That night, Arata felt restless, as though he wanted to redo the day of the trial. Picking up a knife, he contemplates killing himself for another chance at winning the trial. Yet he didn’t even know what he would try to say to win if he did. Simply sitting awake in bed as he hears a knock on the door, it’s Selena.

  “Hey Arata, sorry it’s late, but have you seen Clemence? I can’t find her anywhere?” Selena questions.

  Where did Clemence go? It’s quite late at night, I should go out and look for her… where would I start, though? Arata thinks back to Clemence’s unstable emotions, knowing exactly what that could mean.

  Arata looks out the window as he thinks and in the distance, he sees a flash of light, as though there had been a mini instance of dawn breaking in a singular point in the massive city. He recognized the magic.

  “Shit! That can’t be good, Selena. Are there any weapons I can borrow?” Arata begins to dress quickly into something he feels comfortable fighting in. Suddenly, Selena grabs two swords, one for herself and one for Arata.

  The two of them begin to rush outside. The night quickly grows away from a quiet one. The world around them, no longer illuminated by Clemence’s magic but the screams of the commonfolk.

  From above was an attack by the demons, thousands of bug-like entities of various shapes, while avian not entirely unlike the first few which Arata encountered in this world yet they were stitched together using apendages of various animals.

  Yet the city is much more vast than the pace which Arata and Selena are able to cover ground. Soon enough, they’ve reached where Clemence should be—the sight of a dimly lit garden on the side of the street.

  There lies a horrific sight, Cayden Noble’s corpse, rended apart by a bright spear. The cut started from his groin up through his brain.

  Behind Cayden stands a figure, her green hair glows with a profaned radiance.

  Blood dribbled down Cayden’s darkened face; he was already dead by the time they got there. Turning their head, they see Clemence. A manic smile crosses her face, and her body begins to contort.

  “Only I- ONLY I can embrace Selena… my Selena, my friend, my ally, my love, my purpose… they all wish to take your purity, corrupt you, beat you down! I won’t let that happen. I must keep Selena close to my heart.” Clemence exclaims with passion.

  More bright yellow lances impale Cayden. Above her, something emerges from the darkness. A pitch black proboscis inside her nape, now illuminated by the spears that further mutilate Cayden Noble’s corpse.

  Above her floats the beast, her bottom half is the top half of a bug, their legs split apart into mandibles, stained with blood, extending into a bug’s head at the creature’s waist. Alongside its back spans two massive wings with elytra covered in hairs, out of its stomach is the head of a pig, it has its facial features are smoothed over, its eye sockets and mouth are paved over by skin, while its nose is cut open.

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  The rest of its body seems human but mismatched, the chest of a man yet the face of a woman, the eyes of a bug yet the hands resemble those of a goat’s if a goat had fingers.

  The creature’s voice echoes, “Hmm, you two came for your friend, I presume? I’m afraid you’re too late, I’ll enjoy the show then~”

  Clemence continues to morph, muscles moving under her skin, trying to tear out of its suit when Arata attempts to light up his sword, yet it doesn’t work. Against the bug and within the confines of the ripping, Arata had easily managed to convert the mana of the surrounding air into a spell, yet his current environment was far too barren.

  Around them, it wasn’t just Beelzebub; several of the demon’s spawn encircled Arata. They seem apprehensive about approaching Arata closely. The bugs, being hyper-sensitive to the surrounding environment’s mana recognized they would only serve to fuel Arata had they approached closer.

  That thing- What is up with this world and freaky bug creatures?!

  Arata’s blade aims to dissect the proboscis of Beelzebub, yet as he cuts it open, Clemence still hasn’t snapped out of her state even with Arata standing right in front of her, it’s as though he is invisible to her. Despite getting its limb cut off, the beast pays no mind.

  Selena begins to stutter, dropping to her knees, “Be-Be-b-Beelzebub… ah, to look death in the eyes. Arata, the sight it’s almost blinding.”

  Why the hell is one of the demon lord’s generals before I’ve gotten my footing, Ravenna hello?! That thing sits on the roof. It’s moreso a predator than a general…

  Arata watches her, rapier in her hand as she dashes forward, for some reason not using magic, which luckily for Arata meant his flavor of death today wouldn’t be instant. She’s trying to get close to Arata, where his whip would not be effective. Arata intercepts the strike, stumbling back as the two blades clash.

  Arata doesn’t have the experience; he’s stuck in a bind. Behind him, Selena is too frozen to make a move. To lift her weapon against her friend after such a bizarre chain of events was too much to ask of her. I should aim to handle this alone.

  Arata decides to transfer energy into his core. Clemence’s blade was much thinner. Energy moved deeper into Arata. Clemence’s sword began to dull in its golden color as Arata found newfound ability.

  She’s avoiding using magic? Clemence must still be inside there, somewhere. Pressing his advantage, he knocks Clemence’s sword back, she turns back in a frenzy, her eyes turn red and the nerves in her body begin to protrude from her skin.

  Clemence tries to cast a spell, yet something inside her resists. The spell comes out in the end as a half assed attempt. Instead of a golden weapon spawned straight in his internal organs, the golden spear manifests right before Arata’s neck. The golden spear clangs against the floor. I can win, it's just avoiding- no! There's someone else in this fight!

  “Arata! Clemence! Haa!” Arata hears Selena shout as the familiar warmth behind his back has left him.

  Behind him, he turns, seeing Beelzebub floating above the group, flying down, swooping like an eagle. The pig’s face opens up to form a grotesque cavity. Lining it are several jagged bones, sanded down to look like teeth.

  It swoops down, aiming to catch Selena, who stands guarded against the upcoming attack. Steel clashes with bone as sparks and blood fly, and at the end of it, Selena is left standing still.