Forbidden Forest, Here we come!

EHHHHHHH?!?!

The book said that in order to find the legendary scythe, we have to go inside the Forbidden Forest. Like, literally INSIDE the forest. For illustration, it's stomach.

I REALLY don't want to go there.

The forest has eaten so many things, including demons. Have I said that demons are a powerful race?

Yeah!

They are!

One may form a contract with them, if worthy.

...or one will be tortured by them.

"Huh? We need to head in the stomach of the forest??...Sounds intriguing~" Nadia showed her devilish grin.

"INTRIGUING?? ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS??" I cannot believe that she finds this amusing.

Well, she's a demon after all.

That makes sense.

"Of course! I love an adventure! I've been sealed for a decade, right? So I'm fluttered for some wild actions~"

She flies above the tall library and twirls while holding her black cape. She's also releasing her shiny pixie dusts while she fly up high.

It hurts my eyes.

You know what's more hurtful than pixie dust in your eyes?

YOUR PRIDE IS ON HOLD! I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S FLUTTERED BY WILD ACTIONS AND STUFF!!! IS SHE A MASOCHIST?? A SADIST?? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!!!

"You're freaking messed up, aren't you?" I said under my breath.

"What?" Nadia asked while looking down on me.

She couldn't hear me since she's busy fluttering up in the air.

I pretended to focus on the book.

"Nothing."

She doesn't need to know.

"Hey, Dumb One? Lemme ask you something..." I flip the page with my right hand and my other hand is signaling her to come to me.

Nadia fly down towards me. "Yeah?"

"Well...You always say that you're the most powerful demon, right?" I asked but my eyes are glued to the book.

"Of coursee~" She let her pride take over her.

"Then, are you the most informative too?" I look at her.

"Duhhh, what sort of demon do you think I am?~" She flips her hair and rolls her eyes.

"Do you know how to get into the Forbidden Forest? I mean the INSIDE of the forest." I asked her seriously.

"Of course I do!~" She flips her hair again and continue.

"All you need to do is follow my lead~" I believe her since she's more powerful than me.

"Sure."

"Great! Let's move tomorrow!!" She said with full of excitement in her voice.

We go to our room and rest. I lie down on my bed and let out a huge sigh.

"Ahh~ It's gonna be a long day tomorrow-"

I'm scared, but I'll not back away.

I need my scythe back to get revenge on The Hero!

*The next day*

(Nadia's POV)

*yawns*

I had a good sleep.

I love me own bed.

Oh wait-

Today is the day!!! We're going to the FORBIDDEN FOREST!!! I AM EXCITED!!! Let's get ready~

I shower and dress myself in my beautiful flower patterned, dark blue drop-waisted dress. I am also wearing a black hood. For shoes, I'm wearing a pair of stylish dark blue boots.

It compliments me so well~

"Now I'm done with my preparations, let's wake the human." I then walk to Kevin's room and knock on the door.

No one answered.

It's strange to be honest.

I also couldn't feel my necklace anywhere in his room.

I open the door and notice it's not locked.

I look inside.

Like I suspected. No one's there.

"Where could he be?"

I turn into my so called Dumb Form...

I don't even know why he calls me that every time I'm in this form.

Well I think it's cute nonetheless.

Anyway~

I'm too lazy to go around in my BIG, HUMONGOUS, MAGNIFICENT and IMPRESSIVE castle in order to look for him.

Sooo~

I'll do something so simple and less time wasting.

I closed my eyes and mutter.

"Locate."

Then, a vision appears in my mind. It's a lot easier to see with my eyes closed to be honest.

"Found you~" I grinned.

(Kevin's POV)

I woke up in the middle of the night.

"Ughh- I can't sleep well! It's like something is messing with my mind."

I get off from the bed and exit my bedroom. It is so freaking dark in the hallway. It's like a real demon's lair-

Well, Nadia is a demon after all...

So that makes sense.

As I'm walking in the dark and cold hallway, I keep on thinking about what I should do against the obstacles that might fall upon us when we're in the forest. I keep on thinking and thinking until I reached the end of the hallway.

