Celestine Lucross woke up suddenly, covered in cold sweat. She wiped the drops from her forehead with a trembling hand, her face pale. A maid ran up to her, her eyes worried, but Celestine forced a smile and said softly:
"It's all right. Prepare the bath."
The maid bowed and hurried to do as she was asked. Left alone, Celestine thought. How had it all come to this? Her feud with Olga, which had lasted for decades, seemed to never end. Maia, one of her knight princesses, offered to hire a group of mercenaries led by Volt to deal with Olga. Celestine didn't have much hope for them – how many such squads had already sunk into oblivion? Hundreds? She lost count. But, shrugging her shoulders, she agreed. If they won, she would breathe a sigh of relief, and they would be immortalized as heroes. If not, no great loss.
At the general meeting, everyone supported the plan, but Celestine noticed how Maia was casting strange glances at Volt's back. Was it a premonition? She brushed the thought aside, but now, in the quiet of the night, doubts tormented her.
Celestine stepped into the hall, where a large bath was already prepared. Immersing herself in the warm water, she watched as the maids gathered her things. Her golden hair flowed over her shoulders, reflecting the light, and the lush forms and chiseled waist of an elf could drive any man crazy. Her breasts, swaying in the water, attracted the gaze. Usually she allowed the maids to help, but today she preferred solitude. Her hands slid over her body, carefully washing the skin. Her fingers touched her breasts, lightly touching her nipples, and she involuntarily moaned:
"Mm…"
A slight heat ran through her body. Her fingers froze on her lower lips, and a current of pleasure made her shudder. At first timidly, afraid of her own feelings, she began to move her hand, touching more and more boldly. A tingling sensation spread throughout her body, and Celestine threw her head back without noticing, uttering soft moans:
"Ah... Ha..."
The fingers sped up, the movements became rhythmic. She felt something approaching, a new, unknown feeling. Suddenly her body shuddered, and she cried out:
"A-a-ah!"
Her stomach arched forward, her feet rose, and moisture flowed out of her womb. Her body trembled, her chest heaved, beads of sweat ran down her tempting curves.
Celestine sank into the water, breathing heavily. Coming to her senses, she slowly rose. Her legs were shaking, and the maid, noticing her weakness, hurried to help. Wiping her mistress, she asked worriedly:
"What happened, my lady?"
Celestine smiled and stroked her head gently, causing her to blush.
"Nothing to worry about. I was just taking a while in the bathroom," she replied, her voice warm but firm. "Be careful, okay?"
The maid nodded, and soon Celestine was dressed in her white attire. The translucent fabric barely hid her charms, emphasizing every curve of her body. She walked through the corridors, lost in thought. The nightmares that had begun to torment her after Volt's group left were not just dreams. In visions, she saw the coming atrocities that Volt was going to commit. The thought alone made her sick. Were he and his people even greater monsters than Olga? Celestine, who had always believed in protecting people from the threat of Olga, now had her doubts.
Was it worth saving them?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she reached the great hall. Opening the double doors, Celestine entered. Her princess knights - her support and support - had already gathered. Their faces, full of determination but also anxiety, greeted her. Maia, as always impatient, propped her chest with her hands and blurted out:
"Why are we here?"
Alicia, frowning, threw her an irritated look.
"Be polite! Wait for Lady Celestine!" she exclaimed indignantly.
Maia shrugged indifferently. Claudia also looked at her reproachfully, and the other knights threw displeased glances. Maia hissed:
"Prudes! Everyone is so correct and colorful, it makes me sick. You, especially Alicia, clearly lack men!"
Alicia flushed with anger and embarrassment, clenching her fists and reaching for her sword. Celestine raised her hand, her voice calm but commanding.
"Enough. This is no time to quarrel."
Alicia lowered her hand, still shooting Maia an irritated look. Maia merely smirked. Celestine sighed to herself. Her gaze lingered on Maia. Had she been right to include her in the squad? Maiaa had insisted on hiring Volt, and now their mission was about to turn into a disaster. But Celestine pushed away her doubts. Maia, with her down-to-earth, ordinary-man-on-the-street perspective, saw the world differently. Perhaps her experience would still come in handy.
Celestine straightened, her golden hair glinting in the light of the hall. She looked around at the princess knights, her voice firm but with a note of concern.
"Everyone, I have gathered you to share some disturbing news. My visions have revealed a coming threat, not only from Olga, but from those we have entrusted to stop it. We must decide how to proceed. I trust your judgment. Speak."
