After we followed the villager back out of the room and split out back onto the round sandstone roof, I looked at Geo and asked, "Did you understand their dialogue?"
"I know that they weren't speaking, just using mana to converse. Although I didn't understand the language."
I looked at the sullen Geo and grinned. "You don't understand Demonic? I thought you were an assassin~"
"Assassins don't know every language of the world, Shuri~ and how do you know, anyway~ aren't you a saintess~ how can you understand it~"
"...It's because I'm a saintess that I can understand their speech~ but you are just too dumb to even comprehend that little piece of information, huh~ what did I expect from an asshole like you~"
"Hahahaha~ the only reason you can understand is because of the light magic you have~ you didn't even get that light magic by merit~ if anything, you are the idiot here~"
"Oh really~ but that's not true~ the reason I have light magic is because of my soul~ so I did get it because I deserved it~"
We continued to laugh and shoot bullets at each other for ten minutes before finally coming to a conclusion. I told him about what I heard. Tomorrow, they will kill the people of our party. I glanced at him, and he glanced at me. Slowly, pernicious ear-to-ear smiles spread on our faces.
"I mean... it's not like they'll get killed." Geo said.
"And even if they do... isn't it their fault for not listening to me?" I added.
"Plus, if they do..."
"Then it's their fault for being too weak, is it not~?"
We chuckled and turned our attention to the beautiful sunset on the horizon. Red, purple, blue. Just like the bruises on their bodies that I'll see when they get beat up... I'm glad. Looking forward to the show~ please, do scream loud, Henrik, okay? So I can enjoy the great feeling of smugness when I hear you realize that I was right~ It seems like Geo thought the same thing, because a soft, gentle smile appeared, paired with a dark glint in his eyes.
As I said before, great minds think alike~
----
(Author's Note: Third person POV.)
Geo and Alice fell asleep on the roof that night. In the early morning, Geo gripped her arm cautiously and shook Alice awake in haste. As you may or may not know, Alice could get a bit... grumpy in the morning. Just a bit. A smidge. Just a little.
"Who dares?"
From the forest 300 miles away from the village, animals could vaguely hear the faint screams and crashes coming from the desert.
----
(Author's Note: Alice's POV.)
I watched as the villagers exited their houses and streamed into a hut. The place where the party was staying. Soon after, I heard screams, along with a tearing of flesh. Whoohoo! That morning rush! I thought of nothing but nonsense again as I watched Penny and the others stumble out in a hurry with black and red blood smeared on their faces. Henrik fell and screamed when a detached hand grabbed his foot. Hahahahaha! That's funny. Serves him right for not listening to me. Keep up the good work.
Suddenly, thousands of small, grape-like creatures popped out of the tent and went after the party. We watched as one of them managed to attach itself onto Xencrynn's arm and bite the thing off. An ear-piercing howl was heard, and I smiled happily in bliss. I'll heal him later. I want to watch him hurt for a bit, you know? Just for entertainment. I watched the party being chased by the cute grape things one way to another. Right next to me, Geo giggled at the detached arm display and showed no signs of interfering.
"What a nice way to start the day." He commented as he watched Henrik's face being clawed off by one of the creatures.
"Yeah..." I agreed absentmindedly while turning my attention to Hollem, who had collapsed onto the sand and was currently being devoured. "It's really nice..."
----
Eventually, the party managed to escape the clutches of the demons and left the village in a hurry. It was honestly too funny to see Xencrynn's decapitated arm, though I couldn't stop cackling at the hilarity of the situation. Henrik accused me of being too cruel and not warning them, and that's when my laughing stopped.
"Oh? Didn't I warn you? Do you not remember what I said before? Hmmm? I said, and I quote, 'We should leave.' And do you know what you said back? 'Stop being a buzzkill.' Hahahaha, ahhh, really, what did I expect from a dumbass?" My eyes turned dark. "You really have the nerve to accuse me for not telling you, huh, Hen~rik~ when YOU were the one to ignore MY warning. Real nice. Truly, brilliant."
The other members, knowing of what happens when I talk like that, backed away with their hands raised (well, besides Xencrynn, since he's lost his arm). My expressionless smile turned into a frown immediately. "You know, I'm amazed by your shamelessness. Even in this situation, you still managed to thoroughly piss me off, huh?"
I hit Henrik's stomach so fast he flew ten meters backward. Walking up to him, I put my boot on his face and crunched down. I could hear a faint cracking sound from his nose. I glanced at the other party members and said, "Oh, don't worry about that little crack. I'll just heal him later. After he repents."
I kicked him, hard, in the crotch, watching his pained expression morph into one of horror. Xencrynn and Hollem instinctively covered theirs while watching my brilliant display of punishment. I blushed in ecstasy as I watched him squirm lifelessly.
"Oh~ how satisfying~ it's been so long since I've done that... Now all I do is castrate, it gets boring at times..." They shivered at my statement. Even Geo cringed momentarily from my words. Haha, they're like weak little pugs, can't even handle one sentence coming from my mouth.
So weak.
----
After venting my frustration out on the idiotic Henrik, I healed all of them (and regenerated Crynn's decapitated arm), we soon reached the Atruln Forest. The forest that encased the Devil's Castle. Which is also known as Death's Land, because of the thick dark aura surrounding it and the concentrated amount of demon inhabitants in it.
Death. Darkness. Demons. Devil. You know, why do they all start with D, anyway? Did the damned Devil Demon King just want to have a 'D' theme so he made everything surrounding him start with a 'D'? That's really the epitome of stupidity, isn't it?