I open the door at the end of the hallway and I see a beautiful garden full of roses. It looks like a human's garden rather than a demon's.

I walk out the door and take tiny steps on the small stairs right outside the door.

When I walk down the small and short stairs, I look towards the garden and I can smell the roses. I walk towards the garden slowly as I feel my consciousness are fading away.

"La, la la la la la, la la la, la la, laa~ mmmh~"

A graceful sound is heard in my ears the moment I walk deeper in the garden.

It is as if someone, or some girl is humming in the middle of the night, somewhere in the rose garden.

I approach the cause of the sound slowly and quietly like I'm trying to spy on her.

My paces are getting slower and slower as I'm closer to the sound.

My heart flutters.

I feel hot all of the sudden.

My face is burning hot and sweat flows down on every inch of my body parts. It's like I'm walking straight towards a big fire.

As I'm walking closer, my visions are getting blurry.

I know this feeling.

It's like my mind is being compressed.

This is dangerous!

I don't know where and what I'm heading towards to.

Despite my blurry visions, I tried all my might to look ahead of me.

"Pleasee...Let me look just a little-" I manage to stop my pace and focus on what's ahead of me.

"..."

Wait.

The humming stopped.

...did she notice my presence??

"you're here~"

What is this? A child?? Her voice sounds so soft and graceful...

"fufu~" She giggles.

I can feel a warm, rose scent, soft breeze blows at me. The breeze made me fall on my knees.

IS SHE HEADING TOWARDS ME?!?! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO?? YEAH OF COURSE SHE'S A CHILD, BUT WHAT IF SHE'S DANGEROUS?! I NEED TO MOVE!!!

As I'm trying to move my body, something pulls me away from where I stand.

"What are you doing in there, human?" A voice said suddenly...

She sounded so familiar though

...Is it...

NADIA!!!

I can finally open my eyes and look around me in panic.

"W- WHAT HAPPENED TO ME??"

"You spent hours in there, that's what happened~ You went into the Luring Garden alone...Luckily I found you before anything happens to you." Nadia said while flipping her hair at me.

"HOURS?? What is that place?" I asked with sweats all over my face and my body.

"You heard a little girl humming didn't you?" Nadia said while smirking at the garden.

"Y- Yeah..." I admitted.

Nadia looks at me and turns back into her Dumb Form.

"It is called the Luring Garden."

She flies towards the gate of the garden and embrace one of the roses. She continues.

"I grew roses for filling up my leisure time over decades ago. Even before I was sealed." She turn to look at me and fly towards me.

"The garden was so beautiful just like it is now...But-" She stop talking for awhile.

"What is it, Nadia?" I'm too curious to wait.

Nadia switch her gaze from me to the garden.

"After my garden successfully bloomed with the healthiest roses in the world..." She flips her hair and continues.

"A goddess came and blessed my garden with everlasting soil. Which, made my roses so healthy that they can't die~ They're also enchanted so that they'll bewitch whoever smells even the slightest scent of these roses."

Soon after she finishes her explanations, the gate of the garden closes slowly.

"I don't know her name, though, but I'll always thank her for that~" Nadia smiled warmly.

The sun rises, and we can see morning dew from the petals of the roses. It is very exquisite.

"Then, shall we get going?~" Nadia said with a warm smile.

"Yes~" I agreed.

--------------------------------------------------

We've finally arrived in front of the Forbidden Forest after a few hours of walking...and flying-

"This is it, Kevin~" Nadia looks at me with excitement.

"Y- Yeah..." I'm nervous, but I can't let fear or my nerves take over me!

"Let's go!" I said.

We then enter the forest. It was dark even when it's still 10 o'clock because the tree branches covered the sky. "My, my, my~ It's as beautiful as it's illustrated in those books I've read~" Nadia flew around excitedly. It's a bit weird if she does it in her Dumb Form...

"Hey, Dumb One. Show me the path already!" I glared at her like a flying bug.

"Oh right!" She said this as she flew in front of me. "Follow me~" She gestured with her hand as a signal to follow her. I tailed behind her.

