Chapter 161: The Second Demi Spirit
After they had successfully dealt with the Zagan Familia and had provided the survivors of the sweatshop with some first aid, Isaac's students and subordinates led them to the surface, following the safest as well as the fastest route available.
Kalin took up the role of a shining beacon, proceeding forward at the front, while the rest flanked the people and helped them out whenever they stumbled. Of course, they took breaks any time that it was necessary as well. Unfortunately, Averin and Titania had to be left out. Considering their fragile mental states after enduring such prolonged periods of torture, confronting the Zagan Familia's victims with these two 'monsters' simply wasn't a good idea. Even regular citizens of Orario would already have a tough time grasping the concept of non-hostile monsters, so it would be many times worse for them.
Making use of a teleportation node which he temporarily placed close to the Jack Bird, Isaac let Averin teleport back home and join him on his bench. The rooster - just like Aselina, Jakk, Kalin, Mina and Quinn - simply wasn't powerful enough yet to face the dangers that were still lurking within this place. They had done all that they could, so it was time for them to leave the stage safely.
In stark contrast, Titania's situation was completely different from theirs. Even if only her raw stats were taken into consideration, she was more than a match for most Level 6's - and if her Magics were included in the equation, then she could probably wipe the floor with a fair number of them. To be frank, her presence here in Knossos wasn't really necessary, because more than enough manpower had already been assembled. A part of her reason for staying here after having successfully acted as a guardian for 'the rest of the kids' was to act as a failsafe just in case too many matters didn't go according to plan. As for the remainder of the reason…
Right after all business on the 6th floor had been settled and the 'kids' had set off towards the surface, Titania made her way to the 8th floor. According to Isaac, someone like her, a fellow Demi Spirit, would be waiting there. Undoubtedly, a tough battle laid ahead, so her nerves were stretched taut and her leaf-tipped tentacles hovered around her in a comprehensive protective formation that had been developed with her mas— lord's help. Yes, she had finally joined the 'milord faction', but she had yet to refer to him as such openly.
'According to milord, the Demi Spirit here is only a relatively strong Level 5, so I shouldn't have a difficult time defeating it. However, it can't hurt to stay on my toes and be careful. If I'm hit by a strong Magic out of the blue, then I'll be in a lot of trouble, after all!'
Advancing as quickly as possible while still remaining stealthy, Titania sneaked up on the Evilus outpost that was located towards the north-western part of this floor of the manmade labyrinth. However, in spite of her best attempt at creeping up on her opponents unnoticed, the moment that she approached within eyesight of the underground complex, a scout immediately detected her.
"Huh? Was there supposed to be a Demi Spirit arriving here today? Why didn't we hear anything about that?"
Confused by the towering figure of a Titan Alm Demi Spirit who was blocking out the entire hallway and could only make her way forward by crouching down a little, the scout turned to face the comrade who he was currently on guard duty with.
"It's probably best to get Koel for this. As a tamer, she'll have an easier time figuring out what is going on."
Snorting unhappily at having been made the errand boy, the second black-robed Evilus member sighed and rose from the chair that he had been reclining in.
"Fine, fine… but next time, you'll be the one to go, okay?"
Before the two's mundane spat could lead to anything of importance, they suddenly felt an overwhelming, piercing pain in their chests. Too shocked to even call for reinforcements, they coughed up blood and fell to the ground, their eyes losing the light of life soon after.
"That was… easier than expected. Also, they didn't explode?"
Mumbling to herself in disbelief at their carelessness and the general weirdness of the situation, Titania shook her tentacles clean and proceeded onward, through the adamantite door that usually protected the outpost.
Normally, these doors would only be around two and a half meters tall and two meters wide, with the rest of the corridor sealed off by a solid wall of adamantite. However, this door was far bigger than any others that she had seen here in Knossos - the wall that was surrounding it looked like little more than a slim frame for it. The door was almost as tall and wide as the corridor itself!
Another difference from most of the areas that were used as hideouts down here was that this place only had a single entrance… and therefore also merely one exit. The plant didn't really care about why all of this was the case, though. She was just happy that she would have a comparatively simple time while taking care of her assignment.
