A young man stood before her. A young man, precisely. Not old enough to be considered a man, but not too young either. His face was pale, without wrinkles or any defects. Perfect. It seemed his face was frozen in time. Not a single muscle moved, there was not a glimmer of emotion, not even a twitch of an eyebrow. Horns extended from his temples, and his blue eyes were like the bottom of the ocean. Long red hair fell below his shoulders.
Black garments with gold lines, a sash running from his right shoulder to his left hip. It shimmered. A high collar and gloves. A long coat lined with fur. He looked at her indifferently, while in the background, part of the house began to turn into gold. As did the ground beneath his foot.
— You... are strange. I cannot fathom to what extent. — He spoke and stepped forward. Sefi immediately brought forth several spikes from the earth. They shot towards him at high speed, before stopping right before his throat. — Hmm... simple magic.
If she had to describe him in one word, he was like a natural disaster. You could only watch and could do nothing to stop it. No matter how much Sefi attacked. After the spikes came fire, which swept in from two fronts – directly and through the ground. It didn't work. A quick dodge and a chunk of earthen rock sent her way. Luckily, she deflected it... but...
— Tell me, what do you feel? Can you feel? — He asked, not attacking, just standing there. In response, Sefi tightened her grip on the girl behind her and took a step back. The demon looked at her indifferently and adjusted his glove. Another step. — I asked a question. Answer.
A line of gold snaked across the ground and immediately coiled around Seraphima's foot. It happened too fast. Moving her leg became impossible, it was weighed down like an anchor. This was not good. Flamme behind her cried out, to which Sefi... simply...
— I'll handle him, and you... wait for me. — With these words, the ground beneath the girl's feet trembled, and she was encased in a dome, which immediately began rolling back towards the forest they had come from. The girl's safety was ensured, as inside the dome, she was in a state of levitation. Sefi had learned this when she realized her flight wasn't conventional flight, but rather the lifting of an object. And if she could do that with herself, she could do it with other objects, as well as living things. It had proven useful on hunts – restraining beasts... but...
— Unusual magic. — The demon did not wait. In a second, he closed the distance and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. Cold, empty blue eyes bored into her soul. He glanced at the retreating sphere and, instead of pursuing, dragged the demoness with him, holding her by the neck. — Don't even think about escaping.
Sefi didn't struggle; it was too dangerous. What options could she use? She needed to think broadly, very broadly... she couldn't rely on simple strength here. Not at all. With her leg, she wouldn't be able to run far.
How did his gold spread? Judging by that attack, it had to touch an object before coating it in a layer. That meant... she needed to limit his touches. However... during the attack with the spikes... hmm, it happened too quickly. Did that mean thickness also mattered? Too many uncertainties.
For now, it was better to follow his instructions. First... wait...
— So, what do these people mean to you? — Asked Macht, throwing her down in front of two people. Frau and Marie were frozen, the lower halves of their bodies turned to gold, their eyes full of terror. They stood in the main hall. Tears streamed from the woman's eyes, and the man was trying with all his might to reach Macht – futile. They both looked at her, looked at her leg, which was now completely gold. Their rage and sorrow subsided...
— Sefi... how is Flamme? — Asked the woman, trying to hold back the surging tears. The demoness simply... watched. The girl watched.
— She's alive, she's fine. — Hearing this, a weight lifted from the woman's shoulders. She breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled. Macht just watched this, then... — I'm... so ...gla
She didn't finish
Her head rolled across the floor
Crimson streams stained the golden surface. Her blood flowed and did not stop. The remains of her body simply convulsed before going limp.
The head, with its frozen tears and smile... it continued to roll, drenching the entire place in blood. A current of horror now swept across the entire floor, seeping into every crack. The first specks appeared on the fabric of her leg, on her knees. The brown colour of the clothing made the clotted blood even darker, even more terrible.
— Frau... Frau... no... no... — The man, who had seemed like an unshakable wall, a fortress, sobbed like a child. So many tears flowed from his eyes... so many words... curses...
But...
There was some kind of disgusting feeling...
No... not like that...
It wasn't there
Sefi felt nothing
She looked at the head, then at Marie's tears
— Schlacht said you were merely strange, but still a demon. — Macht lifted the head with his hand, holding it by the jaw, forcing her to look at him. Sefi simply... — You're not that special. I listened to his stories and thought you might feel something, but no.
