True colors

After Cleo killed Eric, she turned around and started walking towards the place where stood the demon that had been observing her the whole time.

His expression was cold like ice, which made Cleo confused and worried at the same time.

For instance, she doubted if her decision was wrong

'I need to live...I can´t die...not like this not right now...I have my dream...yes, I will become the strongest holy knight, a hero who will be loved and respected by everyone it's my destiny!!'

'Yes, I need to fulfill my destiny!

'It doesn´t matter how many people I need to kill to do so

From the moment she saw "him"..something inside her awakened....her true self, which she was suppressing in front of others....it came out because she realized that no matter how many times they try, they won´t be able to kill him...her instincts were telling her to run...escape into a safe place....sacrifice anyone in order to live.

But there is no way out of this hell....this mansion is sealed by an unknown artifact so how could she save her life? If she can´t run away from hell only one option remains...

Became one with hell.

The black vortex in her eyes only widened and her expression turned into a disgusting grimace that made her look like a different person from before...

It was scary, disgusting, almost inhuman

"Why would you do that woman? Did I ask you for help? Or do you think I would be harmed by an attack like that!??" the demon´s angry shout shook the whole building and made Cleo shiver in fear even more than before.

'He is mad! He is mad! I need to calm him down....to survive'

Cleo fell to her knee and put her knees and put her head on the ground in the same manner as the Dolion did before. It was humiliating...even more for someone whose dream is to be a holy knight. Bowing in front of evil existence broke every single rule of the knight code, but that didn´t matter to her.. an honor? courage? These sound nice but they won´t save her life in front of absolute existence.

"Please accept my sincere apology O great one...I just thought that rat like that doesn´t deserve to stand in a way of a majestic existence like you.." Cleo said while trying to imitate Dolion´s tone, in the hope, that it will lessen his anger

"Hahahaha- you are calling him a rat, but that man was far stronger than you. If he wasn´t injured....it would be your corpse laying on this cold floor." His laughter and voice were cold like eyes piercing her eardrums and skin.

Cleo fully agreed with his words, right now she is a 3-star knight. Reaching this level at her age would probably secure her place among the top geniuses in the whole world. Still, compared to Eric who was a 5-star assassin, she is like a worm.

Even if they fought 10 000 battles. She wouldn't win even once.

She used his defenseless state and managed to kill him by attacking him in his blind spot, it was the only way to prove her worth in front of the demon.

"Still....you managed to amuse me." the demon muttered while stroking his chin

"I decided...You are an interesting human... and I love people like you, So I will give you a reward, a chance..."

Cleo wanted to scream in joy when she heard her plan worked.

He crouched in front of Cleo and lifted her head with his finger so he could see her face.

Caressing her face with his long fingers, until it stopped under her chin, pulling her closer to his face, and whispered to her in the ear.

"You have two options...it will be your choice that will affect all people here." hearing his voice up close made her entire body tremble. Even though he spoke to her coldly, it gave her a unique seductive feel that made her gulp and pinch her leg to maintain composure

"First I can make you one of my kind...you can become succubus and serve under lord Asmodeus with me. Your unique bloodline magic will surely help you rise in the rank fast."

"Power, Immortality, beauty, respect, you can gain all of that. However, all of the people here will die as sacrifices for a demonic ritual that will turn you into a demon."

Cleo felt her heart stop.

The offer was too tempting, she would gain everything she ever wished for and after some time even revenge on her father.

Immortality and beauty are dreams that every woman has. As a side effect of her unique magic, she will certainly live longer than normal humans, but in the end, she would die if she can´t reach the rank of Saint for whom time stopped.

On the other hand, she would be destined to live in hell for eternity. She has never been inside but some myths and legends describe it as a dangerous place full of demonic creatures without sun where night rule all the time.

Strength is the highest rule there, 7 demon lords rule over hell because they are absolutely the strongest and scariest existence in the world.

While she believed that with enough time, she would grow stronger maybe even to the point where she could take one of seven thrones for herself.

Hell is still a Hell.

A place without entertainment where people live inside filth without any proper food because the demon´s only fed themself on each other.

Its place is absent from all the good things the world has to offer...

And there is also him...

'I can´t give up the perfect prince if I want to live a perfect life

Cleo was greedy, she knew that if she chose to become a demon Orion would die in the ritual.

He was someone she didn´t want to lose if possible...he was too perfect.

He was incredibly beautiful, maybe the most beautiful man she will ever meet, he was cute and innocent....and furthermore, his mind was the same as the mind of a child. He could be trained to be the perfect man, made only for her.

A demon who was observing her facial movements grinned when he saw she was having doubts.

"Second option is easy...you will fight with one human to death...without mana or weapons. If you win I will grant all of you freedom and leave this place. If you lose..well it's obvious what will happen."

Cleo immediately understood the demon´s intention.

