Bam! Another loud sound resounded through the dungeon as the other cell door also exploded.

“What?” Corsar said surprised and took a step back. He hadn't expected them to actually fight back. What could a young girl, even if she was a Dryad, and a slime do to him? A greater demon with a name.

As he was still confused, vines with thorns were growing under him. At first, they trapped his feet and he almost lost his balance. He looked at his legs and the vines slowly growing along his body, leaving small wounds on his legs as the thorns were also growing.

“You little...” He screamed, Trying to rip the vines apart with his bare hands. The thorns were cutting in his flesh. Blood was running from his hands. But he didnt stop. The vines were harder than he expected, more like solid wood than soft green.

However, as the vines were growing, Trewy couldn't move. Holding her hands towards Corsar, she fully concentrated of letting them grow. Barely able to grow them faster than Corsar was able to rip them off. Growing vines in that speed was exhausting for her, she knew that her sisters could grow harder and faster vines. They were like steel and Corsar wouldn't have been able to even scratch them, killing him in seconds. But the only thing Trewy could do now, was keep him trapped.

“Nemu! I can't hold this for long. Save the harpies!” She said out loudly, still focused on growing her vines, not noticing that Nemu was already in the harpies cell.

“Stand up and come with me.” Nemu said to the shocked harpies. They didn't expect something like that. Completely shocked they were just staring at Corsar, not even noticing Nemu.

“Please. We have to leave.” Nemu said again. Only then changed their attention. However, they were just looking at Nemu, still unable to comprehend the situation. Confusion and fear in their eyes. It took them a few seconds, before they stood up they looked at each other and nodded.

“Nemu!” Trewy screamed from behind. She was at her limits. Corsar now focused his full attention on the vines, he was ripping them apart faster than Trewy was able to grow them back.

It took Nemu and the harpies painfully long seconds to reach the destroyed cell door. They made clinging sounds on the ground with every step they took on the metallic fragments of the door leftovers.

However, at the doors entrance. They stopped. Corsar was standing in the small corridor leading to the exit. He was looking at them now with bloodshed eyes. He should be in pain but was grinning, completely revealing his demon teeth. Well knowing that he would be able to move again in a few seconds as there weren't many vines left. And end their lives. Without a doubt, he didn't expect them to fight back, but demons loved fighting so he even seemed to enjoy it.

He stopped grinning as Nemu shouted something. “Hardening!”

After Nemu used his hardening skill, he became slower. Normally Corsar wouldn't have much trouble dodging him. But his feet and most of his legs were still trapped in the vines.

Nemu jumped at him with all his might. 'Nonono' Was the only thought in Corsars mind. He tried to move his feet or lean back, but he couldn't avoid it fast enough. It was like a hard rock was hitting him straight in the face. What was supposed to be a soft slime hit him like a cannonball. A terrible crack sounded through the underground as his nose broke. However, he didn't go down. He was dizzy and his legs were trembling but he was still on his feet. Anger raging in him.

Fortunately, Nemu expected it. He didn't jump to the ground again. From Corsars head he jumped straight on the ceiling. He landed hard on the ceiling. Pressing his body on it like a pancake. Before he used all of his momentum to jump down again. Straight towards Corsars head.

Corsar looked upwards. He knew what the slime was planning but he was unable to do anything. And again, he heard a shout. “Hardening!” The first time he didn't expect such a hard impact. More like a desperate move of a slime. 'Wait!' He remembered something. That slime. Nemu? Does he have a name? An useless red slime with a name? They fooled him. He couldn't have said that he would have done something different, but he would have been more wary. Probably. And so he looked at the slime... no, Nemu... and his inevitably doom.

Crash! 

Again, a roaring sound through the underground as Nemu hit Corsar straight on the head. And this time, Corsar didn’t stay on his feet. His legs gave way, his knees unable to hold his body anymore. He passed out. His last feeling was a burning hatred.

“That won't hold him for long! We have to hurry!” Nemu said out loudly.

As Corsar lay on the ground, Trewy was still growing her vines. She was aware that Corsar would be up in a very short time, so she grew layer after layer around his body. He now looked like a green cocoon, even his face wasn't to be seen anymore. But... Trewy was struggling. She had most of her mana by now. If she continues like that she wouldn't be able to walk anymore. Fortunately, Trewy was aware of that so she stopped before.

The three harpies were pressing themselves against the stone wall, moving slowly forward, avoiding the green cocoon that was trapping Corsar as far as possible. Nemu just jumped over him. Waiting on the exit.

“That should hold him for a minute.” Trewy said and also moved towards the exit.

