Midnight…
Only the howling cold wind swept across the barren borderlands, letting out a mournful cry.
The boundary markers of the human world blurred behind them and finally vanished completely into the thick darkness of night.
The ground beneath their feet gradually changed from relatively solid frozen earth to something softer.
As they continued deeper, the soil began to take on a dark reddish hue, and a faint scent of sulfur appeared in the air.
Seraphina was being steadily carried horizontally in Movira’s arms. A thick cloak wrapped her tightly, leaving only her face exposed.
She was truly exhausted. The dual pressure of the long journey and motion sickness had drained all her energy. Nestled in Movira’s steady embrace at this moment, she even felt a little drowsy.
Saint Eustacia walked a short distance behind, completely hiding herself beneath a wide hood.
When the last traces of the human world were thoroughly left behind, Movira stopped and turned to look at Saint Eustacia behind her.
“Alright, Saint Eustacia. We’ve now left human territory and stepped onto my land. After all, it wouldn’t be proper for me to bring restraints home, would it? Those restrictions you placed on me earlier—shouldn’t they be removed now?” Her voice sounded especially clear in the silent night.
Saint Eustacia nodded. Everything Movira said was true.
In the human world, Saint Eustacia had placed a seal on Movira to guard against her, taking advantage of the other party’s urgency to find Seraphina and temporarily agreeing to the conditions.
The two had agreed that Saint Eustacia would apply a layer of sealing that limited Movira’s power.
Now that they had arrived in the Demon Realm, the contract should of course be voided.
Then Saint Eustacia raised her hand and made a slight beckoning motion in Movira’s direction. Dozens of runes immediately drilled out of the other woman’s body and dissipated into the sky.
“It’s done.”
Yet in the very next second after the release, a dark red light flashed through Movira’s eyes. She let out a soft laugh, her tone carrying a hint of teasing. “Courtesy demands reciprocity. Since you placed restraints on me in your territory, shouldn’t I respond in kind? To show fairness?”
“Is that necessary?” Saint Eustacia’s brows furrowed beneath the hood as she looked up at Movira. “Even without restrictions, you were never my match one-on-one, let alone in the Demon Realm. Are you still afraid of me?”
“Afraid? No.” Movira shook her head. “I just find it interesting. And ‘fairness’ is also very important.”
Before the words fully left her mouth, a thick black magical force suddenly surged out and wrapped around Saint Eustacia’s body.
“Ngh…!”
This kind of restriction magic was the most clumsy type. Any mage could easily resist it. Saint Eustacia could certainly have resisted if she wanted to.
But the current situation forced her to resist—yet… she never expected Movira to be this ruthless!
This level of restriction caught Saint Eustacia completely off guard. A wave of weakness swept through her entire body. Her foot stumbled, and she nearly fell to the ground.
She jerked her head up. The sudden movement even knocked her hood off. The indignation in her eyes and the pallor of her face appeared together. “Movira! You’re truly ruthless!”
This sealed away nearly half of her power, which meant her ability to protect herself in the Demon Realm would be greatly reduced. She would almost completely have to rely on Movira’s “rationality.”
As long as Movira remained clear-headed, she would not dare do anything to Saint Eustacia.
Movira only looked with satisfaction at Saint Eustacia’s sorry state and said lightly:
“It’s merely a hundredfold repayment. Rest assured. As long as you don’t cause trouble, this won’t have any negative effects on you.”
The moment Movira’s power recovered, Seraphina clearly felt the change as well.
Previously, Movira had given her the feeling of being powerful yet restrained, like the volume of an ocean locked inside a single lake.
Now the seawater had broken through the lake’s barriers and become a surging dark sea.
Her legs couldn’t help trembling, but in the end she barely managed to get used to it.
The group continued forward. At first Saint Eustacia was still very unaccustomed to it.
The characteristics of the Demon Realm grew more and more obvious—twisted strange rocks, earth that gave off the scent of sulfur. In the distance one could even see a slowly flowing river of magma, the air distorted by the heat.
They had arrived at the Flame Demons’ territory.
In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, they had to walk this stretch of the border themselves.
In front of an outpost, a tall figure was already standing quietly in wait. It was Erasia. At this hour, she was actually wearing that set of head-maid attire. From the dust that stained the clothing, it was clear she had been waiting here for who knew how long.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness, welcome home.”
Her voice remained steady, revealing little emotion.
It made Seraphina tremble for a moment. She had never been able to forget Erasia’s voice—that voice from the past…
Movira gave her a light nod.
Erasia’s gaze then fell on Saint Eustacia, whose aura behind them was not steady.
Even though the other party had not revealed her face, Erasia still recognized that unique aura at a glance.
“It has been twelve years since our first meeting at the Marianne Medical College. Lady Saintess. I am quite surprised to encounter you here.” She said she was surprised, yet her tone carried not the slightest hint of it.
Saint Eustacia no longer hid either. She adjusted her breathing, straightened her posture, and tried to make her voice sound steady. “Yes, long time no see, Erasia. All these years, you’ve still maintained this… appearance!”
Their conversation crossed in the air. Topics of the past sparked a strong smell of gunpowder between them.
Erasia did not wish to waste more words. She turned to Movira and said, “Your Majesty, the Flame Demons have already prepared lodgings for you and Her Highness. Please follow me.” Her aura suddenly turned cold again without any prior warning, and she shot a chilly glance at Saint Eustacia. “As for Lady Saintess… I will handle it and ensure no unnecessary trouble is caused.”
Movira nodded, expressing satisfaction with Erasia’s arrangements. She lowered her head and said softly to Seraphina in her arms, “We’ve arrived. Just hold on a little longer.”
Erasia first brought the two of them before the Flame Demon leader. During this time she left Saint Eustacia standing outside, which could also be considered giving her a warning on Movira’s behalf.
Only afterward did she lead Saint Eustacia toward a rugged side path…
Seraphina and Movira arrived at a fortress completely forged from dark-gold metal and obsidian. Waves of heat and fluctuations of fire-element magic filled the surrounding air. Yet the moment they approached Movira’s body, they were all without exception repelled and could not get close at all.
The Flame Demon lord was still that familiar figure Seraphina knew—the one who had often come out to trip her up when she was pushing the new policies.
As they drew near, Seraphina quietly patted Movira’s stomach and said in a small voice, “Put me down.”
But Movira acted as if she hadn’t heard and still held her tightly in her arms.
This made Seraphina completely dare not look outside…