CRACKLE! Hundreds of steel chains emerged from the thin air, and a massive skeletal gate rose from the ground.

The gate opened with a growl, sending a gust of searing acid heat. From it, Arad flew out, rolling on the ground, unconscious.

“They came back!” Ginger rushed toward him, looking around for Lydia and Jack.

“Those are with me,” Sena walked out of the hell gate, Jack and Lydia floating behind her. “They need healing, fast,” She laid them close to Ginger and Merlin, “A restoration spell to lift curses would help them as well. I suggest you take them to father instead of the church,”

“How did you open a hell gate?” Merlin approached Sena, “Even I can barely call an eight-level spell, and that was much higher.”

Sena stared at her, “The same way you opened one, I called upon a god’s power,” She smiled, “You call on the goddess of magic, and I have my own.”

“Which god? Not many are open to the idea of opening the hells,” Merlin growled at her, “Nuteral ones like the goddess of magic will grant it for fun, and only to achieving wizards. But even she doesn’t grant such fine control,”

Ginger glared at Sena, trying to pick on the smell of her blood. Something was off. She could feel it. ^She isn’t a humanoid, but a monster shifted into a human form.^ It only took a second for her to back away.

Ginger looked at Sena’s head, channeling blood magic into her eyes and trying to probe into Sena’s mind. For nothing more than figuring out what kind of monster they are dealing with, as such information can be the difference between life and death.

At that moment, a sharp pain struck Ginger. For the first time in a century, her heart beat faster than drums, and her eyes burned. Slimy tentacles and sharp claws scrapped on her skin as she drowned in blazing divine water as dense as tar. 𝘰𝑣𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

CRACK! The illusion shattered as Ginger opened her eyes, seeing Sena staring back at her with one eye, “I don’t mind you looking, but I suggest you be careful, lest you burn your mind.”

Sena approached the unconscious Arad as Nina walked out of the hell gate, drenched in blood.

“His condition got worse. We can’t leave him like this,” She patted his head. “But he’s too weak, too young, and too naive. I can’t help but feel he isn’t worth the effort,” She stood, “But, I do want to help him, and I hope he’s good enough to make it worth it.”

“What are you talking about?” Aella glared at her, confused.

Sena lifted her hands, “What do you mean? I’m not a whore jumping from one man to another. I want to make my first one count, and I absolutely hate a weak man,”

White magic swirled around Sena’s body as she started floating, her eyes glowing with an eldritch white light. “That cursed metal, I shall bring it,”

Sara stared at her, “You will die! Don’t underestimate it,” She rushed toward her, “We have to plan this. Arad won’t like it if anyone dies because of him,”

Sena glared at her, “Sensible words,” Her light faded as she landed back on the ground, the hell gate behind her disappearing.

Merlin approached her, “What was that magic?”

Sena smiled, “Figure it out on your own,”

“I did,” Merlin glared at her, “Draconic, divine, and something else, an abnormal magic that shouldn’t exist.”

Sena giggled, “Even I don’t know. We shall know later, right?”

Merlin felt a gust of cold wind brush on her cheeks, the faint smell of lavender coursing through her nose as she relaxed, “Yeah, we should focus on Arad,” She nodded.

“Can someone explain to me what’s happening?” Roberta stood, her knees still shaking.

Ginger sighed, scratching her head, “In short, Arad’s condition got worse. Mark us the location of the cursed metal, and we shall find a way to bring it as soon as possible.”

Roberta nodded and pulled a paper from her pocket. Sara approached her, and they started drawing a map.

“Head east until you reach the mountains of Zelor, then turn right across the beastlands until you reach the death-cursed land, but be careful. That place is full of monstrosities.” Roberta drew a mine of the map.

“You will find a red ravine in the wastelands of the death. Inside you shall find the metal. But keep in mind, that informations are made based on rumors as not many idiots would investigate the place.”

“Not like those idiots who went there lived to tell the tale,” Sara sighed.

Sena nodded, “I see, a place with a curse that kills people. The cursed metal should be there.”

“I will fly there, It might take some time, but that’s our only option,” Merlin conjured her broom.