The man in the background tried to reach him, before being pierced. It happened too fast. The coat in the demon's hand turned into a sword and pierced the man's chest. Marie held the sword, trying to survive, which only worsened his condition. His death was slow, agonizing.
His last moments of life passed with bloody foam exiting his mouth, dripping drops of crimson liquid from his chest. Gasping, sweating... and only then did the long-awaited death come.
— It doesn't matter. Let's talk. — She was dragged away from the bodies and seated on a chair. It was the kitchen. The demon sat opposite and stared at her unwaveringly. He extended his index finger and brought it to his temple. — I've always thought about... feeling, always been interested in understanding these people.
Sefi simply remained silent
— To understand what they feel, what they sense, and why it happens. — He continued and finally pointed at her. Until then, his expressionless face subtly changed. His eyes lowered. — When Schlacht sent me here, saying there was a demon doing the same thing... I felt something, an old thrill of battle, which I can no longer stand, and now I look... you're a demon, a demon just like me, one who understands nothing... but still, why?
The demoness tilted her head
— Why did you care for them? They are weak, consume many resources, too changeable. Did you want to feel something? What did you want to understand? — These questions made Sefi think. Why?
Because...
— It is right. — She managed to utter, after which Macht also fell silent, froze. They sat in silence, before the demon spoke again.
— And what is the rightness in that? How did you determine that it was right?
Another question
More thought
...
But why?
Why was her cause right?
— ...I don't know. — Macht simply clenched his fist, closed his eyes for a second, then stood up, looked at the window, and froze. He picked up some dish and began examining it. His gaze shifted back to her.
— Nevertheless, not knowing, you acted that way. Interesting. — He approached her and placed a plate before her, ladling food from one of the steaming pots. The meat stew was still warm. This meant it had been cooked recently, that everything had happened too fast. He repeated the process for himself. — You eat such food. Demons can eat, but it's not made for them. We are primarily man-eaters. Why did you switch to this kind of food?
— I've always eaten this. — At this, Macht didn't react, handed her a spoon. He sat down again and interlaced his fingers. The young man looked around... his gaze caught on...
— What happened to your hand and your mouth? — asked the demon. Sefi was quiet for a moment, before starting to speak again, now without moving her mouth. Meanwhile, Macht tried the stew, taking a little of everything: pieces of potato, carrot, greens, and a chunk of meat. He sampled all these ingredients. Apparently, he wanted to understand the taste, since a demon could eat, while suppressing the desire to eat humans. — Mediocre.
Unfortunately, Sefi couldn't taste anything due to the lack of a tongue. So she stopped after one spoonful, instead looking back towards the place from where the blood came.
— I lost my arm and tongue to elves, — she murmured, and then Macht did something new. He grunted and pushed the food away from him. Instead, he pulled a wrapped bundle of paper from his bosom. He unrolled it – a map. Various places were marked, simple drawings of mountains and green forests, settlements and large cities.
He ran his finger over the map and stopped at a settlement located in some forest. He tapped on it.
— An elven village. Located in this place. The Overlord wants them exterminated. However, that's not my job. My will is only to understand you. — He said, and then Sefi didn't understand what he meant, what he was trying to achieve with this? What effect? What did any of this even mean?
No matter, no matter... Sefi also pointed at the map, close to his fingers
And at that very moment, a blade shot from her wrist prosthetic into his head
Macht merely turned his head slightly, but at that instant, the floor itself rose up, pinning him to the ceiling. The demoness lunged through the window and, activating flight, rose up and watched.
The demon emerged, unharmed, not even a scratch. Not even a scratch – not even a speck of dust. He looked at the flying figure and replicated the action himself. The two demons stared at each other.
— Your mana is too low to contend with me. Surrender. — He stated and fashioned a sword from his coat. His face returned to that same impassivity. — My magic is still developing, cursing flying things is problematic, but even now, there are few who equal me. So...
Instantly, Sefi unleashed all her mana, revealing it, no longer compressing it within herself. Macht's face twisted slightly in anger, but immediately turned cold. In that same second, he went on the attack, but Sefi had a trump card.
It was simple physics
A massive block of stone fell on him from above, pinning him to the ground. Even if his golden weapon could withstand the mass, it would still pin him. A second attack came in an even stranger way: a wooden box formed around him, which began to fill with water.