"The fuck!? What's a Demi Spirit doing here?"
Exclamations like these were what most of the Evilus members that were stationed here uttered when they saw Titania entering their quarters. They didn't even consider the possibility that she might be an enemy. After all, only their ally could produce these hybrid creatures, so why should they be on guard against them?
With casual ease, Titania killed off everyone that she came across. A couple of halls deep into the place, one of the black-robed figures finally noticed her killing spree from afar and ran further into the complex, but she didn't bother with chasing after the woman at all. There was no escape route, after all.
But moments later, the complacency that had set in instantly vanished when the sound of a massive creature breaking through a wall not even 50 meters ahead of her reached her ears.
'That has got to be the Demi Spirit, right? So… it's finally time…'
Steeling herself to the maximum, she entered the next hall and gazed upon her opponent, completely ignoring the black-robed woman hiding behind the one who she had just come face to face with.
Just like her, this Demi Spirit also consisted of two distinct parts - a monster and a dryad-esque woman. However, despite these similarities, they still looked very different from another.
The monster part was one that Titania wasn't familiar with. It looked just like a bull with a greyish black hide, but even when it was walking on all fours, it still towered at a height of five meters, dwarfing the regular animal that it could be compared to. The tip of its tail was split into two and had blade-like sharp bones sticking out of them, while its straight horns had grown horizontally out of the sides of its head, reaching a length of one and a half meters each. Where its eyes would usually be located, two plants that looked just like rose flower buds had sprouted - undoubtedly a result of having been implanted with a Jewel Fetus.
Other results of this fusion could also be clearly made out. First of all, the majority of the front half of the monster's body had green veins running throughout it, while its hide had mostly turned a bluish violet. Around a handful of patches of yellow and red hide that were eerily reminiscent of eyes could also be seen. Lastly, the bull's mane had become entirely green in colour.
As for the woman herself, she grew out of another flower bud, which had blossomed on the back of the neck of the bull-like monster. Theoretically speaking, if one were to cut off the monster part's head, then she would be reminiscent of a centaur… with a bovine body three times as tall as the norm. Just like Titania, she was also clad in a red and blue 'dress', had light green skin, completely golden eyeballs and green hair that was only a few shades darker than her skin tone. However, that was where the similarities came to an end.
Contrary to Isaac's favourite sofa, this second Demi Spirit's humanoid part was not a well-endowed woman in her early twenties, but rather looked to be four or five years younger. Her hair also wasn't long, voluminous and flowing, but rather, it was in the form of a short chin-length bob cut. Where Titania had given off an elegant and even somewhat alluring vibe at first glance, this young woman appeared like more of an energetic teenager to the casual observer.
"I know she looks like you, Gugalanna, but she's an enemy who has killed everyone here. Get rid of her!"
Glaring at Titania with hatred burning in her eyes, the woman who was hiding behind the Demi Spirit, Koel, briefed her on the current situation. Although she was a tamer, she couldn't directly manipulate Gugalanna to do her bidding and was only capable of nudging her in a direction every now and then. However, that alone should have been more than enough.
Noticing that the Demi Spirit that she had been responsible for for the past approximately four years still wasn't moving even after her instructions had been given and was only sizing up her opponent blankly with hints of confusion on her face, Koel got anxious. Initially, after her birth, Gugalanna had still been fully under her control, but as she grew older, Koel's orders had devolved into mere 'suggestions'. For more than a year now, the tamer had feared that there would come a day when Gugalanna would start to defy her - but really, did that rebellious phase have to begin now!?
Ignorant of Koel's current thoughts and feelings, Gugalanna tilted her head and scratched her cheek, then she seemed to come to a realization. Her eyes filled with hope and her expression brightened into a hesitant but expectant smile.
"... big sister?"
The strange voice of a teenage girl that sounded as if multiple people were speaking at once flowed out of her lips. It sounded both innocent and uncanny.
"Huh?!"
