WE BELIEVE IN SCARLETISM

FEW MINUTES EARLIER :

In a two-story wooden house, the ground floor was bustling with activity. A large table, surrounded by many chairs, was the center of attention for a serious meeting about the impending war. Seated around the table were some of the village's strongest members: Reiza, Li Feng, Xao Feng, the skeleton kid Cryptus, Baron, and Arpeus. Rin, busy with his new smith shop and lacking experience in such matters, was absent.

The atmosphere in the room was tense and determined. Almost everyone rested their heads on their hands, which in turn were planted firmly on the table, their faces etched with seriousness. Li Feng, in particular, looked more than serious—he was angry. Outside the room, goblins and other demons peered through the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening inside.

"Our scouting team reported that the Lizard Village was also destroyed. Now they have an army of over three hundred thousand," Li Feng began, his voice heavy with concern.

"I think we should defeat them before their army grows even further. But with our army of only 2,500 people, can we really defeat them?" Cryptus asked, his small frame barely visible over the edge of the table, only half of his head peeking over.

Anyone unfamiliar with Cryptus might have laughed at his cuteness or mocked him, but those in the village knew better. Since Ki Feng's arrival, both Cryptus and Ki Feng had become like lieutenants or marshals of the village. They were responsible for teaching swordsmanship—Cryptus focusing on power and speed, while Li Feng emphasized accuracy, techniques, and precision. This had created an invisible rivalry between them.

"No, not really," Xao began in a soft but clear voice. "One of those sisters has learned an ancient magic, the 'Chains of Enslavement.' Combined with their natural charm and seductive magic, once they defeat their enemies, they don't kill them. Instead, they enslave everyone, growing their army even more. That's why if we manage to defeat those sisters, the others will be freed from their control," she explained.

The room fell silent, each member contemplating Xao's words. The gravity of their situation was undeniable. They needed a strategy that could defeat the twin succubi and liberate the enslaved forces under their control. The tension in the room was palpable, each person fully aware of the high stakes. As the discussion progressed, countless strategies were proposed and discarded.

Finally, they reached a conclusion: F*ck the strategy and fight head on. With blessings from Scarlett, their powers had grown exponentially, though the true extent of their newfound abilities remained unknown. Nevertheless, they held a trump card—Scarlett, the ruler of Dreadhaven. Despite her absence from the meeting, her directive was clear: attack head-on, no strategy needed. Her immense power was well-known throughout the village, instilling both confidence and fear. Thus, in the end, they decided to fight the succubi directly and reach to the conclusion, once and for all.

As the decision was about to be approved, a figure entered the room—a muscular hobgoblin clad in iron knight armor.

"I apologize for intruding, but representatives from the elf village have come to discuss forming an alliance," he announced.

Everyone in the room was taken aback by the sudden news. Xai stood up, quickly analyzing the situation. The defeat of the strongest villages, including her own—Reiza, Xao, and Li Feng's martial village—signaled a clear pattern. The third strongest, the Lizard village, had also fallen. This left the Dark-Elf village, now indirectly the strongest remaining village, as the next likely target for the succubi.

This unexpected alliance offer was both a blessing and a curse. Becoming the strongest surviving village meant they were now the primary target. The urgency of forming alliances to increase their chances of survival was clear.

"But the main point is, are they trustworthy?" Xai pondered. "Humans discriminate against demons, but even demons look down upon the dark elves. They use cowardly tactics—hiding in the dark, cursing enemies, and wielding black magic."

Such methods disgusted Xai. "How could such an ugly and cowardly way of fighting lead them to become the fourth strongest village? There must be a reason behind their strength," she thought. Despite her misgivings, the urgency of the situation required her to set aside her prejudices.

"I must meet them," she concluded, her resolve hardening.

Although all these thoughts raced through her mind, barely a second had passed. "Did you let them in?" Xai questioned the Gatekeeper.

"Of course not! I follow the rule that no suspicious individuals are allowed to enter the village without Scarlett-sama's permission," he responded with respect and urgency.

Xai sighed in agreement and turned towards Reiza. "Sister Reiza, go and inform the mistress to come here." Reiza nodded silently and left the room first. The Gatekeeper then showed the others the way, taking the lead, while the rest quietly followed him.

Within moments, they arrived at the outskirts of the village. A large iron gate with brown paint stood before them, surrounded by white walls. The walls were not particularly tall, about twice the height of an average human, but the gate was imposing and sturdy.

As they approached, their eyes fell on a lone Dark-Elf wearing a robe, standing just outside the open gate. Respecting their laws and wishing to avoid appearing hostile, he dared not enter and simply stood there. His demeanor made it clear that he had come to seek an alliance.