“No, you remain here and tend to Mira and Arad with the rest,” Sena replied, “I should go,”

Ginger stared at them, “Won’t it be easier to take Arad there? You can teleport right?”

Sena stared at her, “The problem isn’t teleporting him there. It’s the fact we have to protect him as he evolves.” She smiled, “I’m sure teleporting him while he’s incubating would cause some problems to his innards,”

Ginger imagined them teleporting Arad as he evolved, causing his organs to misalign and killing him, “You’re right, that could be lethal,” She looked at her, “But we could leave him there, right?”

“That place is oozing with monsters. We have to stay and protect him while he sleeps. That’s dangerous for us,” Sena replied, “It would be much faster and easier if I flew there, grabbed the metal, and came back.”

“Bring as much as you can, within reason,” Aella approached her, “I’m sure he would need more for his next evolution,”

Sena giggled, “Sorry, but I’m only bringing as much as he needs now.” She smiled, “I need him to get stronger. The fact he didn’t prepare the metal beforehand shows a lack of planning and insight.”

“That isn’t nice,” Aella sighed with a smile, “But I can understand. Sorry for the trouble.”

Sena smiled, “You don’t need to apologize to me,” She flicked her forehead, “My aunt once said that a man’s worth is the size of his pride, and a woman’s worth is the size of her man’s power. But, to each her place, and stepping over the order should be faced with blood.”

Sena turned, vansihing into silvery mist.

Isdis who sat in the back finally walked forward now that the magic cleared. She stared around in confusion. What just happened?

“A devil appeared. You and the bloodchild back there seem to have failed against his presence,” Ginger approached Isdis, touching her forehead.

“Good, you aren’t charmed,” She then turned toward Eris, “And you, well my presence is more troublesome for you than anything else,”

Eris stood in her place, staring forward with a blank stare.

“You seem to be related to one of my spawns. How pitiful, the moment you stood before me, your blood quickly turned you into a spawn,” Ginger waved her hand, and Eris fell on her knees, gasping for air.

“Damn it! What was that?” She cried.

“Vampire spawns, people that I suck their blood until they die, I can turn them into vampire spawns if I wished. They aren’t true vampires and are eternally enslaved to me.” She smiled, “I can also turn them into true vampires like I did with Arad,”

“What are you talking about?” Eris growled.

“What I’m saying is that now I’m here, you became my blood slave. A mere puppet for me to play with, and you shall remain like that for eternity,” Ginger waved her hand, “That’s what I would have done a century ago. Right now, Alcott won’t exactly like that.” She smiled.

SWOSH! A burning crest emerged on Eris’s back, smoking as she screamed, “Come on, don’t cry, let me finish,” Ginger waved her hand as her eyes gleamed with a bloodright flare of magic.

“Here you go,” She waved her hand as Eris fell on her face, “I linked you to Arad instead of me. You’re his vampire spawn now, or should I say blood slave to make it simpler?”

“What did you do?” Eris growled, barely able to stand.

“Just like how a mother vampire grants her blood child some of her vampire spawn upon birth, I granted you to Arad, since you were already his prisoner.” She smiled.

Eris sighed, standing up and shaking her head, “You could have just freed me, making me an independent vampire.”

“Freedom of blood is never free,” Ginger smiled, “But, Arad is still young and naive. You can deceive him to free you if you wish. Or serve him. It’s your decision, not mine.”

Eris looked at Arad, “You’re right. I should be able to trick him quickly.” She shook her head, “But as you said, that’s for me.” She smiled, “I do have some purple blood in me. I would certainly rather have him a master than you,”

***

Outside, The old man Cain sighed, sitting underneath a tree, ~Alice, you didn’t send that idiot, did you?~

~Absolutly not, you know I wouldn’t do it. I’m investigating it right now.~ A voice replied in his head.

“Please do. Don’t make me come there to flip the hells like a pan.” He growled, “Don’t let anything big around Arad Orion. Sena has taken a liking to him.”

~Really? Let’s hope he can handle her. She’s as vicious as Sofia and as hardheaded as you.~ The voice giggled. ~It didn’t help that Zaleria and Selena helped raise her.~

“Don’t remind me. I tried to raise her as a normal girl, but her blood was too strong. At least she isn’t like Gray,” He smiled.