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Floating Castle Number’s magic-powered airship passed by the banks of the Selina River and was now very close to its final stop at the northern part of Parriet.
"Miss Lixancy, what’s wrong?"
Lanci looked across the long table at Lixancy, feeling that she seemed a bit uncomfortable.
"I might be a bit seasick and I haven’t been resting well lately."
Lixancy took a deep breath trying to compose herself and smiled at Lanci.
The main hall, considering both functionality and aesthetics, had a ceiling more than ten meters high with intricately crafted copper chandeliers hanging from it, emitting a warm and soft light that caused her to feel dizzy.
She had felt an occasional tightness in her chest since some time ago, and when she became anxious, there would be signs of her vision flickering intermittently.
An instinct was telling her she couldn’t pass out; she had to stay conscious at all costs.
"Is that so, is there any emotional stress? Maybe I can chat with you to help."
Lanci said kindly.
He didn’t intend to pry into Lixancy’s business, simply wanting to help her.
"I..."
Lixancy averted her gaze and hesitantly covered her slightly heaving chest.
Just then.
The magic-powered airship shuddered.
It seemed to be caused by unstable air currents.
Or perhaps a large creature had forcibly landed on the airship’s deck garden, producing a series of impacts and tremors.
Lanci and Lixancy, who had intended to continue their conversation, both looked out towards the deck outside the window.
They saw several magic-mechanical beasts from the Poseen Kingdom suspended mid-flight on the Floating Castle Number airship.
It wasn’t long before a squad of officers entered the glittering and splendid lobby of the passenger lounge.
The commanding officer at the forefront wore a military cap adorned with shining papaya flower patterns and donned a black, tight-fitting military uniform.
He appeared young, but the oppressive aura of a martial artist emanating from him made any regular passenger subconsciously feel intimidated.
More so because on the officer’s shoulder was a distinctive emblem, the mark of Duke Tiffany.
"Starting from five o’clock this afternoon, the Parriet city council has enacted a measure requiring all incoming airship flights to undergo a routine inspection by Parriet. All of the Demon Race present, come here and show your identification."
The black-uniformed young man with a sword raised his own credentials and declared loudly,
"Recently if you’ve been in contact with unidentified individuals, have a history of hallucinations or experience intermittent unconsciousness, report to me immediately. If anyone deliberately conceals information, they will be killed without mercy."
Some of the Demon Race did not live in the Demon World of Poseen but had taken on human likenesses and lived among human communities for many years.
"Is this Duke Tiffany’s Executioner Squad?"
"How terrifying."
"What’s happening in Huadu?"
"When the Executioner Squad from The Senate intervenes, it’s usually not a good sign."
Whispers and murmurs from the fellow passengers quickly surrounded Lanci and Lixancy.
It seemed that due to the hurried implementation of these new regulations, tonight’s flights were being stopped and checked by The Senate’s Executioner Squad just as they were about to arrive at their destination.
Even those of the Demon Race who had taken on human forms and lived in society seemed frightened.
However, the commanding officer leading the Executioner Squad did not hesitate for a moment and pulled out a dark gold gem from his pocket.
He crushed the gem, and suddenly, a strong blaze of light filled the passenger lounge.
The peach heart wood panels on the walls and the magical mirrors inlaid with Parriet flight gemstones, both steeped in the rich history of Huadu but with a sense of modern art, became mirrors reflecting light trails in that moment, leaving no corner hidden.
When the light extinguished again.
Many people rubbed their eyes, bleary from the glare.
The stone that had been activated was not meant to cause harm, and the flash effect was not particularly strong.
However, it had a unique spell for disrupting magic power.
If one was a human, they would be unaffected.
```
But in the scattered hall, the pupils of the two or three members of the Demon Race present had changed.
And the executioner himself, his eyes had turned into demon eyes.
Although he served the human elite of The Senate, he was actually a demon.
The executioner raised his hand, and his subordinate officers immediately moved towards the demons.
The visible demons raised their hands high, signaling that they would not resist.
The sergeant-major scanned the room and locked onto the direction where Lanci and Lixancy were seated.
The strongest demon aboard the airship was sitting at that table.
Lixancy’s eyes had already turned into demon eyes, and she dodged the executioner’s gaze, full of fear.
She grew up in the Poseen Kingdom as a pureblood of the Demon Race.
The culture she had been exposed to was no different from that of humans.
"Miss Lixancy, don’t worry, even the executioners of The Senate can’t harm citizens at will,"
Lanci said to her as he sat across, gently pressing on the code, explaining to her.
He himself was unaffected.
Even though his spirit had undergone some demonization due to the Mark of Great Demon Clan he received in the Protoss Empire, his lineage and organs were still human.
"No…"
Lixancy first looked at Lanci in surprise, then trembled again.
She had not expected this foreigner to realize she was a demon without showing any disgust or fear towards her.
The natives of Poseen nowadays rarely bore hostility towards the Demon Race, but many from other kingdoms who had never encountered demons would harbor deep disdain and apprehension towards them.
At this moment, her trembling was uncontrollable, her state quite wrong.
"That demon over there, submit to the inspection."
The demon executioner dressed in military uniform immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and quickened his pace towards them,
Then he glanced at Lanci who was still talking to Lixancy across the table.
"Human, stay away from her, her condition is a bit unstable,"
said the executioner, his voice growing deeper.
Although he was an executioner, he couldn’t harm humans either.
Acting recklessly when unclear about the female demon’s condition could easily lead to accidental injury.
"Regulate your breath, Lixancy. Whatever happens, try to remain calm first, okay?"
Lanci did not intend to move away from Lixancy; he looked at her with concern and asked.
But no matter how he called out to her, Lixancy seemed like she could barely hear his words.
The pressure on her spirit continued to grow uncontrollably.
"No, I don’t want to die..."
Finally, she put her hands over her head and curled up in her seat. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
And the red light at her chest grew more intense, until it caused her to scream and howl in pain.
The sound spread invisibly throughout the spacious cabin hall, causing a sharp pain in the passengers’ eardrums.
When they snapped back to their senses, they only saw Lixancy’s skin behind the seat starting to crack, as if a flower was being torn apart. From those cracks, ominous deep purple light emitted until her fingertips gradually sharpened into claws, and her ears began to elongate.
As the aura of the curse permeated, Lixancy’s hair became frayed and wild, like the mane of a wild beast, and her once beautiful face twisted and deformed, leaving only a blood-red glow in her eyes, filled with hatred for everything.
"The curse of the Arch-Wizard Parlony!"
"Get away quickly!"
"A demon has gone mad!"
The great hall was instantly enveloped by the panicked voices of the passengers, echoing like the buzzing of bees in Lixancy’s ears, while her consciousness plunged into the depths of the sea at that moment.
When she lifted her head again, a roar from the depths of Hell reverberated throughout the hall, instilling fear in all the creatures around.
However, the passengers didn’t see that Lixancy’s outstretched hands were like a plea for help, as if saying "Save me."
