Death and the Demoness

As the Feathered Serpent emerged from the cave, it raised its upper body and slithered over the unfinished "palace." Angel felt the force gripping her heart grow stronger, slowing its beat almost to a stop.

She glanced to either side and found Klein and Alger, the Hanged Man, in even worse shape. The two Beyonders had only recently advanced to Sequence 5, and merely sensing that trace of Death's aura had left them freezing. A chill seeped through every pore, rooting them to the spot. They could not even think of dodging or fleeing.

At any moment, the power of death might stop their hearts altogether, leaving them like those Zombies.

Good thing I'm already a Sequence 4 Demoness of Despair. And after seeing the miraculous power of the "1-63" Witch Mirror, I understand the Mirror World far better than I did when I first became a Demigod... Angel's thoughts raced. The enormous Feathered Serpent was reflected in her violet eyes. Then its figure faded, along with the moonlight and the countless Zombies stirring around it, until all of them looked like translucent images seen through glass.

Klein's heart finally resumed its normal beat. Coming to his senses, he looked around and saw that Alger was pale as well. Alger could barely hold the lantern in one hand, while the other pressed against his chest, as if to check whether he was still alive.

Between them, the violet in Angel's eyes had turned almost black. She swept her gaze over their surroundings, then said:

"That's a Demigod-level Feathered Serpent, very likely of the Death pathway. Once we leave the Mirror World, that power will affect you again. You'll barely be able to fight."

The Mirror World... Klein looked around. The space within roughly five meters of the three of them