Asmodeus System: Stealing My Bully's Mother

​The night at Stadtier’s old harbor felt like the edge of a world forgotten by the gods.

A light blizzard swept through the air, carried by the raging northern sea wind. The sharp scent of salt pierced the nose, mingling with rotting wood, coal pollution, and the rust of giant ship chains. The dock was practically dead. Carcasses of cargo ships were left to rot, devoured by the freezing seawater.

Only through the wooden gaps of Warehouse Number 7 at the end of the pier did a dim lantern light beam out. The pulse of life from a den of criminals.

Behind a stack of crates filled with nauseating remnants of frozen fish, Valera Voss and Kaelia von Ashford hid, blending into the shadows.

Valera’s golden eyes scanned the targets with veteran sharpness. ”Six guards at the front door,” she reported softly. ”Three crossing patrols along the edge of the dock. Given the size of that warehouse, there’s likely more than a dozen people inside.”

Kaelia peeked over Valera’s shoulder. She analyzed the posture of the gray-uniformed guards. ”The way they hold their swords... Tch. Looks like they’re trained troops.”

”We can’t just barge in directly without triggering a drawn-out commotion,” Valera murmured. Her hand traced the hilt of her Zweihander. ”Our time is limited.”

”Then we’ll give them a commotion somewhere else.” Kaelia pointed to the empty warehouse to the right of their target. ”A diversion. I’ll burn down the warehouse next door.”

Valera stared at Kaelia for two seconds, evaluating. The executioner finally nodded. ”Do it. But move fast and don’t get caught. If the alarm rings before you’re in the upper position, I’m leaving you behind.”

Kaelia scoffed dismissively. ”Just take care of the back door, Wild Dog.”

In a flash, the two separated, melting into the harbor’s shadows.

Kaelia infiltrated the left side of the pier with unexpected agility. The fishy stench of the seawater nearly made her stomach churn, but the Fire Queen swallowed it whole.

Arriving at the blind spot of Warehouse Number 8, Kaelia raised her right hand.

Without a lengthy incantation, she merely snapped her fingers. A small fireball darted through the gap of a broken window.

FWOOSH!

The corrupted fire exploded soundlessly the moment it touched a pile of hay. In a matter of seconds, flames spread fiercely, devouring the fragile wooden walls and illuminating the dark pier.

”FIRE! THE WAREHOUSE NEXT DOOR IS ON FIRE!”

The panicked scream of a patrol squad member broke out. As predicted, the formation discipline of the Serpent’s Tongue wavered instantly. Half the front guards and the entire patrol squad scrambled with buckets and weapons toward the source of the fire.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Kaelia climbed the remaining wooden footholds onto the roof of Warehouse Number 7. She slipped inside through a ventilation shaft without a sound.

Meanwhile, at the warehouse’s back door...

The two remaining guards were turning their heads in confusion, staring at the blazing fire outside. A lapse in vigilance that had to be paid with their lives.

From within the shadows, Valera dashed like a demonic spirit. With a single draw of breath, her giant Zweihander swung horizontally.

SLASH!

No screams. No sound of clashing metal. The massive blade cleaved through the bodies of both guards simultaneously. Fresh blood spurted fiercely, dyeing the rotting wood. Valera stepped over their corpses and barged inside.

On the upper floor of the main warehouse, Kaelia, who was sneaking along the iron catwalk, spotted a guard preparing to ring the alarm bell.

The Fire Queen didn’t waste any time. She fired a fist-sized bullet of Crimson Sin Fire.

Thump!

The fireball slammed into the guard’s chest, paralyzing his nerves instantly. The man’s body staggered, then free-fell from the upper floor, crashing onto a stack of wheat sacks with a loud, heavy thud.

The battle in the main hall erupted.

Despite hailing from completely different worlds and constantly looking down on each other, Valera and Kaelia moved with lethal synergy. Their obedience to Ethan seemed to synchronize their killing instincts.

Valera acted as the vanguard attacker, slashing and crushing the Serpent’s Tongue formation with brutal physical strength. Meanwhile, Kaelia moved gracefully atop the catwalk, dropping precision magical artillery from above, ensuring no one could flank Valera from her blind spots.

Realizing they were being slaughtered, the last three guards tried to retreat and escape to the inner administration room.

But before they could reach the door, Kaelia dropped down from the catwalk. Her landing was accompanied by a sweep of her hand that conjured a wall of blood-red fire, absolutely blocking the hallway. The scorching heat forced the three men to hit the brakes abruptly.

Two of the guards immediately dropped their weapons, throwing their hands up in sheer terror.

But one reckless guard spun around, attempting to leap and escape through a wooden window.

Valera wasn’t about to let him. With an insane burst of explosive muscle power, the knight leaped, catching up to him mid-air. Valera’s hand grabbed the back of the man’s collar, then with a ruthless gravitational slam, smashed him back onto the floor.

CRASH!

The man coughed up blood and immediately lost consciousness.

In a matter of minutes, the main area of the giant warehouse was cleared. Silent, filled only by the heavy breathing of Kaelia and Valera, and the crackling of the fire against the hallway wall.

Clap... Clap... Clap...

A slow, rhythmic applause echoed from the far end of the room.

Kaelia’s artificial wall of fire slowly subsided. Behind the half-open administration room, a tall man in a black cloak sat casually behind a wooden desk.

