The footsteps drew closer to the source of the music…
The melodies were soft, sweet—like the song of a bird that had overdosed on forbidden substances.
And then, suddenly...
A green clearing appeared before them, shrouded in mist, scattered with tiny fairies flitting about on gossamer wings that shimmered in the light.
But...
---
Alan (leaping excitedly):
"Awwww look! Tiny fairy girls! This must be the cutest ambush in history!"
---
Kira (hand on her sword):
"Those eyes... they're not right. They're too wide. Too... hungry."
---
Lythia (whispering):
"Oh… they're Melodarks. This isn't music—it's a spell. They're baiting prey."
---
The fairies hovered slowly, their wings glinting with a soft shimmer.
Their eyes glowed a deep crimson, and their lips curled into smiles… except they weren't smiles—they were veiled threats.
One fairy drifted toward Alan, fluttering in front of his face.
She tilted her tiny head and cooed:
---
Fairy (in a delicate voice):
"Would you like to dance... forever?"
---
Alan (staring dumbly):
"I mean… I do have the moves."
---
Gargroth (smacking the back of his head):
"Focus, idiot! They're trying to trap your soul!"
---
Suddenly, the music intensified.
The air thickened...
The fairies' wings emitted a low, vibrating hum, and their red eyes flared with intensity.
Then—
One of them raised a tiny hand and pointed at Kira.
---
Fairy Queen:
"Take the cat one. Her dreams are tasty."
---
Kira instantly drew her sword, but the fairies numbered in the hundreds!
And in one swift moment...
They were surrounded by a dark magical aura, and the fairies launched a coordinated attack!
---
Lythia:
"I'll break the melody! Hold them off!"
Gargroth:
"Alan! Get weird! Confuse them!"
Alan (jumping and dancing absurdly while shouting):
"FLYING POTATOES AND GLITTER! CHAOS MODE ACTIVATE!"
---
And so began the strangest battle yet:
Wicked fairies, enchanted music, and one man dancing like a lunatic through it all.
---
Amid the chaos of magic, screams, and Alan's deranged interpretive dance,
Lythia sat on a smooth rock at the edge of the clearing,
Pulled a shiny red apple from her pocket,
And began eating it slowly.
---
Lythia (biting into the apple):
"Ahhh… chaos, glitter, and idiocy. Breakfast of champions."
---
The fairies hovered around her—but the moment one got close, it shivered violently,
Backing away while screaming in an ancient tongue.
---
Fairy (terrified whisper):
"She's not prey… she's a demon. The corrupted flame!"
---
Lythia smiled sweetly and wagged a finger at the fairy like she was scolding a child.
---
Lythia (playfully):
"Now now, don't stare. I bite back."
---
At that moment,
Gargroth was going berserk as usual,
Kira dashed between attacks, slicing in vain,
While Alan…
Well, Alan was now shirtless—his jacket stolen by fairies—
And sprinting frantically after them.
---
Alan:
"THAT WAS MY FAVORITE JACKET! BRING IT BACK YOU PIXIE THIEVES!"
---
As another group of fairies approached Lythia again,
She casually raised her hand.
A small violet fireball bloomed on her fingertips…
Not a threat—just a toy.
---
Lythia (with icy calm):
"You touch me... you burn."
---
The fairies recoiled instantly, one of them shrieking:
---
Fairy Leader:
"Her aura! It poisons harmony!"
---
By then, Lythia had finished her apple.
She tossed the core—
It hit a fairy square in the forehead, knocking her out instantly.
---
Lythia (sighing with boredom):
"Fine, I'll help… this got boring."
---
The ground beneath her feet trembled faintly,
Runes appeared, glowing in a circle,
As a massive spell began to gather.
---
Alan (staring in awe):
"Wait… are you gonna nuke the fairies!?"
---
Lythia (with a serene smile):
"No. I'm gonna remix their song."
---
And just like that… the battle truly began to shift.
Lythia's magic surged, distorting the harmony of the melody—
Unleashing a new kind of chaos.
Her spell expanded like a giant network of pulsing violet shadows,
Beating like a mocking heart,
Swallowing the sky, the trees, the stones—
Even the shimmering fairy wings.
And suddenly… the music stopped.
---
Fairy Leader (screaming):
"No! Our chorus! The harmony is… broken!"
