Chapter 114: A Demon Called Love

- Arachne Hidden Village, Riyuegu Xiamen Hot Springs Fountain - Urz's POV -

I'd always been a timid person. Scared of my own shadow I'd been continually picked on and bullied throughout my childhood by other Kappas and even the neighboring Sylphs from the forest would go out of their way to play pranks on me. When we'd first been contacted by outsiders, I'd assumed the same would happen again, the strange snake-bodied women seemingly towering over us as they introduced themselves as the ones that had been building something nearby. My mother, apparently remembering old stories of encounters with such beings, asked if it would be possible for our group to be left alone.

The beautiful snake women, not interested in our little corner of the swamp we called our territory, agreed but asked if we would like to formalize a treaty between us. Neither myself, nor my mother, knew what this "treaty" thing was but it seemed important for them as they explained that only be signing some sort of formal document would we be protected from outside influence. I was 2.

It would only be later that I would realize how precarious our situation had been and how easily we could have been taken advantage of if these strange snake women had the inkling to do so.

Several years would pass from that initial encounter and over those many cycles I'd find myself spending more and more time in what the "Lamia" called a Jetty Town. At the time I'd thought it strange that anyone would try living in a place where they couldn't stand the environment, but I was told it had to do with something called rubber.

It would be several years after that when I'd earn a recommendation to attend a nearby academy after attending the local school that the colony had set up. I, as well as several Lamia students, were the first to graduate from the newly established school and, as both the top student and a member of a rarer friendly race, I was presented with the opportunity to head to a well-established in the nearby human country with an introduction letter from the military commander in charge of the colony. Someone from the Amchier Duchy.

My trip to the Academy was nothing spectacular. Hitching a ride on one of the frequent resource-laden transports that made port at the city I'd grown up in and around I made sure to say goodbye to my tribe before I left. My mother, the only one that vaguely understood the importance of us learning about the outside world, urged me to absorb everything I could while the rest of the tribe only seemed to shy away from what they viewed as a sharp departure from tradition. Even one of my childhood friends, a boy I'd known since birth, shunned me. His angry abuse nearly driving me to tears when I told him what I wanted to do. Nearly a month later I'd made port in a place so different from my previous life I'd thought I might have died and gone to the Deep Waters that wait for all Kappa after they leave this life. The only thing that had kept me grounded was the sheer amount of dry land, the afterlife wouldn't have had so much dirt after all.

So, I'd joined the Academy that represented the future of my Kappa tribe, the place that would take us from the swamp to the outside world. And I was terrified.

Shell-shocked at the strange situation I found myself in I had withdrawn even further into myself, my previous shy self making a comeback in a major way. The worst part is the class I'd found myself in. Getting high marks on the entry test I'd found myself within a class that was filled with the best and the brightest of the school, but they were also the strangest. Terrified of my classmates I'd endeavored to keep myself as invisible as possible. Until I met Yeetsil.

Meeting the Goblin boy that was in a situation so similar to my own calmed me and over the next few months I found myself getting closer to the smaller boy that reminded me so much of the childhood friend that I'd left behind. Little did I know at the time that encounter would open me up to some of the best friends that I'd ever meet in this world.

- Arachne Hidden Village, Riyuegu Xiamen Hot Springs Fountain - Urz's POV -

[U-Uwaa?!?] - Urz

[S-Shit what do we do?!?] - Veronica

[Whatever we do we have to do it quick! Rose is in trouble!] - Karen

I didn't know what to do. Over the last few days since I'd met my new friends, I'd quickly come to realize that Rose was special. Not that it wasn't obvious before since she had cast chant less magic the second day of her joining our class. Too shy to introduce myself I'd still watched her and her group of friends from afar and, like it was fate, I'd been grouped with them and the scary explosion lady for our room assignments.

What had come next was something unexpected. All of them were nice to me. Everyone, including the scary explosion lady, had accepted me into their group as if it was the natural thing to do and the last week had been some of my happiest memories in my life. I'd even learned about <blush> b-boys and girls from Veronica. All of my new friends were so confident and strong that it seemed impossible for any of them to ever get into anything they couldn't handle, nothing like me.

