In the final attempt to recover from the failure, the guards could no longer prevent the mysterious woman from seizing the treasure.

With a flash of light, the 【Bewitching Orb】 on the exhibit vanished with the hazy figure, shooting up like a streak of light toward the dome of the hall!

“Damn it! Stop right there!”

Not giving up because of her teammates’ mistakes, Captain Amy shouted loudly. Her brilliant, radiant hair quickly shortened and transformed into a pair of fantastical and dazzling light wings behind her.

With a burst of overwhelming power far exceeding her previous force, Amy immediately drove away the entangled enemies and shot up like a stream of golden light, chasing after the escaping pink glow!

Clearly, she was faster.

“Clink!”

With a crisp sound of clashing weapons, two figures reappeared in the air.

One was, of course, Amy, the Lightborn Tribe girl, now floating in the air with her light wings. The other, however, displayed an equally unusual form.

Her alluring pink hair flowed down with playful curls at the ends, and small, smooth black bat-like wings spread out behind her. These were matched by a long, flexible tail extending from her rounded, perky backside.

She wore a black, sheer bandeau that barely covered the small curve in the front, her flat, smooth abdomen, and her bare, pale arms were strikingly attractive. Below her forearms, she was encased in translucent black gloves that fit snugly.

Further down, she wore extremely short, tight hot pants, so minimal that a traditionalist would be outraged, declaring it “immoral!” Not only were her knees exposed, but even her long, smooth thighs were nearly half visible. Her pale skin continued down to her feet, which were adorned with black crystal-like thigh-high stilettos, completing the look.

The girl’s eyes were a light purple, resembling deep violet gemstones with an alluring, almost sinister quality. A single glance seemed enough to ensnare anyone, leaving them unable to escape.

Her tail had a cute heart-shaped tip, and she had long, black, beast-like horns that were noticeably different from her head. Combined with the unique charm she exuded with every smile and frown, it was clear she had a distinctive identity.

She was a succubus, one of the four major lords of the demon realm, representing the realm of the King of Corruption. Known for her infamy and strength, she was loathed by countless holy figures, yet feared and difficult to deal with.

“Oh dear, Miss from the Lightborn Tribe, why are you so persistent? Is it because those kind gentlemen from before showed pity and protected me, making you jealous?”

The cute succubus girl waved her peculiar short dagger, about ten centimeters long, with magic runes and gemstone inlays that clearly did not belong to this world. It gleamed ominously under the light as she giggled softly.

“Such a bother, Miss. With how tightly armored you are, it must mean you lack confidence in your figure and charm, right? I understand your frustration, but even so, you shouldn’t be jealous. Oh ho ho ho~”

Ignoring the succubus girl’s somewhat deliberate provocation, Amy simply tightened her grip on her long sword and cast a sidelong glance at the still chaotic scene below.

“A mere succubus… How brave you are to dare to enter the Holy Empire’s Western Capital, Bright Light City, and disrupt the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s auction. Do you really think you can leave here unscathed?”

The appearance of the succubus had completely explained the true reason behind the sudden chaos in the crowd. Even one or two of these cunning demons, skilled in manipulating emotions, could cause a massive army to collapse and fall into internal strife if they caught them off guard and without countermeasures.

Moreover, judging by the magic runes on her forehead and the shape of her wings, this succubus was likely a high-ranking demon of transcendent level. Even though she would be somewhat suppressed and weakened in this world, her innate skill in manipulation meant that her power was relatively less affected.

“Oh~ Are you trying to chat with me to delay time until your reinforcements arrive? It seems you lack confidence in your own abilities. But… hee hee, I have important matters to attend to, so I’ll have to play with you another time.”

Seemingly unwilling to waste time here, the succubus girl’s pink gem began to emit an even more intense, hazy glow. With her minimal clothing—just a bandeau and ultra-short shorts—her exposed, pale skin took on a faintly alluring sheen, rapidly increasing her already astonishing seductive power. Even Amy, a fellow female and a member of the Lightborn Tribe, found herself momentarily entranced by the sight.

Those below, already affected by her charm and creating chaos or distracting the guards, were immediately captivated by her allure. They stood dumbly, staring blankly at the enchanting figure in the air, losing their ability to make judgments.

“Hee hee, aren’t I quite pretty?”

“……!”

Awakened by the succubus girl’s slightly mocking laughter, Captain Amy quickly shook her head, trying to regain her composure.

The succubus’s power lay in her charm. If one couldn’t resist this kind of influence, fighting her was almost certainly a lost cause. Under normal circumstances, Amy would have been confident in her ability to contend with this suppressed succubus exalted demon.

However, with the succubus now possessing the 【Bewitching Orb】—a partial treasure from the King of Corruption—its effect, though limited in the hands of an ordinary person, could be partially replaced by the succubus.

This would unleash part of the terrifying power of the gem, which Amy, having only recently reached legendary-level status, would find nearly impossible to counter, even as a member of the Lightborn Tribe.

So…

The girl switched to holding her sword with both hands, took a deep breath, and let out a roar filled with magical power that echoed like thunder throughout the entire hall.

“President! How long are you going to just watch this play!!!???”

The white-haired old man, with an air of otherworldly wisdom, stood on the high platform and couldn’t help but show a helpless smile.

“Hehe, the little girl is getting anxious. It seems it’s time for us to make our appearance.”

“Do you need help?”

The diviner stood up and shook her head at the well-meaning inquiry from Miss White Fox.

“No need. Miss Dawn should just observe this time. As the host, it would be improper to have a guest take action on our behalf.”

“Hmm… Is that so.”

Since the diviner had said so, Violet was content to remain idle. Besides, she still hadn’t figured out what the old man was really planning.

If the goal was simply to draw out the succubus and capture her using the 【Bewitching Orb】, they could have acted as soon as she appeared to seize the gem, rather than waiting for the Lightborn Tribe’s captain to desperately hold her off and call for reinforcements before making their move.

The question earlier was both a casual gesture and an attempt to probe the diviner’s intentions. But it seemed… the old man still appeared to be completely confident.

The old man casually dispelled the barrier that had concealed the second-level platform, which had prevented the external observation of the interior. The figures of the three inside were immediately exposed to Amy and the succubus girl floating in the sky.

“Damn! So you old man were really just watching the show!”

“…?”

As soon as the diviner appeared, Amy was overjoyed, but the succubus across from her didn’t seem so pleased. Especially when the succubus’ gaze swept past the rather inconspicuous white fox girl and landed on the golden-haired girl beside her, who exuded a pure and holy aura, the succubus’ alluring purple eyes noticeably narrowed.

Clearly, she recognized the renowned Bright Light Saintess and was deeply wary of her.

Noticing the succubus’s gaze, Yuna also slowly stood up and offered a faint, ambiguous smile toward the succubus girl.

“Long time no see, daughter of Eloun, the seventh child of Corruption, Chloe Eloun. You… have indeed come to retrieve the 【Bewitching Orb】.”