I went back to the banquet hall. Most of the wealthy noble guests had already left. The girls were sleeping in their chairs while Komraad waited for me, leaning against a chair with his arms crossed.
"Hey, Komraad. I'm back," I mumbled, my face probably broadcasting my bad mood.
He straightened up, his brow furrowed. "You look wrecked. What the hell happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it. Let's just head home," I told him.
We nudged the girls awake and let them know the party was over. None of them pressed me for details, they saw the slump in my shoulders and respected my silence. We took the carriage back to the orphanage.
As soon as we returned, everyone collapsed into bed. Everyone except me. Sleep was impossible. My conversation with Princess Raya kept spinning through my head, the questions sharp and the answers agonizingly distant. The thought of it burned, keeping me awake until morning.
Morning eventually arrived. Everyone was still sleeping soundly, except for me, Amalia, and Miguel. I was out on the balcony, nursing a lukewarm coffee, when Amalia noticed how drained I looked and came over.
"I see you're still in your human form," Amalia observed, settling quietly into the chair next to mine.
"Mhm… My mana wasn't completely drained last night since I didn't actually use any magic. That's why I didn't revert back," I explained.
"I get that. Now, would you mind telling me why you look so tired and utterly miserable?" Amalia gently probed.
"Oh, you noticed. It's nothing dramatic, really. It's just… I've never felt this powerless before," I admitted truthfully. "Every time I've been in a pinch, I've managed to claw my way out. But this time, I couldn't do a single thing."
"Helplessness? Yes, I know that feeling all too well," Amalia sighed softly. "I faced something similar once. I couldn't fight it, and instead of trying harder, I just gave up. But you, Ina, I can still see that fire in your eyes. You haven't quit yet. I can see your hope still burning."
She's right. There's no way I'm giving up that easily.
"Do you really think I can still make a difference?" I asked, a tiny spark of hope flickering back to life inside me.
"Absolutely. You don't have to spell out what's going on for me to understand the size of it. I know whatever it is, you'll overcome it," Amalia assured me, her voice radiating complete faith. "I mean, you've already made it this far. I know you can go even farther."
Hearing those words was the final push I needed. Sulking wouldn't solve anything, and honestly, that's just not my style.
"You're right. Thank you, Amalia," I said, genuinely meaning it.
"Always happy to help a friend," she responded with a warm, honest smile.
That chat with Amalia completely cleared the doubts plaguing my mind. I needed to go back to the palace and confront the princess again. I needed to figure out exactly why she shot down my offer. This time, I'd force her to be honest with herself. I was convinced she was hiding something important about this kingdom, and I needed to crack that secret no matter what.
Brimming with new hope, I gathered Komraad and the girls and told them my plan: I was going back to the palace one more time to talk to the princess. Instead of questioning me, they immediately agreed to back me up.
"Look, I'm sorry if I always push my ideas on all of you. If you're ever tired of following me, you just have to say so, okay?" I needed the assurance that they weren't just going along with this out of obligation.
"Ms. Ina, we would never get tired of you," Rein insisted, her voice full of genuine affection. "You saved us once, and that's more than enough for us to trust and follow you to the end."
"Whatever decision you make, we'll always support you, Ms. Ina, because we're all in this together," Fae assured me, pulling me into a heartfelt hug.
"I keep telling you, as long as it's fun, I'm always in," Komraad chipped in, flashing a bright, confident grin. Astrid nodded firmly beside him.
It made me so incredibly happy to have people who were always ready to back me up, no matter how crazy the plan.
After our conversation, we returned to the palace. This time, we were as sneaky as possible. We didn't breathe a word of our plan to anyone and slipped inside, carefully avoiding the knights and servants.
My weird ability to sense strong emotions gave me a clear lead on Princess Raya's location. She was at the very top of the palace. The only way up there undetected was to fly. Thankfully, I could fly, and Astrid's trusty extending sword was the perfect elevator.
When we reached the palace roof, we were lucky enough to find a large window big enough for all of us to squeeze through. Rein immediately went to work, dissolving the glass silently with her new spell, Acid Rain.
We landed quietly inside. In front of us stood a massive metal door that had to lead directly into Princess Raya's room. I asked Komraad and the girls to stand guard and keep watch while I went in to talk to the princess.
