Chapter 330
The first step was for Nyra to fall asleep. We gave her a warm glass of milk, and Mio casted magic to make her sleepy. She laid in bed and made herself comfy. Her eyelids grew heavy, and they gradually tug closed. I was about to exert my aura on her and dive in when Mio stopped me.
"Give it a sec. Gotta let the sleeper start dreaming, or we enter nothingness," Mio explained.
"I didn't even know that was a thing, and I've been a succubus for a few years now. I guess I still have a lot to learn," I said.
Mio smirked at me.
Nyra's breathing grew shallow and rhythmic. Her eyes darted behind those closed lids. Mio leaned down to listen to her chest, then looked up to give me the okay. The two of us exerted our auras to cradle the girl in her sleep, and into her dream we went.
Darkness surrounded us. I thought we had entered Nyra's dream too early until Mio grabbed hand. She snapped her fingers and created a spark of fire that lit up the immediate area. We were actually in a pitch black dungeon.
Groans of pain and weeping echoed down from the dark chamber. They were like an incessant chorus completely out of tune. Fortunately, Mio and I were in control of the dream rather than being a subject of it. The two of us phased right through the metal bars.
Mio led me through the dark stone palace. The corridors were tall and wide, and boring, too. There were no ornaments, trophies, or anything. Every now and then, we passed through a hole in the wall, likely caused from a past battle. When we walked by, it gave me a glimpse of the world beyond.
A dark crimson sky hung above with swirling gray clouds. Countless flying creatures of demonic origins swarmed together. Down below, a miserable wasteland stretched into the distance, occasionally interrupted by erect stone spires. An iron fortress of smog and smoke cracked with the hammer of hundreds of smiths at work.
"We're still in Elza… right?" I gulped.
"Yeah. Can you believe this place used to be blanketed in snow? When the Demon King brought us here, he turned it into the wasteland you see outside. Terraformed the shit outta it to his liking," Mio explained.
Yikes. I thanked my lucky stars that the Demon King's reign was well past my time.
Worry bit at my chest. Nyra was supposed to be somewhere in this dream. I hoped she was okay and not scared out of her wits.
We eventually ended up in an enormous foyer. Large metal doors had been opened wide, and there seemed to be a meeting going on farther in the next chamber. Mio and I entered not just any palace chamber though. We came into the throne room itself.
Several figures were seen kneeling in front of the Demon King, and I recognized two of them. Queen Beatrice and Queen Elendir. There were other demons that were nothing like Servus. They appeared more beastly and disfigured. Among them, I finally caught sight of Servus, distinguishable by his unique horned helmet. However, only one person in the throne room exuded such a commanding and menacing presence.
Sitting on the savage throne was a shadowy, looming figure. I couldn't make out the finer details of their appearance. It just looked like a creature made purely from black mists. But I was able to picture the spiked pauldrons on their shoulders, a large sword resting against the throne seat, and burning red eyes that gazed down.
"That's… the Demon King?" I gulped.
"Yeah. That's him. Well, we know it's Nyra now." Mio gritted her teeth.
"Servus, I hope I don't have to remind you what the price of failure is. You will be begging for death when I'm done with you," the Demon King threatened.
"I-I did not fail you, my master. The pathetic demons and dark elves did. I merely—"
Snaking shadows surged forward and grabbed hold of Servus by the throat, lifting him into the air. His feet dangled helplessly in search of solid ground. I knew better than assuming the Demon King was going to kill him. After all, we wouldn't be here if that was the case.
"Queen Elendir and I placed those dark elves under your command. Do you mean to tell me I was mistaken to assign them to you?" the Demon King asked.
"No… What I mean is, they could have done better for you… but they didn't. I will not fail you next time. I swear it," Servus pleaded.
The Demon King reached forward and plucked Servus' helmet off. He let the piece of equipment fall, clattering on the ground.
"Without this, you are as weak as an infant. You wouldn't even be able to crush the skull of an elf. Remember where your strength comes from. While you rely on a trinket, mine is as true as the sun. Do not fail me. Or there will be no next time," the Demon King said.
When shadows retreated, the Houndmaster plummeted to the ground. He scrambled to put his helmet back on and snarled, and the Demon King delighted in watching him suffer. Beatrice, too, sneered at Servus.
