A few hours later, in the underground chamber, the Devils enslaved by the Soul Devil finally returned.
Compared to when they were leaving, their conditions had worsened, with some of them having sustained injuries of varying degrees.
Even so, not a single one of them had died.
Clearly, the Devils who had been unable to reach this room and were trapped in the maze outside were quite weak and had been easily dealt with.
As the slaves gathered in the room, they all stared at Eshara, whose status appeared to be the highest, and waited for her instructions.
Although they didn't speak, their meaning was fairly obvious—where had the Soul Devil gone?
Of course, none of them even considered the idea of escaping.
Having been marked with a Soul Slavery mark, their lives were controlled by the Soul Devil. With just a mere thought, she could wipe out their consciousness.
Facing the inquiring looks, even though Eshara was also a little puzzled, she remained calm.
"Master must have gone to check on the Heaven Devouring Array. We just need to wait for her return.", she said, her eyes subconsciously wandering toward the gap in the ground.
She didn't know what was down there, but she had seen the Soul Devil go down many times before and had a few guesses.
"You don't have to worry. Master will become a Lesser Devil after everything's over. Once she advances, she will take us with her to leave the Crucible. We will finally enter the real Demon World!", Eshara spoke with confidence.
Her words instantly excited everyone, and their downcast expressions vanished. They rushed to clean up the room, hoping to increase their status in their Master's mind.
Eshara nodded her head, pleased, knowing that she had succeeded in following the Soul Devil's instructions.
She was about to join the other Devils when a low rustle cut through the air.
This sound came from the opening in the floor.
"Is the Master finally coming back up?", Eshara couldn't help but think, and she stepped a little closer, eagerly awaiting her Master's return.
Soon, a hand thrust from the hole and grabbed onto the floor, followed by another.
Then, the owner of the hands pushed against the ground and emerged.
Eshara froze. When she saw who it was, her mind went blank.
Although this person's condition was severe and her appearance was messy, Eshara immediately recognized her.
Looking at this woman—Liora—who should have died in her hands long ago, her brain couldn't process what was happening.
Coupled with the inexplicable disappearance of the Soul Devil, a terrible guess arose in her mind.
While Eshara was stunned, the sudden noise attracted the attention of the other enslaved Devils. When they turned to look, they discovered that an unfamiliar woman had unknowingly appeared in the room.
She had long red hair and glowing crimson eyes, while a thin layer of armor clung to her body.
Her face was beautiful, with striking facial features. The exoskeleton traced her figure in a way that made her allure impossible to ignore.
Yet, despite her stunning appearance, no one paid any attention to her beauty. Instead, they stared blankly at her condition, horrified.
The woman was drenched in blood, with obvious scorch marks branded on various parts of her skin. Her left shoulder was riddled with bite marks, as if a terrible monster had taken a bite out of it.
Strangely, her flesh writhed as if alive, granulating and knitting itself at an astonishing speed.
"Wh-who are you?", a Devil with a weak mind questioned, its voice trembling.
Even though it was a Devil and had witnessed many gruesome scenes, the one in front of it was eerie enough to shock it.
However, thinking of how the woman was surrounded by its companions and its Master was near this place, this Devil finally mustered the courage and stepped forward.
"What are you doing here? Do you know what this place is? I'm telling you, my Master is going to return at any minute. Surrender now, and I'll consider asking Master to spare your life."
Perhaps the Devil was embarrassed by its initial show of weakness, as it tried to overcompensate by being extraordinarily tough.
Unfortunately, the woman, who should have been intimidated by its words, showed no reaction. She calmly raised her head and looked at it before vanishing.
The Devil's vision blurred, and the next moment, its point of view shifted.
Looking at the familiar headless body, it realized: that's my body.
That was also its last thought.
Unlike the Devil, who never came to understand how it died, Eshara had a clear view of everything.
She saw with her own eyes that Liora suddenly appeared behind it, cutting its head with a simple wave of her hand.
"Be careful!", she reminded her companions, but her words came half a beat too late.
Liora traveled through the shadows once more, flashing behind another Devil and cutting their head off.
Blood splattered, but was instantly absorbed by her armor.
Like a machine that had received power, the speed at which her injuries were healing accelerated. Even the burned marks on her skin began to disappear.
As a result, Liora's movements became even more precise and efficient.
In just a few moments, most of the enslaved Devils collapsed, their final cries echoing throughout the room.
Some among them attempted to strike back at Liora, but their efforts proved completely meaningless. Their attacks barely scraped the Myriad Devils Armor, much less leave any serious damage behind.
Moments later, following another shriek, the last standing Devil fell to the ground—the last one apart from Eshara.
Having witnessed her companions dying one after another, right before her, a wave of terror and disbelief washed over her.
Especially when she saw Liora appear in front of her and stare down at her, she almost passed out from fear.
Thinking of her previous betrayal and the gruesome way in which her companions had died, her face turned pale.
"I-I didn't mean to! I was controlled by the Soul Devil! Liora! We're friends, right? Please spare my life!", she shouted and sprawled to the ground.
She reached out and grabbed Liora's legs, wrapping her arms around them. Tears flowed out of her eyes and dripped down her beautiful face, onto Liora's feet.
"Spare me! I didn't mean to!", Eshara pleaded, her words breaking in the midst of her tears.
Seconds seemed to stretch into hours.
Desperation filled Eshara's mind until she felt a hand lightly touching her head and gently lifting it.
Facing directly into Liora's eyes and seeing the warmth within them, Eshara breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew that she had been saved!
"Thank you! Thank you-", she repeatedly expressed her gratitude, lowering her head as if in servitude.
However, before she could speak any further, the hand on top of her head suddenly clenched.
The relief on Eshara's face turned to horror in an instant.
Following a cracking noise, everything went black around her.