"Her name is Mirathiel known by the title Saint Maiden of Illusions, the embodiment of lust and deceit. A being who eternally yearns to be loved by both body… and soul."
A suffocating silence followed.
Aria lowered her head, her face drained of color.
"So it's true…" Kyran clenched his fists, his voice trembling with rage.
"The emperor of this empire truly worships demons…"
"But I still don't understand," he continued: "What exactly are the Seven Primordial Demons that make humanity fear them so deeply?"
Aria took a deep breath and began to explain.
"The Seven Primordial Demons were the first seven evil entities created by a being who was once a fallen Divine Guardian. His title was the Saint-Demon Celestial Emperor. He was cast out of the divine realm after the Supreme God discovered the darkness lurking behind the once-pure gaze in his eyes."
"The seven sins most common to mankind are the roots of their existence: Wrath, Despair, Pride, Envy, Apathy, Lust, and Destruction. Each sin manifests as a living entity. Their power rivals that of the Divine Guardians recorded in the Ancient Holy Scriptures."
Soren swallowed hard: "That's… horrifying. How could such things even exist?"
"Whether you believe it or not," Sharian said grimly, "our ancestors documented everything. These beings feed on human sin the more corrupted souls there are, the stronger they become."
"There's no way to stop them?" Kyran asked.
"No." Sharian shook her head. "Even the strongest Hero who ever lived the one who eventually betrayed the Supreme God once faced one of them: Zephyros, the Bloodstorm Sovereign, embodiment of Pride. But instead of destroying him, the Hero was tamed… and enslaved."
Aria nodded slowly. "Ah… I remember now. Zephyros… Mira mentioned him before. Now it all makes sense. That demon was the one who led the Hero to betray the Supreme God, causing him to be abandoned stripped of divine protection."
At that moment, it felt as if space and time itself had frozen. Shock and despair were etched on every face until the chime of a clock rang out, signaling that noon had passed.
As dusk approached, the escort and the envoy departed the city gates to tour the capital, Kumer. What greeted them was a grotesque sight.
Women dressed in revealing garments walked the streets, surrounded by men who ogled and harassed them openly.
"What kind of indecent spectacle is this?" Sharian scowled in outrage.
Commander Camesis snorted softly: "It's a local custom. At the sacred hour, women must dress as if barely clothed and parade through the streets for men to admire. It symbolizes reverence for beauty supposedly elevating a woman's value and worth."
"Reverence?" Sharian snapped: "This is humiliation, not reverence! It's an outright insult!"
Camesis shot her a cold glance: "Watch your tongue, Sharian. If they hear you, you'll be the first to die."
Then he added flatly: "I despise this custom as well. But this is their empire, not ours. Do not interfere."
Sharian scoffed, her eyes still burning with fury.
Just then, a woman in provocative attire was surrounded by a group of men. She struggled desperately, crying for help but no one paid her any mind, as though it were a normal sight.
"That's enough! I can't stand by anymore!" Kyran roared.
He charged forward, drawing his sword and severing one man's arm in a single strike. Blood sprayed as the group panicked and fled.
The woman collapsed to her knees, trembling as she thanked him through tears. She looked up at Kyran, her eyes moist and alluring.
"Thank you… my savior…" Her voice quivered, cheeks flushed: "To repay your noble deed…"
She slowly slipped out of her daring dress, revealing porcelain-white breasts, supple and bare, crowned with rosy peaks. Her gaze turned hazy, her voice a breathy whisper.
"…I offer my body to you, my benefactor."
Kyran froze.
Instinctively, he stepped back, heart pounding, throat dry.
He had only meant to save someone in danger but the situation had twisted into something utterly incomprehensible.
The other warriors were equally shaken. Only Camesis remained eerily calm.
He raised his hand. Holy power surged outward like a silver wind, cleansing the dark energy clinging to the woman.
The moment the divine light touched her, she screamed in agony. Thick black smoke poured from her body and dissipated into the air. Her body went limp and collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Before Kyran could process what had happened, Camesis's voice cut through like a blade.
"I warned you. Don't interfere. This is not a place for reckless heroics."
Each word fell heavy, crushing Kyran's chest. He lowered his head, fists clenched.
"I… I only…"
"Silence!" Camesis said louder: "If you wish to remain in this army, learn to obey orders. Do not let that weak compassion of yours turn you into dead weight."
The warning carved itself deep into Kyran's heart. He grit his teeth and nodded.
"Yes… Commander."
Camesis snorted and motioned for the group to move on.
The atmosphere grew suffocating as they passed through Kumeroa's marketplace district. Everything seemed shrouded in gloom no smiles, only lifeless lights glowing from houses like hollow eyes.
Then a scream tore through the air.
"Help! A demon! A demon's here… run!!!"
From a dark alley, a creature burst forth. It pinned a woman to the ground, fangs sinking into her flesh, the sounds of tearing and scratching echoing down the street.
In moments, her clothes were shredded. Her naked body was ravaged by the monster's insatiable hunger.
The entire group stood frozen in horror. The envoy collapsed to his knees, face pale. He had visited Kumeroa many times but never stayed long enough to witness its true darkness.
"Cover your eyes! Don't look!" Camesis shouted, shielding the envoy's vision.
But Kyran couldn't move.
He saw the woman sobbing and then, in a blink, her cries turned into delirious moans. Her pleas dissolved into eager acceptance, as if her soul were being dragged into an abyss of pleasure she could no longer resist.
Cries, breaths, moans all merged into a single symphony of sin.
Her unfocused eyes turned toward Kyran, beckoning him.
"What the hell… is happening?" he whispered.
Soren, Sharian, and Aria stood stunned. Soren tried to cover Aria's eyes, but it was already too late.
They saw everything.
When the ritual ended, the woman's body convulsed violently. Her skin turned pitch black, shriveling into ash.
Her soul had been completely devoured.
Aria shuddered, her voice trembling: "It… it ate her soul…"
"I can't believe this…" Sharian staggered back, deathly pale.
"Disgusting…" Kyran growled, fury blazing in his eyes.
The demon roared, crimson eyes scanning the area for its next prey.
"Your souls… so sweet… Offer them willingly to me! Whoever you are, I will show you what heaven truly feels like…"
"A wretch like you dares speak of heaven?"
Before it could leap, a gleaming sword arc cleaved through it. The demon split in two, dissolving into black smoke.
Camesis sheathed his blade, voice cold. "Just a lesser demon. They only prey on civilians. Don't concern yourselves."
The group immediately withdrew from the district and returned to the palace. Before leaving the city, the envoy left behind a letter addressed to Emperor Edgar.
At the Imperial Palace of Kumeroa.
Upon reading the letter, Edgar let out a scornful laugh.
"Those Lumerious dogs… growing bolder by the day. They dare leave without kneeling before me?"
An aide beside him bowed: "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
Edgar glanced at him, his smile twisting: "You know my nature well enough, don't you?"
The aide bent lower: "I understand. I will send men after them wipe them out completely."
"Good." Edgar smirked, demonic light flashing in his eyes: "But before you go…"
He gestured to the aide, his gaze sliding downward: "Kneel, and receive your reward."
No one knows exactly what that "reward" entailed.
All that is known is that the golden lights of the palace suddenly dimmed, and the shadows of two bodies intertwined beneath the flickering glow.
When the light returned, only the scent of metal and incense lingered in the air.
Edgar's laughter echoed through the hall ecstatic, twisted, and demonic.