throat.
...Uuuunnn...
But her head slammed against an invisible barrier of black-purple energy. The woman's eyes now glowed with fury.
"You're tainted with Paisley's mana. Tell me, which Paisley are you associated with?" she growled.
"I-I'm not associated with any of them!" Darys cried out.
The woman stared at her in disbelief.
"I'll find out myself," she said, summoning black-purple energy into her hand. It concentrated at her forefinger before she pressed it into Darys' forehead.
"Well, well. Looks like you've been through a lot. I pity you," she muttered. "Oh... so that's where you sent the orb. That'll lead me to her…"
Her face brightened as she withdrew her finger from Darys' head.
...Urghh... Darys groaned, wishing for death after what she just experienced.
"I'm amazed you survived that. Even the hero couldn't," the woman said with awe, gazing at her. "Give them what they want. I'll be on my way."
She smiled and summoned a dark cube, which scanned her body.
...Cringgg... Cring...
Darys watched in horror as the woman slowly transformed—not into just a demon, but into someone identical to her.
"N-No... how can that be?" Darys whispered.
"The world is vast and wide, little one," the woman said as she stretched her newly-formed wings.
"Tell me your name. Who are you?" Darys asked.
The woman paused, touching her lips thoughtfully.
"It doesn't matter anymore. My name is Valerina... Pai—... Just Valerina," she answered.
And with that, Valerina took off into the sky, flying toward the direction where the orb had vanished.
Sigh... What have I gotten myself into, my Queen? Darys thought, watching her disappear.
"She was about to say Paisley... wasn't she?"
...Crunch... Crunch...
Just as she was about to drift into unconsciousness, a noise behind her stirred her senses.
Oh no, not again, Darys thought.
She turned to look, and a wave of bloodlust hit her.
Out stepped Dracula, accompanied by a woman Darys vaguely recognized.
"Demon, you've made us suffer enough. Don't expect a peaceful death."
Darys simply wanted to die already.
---
At the edge of the Weeping Plane, beside the Abyss Crack, stood a small encampment of demons. They were on high alert as a demon will—a final burst of energy released upon death—had just passed through the barrier, carrying an item ordered by the Queen.
Baran, a demon captain from the Damun region, was grinning ear to ear. At last, he would be recognized by His Highness, the Demon King. And with Darys out of the picture—dead, by the looks of the demon will—he could finally claim credit for retrieving the orb.
That annoying bitch had been bossing him around just because of her bloodline rank.
But now, with her gone, he could finally climb the ranks, command his own squadron, and indulge himself with a few Enchanters under his wing.
"Hand over that item you're holding, demon," came a chilling voice behind him.
Baran froze. A cold sweat broke across his back. He recognized that voice.
He turned. "W-Welcome back to the Demon Realm, Miss Darys!" Baran shouted. "Here's your item! I, Baran, protected it with utmost care!"
"Just hand it over," Darys said flatly.
"H-Here." Baran handed it over, watching her closely.
Darys took the horn with the embedded orb into her hands.
...Shing...
As she turned to walk away, she froze. A cold blade now pressed against her neck.
"You're not that bitch," Baran said. "Who are you?"
"Remove your sword," Darys growled, glaring at him as she touched the blade's tip with her bare hand—now glowing with dark purple energy—"unless you want to die a very painful death, demon."
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