Devil Slave (Satan system)

Chapter 1184: Their Goal Is Not Us...

As Perseus faced the demon within the core of the None Zone, outside on the ship, Tomato sensed the shift in the air. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the dark void around them. Something was wrong. Then she saw them—shadowy figures slipping in and out of the swirling chaos, circling the ship like vultures waiting for the kill.

"Shadow demons," she muttered under her breath, her voice filled with frustration. There were many of them. Too many.

"Crap," she cursed, feeling the weight of the situation. Her null field kept the magic of the None Zone at bay, but it was draining, and now these demons from the Abaddon family were closing in.

Just then, Branch came running over, his face pale, eyes wide with fear. "Tomato!" he called out, his voice trembling. "I didn’t come here to die! What in the stars is going on? You didn’t tell me we’d be dealing with shadow demons! And from the royal Abaddon family no less!"

He paused, gasping for air, his panic barely contained. "Look, I agreed to take you to the core of the None Zone, not get into a deathmatch with the demon royals! If you’ve got issues with them, settle it peacefully—now! I don’t care what deal you’ve made, I’m not risking my life for this!"

Tomato clenched her jaw, staring out at the demons surrounding them. Branch wasn’t wrong. These weren’t just any demons. The Abaddon family was one of the most dangerous and destructive forces in existence. Shadow demons thrived in the most unique places because of their peculiar nature that allows them pass through anything like smoke.

Even places like the None Zone, might not be so harsh with them as it would be with other people.

and with Perseus in the core of the nonezone, she had to keep the field up or the chaos would consume them all.

But now the shadow demons were closing in, and even with her power, she couldn’t defend the ship and keep the field stable at the same time.

She glanced at Branch, her expression hard. "I don’t have time to settle things peacefully. You want out of this alive? Then get ready to fight—or run. Because they’re not here to talk."

Tomato was sharp and calculating. She knew all too well that if shadow demons were surrounding the ship, Perseus, deep in the core of the None Zone, must be facing even worse. Yet, retreat was never in her nature. She was a devil, after all, a species bred for one purpose—putting demons in their place.

But her hands were tied. Her power was holding the ship together, shielding them from the chaotic magic of the None Zone. She couldn’t simply leap into battle as she normally would. However, there was one thing the shadow demons circling them didn’t know—her null field would strip them of their greatest advantage at close range. And demons, being what they were, preferred the thrill of slaughter up close, reveling in the kill.

Tomato knew this all too well as she also enjoyed her kills at close range and planned to exploit it.

So she waited, letting the demons close in. She gave no hint of her strategy, her body still, her eyes focused. A good number of them had already landed on the ship, their forms twisting like living shadows as they stalked toward her. But Tomato had already given Branch and his crew quiet instructions.

"Be ready," she had told them, her voice steady. They didn’t need to know everything, just that the null field would affect more than the ship soon enough.

Shadow demons were notorious for their immunity to physical attacks. They were untouchable, phasing through blows like smoke. But the moment they entered her null field, their magic would be stripped away, making them vulnerable, solid—tangible enough to be hurt.

Tomato stood still, waiting for the demons to draw near. Just a little closer.

They did, as she expected, moving with an overconfidence that was typical of their kind. Then, at the exact moment she had anticipated, she screamed the order.

"Now! Attack!"

Branch and his men, already on edge, reacted instantly. They leaped forward, weapons slashing through the air, and to the demons’ surprise, their blades connected. A good number of the shadow demons fell in an instant, their forms dispersing into black mist as they crumpled.

The remaining demons in the void hesitated, their movements faltering as they processed what had just happened. Tomato smirked. The demons weren’t used to being touched, let alone killed. But the plan had worked like magic, and now, seeing their brethren fall, the rest of them shifted back in shock, unsure of what to do next.

For a moment, the ship was still, a tense silence filling the air as the shadow demons reconsidered their strategy.

Tomato’s grin was sharp as she taunted the shadow demons, her voice carrying a mocking edge. "If you’re so mighty, come closer!" she called out, her eyes gleaming. "Or are you afraid now?"

But the demons weren’t foolish. Once bitten, twice shy. Rather than engage her in close combat, they resorted to ranged magic attacks. Pulses of dark energy and slashing shadows flew through the void toward the ship, their malevolent force crashing against the null field she had created.

The good news was that the null field absorbed the attacks—magic was useless against them. The bad news? Each hit drained Tomato’s strength. Her power wasn’t limitless, and the demons, sensing that, doubled down, attacking relentlessly.

Tomato’s breaths came in ragged gasps as she struggled to maintain the barrier. Her hands trembled, the sweat trickling down her forehead as she muttered curses under her breath. "Perseus... you’d better hurry up."

Inside the core of the Non-Zone, Perseus was embroiled in his own desperate battle. Three shadow demons were circling him, and although he was immensely strong—stronger than many demons themselves—his lack of magic was a critical weakness. His once clean-cut form was now marred with bruises and gashes, blood seeping from the wounds as he barely managed to keep the demons at bay.

But he had a plan. Perseus adapted quickly, using their own momentum against them. Each time a shadow demon lunged, he grappled with them, pinning them long enough for the null field around his body to take effect. Once the demon became tangible, he used it as a shield, holding it up as the others attacked. It was a brutal strategy, one of survival more than victory.

However, as the fight dragged on, Perseus noticed something odd. The demons weren’t fighting him with full force. They weren’t trying to kill him outright. No—every chance they got, they moved toward the orb that hovered in the air, now glowing brighter as it absorbed the essence of creation.

The orb was at 50% capacity now, its surface glowing with the energy of the Non-Zone, and the shadow demons seemed far more interested in it than in Perseus himself.

Frowning, Perseus dodged another attack, his mind racing. Why were they after the orb? The object of this mission was supposed to be a secret, something only he, Tomato, and their closest allies knew about. And yet, these demons seemed determined to take the orb.

This wasn’t just a random encounter—someone, somewhere, knew exactly what they were after.