Chapter 41: Turbulence in Sassen (Part 1)

The transfer of the Tower of Thunder, Vandel, to Vando was a novelty for the residents of Sassen and Vando, but things settled down after just a few days. People’s enthusiasm and excitement toward the mage tower floating high in the sky diminished compared to at first.

Although there was an incident involving Belial’s attack on Vandel, overall, the empire experienced temporary peace after ending the dark rule of Argus.

For the people of Sassen, August was a time of celebration, as Theo Bartz Yawood, the former first prince once accused of patricide, with the support of the OGil family of Galic and the famous Flores family of Sassen, overthrew the king who had been a puppet of Argus—Theo’s younger brother—and executed his uncle, Prince Gran, on charges of treason, preparing to ascend the throne as the true [Thirteenth King of Sassen].

Though the royal family’s authority was long gone in the eyes of local powers, the legitimate royal bloodline still enjoyed some support among the empire’s commoners.

However, merely having slight support from the commoners was not enough to take control of the country. Therefore, Theo Bartz Yawood XIII sent invitations to various local powers, asking them to send representatives to the coronation ceremony—a very rare occurrence in the empire’s historical succession rites.

No one could have imagined that the descendants of the once valiant King of Sassen, who had made the entire eastern continent fear him, would end up in such a plight—what a tragedy!

The invited parties included various local powers with elite armies such as Galic, Altak, Glon, and Lorn Fortress, as well as groups like the Theralanders, Heliriox, and Vandel. Rather than inviting these rulers to the coronation ceremony, it was more like a second meeting to divide the empire’s interests.

After all, at the first interest-sharing meeting held by the Flores family, Ravia, representing Altak, and Allen from Operiles were both dissatisfied with the way post-war benefits were distributed. Especially Allen, that audacious man, even attempted to unite Altak, Lorn Fortress, and the Theralanders.

Although Brian Elvis, the young commander of Fort Lorn, is Prince Theo’s cousin, in the years of warfare against the orcs in the west, he has had to rely on Altak’s military support and Operelles’ supplies. As a result, in certain matters, the young commander generally avoids doing anything that might displease Altak or Operelles. Especially since Altak and Operelles are clearly on the same side this time, Count Brian Elvis surely won’t be so foolish.

As for the Theralians, it must be said that although Allen is young, he is capable of leading on his own. When he learned that the Theralians had also been excluded from the profit-sharing by the Flores family, he immediately tried to win them over and even wrote a letter to Operelles’ father. Using the power of the merchant guild, he sent a large amount of food to the Theralians, relieving their urgent needs. Moreover, Ginevieve Dorby, the leader of the Theralians, already knew Allen and admired him, so it was only natural for them to side with him.

With the support of Altak and the Theralians, plus the fact that Operelles’ Merchant Guild possesses the greatest wealth in the empire, Allen, this sixteen-year-old boy, seems poised to challenge the Flores family. Although he calmed down somewhat under Thos’s persuasion, the tense situation still causes great concern for the Flores family. With no other choice, they had to hold a second meeting on profit-sharing to ease the dissatisfaction of various local forces like Altak and Operelles.

As a result, the name Allen Skander has become well-known among the Sasan nobility. Of course, it has also further disgraced Prince Theo, leaving the dignity of the royal family in tatters.

“Invitations, huh…”
Thos also received invitations—two of them. One as a representative of Vandel, and the other as the dean of the Heliorix Academy. In terms of etiquette, the Sasan nobles really know how to do things properly.

“They were delivered this morning!” Seeing that Thos didn’t seem too concerned, Professor Manhert, the elder from Heliorix, reminded him. “I think you should go. After all, you are now the dean of Heliorix and also represent Vandel. You can be considered a representative of most magicians in the empire. It’s not a bad idea to interact with the Sasan nobles. The previous dean also…”
“Enough,” Thos interrupted Professor Manhert, shaking his head. “I’ll go then…”

To be honest, Professor Manhert is a very responsible person. Though he seems strict on the surface, he’s actually very kind-hearted, as shown by his efforts to revive the academy after it was destroyed by Argus in Riox. But this also gives Thors a lot of headaches. This old man, fond of the past, often can’t help but compare Thors to the previous headmaster, the great mage Greta Kaines, putting a great deal of pressure on Thors.

