''Oh, trying to strengthen a bunch of Ghouls,'' Luna revealed, her tail swaying side to side.

Dante's eyes narrowed when sensing the Death Witches' mana seeping into twenty creatures. He watched them drop to the ground, letting out a horrifying screech as their bodies were twisted until they started transforming into something more deadly, shocking him.

Without waiting, he teleported to the blonde who was busy chanting words he didn't understand. Just then, more of her mana seeped out, rushing into the Ghouls, turning them into more vicious and stronger, causing him to use Death Eyes on Lilith's creation to see what rank they were.

[Blood Ghoul - A Rank - Stronger than regular Ghouls and can take more damage.]

Dante's eyes widened before turning to the older woman, who was already staring at him, and she giggled. ''Like my present for you, Death?''

''They're something else, Lily,'' he muttered as the twenty Blood Ghouls stood up.

The leader gazed right at Dante and let out a low growl that echoed across the clearing they were in, prompting him to shoot forward, grabbing the creature by the neck, and lifted it in the air. ''How dare you growl at me! The next time you even think about such a thing, I'll destroy you all,'' he warned.

When the Death Ghoul saw his face, it trembled as he dropped it to the ground. Lilith appeared beside him, a confused expression crossing her face. ''I don't know what happened there, but it may be due to their transformation.''

''I know,'' he replied, stepping away from the creatures. ''Their normal side appeared for a second, so I had to put a stop to it.''

Following that, Dante glanced at the Death Witch and questioned. ''How are you doing this?''

''Imbuing them with my mana, which changes them if they're weaker than me,'' she revealed while gathering more energy.

After hearing this, he used Death Eyes on the blonde to see what rank she was.

[Lilith Deathbloom - Death Witch/Mistress of Death - S-Rank]

Dante's eyebrows rose in curiosity, but the older woman turned to him with a knowing expression. ''You know it's rude looking into a lady like that, handsome?'' she teased in a seductive voice.

The sound sent a shiver down his spine before a grin stretched across his face. ''Wow, you're strong. S-Rank? Must have taken you decades to reach.''

''One hundred and thirty-two to be precise,'' Lilith responded, a tired smile appearing on her pretty face. ''It took me killing so many to reach, there's a reason I'm known as the Death Witch of Dawnfen. Many kingdoms have been turned to dust thanks to my magic.''

Dante's eyes widened, but he soon started laughing as he spoke. ''Still beating me, all I've destroyed is a wild continent, it should be full of undead now and forever lost to Darkmoore.''

The blonde joined him by giggling. She suddenly hugged him, and he returned the gesture before she continued. ''So you don't mind me being a villain?''

''No, these words need beings like us, or the heroes will ruin everything,'' he reassured her. ''I've been on the good side and know they're just as bad as the bad guys of the world; they're just blind to it all, thanks to it being wrapped in saving people.''

''I agree, heroes are so self-righteous and love to judge everyone without seeing it from their point of view,'' Lilith agreed. ''Take you for example, you were no threat to the humans, yet they killed you out of paranoia.''

''Well, they did show me a vision of me destroying a city with a dragon,'' he chuckled. ''But that's on them for bringing that to life, instead of letting me retire to the south to live my life without fighting.''

The blonde looked up at him with a frown before standing on her tiptoes and pressing a soft kiss against his lips. This sparked something inside Dante, who grabbed the older woman's slim waist while returning the gesture. They kissed for a few minutes and broke apart as she beamed.

Lilith's warm smile radiated as she reassured him. ''You don't need to fear betrayal from Luna or me. Though you and I have only just met, I've witnessed your journey, your triumphs, and the pain of your betrayal. I'm here to ensure that history never repeats itself.''

Dante didn't know what to say; he was shocked, but soon shook his head and smiled at the gorgeous blonde. ''Thank you, Lily.''

Following that, she led him back to the treehouse as the Death Ghouls rushed off into the nearby forest, letting out creepy howls while finding a home. Once the duo was inside, Luna appeared with two cups. ''Here you go, it's cold outside and you both need to warm up,'' she cheerfully said.

