Demon vessel
"..."
The girl said nothing in response, her eyes darting between the masked inquisitor's face and hand.
"...hmm~"
"My name is H-GHAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!?"
In the end, the girl hummed and did take the man's as he happily began to introduce himself, only for his words to change into a screech of pain as his palm was cleanly torn off of his wrist with just the slightest flick of the girl's fingers.
"!?!?"
"You…! What…!?"
Mina was too stunned to react, and even Blake could only let out a few dumbfounded words as their comrade jumped away from the black-haired girl and rolled on the ground while clenching his handless arm attempting to stop the outpour of blood.
"Kid, what do you have to say about his blood?"
The unbothered girl asked, seemingly deaf to the cries of panic from the onlookers who decided it was high time to stop enjoying the show or their lives might be in danger.
"...it… it reeks…!"
The young lesser vampire flinched and cowered his nose but ended up gulping down his saliva and bravely muttering despite his unease.
Similarly, his two thralls were grimacing and looking away, which definitely wasn't how the likes of them should react to the crimson bodily fluid.
"Oh, and here we go. Fingernails… or maybe toenails? How in the world did Gore's cultist end up as an inquisitor? Puss-for-brains can take over them at any time but still got unnoticed…?"
The girl nodded to herself with an annoyed smile, observing the hand she severed and watching the stub sprout keratin growths that seemed to attempt to connect back to the main body without realizing how far away it was.
"But… but… he wasn't… when could that…?"
The abyss-eyed inquisitor trembled and shook his head.
"...!"
The words got stuck in his throat as the undeniable proof of the demonic energy corruption - the keratin growths from the wound were blatantly presented to him.
"Blake?! Pull yourself together!"
Although shaken and confused, Mina rushed up to him, grabbing him and stopping him from falling.
"You… LITTLE WHORE! YOU WILL PAY!"
Separate from them, their wounded comrade howled, straightening his back while still on his knees and slamming his healthy hand against his chest.
*crack*
That one hit produced an odd sound more similar to something like glass or porcelain shattering than anything a flesh should make…
"GHHH!"
The fallen inquisitor let out a pained gasp and ended up on all fours, heaving in agony.
"Let's see if my guess is correct with this one…."
The back-haired girl crossed her arms, still holding on to the severed hand, and leaned back, observing the tormented man.
The fallen inquisitor's body began changing under his leather suit. The seams could no longer hold the attire together and burst open as the man grew twice of his original size.
His limbs grew disproportionately long as his whole body covered in sores grew long fingernails that together became something akin to a nightmarish dress straight from a tormented madman's delusion.
Even though his mask was torn to shreds, his face was obstructed as even longer fingernails grew out downwards from his forehead, creating a yellowish veil-like curtain.
After two fleshy growths sprouted from his back and grew more of the abhorrent fingernails, imitating feathers for a repugnant parody of wings, the transformation was complete.
"A male vessel out of nowhere? Disgusting!"
The demonized man looked at his hands, one with a grotesque hand with thin and freakishly long spider-leg-like fingers, and the other with a clump of keratin growths bundled up in the shape of a mace straight out of the wrist… clearly a botched attempt at regeneration.
"WHO DARES TO…?!"
"Well, if it isn't the experiment of Gore's favorite nutjob of a researcher. The failed copy of Sophia."
The demon-crowned man growled, standing up and straightening his back, but got interrupted by the mocking scoff of the black-haired girl.
"...what did you just call me…?"
The creature hissed with fury, turning so it would face the irreverent girl.
"Puny human! Do you have any idea what blight just befell your land?! I AM…!"
"Sapiena. The second general of demon lord Gore. I have you know that I hated your questline in every single playthrough with all my heart."
The demon announced, looking around as if excited about finding itself in the middle of a human settlement, but its grand introduction was foiled again by the black-haired girl shaking her head and sighing with annoyance.
"...how…?! How do you know about me…?"
The last interruption was more than just annoying, as it took the demon by complete surprise.
"Wait… no…! You're a new member of the Seven Authorities!"
The demon must have read the memories of its vessel as it suddenly gasped and jumped away as far as the area they were in allowed it to.
"WHO BETRAYED ME!? WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT MY EXISTENCE!?"
Sapiena roared, pointing the mace-like hand at the black-haired girl.
"DIE!"
As if its panic was just a ruse, the demon howled without waiting for the girl's response. Pushing its damaged arm even further forward, it launched a barrage of fingernail-like projectiles from its keratin mace.
"...!"
The attack was too unexpected for the girl with her arms crossed to react, and her flesh was pierced right through, with her torso posing as much of an obstacle to them as a wet tissue. It didn't seem as if even a single one got stuck inside but it made for a little difference with the girl's torso riddled with holes.
"Pffft…! AHAHAHA! So you were a glass cannon and nothing more!?"
Seeing the damage it caused, the relieved demon vessel laughed while the girl riddled with holes swayed on her feet and dropped her head.
"Humans are such puny fools. They must have cultivated you in a hurry to fill up their ranks... Ha! Maybe I was a bit misguided... This vessel isn't so bad for a male, after all. And since I'm already here, maybe I'll…"
Sapiena hummed confidently, turning to the side as if eyeing out the remaining two inquisitors paralyzed by horror.