Established Pinnacle: The Enigma

A loud explosion brought back her attention towards Mimi, or rather the large flash of light that suddenly occurred in the sky. Before the light could completely recede, a childish, yet powerful voice reverberated throughout the sky,

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!!! THE MORE LIVELY YOU'RE, THE MORE I LIKE YOU. BRING IT ON, ENTERTAIN ME!!!"

"...."

Noelle, decided to ignore whatever was happening up there. The mana flanctuations were far higher than hers. Two were trillions of times stronger than her, while the other, Mimi, was hard to scale.

She'd be cannon fodder if she went up there. Instead, she took the old pixie and began interrogating him. She had no choice but to do it. Because...

The way back home, was cut short.

There was no way back.

They were stuck here.

Forever!!!

Or Not...

• • • • •

Middle Realm

World Forest, Enigma's Temple

The atmosphere was solemn, everyone had a stern expression. Some frowned, while some had twisted expressions, no one had the urge to smile right at this moment. The reason being...

"You said... an entire platoon of elves were wiped out two days ago? How? And why?" Lulu, who sat the highest throne below the main throne, frowned as she asked those around her.

This was a gathering of the current higher ups of the village. Aside from herself, there was Nuu, Neon and Night, Noelle still currently M.I.A at the moment.

Aside from them were two beastmen, one cute beast girl around her late teenage years and one rough looking beastman with powerful muscles and a lean figure.

The cute cat beast girl was called Kuma, the princess of one of the beast clans that have mixed up with the elven village. Her strength was already at the Epic realm, not far from legendary. She could be considered talented for someone her age.

She had a lively expression and a petite figure. Be it her chest or her curves, they were not abundant at all, but were still there on her figure, and quite visible even.

Her hair was white, as well as the fur on her long cat tail. Her hair was short and neat, reaching below her nape, which went well with her cerulean blue eyes.

As for the man, he was the current chief of the other side of the elven village, the beastmen village. He had the strength of a legendary warrior, still far, or will not likely enter the Saint realm anytime soon.

He had short wild brown hair, and valiant cerulean blue eyes. His body was quite muscular, but not overly packed or large. His expression was gentle, accompanied by a light smile on his lips.

Though the both of them were stronger than the three girls, who were at the middle stage of the advanced realm, they didn't show any signs of arrogance or rebellion at all.

Demihumans might be wild, but once 'tamed', were obedient and loyal. Plus, Lulu by herself was still a deity, half deity at most. As her energy was bring depleted.

And the father-daughter pair did not have any god slaying weapons with them. She could kill them anytime she wanted if they so dared to rebel.

"Yes, according to our scouts, there was only blood left, no flesh, no piece of armor, no nothing. It's hard to tell what actually hit them so hard to be honest. But..." The man sat up straight and began briefing her on what they found out.

If one was wondering why they were so cooperative with the elves, or rather Lulu, it was because she had saved their clan from death of starvation and famine.

She also took them in despite them not having it good on their side. Which made the demihuman race revere the man that she said sent her, of course, that man was Enigma.

Though Lulu was unaware why he wanted her to spread his name to the people they take in, she still did so. Soon, she will be nothing but a mortal, he will be the backbone of the elves, and the demihumans.

Thus she did not mind stepping down and serving him even while she was still a goddess. It was all for her sisters, and fellow elves... and demihumans now.

"...We managed to find this." The young girl finished up the latter statement of her father, then fished out a bizarre fragment from her pocket.

The thing was covered in a cloth, was still warm and smelled of sulphur, the scent too strong to be washed away even with regular holy water. When she saw this strange fragment, Lulu's eyes widened in shock.

She immediately stood up, waved her hand, enclosed the fragment in divine power and pulled it towards herself. Her expression grave and urgent.

Seeing her like this, the sisters hurriedly stood up as well with different reactions. Nuu hurried over towards Lulu's side, as she was not a battle type at all, Neon took a battle ready stance and stood ready to attack.

While Night, as assassin cleared out her presence, and vanished out of the faces of everyone present.

The father-daughter pair also stood up and looked at the siblings in confusion. But Kuma still appeared beside Lulu in a flash, her stance ready to pounce on anyone who attacked. The sisters didn't see how she appeared there at all!!

She was too fast. Simply too fast, even the fasting amongst them, Night, failed to respond as quick as she was expected to.

Her father likewise growled in response, and tensed his muscles. Looking at their reactions, Lulu bitterly smiled and shook her head, "It's alright, Ali, Kuma, Night. I'm sorry if I startled any of you."

Everyone finally relaxed and sighed in relief. Lulu found it funny, because even if her conjuction was true, they'd be nothing less of canon fodder against that thing.

"Big sister, what was it actually? That thing." Nuu couldn't help but ask in curiosity. She has never seen her sister this startled, in the past recent years at least.

Not only her, even the others were surprised and shaking by Lulu's actions. Especially her other sisters, who knew her more than anyone else. But that did not mean the others were not equally curious.

"Yes, lady apostle, what got even someone like you to be so shocked?" Ali, the father of Kuma, crossed his arms before his chest as he inquired. Though they knew she was goddess, she still called herself someone else's apostle.

This made all the beastmen to wonder, as well as admire whoever Lord Enigma was. To have a goddess as an apostle was something only those at the peak of the world can enjoy.

"Demon Lord." Lulu didn't hesitate at all to respond to their questions. Her expression solemn and her eyes cold. Her words aline brought shock to everyone.

Let alone her coldness.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Not only the three sisters, but even an Epic and a Legend like the father-daughter pair were left speechless after hearing those two words. They even doubted that they had misheard her or not.

"...Lady apostle, did you just say—" Ali took in a large gulp of saliva with cold sweat on his back, and decided to take the risk and ask whether he had heard wrong or not.

If it was true, that he did not mishear what she just said, then they were doomed. Unless what she said, was completely different from what he heard.

But Lulu didn't have the time to listen to his words as she already knew what he wanted to ask. She cut him halfway and and verified his doubts. "Yes, I did Ali. I did indeed say that this thing is a fragment of a Demon Lord's horn."

Speechless followed after once again. Thus time around, everyone dreading on their fate.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Everyone was even more speechless, when Lulu herself, seemed dreadful as well. And now, they were sure that they didn't hear wrongly, they all wanted to cry.

A Demon Lord was probably roaming around, somewhere out there, next to their small village. And they just realized that now?

Knowing demons, who knows whether they were placed under the blacklist of people who are going to be sacrificed. Or maybe, they might become the demon's display of might and ruthlessness.

"...But lady apostle, aren't you a goddess? Demon Lords should not be that great of an entity infront of you. Unless a Demon King came—" Kuma suddenly thought of something and couldn't help but say excitedly.

"You don't understand, little Kuma." Lulu sighed softly as she leaned on her throne in exhaustion, she then opened her delicate lips and added along, "Unlike us at the surface, demons have a hierarchy system that is more strict and more solemn than ours.

"For a demon to become a Demon Lord, they must ascend to『Heaven』and at least assassinate a Dominion Angel or kill another Demon Lord of the same rank.

"Their battle power can be attested, whether they succeeed or they fail. If not, they weren't worthy of that position of demon lord to even begin with.