---
Lythia (arms outstretched like she's on stage):
"Silence is golden, darlings."
---
The fairies convulsed in midair and dropped like puppets,
Their sound-magic entirely stripped away.
Alan stood tall once again—jacket recovered, holding it with triumphant pride.
---
Alan:
"YES! THE JACKET RETURNS TO ITS RIGHTFUL OWNER!"
---
Gargroth seized the opportunity, smashing fairies like crystal bottles:
---
Gargroth (howling with laughter):
"CRUSH! SHATTER! POP! HAHAHA!!"
---
Kira transformed—like a combat werecat:
Blinding speed, gleaming blade, deadly precision.
---
Kira (slashing off a fairy's wing):
"Don't flutter around me unless you wanna get declawed."
---
Alan (approaching Lythia):
"Okay I gotta admit… you made this entire massacre gorgeous."
---
Lythia (blowing on her nails):
"I don't do ugly."
---
Then, the last fairy dropped unconscious.
The battlefield fell silent—
Smelling faintly of burnt magic… and crushed fairy pride.
---
Alan (wide-eyed):
"Wait… did we just… win a war against tiny flying opera singers?"
---
Gargroth (puffing his chest):
"Glorious victory! Add it to my legend!"
---
Kira (cleaning her blade):
"Just don't make me fight singing bugs again."
---
Now, after this bizarre triumph, the trio—and their sarcastic demoness companion—
Set off once more on a journey that was barely halfway done.
But as we know…
The calm after the storm often hides a greater one ahead.
---
Beneath a blazing sun, trudging a winding muddy path,
Alan walked behind the group, raising his hand as if staging a protest.
---
Alan (whining dramatically):
"I AM the commander of this cursed mission! Why am I walking in the back?! This is unfair! I demand a throne!"
---
Kira (coldly, without turning):
"Because no one wants to hear you cry about the mud."
---
Gargroth (laughing loudly):
"If he keeps whining, I'll crown him with a rock!"
Alan (stumbling over a tiny rock):
"Oh come on! That rock tried to assassinate me!"
Lythia (biting into an apple):
"Even rocks can't stand your voice, darling."
---
Suddenly, Alan stood tall and waved his hand like he was at a press conference.
Alan (in an official tone):
"As the noble, dashing, unbreakable, and totally underappreciated commander of this noble quest, I hereby declare… I'm tired."
Kira (nonchalantly):
"And I hereby declare you a whiny brat."
---
Gargroth (mocking):
"Want me to carry you, commander? I could throw you like a javelin!"
Alan (fearfully):
"No throwing! I still have bruises from last time!"
---
The four continued their journey amid laughter and bickering.
The road seemed endless, but their chaotic spirit kept them alive.
Eventually, Lythia sighed.
Lythia:
"You know... this is starting to feel like a comedy road trip through hell."
---
They all stopped when Lythia suddenly halted, turning to them with that familiar mischievous grin that always meant trouble.
Lythia (raising an eyebrow):
"Okay everyone, I have a shortcut. A magical one. I can teleport us straight to the Demon King's fortress."
A moment of stunned silence.
---
Alan (eyes wide):
"WAIT, YOU COULD DO THAT THIS WHOLE TIME?!"
Lythia (calmly inspecting her nails):
"Well, walking is fun... sometimes."
Gargroth (pursing his lips):
"You mean we could've skipped the poisonous swamp, the angry trees, and those cursed fairies?!"
Kira (hand on her sword):
"I vote we stab her... just once."
---
Alan (resigned):
"No no no, we don't stab the teleporting demon... we hug her, love her, and BEG HER TO USE THAT MAGIC!"
Lythia (soft chuckle):
"That's more like it, Alan."
---
Gargroth:
"What's the catch, demon girl? There's always a catch."
Lythia (winking):
"Well, the spell might disorient your stomach... or turn Alan into a chicken for five minutes."
Alan (shivering):
"Wait… what?! Don't make me cluck!"
---
Kira:
"I'm okay with the chicken thing."
Gargroth:
"Can I eat him if he does?"
Lythia:
"Only if you catch him."
---
A brief pause as everyone stared at each other.
Alan (raising his hand quickly):
"Alright! Fine! Chicken or not, I vote YES! Let's go!"
Lythia (smiling):
"Then get ready… this might tingle a little."
