Influencers

Dwight is running towards Galian. After the incident in the manor, he heard screams and sounds of gunshots coming from there. He arrives and hides behind his house to scout. The people are fighting against the monster invaders. The street is littered with corpses and blood. The sight and smell makes him sick to the stomach.

"AAAAAAAAAH!!" A boy screams as a harpy dives towards him. Rebecca tackles the kid out of the way, barely missing the swipe attack. Dwight steels his nerves and dashes to them. More harpies fly their way. The blue hunter emerges from him to punch the soil. A brick wall erects from the ground, setting the barrier between them. The harpies barely have enough time to react and crash against the wall.

"I'll cover you!" He shouts. Rebecca nods and grabs the boy to take shelter in one of the buildings. There are barely any survivors outside and the monsters are focusing on him. Harpies circle above him, as an orc, arachne, and lamia are surrounding him. "Shit. This is bad." Even with the blue hunter by his side, there's no way he can take on a hoard.

Suddenly, the harpies start falling down, with the last one getting crushed by someone on top of her. The person is a monster with purple white hair. She has a black cloak and a skin tight violet suit decorated with white stars. She's clearly a Lilim.

"It's the traitor!" An orc says. She swings her club at her. The traitor blocks the attack with her arm. In a blink of an eye, she closes the gap and breaks the orc's arm, then grabs her hair to knee her face. Knocking the monster out. The lamia rushes at her. The traitor jumps behind her and grabs the tail to swing her around like a wrecking ball, hitting the monsters in the circumference.

"Retreat!" The monsters run away. Once the coast is clear, the people leave from their hiding. The blue hunter disappears.

The traitor turns to face Dwight. "Are you okay?"

He's still not comfortable letting his guard down. "Yeah. Who are you?"

She looks around. "I'll answer that later. Let's help the survivors." She aids with the people on the injured. Dwight checks every building, informing anyone inside the monsters left.

"Thank you, Demon Lord! I would've lost my boy had you not come in time." The townsfolk are giving their thanks to the traitor. Upon hearing the word, Dwight leers at her.

She gives a reassuring smile. "I appreciate it, but you should honor the people who gave their lives to protect you." She says to them. She notices Dwight and approaches him. "Thank you for your assistance. Make sure to call the authorities to help with the rest." She is about to leave, but Dwight grabs her arm.

"Hold it! They just called you Demon Lord. Where are you hiding my mom and Jessica?" She expresses confusion. "Don't act like I don't know. Wilmarina said she was taking them to her Lord."

Her eyes widens in horror. She composes herself. "Let's go somewhere private." She says. Dwight takes her to his house. Which has been raided for the little it's worth. She picks up a chair and sits. "Are you certain that you saw Wilmarina?"

"Damn right! She may have been a Succubus, but there's no denying it was her!" Dwight pulls out a pocket knife. "Now start talking. Where are they?"

She is unfazed by his hostility. "The person you're looking for is not me. While the public knows that I'm the Demon Lord, that title has been stolen from me."

"You expect me to believe that bullshit!?"

"Believe what you want. But there are dark forces working in the shadows. And what you just told me means the situation has become more dire." She thinks for a moment. "Tell me, have you heard the legend of the Fallen Maidens?"

"...Yeah. Jessica is a bookworm about those kinds of stories. But aren't they supposed to be like, not evil tyrants and shit?"

"Just like with every tale, the truth fades with time." She makes eye contact with him. "In ancient times, back when these lands were known as Lescatie, there were seven strong mamonos known as The Seven Princesses of Lescatie."

"S-Seven?" A grim feeling sinks in Dwight.

She continues. "Back when they were humans, all of them used to already be strong individuals with their own goals. That was until the first invasion. Caused none other than the Fourth Princess of the Mamono Realm. Druella. A mamono extremist." She grabs a small frame on the floor. It shows Dwight and Wendy. "She wishes for the world to be nothing but mamonos and incubuses. Finding a husband first and sex all the time."

Dwight shivers. "That sounds horrible." He thinks of Jessica, who wanted to fuck him after being corrupted. "Look, I really don't care about the damn history. I need to know one thing. Is there any way to purify someone who's corrupted?"

She shakes her head. "Once they're fully corrupted, there's no turning back. However, there's a way to save them." There's a pause.

"Well?" Dwight is getting impatient.

She giggles. "Sorry. Wanted the dramatic effect." She stands. "I just need to reclaim my title. Sadly, the mamonos are still influenced by the Lord. Only those with the gift are immune to it." She walks towards the door. "Don't worry, I will do everything in my power to save them."

"I can come with you. I have the gift that you mention." The blue hunter appears before her.

She gasps in surprise. "Is that…" she caresses his cheek. He holds her hand. Tears falls from her face. "I'm so happy. I thought you were gone." Dwight is confused by her reaction. The hunter hovers by his side. She wipes her face. "Very well. I need all the assistance that is available. Come. We shall travel throughout the land and hire anyone with Influencers."

"Influencers?"

"Yes. Those are spiritual warriors who aid people with potential." She summons her own. It's a Lilim spirit who is wearing a helmet and has a giant cloak covering the body. Her limbs are bindend in black leather. The tip of her tail is a sharp blade. "I didn't use her, since I don't want to reveal my trump card in the off chance a mamono can perceive her. Her name is Cage the Elephant. Have you named yours?"

Dwight looks at the hunter and ponders for a moment. "Vices and Virtues." They dramatically pose.

She smiles. "I like that. Name's Lilian, by the way. Call me Lily." She extends her arm.

"Dwight." He shakes her hand.

"We've already wasted enough time. Let's head to the nearest train station." Lily says. With that, they head onto their grand adventure.