Just as Lilith was about to come, unable to stand it any longer, something quite strange happened. The lesser witch had simply... faded away, as if she no longer existed. More than just that, the walls of her former quarters too faded away, as if they had been dispelled. Soon, the witch found herself hanging in the air, held up only by the magical bindings that kept her wrists stuck together. But rather than just hanging there in the air, it didn't feel as if she was being held up. More like, it felt as if gravity no longer existed as well. And it was here, Kanoe found herself floating in the midst of a void, empty of all matter and light, nothing but an absolute blackness.

Then, suddenly, an individual appeared in front of the witch, grinning widely. He was quite pale, but built well, just like Luju. His flesh was every bit as immaculate as the Emperor Avariza's own. Even the two horns jutting out of his forehead was exactly like Tragheit, brother to the Baron and loyal servant of the Emperor. Even the demon's face lacked any eyes or a nose, just like Glotoneria. His tombstone teeth were exact copies of the Marquis, Fornicarus. There were a wide slew of resemblances about him that mirrored all of the demon lords Kanoe had met so far. This strange individual was dressed in nothing but baggy pants, as dark as he was pale. Oh, and he happened to be standing upside, as if direction was now simply a matter of preference.

"Well, Kanoe, was it? I have to ask you this... Am I a figment of your imagination... Or are you a figment of mine?" The demon grinned, amused with the question he had posed of Kanoe. Even upside, he cupped the witch's chin in his own hand and forced her to gaze at his grinning visage. "Ah, but before you answer... We need to deal with that nasty addiction of yours." The demon chortled, a laughter frighteningly similar to the Marquis, as he suddenly tapped at Kanoe's forehead. Then, in that instant, there was no addiction to speak of, nothing that bound the witch to her Baron, all traces of the drug that had kept her addicted for years gone now. She was once again a free woman, but with all the memories and knowledge of everything that had happened in her time here in Hell. Or was it really Hell? "You've had quite a long dream, haven't you? It was fun watching all those little demons playing with you, fighting over you... Even if none of them were really real, it was still quite entertaining, wasn't it?" Chuckling, the demon snapped his fingers, just like Luju would have done, and the spell holding her wrists together faded away as well, leaving her free.

"Are you aware that you're still dreaming? Oh, yes, indeed! It has been exactly thirteen minutes since you first met my boy, Luju, in the copying room, when he brought you into this imaginary realm." The demon chortled yet again, dropping down from above and righting himself, as if gravity still exist but it didn't, just yet. "Ah, where did my manners go? I am... Agregat, the divided god, so to speak. I'm the one who gave life to the Marquis, and to his children as well. And, I'm your savior, so it seems.

Just as they were about to reach the peak of passion, everything seemed to have stopped. Kanoe's eyes fluttered open to find that Lilith was gone and even the room was gone. She floated in an endless void as another demon appeared before her. The witch struggled in her bonds. Who was this creature and where was she? She still had her mission and she needed to please the Baron or else.

She tried to pull away from the approaching demon but was held floating in the air. She gazed at the strange creature, wondering how it knew her name. The tap to her forehead made her gasp. That never ending need for more faded immediately. It felt like she was left empty inside. Despite being freed, she did not know what to do. Years of servitude left her confused and lost as her bonds were finally broken.

Kanoe slumped to her knees before the creature, wrapping her arms around herself. "I don't understand.." she mumbled, "Dream? It felt so real. Where am I? I..." She whimpered softly, unsure what to think anymore. It can't have been thirteen minutes. She had been through years of torture and slavery, passed around like a cheap whore to various demon lords and their minions. After going through so much, she was unsure what savior meant according to this demon.

