"I take it you're that Demon Lord everyone is ranting and raving about?" Katlyn said with a bit of attitude in her voice. "A bit better looking than one would expect for a world-ending monster." She laughed. "Though whether or not that's better or worse, I don't know."

"Not going to cower in the back of your cell, begging me to spar your lives?" Akagi asked with a laugh of her own as she turned to the cat woman. "Most people wouldn't be able to hold their composure and give a smart-ass remark upon first meeting me."

{If Yumi were here right now she'd say something like. Yeah since they're either terrified of you or want to give your kitty form cuddles!} (Akagi)

"Meh, I think I've already realized just how screwed we are, so what's the point in being a babbling mess?" Katlyn shrugged, deciding that getting worked up was of no use at this point. "So what's your plan? Turn us into test subjects? Kill us? Eat our souls?"

"All good options. All good options, but I don't know. How about I turn you into my personal love slave?" Akagi asked with a smirk and a wink. "I think I'd enjoy myself with a woman like you. Feisty ones tend to be my favorite."

{Hishya's combination of fear and sass being just slightly higher on the list.} (Akagi)

"While I'm honored that a Demon Lord thinks so highly of me, I think I'd choose death." Katlyn laughed. "I'm already happily married to that idiot over there." She said, holding up her hand to show off a ring. "And as much as I might joke about dragging Mizzy into things, I'd rather not put him through something like that."

{I don't believe you one bit, cat.} (Nier)

"Fair, I'm not a fan of the NTR tag myself.” Akagi laughed. “Not to mention that I've got my own idiot at home. I might be a bad guy, but even I have lines I won't cross."

{We keep our petting harem platonic in this household! Pets between friends are fair game!} (Akagi)

"See! Even the most evil being imaginable has standards!" Katlyn said as she looked over to Nier. "Goes to show just how bad two-timing is!" She nodded.

{Why does it seem like these two are on the same wavelength? That's... I don't know if that's good or bad but I don't like it...} (Nier)

"But enough joking around, now I've got to figure out what to do with the three of you for real." Akagi thought for a moment, tapping her chin as she internally debated about what to do with her captured adventurers. "I didn't really plan to capture a group of Enorian adventurers. Kira just did so on a whim. Maybe I should extract some info from the three of you and then dispose of the corpses?" She said in a matter-of-fact way that made the three members of Burning Light shiver. "No, that would be a waste. I can probably find more use for the three of you than that."

{Oh, what to do, what to do? So many options...} (Akagi)

"Um..." Miz'ri interjected, her voice almost a whisper. "Ms. Demon Lord..."

"Ah, you're that Dark Elf girl." Akagi said as her eyes snapped to the Elf. "I haven't gotten the chance to meet one of your kind in this world yet." She said as she walked to the front of her cell and examined the Half-Elf. "A bit lighter skin than anticipated, but other than that you're basically like the Dark Elves I know of from FWO." She chuckled. "Though I must say you have beautiful eyes. It's like I'm looking into the purest Amethysts, and they remind me of a certain Dragon's flames."

"Please, do what you want to us, but let Miz'ri go." Nier pleaded for her safety, wary of what the Demon would do to her. "Miz'ri is a good person. She doesn't deserve whatever you're going to do to us. She only came with us because we asked her to."

"If you have any mercy in your heart, just let her go, please." Katlyn begged, similarly. “Do what you want to us, but let Miz'ri go. She doesn't deserve to die.”

{Hey, I've seen this one before.} (Akagi)

"You'd ask for her safety even though she betrayed you?" Akagi asked as she looked over her shoulder at the cat-girl. "Kira informed me that she knocked you both out and was the reason you were taken captive. Why would you want to spare her after that? Are you not angry?"

"It wasn't her fault." Nier said as he clicked his tongue in disgust. "It was that stupid Goddess. She charmed her."

{Oh?} (Akagi)

“Explain.” Akagi said as she turned to him.

"I don't know the specifics, but Lady Esquire did something to her. She made it so Miz'ri would prioritize her own safety and do whatever was needed to ensure her own survival." Nier explained what had happened before they started the journey southward. "We can't blame her for what happened. It wouldn't be right."

“Exactly.” Katlyn nodded. “Its not Mizzy's fault.”

"So the Goddess implanted a suggestion." Akagi hummed in understanding, having done similar things before. "A primitive but effective way of compelling people to do as you wish. Something the Gods no doubt have done many times."

"So please, Miz'ri has done nothing but good in this world. She heals countless people with her Dark Magic and does everything she can to treat the sick and injured." Katlyn pleaded. "In all my years, I don't think I've ever met someone as kind as her, at least let her go. We'll accept whatever fate you have prepared for us, but allow her to leave in peace."

