“T-The Demon Lord! Run!” The crew members shouted in a panic, their eyes wide with terror, unsure of how to respond to the mounting chaos.

  'Demon Lord? Me?' Lai thought, momentarily perplexed, before a surge of determination coursed through her. 'Why doesn’t this bother me? No time for questions. I need to confront the Mayor, Lucius, and his men!'

  With a fierce glint in her eyes, Lai raised her sword, its bde glimmering ominously in the dim light of the ship's deck. “Prepare for your judgment, you traitors!”

  The words erupted from her mouth, surprising even herself, but they felt right—right in a way that made the crew halt, their expressions shifting from panic to fear as they beheld her fierce stance.

  Just as many were on the verge of abandoning ship, Sheriff Gabriel stepped onto the deck, his brows knit in frustration.

  “What are you fools doing? We fight, or we die!” he bellowed, rallying his guards with an intensity that ricocheted across the deck. Lai's blood boiled at his command. Once her superior, his choice to side with the Mayor now ignited an inferno of rage within her.

  The men, bolstered by a surge of bravery, unsheathed their weapons, a formidable blend of swords and daggers, and anchored themselves in defiance, eagerly anticipating the sheriff's command. "Y-Yes, sir!" they echoed, their voices a mix of fear and resolve as they braced themselves for battle.

  Gabriel's fierce gaze swept over the group, unwavering as he raised his sword high, its bde gleaming ominously in the pale moonlight, a sinister promise of the confrontation that awaited them. Just as Lai prepared to intervene, urging the men to reconsider their reckless stance, the Mayor emerged from below deck, his expression a mix of annoyance and authority. The tension hung thick in the air, the night's impending csh growing ever closer.

  "So, the Demon Lord wasn’t happy with all the dead bodies we left for her, and now she’s come for more," the Mayor said as he hurried to his quarters, which was at the stern of the ship. All the guards tried to summon the courage to fight the Demonic foe in front of them as they slowly advanced on her.

  Lai brandished her bde, its edge gleaming ominously in the dim light, as she locked eyes with Mayor Hanz. A low growl rumbled from her throat, ced with unbridled fury. "You will pay for the suffering you inflicted on the people of Delinora, Hanz!"

  Hanz did a double take as he realized that the Demon Lord looked like that stuck-up noble daughter of the Baron, Lai. All she ever did was compin about following the rules and how he should stop taking advantage of his position, or she would report him.

  "That's impossible... My son's bodyguard left you for dead! How did you survive?" Hanz growled as he took his bde out.

  "Don't be fooled, Mayor! The Demon Lord must have taken her form to torment us! Lai of house Velno is no more!" Sheriff Gabriel yelled to the crew.

  Lai almost wanted to ugh at these idiots. They weren't wrong about her no longer being human, but she was the same virtuous woman she had always been.

  "Don't let my long red hair and horns fool you! I'm Lai of house Velno. You know me, Sheriff, and you have disgraced the town you swore to protect!" Lai bellowed, her eyes afme as she pointed her sword at the men.

  Gabriel's heart raced as he stepped forward, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. "Is she out of her mind? No! This isn't Lai! It's a demon masquerading in her skin! It pns to use her likeness to corrupt House Velno! We can't let her live!" he shouted, panic cing his voice as he positioned himself protectively in front of the mayor, ready to defend against what he believed was a deadly threat.

  'Gabriel thinks I'm the insane one? It's unbelievable! He’s the one who aligned himself with the Mayor to commit unspeakable acts against the innocent. It was he who twisted the presence of the Demon Lord into an excuse for a massacre... Chase? He posed no threat to our vilge! No, it was those men, driven by their own dark ambitions, who are truly guilty! They’re far more dangerous than any demon! But wait—are humans really worse than demons? No, it can’t be that simple... Not all of them are vile. It's only this wretched group that has chosen a path steeped in evil,' Lai mused, her thoughts spiraling in frustration.

