Laila stood frozen, her breath catching in her throat as the realization washed over her. Chase wasn't merely acting as her protector; he was granting her the rare opportunity to avenge her own people, a privilege she had never dared to envision. The weight of his authority was palpable, yet he regarded her not as a subordinate but as an equal, his deep-set eyes reflecting a respect that filled her with awe. This combination of power and deference was intoxicating, setting her heart aflutter with a heady mix of admiration and wonder. She'd only known Chase for a few hours, but she'd felt more emotions in those few hours than she had felt her entire life.
'Chase... He's something else. And he's treating me as an equal? W-Why does my heart skip a beat whenever he says my name? If this keeps up, then I will...' Laila's thoughts were interrupted by Hanz's cries of anguish.
"W-Wait, no! Please! We're sorry, demon! I promise we'll do whatever you ask! Just spare our lives!" Hanz cried out as he held his crushed hand with the destroyed talisman sticking out in different parts of it.
Lucius looked up at Chase with defiance in his eyes, but even his bravery couldn't keep his knees from shaking.
"Shut the fuck up, old man! Your pathetic whining is annoying. If you didn't get in the way, I would have killed this Demon Lord and sold his corpse to the highest bidder," Lucius spat out.
Laila's love-struck gaze morphed into one of pure disgust when Lucius mentioned selling Chase's corpse. She picked up her sword and made her way next to Chase. Then, she stared down at the mayor's son.
"Now, you will pay for your crimes, Lucius. This is your punishment," Laila said coldly.
"My crimes? What crimes? I didn't do anything wrong! I had every right to do what I did! They were my property and no one else's—UGH!?"
Laila ran her sword straight through the chest of the mayor's son, who gasped and choked as he slumped over, blood dripping from his lips.
"You had no right to rape and enslave all those people in the village, Lucius," Laila stated as she twisted her sword. His face was frozen in a look of terror, his eyes wide and lifeless. With a shuddering breath, his body went limp, the last of his life seeping away.
'Goodbye, Lucius... You're nothing but a worthless bastard who got what he deserved,' Laila thought to herself as she pulled her sword out of this coward.
Hanz watched the scene unfold in horror, his eyes welling with tears and his body trembling uncontrollably as Laila turned to him.
"S-So this is what has become of the Baron's daughter?... Killing her own people for the sake of a monster! How can you even live with yourself?!" Hanz yelled out.
"What did you say, old man?" Laila's voice dripped with venom as she fixed him with a piercing gaze from her bright, glowing green eyes, locking him in a relentless stare that seemed to cut through the air. "I may no longer be a human, but I'm far from being a monster. At least I'm not the monster that has been enslaving innocent girls and selling them to the highest bidder!... You're no priest, and you have no right to call yourself a Mayor... You're just a greedy, selfish bastard who's so blinded by his own ambitions that he doesn't care who gets hurt or killed along the way. So, don't you dare try to lecture me about morality, you hypocritical piece of filth," Laila replied, her anger rising with every word. She pointed the tip of her bloody-covered sword at his neck, ready to end his life.
Hanz gulped, his gaze locked on the sword hovering inches away from his jugular vein.
"N-No, wait! I never wanted to do those things to the people! I-It was my son's doing! If you let me live, I promise I'll do better," Hanz pleaded, his voice shaky.
"Tell that to the Gods," Laila growled as she plunged her blade deep into his throat.
*Gurk!*
A gurgle escaped his lips, and his body went limp as a thick pool of blood formed beneath him. Laila pulled her blade out and wiped the blood off her sword, her expression devoid of any emotion as Hanz held his throat with his only good hand, coughing up blood and spitting it onto the deck of the ship. After a few seconds, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell to the ground, dead.
Chase witnessed this, and he was worried about Laila. Was she okay? Did killing her former people have any effects on her?
"Laila..."
"Yes, Chase?"
"Are you okay? I know that it was hard for you to kill the people you used to live with," Chase asked, his voice full of concern.
She looked at him with a slight smile. She'd killed before and seen good people die at the hands of monsters and humans alike. This is a harsh part of reality when living in Asmodai, but Laila has learned to accept it. But there was something about this Demon Lord, a sense of warmth and kindness, and the feeling that she liked being around him. It was odd that he was worried about her. No one, not even her father, had ever shown such concern for her.
"No, not really, but I will be fine. Why are you asking?" Laila answered as she sheathed her sword.
Chase was relieved to see that Laila wasn't suffering any emotional damage from killing her former people, but he wanted to make sure.
