Amara stood in absolute silence, finally finished detailing the brutal events in Arcadicia—from the initial demon invasion down to the final desperate strike against Demon King Domine. Through the flickering magical projection, she watched The Succubus process the massive influx of information. The demoness's eyes were distant and intensely focused as she absorbed every single word.
"King Domine..." The Succubus muttered, letting out a heavy, conflicted sigh. "You helped fight not only a Demon King, but also Arkanis, the Demon Lord renowned for his magic?" She rubbed her temples. "I don't know whether to be immensely proud of your capabilities, or furious that you put yourself directly in harm's way like that."
Amara kept her mouth shut. There really wasn't a right answer to that statement.
"Still, you did what you thought was best in a chaotic situation, and it worked," The Succubus continued, her tone softening just a fraction. "You helped break a demonic invasion. That isn't something many can claim."
Amara gave a sharp nod, forcing her exhausted spine to straighten up a little taller despite the lingering weakness in her legs. "Thank you, Mistress. Your praise means everything."
The Succubus hummed in quiet acknowledgment. "But still, having so much happen all in a single day is... deeply unsettling. I have a few specific questions, Amara."
"Of course, Mistress. What do you need to know?" Amara replied instantly.
"That man," The Succubus began, her brow furrowing slightly. "The one wielding the lightning and astral magic. What did you say he looked like again?"
Amara dutifully repeated the physical description, clearly detailing exactly how the man had moved, looked, and utilized his magic during the clashes against both Arkanis and Domine.
"Is it really him?" The Succubus mused, her voice dropping into a quiet, troubled murmur as she seemingly spoke to herself. "A doppelgänger? Maybe a sibling? But why on earth would he be helping fight against a demonic invasion?"
Amara tilted her head. "Do you know who he is, Mistress?"
The Succubus immediately waved a dismissive hand, shaking her head to clear the thought. "No, I'm probably just overthinking things. I might even be getting paranoid between what you've just told me and everything currently happening on my end." She leveled her piercing gaze back at Amara, shifting gears entirely. "You mentioned a woman. Someone who appeared alongside the man wearing a skull mask. Tell me more about them."
Amara went into greater detail regarding the enigmatic woman and the man wearing the skull mask. She carefully explained how completely unaffected the woman seemed by the sheer, crushing pressure of the battlefield, and described the blinding, almost unnatural speed at which the masked man had moved.
"I see..." The Succubus murmured, absorbing the tactical details. "That woman... you said she simply left? No words, no actions? She just vanished right away?"
Amara nodded.
"That woman might have been the Goddess herself, Sarandel," The Succubus stated plainly.
Amara's eyes went wide. "What?" she muttered, entirely baffled.
The Succubus let out a slow sigh. "I'm not certain, but given the appearance of that second holy sun and her being so unaffected by Domine's power, it's definitely a high possibility."
Amara stood frozen, in sheer disbelief at the thought of having unknowingly stood in the presence of The Goddess herself.
"That other man, however, I don't know anything about," The Succubus continued, brushing past the massive revelation. "Maybe he was using light magic to move that fast? Or possibly time magic... but that couldn't be it. He would burn through his mana far too quickly." Having nothing concrete on the masked speedster, she smoothly pivoted. "Now, my final question is about the man in the wolf mask. Tell me everything about him."
Amara blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Final question? Mistress, do you not want to know about the Beast?" she asked.
The Succubus shook her head firmly. "No, because I already know exactly what it is you saw. I know what that Xain boy is carrying inside of him. I'll explain it to you later, but for now, I want you to tell me about the one with the sword."
Amara gave a slow, hesitant nod before launching into a precise breakdown of the wolf-masked man, detailing what was undoubtedly the greatest swordsmanship she had ever witnessed in her life.
"It's unsettlingly close to historical reports I've read of someone from years past," The Succubus noted, her gaze dropping in deep concentration. "One of the Companions of Winter, known as Bram. Both in the specific way he behaves and the exact way he fights. But he was a regular human, dead for several centuries. That, combined with the man wielding the lightning?" She shook her head, a dark shadow crossing her features. "I don't like it. I don't like it at all."
The Succubus looked directly through the projection at Amara, her expression hardening into absolute authority. "Thank you for telling me all of this, Amara. Now, come back to the castle. Your mission is over."
Amara felt her heart instantly drop into her stomach. Her breathing grew shallow and erratic. "B-but I can—"
"Amara, I am being entirely serious," The Succubus cut her off, her tone leaving absolutely no room for debate. "Do not try to argue otherwise. Your mission is over and you are coming back. Is that understood?"
Amara swallowed hard, forcing a shaky nod. "Y-yes, Mistress."
"Good. Come back as soon as you can," The Succubus commanded, immediately severing the connection from her end.
The ethereal projection died out. The heavy communication device slipped from Amara's weakened, trembling fingers, clattering loudly against the floor. Her buckling legs finally gave out, sending her crashing to her knees in the cramped closet. She frantically dragged her shaking hands through her hair, her breath hitching as she buried her face in her palms.
"I failed..." she muttered into the empty dark.