“Oh, then I’ll go deal with other matters—some academic affairs…”

“Mm, thank you for your hard work…”

Watching Professor Manhert leave the office, Thors let out a long sigh of relief. This made Jiana, sitting on the sofa in the room, find it amusing. She propped her chin in her hand, smiling at Thors and murmuring dreamily, “You really do have it tough, little brother…”

“Sigh,” Thors sighed helplessly. He glanced at Jiana, then at Lavia sitting across from her, and said irritably, “Are you guys that idle?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lavia, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa flipping through a magic book, replied indifferently without even looking up, “From the way you speak, it seems like you really don’t want to see me? —Yes, I am idle. I’ve been idle lately. Otherwise, do you think I’d want to be here?”

“Heh,” Jiana sneered from across, giggling at Lavia. “What insincere words, little girl from the Vomisley family!”

“…” Clearly, Lavia picked up the sarcasm in Jiana’s words. She glanced at her and said coldly, “After all, he’s my husband. It’s not strange for me to come and see him every day, is it? But as for you, dear sister, even though we haven’t seen each other in years, you come here every day and stare at your brother with a look that’s nothing like that of a sister treating her brother—what’s that about?”

“You…” Jiana’s face showed signs of panic as she hurriedly defended herself, “W-what do you mean, not like a sister treating her brother…”

Glancing at Jiana, Lavia said calmly, “Do you want me to be direct, dear sister? —I’ve been watching you for a long time!”

The smile on Jiana’s face froze for a moment.

In fact, she herself was somewhat aware that over the past years, the “loss of her brother” had been like a nightmare, haunting her. After being apart for several years and in a low mood, she suddenly encountered what she thought was her lost brother—what joy could that be?

She had always felt a strong sense of guilt toward Thors, as her role as an older sister meant she hadn’t been there for him when he needed care and help the most. So, she tried her best to make amends. For this reason, she was eager to reestablish a close relationship between them, just as before, showing her better, brighter side to her brother in order to continue fulfilling her duties as his sister—always, forever protecting her dearest brother, just as she had in their childhood… But people grow up, and so does her brother. One day, he would find the woman he loves, and then she wouldn’t be the one closest to him anymore… This was the only thing that worried and saddened Gianna. Moreover, her brother’s reappearance had shaken her ambitions and ideals. After all, becoming a Holy Mage was his wish, not hers. Recalling their time together in the small town of Sait, remembering how dependent her brother used to be on her, and now seeing that her brother had become the head of the Rexox Academy and a remarkable figure, Gianna felt both happy and relieved, yet also a bit lost. She didn’t show any of this. Unlike Ravia, she was a strong and rational woman who had learned to suppress her sadness over the years. So, after a brief silence, she said with a teasing smile, “Strange about my gaze? There’s nothing strange about it. After all, he’s my dearest brother. As his sister, it’s my duty and responsibility to take care of him, to give everything I can for him… And you, dear Miss Vomisley? As far as I know, your marriage to Thors is just a deception, right?” “You…” Ravia’s eyes showed some displeasure, mostly directed at Thors. “Oh my, can’t you refute that?” Gianna giggled, looking at Ravia, licking her lips with her pink tongue and holding her cheek with her hand. Suddenly, she asked, “Have you two kissed each other?” “…” Ravia paused mid-turn of the page, her face turning red. She couldn’t help but look at Gianna in surprise and retorted stiffly, “What about you, Sister?” “…Uh,” after a moment of awkwardness, Gianna’s eyes sparkled as she said cheerfully, “Of course! Didn’t you see?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Thors, who was bent over reviewing documents, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Nina!”
“Oops!” Giana stuck out her tongue playfully and giggled, “You can’t say that anymore, hehe…”
“Damn it!” Facing Giana’s seemingly provocative smile, Ravia couldn’t help but recall what had happened at that ball. She glared angrily at Thors. Truth be told, she had been growing increasingly dissatisfied lately—having to endure Thors’s affectionate behavior toward Dia, as well as this woman who liked to show off in front of her brother, while trying hard to avoid conflicts with her. This only fueled the anger in Ravia’s stubborn heart.
Just then, a breath of relief came to this tense room. With a sound of a door being pushed open, Allen rushed into the office as usual, full of energy. With Thors’s helpless look, he said cheerfully, “Hi, two beautiful and noble ladies, good afternoon!”
“Hello, Allen!” In front of Thors, Giana always acted like a kind and gentle older sister, which surprised Allen, who didn’t understand why. After all, in his impression, this older sister seemed like someone who also liked to have fun…
“Have you heard? There’s some coronation ceremony for some Theo, and there’ll be a ball afterward. You’re invited, right? It’s no harm to go—the red wine at the ball is pretty good…”
“Well, I’m sorry, Allen. I’m not really interested in such things,” Giana said, pausing briefly before adding gently, “Of course, if Thors really decides to go, I’d be happy to accompany him…”
What an act! Ravia couldn’t help but criticize her in her mind. She really didn’t want to say anything more about Giana, who was so determined to maintain a good image as an older sister in front of Thors. After all… to some extent, Ravia felt a bit sorry for Giana, though most of her dissatisfaction still targeted Thors and Dia.
“I see,” Allen nodded half-understandingly, then walked over to the desk, sat at the corner, and asked cheerfully, “Hey, how’s it going? At least give us some encouragement! That bastard Vincent Flores—I’ve never liked him. He even dared to steal the spoils of our alliance forces. If I don’t teach him a lesson, does he really think I, Allen, am easy to mess with?”