"...Let's enter." My silly train of thought was interrupted by Hollem's grim voice. Oh, did I forget to mention something? Hollem, that silly two-eyed human bastard (I'm half-immortal, so I can say that now, hehe), is actually the hero, so technically, he's supposed to lead the group and slay the Devil while struggling along the way (haha, such an idiot).
"Okay~ coming~" Geo appeared from nowhere behind me and skipped forward, passing me.
"...Yes." Xencrynn, for once, answered quietly.
"Mhm." Penny added.
"Following now." Henrik ran forward and walked a step behind Hollem, his broadsword at the ready.
"...Shurian, you coming?" Hollem looked back and asked quizzically. I hesitated with a frown apparent on my face. The other members started looking at me worriedly. It sounds kind of boring... slaying the same types of demons one after the other... Can I just call Selen and ask him to teleport me near the castle? It'll save me, like, two days.
I tilted my head down and fiddled with my fingers. Should I just leave them behind... no, I shouldn't... they're prime pranking specimens... I shot up, finally finding my answer. Apparently, the party thought that was a sign that I wouldn't be coming with them and was quitting because I was 'too scared'.
Hollem reached out to touch my shoulder in uneasiness and anxiety. "Shurian, you-"
I pumped my fist in the air and made an innocent face full of determination. "I'll meet you guys there!" -Because I'm not going to prank you in a forest full of demons! I'm not the devil, after all!
"Shuri, please, don't leave... we'll protect you from any demons... but don't abandon us..." I tilted my head to the side and sweated.
What was this fucker talking about? Did he know about ditching them? Ahhh, shit.
Wait, you? Protect... me? Honey, you're an eternity too young for that... but you'll never get there, it's okay, just give up now before the going gets too tough for you... I'm sorry (not really, my bad) for your loss, but I'm afraid my awesomeness just cannot be hidden by this saintess' veil.
"Don't worry, I'll just meet you guys at the Devil's Castle." I brushed it off and made an apologetic face. I'm so... sorry for your loss, I just can't wait for incompetent humans like yourselves... you understand, right?
"Shuri..." Henrik said, his eyebrows pulled up and scrunched together with his fists clenched. Everyone started crowding around for me. My attention soon wandered off from the sullen and tense atmosphere and onto the one odd-one-out in the party.
That Geo. That cunning little Geo. He knows, doesn't he. About me.
❅ ❅ ❅ ❅
As the interruptions continued pestering me about my choice to ditch them, I continued to watch the silent yet smiling Geo. That Geo. The one who, miraculously, could deflect my illusion magic. The one who could see me even when I completely concealed my presence. The one who I considered my comrade-in-arms. That Geo. He was watching me, completely separated from the situation, his eyes bubbling with amusement and interest.
Ignoring the loud nuisances, I launched myself up and forward, landing right in front of Geo. I leaned forward, with my arms clasped behind me, and mirrored his amused expression in ridicule. He remained unmoving, and so began our little staring contest on the edge of the Atruln Forest.
I stared at him, and he stared at me. A cowboy face off for the ages *cue dramatic music with an occasional bird caw*. I felt like there was a silent buzz of dialogue between us that only we could hear, because by the time I blinked and looked away, Geo revealed a wider, more genuine smile and vanished.
"Well, you heard the man, I'll meet you guys later~ see you at the demon castle~" I said as I walked toward the party. They looked at me in bewilderment, but I didn't really mind. They were just a bunch of imbeciles, so they wouldn't comprehend anything I said anyway.
"Selen~" I hummed, and soon after, a handsome middle aged man with long, silver hair (which was, if I may add, less shiny and beautiful than mine) appeared before me. The party jumped and immediately drew out their respective weapons at the seemingly suspicious man.
"Hi, Alice~ long time no see~ what do you need~" Selen hugged me from behind and put his head on my shoulder.
"Teleport." I responded bluntly, entirely used to Selen's touchy behavior and just disregarding it now. I held out my hand with my palm facing the group, signaling to them to not attack the crazy senile man called the Archmage of Vistas. I think that Hollem was about to die of confusion right about now, but it wasn't really my problem. As long as he wasn't completely dead, I could probably heal him, after all.
"You know the price of teleportation, Alice~ don't you~?" I could practically feel Selen's beaming smile on my shoulder as he said these words.
"One week."
"Two~"
"Two days."
"Four~"
"Six days."
"Ten weeks~"
"One week, Selen. If you don't want to take it, I'll just blow up the forest and fly in."
"...One, then..."
I grinned like the Cheshire Cat and waved to the party. "I'll see you guys at the Devil's Castle~ bye~" And disappeared with a wide, toothy smile on my face.
----
"Hmmm, strange... I meant to teleport to the Castle... I guess the Devil is pretty powerful, then." With his head still resting on my shoulder, Selen glanced around at the surroundings (which were basically just black trees) and frowned.
"Do you know where we are?" I asked.
"At the base of the barrier. We're in the middle of the forest right now." He replied while sensing a demons and bombing the giant thing to smitherines.
"Seriously...? Uhhh, so inconvenient..." I replied while snapping my fingers and killing off three other demons that tried to attack.
"Sorry about that, Alice... Do you want me to dissolve the barrier? I'll do it for free, no charge..."
I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I'll do it, it seems like fun. You can go." Selen reluctantly disappeared and I smiled. "Oh well, at least I'll have some fun with the demons~"
A huge boom was heard.
(Author's Note: Hey guys! So... I'm exhausted! Like, on the threshold of death exhausted! Two basketball games on Thursday. Running back and forth. One on Friday. Straight afterward, a six hour drive to a ski mountain. A ski race on Saturday, freezing my ass off. Then on Sunday once more. Then six hours back home. Then, today, after all that exhaustion, I still have one more basketball game, running up and down the gym! I swear... I'm gonna die of overwork.)