The Devil You Know II

"If it were I, do you believe you'd still be drawing breath?" Oga playfully retorted. 

Hanes found his words caught in his throat.

"You've yet to traverse the expansive world; step under my umbrella." Oga suggested, extending a hand.

"Why should I yield to a coward that refuse to reveal his identity. Bedside with my superior bloodline, dispatching you and that scoundrel who ambushed me would be a trivial task!" Hanes spat a glob of blood, his slit pupils still fixated on Oga.

"He, Snuck You?" Oga burst into uncontrollably laughter.

"Did I utter something humorous?" Hanes queried, a wry smile playing on his lips. "He sneaked and stole my woman. A century hence, a mere sneeze from me could exterminate ants like yourself.

At best, you have subpar blood flowing through your veins. In fact, I'll offer you a similar deal, all you have to do is kill that scoundrel, and I will grant you ten drops of my essence transforming you into a Halfling, What says you say?" 

"...."

"Think about it, the zenith you'll attain is being a plaything for a formidable hegemon, why not come under my banner. Once I obtain that Elixir of yours, I'll soared heights the like of you haven't dream about, even that feather bastard wouldn't be my match." Hanes boasted arrogantly.

"..."

'This bastard has lost his mind'

"Feather bastard?" inquired Oga innocently, his brow furrowed in genuine curiosity. The only three individuals fitting the description were Sigurd, Advisor Knox, and the lecherous Hayden. Oga mulled over the possibilities, his thoughts navigating the complexities of the situation.

Sigurd could be ruled out among the trio, as Oga deduced from his observations. Sigurd mostly confined himself within the boundaries of their territory. 

This left Knox and Hayden as potential candidates. However, a closer examination of the little deception played on Oga revealed something intriguing.

Oga could discern that Knox wasn't the kind to do something without benefits, and there seemed no reason for him to orchestrate such a scheme to acquire just Vivian.

Considering the recent Yaya incident, Hayden emerged as the more probable suspect. Yet, a lingering question persisted—was there something inherently special about this woman? No, then could it be her origin?

With his social standing, Hayden could have anyone he desired. While acknowledging Vivian's attractiveness, Oga questioned whether it warranted the extent to which Hayden might harm the Duchess's prestige.

These musings occupied Oga's mind as he worked overtime, attempting to assemble the puzzle pieces into a coherent picture.

" It's no concern of yours, so hurried and choose, will you fly my colors, or shall this be your resting ground," Hanes stated matter-of-factly.

"With just you?" Oga said 

As for Nuu, the man couldn't stop rolling on the floor with laughter this was truly the funniest shit he had heard in years. 

"I suppose it can't be helped. What a pity you've allowed your primal instincts to overpower your common sense. You have yet, to make me take a step outside this circle, for a neophyte Earth Dragon, you still have much to learn." Oga shook his head in disappointment. 

'Not yet!'

"?"

"Eeh, did that serpent just move!" Oga eyes narrow upon the ground

"You're courting death…" Hanes bellowed as his corporeal form slowly transformed into a towering 13 meters.

His shed scales, resembling molten lava, absorbed every glimmer of light, casting a shadow of predestined mystery. Hanes' eyes, aglow with eerie brilliance, emitted a penetrating red. 

His expansive wings, adorned with serrated spikes and membranous skin, unfurled majestically, casting a formidable shade.

With a swap of Hanes' massive tail, Oga was sent flying back with only a few seconds to guard himself. 

'Dammit, I need to focus, it must have been my imagination' 

"Your last chance!" Hanes' mouth yawned open, revealing a cavernous abyss lined with razor-sharp obsidian teeth.

"All you accomplished was enlarging your vulnerability. Mastery of your bloodline eludes you. Truly, a lamentable state! Expand your domain; we're going with the Candy Wrapper!" Oga proclaimed.

"?"

"You still dare ignore me…" Hanes bellowed

A blast of breath proceeded, molten and magma-like, and swept through.

Only to be cut in half. Thus causing Hane's pupil to dilate, the surprise didn't end there, the expected result of the split magma attack destroying the mountain and drying out the river didn't happen, rather an invisible barrier seemed to contain all damages within the hundred-meter radius.

"I'll go take care of the rats," Nuu said.

"?"

Hane shifted his focus to the second masked figure, who appeared to materialize effortlessly. 'So, he was a Magic Swordsman and this was the doing of the second masked, but I have never heard or seen such an enclosed domain.'

Indeed, Hane's intuition proved correct. This not only barred external interference but also confined attacks within the boundaries.

"Was it you?" thundered Hanes, his voice echoing through the desolate expanse.

The sole response Hanes received was an indifferent smile.

"Perish!" A tumultuous tidal wave of Dust Breath surged forth in a desperate attempt to entomb Nuu. Yet, it collided with nothing but the phantom silhouette of the man.

