Despite shutting Dianthus up, Velvet was aware that him bothering the Deriliam enough for it to rush and skip most of its plan’s preparations was a blessing in disguise.

  Because rushed meant incomplete; proner to neglect details that, with precise poking, could become crumbling mistakes.

  Like the fact that now, the Deriliam was no longer syphoning Dianthus blood. Whatever the way, shape or form it tried to use to hunt them down, it no longer had access to the Chosen One’s power.

  Of course, she wouldn’t admit so to Dianthus. He didn’t need anyone else’s help but his for that own ego-boosting, after all.

  Since the Deriliam started by draining Dianthus’s blood, it should be assumed that its “Vessel” can’t regenerate on its own. Or, at least not endlessly. It didn’t manage to take that much from him, since he’s stubborn as a mule and can’t take a loss. Velvet thought.

  And, after reaching those conclusions, she began setting her plan into motion.

  First, Velvet checked where Frenese was.

  After getting unsealed and making a flesh pool for the mermaid, the Devil had gone on his merry way, leaving a trail of organs and guts on his path. But now, in case Velvet needed his help, she needed to know his exact location.

  So she reached into her Devil’s Deal, using the link between them to try and connect their minds.

  It was… different from Hyde. More… fanged, digging into the connection like a fish lunged at the smaller one who swam next to its hideout.

  It was instantaneous, startling her enough to jolt while she walked, making her almost trip with the dead roots protruding from the ground, yet painless, not even close to trigger the Devil’s Deal terms, which would force retribution.

  But, the connection was made, and she soon found the Gluttony Devil. Not too far away, yet neither close in a way that could be considered reachable.

  “Frenese.” She began sending to the Devil. “Why are you… How did you cross into the Material Realm?”

  Devils, and demons, were unable to cross Realms on their own. They could bring pieces of Hell into the Realm where they stood, but not make their own portals to cross them. That’s why mages had to enter the Hell Realm before taking a demon out using a flesh portal, instead of demons walking out on their own.

  It… would be a mess, if beings like Frenese could freely walk out of Hell when they felt peckish. So they had rules imposed by their creator, the Father of Devils, Andras Apolyon.

  Rules that made it impossible for them to make anything that could allow crossing Realms without outside help. Non-demonic outside help. The complete opposite of fairies, who crossed Realms like no one’s business.

  Now, Frenese hadn’t left the pocket dimension, no. He simply had wandered to the other side, something he couldn’t possibly have done alone.

  “I chased down the creature from the Predator Paradigm we met previously.” Frenese answered, in a subtle, bothered tone. “As I was about to feast, its flesh became a portal.”

  Oh. Velvet rubbed at her temples, more or less expecting to know the reason.

  “Did you kill it?”

  “I did. And then it went back to life.”

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  Well, that confirmed her suspicion, and answered where did the Deriliam put Dianthus’ blood.

  And itself, or its consciousness.

  Since the “Vessel” ended up being the same beast she met before, some of the knowledge obtained previously from it remained useful.

  From the Predator Paradigm, shaped like a wolf with long, thin legs and short black hair. It had hunted her down using thermal vision.

  … That explained one of the reasons why Frenese had left so many working organs around. Aside from keeping the pocket dimension estable, it also helped him disorient the other wolf to hunt it down.

  Of course, now that it was pretty much possessed by the Deriliam called Father of Curses, some of that information was liable to be outdated soon.

  “You can’t cross the Realms and finish it off, right?” Frenese was her biggest card dammit! And that was exactly why the Deriliam removed him from the premises first.

  “Make me a flesh portal.” Frenese said. “You possess both the skin of the Goddess of Death and the knowledge of having seen one created.”

  Yes, she did. Despite using the discarded skin as a makeshift bag for the Chained Man’s flesh, it didn’t change that it was a piece of a deity, and so, held some remains of the pertinent Authority.

  She could use it to open a portal from the Death Realm to the Material Realm, allowing Frenese to cross back and help her.

  But she didn’t have enough magic to do it.

  And not the tethering and lighty crossing the maximum amount of miasma her body could take, but crossing it far enough to assuredly cause corruption.

  Yes, she could hand the skin bag over to Dianthus, but there was no way she would do so! What if he refused to give it back? What if he both refused to give it back and was unable to follow the steps to make a portal?

  What if he ate it?

  There was no way to describe how invaluable, how irreplaceable and how extraordinary both the bag and its contents were. Any thought or idea about giving them away to anyone that wasn’t the Director was absolutely rejected.

  “I will try.” She didn’t reject the idea, not wanting to disappoint the now slightly cooperative Devil (mostly out of gluttony). “For now we are moving to modify the pocket dimension’s formation. We can cast out the Deriliam like that.”

  But no use trying to play independently. So, she sent a hook to bait Frenese to continue.

  “If I open a portal for you, it’ll be there.”

  “Very well.”

  Line.

  “Did the monster change upon being revived by the Deriliam?”

  Silence followed.

  C’mon… “I don’t have it’s True Name, but I know it’s the Father of Curses, creator of vampires, werewolves and the like.” She added, intending to prove that she wasn’t unaware of the being hunting them.

  “Hm.”

  C’mooooooon…

  “A werewolf.” Frenese finally said.

  And sinker!

  Refraining herself from jumping on the spot, she maintained her composure. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Then, finally giving the conversation for finished, she cut the connection, turning to face Dianthus. They hadn’t stopped walking, and he had been busy checking their surroundings while Velvet spoke with Frenese.

  “The Deriliam took over a wolf beast we met before.” Velvet started. “Predator Paradigm, but I don’t know if getting turned into a werewolf changed that.” Paradigms belonged to a different Deriliam, after all. “Maybe added weakness to silver, I suppose.”

  Dianthus pondered for a moment, or, at least seemed to, before opening his mouth. “A wolf werewolf? How does that work?”

  Velvet thought about it… did the Deriliam pick a werewolf because it saw two wolves fighting? That would mean it truly was impulsive… Could she abuse that? “Maybe it’s just more wolf per wolf.”

  “So, a wererewolf or a werewolwolf? Does that make Frenese a werererewolf?”

  “Frenese is not a lycantrophe, it’s a Devil.” Velvet corrected, before adding. “The term would be wowowolf.”