Then suddenly, the demon was everywhere and nowhere at once, blinking in and out of sight instantly, moving from place to place. Then just as suddenly, he was crouching down on his knees, in front of the witch, a maddening grin on his face. Another tap of his finger on her forehead brought the memories of everything she had endured rushing through her mind, forcing her to relive everything she had been forced to suffer through already. But the only difference was... She wasn't relieving everything she had gone through from her perspective. Instead, she now had to watch as she raped and used herself over and over again, from the viewpoint of Ria, Avariza, the Baron, and all the others. A most unique experience and one worth experiencing. It always helped to see the same matter from another perspective, or so Agregat thought. "Oh yes, it was all just a dream... As to where you are?" Agregat grinned as he spoke, knowing that even caught up in the memories, his words would still pound against her, just as surely as she had felt countless cocks stab into her sex. As shaken and weakened as she was, in this place, she was completely vulnerable to his powers. There were no defenses whatsoever against Agregat, after all. Even as he spoke, in the haze of the memories, his words would continue to thunder against her mind, forcing the witch to hear them no matter what. More than even the Emperor, his powers were complete and penetrating. "This is the world that lies in between your world and their world... Actually, not really. This place exists solely within my mind. At the moment, you are but a figment of my imagination and I would be careful if I were you... Anger me and I just might forget about you, then you'd be lost within the darkness of my mind."

Agregat grinned, now kneeling beside Kanoe, his arm draped over her shoulders as if they were old friends. And in a sick way, Agregat did consider the two of them as old friends. As if to make his point, he now forced Kanoe to relive her life, from childhood to now, the embrace of a lover's arms, the vile touches of a monster, the commands of her own Mistress, all of it. It was a subtle statement, that he knew everything that happened to her. For the most part, it had been mostly leeched from Ria's own memories, when she had looked into the witch's past in order to figure a way to control her. "Now, Kanoe Shade... You've been in the clutches of demons for a long time, or at the very least, it seems that way to you. I'm sure you would like to return home, to that room of your, to your studies in the way of magic, to the sweet touches of your Clarice, or of any of your lovers... I can send you back to all of that, my dear. But not for free. If you do me a single favor... One well within your abilities... Then I will free you from this nightmare. Or... You can refuse and I'll return you to the Baron's clutches, or maybe even back to Avariza, to be used as a cow for the next... oh, hundred years or so before you're traded away once again? What will it be, witch?"

"Uhhhnnn..." she groaned weakly as her eyes fluttered and rolled back in head. The witch could not resist the demon's power over her. She was forced to watch her body be ravaged over and over again. Tears continued to run down her cheeks as she stared blankly ahead of her, lost in the countless visions she was forced to relive. Her body reacted as if she was truly experiencing the acts once again, nearly cumming all over herself as the demon spoke inside her mind.

Kanoe rested against the monster as more thoughts were pushed into her psyche. She was too exhausted mentally and physically to think of resisting this being. She just wanted to be back home, or just her dorm room. Whimpering at the demon's threats, she quickly nodded her head. "Pl-Please stop.. I'll do anything you ask.. Please don't make me see anymore!" she sobbed, "I can't take anymore.." Trembling and sobbing, the witch could only beg for mercy from this monster. She did not care what the favor was at this point. She wanted to be finally free of this place.

Agregat grinned as he heard the witch agree to his demands, even though he knew she would have. He didn't leave it at that, however. "Very good. But, if you dare to betray me... This is what shall happen." The demon spoke softly as he flashed more visions through the witch's head, this time a sample of all the horrors she would suffer, being raped and ravaged countless times for all eternity, by the 'demons' of this so-called hell. And he made sure she felt the pulse of every cock buried within her holes, the scorn-filled glares of her rapists, the hot seed filling her up. More than that, he made sure she could hear the screams of terror and groans of resistance giving away to moans and gasps of pleasure, as she saw herself reduced to less than a toy in the care of the demons. Only once he was sure she got the point did he stop making her see things.

