Salvation of The Scum Fifth Prince

[82 - revenge; a crime misplaced]

"I have a bad feeling." muttered Soren suddenly, as he walked circles around the towering island, occasionally touching the soft, violet petals. "That something annoying is coming."

'Perhaps it's your companions searching for you?'

The prince nodded absentmindedly, his mindset of 'annoying things' quickly being understood by the demon. "Yeah."

He brushed off his legs and walked to the edge, staring at the calm waters below that beckoned to him to dive in and forget everything.

Another trap of Gabriel's, most likely.

He hadn't noticed when he was swimming to the island, not bothering to pay attention to the cool sensation of liquid. But for a person who easily fell for the beauty in magic, this land would trap them, rendering them unable to leave.

A tearing in the ceiling suddenly filled his ears, and he snapped his head up, frowning. Had they found him so quickly? The rocky walls separated, crumbling away to reveal a sizeable gap as shadows dived into the water, one after the other.

There were many more than those he entered with. Soren's scowl continued to deepen as he stretched out his hands, calling for the whip to materialize within his grasp. He clasped it, waiting.

"...is it...?"

Then, a graceful figure landed on top of the water, his feet grazing the surface and sending ripples along the lake. A large man, covered in billowing white robes that held a single, blue flower that connected it at the top. Silver chains hung on his shoulders, displaying an arrogant sense of luxury as he raised his chin, staring at Soren through a white mask.

The colour of his eyes — Soren couldn't make it out, as the flickering gaze seemed to be made of all colours, and at the same time none. The man raised an arm, pointed straight at the prince before the ground rumbled.

'He has Lucifer's Curse!' snapped a voice in his head, roaring in his ears. 'It should be the ability to control nearby nature — move, prince!'

Before Soren could react, the peaceful vines around him suddenly lurched to life, grasping at his legs and wrapping around hid body in a painful grip. He cursed under his breath before slicing the roots away violently, running along the edge. The plants would follow his step, stabbing into the ground as if trying to pierce his ankles, narrowly missing.

Soren kept his eyes on the man who stood in the water, then at the shadows that were hastening on the first steps. Of course, Gabriel's odd trap would make them unable to reach the top, but it wouldn't matter if the vines knocked him off first!

"If you want me to come to you..." muttered Soren as his chains danced across the air in beautiful arcs, slicing through the snowy vines, "Then I will."

He flipped off the edge, his body plummeting to the ground. The shadows — the Third Religion followers — rushed towards him.

Immediately, his eyes glazed over in a bloody red as he commanded, "Do not move!"

The chilling butterfly reflected in their eyes as their movements halted, simply waiting for Soren to land before he swept the chain under their feet, bringing them all to the ground at once. The Third Religion followers weren't fighters, they were unfortunate victims who fell for the cause.

Then, one snapped out of the command and lunged for him. Soren's eyebrows furrowed as he slammed his leg against the ground, leaping back to avoid the blade that sliced through the air. It wasn't just the followers, but also the special fighters that Soren had seen in the last battle.

His eyes raced over to the figure still standing in the lake. The Third Religion Leader. Soren would have his head.

He snapped his arm out as the chains rushed forward relentlessly, the blade charging for its target. The other glanced down, jerking sideways as he slammed his arm down to stop the chains. However, behind the other chain, another dagger sneakily followed behind and broke through the cloth. The Leader grunted, his steps faltering.