Not understanding this move, Macht looked up to see a fireball hurtling towards him, and if it were an ordinary one, there would be little problem, but its size was enormous, as was the heat; he could feel it from a distance. The fire instantly vaporized the water, sending steam in all directions, but there was no time to think or watch. The rising wave of fog and the vortex created by the sphere – all of this should conceal her.
Sefi immediately flew away from there
— An unusual demon. Nevertheless, the flow of the future is corrected. My work is done. — The demon managed to survive, though not without consequences: his clothes were damaged. Although the explosion caused harm, at the last moment he simply pulled everything away from himself and shielded himself with a simple barrier. Only settling dust remained. His form was a little wet, but that was no problem.
His task was to restore, correct, and direct. He acted on the orders of the All-Seeing Schlacht. Whatever plan he had, it must bring benefit. Seraphima was unusual, her battle tactics as well as her magic. She created... reality from mana. According to Schlacht, she would be a turbulent pawn who would commit many deeds, most of them for the benefit of demons, and for that reason alone she survived. She would be... a third party in the conflict: "She will ascend the throne and perish in the abyss of ashes." However, she was unstable. For the sake of this future, she must constantly be directed on the right path, the path to her demise.
***
Sefi flew down and collapsed. Her golden leg shook, striking the stones, and the metallic surface rang without a single dent. But her body: it was covered in bruises and abrasions, yet these were only minor scratches – they would heal in two or three days. The gold was slowly covering her, her entire body. First her foot, during the entire conversation with Macht it had covered up to her knee, now it had reached her thigh. At this rate, she would become a statue.
She needed to talk to Flamme, explain and tell her... then... what to do was unclear. Nothing was clear. She was homeless again, didn't know what to do... again. Well, damn it. The main thing was to find her, then they would decide as problems arose.
With these thoughts, Sefi rose again. Why wasn't she flying? The main reason: it would slow the spread of the gold; her mana was now holding it back. She didn't need to fight or do anything, so she channeled all her resources into suppression. There was progress, but minimal. The gold still crept up her body, slowly, but it crept.
She had to go. She could feel her magic, the path of mana. The dome had flown away, or rather the sphere, within a hundred meters. She had to go... go...
— Flamme.
— Flamme...
— flamme...
Her voice faded. Why? Here the girl stood before her, so why? Crying, whimpering, and hugging her, saying something. It was hard to listen, hard; her head was buzzing.
Exhaustion. Had her mana run out? No, it was there, so why? This wasn't magical exhaustion... no... no, it wasn't that. This was something completely different. This was...
Hunger
This girl before her, she was full of mana. What if she ate her? Tear this flesh, strip the meat from the bones and devour it all. Killing would be easy; she even wanted closeness. Embrace her and break her neck, turn her hand into a blade and rip open her belly. Slit her throat so she bled out. Savor and consume – the girl had plenty of mana. It should restore her condition, give her a chance to survive. Get away from here. And who would know in this forest? One death, an insignificant death, would change nothing. She could live on, start everything anew. Everyone has sins, a dark past they tell no one, so let this be one of hers, one of the dark moments of her life. She was a man-eater... she was allowed this, it was the law of nature, the trait of a demon.
This was her right side
Right
...
No... not like that
Not allowed
— Sefi, how are Mom and Dad? How are they? — The redhead persisted. The demoness could only watch, and she brought her hand closer to her head. She took her by the nape and pulled her close. She didn't kill her. Yes... she was still...
Right... still
— We need to hide, get away from here...
***
The journey through the forest was difficult, especially with two factors: her leg, which was rapidly turning to gold, now past her thigh, and the girl in her arms, whose eyes were completely red from tears. Not just her eyes – her body was also exhausted. The hysterics had completely drained her resources, and now she was asleep. Sefi carried her in her arms, far from home. From their former home.
The horned one could only walk, walk and walk. There was no other choice, but even this... even this... was becoming harder. Each new step was taken with difficulty, and dragging a part of a metallic body consumed enormous resources. And mana couldn't be restored, and the longer this continued, the more exhausted she became – both physically and magically. This was a one-way path, but...