He took the offered hot chocolate and downed it, feeling the warm liquid heating his body before he let out a loud yawn. Luna turned to him with a knowing expression. ''Go rest, we've got more than enough time to catch up on sleep.''

''You're right,'' Dante replied as he headed for the nearby bedroom.

Lilith rushed to his side, kissing him on the cheek, and whispered. ''I'll join you later, I want to cuddle once it gets even colder tonight.''

''That's fine,'' he said. ''Just don't wake me up.''

Dante stepped into the room and collapsed in the comfortable bed, sinking into the soft sheets. Soon, the exhaustion took him as the outside world still moved on, as his body recovered from all the strain it had been through. While sleeping, Lilith left the Domain in her raven form to spy on the enemy.

The S-Rank humans were still in the destroyed fortress, trying to find any clues as to who was responsible for the devastation.

***

''Do you think it's that Death Monarch the king spoke about?'' an older man who was an S-Ranked Defender.

The Healer, who was a blonde elf, turned toward the giant, answering. ''I believe so, death magic covers Hightower, the nobles won't like that this fiend is on Dawnfen now.''

''Most likely joined forces with that Death Witch!'' a human knight exclaimed when entering the room the two were in. ''Mary, I know it's him. I saw the undead plaguing Nemorath, and it's the same mana.''

Mary the Elf Healer sighed. ''I know, Robert, we need to return to the capital. The king will have to summon everyone to defend the kingdom after he had a heart attack, thanks to that fiend landing here.''

''He'll have an army by now,'' the older man sighed. ''I was there at Blackharbor, hordes of Ghouls, Zombies, and other nightmares.''

''Do we know how he got here?'' Robert questioned.

Just then, a Dwarf Assassin appeared from the shadows, revealing in a gravely voice. ''Brought him by pirates, and is looking to destroy Darkmoore.''

Everyone faced the newcomer as Mary inquired. ''How do you know that, Drenvar?''

''Survivors,'' Drenvar answered. ''He was talking about it with a Wolf Demi-Human when destroying Blackharbor, but the old man managed to injure him severely, so the Death Monarch is weak.''

''Should we strike when he reappears?'' the Defender questioned. ''I mean, it will save the continent and earn us fame for killing the Death Goddesses' chosen.''

Everyone agreed to have Mary finalize. ''We'll head back to the capital and inform the king before looking for the fiend's trail? Once he appears, we'll chase him, corner him so Drenvar can kill the Death Monarch.''

***

While the humans schemed, they were being watched by a nosey raven who sat just outside the window with wide eyes, causing Lilith to think. 'How do they know he's here? I need to tell him to be careful.'

The blonde quickly took off and headed, but her senses kicked in, forcing her to suddenly dive down as a Mana Blast sliced through the spot she was just in. She glanced around only to see the Elf Healer flying toward her, exclaiming. ''You won't escape, Death Witch!''

Lilith's eyes widened as she glimpsed the woman, spurring her to bolt toward the woods to reach the safety of the Domain. Without hesitation, she quickened her flying, dodging bursts of magic hurled by the pursuing Elf. Diving into the fortress, she wove through obstacles, her movements a blur to confuse her pursuer.

The Healer couldn't keep up and Lilith managed to get ahead just as she entered the Domain when turning a corner. When safe, she transformed into her human form, crashing into the sofa, making Luna jump as the older woman was relaxing in front of the fire, causing her to shout. ''What are you doing, Lily! Were you followed?''

''No!'' the blonde answered, groaning thanks to the pain as she sat up. ''One of the S-Ranked heroes chased me, but I got away.''

''Thank god,'' Luna muttered. ''We don't need them knowing about the Domain, it will cause Dante problems.''

''That's why I ran,'' Lilith hissed. ''So I wouldn't want him coming to rescue me against seven S-Ranked heroes hunting him.''

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