After checking on Lily, I turned and headed toward Ona and Wuluwu. Their battle was far more intense than Lily’s—violent magical surges and earth-shattering crashes echoed constantly, proof of their fierce combat prowess.
I soon reached their position. Just as I’d planned: Lily had engaged the Champion, while Ona and Wuluwu faced the rest.
A Sun Elf, a burly warrior, a female spellcaster, and several elite fighters surrounded Ona and Wuluwu. Their attacks focused most fiercely on Ona—her aura radiated high-tier Abyssal energy. Black flames, symbols of Demon Power, coiled around her body.
Ona, Wuluwu, and Lily still wore the Maid Outfits I’d given them. Though I trusted the fabric’s durability, it offered little defense against blades. Yet none of them showed fear. Their confidence in their own strength was absolute.
Ona danced among the warriors, dodging every strike with acrobatic flips. Her skirt fluttered, revealing glimpses beneath—but the Demon cared not. Several young men froze, distracted by the sight. One light punch from her sent them flying dozens of meters, collapsing unconscious. After Ona knocked out over ten distracted fighters, the rest dared not glance away. They fixated on her movements, praying she wouldn’t unleash that terrifying strength on them.
"Ah ha, humans!" Ona’s lips curled into a taunting smirk. "Is this all you’ve got? I haven’t even broken a sweat!" Even the strongest warrior among them sweated coldly, too terrified to retort.
Strange how such a delicate-looking girl wielded monstrous strength—but then, she carried the blood of the Great Demon Ouse.
While Ona toyed with her foes, Wuluwu faced the Sun Elf and the female spellcaster. Magical shields and intricate arrays orbited her. She calmly read spells from a grimoire, casting attacks without glancing at the battlefield. The Elf and human mage scrambled to counter her relentless barrage. Their rare counterattacks shattered harmlessly against her shields, not even causing a ripple.
"Why, Princess?!" the Sun Elf roared, straining against Wuluwu’s magic. "Why are you here?!" He seemed to recognize her. Upon closer look, he bore faint Sun Elf traits—his strength and familiarity made sense.
Wuluwu finally looked up, expressionless. "Who are you? And why I’m here… shouldn’t that be obvious? Also, I’m no princess. I’m a Maid serving Dark Lord Xia."
The Elf froze, then hardened his gaze. "Princess! You needn’t sacrifice yourself for that rotten royal house! Nor wear such shameful clothing! Come with me—we’ll overthrow them!"
"...Hmph. With *you*?" Wuluwu sneered. "You can’t help me. Run while you can. You just insulted the wrong person."
As she spoke, I appeared behind the Elf with a faint smile.
"What did you say?" I asked. He whirled, shock flooding his face.
"You… Daytime Overlord Xia!"
"Me." My hand shot out, shattering his protective magic. I seized his throat. "You called my carefully designed, adorable Maid Outfit ‘shameful’? Insulting my aesthetic sense? You’ve grown tired of life."
I hurled him like trash. He crashed through countless tents before vanishing.
"Mistress." Wuluwu bowed slightly as I approached. The human mage gaped, frozen. The others stood paralyzed.
"Dark Lord~ All done?" Ona skipped to my side, nuzzling close. The fighters gasped for breath but didn’t dare move.
"Mm. Finished." I scratched Ona’s cheek like a pet, then swept the crowd with a disdainful glance. "Tsk. If you can’t even beat my girls, how did you plan to take my head? Pathetic."
I strode to Wuluwu and swept her into my arms. "Good work distracting them. Time to rest." Lily appeared beside me with Hawthorn.
"Go home," I called over my shoulder. "If you value your lives… retreat. You’re far too weak."
With that, I vanished with my Maids, leaving the soldiers in stunned silence.