Nadia flies happily when she leads me to the Forbidden Forest's stomach entrance. She's humming an annoying but creepy song repeatedly. I think it's a demon song.

...Who knows? I'm not a demon...

"When are we gonna arrive, Dumb One?? I have been walking for hours...My feet are killing me." I complained.

"We're almost there...Look!!!" She points towards a weird looking tree with her tiny finger.

"Sooo, we just have to enter this weird tree?" I asked her unbelievably.

I can't believe it.

I thought it'll be something like...I don't know, Gate of Hell? Well, since we're literally going to a horrible place like hell-

Nadia's looking at me with her judgy eyes.

"Duhhh~ Let's haste, human! I'm sensing something bad will happen."

I tried to question her, but when I touch her necklace around my neck, I sense it too. It's like you're feeling something uncomfortable in your stomach and your chest is heavy all of a sudden.

"Y- Yeah...Let's do that." Without any hesitation, we enters the tree.

*A few minutes after we enter the tree*

"Ughh-" I groaned.

I open my eyes, and just to my surprise, I'm in a new but very odd place. A place that's too hard to identify. For illustration, a bunch of boulders and dead trees around us. The sky is different from before. It's like in a middle of a solar eclipse. There are also no clouds in sight. Like absolutely nothing in the sky except for the sun eclipse.

Other than that, 'nada'~

"Oh good! You're awake~ Finally we can start moving." Nadia said as she bites her chocolate bar while sitting on one of the boulders.

It's weird...

She's in her demoness form.

"Oi, Dumb One. What happened to your fairy princess costume?" I tried to hold my laughter when I saw her vague pout while eating her chocolate bar.

She just glares at me to hide her emotions.

That egoistic bug...

"Well, clearly, this place forcefully reveals one's true form..." She flips her hair and look away from me.

"...not that I like it..." She whispered under her breath.

Welp-

That can't be help.

She really love her dumb costume more than her true, magnificent form. Yeah~ I admit. She's a lot cooler this way-

Nadia gets off the boulder and stands up tall.

"Let's move!" She said in a firm voice.

I nod in agreement.

We both walk together for god knows how long. Time works differently in here.

"Hey Nadia. Have you ever been in a war between demons?" I asked to break the silence.

"Of course, sugar~ I am the most important demoness in the demon realm, after all~" She said in a prideful way.

And don't forget, she also flipped her hair.

"I see. So you must be experienced in combat, right?" I asked again.

"Duhhh~" She flips her hair again.

"Good then..." I grinned.

--------------------------------------------------------

We've finally arrived at the center of the stomach.

It's a wide and an open field with the scythe in the middle, being chained away.

"Nadia- There's my scythe." I pointed at the scythe.

"Well, go get it then~" She gestured with her hand, like shooing me away.

Without any hesitations, I walk to the scythe and analyse the chains and conditions. Because, I don't want to get attacked by the dark magic in the scythe.

"YOU MUST BREAK THE CHAINS FIRST, DARLING~!" Nadia shouted from the distance. I can hear her sarcasm from miles away.

I switch my gaze from Nadia to the scythe. I pull out my hand closer to the scythe and I can feel it's dark magic's increasing. Just when I'm about to touch the scythe, Nadia yelled.

"Human!!"

Without looking at her, I said. "Yeah yeah...I know. Break the chains."

I can't seem to get my hand to touch the scythe because of some kind of barrier around the chains.

"No! Humans are here!" Nadia shouted and teleported beside me.

"WHAT??" It can't be-

No one knows the location of the scythe except me, Nadia and...

The Hero.

Nadia points behind me and I turn around to look.

"Holy crap-"

Yeah- I did expect a turn around event, but CLEARLY NOT THIS!!

"What do we do?" Nadia asked while glaring straight at the Hero's army.

They're around 300 soldiers, but I can see some of them are injured.

"Alright! No need to panic." I said.

"What? Panic? I'm not- I'm thrilled~" She grinned devilishly.

It's scary being near her right now, but, now is not the time!

"CHARGEE!!!! TAKE THE SCYTHE AND KILL EVERYONE IN YOUR WAY!!!" A man said with a firm voice. I've never seen him before in the palace. Looks like he's the commander...

