Chapter 15: The Unexpected Truth

The Heroes of Prophecy finally come face to face with the Demon Queen. It's shocking to think that she would come of all people.

Lillian starts walking to the exhausted Heroes. They were in absolutely no condition to fight. The armor and clothes were singed from the fire, armor frosted and battered. While they did have additional potion on hand, it was more likely that they would be engaging in another hefty battle.

Ragnar looked at his shield that was still in its ax form in the distance. There was no chance of getting that in time, and Sylph seems to be tapping out of her magic.

"Damn it! What do we do!??" Jarred thought to himself.

Kalika without warning ran past the heroes running straight into Lillian. Kalika hugged her sister, stopping her in her tracks. The air became quiet from this surprising turn of event.

"Please. Don't. Don't do it Lily. It's my fault. L-let's just go back."

"Lily?" Ragnar repeated softly. He was in absolute shock. "I-it couldn't be…"

Lillian placed her hand on Kalika's head. Kalika looked up into Lillian's face to see her eyes were still as black as night.

"I don't have time for your games anymore Kalika! How long do you plan on keeping this up, huh? Do you know the trouble I went through to keep you safe!?"

"Huh?"

Kalika's eyes widened in shock. She doesn't understand her sister at all.

"Do You really think I like seeing you locked up in that prison cell!"

"S-shut up! You tortured me and tormented me every day! Since, when did you start caring about my safety!?"

Lillian grabbed Kalika's mouth to shut it.

"I don't want to hear it. Twenty-five times Kalika. Twenty-five times. You keep making this harder for yourself. Please, Just give it up already!"

"Lillian Archelion." Ragnar asked.

Lillian turned her attention back to the heroes.

"By God, what's happened to you?" Ragnar was in complete shock.

Jarred looked back at Ragnar questionably. He then came to the same conclusion as Ragnar, Remembering Kalika's words the night before and what the Demon Queen herself just said... "No way. It couldn't be…"

"Kalika!" Jarred wanted answers. He started to grow more and more concerned as she didn't answer him. "Kalika!"

Lillian narrowed her eyes at Kalika. "Should I be the one to tell them?"

Kalika grabbed Lillian's dress with trembling hands. It became obvious to Lillian that Kalika was scared, but not of her.

"N…No… I'll do it. But please, just let them go."

"You know as well as I do that, that's not going to happen Kalika."

Kalika gripped the dress a little tighter. "P-please Lily. I don't ask for much… At least give them a fighting chance."

The desperation in Kalika's voice was soft but also very clear. Her sister's request had Lillian stumped since her sister never really cared about anyone else, not even her. 

Lillian took her hand off of Kalika's head. "Fine. I'll give them a chance. Now tell them already."

Satisfied with the answer Kalika rubbed her nose and looked at the Heroes with a bitter yet sad smile. "I'm sorry. But I'm not the actual Saintess…" Kalika shifted her eyes to the ground as she continued with the truth. "The truth is that the demon that stands before you is… my sister… Lillian, who is the actual Saintess. I only made a deal with the Head Priest to usurp power from her and had her… executed on fake charges."

Kalika started to tear up a little. "I really wanted to tell you all… I really did." After a little while, she looked back at the three heroes. "I'm sorry but… I just wasn't the person you were looking for."

There was a deafening silence, the startling truth had the Heroes of Prophecy shocked and bewildered by the revelation told to them. None of them wanted to believe that this cruel Demon Queen was the Saintess.

"Kalika, C'mon you don't have to lie-!"

"She's not lying." Lillian interrupted. 

"I was executed. publicly. Beheaded on the spot." Lillian gave a smile as her eyes returned to normal. "It's only thanks to the Demon King that I'm alive today, Albeit as a demon of course."

Lillian quickly gave a menacing Gaze at the Heroes. "But it is also because of her that I'm no longer human! And I'll never forgive her for that!"

Kalika shook a little hearing Lillian's last statement.

