For the next spell it appeared that they would focus onto a more defensive spell, something Esperia vastly prefered due to her nature of wanting to protect those she held dear. Although, she wasn't the type to hesitate with an attack, it didn't change the fact that she was someone who vastly preferred defensive magic! To protect rather than to hurt.

"Alright~ for the first spell you'll want to use the same principle as before, conjure a stream of rose petals, but instead of making them sharp, harden them intensely while you imagine them being akin to a shield."

A little nod of confirmation came from Esperia who raised a hand into the air, a light sweeping gesture following as the petals gathered once more to form a small barrier before her. "Now let's see how tough your defense is~"

At Asmodeus's command the dummy suddenly launched its wooden fist at her, the knuckle colliding against the petals before causing the wooden dummy to rebound slightly! "The important thing to know is that in general most defensive spells are twice as durable than an attack of the same caliber~ This spell is particular is called Petal Storm and due to its size and maneuverability is perfect for parrying attacks~"

A little nod of confirmation came from Esperia who soon inquired with a hint of curiosity in her voice. "But what if the enemy attacks from multiple directions?" The demon lord giggled softly at the question, in the end it was a very natural and clever thing to ask, especially since not all fights were one versus one in nature!

"Good question~ In cases like that we actually got another magical spell at our disposal. Try to tap the ground with your foot and imagine the petals of a flower~"

A nod of confirmation followed once more as Esperia closed her eyes and tapped the ground with her foot, causing a large pink petal to suddenly rise at both sides of her! "This type of attack helps shield you from not one, but two different directions or attacks, quite an useful ability to possess, right? Of course a pervert like you could also use it to do some lewd things to Fia outdoors~"

Wait what was she even thinking about?! Then again, the idea did sound quite appealing to her, to conjure those petals to hide the two of them from view while she... no no no! She had to remain focused on the training, especially since time was running out for them! "I guess it's time to focus on a more difficult spell then~ This one in particular is a bit more tricky, so I need you to pay attention Esperia."

A more complex spell? What was Asmodeus going to teach her this time? If she was to be honest, she was a little bit excited to learn more about the demon lord's abilities, even her combative ones sounded elegant and graceful in their own way!

"This spell is actually one of my prefered choices for a real battle, I'll show you why in a moment. First try to call forth another swarm of petals~"

At Asmodeus' command Esperia was quick to make a snap of her fingers, the gesture causing the petals to start forming once more in the air before her. However, unlike previously the Eisenberg noticed that the petals started to blend together to form what appeared to be a large spear of sorts! "Try to take a hold of it~"

Wait, take a hold of a magical spell? Finding herself intruiged Esperia slowly raised a hand toward the spear, her fingers latching around the shaft of the weapon when to her surprise she found that despite its length the spear was surprisingly light to her! "Aside from being able to serve as a projectile, this can also be used as a final line of defense when you need to use melee combat~ so don't feel shy about stabbing things with it."

So this was a spell that basically allowed her to create a weapon out of thin air? To say that it was fascinating was quite an understatement! However, after a moment of consideration she decided to try something else, snapping her other hand's fingers when to her surprise she found that the first weapon didn't reform, but instead a second spear emerged at its side!

"Hehe~ Indeed, this spell can be used to create multiple projectiles if that' something you want." It made sense, of course it likely would be a bit consuming on her mana also... "I wouldn't worry about that, compared to most of your level, your mana reservoir is quite immense, I'd say that's likely a pretty impressive feat on its own!"

She wasn't really sure what to think of Asmodeus' compliment, but at least she was starting to get the hang of using her magic. Now if only she was able to transform into her without losing her consciousness... It always made her a bit nervous to have the demon lord take over her existence, even if she realized that sometimes it would be necessary if she wanted to protect those dear to her. She could only hope that the demon lord's goodwill wouldn't be ceasing to exist anytime soon...

"I guess that's enough training for now~ Time for you to return back to reality~" A mischievous giggle escaped the demon lord's lips as Esperia found herself steadily pulled back, and as if waking up from a dream she suddenly found herself back within the forest on the outskirts of Baska's church!

"Hmm..." But there was one thing that left Esperia quite curious, and that was the existence of the Pleiades. Who were they? Considering they were a demon lord's closest subordinates they must had been pretty powerful in their own right! and Asmodeus seemed to speak quite highly about the one called 'Sebas Tian'...

"Asmodeus, could you tell me a bit more about the Pleiades?"

The question coaxed a curious look upon the demon lord's face, seemingly having not expected Esperia's interest in the subject, but her surprise quickly faded away for a pleasant smile as she replied with a little hum. "The Pleiades are an order, a small unit like a squad so to speak. They are a group of powerful demons that served me in the past."

So they were all demons? She had no doubt that getting them to help her would be a tricky feat in its own way already! "Not necessarily, Sebas Tian is quite peculiar for a demon~ He actually is a much calmer and refined gentleman compared to the traditional image you might think of a demon. I actually sometimes wonder i he is truly a demon considering the fact he is so well-mannered."

A giggle escaped Asmodeus' lips before she continued. "As you likely know already, among the seven Demon Lords I am physically likely the weakest, which is why I rely on the support of my Pleiades to obtain the strength to stand on par with the others. Aside from Sebas Tian who is also a powerful combatant all of the Pleiades got special abilities to enhance my powers, so when I get the chance to gather all of them I can be quite a daunting foe to face."