“Who would dare bully you! — How about you come down first and we talk?” Thors gave Allen a disdainful glance. After all, back at Riox Academy, it was always Allen who bullied other nobles—when would it be their turn to bully this battle mage?
“Alright, alright, there are no outsiders here!” Allen reluctantly jumped down from the desk, leaned against it, and said thoughtfully, “Anyway, the soldiers who sacrificed in this war belong to his glory and interests. I, Allen, will never allow anyone to touch them! If the Flores family dares to seize them for themselves, then we’ll meet on the battlefield!”
“Are you crazy?” Thors stared at Allen in shock and frowned. “The war just ended—do you want to expand it again? Don’t blame me for not warning you. Right now, there are two Apostles in Sassen!”
“I know,” Allen nodded, then said in an unyielding tone, “But I know even better what can be taken and what cannot. If the Flores family goes too far, don’t blame me. Frankly speaking, aside from those unknown Apostles, we have a clear advantage!” As if noticing Thors shaking his head, his expression changed, and he said cheerfully, “Don’t worry, buddy. I was just joking. The Flores family has already compromised, right? I think they don’t want to start a war either. War only brings destruction. So, for the sake of profit, they’d rather give up some of what they’ve gained than go to war with me. I know this better than you!”
“Yes, yes, you cunning merchant!” Thors shook his head helplessly.
“Hey, is this cunning? You could call it ‘the merchant’s blood in me being naturally sensitive to profit’—isn’t that wisdom?” Allen retorted indignantly.
“…” Thors helplessly covered his forehead. At that moment, Lavia frowned and said, “The presence of Mammon hasn’t faded. Does that mean, besides Mammon’s Apostles, another ancient will has awakened? — Including you, that’s four Apostles…” She was referring to those two unknown Apostles, Thors, and the time traveler, the demigod Belial.
In other words, the empire now was even more dangerous than during Argus’s rule.
“I’m afraid so…” Thors nodded worriedly.
“As for the identities of the other two Apostles besides Belial…”
“Ah, I’m not sure…”

—Meanwhile, in Vando City, Sos’s residence—
“Lilith, be careful on your way back!” Dia, the hostess, saw her good friend Lilith off at the door.
“Don’t worry,” Lilith said with a light laugh, glancing at Dia. “I’m not the weak Dia anymore!”
“You still say that? How rude!” Dia muttered unhappily, watching as Lilith changed her shoes. “Lilith, have you been feeling bored lately? Why do you have time to come see me every day?”
“Is that bad?” Lilith, still crouched changing her shoes, winked teasingly. “You’re bored too, aren’t you? That insensitive brat just leaves you alone at home…”
“Not at all, I just…” Dia seemed to think of something, lowering her head with blushing cheeks. She said shyly, “I’m happy that Lilith comes to keep me company, but… could you please not do that in the future?”
“What do you mean?” Lilith, now fully dressed in her shoes, stood up with a coquettish smile. She raised Dia’s chin with her finger and, under Dia’s stunned gaze, gently sniffed her lips before saying in a sweet voice, “Is this it?”
“Ah!” Dia’s face turned red with shame as she glared at Lilith, clearly annoyed.
“Alright!” Seeing Dia’s angry expression, Lilith giggled teasingly. “You two… haven’t done that yet, have you?”
“That…” Dia froze for a moment, then seemed to remember something. Her face turned red as she stammered, unable to speak.
“Sigh, really!” Lilith sighed slightly, speaking reproachfully. “You’ve always been like this. Talk things through with that brat Sos sooner. Why keep dragging this on? If people didn’t know, they might think he’s doing something behind his wife’s back… That girl, Ravia, already has quite some influence in Altak now, right? Divorce wouldn’t be a problem, would it?”
“But…”
“Stop saying ‘but’. Since it’s that guy’s fault, why should you bear the pain?” As she spoke, Lilith seemed to notice the disappointment in Dia’s eyes. She sighed compassionately and changed the subject with a smile. “Never mind. I won’t interfere in your affairs. In a few days, Prince Theo will be preparing for his coronation, and Thassan will be very lively. How about I come pick you up then? —You make me travel back and forth to Vando every day; at least come here once!”