"You hold them off as much as you can! I will try to break these chains." I ordered her.

"Sure~!" She smirked and leaped into the battlefield.

Hang tight, Dumb One! I'm counting on you~

"ARGHHHH!!!"

It hurts!

My fingers are burning!

How am I suppose to break these chains??

I look at Nadia and looks like she's having fun. I saw her grins when she killed the soldiers. What a menace.

I still have time to break the chains.

...I hope so.

(Nadia's POV)

"Sure~!" I leap into the battlefield and use me claws to slash the soldiers. Their armor is invulnerable, making it harder for my claws to penetrate.

But I managed.

One of the soldiers slashed their blade at me. I dodged their attacks without any difficulties.

It's a bit disappointing though.

I expected a lot from them because of their armor and confidence.

Well, what can I do about it? Humans are fragile nonetheless~

"I'm dealing with them just like how you humans deal with mosquitoes~" I said while throwing bodies of soldiers, making a mountain of corpses behind me.

I look at the commander of the soldiers.

"You there! Are you the leader?~" I asked from the distance.

"What if I am?" He replied without hesitation.

So confident I must say...

"Then you, my dear, are the one I must kill~" I rushed in the commander direction with my right hand holding a fist. I was hoping that he'd be surprised by my speed...

But he doesn't.

To my surprise, he stopped my attack with one hand.

"Is this all you got?~" He smirked at me and hold my fist tightly until I hear a cracking sound coming from my fist.

"Ah-" I let out a soft moan and glared at him.

Without any hesitations, I use my left hand and choke him. "You're quite strong for a human~ Wanna be my pet?~" I winked at him.

"W- What-?" He got caught off guard and loosened his grip unintentionally.

"Gotcha~" I grinned.

With that, I use my left hand to choke him harder and I pull my right hand away from him. I freed my hand and I slap him with haste.

I am shocked that his head stayed intact with his body after my slap...

I release my left hand from choking him and leaps away from him.

I look at him with cautions but I stay calm.

"You're amusing, sugar~ If you surrender now, I promise I'll take good care of you..as my pet~" I smirked.

He held his head with his hands and 'fixed' his broken neck in an instant.

He smiles as he looks at me.

"I think I have to pass on that." He held his heavy axe.

I like him~ I want to play with him more!

"Say~ What's your name?~" I asked as I twirl my hair around my finger.

"Call me Kaius." He said with a smile in a firm voice.

Kaius? What a cute name for a strong man like him~ "Well, shall we dance?~" I asked and bowed at him.

I grinned so hard I couldn't stop-

"Hey, Kevin! You can take your time with those chains~ I wanna play some more!~" I grinned while saying that without looking at Kevin.

"Okay!" Kevin agreed.

I rush towards Kaius and leap above him to swing a kick at him. As expected, he blocked it right on time with both of his hands, making him drop his axe. My kick made him squat just to hold onto my kick.

"Your blows are a lot stronger than before~" He said as his hands are trembling from my blows. I knew he was struggling, but he doesn't want to show it.

How witty~

He smiles and blows me away, causing me to crouch to stay on the ground.

"Fuh~" I panted as I'm trying to stand back up.

"I gotta admit. You're strong, sugar~ But can you take this?~" I grinned and raise my hand to the sky to cast my spell.

"Hail the Thunder~"

All of a sudden, the plain sky is full with black clouds. Thunder is grumbling heavily.

"You should've died when I kicked you, sweetie~" I winked and drop my hand in front of me towards Kaius' direction as I mutters "Lightning strikes~"

The black clouds twirl above Kaius, and a powerful lightning strikes down straight on him.

"Bubye~" I gave a little wave as I smirk.

(Kevin's POV)

There are 8 chains in total. And I manage to break 2 of them. Even that burned my hands.

IT FREAKING HURTS!!!

"Yahoo~" Nadia patted my shoulder.

"Ya done?" I asked without looking at her.

"Duhh~ Like I said, I'm powerful~" She flips her hair as always.