The target of the affectionate gaze, Titania, had not expected this development at all. She had been prepared for a battle to the death and had kept her distance to be capable of responding to anything that Gugalanna might do. When her fellow Demi Spirit hadn't attacked her immediately, she had adopted a wait-and-see approach. She didn't have a pressing deadline to meet, so she could afford this smidgen of extra caution. For the one who she thought of as a formidable opponent to suddenly regard her as a family member… had utterly flabbergasted her. She was simply speechless.
"What are you talking about? You don't have any siblings! If you did, then I would know about them. I've been with you since you were born, after all! Now, get yourself together, then go and get rid of her, will you?"
Standing behind Gugalanna, Koel felt like ripping her hair out. Why did this stupid plant have to think of the enemy Demi Spirit as her sibling? Was it because they were of the same species? Or was it because they both originated from Jewel Fetuses? Were those the reasons as to why she felt such a close connection to the Titan Alm Demi Spirit? Whatever was truly the case, it didn't matter to Koel. For now, she had to survive!
Frowning unhappily at the black-robed woman's claims, Gugalanna's eyes abruptly turned cold and resolute, as if she had made a major decision.
"You're being mean. Of course I would recognize my own sister! She came here and killed you all, right? So, you're her enemy…"
Her back drenched in cold sweat, Koel hastily shook her head and waved her arms in a panic. This wasn't going according to the script that she had formulated in her mind at all! This foolish flower…!!
"No, no! I'm not! I'm your ally, your friend. Don't you remember? I've been with you all this time, at your side! I have just honestly never heard of you having any fami—"
Before she could properly explain herself, Gugalanna had already raised her bull part's left hind leg and had delivered a powerful kick, which lifted Koel off her feet and slammed her heavily against the nearest wall. The cracking of bones rang out and blood intermixed with parts of her internal organs spewed out of the woman's mouth, then she slid to the ground like a doll with its strings cut.
"Hmph. I won't let anyone get in the way of our reunion. Especially you, you duplicitous bitch. Don't think I didn't know what you were doing all this time."
Turning back to face her elder sister, Gugalanna's mask of ice melted into a warm and loving grin. She felt as if she was on top of the world due to the happiness of seeing her again, but she was also a little confused. Why did it seem like her big sister had no idea who she was?
"Umm… big sister, do you not recognize me in this form?"
In response to the slightly aggrieved and bashful expression of the short-haired Demi Spirit that looked a couple of years younger than her, Titania stared at her expressionlessly for a bit before suddenly recalling something that had been at the very back of her mind - a minor detail that she hadn't judged to be important.
"Back on the 59th floor, when I was still a Jewel Fetus… there were two others aside from me. One of them was collected by master's beloved during our first meeting, but the other one… Gugalanna, were you the Jewel Fetus that was brought away about a year after I was born?"
Her mood brightening again, the girl nodded her head joyfully.
"Yes! So you DO remember me… that's fantastic!! I've missed you so much!"
Overcome by emotion, teardrops gathered in the corners of her golden eyes. Probingly, she took a few steps forward. Upon realizing that Titania didn't seem like she would attack her, she charged up to her and used her humanoid half to bury herself in her bosom while sobbing like a little kid.
What she wasn't aware of was that the reason for Titania's inaction hadn't been her consent, but the fact that she felt completely dumbfounded. She had never paid much heed to or felt any particular connection to the Jewel Fetuses that she had been around back then, aside from acknowledging their existence. For this girl to think of her so highly and feel so genuinely attached to her… the possibility of something like this ever occurring had never even crossed her mind. What was she supposed to do now?
'Phew, luckily she didn't try to deceive me. If she had attacked me once she got close, then I wouldn't have had the opportunity to properly react. Only milord's help could have prevented a disaster. I'm glad that I didn't have to trouble him…'
Recalling how the people that she had observed had behaved the few times that she had borne witness to a hug, she awkwardly reciprocated the embrace and politely patted Gugalanna's back. She didn't particularly feel close to her, but she wanted to snuff out any potential of a dissatisfied tantrum.
Once the younger plant had calmed down a little, she wiped away her tears and sniffed a little, then she distanced herself a bit again, somewhat embarrassed at her prior pitiful appearance. Trying to think of a topic to distract from how she had just behaved, she suddenly recalled a certain part of what her elder sister had said before, one which she had simply not paid any attention to before. Intrigued by this matter's implications, she chose to inquire about it.