When the meeting ended, the leadership disbanded quickly. It was like no one could stomach the other for too long. Servus, however, chased Queen Elendir down the corridor. We followed him.
"Dark elf." Servus caught up and stood in her way.
"Servus. What is it? Unlike you, I don't have time to dally." Elendir glared.
In the past, the dark elven queen was dressed more menacingly. Her gray robes were adorned with raven feathers and jewels. A pretty silver tiara that flared out and upwards with spikes crowned her head.
"Elly was pretty hot back then, huh? A real baddie. Hehe~" Mio nudged my side.
"We're horny 24/7. Let's try to keep it in our pants for a few minutes, alright?" I rolled my eyes.
"Lend me a squad of your mages. We can bring glory to the Demon King together," Servus insisted.
"The last two squads I put under your command perished. You will receive no more aid from me, mutt." Queen Elendir tried to walk away, but Servus continued to block her.
"Cocky for a mere—"
Elendir channeled magic into her jeweled staff. A blast of cold air slammed Servus into the wall, freezing his body up to the neck. She walked away without so much as a glance back. However, Servus easily broke free and shrugged off the frost. He stormed away in the opposite direction.
"Okay, so we know the helmet is giving him some beef. That's something! Right?" Mio turned to me.
"I want to agree, but… There's got to be more. Elendir and Tirnicia were puzzled by how many demons were under Servus' command," I reminded her.
Mio exerted her control over the dream again. As the world shifted, we were thrown into a humid display chamber where many magical items were placed under glass containers. A fiery sword, jewelry that sparked with magic, boots that emitted a chill… was this a trophy room?
Our attention snapped to the metal doors groaning open slightly and not all the way. Someone tiptoed in, but we couldn't see them. They were invisible. We followed their movements by hearing as they walked up to a display case all the way in the back. It contained a black bracelet, metal in make and shifting like it was a lava lamp.
"The Demon King won't miss this," Servus' voice said as the case lifted, and the bracelet was taken off to be replaced by a replica. "I don't need weak dark elves or succubi. Now, the demons under my command won't flee at the first signs of danger. I'll show them all. Even the Demon King."
Servus left the way he came, and silence fell upon the trophy room again.
"Hey, are you thinking what I'm thinking? Why does the Demon King have memories of this? Was he secretly watching everything?" Mio asked.
"Y-Your guess is as good as mine. But we've found out why Servus has been able to control all those demons. Let's not subject Nyra to any more of her past," I said.
We woke up from Nyra's dream back in our bedroom at Oakfall inn. Only an hour had passed. Elendir, Kana, and Shayle were waiting patiently in different parts of the room, but they rushed over upon noticing we were awake.
"We've found out Servus' weakness!" Mio exclaimed.
I continued after her, "His helmet and a bracelet. Both are magic. The helmet grants him superior physical strength. Meanwhile, the bracelet causes demons to keep fighting. If we deprive him of those items, we can win. The question is how to do it?"
"Interesting. I don't ever recall Servus wearing a bracelet when we served together. Perhaps it is something he held onto after we last encountered each other," Elendir murmured to herself.
"The Demon King was keeping it locked away for some reason, and we saw Servus steal it," I recalled.
"Hey, guys? Did something happen in the dream? Nyra doesn't look so good," Kana said from the demon girl's side.
We whipped around to the bed, where Nyra was sitting upright in bed and hugging her knees. She had her head buried in both arms, trembling slightly.
"Crap. Nyra, are you okay?" I went over to her other side and rubbed her back.
"Nyra… saw lots. Bad. Evil. Mean… Is Nyra not… good girl?" Nyra asked.
"You are a good girl. What you saw isn't… what you think it was. You and that figure aren't the same person," I tried to explain.
Nyra finally looked up at us, but nothing in her eyes suggested she believed me. Guilt welled up inside her. She didn't need to say it for me to know. I gave her cheeks a pinch, and she offered a soft smile and giggle.
"You guys are going back out there, aren't you?" Kana asked.
"Yeah. We have to save Tirnicia. Besides, someone would go on her own if she had to." I shot a look at Elendir.
"I haven't exactly been subtle about it." Elendir rubbed the tip of her ear.
"Allow me to join you this time, my queen." Shayle rose and volunteered.