  "Your deceit won't protect you today, traitors!" Lai's voice rang out, ced with fury.

  "Silence! Men, CHARGE!" the Sheriff bellowed, his command igniting a wave of reckless resolve as his crew surged toward the fierce red-haired succubus.

  But Lai stood firm, her determination unwavering. She felt the weight of justice on her shoulders, knowing these men were stained with the sins of their crimes against the people of Delinora. There would be no mercy for those who had wronged the innocent.

  "Come and meet your fate," Lai said coldly as her aura fred up. She rushed to the closest soldier and cut him down with one ssh.

  "Argh!" the guard groaned as he colpsed onto the ground and bled out.

  "Shit! She's fast and strong! Kill her! Now!" Gabriel commanded, his tone sharp and urgent as his eyes followed Lai's every movement.

  A few of the guards tried to get her with a dagger from behind, but the succubus's keen senses caught the scent of their treachery. She turned, sshing one of them across the chest and knocking him to the ground.

  "Gah!" the guard yelled in pain, his hands clutching his wounds.

  The others faltered as they witnessed the ease with which she had disposed of her enemies, their fear mounting at the realization that she wasn't going down easily.

  "Stop staring at her and KILL HER!" Gabriel bellowed, his face flushed with anger as he desperately attempted to rouse his men's confidence.

  "Y-Yes, sir! Forgive us, sir!" the guards responded in unison, their voices ced with panic.

  They all charged towards Lai. Some of the soldiers tried to get her from behind, but the succubus dodged their clumsy blows with ease.

  "I will avenge the fallen!" Lai said as she prepared for the onsught. She's never been able to take on so many men in the past, but her new strength and speed gave her the confidence she needed.

  "CRAP! Watch her bde!... I'll take the front. You guys get the back. GO!" Sheriff Gabriel commanded as he rushed forward, his sword drawn, its bde glistening in the moonlight.

  The other guards scrambled to follow his order, their movements frantic as they desperately tried to stay ahead of the deadly succubus.

  "Right."

  "Understood."

  "Okay," yelled six of the men as they took their positions, surrounding Lai.

  Sheriff Gabriel advanced on Lai, his movements swift and graceful.

  "Let's see how good you really are, 'Demon Lord'," he growled, his eyes alight with a dangerous gleam.

  *CLING! CLANG! CLING!!!*

  Metal cshed against metal, the sounds reverberating throughout the deck, punctuated by the grunts and groans of the two fighters. The other guards watched in awe, their fear and anticipation palpable as they waited for the battle's outcome.

  "Tsk! You are all disgraceful! You're nothing but a bunch of cowards!" Lai roared out as a soldier tried to backstab her, only for her to spin out of the way of his bde and guide it into a different opponent, leaving the second man wide open and stunned, which she took advantage of by thrusting her bde through his heart.

  "Ahhhh!" the man cried out as he colpsed, clutching his chest, his eyes gzing over as the light faded from them.

  'These bastards think they're going to defeat me with their dirty tricks?! They're wrong. I will not lose! I will avenge the fallen!' Lai thought as her aura fred, her conviction resolute.

  Sheriff Gabriel watched in horror as his men fell, one after another.

  "Cowards!? She's starting to piss me off! Kill her already!" he growled, his fury evident as his eyes bore into his men.

  "Y-Yes, sir! We'll kill her, sir!" the men shouted, their voices a mixture of fear and resolve as five men charged at her all at once.

  *SLASH! SLASH! CLANG! SWISH! CLING!*

  Bdes collided, their metal singing through the night's chill air, accompanied by the heavy breathing of the men, their exertion clear as they struggled to keep pace with the succubus.

  "Tsk!" Lai hissed as she ducked under a swing aimed at her head, spinning and delivering a fatal blow to her assaint's stomach.

  "GAH!" the guard cried out as he crumpled, his body writhing in pain.