The hall fell silent as Celestine spoke. Maia froze at her words, her eyes widening in shock and confusion. The other knights shared her confusion. Kaguya, an oriental beauty with pale skin, brown eyes, and short black hair adorned with a white ribbon, stepped forward. Her red kimono with long transparent shawls, white stockings and pink hakama emphasized her grace, and the decorative crown in the shape of the sun added to her majesty. In a cold tone, with an inscrutable face, she asked:
"What exactly did you mean, Lady Celestine? Can you share the details?"
The other knights nodded, waiting for an answer. Celestine, taking a deep breath, continued:
"The Volta group sent to Olga…" She paused, noticing how Maia's ears perked up. "They are the creations of evil, perhaps even worse than she is."
The hall gasped. Maia turned pale, her face contorted with disbelief. Luu-Luu, unable to restrain herself, screamed like a child:
"Bastards! Scoundrels! I knew I didn't like them! Scumbags!"
Her voice shook with indignation. Prim Fiorire gasped and gave her a stern look.
"Luu, don't you dare say that!" she said reproachfully, her stereotypical princess manner softening her tone. Smiling, she stroked Luu-Luu's head, causing her to lower her eyes guiltily.
Maia, usually sassy and sarcastic, frowned, feeling an unpleasant taste in her mouth. Alicia, not holding back her anger, exclaimed:
"I knew it! Those ragamuffins, those scum! They stared at us like lustful animals. How can such people be heroes?"
Claudia nodded, supporting her. Kaguya coldly agreed. Prim, looking at them with confusion, continued to pet little Luu-Lu, who did not reject her kindness. Celestine sighed heavily.
"My visions showed Volt's goal," her voice became darker. "He wants to create an empire where women will become slaves, ready to satisfy men at any time and in any place."
Dead silence. Even Prim, always smiling and understanding, widened her eyes, unable to comprehend what she heard. Maya, whose legs had given way, fell to her knees. A scream was pounding in her head: Volt, what are you doing?! Standing up, she asked decisively:
"How accurate are your visions?"
Celestine pursed her lips, her fingers involuntarily clenching.
"Fate is fickle, but Volt's line is clear. The probability is over eighty percent."
Alicia clenched her fists so hard that a crunch was heard. Claudia, frowning, acted as commander in chief:
"When should we prepare? How much time do we have?" her mind was already calculating provisions, soldiers, and traps.
Celestine bit her lip until it bled, not knowing the exact time frame. Prim, noticing this, came over and gently wiped her lips with a handkerchief. Celestine nodded gratefully. But before the conversation could continue, the world froze. A suffocating pressure fell on the hall. Everyone except Celestine collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Her body was enveloped in a golden aura, her eyes glowed brightly, her face became stern, losing its former naivety. Seeing the suffering of her allies, she expanded her aura, and the knights inhaled greedily, their lungs burning with pain.
Maia croaked, coughing:
"What was that?!"
Celestine, with an even darker look, replied:
"The Dragon of Calamity has awakened."
Everyone in the hall was surprised. She continued:
"It is a creature from mythical times, when gods walked the earth, and the Demon King was a danger. He was sealed at the cost of great sacrifices. Now he has returned. This could be the end of our world."
Luu Luu trembled, her eyes filled with tears. Whining like a child, she made everyone feel awkward. Prim said softly:
"Perhaps there is still a chance?"
Celestine wanted to answer, but her eyes flared brighter, golden rings appearing in the center of her pupils. Her consciousness was transported to the place where the dragon awakened. The black ooze was growing in terrifying proportions. Despair crept into her heart—this was the end. But suddenly she noticed a man with scarlet hair fluttering in the wind. His gaze, serious and majestic, radiated confidence.
Who is he? The Savior?
A dark scarlet glow appeared next to him, directed at the dragon. The beast roared, its anger intensifying. The man became more serious, and the world froze. In his place appeared... an entity, like a black hole, capable of absorbing everything. He launched a scarlet sphere, and the space was painted a bloody shade. Celestine closed her eyes. Opening her eyes, she gasped: in the place of the dragon, a bottomless funnel gaped, everything around was destroyed. The man descended, found the remains of the dragon - a tiny blot - and with grace worthy of the gods, sealed it in a magic cube.
Celestine breathed a sigh of relief, but the question tormented her:
Who is he?
