"Will they be alright?" Claudia couldn’t help but ask as she paced back and forth outside a metal door.
A few meters beside her, Roland stood with an expressionless look on his face.
"I mean, this is dangerous. Anything could go wrong and..."
Claudia trailed off as she seemed to realize something, only to turn to face Roland who met her gaze calmly.
"... Am I right to be worried?" Claudia asked.
Roland remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Sire believed that the Dark Lord would be the one to save Krobridge from disaster. He gave his life for that belief so I will do the same."
"..." Claudia bit down on her lower lip as her eyes turned wet. "How were his last moments?"
"I left him before I could see it..."
"But he was glad you were safe. Up until I left, all I saw was gratitude and hope with the scholarly air he always had taking on an even greater presence."
"I hope that you will succeed your father but until then... become strong. Strong enough to prevent the tragedy of losing our dukedom from happening again." It seemed more of a personal request than anything else as Roland spoke, his voice reflecting the inner turmoil he felt.
Claudia nodded. "I promise. I will make him proud."
"I look forward to it."
"You are quite bold," Vessina spoke with slight disdain as she scrutinized Alex.
Alex ignored her words with his gaze alternating between her and the sleeping Xistora.
Taking a moment to evaluate his thoughts, he spoke up. "I know it sounds crazy but I said what I said... I need your help."
"Oh really," Vessina smirked as she remarked. "Most men would already be dead for daring to summon us yet not only did you summon us, you ask for our help. You must look down on the Daughters of Lilith."
"On the contrary, I respect you greatly. I don’t believe you to be weak in any way."
"It’s because I had no choice."
"Krobridge is on lockdown which means there’s no way to escape. Neither can I call for backup using conventional means. So I had to improvise."
"The more you speak, the more I ask myself why I’m not attacking you yet."
"I’ll give you a reason."
"You can sense it as well, right?... You must be curious as to what’s happening."
"Devils are known to be representations of the darkness in the hearts of men, utilizing the most powerful of human emotions to grow. So you more than anyone else can sense it, right?... The fear currently permeating the entirety of Krobridge or am I mistaken?" Alex inquired, quietly creating a chair out of Eternal Night to make himself comfortable.
His current demeanor gave off an authoritative air, causing both Vessina and Xistora to pay him close attention.
Exchanging looks, the two Devils finally took him seriously with even the lazy Xistora sitting up to face Alex.
"Alright then. You have managed to gain our attention. What do you want?"
"First of all, I need to know. Is Crow Mask your doing?"
"... It is related to us in a way," Vessina replied with slight hesitation, a faint trace of annoyance visible on her visage.
Alex nodded. "I need your help."
"Considering you are so smart, you should know that despite our current show of strength, we Devils don’t have the right to get involved in the Mortal Realm."
"What if it’s through a human medium?"
"... You wish for us to make use of the bodies of your friends?"
"... There is a possibility but it would require an enchantment that could potentially kill them due to how dangerous it is."
"That’s good enough."
"Aren’t you worried for their safety?" Vessina couldn’t help but inquire.
Alex remained silent for a moment, pondering his thoughts before finally opening his mouth.
"We are all playing our parts."
"Is that so?" Vessina muttered.
Despite it sounding logical, she couldn’t help but pinpoint a certain sense of detachment from his words.
’Hoh, don’t tell me...’ a funny thought came to mind, causing her to giggle.
Alex frowned upon seeing this, seemingly uncomfortable by her reaction.
Adjusting his seating position, he remarked. "That will be all."
"Then when the time comes, we shall be ready."
With that, Vessina and Xistora returned to Hell, causing Nadia and Arwen’s bodies to drop like a pair of puppets that had their strings cut.
Using Chains of Twilight to cushion their fall, Alex stared intently at the two women lying on the floor, unconscious.
His heart ached as he realized what he was trying to do.
’Is this right?’ He thought inwardly while placing his hand on his head.
He tried to explain it away as each person playing their part but... Wasn’t it the same thing as sending them to their deaths?
Would he sacrifice others to ensure his survival?
Alex found himself questioning his humanity.
Just then, a gasp echoed in Eternal Night jolting him from the dark rabbit hole he’d crawled into.
Looking forward, he found both ladies waking up.
Glancing at him, Nadia inquired. "Did it work?"
"...Yes," Alex replied after a brief hesitation.
Seemingly noticing his mental state, Arwen inquired. "Did they refuse to help?"
"... So what’s wrong?"
Alex remained silent as he stared at Arwen and Nadia, completely lost for words.
"Alex..." Nadia called out to him.
Alex tried to speak but before any words could be heard, a banging sound erupted at the door.
"Hey, what’s happening in there?... Come out now and explain yourselves!"
It sounded like the voice of one of the executives of the Department.
Letting out a sigh, Alex rose to his feet before removing Eternal Night.
Glancing at the ladies, he flashed a sad smile as he remarked. "Everything will be okay."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward the door before opening it to reveal Roland and Claudia kneeling with a few Agents standing over them with weapons drawn and at the forefront, a fuming Executive.
"What is the meaning of this!?"