“This…” Dia seemed hesitant, shaking her head and saying slowly, “I need to discuss this with Thos…”
“What’s there to discuss?” Lilith shook her head impatiently and said with an unarguable tone, smiling, “It’s settled. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow. Anyway, that guy will be in Sasan the day after tomorrow for the coronation ceremony—he’s the current head of Riox after all…” She sighed slightly and murmured, “Riox… I really miss those carefree days…”
“Lilith…”
“Enough, I’m leaving!” Pushing the door open and stepping outside, Lilith waved at Dia with a smile before glancing at the Vandelta floating above Vando and walking away down the street.
That night, Dia recounted everything Lilith had said to Thos in detail, including Lilith’s plan to pick her up the next day to stay in Sasan for a few days. Thos didn’t object, as he knew Dia had been feeling bored lately. Although Abel’s arrival in Vando had given her a sister to talk to, unfortunately, Abel had been busy repairing Gadian, that is, the Vandelta, and hardly had time to chat with her.
Though he was somewhat worried about Dia’s safety, given that there were two apostles in Sasan now, upon further thought, Thos didn’t think the powerful apostles would pose any threat to Dia—after all, she was just an ordinary woman, with a kind and gentle heart aside from her beautiful appearance.
Besides, Dia was only going to Sasan a day early. Thos would attend Prince Theo’s coronation ceremony the next day with Ravia and Allen. Of course, to be thorough, Thos asked his ‘neighbor,’ the vampire Ulric, to accompany Dia.
Upon hearing that the destination was the imperial city of the human kingdom, Ulric agreed without hesitation.
The next day, Dia and Ulric boarded the carriage ridden by Lilith and headed toward Sasan.
When she first saw Ulric, Lilith’s gaze seemed wary, as if she knew his identity. But when Dia introduced Ulric as one of her best friends along with Thos, the wariness in Lilith’s eyes gradually faded.
Instead, it was Ulric who grew suspicious of the human girl—after all, humans who could accept someone’s vampire identity so easily were not ordinary people.
However, this wariness toward Lilith only lasted until the carriage entered Sasan’s imperial city.

As soon as they entered the Saxon Imperial City, Ulrich seemed to forget the purpose of his visit. He stared wide-eyed at the buildings on both sides of the streets and the goods in the shops and stalls, like a naive child, emitting sounds of admiration. Watching Ulrich run around here and there, Lilith shook her head and said with a sweet laugh, “What a useless ‘bodyguard’!” “Ulrich is just interested in new things,” Diya said gently, smiling as she glanced at the buildings in the city. “It really is Saxon—so impressive. It’s even more bustling than Vandor…” “Vandor?” Lilith smiled slightly, holding Diya’s hand and saying cheerfully, “Vandor is just a city of magicians, and it was once destroyed. How can it compare to Saxon? Saxon is the imperial capital!” “You’re right,” Diya nodded blankly before asking curiously, “Living in such a bustling city, do you ever feel bored, Lilith?” “Of course…” Lilith sighed deeply and shook her head. “No matter how bustling Saxon is, it has nothing to do with me… How sad. Living in such a city yet not finding a friend to talk to…” “Really?” Diya looked at Lilith with sympathy and comforted her softly, “Aren’t there me?” “Of course. How could I forget you? I… I every day…” Lilith giggled, about to say something teasing about Diya, when suddenly she bumped into someone coming towards them—a person covered head to toe in a gray cloak. Frowning, Lilith snapped angrily, “Don’t you have eyes, you idiot!” But as soon as the words left her mouth, the icy gaze from the other person made her feel a chill. “Lilith, you bumped into them. You should apologize now,” Diya said, casting an apologetic look at the traveler in the gray cloak. “I’m sorry…” But she stopped speaking abruptly because she noticed that the person seemed completely indifferent to her apology. They walked past her and Lilith, followed by seven or eight other travelers also clad in gray cloaks. “How is that possible…” Diya looked surprised, as she had never encountered such people before—those who, after being bumped into, neither complained nor accepted apologies, just left as if nothing had happened…

