Chapter 334 - Demon Subjugation Ray

After making sure the two wounded royalty are in a safe place, Lina and I went to follow the others towards the castle. Even with my normal weapons, it's sufficient enough to deal with the little demons walking around, it's not much of a big deal for me. My skills did not go with my weapon, just a few usable skills and effects, although quite beneficial, I can do without them.

Walking towards the castle, we found Atlas and Lucia on the way. Atlas is beside Lucia who is battered up and unconscious.

"Atlas! What happened to Lucia? Where is Tina?" I asked as I pull out an elixir bottle to douse Lucia and cure her wounds.

"Princess Tina went ahead. As for us, we stalled one demon who tried to stop us from going to our objective. However, that guy is too strong. He pulverized us without any problems on his side. We managed to overpower him once but only once as the guy managed to defeat me before I can do anything worthwhile. He pummeled my armor too hard that he managed to puncture a hole in it."

I look at Atlas's armor and indeed, there are some marks that it has been punctured. I can easily tell that it didn't come from any weapon marks at all but something that came from a fist or perhaps a qi released in the hands. Either of that, it is clear that no weapon can puncture a hole like that on Atlas's armor unless it has some sort of Armor Penetration trait which  I doubt there are any since Atlas is someone who has armor so thick, it's hard to even destroy in a simple confrontation.

Atlas then retells what happened after we volunteered to stay behind to take care of the King and Queen. And seeing Lucia unconscious made me a bit shocked due to the fact that Lucia never tasted defeat before in the hands of the enemies and despite being only a level 100, she can easily take down multiple demons all by herself. However, that made me a bit surprised as she got unconscious due to the battle against a demon. It was not due to mana burn or mana drain or anything that has a high chance to cause someone to fall unconscious. It was a pure defeat from the hands of her species.

"Where is the enemy?" I asked once again.

"He disappeared after he has given us this. He said all of the questions that Lucia is looking for is currently in this thing."

Atlas pulls out a small button and handed it to me.

"A badge?"

"He said that I should give it to Lucia once she wakes up. I am not sure if I needed to give it to her or just let this a secret from her."

I inspected the thing just to be sure it isn't anything suspicious.

...

[Memory Badge]

Type: Key Item

Info: An item imbued with records and memories, It acts like a recorded movie for anyone who wanted to learn something. It is usually used by royalties recording their feats in their lifetime. It is something that is pretty much a relic of the past. Once someone wears a badge that contains memories inside of it, the memories contained on the badge will play like a movie in the wearer's mind.

...

A memory recording device? Perhaps it has something that Lucia needed? I am tempted to check the contents are but I decided to refrain from doing so.  I needed to respect that it was meant for Lucia. If it was meant for me, then perhaps I will see what it was. 

"Give it to Lucia. If it is something she needed, then she indeed needed it. We don't need to pry what it was."

"Understood, Master." 

"Perhaps you guys should move back to the Summon's Area to have a rest. With the defeat of you two, enough rest will allow you guys to return to your usual selves."

"What about Lina and you, Master? Aren't you guys needed to also rest?" Atlas asked.

"We are not as battered as you two. We should still be fine."

"Alright. Just call me back if you need my help. I can still fight despite being weakened."

I nodded and let them return to the Summon's area. They needed to recuperate and even with the potions, their bodies received quite a lot of trauma and resting would elevate the effects. What kind of demon would be able to beat them up without using a weapon? That is quite an insane enemy. I know the enemies in the future dungeons and levels would be crazy but no one is crazy enough to be capable of doing something like that.

"Let's go, Lina. Tina should be up ahead."

...

...

When we arrived and entered the castle, I saw that it is deserted. No demons, no guards, not a single soul to be seen. Not only that but there are lots of broken debris scattered all around the place.

"What happened here?" I frowned.

The place is just too battered from the battle that it was like the battle was involving explosions.

"Master, I detect some movements in the throne room. Perhaps..." Lina alerted me.

"Let's check."

...

The moment we entered, what we saw is something we will never expect. A dead body is hanging in the black chains. It was none other than Lemis. The chains that she was hanging on were one of her skills. I am sure of it as it was one of the most annoying skills she has as it can bind your movement and can even prevent you from casting any kind of spell. During the battle against her, the only people who can function easily would be the melee units like swordsmen and paladins due to how all range players are immediately under the bind of these chains. Quick and precise, it was one of the hardest events that happened. Of course, Remis is also among the bosses so the raid is much harder.

But Remis is already dead so Lemis shouldn't be that threatening and Tina is a melee user. She barely has magic and specializes in rapier so she should have at least held a good fight against her. But reducing Lemis to this point, what happened?

We looked around and saw that the throne room is too wrecked to be called a throne room. It no longer has any signs that it was previously a room for meeting the king, the queen, and the royal children. It's reduced to rubble.

On the center of the room, a single gold throne sits on the rubble-ridden throne room, and on that chair, is a woman with white hair, a white dress, and giant glass butterfly wings. Her dignified way of sitting on the throne is a sign of a ruler and a monarch. She was like she came from a video game with fairy elements in the genre. Not only that but she is an insect person.

However, where is Tina? Atlas and Lucia should have let Tina go ahead to confront Lemis, but I don't see any signs of her around.

"You guys finally came. I am tired of waiting."

I frowned when I heard her voice. I can't be wrong about it, that is the voice of Tina.

"Tina?" Lina was the first one to identify her.

"You guys took too long to arrive, I already defeated the enemy all by myself."

"You are the one who killed your sister?"

"She is not my sister. She is just a vessel used by the demon to move around and act as my sister. But she never was, and she never will become my sister."

"B-but, what happened to you?" I frowned.

"I don't know. Nor do I care about it. I already ended everything and the main demon who occupied this place has already been killed. Seeing that you guys are already here, that only means that you already finished the job," Tina's lifeless voice is very evident in her tone.

"Your parents are still alive. After we took the weapons off their hands, the control that binds them to act like that has been severed from them and they returned to their former self."

When Tina heard that, tears started to well up in her eyes.

"So... they are still alive. Thank goodness... thank goodness... Hic..."

Despite changing into a new form, she is still Tina through and through. It seems some sort of evolution occurred as I saw a huge shell of the cocoon in the center of the throne room. It has plenty of chains but most of them seem to have rusted.

"Bladeheart, Lina, the demons are still running rampant in this place right?"

"Yes. They have already overtaken half of the city's establishments and buildings."

"Then, perhaps, I needed to use a bit of my new power to clean up some trash."

SNAP!

BOOOOOM!

Countless explosions occurred on the kingdom's borders. I pulled out my weapon when the explosions occurred nearby causing me to remain vigilant.

"Don't worry, that skill I used is the [Demon Subjugation Ray].. The demons who are terrorizing this place should have been dead already."