So, I was more shocked than ever when Rose had been seemingly kidnapped or killed and the ever-present maid had vanished only to reappear behind the nice lady that had brought us here.

[Let's blow them to smithereens and save Rose and Annabelle!] - Argent

[...save.] - Shade

[C-Calm down guys! We don't know if we'll make it worse by doing anything. And Rose's maid seems to ha-] - Malaise

[Cease your bickering mortals. This is why you fools can only amount to worshipping your betters. Trash.] - ???

[W-Who are you?!?] - Head Priestess Lao Ji Si

[Me? I, unworthy trash, am Love.] - Love

- Arachne Hidden Village, Riyuegu Xiamen Hot Springs Fountain - Head Priestess Lao Ji Si's POV -

Shock filled me with the sudden intrusion from this well-dressed newcomer. Where was the Lady Undine?!? Why was this creature acting so arrogant within her waters, as if he weren't concerned with her power in any way? I wasn't sure of the answers to these questions but whatever the truth was I had quickly realized that the being in front of me was far beyond anyone present. Death. This man brought death to my family and tribe and even fleeing would not save us now.

[Love?!? What did you do to Rose?!? Answer me!] - Annabelle

[Ah, the maid. Your loyalty to your mistress is admirable. She is fine, the mental strain of hosting powerful beings so far beyond her has taxed her considerably but she should recover within a few hours. In fact, this will expand her powers considerably if I'm not mistaken and I never am.] - Love

Fear filled my body as the woman that had given me so much trouble over the last few minutes aggressively moved towards the interloper. My terror only slightly lessened by the realization that she'd also released my granddaughter in the process. In any other situation I would have taken advantage of such a weakness and immediately struck her down when she was distracted but the cold eyes from this "Love" character froze me in place.

The slight smile on his face terrified me more however when his words confirmed that he'd been the one to save the one I'd sentenced to death. Given how friendly he seemed concerning the Lamia I'd likely condemned my entire tribe to death, and I still did not know the fate of Lady Undine. I had to act now!

[M-My Lord L-Love, we humble ourselves before your mercy. We did not realize that these outsiders were under the protection of such an esteemed personage or of course we would never have asked them to participate in such a dangerous ritual.] - Head Priestess Lao Ji Si

[Hoho? You dare attempt to fool me with your lies despite knowing what my... this girl would face? Bugs should remain silent if they don't wish their wings plucked.] - Love

[...!] - Head Priestess Lao Ji Si

[Umu. And what of you Loyal Maid? What do you think of this bug's claims? Do you too desire the mercy of fools?] - Love

This is it; I'd made my try at saving us and it had failed. The man before me, seemingly unaffected by the damn air and water around him, slowly walked forward as the one we had sent to her death floated in midair behind him. My plea of mercy falling on deaf ears as he turned to address the strong one that had caused me such grief. I could only hope that she shared her Mistress's view of mercy as I lamented the choices that had led to now. I could see the collapsed bodies of my soldiers as they barely managed to breath under the enormous pressure that this human-shaped creature was outputting. We couldn't even run, even with my power I was barely managing to stay upright, and I could tell this Demon was holding himself back considerably.

[Hah... as much as I desire to eliminate these fools for daring to attack my Mistress, she would be upset with me if I did so when another option was available. I leave their fate to you.] - Annabelle

[Ahahahaha! The Loyal Maid is unexpectedly cruel! Instead of taking the blame for their fate she instead leaves it to something like me! Interesting interesting!] - Love

[P-Please...] - Head Priestess Lao Ji Si

[BE SILENT! Do not ruin my good mood.] - Love

[...] - Head Priestess Lao Ji Si

[Good. Because I am in such a good mood, I'll allow you bugs your life.] - Love

[Oh, thank you! Thank you, Lord Love!] - Head Priestess Lao Ji Si

[However, for my trouble I'll have you experience something much MUCH worse than death.] - Love

[...!] - Head Priestess Lao Ji Si

Widening my eyes at the cruel smile on the man's face I would have run if I were able to, the prospect of something worse than death seemed possible from the mocking gaze of the Demon in the form of a man.

What happened next would haunt me for the rest of my days.

Darkness. Fear and Darkness.