"No, please stay and look after the town. Who knows if he may launch an attack here in our absence. And you can take this back." She handed her the mirror artifact. "Either we succeed or fail. I refuse to retreat."
Shayle was torn but ultimately respected Queen Elendir's decision. I gave Nyra a reassuring hug.
"Don't be scared. You've always been a good girl." I rubbed her back, and when we parted, I put the cat plush in her hands.
"I'll keep an eye on her while you guys are gone," Kana promised.
We hurried down. It turned out, Erma did have what it took to lead a dark elven army. She assembled 400 dark elves, all coming from various degrees of physical disability. Many were missing a limb, eye, or badly turned from a battle in the past. Some I didn't even remember being at the initial battle to defend the town, who likely found the courage to do so now.
They fell into four equal formations, armed and ready to mobilize. None of them were scared. Every single one of them shared the same sentiments— a desire to rescue Tirnicia and protect Oakfall. And standing at the fore was their former enemy, Erma Clarenbell.
"Huuu~ We knew you could do it. How about we fuck you in front of them as a reward?" Mio suggested.
"As… As excited as that makes me, w-we have more important matters to focus on first!" Erma turned bright red.
I nodded to Erma to give her the go-ahead.
"We march to finish off the remnants of the Demon King's horde that terrorizes Oakfall, and to rescue Tirnicia from the Houndmaster's clutches! If you are with me, sound off!" Legate Erma boomed.
The dark elves erupted with their most fearsome battlecry that sent flocks of birds flying from the nearby trees. I saw a glimpse of who they used to be as soldiers of the Demon King's army.
"Forward march!" Erma drew her sword and led the way.
There weren't any stray demons this time like when we ventured in as a smaller group. Servus must have called them all back to his side. No one fell behind. They were determined to prove themselves as fighters. The hours-long march did little to deter them, and being a military leader herself, Erma wouldn't have any qualms about leaving someone behind that held up their force.
Finally, we made it back to where we had originally encountered Servus in the meadow clearing. His horde of demons were still there, and so was he. Tirnicia was beaten, bruised and bloodied, bound to the trunk of a tree. She looked up at us, only to squeeze her eyes shut and grimace, as if hoping to wake up from a bad dream.
"Well, well, well. You gathered my army for me. Why else would you be here? It would be foolish to fight against a much greater force. Who in their right mind comes back to die?" Servus laughed.
"We're done talking, demon. Mages, open fire on the enemy flanks! Soldiers, steady onward!" Erma ordered.
A firestorm rained down from above and pummeled Servus' army. Scores of demons were incinerated in the initial attack. He snarled at us and ordered his force to charge, and a tsunami of them came this way.
"Vanguard, raise shields! Mages divert magic to focus on barriers on our flanks! Don't let them surround us!" Erma instructed.
The dark elven army listened. Demons slammed into rows of shields and spears. Those that tried to go around and hit from the sides ran into magical barriers instead. It was working. Erma's lead was giving us the advantage we needed. However, this was a one-sided battle of attrition. We needed to end this fight before the dark elves exhaust themselves.
Mio and I lifted into the air and flew directly for Servus. He was waiting for us with his strongest demons as guards.
"Don't come any closer or the elf loses her head!" Servus raised his longsword, but we didn't back down. "Fine. Have it your way."
The Houndmaster's blade stopped against a magical barrier instead. Behind us, Elendir flew close behind on wings granted to her from an elixir. A staff in her right hand glowed with the same energy that shielded Tirnicia.
Mio and I descended to do battle. We seized control of a hulking demon each to attack Servus, forcing him to kill them. Now, he was all that was left. As I got close, he grabbed my arm and slammed me in the ground. The lights in my head went out for a moment. I opened them to see Mio behind him, trying to pry the helmet off.
"As if!" Servus elbowed her hard, and she went crashing into a tree.
Elendir fired bolts of fire that exploded harmlessly against his chest.
"You idiots, forget about me! Why did you come back? Just leave!" Tirnicia pleaded.
"You are the one who is an idiot!" Elendir shouted back, taking her by surprise.
"Did you really think Servus and the demons would just leave Oakfall alone? We're here to save you whether you like it or not, and save the town!" I exclaimed.
Elendir froze Servus' lower body just like I remembered from the dream. But I also knew that they weren't going to hold him.
"Mio, your chains!" I yelled.
