Meanwhile, outside the city where the knights began making a camp, an issue occurred. Ciela and Liana stood together and watched from the hill. At the front, Leviathan and Vinea stood together, watching the strange men in black armour approaching.
"Princess Ciela, Liana. We should prepare for a harsh battle."
"Why do you say so, Levia? We aren't weak damsels, you know. Is there a reason?" Liana's voice was sharp, nothing like when dealing with Asmodeus, but how she spoke when faced with bandits, enemies and love rivals.
Levia wore her black armour, which clanged the moment she lifted her black kite shield covering most of her body. "Because Aki and her knights didn't return after entering the city with that noble earlier. I don't believe these knights are here on friendly business, and you are important to my master."
The words of Levia were calm and filled with logical thought, causing Liana to shrug her shoulders before her lips lifted, curling into a twisted smile. "Good, I like you! Let's do as you said."
"Are you sure, Lia? I don't know if they will be aggressive, but what if it affects our dear husband?" Ciela didn't seem to want to cause an issue, her mind returning to what almost happened with her sister and the elves in the past.
"Don't be naive, Ciela—there is no ally here." Vinea's position was the highest just due to her current state and relationship with Asmodeus. Because she was Liana's older sister, the young queen of lust would follow and accept her words.
"Sister, are you sure...?" Liana seemed a little unsure until Vinea spoke out, her silky crimson hair tied into twintails.
"I am because our dear king will be angry either way. Didn't you notice that he'd been watching both Yuina and Aki during this travel if something happened. Hell will fall upon the city, and we must be there to cover for our beloved!"
"Sister, will our Lord be okay?"
"Liana, leave it to me and Leviathan okay?" Vinea comforted Liana before stroking her sister's hair, their eyes flickering with a magical aura. "Let's see what these men want. If they step out of line, kill them, understood Fredrika, Fuuka?"
Eventually, the knights in the jet black armour and strange serpent emblems on their chests reached the bottom of the hill. Many knights and warriors assembled for a 'greeting', so Levia and Vinea prepared themselves for a fight.
"We are here at the behest of Pope Johan Vidus Pontymare! You shall drop your arms and surrender to be given a baptism of cleansing! Too much dirty energy has amassed in your bodies, and you must be cleansed!"
A few knights were wearing white robes, standing near the paladin at the front. His light blue hair flowed in the wind while he gazed at the women like trash. His body seemed to hold more divinity than even a cleric of Lumina.
"The Order of the Black Cross is formed from the elite crusaders of our Church who wield Divine Power directly. We have no qualms with making an enemy of any demonic race. So, I, paladin Alexander Lindon, will judge any that decline our kindness!"
'Kindness... this fucking moron.' Liana's face looked blank, hiding her emotions while her insides were black and filled with venom.
"We don't want to deal with you fanatics, so leave already! We aren't some poor humans that can't protect themselves!" A beautiful woman's voice came forth before Vinea stepped forward. Her face was one of apathy and boredom.
However, the moment she twirled her spear and unleashed her magic, the knights became tense. "I am the future wife of Demon King Asmodeus. What business does a mere paladin have with me."
"Wait, princess!" Levia stepped forward, her black exoskeleton covering her extended hand. "I am the lord's personal Paladin. Thus, this ant who dares to insult our wondrous and perfect master. I shall crush him!"
"Ack... Hurry Escap—"
Alexander tried to shout, but the moment his voice resounded, several bloody spikes penetrated his body from the ground, impaling his body in the air.
Liana's eyes filled with pure bliss, while her blushing cheeks darkened, watching the knight in mid-air with holes in his chest and abdomen. "Ah~ you shouldn't have told them... now I have to kill them quickly..."
Suddenly, she extended both hands and closed them tight. "Rend and repent!"
"RUN!"
"Ahhhh!?"
"Escape, god save us!"
But they failed to move. Because, under their feet, an ocean of blood suddenly formed with bones scattered across the ground. Even more terrifying, their feet sunk into the pool, slowly melting their armour and flesh, restricting their movements.
"I've got to catch up with my dear demon king...." Liana chirped while hundreds of blood spikes grew from the ocean of bloody mud. In less than thirty seconds, only three men survived due to a black light covering them entirely.
"T-This monster, how dare she!"
A priest shouted while falling to the ground and begging for mercy before a spiked penetrated his throat, letting the priest drown in his blood.
"We must tell his excellency of this monster!"
"She is too powerful. How can we possibly defeat her?!"
"I won't allow you to escape!" Fuuka shouted as she dashed forward, holding her eastern sword and cutting through their bodies. Only one knight is left alive.
"Phew... they were weak after all," Ciela muttered to herself but noticed that Levia was limping... it seemed in the final clash, she suffered a huge wound across her chest.
"Levia, what's wrong?"
Liana was the first to notice that, despite her rapid healing. The paladin's body became sluggish before her exoskeleton started to crumble. Her wound was only growing deeper, with blood oozing down her abdomen.
"Hrk... it's nothing...."
A moment later, she collapsed, reverting to her human form.