Leaving for the Arian border at the brink of dawn, Haruki left the task of finding clues about the library over to Laura and her companions. He even went so far as to provide her with an excess of gold in case she needed it to find out where the library was or if she simply wanted to spend it on medicine and equipment for her companions.
But gold wasn't the only thing he'd left behind. Boarding the carriage with him were only Asuka, and Riley. As for the rest, they were staying back in Lamenia to attend to their assigned tasks. For Margarette and Moriyana it was to control the crime ring in the city and somehow find a way to connect with the royals so they could get access to the royal archives of the duchies.
'I don't doubt Moriyana and Margarette's ability to handle any situation, it's the demi-cats that are bothering me.' Still doubting whether he made the right choice by leaving Athena and Alice to assist the elves, Haruki felt extremely anxious, especially given the recent contact disconnect with Rose.
"Master, have you tried contacting her again?" Sitting at the other side of the carriage, Asuka asked with a worried expression.
"I did, but it seems like the demonic spies we left behind, have all been killed," listening keenly to Haruki, Riley added to Asuka's question further.
"Do you think it's a coup?" While Haruki had considered the possibility, it didn't feel likely that his demonic populace would revolt when a dragon was breathing over their necks.
"We can't chalk it off, but if there's a coup, then we need to make sure this never happens again," with that said, silence took over the carriage once more.
A brief journey of a few hours led them to the once-lush forest outside of the Arian gates. Uprooted and cratered, it was barren of all life, and even the trees had all disappeared. What puzzled Haruki and his companions the most were the countless holes in the ground, making it impossible for the carriage to take them any further.
"What happened here?" Mumbled Haruki after sending the coachman back with the carriage.
Casting his gaze at the fallen wall further into the distance. Haruki began questioning his very eyes. Was the city truly up in flames and tatters? Or has his mind finally gone insane?
"Whatever it was, I don't think it left many survivors," Riley said, her heart thumping from fear of her words potentially being true.
With the coachman gone, Haruki sprouted out his wings and flew up high in the sky. Getting a proper look at the border city in Aria, all he saw was a pile of rubble left behind with blood splatter and flames, and yet no bodies in sight.
"Demonic spies: Look for any survivors!" Emerging out of his skin, the spies flew out in hordes of hundreds upon hundreds.
Joining Haruki in the air, his two servants followed right behind as he made his way to the ruined city as well. There, upon getting closer, however, one of the demonic spies tried to show Haruki something, but before he had the time to close his eyes and see what it was, a ball of giant flame came flying toward the three at an impressive speed.
"Rose, it's me, Haruki!" Teleporting the ball of flame behind him, Haruki knew only Rose could fire such a giant ball of flame and yet be inconspicuous around him.
"What?" Coming from a pile of rubble, Rose's voice was easily recognizable. "Goddamit, why the hell are you wearing that costume?"
Walking out from the shambled watchtower, Rose glanced up at the flying demons and shot herself into the sky as well. Coming to a pause before them, she herself didn't seem to be in that good a shape.
'I've never seen her bleed like this before.' Haruki thought as his eyes scanned all the injuries on her body. Like the red of her hair, her face was painted the same, and the torn-up maid outfit revealed cuts and bruises all over her skin. Moving his eyes a bit to the side, he noticed her right hand bandaged up under her own torn clothes.
"What happened to your hand?" Asuka managed to ask before Haruki could. "Do you need me to heal it?"
Her lips parted to speak, but closing them again, she pressed them shut tight. Following her downcast gaze, the three demons watched as Rose reached for her hand and began undoing the cloth bandage.
"I tried to get it healed, but…" Throwing the dirty cloth away, she revealed under it a forearm with no fingers or even a hand. Everything above her wrist was torn to shreds as if another dragon had taken a bite off of it.
"No way," covering her mouth, fear gripped its claws around Asuka's heart.
Despite being used to gore, even Riley had to look away from the gruesome sight. Not because it was too grotesque, but because she couldn't bear to look at a hurt friend.
"Who did this?" His eyes locked onto the wound, Haruki asked panting.
Although his mind hadn't submitted to insanity, he wished that it had. Witnessing her torn-off arm, his lungs were filled with fumes of hatred while his body burned with fury. And even though he knew better than to rush into any conflict without proper knowledge about the situation, he wanted nothing more than to kill the person who'd hurt his underling.
"An attack on you is an attack on me, and even an attack on your children," looking up into her pained gaze, Haruki let it all bare. "Tell me who it was Rose, because I'm not letting someone hurt my daughter's godmother and get away with it."
Closing her eyes shut, she took a deep breath and replied.
"It was a demon lord, I do not know which sin he represents, but he was more vengeful than anyone I've ever seen," opening her eyes back up, she moved her injured hand forward. "I don't think you should fight him."
"Why? And vengeful for what? And how the hell did he do all this?!" Spreading his hand wide open, he demanded an answer.
"Try healing my hand first, and then I'll tell you," keeping her torn hand extended toward him, she urged him to try.
Grunting out loud, Haruki grabbed the bloodied arm and tried casting rejuvenation on the wound. However, no matter how many times he tried, the ability failed to heal even a single fiber of her muscles.
'What the fuck is happening?!' He thought, frustrated out of his mind.
"If he hurts you, there is no recovering from it," her explanation had them all look at her in shock with their eyes wide open. "And he has an army of undead, currently tearing through other cities in your kingdom."
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