5.18.

Simeon's Good Vibes.

Evelyn and Aaron walked into the tavern in disguise.

"I don't see him here anywhere," Aaron said.

"I'll ask the bartender, could you contact the watchers?"

"They've been taken out."

Both of them moved to find clues. Evelyn asked the waiters, receptionist and even the bartenders if they saw a pair come in. Meanwhile, Aaron searched the vicinity for traces of the watchers.

Evelyn learned that the pair rushed out somewhere, leaving their drinks unfinished. She inferred from this that something urgent happened.

Aaron on the other hand found traces of blood on the ground, noting the colour and pattern, he suspected that it might be from a vampire.

"Sir," a man wearing all black knelt before Aaron.

"What happened?"

"Half of our members were knocked unconscious. From watchers located from a distance, we believe it was most probably caused by the combat maid."

"Where is she now?"

"She was intercepted by a third party and disappeared. There's a possibility the man who took her had some kind of teleportation gift. My apologies for the inadequate information, we're trying our best to revive the members that were knocked out."

"How about the two kids that came?"

"They entered the restaurant opposite of the tavern. The one often used for official discussions."

"Anything else?"

"There is some suspicious movement of the Savoirs cult underground, should we arrest them?"

'The Saviors cult? Here?'

"Arrest them," Aaron nodded.

"Understood."

The man disappeared as soon as he left. Aaron turned around and left the alley.

"Aaron, any clues?" Evelyn approached him just as he came out.

"We're going in there."

Aaron pointed to the building opposite of the tavern.

===

"Don't you think it's a shame to be hiding your horns?" Eunox jested.

"If you're planning to live in the human empire, I don't see what's wrong with doing this."

"Trying to be something you're not. Do you not know that a horn is a representation of a demon's pride? It's a sign of attractiveness."

"So?"

"Why not show me how big it is now?"

"Eunox, you're being disrespectful."

"Am I? Tell me, why did you not just come back? Your mother is waiting for you, you do know that don't you?" Eunox asked.

"For obvious reasons, Eunox. Do I need to put it in words? I had believed you were intelligent in grasping these small clues?"

Eunox laughed apologetically, "Then I don't need further input, I have come to a deduction. Your Highness Sequencee, what do you think of marrying the daughter of the mother who took everything from you?"

"Eunox.." Schwii bit her lips.

"Who knows," Sequencee rolled his eyes.

"Have you really forgiven us? Even after such a blunder?"

"Yes. I've forgiven you, happy?" Sequencee spat.

"I thank Your Highness for your grace and benevolence. I believe your father will be very happy to hear about this."

Sequencee replied with silence.

"How has life been in the human empire Schwii?" Eunox shifted the topic.

"Had I ever given you permission to call me by my first name?"

"My apologies. Your Highness, how was your stay? Was it fun?"

"Yes."

"Was your maid being accommodative? I hear she's been manipulated by the heroes, what are your thoughts on this?"

"Eunox. For what reason do you lace your words with poison every time you open your mouth?"

"Is that how you see it? How fascinating. I never thought of it as poison to begin with, I'm merely stating my own truth. You may choose to not believe it, I don't foresee any problems in that."

"Where did you take Iona?"

"Hadn't I told you to not bring your maid? You often fail to take my words seriously. This is the consequence of violating my rules– I sent her home."

Schwii gritted her teeth and glared at him. He closed his eyes.

"Oh yes, how could I have forgotten the main topic. You know Schwii, you needn't have accompanied him if you hated me so much."

'Reese is taking too long..'

"Your Highness Sequencee. I have a message from your father, The Sovereign."

Eunox leaned forward and supported his chin with his hand interlaced.

"It seems you and the human princess are quite close. Do you perhaps.. have any interest in her?"

Sequencee gaze turned frigid. "No."

"It seems however that she's rather infatuated with you? Happens that she's in this building right now."

"What? That's not.."

Sequencee extended his spatial magic sense. There were people moving all around, but two presences were soon approaching the door of their room–

"Should I bring her over? It would be nice to be able to have a meal together."

"What are you.." Schwii gave a menacing glare.

"Ingus."

"Yes sir."

"NO!!"

The vampire appeared before the door and opened it. Evelyn and Aaron who were just about to pass down the corridor halted and turned to them.

"Huh?"

"Sequencee, you.."

"Let's have a chat concerning the fate of the empire shall we?" Eunox smiled.

===

"Iona, where are you?"

["The deep trenches of Norcto forest. Don't worry about me, turn back and watch over His and Her Highness."]

"How did you get there?" Reese looked at the pendant dumbly.

Without waiting for a response, she melted into the shadows and went into the drainage system. As part of her additional measures, she had prepared some of her followers to be on standby. The time felt ripe, knowing that one of their biggest insurance had disappeared.

