Era of Players: Death God

Within the confines of a dwelling nestled in the heart of Sunhold city, a young woman lay slumbering on the floor. Her locks, as white as freshly fallen snow, framed her peaceful face. This individual was none other than Lilith Evangelion, who, much like Noah, had also been abducted.

Lilith found herself in this place due to the actions of the Jester, who was comfortably seated in a chair, deeply engrossed in a book. Upon observing signs that Lilith was on the verge of awakening, the Jester swiftly tucked her book aside and retrieved her lute.

"Let's begin!" she exclaimed, striking the first note on her lute with a resonant "Ding~".

Lilith, propelled to her feet as if she were a puppet controlled by unseen strings, fixed the Jester with a glare that was icier than her customary demeanor. Had it not been for the instinctive reaction of her body to freeze in the presence of a formidable adversary, she might have lunged at the Jester, aiming to rend her throat with ferocity.

"Wow! Scary," the Jester commented, her tone laced with amusement as she idly twirled a strand of her white hair.

"For someone who usually keeps her emotions under wraps, you're certainly giving off a terrifying vibe right now."

The moment the jester caught sight of Lilith, she began to grasp the essence of this young girl's character, hidden beneath her icy demeanor. The decision to keep her close, rather than send her away, was driven by a deep-seated curiosity.

The glance Lilith had thrown Noah's way before losing consciousness had intrigued the jester, leading her to ponder the range of emotions Lilith might display when exposed to the sound of her lute. What feelings would surface? What did she yearn for? These questions fueled the jester's curiosity, compelling her to retain Lilith's presence. Now, it was time to uncover those mysteries.

"...I feel an intense craving from you little girl," the Jester said as her red eyes bore into Lilith making her shiver.

Just like she did in the alley with the thugs.

"Embracing one's desires is a virtue. Please, enlighten me. What is the greatest desire that consumes you in this very moment?"

-Ding-ling~

As she skillfully manipulated the lute's strings, the enchanting melody amplified the spectators' feelings, compelling them towards motion. At this moment, though, only Lilith stood as the sole audience. The harmonious sounds touched the very core of Lilith's being, and

Crack!

It was as if something imprisoned within her was on the verge of liberation.

Lilith's head drooped, resembling a puppet suddenly bereft of its controlling strings.

The Jester remained unfazed by the transformation before her. With calm precision, she plucked another string of her lute, the note hanging in the air, commanding attention.

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"Now tell me, what is your greatest desire?" she asked, her voice carrying a mix of curiosity and authority.

Finally, Lilith lifted her gaze once more, but this time her expression was empty. The Jester immediately sensed that something was amiss.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the surroundings, propelling Lilith's body into the air. In an instant, she appeared older and more refined, her hair now shimmering silver and her amber eyes displaying a mesmerizing kaleidoscope. From her elevated position, she looked down upon the Jester with an air of superiority.

"Do you wish to know my deepest desire?" Lilith arrogantly proclaimed.

The Jester found herself involuntarily nodding in response, a sense of dread enveloping her. How could it be that a young girl, who had yet to reach the Expert Rank, could instill fear in a Master like herself? It was a peculiar situation, but the Jester's instincts told her that she needed to escape from this place immediately.

There was something about this entity that reminded her of her master, the Demon Lord.

Unfazed by the Jester's inner turmoil, the mature Lilith continued, "You see, I am an incredibly possessive woman. You should not have meddled with my beloved."

With a snap of her fingers, the Jester's lute shattered into pieces, disappearing along with the hand that held it. The abruptness of the act left the Jester stunned, unable to react. In the next moment, she was consumed by excruciating pain.

Before she could utter a cry, the mature Lilith silenced her with a gesture, placing a finger to her lips.

The Jester's eyes filled with terror, realizing at that moment that she had made a grave mistake. She should never have toyed with this entity.

"I am pressed for time, you see. It would be wise for you to tell me what I desire, as it may spare you a more agonizing death," the mature Lilith declared, the swirling kaleidoscope within her eyes sending shivers down the Jester's spine. Frantically, the Jester nodded in response.