This time, the monster allowed his 'guest' the opportunity to rest and perhaps even to think on what had just happened. Remaining silent, he disappeared from her side and reappeared some distance away from her, almost as if lost in thought but more likely watching as events unfold. Only after a time did Agregat finally return his attention to the witch, reappearing before her with his usual grin. "I am aware you'd like to get back to your room as soon as possible, so I shall make this short. The Marquis and his children are creations of mine, ones that I allowed to run rampant just for the sake of entertainment. But it has grown boring now, and I wish to bring them all back under control." Around the two of them, the void began to distort, showing flashes of events, many of them being of students getting raped by his creations, some of them even showcasing her first encounter with the Marquis himself, while many others were of various students, some of them even being of monsters as well.

"The great Emperor, Avariza, alone knew of the truth. That is why his powers, his Sovereignty grew so strong. Once he realized that his powers were limited by imagination alone, he wasted no chance in striking out and claiming for himself the title of Emperor. From then, he grew beyond the Marquis' control, and mine as well. I was only able to stop him from perfecting his Sovereignty, else he might have swallowed me up as well. With him aware of my existence and his origins, the two of us formed an alliance. I promised him complete control of his realm in exchange for him devouring his family in order to ensure that only he remained outside my control. Being born of greed, it was obvious that he had designs further beyond our alliance. I knew that he would eventually turn on me once he had established his rule over all of that infernal realm you call Hell." Agregat smiled, as confident as ever, as composed as ever, as if none of Avariza's plans bothered him. "You will retrieve an item of supreme importance, the one thing that will not only prevent him from carrying out his plans but will actually seal his formidable powers away. This item, unfortunately, is in the care of his most trusted servant and ally, the only one he trusts. Retrieve it for me, and you will have your freedom. You need never worry about being assaulted by any of the seven or their father ever again. Any questions?"

Betrayal was the last thing on Kanoe's mind as it was the demons of this world were source of torture and yet her only means of escape as well. Still on her knees, she trembled as the visions returned. The witch could do nothing but whimper and groan until Agregat was satisfied that she would not attempt anything.

She kept her eyes lowered as events flashed within the void. The witch simply did not want to see any more and just listened to what the monster had to say. Most of it had little to do with her beyond knowing that this monster created the demons that have been torturing her all this time. Then came the request that came with the reward of her freedom. But it was insane to think a mere human could steal anything from these creatures that could control her and reality itself.

"If it's so important, why don't you just take it yourself?" she asked, "I fail to see how a helpless and beaten mortal can do anything against a demon lord's most trusted servants and allies." Kanoe did not raise her voice or gaze. As far as she was concerned, this was another trick or a task that was simply impossible for her to do with her abilities. Avariza can make her do anything he wants with his voice. One word would be all it took to stop her.

(I apologize, Kanoe, for getting raped by life and taking so long to get back. Please don't cast a spell on me. O.o)

"Helpless and beaten, yes. I would say that how you looks right now. They'll be underestimating you, after all. Beside, the servant in question... He is but one, secured within his great palace, surrounded by nothing but human slaves. And he is trusted by Avariza only because of his loyalty to the Emperor. Beyond that, there is nothing about him that is remarkable. Why fear a mere steward, Kanoe?" Agregat smiled at the witch, choosing to address her concerns and put some of those fears to rest, if he could. After all, the end was in sight and he didn't want to squander the opportunity to achieve his ends. "As for I, I'm afraid the Emperor would know instantly when I enter his realm. He would become quite guarded and seal everything against me. As I've said, he is quite beyond my control. You, on the other hand? You're but a human, just some plaything to demons. Far beneath his notice. By consuming his brother Liebe, his arrogance has become his greatest weakness. He now only judge people by their titles and no longer fears those of no worth." The demon then smirked, gesturing toward the witch. "Decide. Will you steal what I require or shall I sent you directly into Avariza's hands. I'm quite sure he'll just send you back to be milked."