Of course, who wouldn't be worried about the idea of a demon lord and her crew of followers being turned into an enemy? "Do you think they would be willing to help us even if you're sealed inside me?"

Asmodeus turned silent for a moment, seemingly considering the question before she hummed softly. "That's why we are seeking out Sebas Tian first, he might be able to rally the other Pleiades for you, and is more inclined to approve of you as long as you show that our relation is positive~"

This was starting to sound more like a headache with every passing minute! A deep sigh followed before she shook her head, she had been determined to figure out a way to get stronger, and if this was a means to obtain the power to protect those dear to her, then she was willing to take that risk! "So when do you think we should seek out the church?"

In the end it likely wouldn't be long till Cronus would be under siege, so the faster they did this the better they could prepare for the ongoing conflict! "Soon~ You best try to talk to Fia and Liana, in the end you did want to travel with them, although I'm a bit curious how they will react to this plan."

No kidding, to call forth the aid of a powerful demon to help save the city? She wasn't sure if either of them would approve of the idea! In the end demons weren't exactly known as loyal beings!

Of course, the urgency of the situation might end up complying Fia and Liana to agree with her decision, even if she was doing it to gain the means to protect those she loved, there was still a great risk involved, and yet at this point it might had been the only option available for her.

"So I guess we shall have to find them soon and prepare to go to Cronus..."

Of course, aside from this being a race against time, she was also not certain if she would be able to successfully convince the church to release their prisoner, even if Asmodeus herself was very confident that the circumstances would make them more willing to accept the idea, in the end surely the church could see that this was an option to protect the emperor?

"With that said and done there is one thing I should warn you about my dear~"

Asmodeus stopped beside her, her lips remaining formed in a soft smile as she continued to speak. "I understand you will want to aid the people of Cronus, and that you like most Blue Pegasus members will be fighting, but try to keep in mind your skills in combat are still raw, and your power undeveloped. Although having Sebas Tian at your side will help you a lot, it doesn't change the fact that the enemy is powerful and their numbers legion..."

It was an understandable concern, even if she was going to be careful she would likely get herself involved into some dangerous business, so Asmodeus likely didn't want her to take any risks by being too heroic. "I understand, I'll try to help as much as possible without taking too many risks."

Asmodeus smiled briefly as she disapeared once more, leaving Esperia to idly wonder about what to do next. She could either search for Liana to talk to her about the matter, or perhaps find Fia instead? Then again, she also had a lot to ask of Liana, for example the whole situation about her becoming an elf! Of course that story could wait for another time.

Meanwhile deep within Esperia's subconcious the obsidian haired demon sat upon her throne, a soft smile upon her lips.

"The pieces are all falling into place. First we will free Sebas Tian, then she will gather the Pleiades at her side. I just hope I didn't start moving too late~ It be sad if 'she' ascends after Fiore is thrown into an era of chaos and turmoil..."

Of course, a demon lord was always scheming and planning, and as the Demon Lord of lust Asmodeus was perhaps the most manipulative of the seven demon lords! However, it appeared Esperia was currently still quite oblivious to the intentions and plans of the demon lord of lust, even if she had her suspicions... but only time would tell what Asmodeus had in store for her, but there was still something, something happening elsewhere that would be a stepping stone in the events that were waiting to unfold.

Meanwhile within a large dungeon somewhere within Fiore a large yellow crystal towered over a spacious room, a group of armored knights surrounding it from every direction. "I still don't understand why they make us stand guard here... I know he is a powerful demon, but he has been asleep for centuries! Surely he isn't a threat anymore at this point?"

One of the knights mused out loud, yet little did he know that the demon known as Sebas Tian was merely meditating, his eyes closed as he focused both the strength of his body and mind. He could sense her, in a far away land his mistress was slowly stirring from her slumber, what meant his goal had been accomplished. It would only be a matter of time before she would return at last, and yet the church seemed to believe that this petty prison could keep him contained. The fools, it was obvious that the only reason it did was because he allowed it, to make the church turn its attention toward their prisoner, rather than realizing that the moment of his mistress' revival was at hand!

The leader of the unit of knights guarding the crystal looked at the crystal, frowning as he mumbled softly. "Why do I got the feeling that a storm is coming?"

Because there was one! With Grimoire Heart on the verge of attacking Cronus it was understandable that Fiore as a whole was on the brink of being thrown into a era of chaos and turmoil, so it was to be expected that unrest would reign soon. But what would this do for the church? Would they rally to defend the city, or leave it in the care of the guilds that were recovering from the loss of their masters?

He was actually a bit curious to find out what was going on in the outside world, although Sebas Tian had heard the knights talking before, he was unaware of the approaching threat of Grimoire Heart, so all things considered it was clear that a big surprise awaited him outside the prison he was locked in!

Still, it appeared that the story of Sebas Tian's release woul be for another day, for this was the story of Esperia Von Eisenberg, a young lady who was willing to take some extreme risks to protect those dear to her! And right now it seemed she was on the brink of returning to Baska to prepare the next course of her actions: to gather her best friend and her lover and tell the two of them about her intentions. It wouldn't be easy, that much was clear, but at this point in time it appeared they were running out of options, so she would have to do whatever she could to make the two of them agree with the idea.

But for now her training was over, and it was time to start preparing the next phase of her plan to obtain the power to help save Cronus!

[EXIT]