Sizhi was responsible for the ambush that Jyu and Taffie experienced. After meeting her grandfather, Alber, she innocently revealed the whereabouts of Jyu and Taffie.
"Sizhi!" said Alber, shocked when he saw his beloved granddaughter approaching him.
Without saying a word, Alber hugged Sizhi tightly. "Why did you come here? Who did you come with?"
Sizhi cried when she met her grandfather, whom she thought had died several years ago. She could only hug him tightly, as if unwilling to let go.
"I miss you, Grandpa. Living without you feels like being in hell. No one loves me as much as you do," said Sizhi.
"The day you died was a disaster for me."
After Sizhi calmed down a little, she began telling him about the mission she was carrying out. Of course, she also told him about her friends who had entered the darkent realm.
"My friends are over there!" she said while pointing at the conical rock area not far from the demon palace.
At that time, Alber was escorted by a male demon whose entire skin was blue. Alber immediately ordered his guard to send troops to attack Jyu and Taffie.
Of course, this order was given with only a nod, and the guard immediately understood what he meant.
"You stay here, it's safe! Let my subordinates pick up your friends. Don't worry about them!" said Alber.
Then Alber invited Sizhi to enter the demon palace. He also explained that Kuma's curse did not exist in this palace. It was all just a myth that developed in the human world. According to Alber, this myth was spread by the DV Army.
"I know the supreme leader of the DV Army, her name is Jenna. She is the one who spread the myth about Kuma's curse," he said.
"The dimensional portal was actually opened by Jenna herself. She has a hidden mission, I suspect she opened the portal so she could devour as many demons as possible. The more demons she consumes, the younger she becomes. That is her power!"
Of course, Sizhi was shocked to hear this explanation. "Why is Master Jenna so evil? Why does she only care about herself?"
"Don't think about it too much. Now get some rest!" said Alber as he escorted Sizhi to a very large and luxurious room.
---
Prison.
Now Jyu was thrown into a prison located beneath the demon palace. He sat with his hands tied to the wall, and both feet shackled with a 20-kilogram iron ball. He couldn't escape!
After a while, Jyu finally regained consciousness. His eyes opened slowly, but everything was still dark, with only a small flickering flame.
"I'm in prison! Damn it, my whole body hurts," he said irritably.
This condition was truly torturous, not only because of his injuries, but also because of the dreadful prison environment. There was almost no oxygen, it was suffocating and the smell was disgusting. It reeked of blood and corpses!
If he didn't get out soon, Jyu could die. But what could he do with his hands and feet tightly bound?
Amid the worsening pain, Jyu remembered Elveryn. Right now, the little demon was not in the same cell as him, they were separated.
"Elveryn!" he shouted.
Jyu called out Elveryn's name several times, hoping for an answer. But his efforts failed, there was absolutely no response.
"Who are you? Why are you calling the name of Princess Elveryn?" Suddenly, a hoarse voice was heard from the cell beside Jyu.
Jyu was startled, but a second later, he regained control. "She's my friend! Do you know where she is now?"
"How do you know her?" asked the mysterious man.
"She gave me food, she's my good friend. Where is she now? She must need my help!" Jyu answered firmly, feeling worried about Elveryn's condition.
But there was no reply, the mysterious man fell silent. Of course, this made Jyu angry. He repeatedly shouted, trying to find the mysterious figure beside him.
"Hey, are you dead? Answer my question, idiot!" Jyu snapped.
But still, there was no answer, only silence surrounded him. His shouting was nothing but wasted energy that only made his injuries hurt more.
Moments later, a loud shout echoed through the prison.
"Hey, can you keep quiet?" This shout was not from the mysterious man. It seemed to be from a correctional officer angered by the commotion Jyu caused.
Not long after, footsteps approached. Two people approached. Jyu stayed silent, observing what would happen next. Then they appeared in front of his cell, carrying a woman.
"Who is she? She's badly injured!" Jyu muttered in shock as he saw the woman being carried by the guards.
The woman's condition was horrifying. Her right leg and left arm were severed, as if freshly cut by a sharp sword. Fresh blood was still dripping from the gruesome wounds.
Suddenly, Jyu's cell door was opened and the woman was thrown inside without care. And that woman was Taffie.
"Taffie!" Jyu shouted, worried about his senior's condition. Her breathing was weak, she was on the verge of death. If not treated immediately, she would surely die.
"That's your friend, right? I want to say, maybe in five minutes she'll be dead," said one of the guards. Then they burst into laughter and left Jyu behind.
"Taffie, what just happened to you? Can you hear me?" Jyu said, growing more panicked.
Jyu could only worry, unable to do anything. At this moment, anger spread throughout his body. He struggled, trying to force his hands free from the restraints. But the bindings were too strong, like being gripped by iron. It would never come off unless cut by a sword.
Jyu also tried to ask the mysterious man who had spoken to him earlier for help.
"Hey, whoever you are, please help my friend. Help her, I don't want her to die."
But once again, there was only silence, forcing Jyu to surrender. Now there was nothing he could do except wait for a miracle. He could only pray, hoping help would come, whether from Wirtz, Master Jenna, or maybe even Sizhi.
Despair.
Jyu remained silent, staring at the helpless Taffie. Her breathing grew weaker as blood continued to drip, flooding the prison floor.
"I'm sorry! Maybe if I weren't careless, this wouldn't have happened."
In the midst of Jyu's despair, suddenly the mysterious man spoke again.
"You bring a miracle, boy!" he said in the same hoarse voice.
"We will survive, tell your friend to hold on a little longer."
Jyu hoped the mysterious man's words were true, "but how will we survive and get out of here?"