“What a strange person, but he probably isn’t bad!” Dia smiled slightly and turned to look at Lilith, only to see her face filled with shock, as if deep in thought. Curious, she called out, “Lilith?”
“Hm?” Lilith snapped back to reality, offering Dia an apologetic smile before fixing her serious gaze on the group in the distance.
Was that the look a human should have?
That cold gaze, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, like a deity looking down on ants…
That guy…
What shocked Lilith even more was that during their brief eye contact, she saw dark tattoos on his face…
They were the unique dark tattoos of an apostle!
“…” After staring deeply at the street where the group had disappeared, Lilith removed her smile and turned to Dia, saying apologetically, “Ah, I’m sorry, Dia. I suddenly remembered something important. Could you and Mr. Ulrich wait for me here? I’ll be back right away!”
“Oh…” Dia nodded, seemingly not fully understanding.
Meanwhile, one of the nine mysterious figures in gray cloaks whispered, “That woman just now had a very strong dark aura, Lord Belial!”
It turned out they were Belial and his group, who had returned to Sasan.
Standing at the front, the one whom Lilith had bumped into earlier, Belial spoke indifferently, “Ignore her…”
“But that human was rude to Lord Belial. Why did you stop me just now?” asked Eirik, the fifteenth among the Seventy Two Demons and known as the “Will of the Warrior,” carelessly.
“Don’t pay attention to such trivial matters!” Belial said lightly.
“As expected of Lord Belial,” Simachimo, the fourth among the Seventy Two Demons and known as the “Servant of Death,” sneered with a laugh. “With such great power, yet such magnanimity. Simachimo grows more convinced that you are the true king worthy of our allegiance!”
“It’s all fate…” murmured Vashak, the third among the Seventy Two Demons and known as the “Prophet Who Knows Everything,” in a deep voice.
“Shut up!” snarled Bal, the first among the Seventy Two Demons and known as the “Tyrant Who Commands Thunder.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the demon god walking beside Belial—namely, the eighth among the seventy-two demon gods, known as the “Archer Who Walks with Death,” Babatos—suddenly stopped in his tracks and whispered, “We’re being followed, Lord Belial!”
“Ah!” Belial responded indifferently, silently moving to the end of an alley, then turning around to gaze at the empty alley and saying calmly, “Come out. Even if you use illusions to make yourself disappear temporarily, your dark aura is extremely noticeable…”
“As expected…” A slight irregular disturbance appeared in the space behind the alley. Soon after, Lilith, dressed in a black lace robe, appeared out of thin air before Belial and the others. With a serious expression, she sneered, “As a fully formed apostle, you still dare to show up openly on the streets of Sasan? Your audacity is truly remarkable.”
“Audacity?” Belial glanced at her indifferently and said expressionlessly, “I don’t think anyone in this world can pose a threat to me…”
“You…” Lilith’s smile froze, then she sneered, “How arrogant!” Saying this, she raised her right hand and pointed at Belial, frowning. “Sasan is my territory. Get out of here, unknown apostle!” Suddenly, her expression changed as she noticed there were only eight people there, not the original nine…
Where is the one else? When did that happen…
Just as Lilith was surprised, a strange head emerged from the shadow beneath her feet, teasing her, “Are you looking for me, little human girl?”
“You…” A flash of surprise appeared in Lilith’s eyes. She clenched her right hand, and a black dagger appeared instantly in it. She thrust it hard into the shadow beneath her feet, but unfortunately, the strange shadow seemed unaffected. Drifting among the many shadows in the alley, it laughed mockingly, “Useless, useless! I am Duke Thief Waliver! The world of shadows is under my control!”
“I see, it’s a demon god!” Lilith’s initial surprise gradually faded. At the moment Belial frowned, her eyes suddenly emitted a strange pale red glow. Instantly, Duke Thief Waliver stopped moving, as if a puppet, stepping out of the shadow and standing in front of Lilith. He turned toward Belial and blankly drew the dagger from his waist.

