Chapter 420 Helen of Nowhere-in-Particular. Daughter of no one important.

Suzuka stepped forward, just enough to close some distance.

“Well, aren’t you a piece of forbidden lore with legs.”

Then, with a dramatic sweep of her arm and a crooked smirk, she bowed—deep and theatrical, like a noble making fun of nobles.

“Helen of Nowhere-in-Particular. Daughter of no one important. Scarred by bad choices and worse wine. Sometimes killer, sometimes cook. Currently freezing.”

She straightened and met Zylithia’s eyes, her grin still lazy but now edged with genuine curiosity.

“So, a Demon, huh? I’ve only heard of demonfolk from books and gossip. Old travel logs, bard songs that sound more like fever dreams, and the occasional drunk who swears he saw one and lived to drink about it. Though never seen one with my own eyes. Most folks don’t. Story goes your kind lives in some harsh, dark corner of the world where even shadows get frostbite, and the sky tries to kill you before breakfast.”

She gestured out toward the trees beyond the snowstorm, voice dry again.

“Considering how bad these woods are already, I can’t imagine what kind of nightmares you crawled out of to get here.”

She paused, her gaze slid to the massive sword strapped across Zylithia’s back.

“Can’t say I expected one to show up in a blizzard and start flirting with goblins, but… life’s full of surprises.”

She shrugged.

“You’re a rare sight. I'll give you that. Almost makes the frostbite worth it. So, what brings a rare creature like you this far out? Don’t tell me it was the company.”

Zylithia chuckled, the kind of sound that curled in the air like incense smoke.

“Mmm… well, you’re not wrong. Most of my kin don’t leave the homeland. Too many firestorms, too many ancient grudges to tend. It’s a hard place to live—and an even harder place to leave. But I suppose I was always the restless one. Thought I’d stretch my wings—figuratively speaking—and see what this wide, broken world has to offer.”

She stopped, tilting her head slightly, gaze settling on Suzuka like a cat sizing up something interesting.

“Of course… adventure doesn’t pay for itself. So, I picked up a few contracts. Green skins mostly. Easy work. Cheap pay. But sometimes, if I’m lucky—”

A grin spread across her face, slow and wicked.

“—it gets fun.”

Her eyes slid toward Hermit and the hatchlings huddled behind.

“But then… tonight’s been full of surprises.”

Hermit stiffened like a brittle branch under frost, his wide goblin eyes fixed on her glowing pupils. He lowered himself slightly, half-bowing instinctively, unsure if he should run, grovel, or vanish entirely.

Behind him, the hatchlings huddled together in their wooden crate, not fully understanding the danger, but sensing the shift in the air. They blinked in unison—tiny, wrinkled faces poking from hay—murmuring little “huh?” and “eep” sounds as they buried deeper, some hiding under their siblings like confused, shivering potatoes.

Kaka lifted his head weakly from Hermit’s back. His eyes, dulled with exhaustion, narrowed with grim recognition.

“It’s her… I remember now... no mistake,” he rasped, just loud enough for Hermit to hear. 

“The one from the other day… the slayer of the breeders… she killed them all. Slaves... evil goblins... hatchlings, everyone.”

Zylithia smiled.

“Oh? What do we have here, a survivor? That makes this reunion even more interesting.” 

Her eyes lingered on the hatchlings for just a second—not with hunger, but with a kind of distant amusement, like watching bugs scatter under a lifted stone.

Suzuka stepped forward, her hand already hovering near the hilt of her blade.

“These goblins?” she said, tilting her chin toward the crate and the hunched figure behind her. 

“They’re off the table. You won’t be laying a single finger, blade, or breath on them. I didn’t drag them through frostbite, starvation, and gods know what else just so you can waltz in and get your kicks. They're mine. And I don’t share. I’ve got no interest in playing predator-prey games tonight. But if you push it… I’ll put you down like any other contract.”

