Chapter 16

  Sarah sat comfortably in the luxurious suite of the hotel, her gaze fixed outside the grand window overlooking the streets of the city. The operation had gone smoothly, and now, with their objectives complete, it was time to leave. Nami stood nearby, her arms crossed, demonstrating a sense of satisfaction as she recounted her own part in the mission.

  "Everything went smoothly," Nami reported with a smile. "The storage facilities of the organization were hit hard. I left no loose ends."

  Sarah nodded, pleased with the results. Then, her mind shifted to another matter. "What about Maldrath? The one who was one of the leaders."

  Nami scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, that guy? He wasn’t much fun. He's an undead, a skeleton to be exact. No flesh at all."

  Sarah raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "An undead, huh? Anything special about him?"

  Nami shrugged. "Not really. He was as weak as the others, nothing impressive. From what you told me about that vampire, Valyria, he's probably even weaker than her."

  Sarah hummed in thought. Nami took the opportunity to elaborate on her knowledge of vampires. "Higher Vampires are some of the strongest beings in this world. I've met a few, and let me tell you, most of them could easily take down an entire human kingdom if they wanted. But, just like us True Demons, Higher Vampires tend to keep to themselves. They're not just mindless monsters that go around killing."

  Sarah leaned forward slightly. "Interesting. Valyria did say she was still relatively young. That would explain her strength compared to others of her kind."

  Nami nodded. "That makes sense. The older they are, the stronger they get. Maybe one day, we’ll find one of the ancient ones, then you’ll see just how powerful they really are."

  Sarah chuckled at that. It would certainly be something to look forward to.

  "Anyway," Nami continued, "Maldrath submitted almost immediately when I showed him the 10th tier of magic. Dropped to the ground, begging to serve. Said he wanted to peer into the pinnacle of magic."

  Sarah smirked at that. "A scholar type, then? That could be useful. We can always use more knowledgeable subordinates."

  "Exactly," Nami agreed. "He's not a fighter, but his knowledge of necromancy and ancient texts might come in handy."

  Sarah leaned back in her chair, tapping a finger against her chin. "Now that we have a good source of information and influence within the Kingdom of Grand Valka, it's time to move to the next phase. Our next destination is the Demon’s Council State."

  Nami's eyes glowed with curiosity. "Ah, the nation ruled by six Demon Lords. That will be interesting."

  Sarah nodded. "Indeed. If we're looking for a place to establish our own nation, this could be a good start. Since it's already ruled by demons, we wouldn't face much resistance from the populace as long as we ensure stability. Also, if we can turn the Demon Lords into allies, we'd gain powerful assets."

  Nami grinned. "You're right about that. And personally, I'm curious to see how strong these Demon Lords really are. They are probably Higher Demons, but I doubt they’re True Demons like us. True Demons would rarely bother with something like ruling countries. There’s also not many of them, so I doubt I wouldn’t know about the existence of six of them."

  Sarah agreed. "Which is why this could be an opportunity. If they are simply Higher Demons, we will be able to either dominate or manipulate them. If they prove to be strong, well… that just makes things more fun."

  Nami laughed. "When do we leave?"

  Sarah stood up, her blueish eyes full of ambition. "Soon. We'll make the necessary preparations and depart by nightfall."

  Nami nodded.

  Sarah leaned back slightly, her eyes narrowing in thought as something else came to her mind: the implications of Lena’s defeat. Despite her usual confidence, she couldn’t ignore the fact that an unknown opponent had managed to not only overpower Lena but do so with relative ease. Even with the suppression spell in play, that level of dominance was concerning.

  Nami, sitting beside her with a relaxed demeanor, tapped her fingers idly against the armrest of her chair. “Sarah, you’re worrying too much,” she said, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “No single person is going to bring us down. And definitely not you.” She chuckled. “You’re unbeatable. I have no doubts about that.”

  Sarah exhaled slowly, a hint of a smile touching her face at Nami’s unwavering faith in her. “I appreciate your confidence in me,” she said, “but even if I am strong, caution is necessary. This woman was able to defeat Lena without much struggle. That means she has the potential to be a real threat. I won’t make the mistake of underestimating her.”

  Nami crossed her arms, her expression shifting slightly. “Lena was under a suppression spell, Sarah. You know that. Without it, I doubt that woman could have overwhelmed her so easily.”

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  Sarah nodded. “That’s true. But Lena also said she didn’t use any overwhelming magic, just swordsmanship combined with support from magic items. That means her skill alone was enough to fight and win.” She tapped her fingers against the table. “If she had the ability to counter Lena’s regeneration, then she could very well be able to inflict wounds on us that don’t heal as well.”

  Nami’s expression darkened slightly. “A wound that doesn’t heal? That’s a little troublesome.”

  “It’s more than that,” Sarah replied. “If she has a means to destroy a source, then she could permanently kill even us.”

  Nami was silent for a moment. “That would be very hard. Even if we get completely destroyed, we always regenerate. That’s what it means to be a True Demon. But yeah… having your source destroyed would mean the end.”

  Sarah’s gaze remained firm. “Exactly, as long as the source remains intact, we can always return. But if the source itself is destroyed, then there is nothing left to bring back. A source is the fundamental concept of existence of a being.”

  Nami frowned. “I see what you mean. So if this person has a way to destroy sources, then even we would be in danger. Still, that’s just a possibility.”

  Sarah nodded. “We can’t take her lightly.”