"Wait a moment… Big sister, didn't you say that you have a 'master'? What's that all about? Is it like it was with me and that woman over there?"
When she saw Gugalanna using her tail to point at the corpse that was slumped against the wall not far away, Titania hurriedly shook her head, a shiver running down her spine. She could never let her lord think that she saw him in the same way as her… sister… saw her ex-tamer. Gosh, it still felt weird to even think of her in that way, despite it being the most applicable term for their relationship. But that aside, she really couldn't risk it. She was an obedient and loyal servant, yes! Her lord was great, the greatest of all! All hail Isaac Blackshaw!
As she was psyching herself up mentally, the man in question was graced with a system notification that let him know that her Loyalty had risen by ten, causing him to smirk in amusement.
"Not at all, Gugalanna, banish the thought! My master is someone who I wholeheartedly serve. He isn't some replaceable caretaker."
Very surprised by how serious her elder sister seemed about the whole ordeal, Gugalanna blinked repeatedly in puzzlement.
"When did you meet someone like that? When we were separated, weren't you still under the control of this group of people, just like me? What happened? Why do you now serve a master of your own free will?"
Despite being very young, Gugalanna had paid close attention to the people who had raised her to be a weapon so far. She knew how to read them, and she understood emotions. Even though she was still merely a child, she had a lot of insight into the world and how it worked. She was also aware that entities that she couldn't hope to contend with were trying to manipulate her mind into following their every order.
The image of a golden-haired, stunningly beautiful woman by the name of 'Aria' came to mind, as well as the bloodlust that was intrinsically linked with it. She knew that those weren't her own thoughts, but rather instructions that someone wanted her to follow. After all, she had never met that woman, so how could she feel anything for her at all? As a result, she had been trying her best to stay clear-headed so far, but she didn't know how long she could still keep it up. Her sister should be just like her… so had she perhaps lost that mental battle in the time that they were apart?
"That's a lot of questions… Well, where do I begin? Eleven days ago, a couple made it to the 59th floor. One of them was the daughter of the Aria that I was supposed to devour, while the other one was my master, Isaac Blackshaw. They overwhelmed Revis and me completely. My master… he is simply unfathomable. And absolutely terrifying! But because I showed promise as a servant and because I only really attacked them due to having been manipulated into doing so, he gave me the opportunity to swear my absolute loyalty to him, and to survive! Oh, by the way, he treats me very well. He was only scary when he was an enemy. He is very kind to his own people, so don't worry about me."
During her explanation, Titania had noticed her little sister growing a bit unhappy with what she had said, so she made sure to let her know that she wasn't subservient to a horrifying monstrosity. From what she had gathered, family members were usually concerned for each other, so they would feel incensed if one of their own had to suffer. But she didn't have to! She was perfectly content. Well, to be fair, in the beginning, that hadn't been the case… but she had wisened up since then. Her lord was a big softie to his own people, so it was difficult to dislike him.
Even though Titania had tried to dispel her worries, Gugalanna wasn't an idiot. Didn't her sister seem as if she was in trouble? Clenching her fists, she chose to protect her and brought up the subject.
"That just sounds like you could only choose between serving him and dying. You chose the path to survival, which I'm happy about, but why don't you just ditch him now? We can run away together!"
Almost shitting her pants - not that she wore any - because this wasn't how the conversation was supposed to go, and also because her lord was most definitely listening in, Titania shook her head so strongly that her long hair got all tangled up.
"I can't do that!"
Furrowing her brows, Gugalanna began to suspect something terrible to be the case.
"Does that mean he has some way to control you? Something to ensure that you won't defy him? Are you in danger right now?!"
'Well yes, but actually no.'
Astonished by how easily her little sister had seen through parts of the situation, Titania grew quiet, then she sighed helplessly and showed a wry smile. She really was good at digging herself into a hole, wasn't she?
"Hold your horses there, little one. I know what you're thinking, and a week or so ago, I would have probably agreed with you. But now… well, first, let me explain to you just what kind of being my master actually is."