"But I still Love you Kalika, No matter what, we'll always be sisters." Lillian gave Kalika a little hug, petting her too.

Jarred seemed lost still as if lost in thought.

"Jarred. What do we do?" Sylph asked worriedly.

"I… I don't know," he said.

Jarred eyes glowed blue to find that the Clairvoyance skill was still pointing to Kalika.

Jarred spoke softly to himself as if a taboo Idea came to his head. "I-it can't be… does God want us to kill Kalika…"

Jarred looked at the still upset Kalika being hugged by her sister Lillian.

"NO! That can't be it! He wants us to save her!" Jarred readied his platinum sword.

Despite his immense exhaustion he was still willing to keep himself going. Even at the cost of his own life.

Kalika, seeing this, tries to calm him down. "S-stop! Don't!"

"No! I refuse to back down now! Not When you're in trouble!"

Kalika started to cry a little seeing this. "No. You Idiot."

"Oh." Lillian took notice. "That's fine by me. But first Let me put my little sister away."

Lillian placed her hand on the back of Kalika's head.

"W-wait, Lily no!"

"Sorry Kal, this part of the conversation is for grownups only."

Some blood splattered on Lillian's face, as Kalika's entire body is shredded to pieces by the power of her sister's wind magic. She proceeds to completely char the remains of her sister into ash.

The Heroes could only look on in horror. "H-how could she?" Sylph was left gasping.

"She actually killed her!" Ragnar was horrified.

Jarred could only look on with a mix of both horror and anger. There were no words to be spoken about Lillian or her cruelty.

Without much thought Jarred rushed in with his sword. With as much power as he could muster, he swung his sword down at Lillian, only for it to be blocked by a single finger.

"Oh my. I see you're very excited. But I think that's too soon."

With a flick of Lillian finger, she sends Jarred flying back to his allies. He lands hard on his back.

"Jarred!" They both shouted. It was hard not to be worried, after all, they had just witnessed the power of the Demon Queen firsthand.

"Kalika wanted me to give you three a fighting chance. Aside from that it seems like a good time to test my powers on others." Lillian snapped her fingers, which filled the entire rocky terrain around them.

Lillian looked around the Barrier she had just made. "hhmmm… This is the Purging Barrier…"

Lillian's eyes then had a glint of green coming from her red eyes. She posed her hands as if dropping a veil. The three Heroes suddenly glowed a golden color.

"What… I'm feeling… Stronger…?" Jarred looks at his body curiously.

"Me too…" Ragnar looked to find his scratches gone.

"It's like an all-in-one attribute spell." Looked at her hands to find her magic flowing more freely.

"Using this on other demons makes it quite a formidable killer. Fortunately, it doesn't have the same effect on me as it does regular demons."

"Here." Using her magic, Lillian passed the ax back to Ragnar. "This is yours I presume."

Ragnar took the ax back to hand, turning it back into a shield. "If I may ask. Why is it that you're fighting alongside the demons?"

"Heh. I don't think even Lucius has asked me that…although he probably already knows why that is…"

Lillian walked further back to give the Heroes some distance. "Perhaps I'll tell you when this fight is over. If any of you are still alive, that is."

"Oh, and before we get started." Lillian held out her hand with three fingers. "Before you die, I'll revive each of you three times. So, you each have three chances."

"Don't act cocky." Jarred once again, posed his sword. Sylph and Ragnar followed Jarred's lead. Although a little hesitant They knew there was no running from this predicament.

"Please make sure to give it your all. Otherwise, I won't get any satisfaction from this bout." Lillian stood tall with her arms crossed.

Without wasting another second Sylph used her skill to ready a wall and walls of fireballs. Lillian smiled upon seeing this. The next moment a heavy barrage of Fireballs are pelted at Lillian!

Lillian dances through the barrage of Fireball effortlessly. Lillian moves on to close the distance between her and the Heroes, with the one on the frontline being Jarred with his sword at the ready. Jarred Ready to counter Lillian only to be passed by.