The door wasn't locked. I pushed it open immediately. I stepped inside and stopped dead in my tracks, utterly shocked, because she was already standing in front of me, waiting.
She knew we were coming. Her clairvoyance had tipped her off. But instead of welcoming us, her face was strained with worry, and she immediately ordered us to leave.
"W-why?! Why did you even bother coming back?!" She pleaded, her voice trembling. "I told you already to never return! Why didn't you listen to me?"
"I know you rejected my offer, but didn't I tell you? I'm never giving up on you until I find out the truth and figure out how to help," I countered, my voice brimming with determination.
"I just know that deep down, you're holding back, suppressing the real you from doing what you want," I pressed on, my resolution unwavering. "I can't stand by anymore. All I want is for you to tell me the true feelings you've been hiding!"
Princess Raya's eyes welled up, but her resolve to push us away was still rock solid.
"No, you don't understand! It's not about me," she confessed, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I rejected your offer, not because I didn't want to come, but because I wanted to keep all of you safe and away from danger!"
"Safe from what?" I demanded, frustration boiling over. "Are you going to keep running and pushing me away without telling me anything? What are you so afraid of? Not only you, but Amalia and Keith too! None of you will tell me anything. How much longer are you going to keep me in the dark?!"
She was on the verge of spilling the entire truth when she suddenly started shivering, a palpable wave of fear washing over her. Not only her, but the rest of us nearby felt it too.
The entire room was abruptly engulfed in a heavy, incredibly ominous presence. It was so terrifyingly familiar. The moment I felt it, the truth clicked into place. I finally knew what they were dealing with. She didn't need to say another word.
"N-no… they already know. Everyone, please run!" Raya shrieked in worry.
She started running toward me, but before she reached me, three mysterious dark mists materialized behind her. As the dark mists cleared, three figures emerged.
The middle figure was none other than Princess Raya's older brother, Prince Zion.
On his left was the Head Butler, the one who had introduced the Prince last night. He was a tall, imposing man with long, messy gray hair that framed a stern face. His sharp features were highlighted by glowing red eyes. He wore a pristine black and white butler uniform, complete with a long tailcoat and a dark cravat fastened with a ruby pin.
On the Prince's right was a woman. She was tall, with smooth skin, wearing the same maid uniform as May. She had short, wavy scarlet hair and sharp, glowing red eyes.
"What's the rush, Princess? They just arrived, didn't they?" The Head Butler spoke, his voice a menacing, deep rumble.
"Teehee, aren't you going to introduce us to your new friends, Princess?" The maid chimed in, her voice just as threatening.
My instinct screamed at me to get into a defensive stance. Komraad and the girls sensed the terrifying, oppressive presence radiating off the trio and rushed into the room to see what was happening. Upon entering, they too instantly went on guard the moment their eyes landed on the three figures standing behind Princess Raya.
"Ms. Ina, are you okay?" Rein asked, her voice tight with concern.
"I'm fine, but everyone, be on high alert. This is going to be incredibly messy," I warned them.
"Hey, Cat, I know this feeling. I know it very well," Komraad muttered, his usual bravado mixed with genuine fear.
"Yeah. They're demons. But they look and think exactly like humans," I assessed, my eyes darting between the three.
The ominous presence they're emitting is easily a hundred times worse than the demon we defeated back in Fae's village.
I also finally understood the faint, unsettling feeling I'd gotten from Prince Zion during the banquet. But I had no idea the Head Butler was one of them, and that they had recruited another.
We were all on high alert. These were demons with human intelligence. I didn't know if we could defeat them, but my priority was getting the girls to safety.
Princess Raya edged closer to her brother. She hugged him tightly, desperate, and started begging.
"B-big brother Zion, please, let these people go," she pleaded, her voice breaking. "They just got lost in the palace."
Prince Zion smiled menacingly, a cruel twist of the lips, and responded to the Princess.
"Oh, Princess. How long are you going to cling to that delusion? You know perfectly well that your brother is gone now, don't you? I've been the one in control for a long, long time," he announced.
"N-no! I'm sure my brother still exists inside! I know he'll hear my voice eventually!" Princess Raya insisted, tears streaming down her face.