Her blade hissed half an inch from its sheath.

 “So. Are you looking for a fight, Zylithia the Demoness?”

“Mmmmm… how curious. Why would a human care so much for these green-skinned filth? Are they your… little toys to pass the time? Your playthings in the cold? But I suppose it doesn’t matter, does it? The choice has already been made. I can’t back down now. They are goblins. And goblins must be eradicated. It would be a shame, though,” she whispered, voice dark and soft, “to end someone as lovely as you. In form and soul.”

Hermit seemed to shrink into himself even more, his wide, panicked eyes flickering between the demoness and Suzuka. He fidgeted nervously, trying to shield the hatchlings by pushing them deeper into the box. They squirmed and gurgled softly, confused by the danger around them.

“Please... don’t hurt us…” Hermit mumbled under his breath. He hugged the crate to his chest, almost like it could protect the hatchlings from the demoness’ gaze.

The hatchlings whimpered and chirped softly. They instinctively nestled closer to each other, their tiny hands clutching at the hay for comfort. A few of them made small “eeep” sounds as they shivered from the cold.

“This is how it always ends,” Kaka rasped, the words slow and laborious. 

“The big ones come… they take what they want... and the small ones... we die. We serve... we suffer then die.”

His breath was shallow as he shifted uncomfortably on Hermit’s back, trying to peer at the demoness with teary eyes. But despite his frailty, there was a bitter understanding in his eyes—an acceptance that this was the fate of goblins like them.

His gaze flickered to Suzuka. 

“She is not... like the others... maybe she will fight… for us...”

Suzuka flashed a smirk as she shot a look at Zylithia.

“I’m not letting you touch them, no matter how pretty your horns are. You’re gonna have to try harder than that to make me move, gorgeous. I don’t care if you’re a demoness or a goddess; you’re not touching anyone under my protection. Got it?”

Suzuka shot a wink toward Zylithia, her tone laced with sarcasm and confidence. 

“Besides, I’ve got a lot more fun ways to deal with someone as gorgeous as you.”

Zylithia’s lips curled into a slow, sultry smile, her gaze locked onto Suzuka with an unsettling warmth. She stepped even closer, her lavender skin glowing in the blizzard, like a dark temptress against the storm.

“Mmm... I like the sound of that. But I’m afraid I can’t overlook the goblins, sweetheart. It’s not in my policy. Not even for a pretty little thing like you. But hey… I’ll ask you one last time before we throw hands. Leave the goblins to their demise at my hands... and maybe, just maybe, we can come out of this as friends instead of foes.”

She leaned in a little closer, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. 

“After all, I’d hate for us to end up on the opposite side of this. You’re far too interesting.”

Suzuka planted her boots firmly in the snow, one hand resting on her hip. 

“Sorry, love, looks like we’re throwing hands after all. Because I’m not backing down. These goblins? They’re with me. And anyone who tries to lay a finger on them...” she flicked a thumb toward herself, “...has to go through me first. Your policy’s gonna have to make an exception today.”

Zylithia sighed, long and theatrical, as though she were truly disappointed by the turn of events.

“Ah-ha... So be it. But just so you know… you’re not the only one touched by the power of Magic Box.”

Before Suzuka could make first move, Zylithia raised one hand, her fingers glowing with faint light. With a sharp flick, the wind screamed to life.

A sudden gale exploded outward—unnatural, honed like a blade.

Snow whipped into a frenzy as Suzuka, Hermit, the hatchlings, and Kaka were sent tumbling through the air like scattered leaves. The wooden box spun out of control, hatchlings squealing as they flopped into snowdrifts. Hermit let out a yelp, legs flailing before he landed face-first in a slush pile.

Suzuka slammed into a snowbank with a solid thump, half-buried and blinking as powder drifted down from above.

She groaned, spitting out snow. 

“Ah, shit… wind magic. Just great. As if blizzard wasn't enough.”