Chapter 211 Red Devil
Looking over her shoulder, Veronica saw Amarantha approaching, dressed in red knightly armor. The Demon Queen pursed her lips and sighed, clearly reluctant to have any contact with Amarantha.
"Hello, Amarantha. I thought you'd stay with Adam," Veronica said in a low voice, with a hint of reproach, as if questioning why Amarantha had come here.
"Hmm?" Naturally, Amarantha noticed the hint but showed no displeasure, nor did she change the expression on her face. She just shrugged and approached Veronica.
"I have to be here because it's my chance to become stronger. If you haven't forgotten, I have demon blood in my lineage, and it occupies a significant part. So, this expedition is crucial for me, you understand?" Amarantha replied, crossing her arms over her chest and smiling. She pointed at Sierra, who looked very serious: "Even the perpetually carefree girl is now extremely serious and intends to finish this expedition as quickly as possible to gain new power."
"Hmph... You don't understand what you're getting into. If the Demon King is still there, death awaits strangers. Only you and I will survive, considering our demon lineage."
"I hope he's not there." The Demon King. Amarantha knew about him only from ancient records, and the information was not as abundant as she would have liked. The only thing worth understanding was that this creature was extremely dangerous and rivaled the power of the gods, who were essentially the pinnacle of the practice everyone aspired to. And if the Demon King is in the Abyss, invaders like Amarantha and others will face an unpleasant fate.
If Amarantha can survive due to her demon lineage, which mostly belongs to demons, the fate of others will not be so sweet. That's why she was afraid that Sierra might die. She was an important ally, one that couldn't be lost under any circumstances. As for Elizabeth...
"Hmm..." Amarantha shifted her gaze to Elizabeth, who stood alone on the side. Even among the Higher Powers, she showed no friendliness and often stood alone. She had few friends because she was not talkative, and her gaze was always cold, discouraging others from talking to her.
However, she and Amarantha grew up together in the Academy, where, after studying, each went their separate ways. Elizabeth became so powerful that she was recognized as a Queen, and Amarantha chose the path of the criminal world, where she became a kind of Queen. In essence, two friends became influential people, but this very fact separated them.
Moreover, Elizabeth's actions towards Adam had strained their relationship. No matter how understanding Amarantha tried to be, she couldn't stand the fact that her husband was locked away from her. Irritation and... jealousy flared up within her.
"Well, she can handle it on her own. If she's in danger, I'll somehow help," Amarantha thought, sighing and turning away from Elizabeth, looking at Veronica. She thought, "She's also an unusual and complex personality. Obsessed with Adam, as if it's her world, and the recent event showed that she's willing to destroy everything for his safety. In short, insane."
However, such obsession was good, if used for its intended purpose - that's what Amarantha thought. Adam was an attractive man, despite some flaws, and he attracted women with his kindness and care. And the more strong women in his harem, the stronger the Empire they would create.
"But for now... I need to deal with the task of entering the Abyss. The entrance is closed; even Veronica can't get inside," Amarantha thought and squinted, "What's this strange magical trace?"
Shifting her gaze to the crack, she saw thin lines emanating from it, resembling ropes. They were red and so thin that one had to make a considerable effort to notice them. These ropes led to practitioners standing in front of the crack. Surprisingly, they chose those with the weakest levels.
"Does this thread have the ability to control the mind?" She thought, but she didn't warn others, wanting to see the effect first and, preferably, the expected result. And...
"AHH! Kane, what are you doing?!" One of the SS-level practitioners, a man with blue eyes and black hair of slender build, suddenly attacked another practitioner, using Higher Energy, which, although weak in space, still posed a considerable threat. Chaos erupted among the practitioners, while Amarantha and Veronica watched from the sidelines.
Looking at Veronica, Amarantha nodded, making sure that the woman had also noticed something amiss. The same opinion was held by two SSS+ level practitioners who remained silent and did nothing, just preventing this person from killing anyone. And after five minutes, the victim of control was saved.
"W-what have I done?!" he cried in despair and apologized, afraid that he would be killed for it.