A noise was heard in the cocoon. Corsar was about to wake up again and even fainted, he was angry.

Right after the exit, there were three paths. All of them leading upstairs but in different directions. They really wanted to avoid the throne room, but everything was better than a dead end. So they had to go back there. What about the demons? They had to deal with it later. Now they needed to hurry.

“Which way?” Nemu asked. He was scolding himself... He didn't remember the way anymore. Everything looked the same in that castle. However, they knew that they had to leave this place again, so he should have remembered the way.

“I... dont know.” It was Trewy. She did the same mistake. How did they let something like this happen?

Maybe... the harpies. Trewy and Nemu looked at them. But they just shook their heads. Trewy and Nemu couldn't blame the harpies as they were even more afraid and they were here for much longer.

“Lets just take...” Trewy started to talk. Nemu knew what she was about to say. Now the chance was one to three. But there would be more paths. Nemu was pretty sure that they came from the middle path. However, even if they are lucky this time, chances were even lower next time.

Nemu was about to ask Guide, but then he had an idea... “Detective!” He said out loud.

And there they were. Marks on the ground. Including his green round marks. The marks were much lighter then when they arrived but still there. And the marks were leading to the... right path. Oops.

“Follow me.” Nemu jumped towards the right path. Trewy raised a brow, she knew that Nemu used a skill as he had to say it loud out all the time. So she decided to ask him later about his Detective skill.

Trewy was thinking about the fight before. Nemu was good. He is strong and uses his ability smartly. He even took advantage of her ability. But... chances to defeat him were close to zero. She was already at her limit and Nemus hits were good but not fatal. It was good to hold him back, but they had to leave. Also there were the other demons. If any of them would have joined they would have been dead by now.

The harpies were in the middle and Trewy in the back. She had a reason for this. She had still enough mana to grow vines on the places she had direct contact to. So whenever she took a step there were small green vines under it. Corsar would be able to follow them that way. They wanted to go to the throne room but if Corsar didn’t turn completely blank, what wasn’t impossible but unlikely, he would take the same way. Also he might be able to follow their auras or a skill to follow them. So she decided to take the risk. Without a doubt, the demon would be faster than them. Even without the harpies, they wouldn't be able to outrun him. But with them, Corsar would easily catch up. The vines would be very annoying for him because he had to avoid them with every step.

They were only a few steps on the stairs when.... A bone chilling roaring scream came from behind them. Without a doubt, Corsar. “Already?” Whispered Trewy. “Run! Don't stop!” The harpies turned around to the terrifying scream and were shocked again, fortunately they didnt stop.

Nemu and Trewy had no idea for how long Corsar would be trapped. Maybe a minute? Two Minutes? Optimistic. But he still had to catch up and the vines were slowing him down. So they ran. Slimes didn't like stairs, but Nemu had to slow down anyways because of the harpies. Unfortunately, they were almost out of breath. The first time they came here, it took them 10 minutes until they reached the prison. This time, they were already running 5 minutes upstairs. And they became slower. Because of the harpies. But just letting them behind wasn't an option. They had to protect them.

And then. Steps. From behind. Corsar was about to catch up.

“I will kill you! I will kill you! I will kill you!” He screamed or just talked. He changed his pitch with each sentence. No that he was so close, they heard everything. It seemed like he turned completely crazy by now.

Trewy was about to stop, they were on a close path and she might be able to hold him back when she used all of her mana to block the way with her vines. She was about to do it, but before... “Run!” Nemu screamed and jumped back over their heads. 'Does he want to fight him?' She thought. 'But thats suicide!'

However, Nemu didn't want to fight him. Instead, he threw everything from his dimensional space he had. Rocks, Wood, Ropes, Clothing, even the Cakes spread all over the passage blocking the way. Trewy nodded in approval and Nemu turned around to jump away again. That should buy them a few seconds.

Bam!

A sound was heard from their back, followed by another, even louder, scream.

Bam!

Another sound. And then, steps again.

Finally, they saw a light. Without a doubt, the throne room.

A thought they had repressed all along was unavoidable now.

They still had no idea how to flee.

Even if they get to the door, somehow avoiding all the demons that should be waiting for them, they are still trapped on the island. Maybe the harpies could flee. They can fly and hide in the forest as soon as they cross the river.

'Yes.' Trewy decided. That should be their priority now.

They saw that the harpies reached the throne room. And suddenly stopped like they were frozen in place.

"Don't stop!” Nemu screamed from behind.

But the harpies didn't move.

When Nemu and Trewy reached the throne room, they immediately knew why. The room had... changed.