Olivia sat on the bed, her eyes fixed on the sleeping Alisa.

  A bandage had been wrapped around the maid’s shoulder, her breathing shallow and uneven.

  Her fever is not diminishing.

  Placing her hand on Alisa’s forehead, Olivia winced.

  Removing the drug was one thing, but the syringe piercing her skin could have led to her contracting a disease.

  The streets aren’t sanitary enough to rule that out.

  She withdrew her hand and lowered her head.

  Who knows what else was in that syringe…

  Her energy was low. The fear she had been containing had finally come to life.

  Orion and Karteira aren’t here to heal her, and the others can only do so much with light magic. Even Angie, who’s the most proficient at healing others, couldn’t do anything.

  Alisa suddenly groaned, forcing Olivia out of her thoughts. The maid grabbed at her shoulder in her sleep and thrashed lightly, her teeth grinding audibly.

  Her fingers curled weakly around the sheets before falling limp again.

  “…”

  There was nothing Olivia could do.

  She stood, walked to the door, and closed it behind her.

  “Keleanos.”

  Her eyes locked onto the man, his face bent over the table, his wrists bracing his head.

  Next to him, Eden was bowed forward as deeply as she could manage.

  “M-Master… How is she doing?” Her voice trembled.

  “Not good. She still hasn’t woken up, and her condition is worsening as time goes on.” A dark veil settled over Olivia’s face as she approached them.

  “I’m very sorry to have let this happen!” Eden clenched her dress hard enough that the fabric nearly tore.

  “I was expecting trouble the moment we found the Devourer. There is only so much you maids can do against such a monster.” Olivia stopped beside Keleanos, her gaze sharp—deadly.

  “B-But—” Eden straightened abruptly, only to be met by her Master’s overwhelming stare.

  “Eden..." Olivia's voice weakened before growing fierce.

  "Store that in your skull.” Her voice was cold—cold enough to freeze the maid in place. “We don’t even know if Orion can deal with a Devourer. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

  “You, who were human not too long ago, won’t be able to do much against a Devourer.”

  The words cut deep. A lone bead of sweat ran down Keleanos' temple as he glanced at Olivia, crushing the air through sheer pressure.

  “Nature may have told Orion that you were close to a Valkyrie’s level in terms of power, but they were speaking of the entire group—excluding Marie—and even then, that’s all it means.”

  “What, did you forget that all the Valkyries died to those monsters, barely putting up a fight against them?”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Eden’s body began to tremble, her shoulders buckling under the harsh remarks.

  Keleanos, unable to tolerate this any longer, lifted his head and looked at Olivia.

  “What is it that you want?”

  By pulling her attention to himself, he gave Eden a moment to breathe. She wiped the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

  “I’m going out for some carnage,” Olivia said. “Tell me what you gathered.”

  There was no room for refusal in her tone.

  “Sure.” Keleanos pushed himself upright, hands pressing against the table.

  Olivia stepped out into the rain.

  “Playtime’s over.”

  Alisa’s pale face flashed through Olivia’s mind.

  I told you I would turn your city upside-down if you were to hurt my maids.

  The doors closed behind her, and the heavy splashing of rain washed over her figure.

  Lifting her face, she looked toward the rooftops surrounding the hotel, neon lights shimmering against her rain-soaked skin.

  There, the maids—save for Alisa—had already gathered, surrounding her and Keleanos.

  Each of them stood ready to follow her, determination burning in their eyes. Whoever had dared injure one of their own would not be spared.

  Then, as if answering her declaration, the city stirred in response.

  Dark shadows crept out from every street and alley, their movements slow and deliberate, each one carefully observed by the maids.

  “I had a feeling this city wasn’t normal,” Olivia said, gathering her hair into a loose ponytail. “It’s time I see it for myself.”

  She glanced at Keleanos.

  “Tell me where to go.”

  As she snapped her fingers, jagged dark spikes erupted from the ground ahead like a minefield, forcing the approaching shadows to hesitate.

  “For now, straight ahead,” Keleanos replied, recalling the map he had etched into his mind with a low sigh.

  One shadow defied the warning and stepped into the field.

  “Oh no—you’re not going anywhere.”

  Alice emerged from the nearest spike, darkness coiling between her fingers.

  A trail of dark light followed her as she leapt from spike to spike. The shadow that had advanced so boldly crumbled into fragments the moment she struck it.

  One by one, the maids who wielded dark magic rose from the spikes, weapons drawn, ready to meet the encroaching shapes head-on.

  As Olivia and Keleanos advanced, the spikes continued to grow around them, forming a protective cocoon.

  The demonic maids dismantled the enemies with ruthless efficiency, while the angelic maids focused on support and vigilance, ensuring nothing slipped through unseen.

  “Turn here.”

  At Keleanos’s signal, Olivia veered left without hesitation.

  They entered a pitch-black alley, far from streetlamps and neon glow, where shadows fused seamlessly with the darkness.

  Only rain cascading down shapeless forms—and the faint bluish glint of inhuman eyes—betrayed their presence.

  Not for long.

  “It’s our turn.”

  Eden, her earlier turmoil buried beneath renewed resolve, stood alongside her angel sisters.

  Dropping from the rooftops, eight maids landed gracefully atop the jagged spikes.

  They raised their hands, and beams of radiant light erupted forth, flooding the alley and tearing through the shadows with explosive force.

  Olivia’s expression remained cold and composed, yet a quiet relief stirred within her as she watched her maids move in flawless coordination.

  Soon, she and Keleanos passed two overturned garbage cans, their contents scattered across the ground, soaked and ruined by rain.

  “…”

  Keleanos walked silently at Olivia’s side, focusing on the heavy rhythm of her footsteps.

  Each step cracked the pavement beneath her boots, the force behind them betraying her restrained fury.

  At one point, Olivia glanced aside and noticed a faint puddle of blood, nearly washed away by the rain.

  For a split second, her fingers twitched.

  Her gaze darkened—but she pressed forward without slowing.

  The maids continued their advance with terrifying precision.

  As angelic light illuminated the battlefield, the demonic maids took over, feeding on the shadows cast by that radiance. When the light waned, the angels surged forward again, restoring balance.

  There was no opening. No weakness to exploit.

  Then Keleanos stopped.

  “This is it.”

  At his words, the maids immediately parted, forming a clear path.

  The spikes receded into the ground, and silence fell—broken only by the sound of Olivia’s footsteps, heavy enough to drown out the rain itself.

  “I see,” Olivia murmured as she stopped before the back wall. Lifting her head, her glowing red eyes pierced straight through the illusion masking it.

  Her fists clenched, a dangerous smile curling across her lips.

  “You’re good, Keleanos. Finding this couldn’t have been easy.”

  He nodded solemnly, careful not to provoke her further.

  Shifting her weight, Olivia drew back her leg.

  The kick came down like divine judgment.

  The wall exploded into fragments, stone and dust blasting outward.

  “We’ve got a Devourer to thank.”

  As the debris settled, Olivia’s silhouette emerged from the cloud—her glowing eyes the only thing visible.

  Behind her, a wide opening yawned open, descending deep underground.

  “Everyone,” she said calmly, “follow me.”

  She stepped forward without hesitation, where the rain itself avoided going past the threshold.

  Into the Devourer’s territory.

  Ready for war against Yivern.