Ready To Depart

Lunatic's jaw dropped. "W-wife?" she stammered, eyes widening as she realized she might have pushed things a bit too far. Reiza's smile grew, but her fingers dug in even tighter, sending Lunatic into full-on panic mode.

Reiza's grip strength was so strong that, Lunatic's feet was slowly burying inside the ground with just slight force.

Lunatic's mind whirled as she thought of Scarlett's hand. Her imagination landed on the purple ring glinting on Scarlett's finger—a ring Lunatic hadn't thought much of until now. She gasped, connecting the dots. "That ring… it's yours?" she blurted, her voice barely a whisper.

But as her words sank in, Reiza's smile twisted slightly, turning bitter. Her mouth set in a hard line as a flicker of disappointment flashed across her eyes. "That ring?" she muttered, letting out a sigh that sounded almost resentful. "No. That one isn't mine." Her fingers finally released their hold, leaving Lunatic free but visibly annoyed. "Tch... I wish it was mine," she muttered with a frustrated sigh.

Lunatic felt a surge of confusion, her brow furrowing. "Wait… what? That ring isn't from you?" She couldn't stop herself from asking. "Then… who gave it to her?"

Reiza looked away, clearly not thrilled about talking but eventually shrugged and answered. "Just some human girl from a no-name kingdom. It's nothing serious," she sneered, crossing her arms. "Their marriage hasn't even happened yet, so it doesn't count. Besides," she smirked slyly, extending a hand to Lunatic, "how about you help me get rid of her? We could work together as a team."

Lunatic's expression shifted, a wicked grin slowly spreading across her face. She shook off the dirt from her feet, stepping back instead of taking Reiza's hand. "Team up with you?" she repeated, chuckling darkly. "Why should I?" She shot Reiza a mocking smile, her eyes gleaming with newfound ambition. "You should've said from the start she's not your wife yet. Too bad for you," she added with a wicked glint in her eye, " the one who'll become Scarlett's first wife… is me."

Reiza's anger flared up, and her eyes narrowed as she sneered, "Feeling full of yourself, aren't you?" She reached out, ready to grip Lunatic's shoulder again, intending to show off her strength.

But this time, Lunatic was quicker. She caught Reiza's hand mid-air, holding it firmly. Reiza's expression twisted as she applied her strength, but Lunatic didn't budge. It was clear—both of them were evenly matched. Lunatic's lips curled into a smirk. "You know, both succubi and oni share something in common," she spat, her tone dripping with mockery. "We're born with certain… skills and experiences already engraved in our minds."

For a moment, her gaze darkened, an intense gleam flashing in her eyes. "But there's one big difference," she whispered, leaning in closer with a wicked glint. "The gap between an oni's experience and a succubus's is like heaven and earth. You're just a mating beast with a high libido. You can't compare to me," she hissed, forcefully shoving Reiza's hand away.

Then, without hesitation, Lunatic took a few slow, deliberate steps forward, closing the space between them. She leaned in, her breath tickling Reiza's ear as she spoke in a low, taunting voice. "Ever heard of NTR?" she whispered, each word laced with menace. "I'll give Scarlett so much pleasure that she won't be able to live without me. Forget being the second wife—you won't even be in her life."

Reiza's eyes flashed with defiance, refusing to back down. She scoffed, crossing her arms as she met Lunatic's gaze. "Is that so? Fine. I'll be waiting to see if you can actually pull it off," she replied, her tone brimming with confidence. She turned on her heel and walked away, her steps firm and steady.

But as soon as her back was to Lunatic, Reiza's expression began to falter. Her confident look melted into one of worry as her mind raced. She chewed anxiously on her green-painted nails, her thoughts swirling with doubt. As much as she hated to admit it, a shadow of fear crept in. What if Lunatic really did manage to steal Scarlett away?

After all, it was in the nature of a oni to worry about losing what they desired most.

Lunatic wasn't doing well, either. As Reiza left, she took a shaky breath and turned back toward the room. But the moment she stepped inside, her legs buckled, and she dropped to her knees, gasping.

"Urp… urp…" She clutched her stomach, doubling over as a mouthful of blood spilled from her lips. It felt like her whole body was rebelling. Gasping for air, she wiped the blood from her mouth, her hand trembling. "I used my unique skill to slightly shorten Scarlett's height. It was a tiny change… but her resistance is fierce," she thought, her mind racing. "It feels like there's an invisible force trying to snap her back to how she was."

Her breathing slowed, but her heart still hammered in her chest. "I can't keep this up for long," she realized, swallowing hard. "If I push any further, I could… perish." She let out a low, defiant growl. "But let's see how long I can hold on."

---

The afternoon passed, and the golden light of the setting sun bathed Dreadhaven in a warm, dim glow.

Inside the newly built palace, Scarlett, Li Feng, Baron Nova, Reiza, Lunatic, and Kroenen gathered in a spacious room. Scarlett had handpicked these people for an upcoming mission to Gwarga. Even though Reiza had a soft, almost gentle personality, Scarlett knew better—Reiza had no love for humans and wouldn't hesitate to kill them if needed. She'd already taken the lives of hundreds who had dared to attack her village before meeting Scarlett.

The room was large and stately, with two sofas set across from each other. On one, Li Feng, Kroenen, and Baron sat, each of them focused and ready. Across from them, Scarlett sat in the middle of the second sofa, her presence commanding as always. On either side of her, Reiza and Lunatic sat, though they seemed hardly aware of Scarlett's presence between them.

Both Reiza and Lunatic glared at each other with intense, unspoken rivalry, as if invisible lightning bolts were sparking between their gazes. Their eyes locked, brimming with challenge and jealousy, as if each was daring the other to back down.

The silence in the room was thick until Li Feng finally broke it. "What's she doing here?" he asked bluntly, pointing at Lunatic with a raised brow. "Does she have any… skills?"

Lunatic's eyes lit up mischievously, and she gave a sly smile. "Oh, I have plenty of talents. Tongue kiss, Blow job, bareback, an*l—"

Before she could continue, Scarlett's face went red, and she slapped her hand over Lunatic's mouth, laughing nervously. "Haha… Don't mind her! She's got a few screws loose," Scarlett said quickly, flashing a strained smile at everyone. "But she's got some… helpful skills. Really!" She shot Lunatic a warning look to keep her quiet.

Trying to bring the conversation back on track, Scarlett cleared her throat and said, "So! I think we should start heading to Gwarga Kingdom, right?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and began to stand up—except for Li Feng, who crossed his arms and shook his head stubbornly. "No way! I don't like *her*," he said, glaring at Lunatic. "If she's going, I'm not!"

Reiza couldn't help but chuckle, and she shot him a thumbs up. "Good call! I'm with you on this."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow at Li Feng, a playful but dangerous smirk appearing on her face. "Oh? So, you want me to marry your sister, then?"

At that, Li Feng's attitude flipped in an instant. His expression turned from defiant to alarmed as he waved his hands in a panic. "Uh, never mind! We're wasting time! Let's go, let's go!" he blurted, dashing out of the room first. The change was so quick that everyone just stared after him, then burst into laughter. It was like he'd gone from stubborn warrior to worried little brother in seconds, and the sight was too funny to ignore.