Yet there was still some confusion. Li Feng asked, puzzled, "Is it just one Dark-Elf?"

The elf heard this but said nothing. Instead, he pointed towards the forest. As their gazes followed, shadows began to materialize, and within seconds, numerous Dark-Elves on Earth-wyverns appeared, heading towards the gate.

There were many faces, but the leader was at the front. He deliberately sped up his wyvern, stopping just outside the gate with a sudden break. Wind and dirt swirled around as he landed, creating a dramatic entrance.

He was a young Dark-Elf with a slightly handsome face, but his expression was one of clear arrogance and overconfidence. The elf who had been waiting bowed and introduced the figure in front of him.

"You are in the presence of the warrior who will soon be the chieftain of the strongest village in the forest, the second prince, Serom Darkdruid." His words were dripping with exaggerated reverence, so much so that it was almost laughable.

Xao and the others exchanged glances, their eyes narrowed in disappointment and annoyance. Irritation and boredom were evident on their faces. It was clear to them that these were just childish idiots trying to appear high and mighty.

"As you heard, I'm Serom, and I have come bearing a priceless gift—the opportunity to become my subordinates and share in the glory of defeating the twin succubi," he proclaimed, shutting his eyes with overconfidence.

The others around him began clapping and cheering for his "brilliant" performance, some using magic to shower him with flowers.

But why did they have such confidence? Because they believed they had the upper hand. In their minds, after the Dark-Elf village was destroyed, Dreadhaven would be next, meaning they would inevitably have to face the succubi. Almost every village possessed a treasured relic from their ancestors, like Jabuza village's artifact that could reduce 99.99% of any magic, or the martial arts known only to Xao and Li Feng's village. The Dark-Elf village, too, had a "Mythic-level" item, which they believed gave them an advantage.

In the middle of his self-introduction, Serom barely opened one eye to glance at the people in the village. He saw Xai, Elder Semiath, Li Feng, and others. "A hobgoblin, a skeleton, a martial demon, and other different races? So, the survivors from the destroyed villages have taken residence here. No wonder this village has grown so much. I was quite shocked when I first saw it," Serom thought.

"Hehehe... Once I tell them about our 'Blindfold Relic,' they'll beg me to make an alliance with us," he laughed in his heart wholeheartedly.

"The opportunity to become his subordinates?" Li Feng thought, his eyes narrowing in irritation. He didn't even know whether to be disappointed, irritated, or bored. "I don't even like the thought of being with those morons." Not only him but everyone felt the same way. They themselves didn't know what to say.

Seeing them dumbfounded, Serom thought they were in shock at his sudden appearance. He scratched his head and began explaining, "What a pain. I think I really have to explain everything to you all."

"Surely you know there's a huge army led by the twin succubi, destroying every village one by one. But fear not, for if you work under my command, I, Serom, will protect you. You are even free to take my blessings by making a pact with me, the one who will defeat those succubi."

"Umm... Sorry to disappoint you, but we believe in Scarletism," Xai said softly, her voice tinged with gentle but clear disappointment.

"Scarletism what?" Serom exclaimed, clearly not understanding what it meant. The others were thinking of just killing these Dark-Elves and returning to the village to start preparing for war, but they restrained themselves.

Why? For two reasons. First, Scarlett had forbidden them from killing anyone who hadn't done anything wrong. Even though these Elves were driving them crazy with their nonsense, they hadn't crossed any lines. Second, there was a handsome man standing at the back with a shameful grin on his face, Like he was laughing on himself. Unlike the other Elves, he looked disappointed with their performance too. "Who is that guy? I can feel a chilling aura from him. Is he the real leader? Are they testing us?" Li Feng wondered.

"Ugh... It was really a bad idea to let my idiot brother take the lead. They've ruined our first impression," the man sighed heavily. He started to move forward to stop them before it was too late, but before he could, a loud voice interrupted.

"Scarlett-sama has arrived!" the Gatekeeper announced.

Hearing this, Li Feng quickly said, "Umm... Keep in mind that upon seeing her, don't mistake her for a succu—" Before he could finish his sentence, two women approached the open gate.

One was a tall woman with tanned skin and neon green hair, wearing a long T-shirt with nothing underneath. She was clearly half-naked and held a unique, sturdy-looking battle axe resting on her shoulder. It was Reiza.

Beside her was an unmatched beauty with purple hair, wearing purple sunglasses that blurred the sight of her pupils. Her otherworldly seductive appearance combined with her alluring figure made her presence almost overwhelming. Who else could it be but Scarlett?

As soon as the Elves saw Scarlett, they went on guard. They unsheathed their swords and pointed them at her, shouting in unison, "A succubus?"