The battlefield was in ruins.
The once lush valley, with its emerald grasses and whispering winds, had turned into a desolate wasteland of scorched earth and shattered stone. Fires burned in jagged streaks across the land, casting an eerie glow against the storm-darkened sky.
The air reeked of blood, ash, and raw magic—evidence of the two forces that clashed with earth-shaking fury.
Two figures stood amidst the wreckage, their bodies battered, yet their gazes still fierce.
Fiona Elizabeth, the Archdemon of Calamity, stood tall and defiant. Her long raven-black hair flowed behind her, her crimson eyes burning with dark, malicious power. Two curved horns adorned her forehead, a testament to her high status among demons. Her obsidian armor, laced with infernal runes, was cracked and smeared with golden ichor—the blood of her enemies.
Opposing her was Jeannie Leonhartt, the Knight of Radiance, a paragon of divine strength. Golden hair framed her sharp features, her sapphire-blue eyes unwavering in their resolve. Her silver-white armor, adorned with the sigil of kingdom of Vernetia, gleamed despite the dirt and blood that marred it. She gripped her longsword tightly, its radiant glow flickering from overuse, yet still exuding divine energy.
Both warriors panted, exhaustion creeping into their limbs, but neither would yield.
Fiona let out a breathless chuckle. "You're stronger than I expected, little knight," she mused, wiping a streak of blood from her lip.
Jeannie smirked, though fatigue dulled its usual sharpness. "And you're still standing after all that. I have to admit, you're stronger than me."
Lightning cracked above, illuminating the battlefield in a blinding flash.
Then, as if signaled by the heavens themselves, they lunged.
Their blades clashed, sending shockwaves rippling through the ruined land. Fiona's sword, forged in the depths of the Abyss, clashed against Jeannie's holy blade, their opposing magics erupting in violent bursts of light and darkness.
Steel screeched against steel, sparks flying like fireflies in the night. The ground beneath them crumbled as they exchanged blow after blow, their movements fueled by sheer willpower. Each attack sent ripples through the air, distorting reality itself.
But they were at their limit.
A final clash sent them both reeling, their weapons slipping from their grips. Their bodies collapsed onto the ground, heaving with exhaustion. The world around them was silent, save for their ragged breaths.
Jeannie closed her eyes for just a moment, her chest rising and falling as she tried to gather strength.
That moment was all Fiona needed.
With the last of her power, she summoned the forbidden magic of Soul Severance. Her eyes glowed a deep crimson, her body dissolving into wisps of shadow and dark energy.
Jeannie barely had time to register what was happening.
A cold sensation washed over her as she felt something—no, someone—invading her very being. Her body stiffened. Her heartbeat faltered. A sharp, piercing pain ran through her skull as her mind was overwhelmed by a foreign presence.
Then—nothing.
Jeannie's body trembled before going still.
The golden glow of her holy aura flickered once, then darkened.
And when her eyes opened again, they gleamed not with sapphire blue, but with the blood-red light of a demon.
Fiona Elizabeth smirked. She had won, and she passed out as a winner of this battle.
Days after the fight...
A woman with golden hair opened her eyes, woke up inside a room, alone.
The first thing she noticed was warmth.
Not the fiery, suffocating heat of the Abyss, nor the searing pain of battle.
Just... warmth.
Fiona's eyes fluttered open, and for the first time, they were not her eyes.
She blinked rapidly, adjusting to the sensation. The body felt different—lighter, weaker, more restricted. She inhaled sharply, and the scent of fresh linen, polished steel, and faint traces of lavender filled her senses.
'Where… am I?' she thought, momentarily disoriented.
Memories of the battle came rushing back. The fight. The exhaustion. The soul invasion.
Then realization struck.
She had taken over Jeannie Leonhartt's body.
Fiona sat up too quickly, her head spinning. She groaned, rubbing her temples. This human body felt so different—no horns, no wings, no endless well of demonic power coursing through her veins.
She turned her gaze downward, catching sight of her reflection in a polished silver mirror propped against the wall.
A young woman with golden blonde hair and striking blue eyes stared back. A face not her own, yet it moved in syncronized with her expressions.
She scowled. This will take some times to adapt in this new body.
The sound of a door creaking open startled her.
Before she could react, a small figure rushed in.
"Jeannie!!!"
A soft, excited voice rang out, full of warmth and relief.
Fiona barely had time to brace herself before a tiny body crashed into her, arms wrapping tightly around her waist.
She stiffened.
The girl pulled back, looking up at her with large, teary blue eyes. Her golden hair was slightly messy, and her cheeks were flushed with emotion.
Lily Leonhartt.
Jeannie's younger sister.
Fiona had read Jeannie's memory about her. A fragile, cheerful girl who had grown up idolizing her knightly sister.
And now… she was hugging her.
Fiona, the Archdemon of Calamity, the scourge of Vernetia, was being hugged by weak little girl. How unusual it was.
The room was silent in Awkwardly and Uncomfortably.
"…You're alive…" Lily whispered, voice trembling. "They said you might not wake up, but I knew you would! I prayed every day just for you, Sis!!!"
Fiona opened her mouth. No words came out.
What was she supposed to say?
She had expected to wake up in Jeannie's body, return to the capital, and burn it to the ground from inside.
She did not expected to be met with open arms and unconditional love.
'This is bad,veryy bad...' she thought, a bead of sweat forming on her brow.
Lily beamed up at her. "I knew my big sis was the strongest! The strongest knight in Vernetia!"
Fiona nearly choked on the irony.
This human girl was looking at her with nothing but pure affection. And she wasn't even Jeannie at all. If only she knew the truth...
Fiona had planned to crush The kingdom from within.
But now…
With this small, delicate creature clinging to her, expecting love and kindness she never knew.…
She realized she had a far bigger problem on her hands.