"You're a hundred years too early!" Nuu's parting words

"Am I not enough for you?" Oga's teasing voice brought Hanes back.

"If you release my beloved, I'm prepared to depart willingly!" Hanes bargained, realizing that the collaboration of these two men could spell the end of his existence.

"Vivian is in robust health; there is no cause for concern. Your attack missed her vital organs," reassured Oga. A sigh of relief manifested on Hanes' countenance.

"However, the path you tread is one she cannot traverse. Your departure is inevitable, but fear not—your essence will be put to good use," declared Oga, his words foreshadowing the unavoidable parting.

"Imperial Mausoleum!" Oga's voice echoed as he stood before Hanes.

Oga slid his mask for a brief second, giving Hanes a moment to gaze into the eyes of death.

"You—" 

As the coffin of black drowned out Hanes' roars, there was no sound or light in this endless prism. All he could feel was his body being ripped asunder, like a slab of meat on a cutting board. 

Hanes finally realized his folly, they needed not to join forces, just one was enough!

"Is this how it ends?" Hanes whispered feebly, his lifeless form sprawled on the ground.

"A man, presented with an opportunity, chose to forgo it—a chance spurned. I do not extend my hand twice, especially not to one as ensnared in delusions as yourself.

Nonetheless, find some comfort in the knowledge that your demise comes at the hands of the 44th heir of House Thronbrick, the Sovereign Lord of all Nephilim," Oga declared with a solemnity that matched the weight of his final, decisive strike, severing Hanes' draconian head.

Hanes' eyes widened in a silent protest of disbelief.

"Store his body; my Flesh Pouch is currently occupied," Oga instructed, proceeding to meticulously carve out Hanes' heart.

He placed the pulsating organ and a liter of the man's life essence into a container, deftly securing it within his Flesh Pouch.

"You're truly cringe, brother. Sovereign Lord...!" Nuu couldn't help but chuckle, a lighthearted tone contrasting the solemnity of the preceding moments as he disassembled the remnants of his dominion.

"Where is our Void Snake? It was here just a moment ago," Oga questioned, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. His eyes shifted from the lifeless form of Hanes for a brief respite.

A swift-moving shadow, boasting a colossal maw, surged toward the inert frame of Hanes.

"Eeh?" The mouth descended upon the massive corpse of Hanes, ready to devoured it whole. 

In that critical moment, an ethereal form materialized where Hanes' body should have been, Instead of the anticipated feast, Nuu materialized, staunchly obstructing the impending assault.

Let's rewind a few minutes...

Nuu left his domain in response to Oga's Candy Wrapper, an unusual request that might have otherwise gone unnoticed or ignored.

However, it served as a signal indicating the intrusion of a rat, compelling Nuu to reshape his domain without alerting the intruder.

Pretending to check outside, Nuu created an illusion to discourage unwanted guests. The rat within assumed their position was secure. 

During Oga's clash within the Imperial Mausoleum, he surreptitiously sprayed his blood onto Hanes without the latter's awareness, and given the cover of pure darkness, even the intruder was shrouded in darkness. 

This act served as the prerequisite for Nuu to employ the elusive Star Shift.

Their strategy was simple: lure out the assailant without making it obvious. Nuu left his domain, increasing the odds of the assailants carrying out their attack. 

"Dammit, I waited for an eternity," lamented an aged voice, resonating from the Serpent. The colossal entity writhed and transformed into a crinkled hag.

However, appearances proved deceiving as she nimbly evaded Nuu's vertical slash.

Evelyn's serpentine gaze bore into Nuu. 

This cunning rascal had played her for a fool. "How, you little rascal figure it out?" Evelyn's voice resonated with a blend of curiosity and challenge.

Undeterred, Oga volleyed back, "If you're going to play dead, at least stop wriggling around!"

"Am I supposed to sit there and let that scoundrel reduce me to dust?" Evelyn hinted at Hanes' Dust Breath.

"A thief should expect such an outcome!" Nuu sneered.

"You're quite the twisted rascal, aren't you?" Despite her words, Evelyn's movements remained unpredictable. The arcane Zodiac pattern her cane traced on the ground prompted both brothers to instinctively retreat.

"You—" Oga began.

"Let's simplify this. Hand over the Dragon and Vivian, and we shall permit your departure unscathed," Evelyn proposed, her eyes gleaming with a mysterious intensity.

Silence hung in the air, broken only by the crackling energy surrounding them.

""I spy a deceased hag; where pray tell, is this collective 'We'?" Nuu interjected with a hint of skepticism.

Evelyn sighed, a weary acknowledgment of the impending confrontation. "It appears you leave me no choice but to employ these weathered hands."

