278 TO THE TEMPLE
"We must go to Debauchery City, Petunia and Sujira may be in danger," Yun-Yun suggested.
Rabama nodded. "We'll go with you to Debauchery City."
"And so will I," a new voice echoed. Gubana appeared suddenly, "I may leave Eoloth, but I'm not abandoning the Giga Codex."
Hanna, still watching the remains of the explosion, asked, "What about the assassins?"
"They're free now," Yun-Yun replied, her gaze resolute. "It's our offer to them and we'll stand by it."
"Let them join the Assassin Guild. The Deacon would be ready to accept them as their bodyguards as long as they are no longer beholden to the Temple of Hera," Leo said.
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[At the gates of Debauchery City]
The demon army reached the gates of Debauchery City, marching in flawless formation. Their armored bodies gleamed under the daylight, shields raised overhead to ward off incoming projectiles.
Step by step, they advanced with unwavering purpose.
"This is suicide," Demonlord Harith grumbled, his deep voice filled with skepticism. "Marching to the gates without siege equipment? This is Madness."
"Trust me," Agathae said confidently. "We have the means to conquer the gates with ease."
Harith let out a low growl, causing Agathae to stammer, but Argun placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Enough," Argun said firmly. "We agreed to this. Let's see it through."
Harith exhaled sharply. "Do you really trust these humans?"
"We trusted them before, and it worked out," Agathae replied.
Argun considered for a moment before nodding. "Sodom is an enemy of the Koresh Empire. It does them no good to deceive us."
As the demon army reached the towering gates, a massive elephantine demon surged forward, its tusks gleaming.
"You think you can break our gates with that lumbering beast?" General Tashom, leader of the city's defenders, bellowed from atop the ramparts. His voice carried over the battlefield, laced with mockery.
With a thunderous crash, the beast slammed into the gate.
The impact reverberated through the city walls, but the enchanted gate remained unyielding, its protective magic absorbing the force.
Tashom threw back his head and laughed. "I told you! Our gates cannot be breached by mere brute force!"
"Foolish human," Harith sneered. He lifted his double-headed axe and signaled to his soldiers at the gates.
A tiny flicker of flame ignited against the gate's surface. Within seconds, it erupted into a blinding flare, consuming the magical barrier in an instant.
Gasps of disbelief rippled through the defenders.
"Charge!" Harith roared.
The elephantine demon charged once more.
This time, the gate splintered beneath its weight, shattering into pieces. Like a tidal wave of darkness, the demon army poured into Debauchery City.
"How?" General Tashom stammered, his face draining of color. "How did they break our damn gates?"
A nearby captain swallowed hard. "They used the key."
"Impossible!" Tashom clutched the key hanging around his neck. "I have the only key! Something must have went wrong with the magic formation. I'll reactivate the shield!"
He pressed the key into the gate's control mechanism—but nothing happened.
Panic gripped him. "What's wrong with this damn key?!"
Several mages rushed to examine it. Their expressions darkened as realization set in.
"This key is a perfect replica," one of them said. "But it's a fake."
Tashom's legs gave out, and he sank to the ground in shock. "No… That's impossible. I never took it off my chest… How could it have been switched?"
Then, the memory struck him like a lightning bolt.
"That noblewoman at the brothel," he whispered shakingly.
During his visit to Lord Frouer's infamous establishment, he was welcomed by Petunia, a supposed noblewoman of breathtaking beauty ready to be offered to him.
She smiled, poured him wine, and whispered sweet nothings in his ear. The wine was much stronger than expected. The kind that could put the strongest mages to sleep without arousing suspicion of poison.
Soon, darkness had crept upon Tashom after a few cups. While he slept, unseen hands had moved.
From the shadows, Leo emerged.
He retrieved Tashom's key and using his coding magic he crafted an identical replica of the key. Every detail had been replicated perfectly, down to the enchantments that masked its true nature.
The only flaw in the replica was it doesn't work.
Before slipping away, Leo returned the counterfeit key to its place on Tashom's neck, leaving no trace of the deception.
The real key had passed into the hands of the demon army.
Now, Debauchery City lay open, defenseless, and doomed.
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[At the Debauchery City's barracks]
"What is taking them so long to breach the gates?" Petunia complained.
"Be patient. They will break through eventually," Leo replied.
"Why are you so quiet?" Leo asked Sujira.
Sujira remained silent. She had returned to the Temple of Hera, but this time not as a slave—she was here to destroy it.
"I'm thinking. Can it really be so easy to bring down the Temple of Hera, a place that has stood for centuries?" Sujira asked, doubtful.
"We've taken down stronger foes before," Petunia reassured her.
"Maybe you're right. Even if I die today, it would be a worthy end," Sujira said.
"Don't worry—none of us will die today," Leo promised.
Suddenly, horns blared in the barracks. Soldiers quickly assembled before rushing out to confront the demon army that had just breached the city's gates.
With most of the soldiers gone, leaving only a handful to guard the barracks, Leo seized the moment. "This is the time," he said.
"Follow me," Sujira instructed. She led them through the Koresh army barracks, moving swiftly and with purpose—she knew this place well, having grown up here.
There were no guards to stop or question them. Most guards were mobilized to defend against the demon invaders. Those few who caught them were quickly put down.
Quickly, they reached a large building—the command center of the barracks.
"The Temple of Hera is inside the barracks' command center?" Leo asked.
"No," Sujira replied before leading them toward a thick patch of overgrown vines covering part of the barracks' walls.
"The Temple of Hera is behind those walls?" Petunia asked. Sujira nodded.
She murmured a practiced spell, but to her surprise nothing happened.