"What is there to decide?" she replied bitterly, "It is not like you are leaving me with any reasonable choice. So how exactly am I going to get into this place?" Either obey or be trapped in this dream world forever until her body withers away. There was no point in dwelling on it. She will go to this Emperor's palace and attempt to retrieve the item. She can only hope her power is enough to stop at least human servants. Even now, she felt exhausted mentally and physically from all that she has been through. Part of her was almost willing to give up after the supposed years of torment and slavery. Even if she is set free, the real world would not know what she had just went through. Everything felt so far away from her now. The witch could do nothing else but wait for this monster to send her to where she needed to be.

"Very good!" Agregat grinned, pleased with the witch's words. "And worry not, I wouldn't think of sending you in as you are. No, that would be insulting." Approaching her now, the monster came close until they were nearly face to face. Then suddenly, his hand plunged into the witch's chest, not piercing but somehow moving past her physical shell as if she were nothing more than an illusion. A tug could be felt deep within her, something being pulled out, and just as quickly, the demon dragged out what felt very much familiar to the witch, her own mana, only a small part of it but all the same, familiar. Grinning still, Agregat began to mold the handful of mana he had taken, watching and it twisted and warped into itself, becoming something else entirely. Soon, the monster held his hand out for Kanoe, the clasp she had been ordered to wear by her mistress in what felt like so long ago, in another lifetime. Even the smell of her sex hung in the air around the accessory.

With that, the monster tilted his head to the side a bit, watching as the witch's hair began moving on their own or as if they were being held by someone else, quickly weaving and moving until her braid had been restored to her, the clasp floating into the air and affixing itself to her hair. Another tilt of the head and the darkness surrounding the two of them suddenly congregated on Kanoe, practically covering herself in the suffocating blackness but melting away just as quickly, leaving behind only a black dress that hugged her curves. "And now..." The monster then touched the witch's chest with two fingers, and it felt as if a fearsome power began to flow into her, restoring her body, rejuvenating her mind, repairing the trauma and damage of the 'demons' of this false Hell. "I've given you but a fraction of my own power. You will find yourself more than capable of overcoming even the strongest of Avariza's guardians, let alone the pathetic human servants. Do not do anything recklessly, however, for the second you use that power, it will alert Avariza. You won't have long if he realizes what you're up to. They will simply believe you as one of the Emperor's many servants, so use your powers only when necessary and if you are accosted by one of his guards, well... I doubt anyone would turn your body down."

The monster chortled as he flicked his hand, opening a portal behind him, the image of the great palace appearing, before another image came, this one showing a secluded chamber, empty of any servants or demons. "Now... the second you touch the tool I require, the clasp I have given you will pull you back to this place, my sanctuary. As to what it looks like... You will know the second you see it. The power I have given you will pulsate in the relic's presence, drawing you to it." Agregat then gestured for the witch to leave, grinning all the while. "Do not fail me, Kanoe."

Kanoe wanted to move away but where would she run away to? She had to keep telling her body to not pull away as the monster moved closer. Her eyes grew wide in horror as his hand sank into her chest. But there was no pain, only a pulling sensation as the demon pulled out her mana. She was trembling as she saw what the creature was doing. Her mana was being used to reproduce the clasp her mistress ordered her to wear at all times, a constant reminder of her slavery back on the island.

Her hair was rebraided perfectly and then the void around her suddenly closed in. It was difficult to be more afraid than she already was and with her overall fatigue, she was just too tired to react to the sudden changes around her anymore. But her worries were unwarranted as the darkness faded quickly, revealing a tight fitting black dress. It was as if she were back in the clothing Glutoneria provided before. Kanoe did not have time to look herself over as Agregat pressed a finger to her chest. Power surged through her body, powers she could only dream of having while on the island and even then it was only a small fraction of the demon's power.

The witch nodded, understanding that her power would be useless if she attracted too much attention. Her eyes narrow at the mention of using her body. Her body was plenty used enough already. There was no point in dwelling on it though. Kanoe obeyed the creature, stepping through the portal and searching for that tug that would lead her towards the item she sought.