His image was unfamiliar to her, but even the printed memories did not give an answer. The vision changed. She saw him with Olga. The dark elf looked at him differently - with warmth, so unusual for her nature. The frames sped up: they were in bed, their bodies intertwined. Celestine froze, her heart pounded, her breathing quickened. Olga made sounds that Celestine had never heard:
"Ha-a... o-o-o... deeper!"
"More! A-a-ah!" and the expression on her face, full of pleasure, broke Celestine's usual picture of the world.
She blushed, her ears flared up, a thin stream of blood flowed from her nose. There was a tingling sensation below, her legs involuntarily clenched, her hands reached for her womb, but she abruptly stopped herself. The knights' voices brought her back to reality:
"Mistress Celestine! Wake up!" Alicia screamed.
"Milady, what's wrong?!" Claudia echoed.
Celestine shook her head, interrupting the clairvoyance. Her face was burning, but she forced herself to straighten up.
"I'm... fine," she squeezed out, wiping the blood from her face. "It was... a vision. The Dragon of Calamity... and the man who stopped it."
The hall was in confusion. The princess knights, shocked again by Celestine's words, tried to comprehend what they had heard. Maia, as always impatient, exclaimed in her usual manner:
"Who stopped the Dragon of Calamity? Volt?"
She wanted to continue, but a sharp blow to the cheek made her fly to the side. Her head was spinning, blood appeared on her lips. In shock, she stared at Alicia, whose face was burning with anger.
"Shut up already!" Alice shouted, with a murderous look. "Your Volt is a bastard and a scoundrel! Don't you dare mention him!"
Maia flushed, gritting her teeth. Her hand reached for the daggers, and Alicia already had her sword at the ready. The tension was growing, but suddenly everyone was crushed by a suffocating pressure. The knights' legs buckled, they fell to their knees, gasping for breath. Celestine, whose eyes glowed gold, stood firm. Her voice thundered:
"Stop it! Maia, that's enough. Alicia, don't give in to your anger. We don't need any quarrels."
The pressure eased, and the knights inhaled greedily. Celestine continued, her tone darker:
"Volta's group has most likely been destroyed. I saw Olga with that man. She's not a prisoner. There are only traces of the mercenaries left."
Alicia smiled widely, as if she had been given the best birthday. Maia trembled, her eyes widening in disbelief. She couldn't understand it. She whispered:
"Volt... How could this be..."
Luu-Luu couldn't help herself and said sarcastically:
"Ha! I told you those dirty rats were good for nothing!" her voice rang with childish sarcasm.
Prim scowled and gently chided,
"Luu, don't say that!"
Kaguya, remaining distant, remained silent, her cold eyes watching the argument. Claudia, folding her arms and frowning, asked,
"Who is this man?"
Celestine shook her head, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"I don't know. But he's... close to Olga."
Her confusion caused the knights to become agitated again. Alicia flushed,
"If he's in league with Olga, he's an enemy!"
Prim gently touched her shoulder,
"Don't jump to conclusions, Alicia. Perhaps you're wrong?"
Alicia's expression softened, but she muttered,
"You always look for the good in people, Prim. But not everyone has it."
Kaguya nodded in confirmation. Luu-Luu, with childish naivety, squeaked:
"What if he is for justice? A good guy? He defeated the dragon!
Her words surprised everyone, making them think. Celestine sighed:
"We should find out more about him. Perhaps it is worth establishing contact. He could become an ally.
Claudia and Alicia frowned. Alicia asked sharply:
"And if not?"
Celestine's expression darkened:
"Then we've lost."
Her words hung in the air. The knights realized the scale of the threat, their faces darkened. Prim and Luu-Luu, not fully understanding, looked at each other in confusion. Maia, standing up, spat out blood, wiped her lips and said firmly:
"We need to figure it out. Ask him about everything."
The others nodded. Celestine rubbed her temples, her thoughts tormenting her. They didn't see what she saw — a scarlet essence capable of destroying the world. Words cannot express it. Sighing, she said:
"I'll send a messenger. We'll try to come to an agreement. Even if we have to make concessions... or sacrifices."
Her cheeks flushed, her breathing quickened. A vision of Olga came into her mind, her face full of pleasure, her cries of "Deeper! Aaaah!" Celestine clenched her fists, a trickle of blood flowed from her nose. She tried to wipe it away, but the knights' voices interrupted her thoughts:
"Mistress Celestine! What's wrong?!" Claudia shouted.
"My lady, are you all right?!" Alicia echoed.
Celestine shook her head, forcing herself to concentrate. Her heart was pounding. That scarlet man - who could he be? Olga, who was clearly happy. And perhaps... would join them?