  Lai was able to gracefully move her body around, almost like a breakdancer. She bobbed and waved around as she used her sword to tangle up the men's swords. Her moves were fast and precise, her skill on full dispy as she easily parried and dodged their attacks.

  "She's good," Sheriff Gabriel growled, his frustration mounting as he watched his men fall, one after another.

  At some point, Lai started to realize something during the uneven battle, 'It's like I'm dancing! It's like I'm not even trying! I have no fear, and I'm not hesitating. This is what Master Dougs was talking about not allowing fear to guide your actions and not being afraid to take action when the moment calls for it. He would be proud.'

  Master Dougs was her old mentor at the academy, who had taught her everything he knew about combat. He had been a strict but loving teacher, pushing her to her limits and encouraging her to overcome her fears. Lai remembered when he had told her that if she were to become a knight, she would have to conquer her fears against the monsters of the world. She had scoffed at the notion, thinking it absurd that she would ever be brave enough to face such a challenge, but now here she was, facing off against a group of murderous thugs like a true knight.

  Lai couldn't believe how good and natural her body felt as it flowed with the movements. It was like the bde was an extension of her arm. She was no longer just fighting for her life, but she was dancing.

  "Haaaahhh!" she screamed out, her cry echoing across the deck, filled with a ferocity that sent a chill down the spines of her opponents.

  The Sheriff watched with trepidation as his remaining men fell, their bodies colpsing in a heap. The st two soldiers went after her at the same time, hoping to catch her off guard.

  "Haha! This is the end for you, 'Demon Lord'!" Sheriff Gabriel taunted as he watched the succubus fend off his two men.

  "Die, you snake!" roared the first soldier as he thrust his sword towards her, only for the succubus to dodge the bde, spin, and use the momentum to smash the pommel of her sword against a soldier's head.

  "Gah!" the soldier dropped his sword and clutched his bleeding nose.

  "You call me a snake when it is you who abandons your duty! You are the ones who need to be judged," Lai shouted out in defiance as she spun around and sliced the throat of the soldier standing next to her.

  The st soldier stumbled back, his hands shaking as he looked upon his fallen comrades, their bodies crumpled on the ground, their lifeblood seeping into the deck's wood.

  "I-I'll avenge my fallen brothers! Arrrggghhhhh!" the soldier roared as he charged forward, his sword raised high above his head.

  "Your fallen brothers were traitors who deserved no mercy! Your fate is sealed," Lai yelled back as she sidestepped the soldier's wild swing, spun, and cut off his head.

  "Urgh!" the headless corpse cried out as it fell, blood gushing from the severed neck.

  Sheriff Gabriel stood frozen in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief as he watched the st soldier's body colpse, his lifeless eyes staring up at the night sky.

  "Impossible..." the sheriff gasped, his voice trailing off as he gazed upon the fallen men, his disbelief shifting to anger as his hands tightened around his sword's hilt, his knuckles turning white.

  Lai stepped forward, her aura fring as her eyes locked onto her target. Her gaze was unwavering, she readied herself for the final confrontation.

  'Sheriff Gabriel! He is so spineless. How can he sleep at night knowing he murdered his own people?' Lai thought as her disgust grew.

  Gabriel cast aside his fears as the truth hit him like a thunderbolt: the seductive figure before him was none other than Lai. Her self-righteousness and relentless gossip had always rubbed him the wrong way, igniting a fierce desire to see her gone. So when he found her bleeding out on the frigid cobblestones, an inexplicable thrill surged through him; he had never felt happier. But fate had different pns. Against all odds, she clung to life, emerging from the shadows of death transformed into a powerful succubus.

  'Of fucking course, Lai Velno somehow comes back from the dead as a Gods damned succubus! And this self-righteous bitch is so fucking stubborn that her soul hasn't changed one damn bit! But now I know it's her, and I think I can kill her once and for all.' He thought as he held his sword out and positioned his body defensively, ready to face Lai's wrath.