It was unknown what would happen during this encounter, hence Reese had to prepare a trump card herself. Through occult knowledge and personal experiments, she had invented many repulsive methods to kill someone.

'What..?'

Reese manifested from the shadows to see before her the many dead bodies of her followers. It was a clean kill without much of a mess.

[Word Magic: Hex Chain]

"Don't move."

Reese was riveted in place, her limbs refusing to obey her words. She felt the presence of a shadow stand before her.

"Who are you?" the man dressed in black asked. The other hidden guards watched carefully in the shadows. They were cautious of gazing into her eyes.

She smiled brightly, "Instead of wasting your time killing your allies, you should worry about what's happening above no?"

"A cult as an ally? Don't be silly. Tell me what you're planning."

"..."

Reese focused on turning them into her slave through [Charm Magic: Transient Servitude], but owing to the equipment they were wearing, it proved ineffective.

"She's definitely that cardinal. Kill her."

A glint of the blade came from the darkness. Missed by a narrow margin Reese sank into the shadows and fled. The hidden guards chased after her, one of them possessing a system gift causing interference to Reese's magic.

'These people just don't know when to quit don't they?!'

Unlike those holy knights she fought before, these bunch were professionals. Reese knew that she didn't have the capability to win in a fight. Even so, there was no way she could just leave the ace she had prepared.

The hidden guards were almost invisible. Even though they were in such darkness where Reese could extend her shadow to act as a detection instrument, she couldn't feel anything at all.

Plan B which she came up with on the spot, though not perfect, was simple: to have all the hidden guards chase her far away so that she can later then return to the pile of corpses to perform the ritual.

[Contract Magic: Interim Absolution]

A dagger adorned with glowing runes slipped into a gap of Reese's shadow domain. She felt a strong prickly sensation over her body, like worms crawling underneath her skin. Nausea and vertigo struck her, the urge to leave her domain wrecked her mind.

The next thing she knew, she found herself slammed against the wall. Her body weighed down by some spell, likely the earlier word magic had an effect on her.

The hidden guard without a second to spare swung his blade down.

Reese conjured a barrier out of desperation. Forcing herself, she tried to sink into the shadows but would be ejected as if someone had hijacked her mind.

'Not yet. I can't die yet.'

She had just won the tournament, crowned as the champion. Entrusted with the safety of the envoy of demon lords, Schwii and Sequencee. Given a second chance in life to start over, to make things right. Her declaration to Shiro that she would have his child.

Forced in and out of her domain, moving from tunnel to tunnel, desperately searching for an escape. She had made a big circle, finding herself back at the pile of corpses.

With labored breaths, she rose from her shadow and leaned her hands against the wall.

'Now– I have to activate it– ugh?!"

A sharp pain shot through her body, the intense source of it beginning from her stomach. Blood poured from the corner of her lips, her body was skewered into the wall..

Reese raised her head, finding that same man again.

[Shadow Magic: Shadow Empress]

[Contract Magic: Interim Absolution]

A bubbling feeling of rejection, it failed to work at the effect of a counter-gift.

[Charm Magic: Transient Servitude]

She knew it didn't work on him, but it was the only thing she had left.

A knife stabbed into her neck.

She did even get to gasp her last breath.

"Pay the price for it."

Blood pooled on the ground.

'Savior.. save me.'

– She let go of the item hidden within her fist. A coin inscribed with a dense array of hexes. It fell into her blood with a soft splash.

'I promised him.. I promised..'

– The vow she made served as the catalyst.

"Eliminated."

Reese's body hung there like a dangling corpse.

"We should let the church know about this," the guard said.

"As proof, it may be a good idea to bring her body with us.. hm?"

"What?"

"Why is.. wait, this girl is?!"

He noticed the golden lotus pin attached to her dress.

"How.. she's a student of Riestallia? No, wait, she's.."

"A student..? I thought you said she was the cardinal?!"

"I thought she was– but why would a student be.."

"Back off!"

The blood beneath Reese began to glow. An unusual magic formation grew from the center of her. The guards backed away, one of them conjured a flame to quickly incinerate Reese's body.

However, as if there was some mystic barrier surrounding her, the fire was thwarted.

"What the hell.."

Dead to living; the reverse of the flow of time.

The blood reversed back into Reese's body, her fingers twitched. Slowly moving her stiff limbs, she gripped the barbed spike piercing her abdomen and tore it out of her body. Soft giggling could be heard from her mouth.

An ominous pressure fell upon them.

"A+@)_#0(AS$," broken words leaked from her mouth.

The corners of her lips raised, an expression of ecstasy, hazy gold eyes pierced right into their beating hearts.