Still highly suspicious, Gugalanna eventually nodded, allowing her elder sister to go ahead and lay out the situation. She was missing far too much information about her circumstances, so it would be best to hear her out.
"You know about the deities of this world, right? They are beings that are on an entirely different level of existence and can look down upon us as less than ants. My master… he is also a god, but he is so, so much more. It feels like being a deity is simply a casual side-profession for him. The most impressive feat of his is the creation of his own world. Do you understand what that means?! All the innumerable deities of this world had to come together to create the world that we live in, the Lower World. Meanwhile, my master can do what they did all alone, without even breaking a sweat! He also claims to be from another world, but that's besides the point… Anyway, the difference between deities and him is most definitely just as vast as the one between us and the deities."
Titania was lucky that Gugalanna had talked a lot with the Evilus members stationed here and had gained lots of general knowledge about the Lower World, else she wouldn't have understood the concepts that had just been brought up. The trusty sofa herself had only learned about all of this after meeting Isaac. Of course, she already understood much more than what she had mentioned, but she didn't want to overload the little one's brain.
With her eyes widened in astonishment, Gugalanna began to shiver. She had met a purple-haired goddess before and had felt a primal fear creep into her very bones when the woman had revealed even just a sliver of her Divine Energy to make her behave. Someone who could think of beings like that as ants… just what kind of existence was the master of her elder sister!?
"It seems like you understood what I said… that's good! Let's move on, then. At first, I only followed his orders because I knew that I would be wiped from existence if I wasted the chance that he gave me. But after only a few days in his company, I realized that now that he wasn't my enemy any longer, he was a genuinely great person. I still fear him because I've been on the receiving end of his enmity once before, yes. Something like that doesn't just go away overnight. But I'm genuinely happy to serve him now. If he were to give me a choice between a life of freedom and a life in his service, then I would choose the latter. So, really, don't worry about me! I'm happy as I am now."
Complicated emotions welled up in Gugalanna's heart as she caught sight of a genuine smile brightening up her elder sister's face. She had never seen her like that…
'Still, this doesn't sit right with me…'
Gathering her courage, the young plant clenched her fists and took a deep breath. For her sister, for the two of them… she had to do this! Now that they had been reunited, she never wanted to part from her ever again. If her sister was in trouble, even if she wasn't aware of it or didn't want any help, she would still save her - no matter what. To find out whether or not she had to step in, though, she would have to first walk into the lion's den.
"Big sister… can you take me to meet your master?"
A bit taken aback by her request, Titania hesitated for a moment, but then she spoke up again. This time, however, she wasn't talking to Gugalanna.
"Master. You heard her, right? Should I bring her to you?"
Witnessing her beloved elder sister conversing with thin air as if she was communicating with a person, Gugalanna's eyes shook and she teared up a little. Was it possible that her elder sister had some mental deficiencies?! Was that master of hers perhaps a figment of her imagination? Or could he be a fiend making use of her impairment?
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Shiro_the_Hero
Shiro_the_Hero (Want to read ahead? Check out my P atreon for advance chapters! :D - One of them will be available again in two days!)
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Smol plant's worries are valid - if you heard that any of your loved ones were in a similar situation, you'd probably be highly concerned, right?
May it all work out!
With that said, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! \o/
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Everyone, let's try to aim for as high of a ranking as possible, shall we? If you enjoy this story, please give it your Power Stones - it's free, after all~ Also, as I mentioned before, if we ever end a week in the top 100, you all will get a nice surprise :D
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New Year's was a bit more busy than I would have liked, so I couldn't post an extra chapter this past Thursday - oh well, I'll do it in the week after the upcoming one! My resolution for 2022 is to catch up on all the chapters that I owe, have a good stash of advance chapters, and then finally write that 2nd story on the side that I've been planning for almost a year now.
What's yours?
I'll respond to your replies in a bit, after eating a bite or two. I'm feeling quite hungry now that this chapter's done...
That said, I'll see you all on Thursday, January 6th, when chapter 162 will be posted! Well, in case you can't wait until then, you can always check out my P atreon...
As always, stay safe, stay healthy, and - most importantly - stay alive so you can continue reading this story for years to come~ o/
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