"Revenge usually isn't a healthy thing, and I just wanted to make sure that you are okay with how things turned out. But you seem okay, and I'm glad that you're alright," Chase explained.
'Why is he so concerned about my well-being? No one has ever cared about me before, and here this Demon Lord is, expressing more concern for me than anyone ever has... I-I think I like this feeling. But he is a Demon Lord, and I don't think it's right to fall for a demon... But I can't stop thinking about him,' Laila thought.
"Y-Yes... I am fine. Thank you for asking. But are you okay, Chase?"
Chase sighed and cracked a smile, "I think I am... Considering everything that has happened, I should be fine. Anyway, do you need my help with freeing the captives? Or can you handle it on your own?"
Laila blinked twice as she totally forgot about the captured villagers.
"Oh yeah, almost forgot. Um. I can handle it myself. You can just stay here and watch the deck... Plus, I don't want them to panic when they see a Demon Lord, like what I did when I first met you," Laila felt a warm blush creep across her cheeks, a mix of embarrassment and shame swirling within her. After everything that had transpired, she couldn't shake the feeling of foolishness, especially when she thought back to her impulsive attempt to confront Chase. It was as if clarity had struck her like a bolt of lightning, making her realize just how reckless her actions had been.
Chase blushed and scratched the back of his head, "Ah! Yeah, I don't want to frighten them. Alright, and I can't blame you for being scared when you first saw me. If I were in your shoes, then I would've freaked out. But thanks for taking care of the situation. OH! Make sure they don't notice your horns and tail. You're not human anymore either," Chase warned her as he stood near the doorway that went into the lower deck.
'Why does he keep gazing at me like that? I-I know I'm beautiful, but his eyes have this effect on me... Oh, shit. What the hell am I thinking?! Ugh! I have to get these thoughts out of my head,' Laila felt a rush of warmth creeping up her cheeks, her heart racing as if ignited by an unseen flame. The heat enveloped her, leaving her breathless and utterly captivated. She had never known true love before, only some teasing of the flesh, but now she was feeling emotions that she had never felt before. She tried to fight it, telling herself that Chase was a Demon Lord and she couldn't let herself fall for him. But every time their eyes met, her resistance crumbled like a house of cards.
'Dammit! I looked at him again, and my stupid heart is pounding again! Ugh! This isn't normal. How can he have this effect on me without using his charm spell?!' Laila thought, her heart beating faster. That's when it hit her. She finally understood what was going on with her.
'I'm falling in love with him?... N-No. That can't be right. I've known him for a few hours. He just saved my life. That's why I'm feeling this way. That's the only logical answer. I'm not falling for him. It's just a coincidence that my heart starts to race when I look at him,' Laila thought, but a small part of her was saying otherwise.
Chase noticed Laila's cheeks were a bright red color, "Are you alright? You're a little red," Chase pointed out.
Laila shook her head and tried to compose herself, "O-Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just a little winded from the battle... A-Anyway, I'd better go take care of the captives," she replied, quickly averting her gaze.
'Damn, I can't look at him!... I've gotta focus on saving these people. Don't think about Chase. Think about them,' Laila thought, trying to get her mind off of the handsome Demon Lord.
"Okay. Let me know if you need help," Chase added.
"Right. Thank you," Laila said as she pulled the hood up over her head, trying to hide her two tiny horns.
'Gods... This is the weirdest day of my life. I've gone from being a human to a Succubus. Chase has saved my life, and he's letting me make my own decisions. He's a very kind person, and he's treating me with respect. And I don't know if the stories are true about demons. But so far, they're wrong. I hope we can continue to be friends. I would love to get to know him more. And... Stop it. He's your friend. That's all. You're just thinking too much. Now, stop being a silly girl and focus on the mission,' Laila told herself.
Chase's gaze lingered on Laila as she turned to leave, her hood obscuring her features as she deliberately averted her eyes from his striking visage. She descended the creaking wooden steps, the shadows of the ship enveloping her as she disappeared into the dimly lit hull where the prisoners were confined. The air grew cooler and heavier as she entered the confined space, looking for the brig where the prisoners were held. The stench of unwashed bodies assaulted her senses as she walked past the empty crew's quarters.
As she navigated the tight hallways, she saw Chase's face popping up in her head again.
'It's fine... He's just a friend. Nothing more... Nothing more. Nothing more. Nothing more. Nothing more.' Laila repeated this in her head over and over, trying to convince herself that she was just being friendly and nothing else. But every time her mind drifted to him, her heart started pounding harder, and her face flushed with a strange heat that sent her mind reeling.