(Lian Li POV)
Everyone around us were marvelling at the fireworks in the sky, gasping as each one formed various objects and shapes with their dazzling light.
Anyone who had been within sight of the fireworks were transfixed to their spots, all of them unable to tear their eyes away from the light show in the night sky.
Even we were stunned speechless by the gorgeous display of light and sound.
There was no doubt that these fireworks will definitely be part of a new tradition from now on.
As expected of our divine Master.
When the fireworks display ended, the people around us began murmuring amongst themselves.
"So that was the 'fireworks' huh?"
"I wonder how they managed to create such a thing?"
"Ah, I heard most of this Festival's ideas came from Master Lin himself."
"Damn, that guy again? He got us beat on all fronts…"
"Yeah, but I think he's personally in charge of the fireworks segment."
"No wonder… That guy really is a monster, huh? If only someone can take him down a peg or two, we wouldn't be so overshadowed by him."
"Hey… Watch your words, we're not in our Sect now. What if someone hears you?"
"Bah… It's not like they'll do anything about it. I'm speaking any lies. I don't think anyone wi--"
"Sorry sir, I would need you to come with us."
"Huh? What? Why? Wait! What are you doing?! Unhand me this instance! Don't you know who I--"
"Be silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you."
"What are you talking about?! Hey! I'm not done here! Where are you taking me to?!"
I watched dispassionately as a few of our people pulled the blabbering idiot away.
Eris sighed beside me, "Some dumbasses just can't keep their stupid thoughts to themselves, huh? ... This one humbly suggests to throw that one to the enlightenment chambers."
"Ufufufu~~ The unenlightened will remain clueless until we teach them after all. This is why we are here, is it not?" Manami giggled.
"Cai Hong no like mean people…" The loli dragon pouted cutely.
Diao Chan tapped her chin, a smile that stretched to her eyes materialising on her face, "Kukuku~~ I wonder… Maybe if I start off with the skinning first, then the breaking… Or should it be the other way around? Ahhh~~ So many possibilities~~"
"Ara? Is something wrong Lian Li?" Manami asked me.
I turned back from where I had been staring at, "No, it's nothing. Just… I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen."
Manami glanced at where I had been looking at, "Ah, Delta is it? Didn't you already get a few people to cordon off the area? I think she should be fine."
"Mmm… I hope so. It's just that there's this little prickle at the back of my neck… Like there's some--"
"Papa!"
My words were interrupted by Cai Hong's shout, the loli dragon having rushed forward to hug Master when he returned via teleportation.
"Did you girls like the fireworks?"
"Papa's 'fwirewowks' are pretty!" Cai Hong exclaimed, burying her face into Master's chest.
"Beautiful…" Eris complimented.
"Fufufu~ This big sister was also entranced by Master's performance, it gave me… Shivers," Manami moaned, slipping her arm around Master's
How sly!
I wrapped my own arm around Master's other arm, "Master's fireworks has outshone our own little performance, forgive us for our arrogance."
"Mnnnn~~ Master should punish for our undeserved pride!" Diao Chan suggested, breathing heavily with flushed cheeks. "For us to be proud of only enrapturing a small group of people within the Festival while Master captured the entire region's attention… Could I suggest a spanking?"
"How could we repay Master for this heavenly gift?" Eris asked.
"Ahahaha! Seeing you girls enjoying yourselves makes the time I spent thinking on the performance worth it already," Master laughed. "Besides, it is I who owe all of you for the Christmas party you girls organised after all."
"Ufufufu~ You shouldn't have, Master. But we thank you all the same," Manami kissed Master's cheek.
I mirrored Manami's actions on the other cheek, "Thank you Master, we could not have asked for more."
"Mmm, as long as you girls enjoy the festival, it can be considered a success," Master nodded. "Speaking of which, what happened to that elf?"
Just as I was about to answer, a large explosion ripped through the space on a hill at the edge of the Sect.
Everyone immediately turned towards the commotion, seeing a giant black coloured lightning striking the top of said hill.
That was the hill where Master's courtyard was.
Before I could even begin to analyze the lightning, another explosion eradicated the area around the hill, throwing up smoke and debris all over the place.