  Nami exhaled, rubbing the back of her neck. “That’s rare magic, though. The ability to destroy a source isn’t something just anyone can do, most don’t even know that a source exists. But I get it, we have to be careful.” She paused for a moment before asking, “But wait—if your source is destroyed, even you wouldn’t be able to come back?”

  Sarah tilted her head slightly, considering the question. “Normally, no. But… I do have a way to counter it.”

  Nami perked up. “Oh?”

  Sarah folded her arms. “It’s called [Source Regeneration]. The concept is simple but difficult to execute. It works by taking my own source as the origin and then restoring it to the state it was before the attack.”

  Nami’s eyes widened slightly. “That sounds insanely powerful. But how would you even cast a spell like that if your source is gone?”

  Sarah smirked. “That’s the tricky part. Magic cannot be used without a source. I’d have to use [Source Regeneration] just before my source is destroyed. I would then send the spell into the future, setting it to activate at the exact moment my source is destroyed, bringing it back instantly.”

  Nami let out a low whistle. “That’s crazy. So even if someone somehow managed to destroy your source, the spell would just revert it back?”

  Sarah nodded. “Exactly. It’s a failsafe. But even then, it requires perfect timing. If I don’t cast it at the right moment, or if something interferes with the spell reaching the future, it could fail.”

  Nami chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s still pretty impressive.”

  Sarah allowed a small smile. “I prefer to be prepared for anything.”

  Nami leaned back, sighing. “Well, with a plan like that, I guess we don’t have to worry too much. Still, I’d rather not test it if we don’t have to. Also, most True Demons have means to destroy sources… it’s not unheard of. I myself obviously can do it. I assume you can as well.”

  Sarah agreed. “True. Even then we’ll need to investigate and keep an eye on this person. We should find out more about her before we cross paths again.”

  Nami smirked. “Fine by me. But if we do fight her again, I want to see how she holds up against me.”

  Sarah sighed. “Just don’t underestimate her.”

  Nami grinned. “I never do. Well… maybe sometimes.”

  With that, the conversation shifted, but the thought of this person lingered in Sarah’s mind.

  ***

  Alexia walked through the corridors of the eastern hideout, her eyes looking around the aftermath of what looked like a massacre. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, and the torches barely illuminated the darkened halls. Corpses littered the ground, some with brutal wounds that spoke of inhuman strength and precision. It had been days since the Theocracy had extracted information from the Princess of Grand Valka, revealing that a magical artifact had been stolen and had been hidden within this very place. But now, it seemed they had arrived too late.

  She had barely managed to convince the Cardinals to let her come on this mission. They were always hesitant to allow their greatest asset to venture into danger. In the end, they had relented, but only under strict conditions. Two support mages—Derick and Elara—had been assigned to accompany her, their primary task being to use suppression magic in any powerful foes she might encounter. The Theocracy couldn't afford to take risks with her. They had made that clear.

  Derick, a tall man with dark brown hair and silver glasses, emerged from a side room with a frustrated expression. His dark-blue robes bore the emblem of the Theocracy, a golden sunburst, embroidered into a grey fabric.

  "Nothing," he reported, his tone filled with disappointment. "We've searched the storage rooms and the main vault. If the artifact was here, it's gone now."

  Alexia sighed, crossing her arms. "I had a feeling that would be the case. The hideout has clearly been attacked. Judging by the sheer destruction, whoever did this was relentless. Perhaps it was that girl I fought earlier."

  Elara, a petite woman with auburn hair tied into a tight bun, stepped forward. Her green eyes gleamed in the dim light. "The Cardinals sent us to recover an item that could summon a group of monsters. We may not know its exact scale, but such power belongs in the hands of the Shield of Humanity—not in the possession of some disgusting demi-human or heteromorphic," she stated, a note of disdain in her voice. "I've heard rumors that this organization harbors quite a few of them."

  A sudden chill filled the air.

  Alexia turned to face Elara, her purple eyes shining with barely restrained anger. The pressure of her presence alone made the air heavy, causing Elara to visibly flinch. She immediately bowed her head in regret.

  "I-I apologize, Lady Alexia. I did not mean—"

  "Be careful of what you say around me," Alexia warned, her voice cold and sharp as a blade.

  Elara flinched again, panic creeping into her expression. "O-Of course, Lady Alexia! But you are clearly different from those disgusting things—"

  Alexia’s glare intensified. "Don't make things worse for yourself."

  Dercik, sensing the rising tension, quickly stepped in. "I'm sure Elara didn't mean anything by it," he said smoothly, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "She simply spoke without thinking. Let's focus on the mission."

  Alexia exhaled slowly, forcing herself to let it go. This obviously wasn't the first time she had encountered such rhetoric within the Theocracy, but it never failed to irritate her.

  "Fine," she muttered. "We'll report back that the artifact is no longer here. But we need to figure out who was responsible for this attack. If they have the artifact, we can't let them keep it."

  Derick nodded. "Agreed. There may be clues among the bodies. Some of them were killed in different ways. It’s possible that more than one attacker was involved."

  Alexia glanced down at a particularly gruesome corpse—a man whose body had been torn in half. His face was twisted in horror, frozen in the moment of his brutal death.

  "Then let's find out who did this," she said, her voice resolute.

  They continued their search, stepping over fallen bodies and broken weapons. If the artifact was truly gone, they needed to determine its fate. And if that girl from before was involved in this massacre, then Alexia would have to find her again.