The black flames scattered as Raea’s greed barrier collided against the ground. Palan didn’t say a word as he landed on his feet, his body motionless. Cleo and the headmaster were behaving similarly, their eyes empty, staring at nothing in particular. Only Cory was struggling to break out of Crimson Snek’s grasp, but she couldn’t get free. Raea landed beside Palan with her brow furrowed. “Palan!” she shouted. “What was that? You nearly tore my arms off!”

Palan didn’t respond. Raea placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. Her brow furrowed. “Palan?” she asked in a softer voice. She waved her hand in front of his face, but there was no reaction. His eyes that followed movements even while he was asleep stared straight ahead. Raea turned her neck, following his gaze. A three-headed, six-armed demon was watching her with raised eyebrows. One of the demon’s heads was rotting, smoke rising from the peeling face. A white fluid—that Raea suspected was a melted eyeball—was running down the demon’s cheek.

“You must be that angel…,” Asura said. The black flames in the surroundings stopped burning as the demon nodded at Raea.

“What did you do to him?” Raea asked, narrowing her eyes at Asura. Something about the demon made her feel comfortable. As if her voice had wrapped her in a blanket made of velvet. “Chastity?”

“I didn’t expect you to be impervious to my voice,” Asura said, lowering her hands, exposing an unguarded posture. Her heads dipped downwards. “Shall we have a talk? My name is Asura.”

“Release Palan,” Raea said as her face relaxed.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t feel comfortable around him,” Asura said. She pointed at her ruined head which was still in the process of decaying. “He assaulted me. I know that’s a standard greeting in Eljiam, but we’re in Div’Nya.”

Since when were demons so diplomatic? Raea scratched her head. “He won’t attack you—actually no, he will. But still, release him.” Green mist drifted out of Raea’s wings, taking a humanoid form above her body. She wanted to use wrath, but the demon in front of her could also use it, and it was obvious envy worked.

“Will you agree to hear me out if I release him?” Asura asked and furrowed her brows.

“Yes.”

Asura nodded. “Then restrain your demon, please.” Asura clapped her hands, and Palan’s body shuddered. Cleo and Headmaster jerked in his grasp and looked around. Palan snarled and plugged his ears with his fingers as black needles rose up behind his back.

Raea grabbed his elbow and tugged, separating Palan’s finger from his ear. “Stop,” she said. “She wants to talk.”

Palan snorted as the flaming needles flew forward. “Do people charge at others with flaming black wings when they just want to talk?” he asked. His eyes narrowed as Asura swatted away the flames with her palms. She had summoned a thin layer of fire to cover her hands.

“I can’t fly any other way. Sorry about that,” Asura said with a smile. She pointed at her face. Melted fragments of her brain were leaking out of her empty nose and eye sockets. “And you did get your revenge, didn’t you?”

“What do you want?” Palan asked. His body was still tense, and Cory was struggling to get free as his tails tightened around his passengers.

“You were the ones that killed the lightning avatar,” Asura said. Palan didn’t say anything, but green mist streamed out of his body. “Quite frankly, I want to help you evolve.”

“…What?”

“You heard me correctly,” Asura said. “I want you help you become an existence greater than an archdemon.” She was met with silence. “What? You don’t want to? Are you satisfied with being weaker than your angel?”

Palan’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the price?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you it was free,” Asura said and tilted one of her heads. “Then … kill someone for me.”

“Hey, Palan,” Raea said and poked his side. “I know you think I’m naïve and all, but I really don’t think you can trust her.”

“You can trust me,” Asura said and smiled. Palan’s body relaxed while Raea’s brow furrowed. Was Asura using her power again? “I’m an existence above an archdemon after all. Helping an archdemon evolve is as easy as feeding a cat. You don’t want power?”

“Can you make me evolve?” Cory asked and raised a wing while Palan was standing still.

“You already evolved a few minutes ago,” Cleo said and snorted. “Don’t get too greedy.”

“Who are you?” Asura asked and leaned to the side to look around Palan’s body. She sucked in her breath when she met Cory’s eyes. They looked like Raphael’s, but was it possible for them to actually be his? He was ranting a bit before she left which is why she came alone….

“I’m Cory,” Cory said. “I’m—”

“How would you make me evolve?” Palan asked, temporarily forgetting his mission to kill Sariel.

“Simple,” Asura said and made a chopping motion at her shoulder. “I’ll feed you my organs and limbs until you have enough mana to breakthrough.”

Raea blinked. “Why?” Palan asked, ignoring the baffled expression on Raea’s face.

“That’s a secret,” Asura said. “You’ll know after you evolve.” Her smile deepened. “Trust me.”

“Give me a reason to trust you,” Palan said and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’re seriously considering this?” Raea asked and bit her lower lip. “Are you really that upset about me being stronger than you? I actually think you’re a lot better than I am in a lot of aspects. You don’t have to accept her deal.”

“You’ll accept it, won’t you?” Asura asked. “Tell me you want power, and I’ll show you why you should trust me.”

Palan’s expression wavered. He glanced at Raea and clenched his hands before facing Asura. “I want power.”

Asura’s lips rose until her teeth showed. She sauntered towards Palan and pulled out a dagger hanging by her waist. “Find me at the top of the central tower. I guarantee no one will hurt you,” she said and stopped in front of Palan. She raised the dagger, causing flames and smoke to appear around Raea’s and Palan’s bodies as they tensed. “For now, as a sign of goodwill, you can eat me.” The dagger flashed and red lines appeared across Asura’s three necks. Blood poured out of her wounds as she fell to her knees. She winced but changed her expression back to a smile as she met the group’s stunned expressions.

Raea only reacted after Asura fell on her face and Palan tore off a chunk of the demon’s flesh. “What the hell was that!?” she asked as Palan sniffed the meat, ignoring her and checking for poison. He stuffed it in Headmaster’s mouth and forced it down his throat as a test. Other than the wretched face the headmaster made, there were no other signs of danger, so Palan picked out Asura’s organs and stuffed them into his torso-mouth. After that was done, Asura’s corpse shone with a soft golden light before dissolving into hundreds of particles that floated into the air, drifting towards the tower in the distance.

“Palan?” Raea asked with her brow furrowed. “Are you alright?”

“I feel great,” Palan said and licked his lips. “Let’s go to the tower.”

Raea bit her lower lip as Palan leapt into the air. Palan usually wasn’t wrong. Even when she felt uneasy about his actions, he always managed to pull through somehow. It should be the same this time, right? Maybe it was just her envy making her uncomfortable about a woman approaching her demon. That must be it.