The spell began to glow, wind swirling like a soft magical vortex around them.
Lythia smirked and turned to Gargroth with a challenging look.
Lythia (confidently):
"Alright, the price for this magic ride is... Gargroth, you serve me as my personal servant for one whole month after we finish this mission."
Fury erupted on Gargroth's face.
---
Gargroth (angrily):
"A servant?! Me?! That's ridiculous! I'm not your lackey!"
Lythia (coolly):
"Oh, but you're the biggest, strongest one here, so it makes perfect sense."
Alan (laughing, stepping in):
"Wait, wait! If Gargroth refuses, I'll do it instead!"
Everyone exchanged surprised looks.
---
Lythia (grinning slyly):
"Alright, Alan, you can serve me too... but for two months."
Alan (dramatically sighing):
"Two months? Great, just great... I'll be the world's most loyal, longest-serving idiot."
---
Gargroth (glancing at Alan, unimpressed):
"Looks like you just volunteered for double trouble, Alan."
Alan (with fake enthusiasm):
"Hey, someone's gotta do the dirty work! Plus, it's not like I have a choice."
---
Lythia quietly sat on a rock by the camp, pulling out an ancient necklace inscribed with glowing runes.
She extended her hand toward Alan, who looked utterly defeated.
---
Lythia (firmly, with a hint of mischief):
"Here it is, Alan. The binding contract of servitude. It binds your soul and body for two months, starting after our mission ends."
Alan (with an exaggerated sigh):
"Two months of servitude? Well, that's just peachy. I guess I'm officially someone's doormat now."
---
She handed him the contract. Alan pulled a worn-out pen from his pocket and dragged the nib across the parchment like he was signing away his life.
---
Lythia (smugly):
"The terms are strict, Alan. No escaping, no complaining, and absolute obedience."
Alan (groaning):
"Yeah, yeah... Got it. No escaping, no whining, and I'm a perfect servant. Got it."
---
Gargroth smirked and muttered:
Gargroth:
"Welcome to the club, Alan. I'll be your 'master' soon enough."
Alan (with a mournful sigh):
"Great... can't wait."
---
Lythia stood before the group, the servitude contract gleaming in her hand, her face cold and determined.
She turned slowly toward the remnants of the battlefield, her voice steady.
Lythia (in a chilling tone):
"All right, then. Here's the plan: since you two are clearly far below the required level for this mission—suicide, really—I'll use Alan's infinite regeneration as my insurance policy."
She placed her hand on the contract, her gaze sharp.
Lythia:
"I'll teleport us directly to the Demon King's fortress. Once we arrive, I will not intervene. You're on your own: the two of you versus the final boss. My part is done."
---
Gargroth stepped forward, his hammer gleaming in the early dawn light piercing through the treetops.
Gargroth:
"And you're sure this won't cost me an arm and a leg... this 'shortcut' of yours?"
---
Lythia smiled a chilling smile, as if mocking his justifications:
Lythia: "Don't worry. As long as Alan's body parts are expendable, my investment carries no risk. His regenerative abilities render death irrelevant—so my payment won't be squandered."
Kira felt a cold shiver run down her spine upon hearing those words, but she quickly responded with firm resolve:
Kira: "Fine. We'll play your twisted little game. But if either of us dies, you'd better make sure we're returned in one piece."
Lythia glanced at Kira, then at Gargroth, before raising her hand and tracing glowing symbols into the air:
Lythia: "Agreed. Your survival is neither my concern nor my responsibility. I'm not here to babysit—you'll face that monster on your own."
Magic circles began to shimmer around them, the ground beneath their feet trembling lightly just as the campfires extinguished in a single flash. A cold gust swept through the area, and a faint violet glow enveloped the group.
Alan (in a quiet yet eager voice): "Here we go... don't hold back, either of you."
Gargroth turned to Kira with a grin:
Gargroth: "Let's finish this and take our lives back."
In an instant, the arrows of light vanished, and they found themselves in an entirely different place—before them loomed a massive gate of bones, a rotating metal cage above which perched a terrifying statue of a Demon King crowned with burning horns.
In the crushing silence, it became clear: their journey had reached its climax. An appointment with the inevitable. A mission they had been thrust into without hope... and yet fate had drawn them together here—at the gates of Hell.
---
To be continued…