Lillian's aim seems to actually be Sylph. Seeing this, Ragnar got his shield ready to defend.

CLONK!!

Lillian clawed hands collided with Ragnars shield with the impact shaking the entire terrain. The Shield withstood Lillian's first blow.

Heat pressed all around Lillian, looking above a rain of fire became visible. "Oh." She then looked down to find that her legs were covered in earth.

In a swift motion Lillian reached for Ragnar only for her hand to pass right through him. With his eyes green he gave a subtle chuckle. "Don't underestimate us, Lillian."

Fire met the ground in a glorious and spectacular display. Colors of green and purple and red started to envelope the scene. Jarred could only watch with ready anticipation for the shower of fire to finish. Sylph on the other hand seems dead set to finish Lillian.

"You're not getting anywhere." Lillian's voice could be heard from the barrage of fire and colors. Instantly the entire terrain of the fire was cleared by Lillian Wind magic.

To the horror of Jarred and Sylph Ragnar was now bleeding on the ground and Lillian was holding something fleshy in her hands.

Lillian glanced at Sylph. "You want your friend to live, don't you?"

"It's much harder for a person to heal when their body part is missing." Lillian approached the now dying Ragnar. She wasted no time placing the fleshy bit where it belonged and healed him completely.

She raised her hand just enough for the heroes to see her dropping her three fingers to two.

Lillian then gazes a sinister grin. "Two lives left for the big guy. Oh, and please just call me Queen or your Majesty. I'd like to keep the formalities."

A blade came swinging down on Lillian, but this was easily intercepted by Lillian's quick reflexes. The sword now rested between Lillian's two fingers.

"Perhaps you three need another boost?"

"Damn you!!!" Jarred attempted a game of strength with his sword against Lillian. His fierce determination shined through surprising Lillian. She quickly averted its trajectory, letting the sword completely miss her by a hair, and into the ground. She placed her feet on the sword amused by Jarred.

 Ragna, still in shock by what occurred moments earlier, opts to assist Jarred, attacking Lillian from behind with his ax. The strike lands, penetrating a quarter of her body.

Lillian turned with a smile to Ragnar. "You actually got me. Good work."

She then grabbed the head of the ax, forcing it out her body and proceeded to kick both Ragnar and Jarred away from her. Her wound started to instantly mend itself back together just moments later.

Once again Lillian starts to be surrounded by Fire balls again. "This again?"

Sylph's eyes started to glow a brighter green. "I added a little more kick to them" with a gesture from Sylphs hands she once again sends a flurry of Fireballs at Lillian. Once again Lillian dodges them, However to her shock, Lillian finds the fireballs exploding upon impact of the ground.

"What combination of magic is this!?" Lillian was trying to block and dodge the shards of rock.

"It's a Magician's secret your majesty."

"Oh, boo."

Lillian started to pick up the pace, now outracing the explosive fireballs being hurled her way. Eventually she found an opening, using it to quickly close the distance between her and sylph.

Seeing this Sylph readied a larger Fireball in front of her, in the hopes of discouraging Lillian's attack. This didn't work as Lillian penetrated through the spell with her whole body. She then gave Sylph a sucker punch to the face, sending her into the nearby ice wall.

By the time Jarred and Ragnar arrived they found their companion on the wall with a hand through her torso. She can only spit out blood from the sudden fatal blow.

Jarred sees this and furiously dashed forth with his sword only to find himself already slashed in the chest. He can only tumble forward upon realizing how deep the wound was. His breathing became heavy.

Jarred could only grow more frustrated as he attempted to get up. A darkness seemed to be encroaching into his vision, that was until a bright light erased them.

Ragnar quickly checked up on Jarred. "Jarred!" Jarred looked up to see that sylph had also been healed.

"So, she's alright too." Jarred thought with relief.

They watched as Lillian put some distance between herself and them. She then peeked behind and raised her hand once more with two fingers.

"You each have two more chances. Please try not to die too fast this time." Lillian then gave a solemn smile.