“What a disaster,” reclining on her throne, the Sura Queen mumbled. The words didn’t escape the councilors’ acute hearing, and all clenched their chair arms. Weeks of preparations. Weeks of literal sweat and blood, all wasted in less than a minute. Of all the enemies they had to contend with, the councilors never expected that the one to ruin their plans would be closely linked to their lady.

On the scene, the three that suffered Jezebel’s Time Reversal quivered to no end, hesitating between a rash escape or awaiting judgment.

“Go drink your fill of the Divine Water. Although you won’t return to the Exarch rank, with your potential, you will at least become Archons. No one could predict today’s events. You don’t have to blame yourselves. Now more than ever, we fehl suras must remain united against the foreign threats,” the Sura Queen declared, and dismissed the three with a wave of her hand.

Instantly, they dropped on their knees, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!” The 300 Exarchs weren’t just the most gifted of the Sura Queen’s retainers. They were the first to support her surrender to Ashera. Their devotion to the revitalization of the Sura Plane needed no more proof.

But as the three scurried out, the remaining councilors exchanged confused glances, “Something isn’t right. To reverse the time of Exarchs with such ease, that daemoness should at least be at the Astral Master tier. But doesn’t the Ancestral Covenant stipulate that Fehl Princes and above need the supervision of a same-level throne to enter our world?” One councilor spoke the words teasing his peers’ mind.

Thanks to the covenant signed by Hel and Ashera, top-ranking fehls needed the supervision of a throne equivalent to step into the Sura Plane. A Fehl Prince needed a Six-Wheels Throne, a Fehl Overlord needed a Seven-Wheels Throne, Ashera needed Hel—and vice versa. However, top-ranking thrones rarely intervened in matters that didn’t threaten the multiverse’s balance. Therefore, Fehl Princes and above could not set foot on the Sura Plane.

“Which means that she’s still a Fehl Lord, but with battle-prowess equal to a Fehl Prince. And considering whose daughter she probably is, this isn’t surprising,” the Sura Queen concluded and, immediately, the councilors’ shoulders slumped.

“However, this doesn’t affect our plans. We’re recovering the Fortress of Vice by our Goddess’ command. Unless she sends a different message, the girl’s interference makes no difference. The Fortress of Vice is not something anyone can waltz in and claim. We will give her a 45 minutes headstart. Let her go as far away from the entrance as possible and tackle a few traps. We can thus avoid a senseless confrontation.

With our Goddess’ backing, the fehl suras’ era is inevitable. Do not let a temporary setback affect our momentum. Go back and prepare. In 45 minutes, we will meet at the seal’s entrance.”

“As you command!” Galvanized by their queen’s words, the councilors bowed and teleported back to their dwellings. With Hel gone and the thrones in self-isolation, the multiverse became Ashera’s plaything. Those she supported rose, those she scorned crumbled. A rebellious daughter could not change those truths.

Yet, even as she eased her most trusted subjects’ fears, the Sura Queen’s heart trembled.

“Ultimately, we’re only pawns,” she inwardly said. How could Ashera not predict her daughter’s rebellion? Yet, she gave her new subordinates no warning, letting them confront Jezebel’s assault with zero preparation.

Perhaps for Ashera, her daughter was the most reliable candidate to the Fortress of Vice’s ownership. Perhaps all this was a diversion, and Ashera’s true target lay elsewhere. Or maybe the Overlord saw the world as a game that existed only to ease her boredom.

Given a choice, the Sura Queen would much rather surrender to Hel. Alas, Hel lost. Only Ashera remained. And though kissing an arbitrary devil’s boots brought her no joy, for the sake of her people, the Sura Queen would endure.

Standing up from her throne, she walked out the stone room, heading toward her Blood King’s chambers. That obnoxious creature filled her heart with hatred, but he was after all the husband granted to her by Ashera. She couldn’t mistreat him.

…

Meanwhile, clad in the Ring of Change’s Invisibility Shroud, Kilian sneaked into the Suras Plane’s royal tribe. If in the past, like all other large tribes the royals occupied interconnected glades that housed over 10,000 suras—after turning into fehl suras, they cut down the trees and built castles to fill the freed ground. Tallest among them was the Sura Queen’s castle.

Shaped like a medieval castle but with the ambition of an ascendent king, the vast stone palace stretched across five hectares, with tall gray walls and watchtowers blocking a clear view of the palace’s pointed roofs.

The Ring of Change’s Invisibility Shroud was a potent tool. As long as the ring’s owner didn’t use offensive moves or cast spells, the shroud wouldn’t break. And while it wouldn’t last over 15 minutes, Kilian had full confidence in capturing the Sura Queen within that time frame.

Eleonora and Kilian both stayed silent, observing the moves and changes across the royal tribe’s territory before sneaking into the castle. The royal tribe didn’t have a single fehl sura below the Archon rank, all carrying out tasks for the Sura Queen. But unlike what some might expect, the adjacent castles to the queen’s palace didn’t house the councilors. They rested in two-storied stone mansions, leaving the castles for the Blood King’s Fehl Legion. 

Concrete and roadways replaced the past lush ground, with bustling districts forming within the royal tribe. And at the center of the emerging city, a 12 meters tall statue of the Blood King stood beside a 18 meters tall statue of Ashera in all her daemonic glory.

Leaping across the walls, Kilian and Eleonora sneaked into the castle through a window, gliding past the sura maids to reach a corridor. With his Eye of Revelation, Kilian quickly located the Sura Queen, who’d just stepped into the most extravagant sector of the palace—only fifteen meters away from the recovering Blood King’s chambers.

Kilian’s lips curled into a fiendish grin, and Eleonora, who stood at his right, felt his dra stir in patterns even she was unfamiliar with. Like a wolf stalking his prey. Kilian closed in on the Sura Queen and whispered:

“Fifth Circle Spell: Lust Idol.

Fourth Circle Spell: Lust Haze.

Fifth Circle Spell: Lust Rain.”

The invisibility shroud broke, fourteen pink circles formed as, in one breath, Kilian cast three spells of Urag’s infamous arsenal. The golden-statue-shaped Lust Idol appeared and overwhelmed the Sura Queen’s mind while the Lust Haze’s veil of pink fog seeped her pores, making her rosy-white skin flush instantaneously.

“Despic--” the Sura Queen couldn’t finish the words, dozens of pink arrows stabbed her petite form, robbing all strength from her body. Her mind collapsed to a maddening surge of lust, and as her eyes glazed over, Kilian said:

“Idol Integration.” The Lust Idol’s representation merged with Kilian, turning him into the master and focal point of the Sura Queen. Eyes glazed over, she strode toward him. And unceremoniously, Kilian hauled her onto his shoulder, then turned to face Eleonora.

With her brows creased, she squinted her eyes at him; as if in that instant, Kilian got a brand-new image in her mind.

“How despicable. Do I even want to know what you usually use such spells for?” She seriously asked.

Unabashed, Kilian rubbed the Sura Queen’s back and replied with a broad grin:

“Don’t misunderstand; this is just business.”