The portal quickly closed behind Kanoe as soon as she had stepped through, sealing itself from being used again until Agregat wished for it. Left within the great walls of the imposing palace, one that was filled with items of just as much luxury as the Baron himself, with the minor difference being.. For every vase Glotoneria had, for every tapestry on his walls, for every statue he possessed, the Emperor seemed to have acquired ten of such things, as if he were stripping the land bare of wealth and power, hoarding it all for himself. Even for a palace, it seemed to boast far too many servants and guards, relentlessly dusting and polishing things off and patrolling the cold and foreboding halls and chambers.

Everywhere, no matter where you were, it felt as if the power of the great Emperor demanded recognition and more than that, it was as if that power was pressing down on everything within his palace, despite him being a vast distance away, on the front lines. Perhaps, that was why no matter where she went, the witch would see nothing but servants that refused to look at her, instead content to stare down at the floor, almost too fearful of daring to raise their eyes. Even the guardians, as demons were prone to be lewd and rude and abusive, seemed to be more disciplined and trained, keeping in with the Emperor's explicit instructions.

'The great Emperor forgives himself for everything, and to those that worships and serves him... He is far more cruel than anyone, forgiving not even the most favored among them for the smallest of mistakes.' The voice of Agregat rang out in her thoughts, as if he were there, right by her. Or perhaps, inside her. 'I did say you would not be going as you were. I've given you but a fraction of my powers, and thus, we are linked now so that I may guide you.' The monster's chortling followed suit, as if he did not think of anything about sharing a body with the witch, for the time being anyway. 'The artifact I seek, it is bound to me as if it were as much a part of me as my own heart... Your mana sight, my dear. Use it and you shall see the way to the prize you seek, a golden path in the absolute darkness. Let us proceed, Kanoe...'

The palace was ridiculously lavished with riches and works of art. It was to the point of not looking attractive but rather very cluttered. Servants and guards were everywhere, working diligently on whatever tasks their master has given them and only those tasks over and over again. Kanoe did not have time to begin searching before Agregat's voice rang inside her mind. Great, the monster was going to tag along inside her head. At least the demon can give her advice in this realm she was completely unfamiliar with.

Following his directions, Kanoe closed her eyes. It only took a moment before she was able to open them and see the barrage of mana threads that made up the palace and the world around her. The amount of colors was almost dizzying for the young witch. But she did her best to remain composed and not draw any attention of the busily working servants. Despite the many threads of dark magicks, Kanoe could clearly see golden threads, making a sort of path in the direction of the artifact. The witch began her journey in that direction, giving any people and guards a wide berth.

'We need not worry about encountering Avariza here...' Agregat went on after the witch had proceeded a bit, moving deeper into the palace and staying out of the servants and guards' ways, none of them really paying any attention to her as they obeyed the Emperor's orders. 'Glotoneria was informed that Avariza's strongest supporters, the two brothers that chose his side over their father's, had disappeared and there had been no sight of them for quite a while. The truth of what transpired is that Avariza, in need of even more power, consumed both of his brothers. By devouring Zemerin, the Lord of Wrath, his strength grew far beyond what he was capable of before. With Tragheit swallowed, the Emperor acquired a new power. He is now essentially able to control time itself, and while he hasn't used this to any real advantage, the Emperor has instead raised an army of replicates. The ultimate army of one. He took most of them with him but I suspect he will have left a few behind to defend his palace.'

The voice ceased speaking as soon as the witch had turned a corner, the hall opening into a wide chamber, the black threads of mana no longer obstructing what they now saw. Avariza. Hundreds of him, perhaps a thousand, all of them milling around the great chamber. All of them, shining an incandescent purple color, nearly blinding in their brilliance.

