Demon Continent Alsace in the year 307, in the 10th month of Asmodum, on the 26th day after the Empire's downfall.

 

 

After a few streets, she had arrived at the outer edge of the city and could hear the gathering of demons and Larrua, organizing themselves outside the city. The energy flow remained unchanged, and the commanders were still in the same positions as a few minutes ago.

 

Up to this point, she had gone to great lengths to avoid being seen by her allies, not wanting to cause confusion in her own ranks and give the enemy as little chance as possible to prepare for her. 

She didn't want the Larrua to think that she would abandon them in their time of need. It would be better if the Larrua and the enemy wondered where she was and gave her the chance to cut off the serpent's head so that the Larrua and demons under the Meinoume's thrall could free themselves from it without causing another battle or interrupting an existing one.

 

"At least, that's the plan. Now it just needs to survive contact with reality."

 

Soon after, she found herself outside the city through detours, ensuring she wasn't noticed. Now, she pondered how to navigate between Meinoume's troops and their commanders without alerting the Larrua or Meinoume's forces.

 

Her Domain allowed her to perceive everything inside and outside the city, yet she couldn't identify a direct route that would maintain the element of surprise. Nevertheless, she would have to attempt it, exploring various paths that could lead her closer to the commanders, hoping for an opportunity to slip through patrolling or repositioning soldiers unnoticed.

 

If one route didn't work, she could backtrack and try another. Mentally preparing for the task ahead, she assessed different routes, weighing their chances of success against the constantly shifting positions of patrols. With each new variable, she had to swiftly decide which alternative route to take.

 

"This is going to be fun." She couldn't help the smile creeping onto her face.

 

As two larger groups of soldiers moved away, she seized the chance to navigate through them towards a part of the forest, where she could remain unseen for some time, continuing towards the commanders. Suddenly, she darted towards the underbrush she had targeted, vanishing into the thickets of the jungle before any patrolling soldiers could notice her.

 

She still hadn't answered whether Meinoume or his priests would notice if she freed or killed someone. She couldn't imagine he wouldn't notice, but given his numerous followers, both willing and unwilling, she aimed to avoid exposing herself by removing supporters from Meinoume's faith. Particularly in her current situation, moving through their camp, aiming to eliminate the priesthood and other high-ranking Meinoume adherents.

 

Then there was the issue of Meinoume's perception; she knew that other gods and Diva could perceive the surroundings of their followers. However, the extent of Meinoume's abilities, being an exiled deity within the realm of Lilith, Asmodus, and other lesser gods, remained an unanswered question.

 

"Today raises many questions to which I have no answers, and it seems I'm destined for this uncertainty for quite a while."

 

"And what for? While I've gathered some knowledge, I find myself in a situation where I'm stagnant, unable to focus on myself."

 

It was almost like back then... "though what does 'back then' mean? It's only been a few months since I left the Cikarti, Sappho, and Sia." She shook her head, dispelling the creeping thoughts.

 

Now was neither the right time nor place to dwell on her demon family, who, by the way, wanted to marry her off to someone entirely unfamiliar. Just thinking about it sparked the anger she had felt back then, and the betrayal resurfaced within her.

 

She forcibly directed her thoughts elsewhere, locking away any thoughts of Sappho, Sia, or the Cikarti into a compartment of her mind. Refocusing entirely on her Domain, she continued to move through the jungle, careful to make no noise and to stay out of sight of the soldiers.

 

It wasn't always successful, but mostly, she vanished without a trace whenever a soldier investigated the rustling of bushes or the crunch of leaves. Sometimes, she even managed to coax an animal or bird into showing themselves, diverting the soldiers' attention to what they would expect to find in a forest.

 

When blocked by thorns or other flora, she often had the option to move through the treetops. She had to resort to this several times to move from one thicket island to another, getting closer to her goal without being seen.

 

If that wasn't possible and she reached a dead-end, she'd have to retrace her steps, being even more cautious about making noise or being seen. Overall, she made good progress, keeping an eye on the happenings around her thanks to her Domain.

 

Meinoume's army was still organizing itself and taking positions, unlike what they had done in the tunnels beneath the city. Either the commander here was smarter than the underground forces, or it was all a distraction, but for what purpose?

 

She didn't want to risk delving into the spirits of some of the soldiers and also avoided touching their spirits with her Domain, marking them mentally to observe from the outside.

 

The other group of demons hadn't moved yet and remained in their position, seemingly observing the events. From what she perceived from their spirits, they weren't under Meinoume's sway and weren't here for Meinoume's army.

 

Their spirits seemed fake though, as if they were just an imitation of the real thing, she would still have to deal with this group of demons extensively, her gut told her that.

 

Although an Arcane user of the mind never forgot, they didn't always have every experience readily accessible when needed. Overcoming this vulnerability took years of training, and even though she was skilled at recalling her knowledge in any situation, she couldn't pinpoint what bothered her about one of the demons. She only knew that something deep within her stirred when she saw them.

 

During a long wait to let a few hundred soldiers pass, she focused all her senses on observing them from the outside without touching their spirits, trying to gather information about their commands, battle plans, or rumors circulating among them. Even if it might not immediately aid her in her current situation, it could potentially benefit her or the Larrua later.

 

Unfortunately, neither the Larrua nor the demons spoke to or with each other and their minds, like those of all the others who had fallen under the spell of Meinoume, were chained and as if under a thick black blanket through which she could perceive nothing of the true thoughts without penetrating their minds.

 

More demons and Larrua kept arriving, but they no longer resembled soldiers; they looked like civilians. Some carried pitchforks and wore rural attire typical of demons living in the countryside, while others held quills and paper, dressed in finer clothes or even nightgowns, all appearing malnourished.

 

Once the group of civilians passed by, she quickly closed the distance to the next part of the forest, approaching the commanders.

 

As cautiously as she dared, she surveyed the area around the commanders and the priests, checking for hidden traps or enemies and ensuring she hadn't been detected. After doing this several times and finding no signs of alarm or threats, and after studying the paths and patrol intervals for a few tense moments, she prepared herself for the confrontation with the head of the snake.

 

She wanted to prevent the sounds of battle from leaking out or the patrolling soldiers from seeing anything. Thus, she began weaving an illusion around the commanders and priests. Simultaneously, she subtly influenced the minds of the priests and the commander to remain oblivious to her actions.

 

Ultimately, she felt as prepared as possible without exposing herself and stepped into the clearing to face the commanders and the priesthood. The rest would unfold in battle, and she intended to pull every mind further into her illusion, possibly gaining control of the army if it truly relied entirely on the commander, as she suspected.

 

 

Just a few seconds after emerging from the thicket and stealthily approaching her foes, movement stirred among the group of demons.