Ultimatum

"Isn't that cute? The inquisitors are afraid of… eh…?"

The demon chuckled and spoke mockingly before suddenly tensing up as it realized that the inquisitors weren't looking at it…

"This…"

"...!"

Only when it heard a voice coming from the side and its skin got covered with goosebumps did it realize that the encounter with the black-haired girl wasn't over.

…and when Sapiena turned back to face her…

"FUCKING! HURTS!"

"!!!"

*THUMMMMMMMMMMMPH*

The girl took a sep forward and roared - but her voice wasn't the problem - it was the oppressing aura that spread out from her.

A pressure so immense that those within its range got the blood vessels in their eyes ruptured and began bleeding from their noses.

…the ones who were the furthest, at least…

"Ghuauergh…!"

Sapiena dropped to its knees as its fingernail veil got darker from the inside when the demon threw out blood that then began dripping down its face.

"...wghah…?"

The demon let out a gurgling gasp trying to keep its head up to look at the girl who was the cause of its injury.

Sapiena didn't have enough strength to look to the side, but if it did, it would see that it was keeping up quite well.

The vampire, his thralls, the one Sophia acolyte, and the two inquisitors were laying flat on the ground, crushed into complete submission by the same invisible force that forced it to its knees.

"Filth hiding in the hidden floor of the basement of the stronghold on the fifth isle…! Lock on."

"!!!"

The wounded girl gritted her teeth and growled, staring at the trembling demon with boundless fury.

"Catch."

"...?"

The next word spoken by the girl whose left eye flashed red for a moment was so odd that the Sapiena flinched and reimagined some of its senses…

"...!"

Only to get thrown against the wall of the building behind it when the black-haired girl raised one arm - the one she was holding the severed palm in…

*KA-THOMP*

…and straightened her elbow, letting go and unleashing a shockwave and sound like thunder.

The severed hand she threw just… disappeared…

"You…. you glass cannon BITCH! I WILL RIP OFF YOUR LIMBS AND CRUSH YOUR HEAD!"

Sapiena crawled back to its feet, shaking its head before howling, shaking from rage, and launching itself at the angry girl.

The demon raised its arm with the mace-like hand mid-flight, about to fulfill its declaration…

"GAHAAARGH?!"

But then it screeched as its body was set aflame, seemingly without any reason.

"Hmph."

The black-haired girl stepped to the side, letting the blazing demon fly past her and hit the ground where it immediately began rolling from side to side.

"Ghhhagh…! Ghaaaaaaaah! Ghh... hhah…?"

As the flames went out, only a human of normal proportions with his skin badly burnt, was left in the spot where the demon was squirming only a second ago.

Not even a trace of the keratin growths or sudden increase in height remained.

"...wh-what… what…? N-no! NO! HOW!?"

The man groaned from pain only to then flinch and cry out once he realized that he was back in control of his body.

"NO! Impossible! Arghhhh…! The vessel…! …it cannot be turned back into human once its offered to the archdemon!"

The brunt man howled, crying out as his brain realized it should feel pain from the state he was in.

"…"

For a moment the girl did not respond, furrowing her brows while glaring at the man's face as if considering something.

"WHY AM I HUMAN AGAIN?!"

The man grimaced in desperation and shouted at the girl, pointing at himself with the arm missing the hand.

"Like I would know. You offered the body to an archdemon as a vessel. I killed that archdemon. I wasn't aware that doing so would reverse the corruption."

"...k-killed…?"

With the man shouting, the girl's expression brightened and she shrugged her shoulders dismissively, leaving him at loss for words.

"...I will remember you. New member of the Seven Authorities."

All of a sudden, the seemingly reverted human straightened his back and spoke in a disturbingly low voice while glaring at the girl.

"Yeah, only Sapiena's influence disappeared but there is no way that yours would too. Thanks for confirming it, Gore. I almost started to feel bad."

"...?"

The unbothered girl spoke up with a mocking smirk, making the possessed man flinch and stare at her hesitantly.

"Listen. Stay out of Sophia's attempt of creating the avatar of the demonic god. If your malignant ass chooses to turn bening and get out of Jewelboxia, I will come to the aid of your precious homeland when the day of the prophecy of the Heaven's Breach will start showing signs of coming. Deal?"

"...you… why…? How do you know about…?"

The girl rolled her eyes before crossing her arms and declaring, making Gore flinch and hesitate through his vessel baffled by her knowledge.

"...who are you…?"

The vessel's eyes rapidly wandered from side to side as the demon lord possessing it was battling with his own thoughts.

"Someone who can spare you a humiliating defeat that will cost you everything."

The girl chuckled, tilting her head to the side without taking her eyes off the vessel whose body remained unchanged despite the demon lord speaking through it.

"If you refuse this very generous offer, there will be no next time or even a prior warning. Mess with me, and you will share Sapiena's fate. Also, I know that this guy's body can't handle your energy and will blow up at any time, puss-for-brains."

"...oh…"

*BU-WHAM*

As the demon lord was clearly delaying the conversation on purpose, the girl lost patience and stated plainly, before turning the gasping vessel into sooth with a wag of her finger before it could explode.

"...haaaa…. I need to find a way to learn when he will arrive at Rubia Archipelago and pulverize him."

The girl shook her head and breathed out with bitter disappointment.

The girl then began walking away, without stopping even for a moment to check on the other two inquisitors or any of the civilians who hadn't regained their consciousness from being slammed against the walls by the shockwave of her throw.

As the black-haired girl stepped into a quiet back alley, she was approach by some maid and removed an inconspicuous ring from her finger, which reverted her hair and eyes color back to gold.

"My lady! How are you feeling?!"

The maid who got up to the gold-haired girl and made sure that her face - and especially mouth - was properly visible..

"Awful… Adi… it hurts… My HP doesn't even look as if it dropped, but it hurts really bad… Let's just go... I don't care about being stealthy anymore… I want to get out of here and hunt some monsters on the way to the kobolds…"

The gold-haired girl cried and leaned in to hug the maid, pouting and sniffling while the wounds on her torso that looked severe enough to kill a normal human instantly were oozing blood, staining her clothes.

"Maybe it's time to take out the claw? Wouldn't you prefer to get completely healed?"

"...no… I don't want to waste this chance…"

The maid suggested but the gold-haired girl protested with a grumble as she sniffled, cuddling up to the maid as she took her in her arms into a princess carry.

"It has been a while since we last checked what resistances you got."

"...and they were like that of a normal person... we will check the progress in some city or big town along the way… "

The maid reminded with a concerned yet hopeful expression, but the gold-haired girl shook her head and pouted stubbornly.

"..."

The maid let out a worried sigh and jumped up to the roof of the closest building, kicking off and using the roofs of other buildings as footholds until she got to and jumped over the city walls.