His face was half-covered in shadows, but a silver brooch shaped like a coiled snake eating its own tail was visible on his chest. His pale gray eyes stared at Kaelia and Valera with an unnatural calmness. A faint smile was etched on his face.

”Magnificent,” the man said. His voice was as smooth as silk, yet laced with venomous poison. ”I never expected you would come this far, Northern Dog. Did Duke Alaric send you?”

Kaelia took a step forward. Blood-red fire danced in her palm. ”I assume you are The Serpent. I am here to hold you accountable for Rolf Haiteler and the Bloodfire Elixir.”

The man—The Serpent—merely chuckled. ”You’re being overly dramatic, Miss. I am just a merchant supplying a demand. Accusing me of the incident at the academy is the same as blaming a sword-maker for a murder committed by an executioner.”

”Reveal the identity of the client who paid you, and we will take you back alive and pain-free,” Valera threatened, raising her sword.

”Client identities are the sanctity of our business,” The Serpent refused, his smile unfading.

With a flowing motion like a rising cobra, The Serpent stood up. From beneath the sleeves of his cloak, he drew two thin daggers coated in a thick, clear liquid.

”Careful, Valera! Those daggers are poisoned!” Kaelia shouted, recognizing that specific type of liquid.

Valera smirked, then lunged. Her Zweihander was swung with full force to cleave the man in two.

Swoosh!

The lethal slash only cleaved through empty air.

The Serpent turned out to be a master of pure agility. His movements were slippery and precise. He contorted his body, dodging the slash by mere millimeters, then attempted to slit the knight’s throat.

Valera ducked backward, narrowly avoiding the venomous sting.

”Don’t give him any room!” Kaelia shouted.

The Fire Queen launched a barrage of three consecutive fireballs at The Serpent’s footing, forcibly cutting off his escape route. Surrounded by walls of fire and scorching heat, the black-cloaked man’s agility was stifled.

Capitalizing on that opening, Valera charged in at full speed. Instead of using the blade of her sword, she slammed the pommel of her Zweihander squarely onto the back of the man’s right hand.

CRACK!

The bones in The Serpent’s wrist shattered. One of his daggers was launched spinning into the air.

Wasting no opportunity, Kaelia’s fireball shot intercepted the dagger mid-air, blasting it away to pin itself deep into the warehouse wall.

Despite his severely crippled hand, The Serpent still smiled arrogantly. He attempted to counterattack with his left dagger.

But Valera was sick of playing around. She dropped her sword, then smashed the man’s jaw with a devastating, full-power bare-knuckle punch.

BAM!

The Serpent’s tall body was blasted backward, falling flat on his back to kiss the wooden floor. Before he could even try to get up, Valera’s steel boot was already stomping on his chest, crushing his ribs.

Despite his absolute defeat, the man actually chuckled. Thick blood dripped from his split lips, but his pale gray eyes remained haughty.

”You might capture me... cough... but you will never be able to touch my true client,” he mocked, choking. ”My client exists in a hierarchy far beyond your comprehension. You will never be able to reach them.”

Kaelia approached, looking down at the man condescendingly.

”Save your preaching, Snake,” Kaelia retorted coldly. ”We aren’t looking for your client. We only need you.”

Without further ado, Valera slammed her fist down one more time. Thud! The man was knocked out cold.

They worked quickly. The Serpent’s hands and feet were bound with thick anchor rope. His mouth was gagged with a dirty cloth to prevent him from biting his own tongue.

Valera bent down, then effortlessly slung the tall man’s body over her right shoulder as if carrying a sack of rice.

”We need to get out of here right now,” Kaelia warned, glancing at the front door. ”That explosion earlier definitely attracted attention. Other members of Serpent’s Tongue will gather soon.”

They hurried out through the back door, cutting through the dark alleyways between the dead warehouses.

The route back to the city demanded caution. Beneath a bridge, several homeless people huddled in the freezing cold. However, the rule of the Underworld was absolute: the homeless merely cast a brief glance at the living corpse slung over Valera’s shoulder, then hurriedly looked away, reluctant to meddle in bloody affairs.

An hour later, they arrived at the secret safe house.

Valera dropped The Serpent onto the wooden floor with a loud thud.

In the middle of the dim room, Rolf Haiteler, who was still tied to the chair, grew even paler. The cowardly youth’s eyes widened in horror seeing the boss of the assassins he feared, now sprawled helplessly like a hunted dog at Valera’s feet. In another corner, the first snake-tattooed courier remained slumped over, unconscious.

The mission was a massive success. Without any casualties on their side.

However, a headache-inducing problem emerged.

Kaelia crossed her arms over her chest. Her brow was deeply furrowed. Valera leaned her sword against the wall, smirking faintly at seeing the Princess bewildered.

Now there were two key prisoners that had to be transported alive to Zenithar: Rolf and The Serpent.

”Hah... We can’t possibly just waltz these two men through the official gates of Stadtier City,” Kaelia complained.

Valera crossed her arms, smiling mockingly. ”Then how exactly are we going to bring them home without alerting the border guards, Oh Genius Council President?”

Kaelia massaged her temples, throbbing from magical exhaustion.

”I am currently thinking about it, Wild Dog,” Kaelia hissed sharply. ”Give me some time.”

The night wore on. The blizzard outside continued to rage, while the Demon Lord’s two loyal servants were stuck at the city borders with a pair of breathing packages that were incredibly difficult to deliver.