Kieran, with a composed deanor, held up one hand in a pacifying gesture as the pink-haired woman, Ashaiki, pointed her blade nacingly towards her. Kieran's mind raced, considering how to defuse the situation without causing further harm. Nearby, Amanda, her expression twisted in pain, cradled the stump of her severed hand, the injury still raw and bleeding.
"Ashaiki, listen to ," Amanda's voice, strained with pain, broke through the tension. "I think she's not a threat. She just saved my life. We can trust her, at least for now. Or we can interrogate her for answers."
Ashaiki, her blade unwavering, narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What are you doing here? Don't think yourself so high and mighty just because you're an angelic bastard," she spat, her distrust evident in her tone.
Kieran, taken aback by the hostility, glanced at Amanda, who simply shrugged, offering no reassurance. Turning her attention back to Ashaiki, Kieran spoke calmly, trying to convey her sincerity.
"Listen, Ashaiki, as Amanda called you," Kieran began, choosing her words carefully. "I don't understand this hostility. I'm new to all of this, but as an Angelic warrior, my duty is to protect and ensure the safety of all races. Part of the reason I'm here is to keep this planet safe while I search for soone specific."
Ashaiki's confusion deepened at Kieran's ntion of seeking soone. "A soone?" she echoed, her suspicion evident. "What could an Angelic being possibly want with a human, if not to exploit them for their own ends?" Her voice was laced with distrust, her teeth clenched in barely concealed anger.
Kieran sensed the growing hostility and realized that any direct confrontation with Ashaiki at this mont could lead to no positive outco. She pondered briefly, weighing her options. The truth might be her best ally in this tense standoff. Taking a deep breath, she decided to reveal her purpose.
"I know this might sound implausible, or even absurd, but I'm actually looking for Robert Hockenson," Kieran confessed, her voice steady. "He's the father of a young man who recently passed away. I need to speak with him. It's important."
Ashaiki, taken aback by this unexpected revelation, couldn't hide her shock. "What would you want with a dead man's family?" she demanded, her tone a mix of incredulity and suspicion.
Kieran, realizing the gravity of her disclosure, continued, "I'm telling you this in the hope of gaining your trust. I'm searching for the son's body and wish to speak with his father. I'd like to be invited to their funeral so that I might have the opportunity to retrieve the corpse."
Her expression was earnest, and her gaze t Ashaiki's squarely.
Kieran's revelation about Ty seed to strike a nerve with Ashaiki, whose voice tinged with a sharp edge of anger as she echoed, "His?!"
"Yes, Ty," Kieran confird, her tone laced with urgency. "He's still alive, in a sense, fighting in a new body. But that body is deteriorating rapidly. And as difficult as it is to admit, the Demon King is aiding him. He believes Ty's best chance lies in returning to his original body."
Ashaiki, processing this information, muttered almost to herself, "I suppose Jade might have had so truth in that dream of hers..."
Kieran, puzzled by the ntion of this unknown individual, began to ask, "Who is that—" but her question was cut short. Suddenly, the air behind her shifted ominously. A putrid scent of rotting flesh invaded her nostrils, causing her to whirl around, Amanda still clinging to her arm.
Before them lood a daunting figure, its pale skin contrasting starkly with its dark grey eyes. Kieran's trained eyes quickly assessed the creature, estimating its towering height to be at least eight feet.
The creature's nacing presence sent a chill down her spine, and she instinctively shifted into a defensive stance, ready to protect both herself and Amanda from whatever threat this new arrival posed.
The tension in the air thickened as the towering figure spoke with an air of disdain. "So this is where the annoyances have been hiding," he mused, his voice dripping with contempt.
Kieran, her protective instincts heightened, demanded, "Who are you? Speak now, or et the sa fate as your fallen comrades."
The creature, unfazed by her threat, introduced himself with an eerie calmness. "I am the Lord of the Vale. I ca to assess the progress of this planet's purge. Yet, to my surprise, I find it still flourishing, teeming with life."
His gaze swept over them, a mix of curiosity and disdain. "It seems these re mortals have broken free from the Angels' dominion over their spirits, managing to fight back."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Not that it matters much. Now that I have found wher—" His words were abruptly cut short as Kieran, with a swift, protective shove, pushed Amanda behind her. In the sa fluid motion, she delivered a powerful kick to the creature's chest, forcing him back a few feet.
The Lord of the Vale, barely moved by the attack, simply flashed a dim, unsettling smile. "Oh, please, my Angelic girl," he taunted, his tone laced with condescension. "I have little interest in fighting you right now."
The Lord of the Vale, seemingly untroubled by Kieran's offensive, gestured casually towards the distant castle. "I rely need to identify what's drawing my creatures to this verdant death trap," he said, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Once that's resolved, we can comnce our gradual invasion, assimilating this planet into the Vale." His lips curled into a slight, sinister smile, revealing the depth of his malevolent intentions.
Kieran's eyes blazed with fury at his words. "Like hell I'll let you get away with that!" she spat out, her anger clear.
In that heated mont, Ashaiki, previously unnoticed, surged forward from behind Kieran. With a swift, fluid motion, she launched a ferocious attack towards the Lord of the Vale. He moved to dodge, but ti itself seed to slow as Ashaiki's blade hod in on its target. With a precision born of fury and skill, the blade sliced through the air, catching the creature's eye.
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