She couldn't stop, couldn't leave her in this forest
If only she could reach some road, somewhere. Maybe, if she was lucky, a village
Anywhere, where she could survive
***
They did not get out of the forest. They did not. They only came to a small pond with large rocks nearby, several conveniently positioned like an entrance to a cave. That's where they went. Sefi removed her outer clothing: cloak, coat. She remained in her shirt. She spread the first on the ground and placed Flamme there, covering her with the second.
She sat, leaning against the cold stone, and grabbed the bottom of her trousers. She tore part of the fabric – all to see the gleaming metal. Her entire leg had turned to gold. She tapped it a few times and yes, the sound was the same. The process couldn't be reversed, only contained. That's what Sefi focused on. But her strength was already insufficient. And what could she do? What way out was there? None. This was the end.
Then she heard a rustle
Sefi felt a familiar fear, terror, and hatred
— So, we meet again, demon.
The elf appeared from among the trees; she hadn't changed at all. Long locks of hair, pointed ears, and eyes resembling gold. Ha, could this be considered a curse? Never mind. This person simply stepped towards her and examined her entirely. Her facial expression twisted slightly with malice.
— You've changed in this short time. — She stated the fact, then lowered herself. Her knees did not touch the ground. No... it wasn't her lowering herself, but Sefi being lifted. The stone beneath her rose, allowing Serie to examine her like an exhibit. She lacked the strength, and the will, to resist. Earlier, Sefi thought she could at least say a word, but now, seeing her... she couldn't. She was afraid.
If Macht's movements seemed like an unstoppable natural disaster, then SHE... she was akin to the very personification of time. Unaging, wise, and just as inescapable as time itself. She didn't even need to fight – just wait, and her enemies would perish in the flow of time. Become history, to be forgotten.
This was a god
She was a god
Goddess or god – it didn't matter who; it was impossible to rival her
And this god stood before her
The elf stood and watched, then glanced at the girl nearby, who was sleeping, curled up. Frown, if it could be called that – merely slightly lowered brows.
— I want to believe you haven't done something terrible. Tell me what happened. — She demanded, approaching Flamme. In one glance, she assessed her. — This child has great potential, and it would grieve me if your goal was to kill her.
What could Sefi do? Simply submit... but... yes, she could submit... no, it was necessary
Serie didn't hide her mana. Again, she released that wall of mana, denser than anything she had ever seen.
And it was even more than last time...
Had Serie merely... Miss Serie been hiding her full strength all along?
— I... I... no. The child's parents were killed by a demon, and I protected the girl, but... I was hit, and had to run. — The magical device on her neck, her choker, couldn't function properly. For two reasons only: because of the feeling of fear and because there was too much mana here. For the artifact, this proved more terrible than a lack of mana.
Miss Serie stood, approached, and looked into her eyes, or rather her eye
If that Macht hadn't noticed that one of her eyes was non-functional and just a shard of glass with no magic in it, then the golden-haired elf immediately understood and acted without unnecessary questions. Her deep gaze finally stopped, and the demoness could breathe air again. It had taken so much time to make the fake eye... and now she was caught immediately.
— So that's how it is. Well, acceptable. — She touched her leg, and the curse that was consuming her body simply stopped. No movement, nothing. The demoness could only gulp air. — Now you need not worry. My presence will give you a respite. A day's rest won't hurt either of you.
— Miss Serie, I... please, wait. — The elf slowly turned and looked at her. The demoness closed her eyes and sighed. — Please, only take care of the girl, take her under your wing.
It seemed that elven pride and arrogance vanished with these words. Her eyes widened slightly. However, a second later, everything returned to normal. Serie approached her, lifted her without touching, using some kind of magic. It was unclear what it was. She brought her close:
— Why? State your reason for acting this way. If you cannot, I will take both you and her. — Her tone was quiet, deep, making one involuntarily tremble under the force of her whisper.
The demoness tried to lower her head, but couldn't – her head wouldn't budge.
— I am a demon. I understood why we are called that. — She could only murmur. The Ancient One merely smirked at this, laughed heartily, and moved her hand, throwing her back to the ground.
— You only understood. One concept means nothing. If you want to convince me, tell me why you refuse my offer.