Listening to them talk, the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place. "I see the whole picture now. So this is what's really happening," I muttered with grim confidence.
"What is it, Cat? Did you figure something out?" Komraad asked, leaning closer.
"Prince Zion and the other two are real humans, but they're being possessed by demons," I quickly explained.
"Oh no. This is even worse than we expected," Rein concluded, her voice low with dread.
"Grr… I knew something was wrong with this kingdom!" Astrid growled, clutching her sword. "The reason my people are suffering is because this place is being ruled by demons possessing human bodies! I even remember the maid beside the prince! She's the merchant who lent those cursed weapons to my friends!"
"M-Ms. Ina, what should we do?" Fae asked worriedly, shrinking slightly.
I was scared and nervous. This was the most dangerous situation we had ever faced. But the girls were counting on me. I had to resolve myself.
While we were whispering our plans, Prince Zion abruptly shoved Princess Raya away and commanded the demon-possessed maid. "Saro, take her away."
"Okey-dokey, Boss," Saro responded with a creepy cheerfulness.
Saro, the demon possessing the maid, took hold of Princess Raya's hand. Another dark mist swirled up, enveloping them both, and just like that, they vanished from the room.
"Princess!" I shouted, horrified.
"Where did you take her?" I demanded, turning on Prince Zion, my voice laced with fury.
"You don't need to know," he sneered, his eyes filled with nothing but evil intent. "Because none of you are leaving this place alive."
Goosebumps prickled my skin after he delivered the threat. My first and only thought was protecting the girls.
"Girls, Komraad and I will buy you time so you can run away," I instructed them, my tone deadly serious. "Please, prioritize your safety over everything else."
"But… Ms. Ina," Fae started, tears still in her eyes.
"No buts! This is an order! I will be absolutely furious if you don't follow what I say!" I insisted, channeling all my fear into manufactured anger.
I hate acting like this in front of them, but I have no choice. This is a fight we simply can't win.
Before the girls could even attempt to escape, our enemies launched their attack. The demon possessing the Head Butler stayed back, lunging for Komraad and separating him from us. Prince Zion focused his attack directly on me and the girls.
Prince Zion conjured a black orb the size of a bowling ball and hurled it right at us.
I tried to counter it with my own dark energy beam, but I was too slow to charge the spell. The attack was about to hit us when Rein, quick as a flash, managed to block the black orb by raising a powerful water barrier around us.
"Ms. Ina, after everything we've been through, you still underestimate us," Rein said, her voice full of confidence and determination despite the threat. "You don't have to protect us. We can fight too!"
"She's right, Ms. Ina. We won't leave you here alone. We'll fight alongside you," Astrid added, taking a stance beside Rein.
Aah… What was I even thinking? These girls have the strongest hearts. I thought, laughing at my own foolishness.
I slapped my cheeks, forcing a smile. "Thank you, girls, and I'm sorry for acting like a terrible adult. Let's defeat this demon together and bring back Princess Raya's brother to his senses!" I commanded.
"Let's do this, Ms. Ina!" The girls shouted in unison.
"Hmm… things finally got interesting," Prince Zion muttered to himself, a twisted look of amusement on his face.
While we were getting ready for our fight, Komraad was already locked in a brutal exchange with the Head Butler demon who had separated him from us.
"Shouldn't you go and help those humans? They look so fragile," the Head Butler taunted, a menacing smile plastered across his face.
"I don't have to. Those girls can handle their own," Komraad retorted with a confident grin. He trusted us completely.
"How funny. Even in the face of death, you're arrogant and clueless," the Head Butler sneered. "None of you knows what you've gotten yourselves into. I can't wait to paint all of you in the color of despair!"
"Enough chit-chat!" Komraad roared, charging at the demon head-on. The Head Butler fought back, clearly savoring every moment of their brutal battle.
The girls and I, on the other hand, worked together, focusing all our energy on taking down the prince.
Astrid and I attacked simultaneously, with Rein covering us from the backline while protecting Fae. Prince Zion, however, easily blocked and predicted our every move. Even with our combined strength, we couldn't land a single scratch on him.
We backed away to quickly rethink our strategy.
