Chapter 73: A Stubborn Vina

Chapter 73: A Stubborn Vina"She’s ready," Teemah said, her voice low and smooth as silk.

Daniel stood still, hands in his coat pockets, his eyes fixed on the glittering city below. The cool night wind brushed against his silver hair, but he didn’t flinch.

"Where is she now?" he asked, calm and steady, without even turning around.

"On her way to enact her wrath on Lucifer," Teemah replied with a sly smirk.

Daniel let out a small chuckle, then shook his head slowly. "She always was dramatic."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes now raised to the moon hanging high above the skyline.

"I sense two shadow demons hiding in this realm," he said. "Bring them to me."

Teemah’s brow lifted slightly. "You sure? They’re slippery, even for me."

Daniel’s voice was cold. "They reek of her. Time to clean up Mother’s trashes."

Teemah gave a playful scoff. "Tch. Always cleaning up after the old ones... Fine."

She unfolded her wings, the thin membrane shimmering in the moonlight. "I’ll be back before the city wakes up."



With a graceful leap from the balcony, Teemah soared into the sky, her silhouette cutting through the clouds like a shadow on fire.

Daniel stayed where he was, eyes now locked on the moon, its pale light casting sharp lines across his face.

He muttered to himself, almost too quiet to hear—

"...Let’s see how long the pieces stay on the board this time."

Campus Ground

The campus grounds buzzed with faint laughter and distant chatter, but on the sports field, it was just Vina—legs moving fast, breath steady—as she ran lap after lap.

Not far from the track, Rey sat cross-legged under a tree, headphones in, eyes half-closed. Watching. Waiting.

Then—

BOOM.

The sky split with a deafening roar.

Students froze mid-step. A blur tore through the clouds, streaking down like a falling comet. It hit the field with a thunderous crash, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Smoke billowed from the crater.

Out of the haze, a figure strolled out with that trademark smugness—

Teemah.

Long coat fluttering, eyes glowing faintly. She grinned.

"Hello kids," she said sweetly. "Miss me?"

Vina stopped dead in her tracks, eyes locked on the woman. In a blink, her body dissolved into shadow, reforming instantly in front of her brother, shielding him.

"What are you doing here, Teemah?" Vina said sharply. "You know the rules. High-ranking demons aren’t allowed in the mortal realm."

Teemah tilted her head, that grin widening. "High-ranking demons aren’t allowed?" she echoed mockingly. "Then what does that make you, Vina? A low-rank grunt?"

Before Vina could bite back, Teemah held up a hand.

"Relax," she said. "I’m not here to start anything... yet. I’m here with a message. Lord Daniel wants to see you. Both of you."

Vina didn’t flinch. "We’re in the middle of a mission. We don’t answer to him. We answer to the Queen. He can wait."

Teemah laughed—a cruel, melodic sound that made a few students nearby instinctively back away.

"You’re really that bold now, huh?" she said, eyes narrowing. "You forget Daniel isn’t just some Demon King. He’s the Prince. He doesn’t wait. When he calls, you move."

Her voice dropped slightly, and even the air around them felt heavier. "Unless you want him to come get you himself."



Vina grimaced. That wasn’t an empty threat. She knew what Daniel was capable of.

Before she could respond, Rey stood and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let’s just go," he said quietly. "We’ll be back soon and finish the mission."

The air was thick now—charged with tension.

Teemah stood with her hands on her hips, wings half-unfurled, grinning like the villain at the end of a stage play. The smoke from her landing still curled behind her like a living shadow.

Rey gently tugged at Vina’s arm. "Let’s just go, Vina. We’ll explain later."

But Vina didn’t budge.

She stepped forward, her eyes narrowed, shadows swirling around her feet like mist. "No. I said we’re not going."

Teemah’s grin didn’t fade—it only sharpened.

"Oh? Are you sure you want to do this here? In front of your precious brother?" she said, tilting her head, voice teasing but dangerous.

Vina raised her hand slowly, and in a blink, a jagged blade of condensed shadow formed in her grip. "If Daniel wants us so badly, he can come himself."

Teemah’s eyes flared red for just a second.

"Tch. Stubborn little brat."

Without warning, she lunged forward.

The ground cracked under her feet, and before Rey could blink, Teemah’s clawed hand was already swinging toward Vina’s face—but Vina vanished into shadow just in time, reappearing above her and slamming her foot down.

Boom!

Teemah blocked with her forearm, skidding back through the dirt, her heels carving lines into the ground.

Students screamed in the distance as the shockwaves rippled across the field.

Rey stood frozen for a moment before snapping out of it and raising a protective barrier around the nearby crowd.

"Why are you fighting me, Vina?!" Teemah laughed, licking a trickle of blood from her lip. "Are you really that ready to betray the Realm?"

"I’m not betraying anyone," Vina snapped, landing on her feet, her blade dripping with shadow. "But if you think I’ll let you drag us away like dogs, think again."

Teemah’s smile faded.

Her wings spread wide with a bone-snapping crack, and her aura flared—dark, suffocating.

"Fine then," she growled. "Let’s see how long that pride of yours lasts."



The wind howled as the two demons clashed again, Vina’s shadow trails weaving through the sky while Teemah’s flame-tipped claws lit up the air like comets.

And Rey... just stood there, fists clenched, torn between stopping them—or choosing a side.

Elsewhere

"This spot should work," Remu muttered, eyes scanning the wide, empty field stretched out before her—no houses, no people, no noise. Just silence and space. Perfect.

She reached into her cloak and pulled out the dark grimoire Teemah had handed her. The cover pulsed faintly, almost like it was breathing.

The wind around her shifted as she began to chant in an old, forgotten tongue. Her voice echoed unnaturally, each word bending the air, warping reality.

A dark glow spread from her feet, forming a wide circle of glyphs that hummed with power.

One by one, invisible threads shot out, seeking their targets.

She wasn’t just summoning them.

She was pulling them into her own world. A pocket dimension.

One way in. No way out.

Unless she allowed it.