— I... I'm afraid. I am dangerous for her. It's better for me not to be with her. I don't know how... right... I can be. — Whether from fear of Miss Serie, or from this realization, Sefi held her head and trembled like a leaf under an avalanche of snow. It was terrifying for her to realize herself in that role. — I wanted to devour that girl, kill her... I am not good, I am bad... I am terrible; to me, she wasn't someone... but a piece of meat.
It was unusual to see such a scene: that this cold person had crumbled before his eyes. The demon hadn't flinched before her threats, before her attacks – and now she was afraid of this? Absurd. Impossible. Unacceptable. Unpleasant inside.
And so wounded. Where had her arm, her eye, her tongue gone? Why had it become like this? What happened?
But that was for later
Serie looked at her for a long time. A very long time. Like one looks at a riddle they cannot solve for a thousand years. Then slowly, as if forcing herself, she parted her lips:
— I know you. You would not do that.
Sefi flinched. Fear flowed in her blood so strongly that every word from the elf stirred her. Yes... she wasn't afraid because of inner feelings, but before the elf's power... she couldn't feel fear for someone else's life, only fear for her own. Wrong.
— You... you don't know me. — Her voice through the choker sounded hoarse, broken. — I am a demon. I nearly killed her an hour ago. I wanted... I wanted to devour her, to survive...
— But you didn't.
— Because I managed to stop.
— But you stopped. — Serie stepped closer. — I have seen enough demons in my life, and none of them could stop, could resist their nature. They killed and devoured. Everyone and everything. All demons are like that, except you.
Sefi was silent
— So why do you want to leave? — Serie asked quietly. For the first time, there was neither arrogance nor coldness in her voice. Only weariness. A thousand-year weariness.
— Because the next time, I might not stop.
— That's not an answer.
— Because she deserves better than a demon pretending to be human.
— That's closer, but still not it. Give me the right answer.
Sefi looked up. There were no tears in her eyes – there couldn't be, even if she wanted them. But there was something else. Something Miss Serie had never seen in a demon.
— Because she must live, must be able to live... and next to me, her life will be in danger. Even if I don't do it, another demon could. Someone might pretend to be like me, and... and... let her grow up hating me, let her want to kill me, curse me, but let her live.
Serie froze
— You want her to think you are the cause of her parents' death?
— Yes.
— You want to become a monster in her eyes.
— I am a monster. She just doesn't know it yet... I am... the worst thing that could have happened in her life.
— You... — Serie cut herself off. For the first time in millennia, she was at a loss for words. Could it be that the most unfeeling creature in the world was the one who was more alive than anyone? More alive than even herself?
Sefi turned away to the sleeping girl. Flamme breathed evenly, in her sleep drawing her knees up to her chest. Small, defenseless, trusting. She didn't like this. The girl believed her, a demon, and in the future, if there was even a shred of thought that beings like her existed, it would be her end. It couldn't be like that.
— Let her have a purpose, — Sefi said quietly. — I will arrange it so that I killed her parents. So that I was always the monster. Let her grow up hating demons... rather than believing their lies.
— And if she doesn't believe? — asked Serie. — If she remembers how you cared for her? How you taught her? How you carried her in your arms while you yourself were dying?
— Then I'll make her believe.
— How?
Sefi was silent for a moment. Then she raised her hand – the only living one, not a prosthetic – and touched the choker on her neck. Creating was hard, but destroying was easy; she had learned that from her own experience. All her efforts had come to naught, and to do something like this once... so that someone could survive... it was an acceptable price. To destroy their trust. It would be easy.
— Children believe what they're told, if they're told long enough and painfully enough... You just need to show your true nature. Put on a little performance, make them see the truth.
Serie looked at her and saw not a demon
Not a beast. Not a pathetic imitation of feelings. Not some kind of lie.
— You are selfish, — she said finally.
— I know.
— The biggest egoist I have met in ten thousand years.
— Probably...
— She will hate you.
— That's what I want.
— And why do you think she will live?
— Because... I hate you too. At the moment I was on the verge of death... only one thought, that I would feel your blood on my hands, gave me strength... That's why I'm doing this.
— ...I see.
Something inside the elf ached again, but this was a truth she had to accept
She had time, and this hatred would fade
She just needed to wait
Sefi looked at the sleeping Flamme. At the red hair spread out over the rough fabric of her coat. At the girl's hand, which in sleep was searching for something – and not finding it.
— And what is your performance?