Even so, I'm glad she won...The Hero's armies are not easy to defeat. Glad she could win.

"Still struggling?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm. I turn my head to the side and glares at her.

"YA THINK??" I said this as I showed her my burned hands.

"hehehe...he~" She laughed nervously.

"W- Well, let me help!" She pushed me to the side and touched the chains.

Her hands are glowing purple in colour.

The necklace also glowed.

She close her eyes and starts mumbling some spells. I can't hear exactly what she said, so I just leave her be.

I thought it wasn't going to work, but suddenly the chains broke one by one. There was a time gap between the broken chains, but I'm not complaining~

Nadia breaks almost all of the chains, and then, all of a sudden, she is sent flying in the air.

"AHHHHHH!!!" Nadia screamed.

"NADIA!!" I yelled her name confused.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?!" Nadia's panicking.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA..." We heard a man laughed wickedly in a distance behind us.

I turn around to find the source of the laugh.

Turns out, it was Kaius.

I knew it!

I knew this man is the same man I saw in the Hero's Palace.

"You really thought you've won?" Kaius said as he grabbed his axe with his right hand, meanwhile his left hand gestured a praying pose. I'm guessing that's how he controls Nadia.

Nadia shouted from the sky. "YAAAAA!!! RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT, PEASANT!!"

Kaius look super unbothered.

He gazed at Nadia. "No can't do, ma'am. You are just too strong for me. I think I'm going to kill your master here while you're figuring how to break yourself out~"

Without any hint, Kaius rush at me and slash me with his axe.

"AHHHHH!!!" It's heavy...

Luckily I manage to use Nadia's magic powers to create a shield. Otherwise, I'm long gone-

I was sent far away to the back from Kaius.

"You're quite a combatant aren't ya?~" Kaius said this while charging his axe effortlessly.

"Yea...No- I hate combats!" I raised my hand towards Nadia and signaled her.

"Now!"

Nadia grins and is freed from Kaius' powers.

She turn into a light purple ball to enter her necklace around my neck.

After she entered my body, I feel powers are surging inside of me.

It feels amazing!

I'm obsessed with this feeling-

I want more!

My eyes turned purple in colour. My whole body is leaking with magical powers. I can sense Nadia's powers fused with my soul.

"Now...It's my turn~" I grinned widely and turned myself into a murderer of crows.

With that, I quickly fly towards Kaius who's holding his axe calmly.

I hate his facial expression!

His unbothered expression angers me.

I started flying around Kaius, trying to make him dizzy. But he doesn't.

He look at me with cocky gaze and expression. "What a cute trick~" He said.

"CAW CAW CAW!!!" I cawed while keep spinning around him and scratched him with my talons.

Kaius didn't even flinch, in fact, he's smiling.

I'm irritated!!

"That's cute...But too bad, that's the only thing you can do. Goodbye, Kevin~" He smirked while holding is huge axe in a fighting stand. Getting ready to unleash his attacks at me.

I will give my all to dodge his attacks! I will not be defeated! I WILL GET MY REVENGE-

Ahk-

What is this?

I'm badly wounded.

...On all my ravens-

This is bad...

I'm losing consciousness.

He keeps on attacking me with his huge axe.

It hurts!!!

I manage to fly away from Kaius and immediately change into my human form.

Wounds and cuts all over me. It stings!!

I can't stand, so I'm laying on the ground. I lose so many blood from the wounds. My blood is spilling on the ground so much that makes a puddle of blood.

I raise my head to look at Kaius who's walking towards the scythe behind me. I couldn't stand to protect my scythe-

I'M HOPELESS IN COMBAT!!!

"Thanks for playing with me, even though you're weaker than my soldiers and your pet demon~" He laughed cockily.

I don't want to give up, but I can't do anything...

Kaius breaks the last chain with his huge axe.

No wonder its attacks are powerful, it was forged by ME-

The axe is one of the legendary magical items that I've forged on my own. If they get another legendary magical item, it'll be the end of the world...

Even though they're part of The Hero's army, there's someone I don't trust among them.

"𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖞~" Suddenly, there was a voice of a girl came from all directions. I try to look for it, but no luck.