"Astrid, boost me toward him with your sword. I have a plan," I whispered to her.
"Got it, Ms. Ina," Astrid whispered back.
I jumped onto Astrid's sword, channeling a beam of dark energy into my hand. Astrid then gave me a massive speed boost with her sword. It was so fast that it genuinely caught Prince Zion off guard. I released the dark beam from my hand, and it slammed into him point-blank.
"We did it! That beam was strong enough to disintegrate a giant snake last time. There's no way he'll walk away from that scratch-free," I foolishly assumed.
The smoke created by my dark beam cleared. We watched in horror as the prince still stood, completely unfazed, his clothes only slightly scorched.
"N-no. It can't be," I stammered, panic surging through me.
"That was entertaining, but now it's my turn," Prince Zion declared, his voice cold.
He conjured another black orb, this one ten times bigger, and aimed it straight at Rein and Fae. He was playing dirty. He knew I'd prioritize them, so instead of attacking me, he attacked my most vulnerable friends.
The massive attack was so powerful that I knew Rein's water barrier couldn't possibly hold.
"Rein! Fae! Dodge it! You can't block that attack!" I screamed.
It was too late. They didn't have enough time to get out of the way. I rushed toward them, ready to block the attack with my own body. I braced for the immense pain, ready to accept my fate, but a miracle happened. Instead of being disintegrated, my body absorbed the enormous black orb, just like when I absorbed the dark energy from Astrid's friend's cursed weapon.
Everyone, including Prince Zion, was stunned into silence. We all thought I was finished, but instead, I felt a rush of energy, completely rejuvenated.
"I-I'm okay!" I shouted out loud.
I didn't know why anything demonic didn't seem to affect me, but this gave me a surge of hope. We could actually overcome this trial.
"Are you girls okay?" I asked Fae and Rein, feeling newly confident and hopeful.
"Yes, Ms. Ina, thanks to you," they both answered, tears quickly replaced by determination.
"How intriguing. How is it that my attack doesn't work on you?" Prince Zion pondered, his composure cracking slightly.
He started barraging us with his black orbs, and I kept absorbing every single one. He was probably testing if there was a limit to how much I could take.
This can work. I can actually win, I thought, confidence swelling inside me.
I counter-attacked with everything I had, no longer worried about Prince Zion's black orbs hurting me. I slammed him with every different attack and technique Rein had taught me. At first, it barely chipped him, but little by little, he was starting to take real damage.
"This is getting irritating," Prince Zion snapped, clearly losing his temper.
I was certain I could defeat him. The only issue was that if I used too much energy, I might revert back to being a cat. So, before that happened, I decided to end this with the most powerful attack I knew.
The moment Prince Zion showed the slightest sign of exhaustion, I channeled all the mana in my body. I planned to recreate the spell I used to defeat the demon in Fae's village. I was about to launch it toward Prince Zion when I suddenly felt an intense emotion and heard a faint cry for help. The voice was coming from the real Prince Zion. Princess Raya had been right. Her real brother was still trapped inside his body, his consciousness desperately clinging on.
I was terrified that if I attacked Prince Zion now, I would kill the original person and lose the chance to save him. But I couldn't stop my attack now. With a surge of desperation, I redirected the powerful blast upwards instead.
My decision gave the demon possessing Prince Zion the opening he needed. He instantly counter-attacked.
He conjured another massive black orb and aimed it at the girls. It was too fast. I had no choice but to rush in and block it with my body yet again, knowing it would be absorbed.
I was already exhausted from using the powerful redirected spell, but I managed to absorb the black orb once more. I staggered, dropping to my knees, struggling to catch my breath.
Huff Huff
"Are you girls alright?" I asked them, panting hard.
"Ms. Ina, we're so sorry you have to keep protecting us," Fae apologized sincerely, her eyes wide with worry.
"Don't you dare be sorry. I'll always choose you girls over anything else, tee-hee," I assured them, forcing a smile.
That was the absolute last straw. I was filled with rage that the demon kept attacking the girls just because he couldn't defeat me directly. I was about to stand up and fight him again, maybe wear him down until he ran out of energy, and then figure out how to pull the demon out of the Prince's body.