"Time to introduce chains to your sex life!" Mio created numerous portals around Servus, and dozens of chains shot out to seize hold of him. His arms and legs were bound, and he flexed desperately, trying to escape. Whenever he put force into it, Mio winced as though fighting against his strength.
I flew right up to Servus, who was snarling and drenched in sweat. Furious eyes glared at me and threatened to burn a hole through my head.
"I will not be made a fool of by mere sex demons!" Servus growled.
With both hands, I gripped the ornamental horns and pulled with all my strength. The helmet wouldn't give. It was fastened hard to his head, or screwed on by magic. I didn't know which, just that my supernatural strength wasn't enough.
"You made a fool of yourself by being a coward, Servus. You always were." Elendir incanted a spell, and thin threads emerged from her staff to connect to his helmet.
What was stuck a moment ago began to give slightly.
"No!" Servus boomed, wrenching his right arm free from the chains and grabbing my throat.
"I can't hold him for long!" Mio cried.
I put all my strength into one hard yank, and the helmet came free from Servus' head. His grip on my neck weakened significantly. I didn't feel like I was choking anymore. When he saw the helmet in my hand instead, the color drained from his face.
"Catch!" I tossed the helmet away before he could snatch it from me.
Mio swooped down, caught the ugly helmet, and fastened it on her head.
"Hehe!" Mio beat a fist into her palm and smirked. "Time for an ass-kicking!"
"No, wait!" Servus tried to run, but Mio was already on top of him.
The succubus threw a bone-cracking punch into his face. He fell backwards, blood pouring from a nose bent badly to one side. She continued to wail on him until his face swelled up and was unrecognizable. While twitching on the ground, he could do nothing even as I pulled the black-jeweled bracelet from his wrist.
Once it came off, every demon around us stopped fighting. They tucked tail and ran for the woods, scattering off to no particular direction. Servus had lost his army and strength.
"Go get Tirnicia. I'll keep bozo here company." Mio grinned.
Elendir and I raced ahead. The dark elven queen created a magical blade on her finger and severed the rope restraints keeping Tirnicia tied to the tree trump. I caught her as she fell forward, but I knew Elendir needed this moment and passed her over.
"I can't believe you all came back," Tirnicia muttered.
"Then I really would have proved you right by being called the absent queen." Elendir smiled and shedded a tear.
"Everlight, preserve me… I really did lose a great woman. But I'm content knowing an equally great succubus is by your side." She sighed.
Elendir exchanged glances with me and blushed hard. She distracted herself by casting healing magic on Tirnicia.
"How did you know to target his helmet and bracelet? It never even occurred to me they were enchanted," Tirnicia said.
"With Nyra's help. She wanted us to dive into her dreams to find Servus' weakness. I told you, she isn't the Demon King you used to know," I explained, helping her to stand up.
"I still believe that girl is dangerous. But that doesn't mean I can't be thankful for her role in saving me." She sighed.
I supposed that was fair. Elendir and I walked Tirnicia back to the others, who rejoiced at seeing her safe and sound. Erma and the other dark elves were on the brink of keeling over, but still had the energy to celebrate.
"Looks like… I can lead dark elves… just as well as… my own…" Erma panted, grinning.
"That so?" Tirnicia flashed a big smile, too, and patted Erma hard enough on the back to knock her off her feet. "After all, we're all elves at the end of the day. Drinks are on me tonight!"
The walk back was just as energetic. We dragged Servus back in chains, dragging him on the ground. Whatever the dark elves planned to do with him wasn't my concern anymore.
Hundreds of dark elves who didn't and couldn't come with us waited at the front of Oakfall with weapons of their own. They dropped them as soon as they saw us and came rushing to their loved ones. Dark elves flirted with me and Mio. They flirted with Erma, too, but she declined all of their advances.
I pushed past them because the ones I wanted to see most were back at the inn. Only, I didn't need to go far. Kana and Shayle joined the flood of Oakfall citizens in the streets.
"Kana, Shayle! We're back!" I shouted.
But they were running up to us without the same enthusiasm as the other celebrating dark elves around us. It was then that I noticed Nyra wasn't with them.
"What happened? Why isn't Nyra with you guys?" I asked.
"I'm sorry… Nyra… she ran away while you guys were away," Kana said.