...It's like she's...

Nowhere, but at the same time, everywhere.

I saw Kaius' face started to get depressed. I assumed he heard that too.

"GO TO HELL WITH IT!!! I MAY NOT BE WORTHY, BUT MY MASTER IS!!!" Kaius spat at the scythe. It's my first time I've seen him that furious...

"𝖍𝖚𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖘 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖌𝖚𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖇𝖑𝖊." The voice is heard again. But this time, there was a hint of contempt. Even so, the voice sounded emotionless...

"SCREW THIS NONSENSE!!!" Kaius smashed the scythe on the ground continuously. He is furious. I can hear his breath starts to shake heavily. But why is he so mad though...? Is there some sort of hypnotic magic or something?

"𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖕." The voice said firmly but expressionless. Even though in a girl voice, it sounded cold.

Not long after the voice was heard, Kaius stopped moving and stared blankly on the ground. His eyes are as blank as the void, an endless space with no beginning nor ending.

The necklace shines brightly in purple colour. The light formed itself into a ball of purple light and fly in front of me.

"You look awful, human~" Nadia said and forming herself from the light ball.

I look at her as I tilt my head. I saw Nadia was kneeling in front of me with a cocky expression.

"Hurry and heal me, Dumb-Dumb!" I ordered her.

"Yeah yeah...I was gonna do that anyway~"

She flips her hair and snap her fingers to heal my wounds. My wounds glows from the inside and it is healed in no time.

"Thanks." I stand up and face Kaius.

"No worries~" Nadia smiled while flipping her hair again.

I walk straight towards Kaius, with Nadia beside me. We exchange looks with each other.

"What do you think happened to him?" I asked Nadia while examining Kaius.

"Hmmm...I think he's under some kind of spell. Dark arts, maybe..." Nadia said while staring in Kaius' eyes.

"Yup~ blank." She said again.

All of the sudden, we felt a strong murderous presence all around us.

"What i- is happening??" I said in panic.

"Someone's here!" Nadia's facial expression turned serious. Now I can feel her aura is clashing with the mysterious aura.

"𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗?~" A voice said so sudden out of nowhere. I look around me again and my eyes are glued to a young girl from all the way in front of the dead trees.

"No- I- It can't be..."

"What is it?? Tell me Kevin!!" Nadia said furiously. She shake my body with a grip on my shoulders.

"It's- It's...The scythe-"

I'm panicking!!

It's impossible!

Dark Arts can't form a body on will! This is really really bad!!!

"The scythe?" Nadia asked me.

She glances at Kaius' hand in search of the scythe. 

"Where's the scythe??" She asked, trying to look for the scythe.

But I ignored her completely. My eyes are fixated on the little girl dressed in white and black scarf that covers her shoulders.

The little girl walk towards us, making one step ahead but five steps closer.

Nadia look over from behind me and gasped. Her eyes widen as she sees the little girl. Her aura is so menacingly strong for a little girl.

"Who- What is she??" Nadia said, feeling intimidated.

The little girl's skin is white as snow. She even has a long black silky hair. From what we can describe, she only has two colours, white and black.

"What is she...?" Nadia asked again in a sound of terror.

"Her mana is outstanding- I can't breathe-" Nadia fell on her knees, trying her best to keep breathing. I also helped her by calming her down, whilst the white girl is walking closer towards us.

"Breathe, Nadia!!!" I started to panic, but my gaze can't take off the white girl. I calm myself down and stand back up.

The moment I stand on my feet, the white girl is in front of me. I flinch so hard that my soul is about to ascend.

"𝕳𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔, 𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗~" The white girl bowed in front of me. I am too shocked to react.

"W- What do you want, scythe...?" I hesitated, but I managed to get the words out.

She change her posture from courtesy and gaze upon me. Her obsidian coloured eyes are staring straight at me.

"𝖜𝖆𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖞𝖔𝖚, 𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗~" She said while smiling and tilt her head to the left.

Speechless.

Fear.

Confused.

Happy.

I'm feeling so many things all at once...

I look at Nadia who's still struggling to breathe.

What could she possibly mean by that-?