"Bastard, now you're denying it?! Accept your punishment and die!" Others shouted in irritation, clearly displeased with him, and those who were injured due to his attacks were even more enraged.
Of course, some wanted to kill him. Many of them suffered injuries from Higher Energy, which penetrated the protective layer of the body and caused internal injuries, affecting bleeding and magical energy. Surrounded by more than ten people, the poor man named Kane was terrified and could only desperately look at Veronica, hoping to be saved.
And although Veronica didn't react, one of the two SSS+ practitioners helped him. There was a clap - everyone's attention was drawn to one of the practitioners.
"Stop fooling around. He's not guilty of what happened because his mind was taken over. I suggest immediately stepping away from the crack to a distance of a hundred meters to avoid a repeat of mind control," said the practitioner and flew forward.
The rest exchanged glances. They looked puzzled, but considering that the order came from someone not easy, they could only obey and obediently move away, leaving Kane alone. He sighed in relief and adjusted his clothes, flying towards the others, but...
Shooosh.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Veronica turned with a raised eyebrow and looked at the spot where Kane was. She was shocked, her eyes widening. She saw a scene where a giant red hand with blisters and long black claws grabbed Kane and dragged him into the portal. And after that...
"Darn! The portal is closing!" Amarantha was shocked, looking at Veronica with anticipation for answers, but the woman herself was in a stupor. Her body trembled, and various emotions mixed inside her, while her beautiful black eyes sparkled.
"Veronica? What happened?" Amarantha inquired, flying to her, but the woman didn't respond to her call. "Hey... what's wrong with you?"
Amarantha shook Veronica by the shoulder, and only then did the Demon Queen come to her senses. Cold sweat dripped from her forehead, and she looked frightened. Looking into Amarantha's eyes, she muttered.
"It was the Guardian of Hell... the Red Devil. If he's here, it means that..."
She didn't continue, not because she didn't want to but simply because she couldn't. And Amarantha didn't insist, but she was deeply concerned for her. After a few minutes of contemplation, she recalled some details she had read from a book.
"The Gates of Hell are filled with fear and despair. Anyone entering will be tested, and if you have hostile intentions, the Guardian of Hell, the Red Demon, will take you to Hell and torture your soul for thousands of years. He moves only on the orders of the Demon King or his assistant."
Could this mean that the Demon King had indeed awakened? But... would Veronica react this way if she heard about it?
"Brother..." a murmur echoed in the emptiness.
---
Adam effortlessly destroyed another demon that was rapidly zigzagging towards him. This demon differed significantly from the others in its speed and agility, making it harder to fight, but if your reaction speed was good enough, dealing with it wasn't that difficult.
Fortunately, most demons coming out of the portals were weak, and you didn't have to exert too much effort on them. However, the fact that their numbers increased each time was undeniably frustrating.
"I'm so tired..." Adam was beyond Sedion, where new portals were discovered. His face was tired, and he sighed every time he looked at the horrifying sight – corpses of demons that needed to be burned. He was covered in blood, and his armor was pierced. For several days, he had been fighting, but these demons were multiplying like ants, and there was no chance to resist them.
The girls were taking care of the city and the company in general. They had a lot of work ahead, so he could only sigh in helplessness. Unfortunately, the workload on all of them was horrifying, and there wasn't even time for sleep. The only thing that pleased them was that they didn't need sleep for their bodies to function well.
Fortunately, most guards had already gotten used to quickly responding to the appearance of portals and timely destroying demons. So, the safety in the city was good, but Adam still didn't dare to allow the residents to move freely, as there was a high chance that a new and unknown batch of demons with special abilities might appear, posing a potential threat.
"The main thing is to be careful and not lose vigilance. The enemy attacks when we are least prepared," he thought and turned, heading towards the city.
The gates slammed shut, and over a hundred protective spells were immediately activated, ensuring decent protection for the city walls. Adam shook his head and sighed, feeling a slight fatigue. Another heavy workday lay ahead, filled with paperwork and battles.
To be continued...
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