Black Hood stands before the city Millie ruled. It was in total ruins. She glanced at the massive castle — it was slowly being rebuilt. The residents had already moved out, making this city a ghost town if not for the castle.
"What happened here," she said softly, her tone calm but serious.
She walked around the ruined city as she slowly approached the ruined castle.
The snow fell down onto her black hood, and her breath steamed in the air.
She reached the gates of the castle and saw the dead bodies of the guards being picked up by knights, covering them with cloth.
"These knights are from the city Prince Shibu and Prince Bakla ruled... What are they doing here?" she questioned to herself as she slowly entered.
The knights immediately turned their heads towards her. The moment their eyes met hers, they fell into total silence, too scared to move. Their legs trembled knowing Black Hood was walking into the castle.
She ignored them as she entered the castle itself. As this happened, the guards came back to their senses, held their swords tight, and charged in, following her inside.
The moment they stepped inside, they felt their arms hit the ground — both had been cut off by Black Hood.
She continued walking as the knights yelled in pain. Blood splattered across the floor as Black Hood headed upstairs to the fifth floor.
The other knights saw her but were too scared to act, trembling just from the sight of her.
As she reached the fifth floor, she walked into the throne room and met the queen eye to eye.
Queen Alina, seeing her before her, froze. Her wound had already been fully patched up. She gritted her teeth as Black Hood stood there, blood splattered across her cheeks from the knights.
"Mother, looks like we meet again," she inquired, her tone calm but intimidating.
Her face was blank and expressionless as Queen Alina sighed in grief.
"Black Hood... or Scarlett Grimore. What do you want? I was about to head to the capital, but I guess if you kill me now, I wouldn't be able to," she inquired.
She remained silent as she looked around. There were knights inside, but too scared to move. They were knights sent by Prince Shibu and Prince Bakla to escort their mother back to the capital.
"What happened here?" Scarlett asked, her tone serious but calm.
"Why do you care?" Alina replied.
"I will spare your life, Mother, if you tell me what happened," she exclaimed, though her face was expressionless.
Alina remained silent for a second before speaking. "We were attacked by people your sister Millie and Goddess Fillia sent to Hell, and now they've been kidnapped."
"I see. Who are these people?" she questioned.
"This person stated himself to be The Smiling Reaper. He wore black armor, and he had a girl with black hair with him," she inquired.
"They seem strong..." she replied as she turned to leave.
Queen Alina breathed in relief as Black Hood exited the throne room. The knights as well sighed in relief.
But Alina felt something off. And before she knew it, her head fell to the ground — Black Hood had just beheaded her while she was off guard. The knights as well — their heads fell as blood splattered everywhere.
Alina couldn't make a sound as the angels inside her body grabbed her head and reattached it to her body.
It was slow, but at least she was still alive.
"That girl... Hikaru and Malakas are away since they said they were gonna level up in the hidden labyrinths in the Forest of Sapat," she thought to herself.
Black Hood — or Scarlett — exited the castle with the same expression. She turned her head toward the gate that led north, maintaining her calm demeanor.
Slowly, she walked north, heading to the capital as the snow poured down heavily. Her black hood covered her entire body as she sighed to herself.
Suddenly, she saw a guy kneeling down in a burnt house praying. She stopped in her tracks as she glanced at him.
He wore a black robe. His hair was covered in snow, and the cold breeze swayed his robe as he held a dark wand.
He noticed her presence and stood up, glancing at her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked calmly with a smile.
She remained expressionless, simply glancing at him without breaking eye contact.
"I see. Not a really talkative person. I feel you. To be honest, you're just like me when I was still a rookie adventurer," he added.
Scarlett kept silent, her presence quiet and empty.
"Hmm, I'm actually visiting my parents' house. The moment I heard this city was obliterated by a battle against the goddess and this so-called Smiling Reaper, I immediately headed here. I was at the capital when I heard about this information, though," he inquired.
Finally, Scarlett spoke. "You came from the capital? How did you get here so fast?" Her tone was calm, yet bland and empty.
"Yeah, news spreads fast, huh? I used a carriage to get here — not the normal one, though. My horses are bleeding from me hitting them to get here as fast as possible. Heh, I'm regretting it slowly, though," he inquired.
Scarlett didn't answer as she glanced around. It seemed like he was currently alone. It was kind of suspicious how he got here so fast.
The man smiled, his robe tucked under his coat. Then he turned to her.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked, his tone serious.
Scarlett slowly kept her guard up as she took several steps back.
"You're no adventurer," she replied. Though her expression remained blank, she was still cautious about who she could defeat and who she couldn't.
"Then take a guess," he replied.
Scarlett remained silent as she pulled out her knife. She kept her eyes on him as she felt a pressure — as if she were being forced to kneel.
This guy's mere presence was so overwhelming, he shined with holiness.
"I'll give you a hint. I'm the opposite of the strongest person you have ever defeated, though I'm also better than him a million times," he inquired.
"Gabriel..." she replied under her breath.
"Not that... the better one," he responded.
This guy shined with glory as Scarlett realized who he was.
"Michael..." she inquired.
"Haha, correct. Hmm, aren't you a sinner? The countless lives you've taken... I couldn't care less, though. These people are just devils who haven't fallen yet," he inquired.