"Katlyn, Nier!" Miz'ri protested, not wanting them to sacrifice themselves to save her. "I won't just leave the two of you here! I won't abandon you!"

"It's fine, Miz'ri." Nier smiled to reassure her. "We were prepared for this kind of fate from the very beginning. We're adventurers, it's only natural that this lifestyle caught up to us, but you... You've got a lot more to offer this world."

"He's right, kid." Katlyn nodded as Akagi watched the back and forth, smirking. "Let the adults take one for the team so the kids can survive. Besides, what kind of Big Sis would I be if I didn't help you out?"

{A still perverted one.} (Nier)

"You two..." Miz'ri began to tear up as she listened to their words.

"What do you say, Demon Lord?" Katlyn said. "Can you grant this small request of ours? It's not like one girl is going to get in the way of whatever you've got planned. Let her go and we'll accept our fates quietly.”

"A touching display but no, I'm afraid that I'll have to decline your offer." Akagi said as she turned to the cat, her arms crossed in an X. "Not, mind you out of any sadistic desire to watch you all be tormented together..."

{Though I'll admit that would be fun. Watching them plead for her life was quite exhilarating and nearly made me giggle like an idiot.} (Akagi)

"No, I've come up with a better use for the three of you." Akagi smirked as her body melted into a dark shadow. "Adventurers of Burning Light, how would you like to join Clan Dumetor?"

_____________________________________________________________________________

Rehael POV

"I suppose these ones will do." Rehael said as her two zombie Dragons deposited large quantities of monster corpses in front of her. She'd ordered them to hunt as many creatures as possible as the 'Angel' wanted a large army of undead for her invasion plans. "See what you can do to find more powerful ones. I don't want our forces to be made of nothing but weaklings." She said as she swung her scythe, causing the various monster corpses to begin twitching as they were infused with unlife. "If possible, lure some of your kind here. More Dragons would bolster my forces substantially." She said as some of the monsters began standing up, moaning and groaning as their bodies filled with necrotic power.

The two Dragons did not respond to her request, merely grunting as they took to the sky to find more corpses to aid their master in creating her army.

"What are we up to now?" Rehael stretched as she leaped from the rock she'd been sitting on. "I think we've easily crossed fifty thousand, but most of those are worthless chaff. So where do I go next?" She asked nobody in particular.

{These mountains have been mostly cleaned out. Perhaps it is time I go East. The Tigermen of Xinshia would make for excellent front line soldiers and the Eastern Continent is filled with all kinds of nasty creatures. Those jungles are teaming with monsters that make the beasts over here look like child's play. What to do, what to do?} (Rehael)

"As much as I'd like to head over there sailing across the ocean will take months, so I'll have to see about spacial relocation if I want to head over there." Reheal said as she slashed the air and created a black portal to allow the newly risen monsters to enter. "Though, recruiting some of those monsters attacking the Dwarves wouldn't be a bad idea. If some Valukar did survive the war, they would be perfect pawns in this little game. We could stop off there, grab them, and then teleport to the next destination. If memory serves me the Dwarven Capital has a relay point hidden below the palace. Though whether it works or not I do not recall." She continued. "Well, it matters not anyway. Father will soon have his army, and once it's ready we'll invade that Demon Lord's world and kill the Spirits." She smirked. "She'll be so busy attacking us that by the time she realizes what we've done, it will be too late."

{And I can't wait to see the look on that Demon Lord's face when I've slaughtered the people of that world. From what I was told by Father this Demon Lord seems to care about some of her followers, and it would be a shame if a fate most foul befell them.} (Rehael)

"But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves." Rehael said as the last of the monsters entered her shadow dimension and she closed it up behind them. "First we gather the army, then we show that arrogant Demon Lord who she's messing with." She said before kicking off the ground and flying into the air, ready to head to her next destination.

However, unknown to the so-called Angel, Reheal was not as alone on that mountain as she thought. There was someone else there with her, someone far more powerful than her, and someone who felt a deep revulsion as they caught a glimpse of her

"I see, so Gale really did lie when he said nothing was left." Sol clicked her tongue in disgust as she watched Rehael fly away, breifly debating whether to strike her down at that moment before casting the thought aside. "As much as I'd love to destroy that thing right here and now, it would draw too much attention to myself and I can't risk Gale becoming aware of my presence. Not now. Not when the plan hasn't even taken its first steps. I'll just have to trust that Demon Lord to have everything handled.” She said, laughing derisively at her own words. “Though I suppose that's only fitting, a Demon Lord destroying a creature made from the corpse of one. I just hope that Halifax..." She shook her head before flying in the opposite direction.

{No, it will be fine. No matter what comes to pass, it will be for the best.} (Sol)

END OF BOOK 6