"Good," the mature Lilith replied with a satisfied smirk.

The two engaged in a brief conversation before, with a snap of her fingers, they vanished and reappeared in the slums, standing before a particular building.

"Is this the place?" Lilith inquired, her gaze fixed on the dilapidated structure.

"Yes! This is the headquarters of the Bloody Gang. Underneath the basement, you'll find a teleportation device that can take you to your desired location," the pale Jester explained, her voice trembling slightly.

The atmosphere grew tense as men with fierce expressions emerged, patrolling the streets. Their brazen display of weapons, daggers, and studded clubs, revealed the lawlessness that prevailed in this area. The symbol of the Bloody Gang emblazoned on their chests heightened the sense of danger.

"Who are you? Do you know whose territory this is?" one of the gang members demanded, his voice laced with menace.

"If you're here, you've got to pay a toll. Hand over everything you've got... Wait a minute."

The realization dawned upon them. It was the Bloody Gang!

The lower-ranked members of the criminal organization soon noticed the mature Lilith and the Jester, their expressions shifting to wicked grins.

"Hehehe, who do we have here? Women, is it?"

"They don't look like simple streetwalkers... Hehehe. Well, let's strip them and see if they're any fun. I'll take the one with only one arm, I want to play with her petite body."

"Hehehe! Look at them? They look like bugs, isn't that right?" the mature Lilith asked, her head cocked to the side. The Jester nodded frantically, not daring to say otherwise.

Unlike the Jester, who was sweating coldly with a premonition, they confidently stepped towards them.

"Hehehe, what are those guys saying?" One of the men asked, his voice filled with amusement.

"Hey, enough. Obediently do as you were told. Or else..." the babbling man warned.

Thud.

The sound of a man falling to the ground silenced the babbling man's mouth. The Jester froze in her tracks, a chilling sensation washing over her.

The man turned around, his eyes widening in shock. He couldn't comprehend the reality unfolding before him.

"Uh...?" he muttered, his eyes bulging.

The Jester must have worn the same expression on her face.

Although she had prepared herself for the inevitability of death, a sense of bewilderment rather than fear overcame her as she witnessed the unfolding events before her.

To her astonishment, the man she had pointed at suddenly lost his head.

There were no visible signs of a cut, no traces of burns, or any other explanations.

In the blink of an eye, while the Jester's vision was blurred by the falling rain, his head vanished into thin air, causing his body to collapse.

A gush of blood erupted from the severed neck as if nature itself was rushing to fill the void left by the missing head.

But even this gruesome sight appeared strangely ordinary in the chaos.

It was as though the natural order of things sought to occupy a space that had been previously obstructed.

With a dull thud, the lifeless body hit the ground, convulsing in its final moments, unaware of its own demise, as if its nerves and heart still clung to a semblance of life.

"Heh."

Standing behind the Jester, observing the carnage, was the mature Lilith.

"Hehe, I have taken their lives."

The woman, who had slain two with a mere gesture, began to chuckle softly in the Jester's ear.

What just happened?

Shouldn't there be visible distortions or some noise before casting a spell…? Was that truly magic? What kind of absurdity is this? The Jester was too focused on comprehending what was happening to entertain the mature Lilith, she had to understand this power to formulate an escape plan.

''Shall we head deeper?" The mature Lilith asked but before the Jester could respond a voice cut in.

''What's happening?"

Screams were heard, and people from outside the alley started to converge here.

They were probably members of the organization stationed nearby. All armed with menacing weapons, they began to grimace upon seeing the emblem of their organization on the two fallen bodies.

"Did you kill these guys!?"

"Be prepared–"

Before their warning could finish, their bodies slump.

The heads of those next to them vanished before their eyes, and blood spurted out, leaving them with dumbfounded expressions.

They couldn't comprehend this phenomenon of heads disappearing without a trace.

"Annoying, ah."

But she didn't give them a chance to understand.