“How dare he draw a weapon against Lord Belial? What’s that guy, Waliver, up to?” the burly warrior Eiriong frowned and said.
“No! He’s under control,” the supreme being among the demons, Tyrant Bal, shook his head disdainfully. “To be controlled by just a mere human—how shameful for that Waliver…”
“If he can control Waliver, it seems we underestimated this human woman. Hehehehe… what a wonderful subject…” Simachimoyan, the servant of Death, raised his skeletal staff with a sinister smile. “I’ll study you thoroughly, hehehe!”
But as soon as he spoke, a light laugh came from the other side. The demons instinctively looked up and happened to see Lilith’s pale red pupils. Immediately, a sense of confusion arose in their hearts, as if under a strong influence.
In just a few seconds, the situation in the alley changed completely. Except for the ‘Prophet’ Vashak, who remained with his eyes closed, all the other demons, including the King Puppet Cain, stood on Lilith’s side, pointing their weapons blankly at Belial.
“This is the price of ignoring advice, unknown apostle!” Lilith, her pupils glowing with eerie red light, looked at Belial mockingly and said in a sweet voice, “Are these your subordinates? The so-called demons? They’re nothing special at all—easily controlled by me!”
“Yes,” Belial smiled calmly and said, “Even demons cannot resist the divine power of an apostle. I knew that long ago…”
“Hmph!” Seeing his composed demeanor, Lilith frowned and sneered, “Aren’t you surprised? I’ve controlled all your subordinates!”
“No, there’s one more!” Belial replied calmly, referring to the only demon who hadn’t been controlled—the ‘Prophet’ Vashak.
“Damn it!” Facing his eerily calm gaze, Lilith snapped angrily, “I really want to know where you get such composure from!” With that, she pointed at Belial, and the controlled demons immediately rushed toward their master.

Yet Belial’s gaze remained as calm as ever. He slowly raised his right hand, then clenched it tightly. Instantly, a powerful and violent force radiated outward from his fist. The demons struck by this storm-like wave were flung to the sides, embedding themselves deep into the solid walls on either side of the alley. Even Lilith, who was standing far behind, suddenly felt as though she had been struck in the chest, her legs giving way as she collapsed to the ground, spewing blood.

“How… how is this possible?” Wiping the blood from her lips, Lilith stared at Belial in utter shock, unable to believe it.

Under her horrified gaze, Belial retracted his hand and said calmly, “Understand now? This is what you call ‘my composure’!”

“What… what’s going on?” A few demons trapped in the walls seemed to recover and looked around in confusion at the situation.

“You’re under control,” said Vashak, the only demon not under Lilith’s control. He shook his head and sighed softly. “But this is also fate…”

“Controlled by this woman? Damn it!” Tyrant Baal’s face twisted in anger. With a crackling sound, sparks of electricity appeared around him, striking the air.

“I’m sorry for disappointing you, master…” Cain knelt before Belial in shame. He could easily guess that it was Belial’s powerful force that had awakened them. But this only made him feel even more ashamed. After all, as an unwelcome stranger in this world, Belial’s strength was constantly being drained. How could he waste his master’s precious power on such trivial matters?

Cain, who seemed so steady, suddenly emitted a fierce dark aura. He stared at Lilith as if she were dead matter and said harshly, “Go to hell and repent, you wretched thing!”

Faced with the enraged Cain, Lilith struggled to get up from the ground and sneered, “You? Or any of you? You’re not even worth it…” As she spoke, she glanced at Belial in horror.

That man had defeated his own subordinates—seven legendary demons—with just one strike. The aftereffects of that power had even made her spit blood. What kind of terrifying strength was this!

The opponent was no ordinary apostle!

Thinking of this, Lilith sneered, waved her right hand, and said with a giggling voice, “That’s enough for today. As long as you stay in Sasan, you can’t escape my grasp!” But this was merely empty talk; facing such a powerful being like Belial, she truly felt powerless.
“Do you want to run away, you damned thing?!” The enraged demon gods no longer dared to underestimate this human woman. But just as they prepared to attack, they found her disappearing into thin air like foam.
“Damn it! That guy got away!” Tyrant Baal spat in frustration.
Amid the demons’ incessant curses, Belial glanced in a certain direction in the alley and murmured, “[Fantasy Control]… It’s Asmodis’s apostle… Is Asmodis the successor to Mammon? Strange…” Then he turned around and said calmly, “Let’s go. We’ve wasted too much time already!”
“…Yes, Lord Belial!”
Not long after they left, strange ripples reappeared in the alley. Soon after, Lilith appeared out of nowhere, sitting down and murmuring against the wall, “It seems he discovered me… How is that possible? Even an apostle shouldn’t be able to see through my illusions, right? But… Huh, I’m lucky. It seems he has no intention of killing me. ‘Wasted too much time’—that means I don’t even deserve his serious attention…” With a hint of anger on her face, she clenched her pale fists and slammed them hard onto the brick-paved ground.
“Damn it!”