I raised my hands, my body glowing a golden hue as I summoned forth my lightning, disintegrating the debris flying towards us.
Manami swiped her hands in an arc, a gust of wind blowing away the dust cloud that had been thrown up by the explosion.
Eris frowned, "What… The hell is that?"
"A demon… Summoned forth from the depths of hell…" Master muttered, his eyes serious.
Within the smoke, a giant, bald humanoid was crouched down low with a knee touching the ground. Its skin was a fiery red and its size easily dwarfed the hill that its summoning had destroyed.
The demon stood up, reaching over fifty meters in height, its ankles just slightly above our eye level.
It unfurled its arms slowly, the appendages numbering four in total with an extra pair sprouting from its shoulder blades. The demon's eyes were also closed, as though it was asleep.
That thing's only clothing was a strip of loincloth tied around its waist, it would have looked funny if it wasn't so terrifying.
I prepared a lightning bolt to throw at it, only for a hand to reach out and stop me.
I turned to look at Master in confusion.
Master pointed a finger, "The elf… She's embedded in the demon's chest. It seems like they had used her as a catalyst for the summon."
I looked at where Master had pointed and sure enough, Delta was stuck in between the demon's ribcage, her limbs embedded within the demon's body leaving only her torso and head sticking out.
Her blindfold was noticeably missing, the girl hanging there with her eyes closed.
"HAHAHAHA! Behold our power Heaven Sect and various other insects!" A voice shouted out from the demon's shoulder.
Right there, standing on each of the demon's shoulder and laughing arrogantly was Taoyan and Leizhui dressed in Dark Sect robes.
"For the elf with the curse of Abaddon to show up here herself is truly your undoing!" Taoyan laughed. "And for there to be an area with such a high concentration of Elemental Quarks too… Too convenient!"
"Yes, convenient indeed!" Leizhui bellowed. "Those fireworks also served as a sufficient enough distraction for us to complete the ritual to too! So thanks for that, Master Lin!"
The two gestured towards the demon, "Behold! Abaddon of the Abyss! This demon shall be your--"
The two were interrupted when two spears of ice streaked through the air towards them, shattering against an invisible shield.
"Tsk… They already erected a shield huh…" Master clucked his tongue.
"You… Damn you Master Lin…" Leizhui spat. "Of course you would try to kill us with such underhanded methods!"
Master raised an eyebrow at them, "What? You were expecting me to listen to your monologues when I could've just taken you out? I really don't care about your reason for doing this crap, you destroyed my house, ruined a perfectly good festival and both of you are wearing Dark Sect robes. That's reason enough for me to take you down."
"Grrr… Very well then! With this demon under our control, we shall eradicate all of you!" Taoyan declared, snapping his fingers.
Delta's eyes opened, a sinister red light emitting from her irises.
She let out a scream as the demon's eyes began to open as well, the same light showing underneath its eyelids.
No need to guess what they were trying to do.
I turned to Master in a panic, "Master! Her eyes--"
"Turns all living things to dust, I know." Master interrupted. "That's the original power of Abaddon of the Abyss… If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. But in this case, you'll be scattered into the darkness as dust."
Master stepped forward in front of us, "I'm sorry, girls. The demon can only use that disintegration sight once a day if he has a big enough target and he's invulnerable while using that skill. But once used, he'll be greatly weakened for a time so that's your best chance. I'll stop that skill from affecting everyone, but you girls will have to help me clean up the rest."
His figure disappeared, reappearing high up in the sky in between us and the demon's line of sight.
Master slammed his palms together, his body glowing a divine light before suddenly expanding to an immense size to cover us from the demon's sight.
The light made him appear to be a god protecting us from a demon and for a moment, I thought Master would be unaffected by that demon's gaze.
But in a few seconds, the light had faded from Master's body. His back started to turn grey and the colour quickly spread to the rest of his body.
The tips of his fingers began eroding away into dust, the degradation spreading quickly up his limbs
It didn't even take half a minute before the entirety of Master's body had completely dusted away, revealing the demon to us once more.
"MASTER/PAPA!!!"