I was about to stand up and resume fighting when I failed to notice the prince had silently moved behind my back. Everything happened so fast that I couldn't react at all. Prince Zion grabbed a metal sword lying nearby, and before I could even blink, the sword had already impaled my heart.
"M-Ms. Ina!!!" The girls shrieked in despair, the sound of their voices cracking my heart.
"I see. So my theory was correct," Prince Zion assessed coolly, pulling the sword free. "Physical objects do hurt you."
I was so utterly exhausted that I hadn't even registered that I was bleeding. As soon as the sword was removed from my body, I instantly reverted to being a cat.
The world was cold. Even as I felt my consciousness fading, my mind stubbornly focused on the girls' well-being.
With my dying breath, I told them to run away as fast as possible. But they were already down on their knees, unable to move a single muscle. They couldn't process what had happened, and they couldn't bear the sight of me lying on the ground. Despair and sorrow froze them solid.
Prince Zion walked over, picked up my dying body, and leaned in close.
"Sorry, but you're not the only one who can absorb things," he whispered menacingly.
He placed his free hand on my head and began to drain my life force, pulling it from my body until nothing was left but an empty, limp shell. He then tossed my body away like a dirty, discarded rag.
"M-Ms. Ina!" Fae screamed, her sobs echoing loudly in the room, clearly irritating Prince Zion.
He raised a hand to attack Fae, but Astrid and Rein, despite their despair, were still rational. They immediately rushed to defend her. They knew they had to protect each other no matter what.
Komraad saw what happened too late. He abandoned his fight with the Head Butler and rushed to the girls' side to shield them.
Komraad landed a devastating kick on Prince Zion, sending the demon flying outside the room. He then scooped up my body and the girls and pulled them away from the immediate danger. He gently handed my lifeless body to Fae, who embraced it tightly, wailing.
"Rein, listen to me," Komraad commanded, trying desperately to stay composed even as rage threatened to consume him. "I'll buy you time and create a distraction. Use your magic to get everyone out of here."
"B-but Mr. Komraad, what about you?" Rein asked through her tears.
"Listen to me, Rein. You're the oldest here. Promise me you'll take these two to safety, got it?" Komraad insisted, his voice firm with absolute resolve. "I'll follow you afterward. I promise."
Prince Zion recovered from the attack and immediately instructed the Head Butler to finish them all off.
"Rein, we have no time left, leave now!" Komraad roared, ripping off the restrictive bracelet artifacts he was wearing.
Rein created a protective bubble spell that enveloped the three of them. As soon as Komraad gave the signal, she flew away.
The Head Butler, following Prince Zion's orders, lunged toward the girls to stop their escape.
"Oh no, you don't!" The Head Butler yelled, but Komraad intercepted him completely.
"I'm your opponent!" Komraad declared, his eyes burning with intense resolve.
As soon as the girls were safely out of sight, Komraad went all out. His attacks were a hurricane of pure, unbridled power.
The Head Butler was shocked. "W-what is happening? You weren't like this before!" He shrieked, panicking because he couldn't even match Komraad's strength anymore.
With every second they fought, Komraad's power kept rising, but his intellect deteriorated. He was slowly becoming a wild animal, driven only by primal instinct.
Komraad went berserk and could have easily crushed the Head Butler, but Prince Zion interrupted their fight.
He smashed Komraad, the impact cracking the ground beneath them, and immediately put the bracelet artifacts back on to contain his out-of-control powers.
"You're taking way too long just to deal with a mutt. Your weakness is giving me a headache," Prince Zion spat at the Head Butler.
"Forgive me, Boss," the Head Butler muttered, bowing his head, angry and unsatisfied with the abrupt end to the fight.
While they weren't looking, Komraad regained a sliver of his senses and escaped as fast as his wild, powerful legs could carry him.
The Head Butler moved to chase Komraad, but Prince Zion stopped him.
"Forget about that mutt. I need you for something else," he commanded.
"What is it, Boss?" the Head Butler asked.
Prince Zion smiled, a triumphant, wicked expression. "The life force I stole from that cat is superb. At long last, we can finally put our long awaited plan into motion. Make the preparations! We're opening the portal to the demon realm."
He finished with a chilling, satisfied, maniacal laugh.