Chapter 43: The Nest

Grace wasn’t too sure which was scarier. The fact that Morale was actively going down or the fact that killing these corrupted villagers got easier with each one she stabbed.

Morale: 50/100

[I didn’t even imagine it could go down.]

One bit of good news was that although Grace was the only one who could kill demons, anyone could break these corruption cores. So, Grace didn’t do too much of the stabbings. No, Diana was handling it, for the most part.

Before long, it was done. All the corrupted villagers were dead and even the demons watching them from afar had seemingly left the area.

Grace put her light blade away, sighing.

[… Well, there’s that, I guess.]

A notification suddenly appeared before her eyes:

「Quest Updated: Demon Extermination」

「Objective: Destroy the Demon Nest with Diana and Mara」

「Reward: +10 to Bravery, New Skill Unlock」

[Updated? A demon nest? That’s where all this is coming from?]

“We need to go to the nest,” Grace blurted out.

Diana, who had been cleaning random gunk off her daggers, looked up with a raised eyebrow.

“What nest?”

“The demon nest,” Grace said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Where else would all these corrupted villagers be coming from?”

Mara frowned.

“But if we leave the village, what if more demons attack while we’re gone?”

“They won’t,” Grace said with far more confidence than she actually felt.

[I mean, I think. Eternia wouldn’t give me a random quest that leaves the village undefended… right?]

“And you know this how, exactly?” Diana asked, crossing her arms.

Grace fidgeted.

“Just… a feeling? I think they were testing us. Now they’ll regroup.”

Diana and Mara exchanged looks.

“A feeling,” Diana repeated flatly.

“Yes!” Grace nodded vigorously. “Look, trust me! Sometimes I just… know things!”

Mara studied Grace’s face for a long moment, then shrugged.

“Well, I suppose it could be divine intuition.”

“Or maybe it’s the brain damage from dying,” Diana muttered.

Grace pouted.

“I didn’t get brain damage from dying!”

“That’s exactly what someone with brain damage would say.”

Mara cleared her throat.

“Either way, we should investigate this nest. If it exists, destroying it could prevent further attacks.”

Diana sighed dramatically.

“Fine. But if we get back and the village is overrun with demons, I’m blaming both of you. You’re gonna have to explain that to Celestia yourselves.”

—

The forest was eerily quiet as the three angels made their way through it. No birds singing, no small animals scurrying about. Even the insects seemed to have abandoned the area.

“This is creepy as hell,” Diana whispered, daggers already in hand.

“Do you have to complain about everything?” Grace whispered back.

“Yes,” Diana replied without hesitation. “It’s how I cope with the constant stupidity I find myself associated with.”

“Hey, I-”

Mara shushed them both.

“Focus. Grace, any sign of corruption?”

Grace activated her Aura Sight, scanning the area ahead. Blue-purple trails lit up through the trees, like veins running along the forest floor.

“This way,” she said, pointing.

They followed the corruption trails deeper into the forest. The trees grew thicker, more twisted, their bark blackened as if they’d been burned. The ground beneath their feet became spongy and unpleasant, squelching with each step.

The corruption trails grew thicker, brighter, until finally they led to a small clearing. Or what had once been a clearing. Now it was… something else entirely.

The area ahead was like something out of a nightmare. The trees had been twisted together to form a grotesque dome-like structure. Black, pulsating veins covered everything, connecting to what looked like misshapen cocoons hanging from the branches. The ground was a carpet of that same black slime, bubbling occasionally like boiling tar.

And there were people, corrupted villagers shuffling around like sleepwalkers, their eyes glowing with that now-familiar blue-purple light.

“Holy shit,” Diana breathed.

“Well, you wanted a nest,” Mara said, glancing at Grace. “I’d say this qualifies.”

Grace swallowed hard.

“There are so many of them.”

She counted at least thirty corrupted villagers moving around the structure. And among them, darker shapes prowled. Actual demons, five of them, their red eyes glowing in the dim light.

But what made all three angels freeze was the figure standing in the center of it all.

An angel. But not like any of them.

Her wings were gray instead of gold, her skin had an unhealthy pallor, and blue-purple corruption swirled just beneath the surface.

“A fallen angel,” Mara whispered, her voice tight with shock. “She’s… controlling them.”

“I thought The Veil just studied demons, or whatever,” Grace said. “Not… whatever this is.”

“That’s not a Veil member,” Diana replied grimly. “That’s a fully corrupted angel. What the one that fought you was becoming.”

The fallen angel tilted her head suddenly, as if sensing their presence. Her eyes – solid blue-purple with no whites or pupils – scanned the trees where they hid.

“We should get back to the village,” Mara whispered. “Take more time to prepare.”

“Agreed,” Diana nodded.

Grace bit her lip. Her quest notification was still there, floating at the edge of her vision.

「Objective: Destroy the Demon Nest with Diana and Mara」

[But how are we supposed to destroy this? It’s huge!]

“Let’s go,” Diana tugged at Grace’s arm. “Now, before she—”

“Visitors,” a silky voice called out. “How delightful.”

The fallen angel was looking directly at their hiding spot, a smile playing on her lips.

“Shit,” Diana muttered.

“Too late,” Mara said, standing up. “Ready your weapons.”

The three angels stepped out from their cover, weapons materializing in their hands. Grace’s divine rapier, Diana’s sword, clearly indicating she felt she needed something bigger than her daggers for this, and Mara’s mace.

The fallen angel’s smile widened.

“Sisters,” she greeted them, as if welcoming old friends. “Have you come to join our revolution?”

“Revolution?” Mara repeated. “Is that what you call corrupting innocent people?”

The fallen angel laughed, the sound like broken glass.

“Innocent? Humans are never innocent. Never have been.”

Mara stepped forward, as did Grace. It seemed like the time for talking had ended just as quickly as it started.

But, then, the temperature changed.

The air around them suddenly grew colder. A lot colder. Grace felt chills run down her spine. A heavy presence settled in the air. The fallen angel’s smile widened.

Grace, Diana, and Mara slowly turned around.

Behind them stood a creature that made the other demons look like harmless puppies.

Nearly twice the height of a human, with skin like polished obsidian that cracked to reveal molten red beneath. Its face was almost feminine, with an emotionless expression and purple eyes. Six curling horns crowned its head, and despite its apparent lack of emotion, there was an air of murderous intent around it.

A Primal Demon.

Diana went rigid beside Grace, her face draining of all color.

“No,” she whispered. “Not again.”

The Primal Demon’s gaze swept over them, finally settling on Grace.

Again, that quest objective flashed:

「Objective: Destroy the Demon Nest with Diana and Mara」

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