DEMONIC ANGEL

GOLDEN APPLE

Scarlett found herself in a bit of a pickle. Her trusty blindfold, which had seen better days, was now nothing more than a pile of ash—thanks to her not-so-well-planned magic using, of all things, purple fire. Realizing she couldn't hide her eyes anymore, she pressed them shut, hoping no one would notice that she mistakenly burned her blindfold and Sulfurion's remaining corpse. She got to her feet slowly, furrowing her brow as she tried to piece together her next move. Absentmindedly scratching her head, she muttered, "I guess, I messed up?"

Her voice was so soft it was almost like she was having a private chat with herself. Thankfully, it seemed like everyone else was too caught up in their own thoughts to catch her little confession. They were all scratching their heads too, wondering what on earth Scarlett had been aiming for with her fiery spectacle. In their minds, she was paying homage to Sulfurion by giving his leftover bits a flaming send-off. They shrugged off the choice of purple fire as just another one of Scarlett's attributes—maybe she just liked the color? They decided it wasn't worth puzzling over too much.

Meanwhile, Scarlett kept her eyes clamped shut, pretending to be deep in some solemn ritual to avoid any awkward questions. She really didn't need everyone realizing she might have just toasted her blindfold by mistake!, Even burned the Sulfurion's remaining corpse.

Doomthunder watched intently and saw Scarlett's mistake as respects towards Sulfurion, despite his aggressive acts. Such grace under pressure did not go unnoticed, and Doomthunder's admiration for Scarlett soared. He began wagging his tail, a clear sign of his growing esteem, and his tongue lolled out in a dog-like display of affection and approval.

Approaching the trio of adventurers—Vermillion, Jenessa, and Kaelan—Scarlett moved with a confidence that seemed to quiet the chaotic air around them. The events of the day had been anything but ordinary, and Vermillion, bewildered by the spectacle, opened his mouth to voice his confusion.

"Ho—"

He barely started when Scarlett, sensing his perplexity, cut in with an explanation. Her voice was calm and matter-of-fact, slicing through the tension and mystery with ease. "It's called a psychic-barrier," she began, her closed eyes locking onto Vermillion's in a direct and steady gaze. "You can learn to do it too. Unlike traditional shields that block elemental attacks like fire or water, this barrier works differently. It repels attacks, guiding them away instead of stopping them outright. Think of it like building a pathway for the attack to redirect itself. So, when Sulfurion hit me with his fire breath, the barrier didn't block it. Instead, it redirected the fire, allowing it to pass harmlessly by me."

Scarlett gave a proud chuckle, brushing her nose with a flourish as she beamed at her companions. "I can easily block that kind of attack without magic; my body alone can handle this level of attacks. But like I told you, I wanted to show off!" Her smile was wide and brimming with confidence, clearly proud of her abilities.

The other adventurers stared at her in stunned silence. The idea that she could fend off such powerful attacks without any magical aid was nothing short of astounding. However, what really took them by surprise was not just her physical resilience but also her acute perception.

Vermillion's voice wavered with disbelief as he managed to ask, "How did you know I was going to ask about the barrier?"

Scarlett sighed, a slight click of annoyance escaping her lips. She had mastered many skills, including using her unique eyes to perceive the world in slow motion, but she had yet to learn how to fully control this ability. "Tch! It's my eyes," she admitted, her tone a mix of frustration and reluctance. "Even when they're closed, I see everything so slowly that I can even predict what's going to happen next. And my eyes also monsterous looking, it catches unwanted attention —and more importantly, I have to be careful not to fully activate them. If I do, it could be deadly."