Chapter 19 - An invitation?

It was early in the morning, Sozen was walking around the mansion when he noticed a letter below the front door. He picked it up, opened it and read it.

Dear Hero,

You have been invited to the Demon Lord's peaceful banquet, you will be treated as guest. You are allowed to bring a maximum of 3 servants.

Sozen stopped reading it.

"T-The Demon Lord..?" Sozen said shocked.

Tranzarus walked to him from behind.

"Watcha readin'?" Tranzarus took a peak and was shocked. "An invitation from them!?"

"Tranzarus, wake the others up." Sozen said while folding the letter back. "I'll be waiting on the dining table"

Minutes later, everyone entered the dining room, Sozen was already sitting in one of the chairs.

"Why did you call us?" Ume asked while she sat down.

"I was having a nice dream" Celes said while she ordered a maid for a cup of water.

"All of you sit down" Sozen said. "We have a very important matter to discuss" he said, serious.

Everyone sat down around the dining table, prepared to listen.

"This morning, this letter arrived" Sozen said while he showed it.

"And? It's just a letter right?" Shiori asked.

"It's the content that matters" Tranzarus said. "Sozen please read it"

Sozen read the letter, everyone was shocked to hear that they were invited by the Demon Lord.

"The Demon Lord!?" Aiko said very shocked. "It's definetely a trap!"

"It's too obvious to be a trap" Sozen said.

"So, you're saying that we should go?" Celes asked.

"Not all of us" Sozen said. "Three of us"

"So, you and who?" Ume asked.

"Well Sho has to stay here, just in case it's a trap" Sozen said. "At least there's a hero here that will protect"

"Ok" Sho gave a thumbs up.

"I'll let you guys discuss who is coming with me" Sozen said while he drank some tea that was already placed in the table.

"I have a question" Celes said.

"Yeah?" Sozen said.

"What if it is trap?" Celes asked. "What if they capture you guys?"

"Don't come for us" Sozen said serious.

"What!?" Aiko said suprised. "What do you mean!?"

"They'll probably use us as a bait" Sozen said. "So, don't rescue us until you find the other heroes amd divine weapons"

"What!? What if you guys die!" Aiko said very worried.

"Probably not, we'll get tortured" Sozen said calmly.

"What!?" Aika said shocked.

"I'll go" Shiori said. "I've been there before"

"Anyone else?" Sozen asked.

"Well me of course" Tranzarus said. "I'm you sword-"

"You're staying" Sozen said.

"What!?" Tranzarus said shocked. "But I'm your sword!"

"And I'm your master and I command you to stay here" Sozen said.

"No! I won't accept thi-" Tranzarus was cut off by the noise of thunder outside. "Okay then..."

"I think Shiori and I will be okay" Sozen said. "But just in case I want you guys to stay here, including you Aiko"

"What!? I'm going with you!" Aiko said worried.

"Aiko I would blame myself if they captured you" Sozen said. "So please, stay here" he said with a calming voice.

Aiko sighed. "Fine..." she said. "But please come back"

"Of course" Sozen said. "Shiori prepare your stuff, we will leave in 30 minutes"

"I will order five soldiers to accompany you two" Celes said.

"Thanks Celes" Sozen said.

30 minutes later, everyone was outside and Sozen and Shiori were preparing themselves to leave.

"Please travel safe" Ume said.

"We will" Shiori hugged her.

"Sozen, promise me you'll return" Aiko said.

"Of course" Sozen said.

"Take care of yourselves" Celes said.

Sozen and Shiori waved goodbye and entered their carriage and they left. On the way, Sozen's and Shiori's heart raced fast, they were shaking and feeling tense.

"Hey is your heart beatin' fast?" Shiori asked, shaking a bit.

"O-Of course.." Sozen said, while he looked at his hand, it was shaking a lot, his whole body was.

"Y-You think we will live?" Shiori asked with a shaky voice.

"I h-hope" Sozen said, while he tried to calm himself.

They travelled for hours, until they reached the border between the Demon World and Human World. The two worlds were separated by a huge massive wall that you couldn't even see the end of it, it was guarded by humanoids.

"Reminds me of The Great Wall of China" Sozen said, while they contemplated the massive wall.

"Hey you" Shiori said to one of the soldiers that was accompanying them.

"M-Me?!" A soldier said nervously.

"What's the story of this wall?" She asked.

"O-Oh that" The soldier said relieved. "It prevents wild demons from crossing"

"Wild demons?" Sozen asked, curious.

"Wild demons are just like wild animals, don't have brain, just want to hunt and etc" The soldier said.

"Interesting" Shiori said.

A humanoid walked up to them and examined Sozen.

"IDENTITY: SOZEN MISHUSHIMA. PERMISSION: GRANTED" It then looked at Shiori. "IDENTITY: SHIORI NISHIDA. PERMISSION: GRANTED"

It then scanned the other soldiers and walked away.

"Please step back to the carriage" One of the soldiers said.

The ground shook and a part of the wall raised open.

Sozen and Shiori entered the carriage and continued their journey.

They passed through the Demon Lands, the ground and water was red, the sky was dark blue and different dangerous types of plants grew.

"Have you been to the Demon King's palace?" Sozen asked.

"I wasn't allowed by my old mistress" Shiori said. "Humans weren't allowed to enter"

"I see" He said.

A soldier knocked on the carriage. "We have arrived to a demon town"

"A town?" Sozen said. "Could you stop here"

"Uh? You sure?" The soldier asked.

"Of course" Sozen said.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Shiori asked, confused.

Sozen opened the door, the town felt like a human one but with demons in it.

"This place seems nice" Sozen said.

Demons looked at them with curious eyes, with different ages, hairstyles and different abilities.

"S-Sir, please enter the carriage" A soldier said.

"Why?" Sozen asked, confused.

Suddenly he felt something lightly pull his shirt. A demon child was pulling at his shirt, saying something in a language he didn't understand, a female woman pulled his child back and said something in a panicked and nervous tone.

"Shiori what are they saying?" Sozen asked.

"Please spare my child! Please!" Shiori translated the female demon.

"And what did the child ask?" He asked.

"You're so tall!" She translated.

"Oh, could you tell them that we won't kill them" Sozen said. "And say that we were invited by the Demon Lord"

Shiori spoke in demon language, she spoke it very well.

The female demon bowed and pointed to the north. Sozen and Shiori saw a castle very far away.

"That castle must be huge" Sozen said.

"Yeah, anyways we shouldn't waste time" Shiori said. "And we shouldn't talk with demons, some of them hate us"

"Ok, let's go" He said.

Both of them entered back the carriage and they rode away, Sozen looked back and waved goodbye with a friendly smile to the demons, they waved back.