Scarlett, in a swift second, sprinted away.
Michael just watched her as she ran off into the distance. He chuckled as he looked up at the sky.
"Don't worry. I'm just here in search of the Smiling Reaper — or may I say, Xiandre Valkyrie... He's not a normal human. The mere body he is using is just being controlled by his true self — the omniscient of all..."
Black Hood managed to escape as Michael let her. She breathed heavily as she started walking north towards the capital.
Though her expression didn't change, she felt something inside her — a feeling of danger. She continued walking through the snow alone as it fell heavily.
Silence after silence—only the sound of her footsteps and nature passed.
"Mother, Father... and siblings... They tried to take my life. I'm born completely frigid. Maybe that was the reason they tried to dispose of me by sending me to Hell... No that was not it right?" she questioned herself.
*Flashback*
At the Capital of the country of Grimore
Scarlett stood before her throne and took her seat. She remained silent as she felt the gaze of the people around her—heavy. She was always sick, and for a princess who didn't have emotions, she kind of stood out.
Suddenly, she felt someone walking behind her. She glanced back as this person grabbed the back of her chair and pressed her into it upside down.
"Neru?" Scarlett asked.
"Yes?" she responded.
It was her younger sister Neru. She was kind and cute, and she seemed to be the only one who talked to her in their family.
"Still no emotions? Ehhh~ how are you gonna find your prince like this?" Neru asked.
"Prince?"
"Yes, I mean, you're the third child, but you still need to find a prince for yourself in the future since you are still a princess, right?" she replied.
"Maybe." She coughed as she felt her body slowly falling. She sensed herself about to fall heavily ill again as she breathed heavily.
"Are you okay?" Neru asked.
"I'm fine," she responded.
"I'll let Mother and Father decide who I get married to in the future," she replied, flustered from her sickness.
Suddenly, the door to her throne opened wide—it was slammed, at the very least—and there stood Prince Kin.
He glared at Scarlett as he approached her.
Neru, along with the guards, were confused.
Scarlett just watched as Kin grabbed her by the wrist—forcefully and aggressively.
"Prince Kin, what seems to be the matter!?" one of the lead guards questioned.
"It's my father's orders. Try and stop me, and you'll get executed right away," Kin inquired.
"Older brother... you're hurting me!" Scarlett said as she was slowly dragged.
"Brother, stop this!" Neru yelled.
Kin ignored her. She jumped at him only to receive a strong punch to her stomach, making her fall unconscious.
As she hit the ground, none of the guards moved an inch, fearing execution.
"Brother! What are you thinking!?" Scarlett blurted out, coughing.
"Guards, take Neru's unconscious body back to her room," he ordered.
Immediately, the guards swarmed her body and sprinted her back to her room, following his orders.
Scarlett was dragged all over the place until finally she was brought into the main throne room. It was larger than the throne where Scarlett had sat, and she was thrown into the middle.
Scarlett coughed out blood, and her wrists were broken from Kin's grip.
She teared up as she glanced around and immediately turned to her father, who was seated on his throne before her.
"What's happening... Dad? Mom?" she questioned, her expression still blank and empty as always.
"That frigid and sick body of yours is what brought you here," King Dula exclaimed, his tone heavy.
"What are you talking about!?" she yelled.
She turned toward her mother sitting beside him.
"Sorry, Scarlett, but it seems like the heavens told us to dispose of you. You're likely born to be a witch, based on your permanent frigid expression," she explained.
"Dispose?" she replied.
"You're being sent to Hell," Fillia replied.
Goddess Fillia stood behind her, and before she knew it, a magical circle glowed beneath her as Goddess Fillia chanted under her breath.
She looked around and turned to her brothers.
Prince Kin stood there grinning, along with Shibu and Bakla.
She turned to Millie, who was standing behind her head maid Maya. She stood there looking at her with a calm look. She sighed as she turned her head, knowing there was no way to change her fate.
She glanced back up at King Dula, her face still blank as ever.
She vomited out blood as she stood up to her feet.
"I'm not going to die down there," she declared, her expression not changing as she disappeared into the light.
As she disappeared, Queen Alina turned to King Dula with a worried look.
"Are you sure she's a devil...? She's still our chi—" But before Queen Alina could finish, King Dula responded.
"Are you saying my view is wrong? You think someone like me, who has the blood of a seraph, is wrong!?" King Dula exclaimed.
"No, dear..." she responded.
Queen Alina was forced to act like that. There was nothing she could do to save her daughter, because if she tried to retaliate, she'd be fighting against the heavens that her husband was allied with.
It would also risk the death of Neru and Millie, since her husband didn't like daughters and only admired his sons for manpower. He didn't give a fuck about women— all he cared about was power and holiness.
Millie noticed her mother's face as she turned to leave the throne room with her maid Maya.
"Mother protected me and Neru for the sake of losing Scarlett..." she muttered under her breath.
Neru was placed gently back in her room unconscious, as Millie entered.
She noticed the guards who brought her there sweating as they noticed her presence.
"Welcome, Princess," they inquired.
Millie ignored them as she turned to her sleeping sister along with Maya. She glanced at her unconscious face.
"Let's say our sorry to her, despite knowing she will never hear it. Fufu~" she inquired.