"It's 2v1 the only outcome is your body being fed to the dogs!" Nuu smirked

The atmosphere thickened with tension as the stage was set for a clash of wills.

 "Enough!" Oga silenced Nuu, as he drew his brother closer, using their divine speech to communicate their inner thought, causing Nuu's eyes to widen

Not long after, both brothers agreed on how to deal with this hag.

"We shall secure Hanes' blood essence!" Oga declared

Evelyn's unmistakable disdain permeated the air. "And why would I ever consent to such an arrangement?"

Undeterred, Oga pressed on, his words weaving a persuasive tapestry. "Don't feign ignorance. Your genuine interest lies within the elusive Elixir formula and Vivian. Are you truly prepared to stake your life for a mere essence?" Oga subtly signaled Nuu.

With a graceful wave, Nuu conjured the unconscious Vivian into view.

"You're merely a contingency, am I mistaken? To sweeten the deal, I'm willing to include this rare human female. You should already grasp how invaluable she can be for someone of your professional caliber!" Oga's proposition hung in the air.

Evelyn remained silent, weighing her options.

"However, if you believe yourself formidable enough, we can put it to the test here and now, Evelyn of the Nine Shadows, No that's not correct from what I heard you're only able to summon three out of the Nine….And based on your current appearance, I would take it the Umbral Nightshade is hidden within that cloak miasma"

Evelyn's expression tightened, her old face now hardened, as the veil that hid the massive serpent was no more. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. The time it takes for your companion to attack, your head would have kissed the floor…." Oga advice

Oga and Nuu abandoned any restraint, their auras now causing Heaven to split.

"Aren't you the clever little shit! Now tell me, how did you stumble upon such a secret? Depending on your answer you may just walk out with a limp!"

The seasoned Evelyn proved no easy opponent; her sixty-percent Darkness Conversion resisted their imposing force.

"What audacious women would go to such lengths as devouring my wares, then assuming the form of said goods? Lady Evelyn, let us speak candidly, given your Auspicious Bloodline, you find yourself in a precarious predicament."Oga said 

Evelyn, radiating confidence, countered, "What relevance does my predicament hold for you? Don't assume I'm oblivious to your stalling tactics to replenish your mana.

Regardless of the speed that youngster beside you possesses, his smug expression won't endure for long!"

As if the very heavens echoed her words, the ground illuminated, unveiling a colossal toad that left Nuu with no chance to evade, ensnared by the beast's tongue.

"Stay put; Kagay possesses a fearsome temper, and you're currently immersed in his saliva, and a flammable one at that!" Evelyn's twisted smile conveyed the message.

Silence lingered, yet the expected frantic panic failed to manifest. The man caught by Kagay maintained his mocking grin as if being trapped meant nothing to him.

"You're gravely mistaken, and I'd suggest you take a closer look," Nuu responded calmly. It was then that Evelyn realized Kagay clutched a mere boulder.

"When did he?" she exclaimed, only to sense the cold steel of Nuu's blade against her neck.

"You—"

"What you've witnessed is merely a fraction of my brother's prowess. A head-on clash within such a confined space wouldn't end well.

Keep in mind, that I have yet to make a move... Lady Evelyn, retract your beast!" Oga interjected, steering the situation away from escalation.

"Young one, the audacity of this age knows no bounds. State your intentions," Evelyn replied, her tone a fusion of intrigue and astonishment.

"Forgive our rudeness," Oga continued, his indifference cutting through the tension.

"With a voracious lineage like the Auspicious Bloodline, it's commendable that you've contracted three out of the nine beasts.

Yet, progress remains elusive for the remaining six. At best, you have a few good years left; hence, let us forge a mutually advantageous pact."

"?"

"You speak as if a resolution rests with you, yet you hide behind a mask, and this man's blades persist against my neck. Is this your idea of good faith? For all I know, you might be a rogue posing as a person of consequence," Evelyn retorted.

"I suppose it can't be helped, Black Curtain!" Oga declared, subtly revealing his preparedness. "Relax; this will keep our discussions confidential, preventing any tales from scurrying away like roaches."

A wry smile crossed Evelyn's lips. "Aren't you the cautious one?"

"Nuu, you can stand down; there shall be no bloodshed."

"...."

Both parties sat down sipping tea, " You sure do have some good stuff brat!" 

"Of course, anything for the elderly!" Oga jest 

"Such a venomous tongue won't win you any points with the ladies. So, how long are you going to keep that awful mask on?" Evelyn replied.

"Ha, my apologies." Oga wasted no time revealing his true self, accompanied by Nuu.

"....."

"Hmm, twins, and an exceedingly handsome one at that. If I were a hundred years younger the things I would do to you lads." Evelyn shamelessly remarked.

"...."

"Now now, Lady Evelyn. I bet you heard about the deal I made with the deceased Hanes, didn't you?" Oga inquired.