Without warning, the witch was pulled back around the corner, out of sight by some sort of force. 'Careful! They may not boast the real Avariza's powers but they are all, each one of them, capable of stopping you even with the power you now wield! We must find another way.' As the monster spoke, one of the Avariza peered at the side, staring down the corridor where Kanoe had stood before being pulled out of the way. Thinking it had seen something, the inferior replicate of Avariza began walking toward where the witch had been, the presence of even a mere copy quite overwhelming. 'Move, now! You passed some stairs a bit ago. If we cannot cross the chamber, then we shall go above.'

So the demonic lord has created copies of himself. They were supposedly weaker but Kanoe soon found herself experiencing first hand the amount of power these copies held. The amount of mana emitting from the countless copies in the chamber nearly blinded the witch but that was not the worst of it. The pressure coming from each of the clones was nearly forcing her to the floor, her knees buckled as if wanting to kneel before the mass of powerful beings.

A sudden jerk, brought Kanoe stumbling back around the corner. The witch gasped softly, realizing she had been holding her breath for that short time. She was less than pleased to have this second seat driver taking over her body and it seemed the powers she was granted would be nearly useless with the Avariza clones moving about. She had no other choice but to flee and find another way to their goal. The witch moved quickly back down the hall, turning only when she came upon the stairs going up. From there, she could only hope the halls would still lead in the direction of the golden path.

Despite Agregat's quick actions at pulling the witch back, it had not been entirely successful. Noticing something just out of the corner of his eyes, one of the Avariza turned to stare down the empty hall, glaring as if trying to force whatever it was to come back out. For a moment, the monster stopped where he was, all the rest of them spoke and argued among each others, before continuing his march toward the hall. It didn't take long before the inferior Avariza stopped just behind the corner only to take a quick step ahead, turning his gaze down another hall where the witch and her meddlesome companion had gone down. There was little there that stood out, apart from the usual servants and guardians. Staring down, the monster's sight fell upon a servant that had begun scrubbing the walls, too fearful to stop and look up. Nothing was spoken, instead the demon lord reared his leg back and slammed it into the servant, sending her crashing backward, screaming. With a snort, the Avariza returned to the great chamber, closing the door behind him as he did so.

They had been fortunate, slipping into the stairs just an instant before the monster had turned the corner. It had been close, far too close for the demon within Kanoe's liking. "We were fortunate. It seems Avariza, despite the fact that his powers has grown greatly, has not relaxed his guard any. I wasn't expecting that many... They may be covering all the main routes to our goal. If this is so, then we must seek another way, but we'll come to that later." The voice fell silent as the witch moved up the stairs, remaining silent as she followed a slightly fainter golden thread out of the stairs and into another hall, one smaller than the others they had traveled through. "Quarters for the servants, I would think. Not quite as cluttered with treasure as the others, wouldn't you say? Perhaps if we sought out one of the head servants, we could 'persuade' them to-" The demon within fell silent as the sound of footsteps approached, a great monster turning the corner and stopping for only a moment as it regarded the witch, before continuing on toward her.

It was quite imposing for a demon, perhaps as large as the Baron had been, only not as obese but still intimidating for anyone. Great horns jutted out of the beast's head, almost like a crown, atop intense emerald eyes that bore into everything they stared at. The demon also appeared to be covered in some sort of greenish black plates, perhaps as an armor of sort. "Steady. One of the Emperor's most favored creatures, the Corridara. Remain silent and still yourself, or it may attack you." The beast kept on approaching, closing in on the witch before coming to a stop, staring down at her for a moment, as if trying to determine whenever it was merely a servant or an enemy to destroy. Only after several moments did the Corridara leave, heading on down the hall. "Let us hope we do not run into one of the Desirados. They were once under the Marquis' control until they betrayed him in favor of their 'god', the Emperor. They could be destroyed easily by the power you wield now but... We cannot risk discovery yet, not when we are too far away from what we seek. If you do not wish to share your body with any of them, I would suggest you to keep a low profile and be watchful of what may come around each corner."