"You're hitting so hard?!"
"You're finished!"
The five Supremes understood—Licitris was aware of the animosity between her lovers, which is why she had established strict rules against killing one another.
Just moments ago, the golden-haired youth had unleashed his skills merely to test the waters; he had no intention of severely injuring Mephistopheles—he was only trying to intimidate him!
Such a brutal attack, cleaving someone in half, was something the youth would never dare to initiate.
For other transgressions, Licitris might have been more forgiving, but this time...
Even the three Supremes who had previously witnessed Licitris's immense favoritism toward Mephistopheles didn't believe he could escape unscathed.
The Succubus Queen certainly wouldn't allow her harem to erupt in violence. After all, what was the point of collecting these handsome and powerful individuals if not to satisfy her desires?
Mephistopheles, favored for fulfilling Licitris's desires, would naturally face condemnation for his own.
"You all have some nerve!"
As expected, the expectation in the eyes of the many Supremes turned to shock as the Succubus Queen appeared.
Sterl had initially planned to manipulate the situation, to imply that he had spared the youth's life to avoid harming Licitris's power, and then point out that these individuals were being disrespectful to her... that they were unfriendly towards a "newcomer" like him.
Licitris treated Sterl with a warmth akin to jade, but at her core, she was still a powerful demon—ruthless and cold-blooded!
Given that she was aware of her impending death and her subordinates would soon face annihilation, she had little to lose.
Most likely, she would take the initiative to act on Sterl's behalf.
Sterl wasn't acting out of vengeance; he aimed to eliminate the few personnel around Licitris who could communicate with her!
This way, the only voices she would hear would be his, making it easier for him to control the situation.
Sterl's plan was well laid out, but before he could even speak, the Supremes hadn't had the chance to report the troubling events. They were all wearing expressions of schadenfreude—
They didn't expect Mephistopheles to be expelled by the Queen, but they did anticipate he would face severe punishment, suffering immensely!
The only thing that puzzled them was—
Why did the Queen use the term "you all" instead of... "you?"
In the next moment, the expressions of the Supremes froze.
"Uh... ah!"
"Mephistopheles, are you insane?"
"Are you seeking death?!"
They all screamed in horror.
At first, the Supremes were still questioning Mephistopheles.
But when he made his second move, the implications of his provocation were immense!
Did Mephistopheles really not fear that Licitris would kill him?
However, the Supremes quickly realized that the force that struck them was Divine Power, distinctly different from the fluctuations of Mephistopheles's strength.
Their eyes widened in horror as they saw the image of their beloved queen slowly retracting her hand, the waves of Divine Power dissipating.
Then, a deep fear gripped the five Supremes.
They sensed that their bodies, beneath their heads, were being shredded.
In the next instant—
Since the Succubus Queen could evoke desire and pleasure in others, she could also inflict unimaginable torment.
The heads of the five Supremes twisted grotesquely!
Their bodies were disintegrating, yet the pain of their shattered forms surged continuously, like steel needles piercing into their remaining heads!
"Ahhh!!"
He simply realized that despite trying to think the worst of the demon race and the Swallowing Heaven players, his imagination fell a bit short.
However...
As Sterl observed Licitris's submissive demeanor, he glanced back to see Flanda, who wore a shocked expression that soon transformed into one of realization.
This Supreme Succubus had guessed most of the truth.
Under the influence of the Blood of Contamination, the Queen likely wished to pursue a pure romance. The previous lovers were undoubtedly doomed.
Flanda then thought with excitement,
Ah! Mephistopheles seems to be looking at me. Does that mean he doesn't want a pure romance but rather seeks to indulge before his death, perhaps even cheat?
Does that mean I have a chance?
Flanda was filled with joy!
Flanda had once feared Licitris, but now, under the influence of the Blood of Contamination, she realized she wouldn't last much longer and decided to let loose a little.
"Mephistopheles, while I may not compare to Her Majesty the Queen, I have my own unique skills that are sure to satisfy you!"
She completely failed to notice the true thoughts hidden behind Sterl's emotionless pupils—there was only one outsider left near Licitris—Flanda.
Removing her would push the plan to its climax!
Under Sterl's influence, Licitris would likely be willing to confront the Archduke of Blood for Mephistopheles!
...
Flanda inexplicably shivered.
Outside, the revelry had just begun, but one of the five Supremes had already been killed during the chaos. The Blood of Contamination he unleashed before dying sent another wave of disorder through the camp.
Demons and Swallowing Heaven players were fighting and killing each other, the air thick with the stench of blood and the sounds of chaos.
Sterl held Licitris tightly in his arms, her body a perfect embodiment of beauty, his smile masking his true feelings.
...
For the next few days, Sterl and Licitris indulged in their festivities.
As for Flanda...
She met her end on the third day.
The reason? She had attempted to seduce Mephistopheles and was caught on the spot by Licitris.
Sterl naturally played his part, exhibiting Mephistopheles's characteristic indifference towards women, coldly rejecting her advances.
Meanwhile, Licitris, who had previously been instructed to retrieve a flower crown, returned just in time. Sterl expressed his desire to see the Succubus Queen adorned with flowers.
Licitris, albeit reluctantly, showed some leniency; since Flanda had always been her follower, she did not punish her severely but simply expelled her from the Heavenly Palace.
However, the concentration of the polluted waters outside had been steadily increasing.
Even the inherently "optimistic" demons and Swallowing Heaven players found themselves descending into madness.
They gradually began to understand the patterns of the Blood of Contamination. By killing others, they could reduce their own infection rates, but the concentration of Blood of Contamination in their bodies would also rise. Although they could clear a significant portion of their infection progress, the rate of pollution would deepen rapidly!
Flanda, being relatively untainted due to her time spent in the Heavenly Palace, became a prime target. With her body only affected by the internal waters and not by external influences, she was seen as a valuable prize.
Several Supremes joined forces to ambush and slay her.
The last creature, a semi-human monster with many tentacles, managed to claim Flanda's head, but alas, he was quickly killed by the frenzied attacks of the other Supremes.
Then, chaos erupted.
The Blood of Contamination explosion caused by the monster's death sent everyone's infection rates soaring.
They were forced to turn on one another to try to reduce their infection progress.
In the end, several Supremes, who had aimed to delay their demise, found that only one of them survived.
And the level of contamination was terrifyingly high.
Sterl watched in the Heavenly Palace as the last surviving Supreme barely lasted two more hours before succumbing to the effects of the Blood of Contamination.