He wanted to scare her with the second option which has risks compared to the first. Even though first sounds tempting. The second could be equally good depending on conditions..for example, if she fought someone from the nobles present..she was confident that she would undoubtedly win. The strongest people here, Antony and Eric, died together with other knights.

If she won, she wouldn´t gain just freedom but also earn the gratitude of nobles that will survive. Some of them are even Counts with status equal to her father...

She also noticed the princess that was sleeping on the lap of the maid that was always following Orion. Protection of the king and nobles present would bring her much closer to her dream.

Of course, that doesn´t mean this couldn´t end up with her death.

There are still demon worshipers...Marquess Dolion is heavenly weakened but there are others that could possibly hide their power and defeat her.

He also didn´t mention how will be her opponent chosen. Which could end up being crucial.

After gathering courage Cloe decided to ask the demon while he is in the good mood.

"Y-Your Evilness...can I ask something related to the options you gave me?

Demon´s eyes turned sharp and the smile on his face revealed his four canine teeth.

"Pft...y-yeah sure ask me anything"t holding his laughter demon replied

"How will my opponent be c-chosen?"Cleo asked timidly

The demon was still in front of her and their faces were only a few centimeters apart which made her body tremble even though he didn´t release any killing intent at all...

"I will randomly choose one person from nobles who are awake who will then choose fighter on their behalf to make it fair. We demons keep our promises...."

Hearing the demon´s response Cleo´s face stiffened from the absurdness of the situation.

'Isn´t this situation more like a gift from heaven? Opportunity to reach the top!'

Fooling demon she will gain everything she wanted without sacrificing her humanity in the process.

More she thought about it she was certain that she was chosen by heaven.

To become....hero

"I will choose the second option your Evilness..."

Cleo closed her eyes out of fear demon will be angry that she refused to become one of his people....

Nothing

She heard the sound of the demon standing up, walking toward the place where the rest of the nobles were gathered.

He was calmly walking towards them avoiding dead bodies and puddles of blood on the ground. The whole ballroom was in shambles, unrecognizable from its past extravagant and luxurious appearance.

The floor was cracked and covered with blood, the same as the walls.

Tables and furniture were broken and burned some were frozen or cut into pieces..this place looked more like a battlefield.

Under a luxurious chandelier that fell from its original place on the ceiling laid the dead body of count Ethan.

It was hard to believe that building managed to withstand all of the fights and even demon summoning that happened this night.

Maybe a barrier preventing people from escaping was also ironically one thing preventing this mansion from falling on their heads.

In front of the demon was standing some sort of shabby wall made from beginner earth magic and wooden furniture, behind it in the corner were grouped nobles that survived.

—D-don´t come closer demon!!!

—P-Please leave us alone!!!

—Not my daughter..take my life just please spare my daughter

Desperate shouts came from behind the wall the moment they noticed the demon approaching.

Ignoring them demon drew a line in the air right in the center of the wall.

Second, after the whole wall was cut with black light into two in the same place and in the same way as the line demon drew.

He looked over as if he was searching for someone when his gaze landed on a woman wearing green tattered clothes.

It was Irma von Feceum.. the same person Orion humiliated the day he came into this city.

"You come with me..." the demon said as he pointed at her and turned around.

Irma froze...her own body refused to move out of fear.

Due to mysterious luck, she was able to survive the whole time...she was glad..she was overjoyed when she saw others dying. Because she knew it could be her.

And now it's her time? Demon himself came for her?

What did she ever do wrong??!!

"I said come with me..!" his voice froze her soul

She didn´t want to go!! It's not like she can when her body can´t move!

Other nobles realizing Irma has no intention to leave picked her up from the ground and threw her toward the demon.

"Don´t take it personally it's for the greater good"man who threw her into certain death whispered.

Irma landed heavily right on the cold floor with a loud thud.

Her whole body hurts, when she looked above she saw a demon that looked from her viewpoint like a giant gazing at her.

"Don´t worry Irma I won´t kill you or hurt you In any other way.." the demon said and gently picked her up from the ground

Irma´s mind couldn´t properly comprehend what was happening...last

weeks were the worst in her life. She was publicly humiliated, everyone laughed and mocked her..even her own father called her brainless for standing against the son of the duke.

He ordered her to attend the banquet and apologize to Orion...as result, she ended up in a situation worse than any nightmare... a group of devil worshipers started a massacre....she managed to survive with unnatural luck...only to be killed by a demon that is pretending to be kind to her!!!

"Irma took me into the eyes...I won´t hurt you" Irma subconsciously listened to his order and looked into the demon´s deep white eyes.

It somehow calmed her down...

"Did you calmed down?"

Nod Nod

"Good, I have an offer for you...What if I gave you chance to guarantee your safety and as a bonus have your revenge against the person you hate.."

A deep smile appeared on her face when she thought of a person responsible for everything that happened to her

"Orion von Astrape"

[Trivia- Irma´s surname (Faceum) means shit in Latin.

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