The greed ring Palace grounds.

"I can't believe it..." Shukufuku muttered as she stared down at the gem, her feline pupils dilated as her tail swung behind her, making a thumping noise than none of her subjects dared to point out. "It really is here... after all this time, the avarice tiger's eye..."

Artemis hummed, holding the gem out on his hand. "Just like I promise, one day after," He tapped his foot. "I believe it's your turn to give your part of the deal?"

The lioness stopped for a moment, her hands inches away from the gem before she growled through her teeth, closing her eyes for a moment and begrudgingly pulling her claws away. "Very well then," she stood up, turning her head towards her guards who stood beside the throne. "Get a move on and bring those damn keys!" She roared, causing the guards to scram and run out the halls, the fear and agitation clear on their steps.

The young demon rolled his eyes, his other hand tugged behind his back, pressing his fingers against his palm. 'Typical...'

Shortly after, the guards ran back inside the throne room, holding two wide keys, about the size of a brick yet only slightly thicker than a regular key. One of them had the symbol of gem in the top, while the other displayed a bubble. The guards kneeled in front of them, holding the keys out.

"There," She crossed her arms, "Take them and give me the gem before I change my mind."

"Such a pleasure making business with you, fellow demon lord," Artemis spoke with a tone half time regal and half sarcastic, sending the gem to float beside her, next, he took the keys and turned around.

Shukufuku narrowed her eyes, holding the gem on one of her hands. "Don't think it's all going to be smooth ceiling because you got two of them, the others are going to trust you even less,"

Artemis titled his head back, looking at her from the corner of his sapphire eye. "I would be disappointed if it was any other way," He grinned widely, his eye glinting with dark magic for a moment. "I can't wait to see when will we work together again, lord of greed." With that, he disappeared in a vortex of darkness.

After the demon lioness watched him leave, she gritted her teeth tightly, her free hand gripping on a fist. "That damn brat..."

The lust ring Palace.

Hamette giggled to herself as she read the book Artemis had left for her. She sat on her bed and kicked her legs with each sentence her eyes passed by. "The dreamscape sounds so pretty..." she whispered dreamily. "I can't believe he left this just for me," She squealed and held the book close to her chest, kicking her legs faster.

"...Hey, wait a minute," She muttered to herself, looking from side to side. Then she gasped, closing the book. "I haven't seen Artemis-Chan in a day!" She exclaimed, quickly hopping from the table. She went to rush outside of the room, only to come back right away and carefully place the book on her side table.

"There you go," She exhaled and smiled, patting the top. Then, she ran out in a poof of smoke, rushing in a blur through the halls of the palace. "Moooooom! Mom Mom Mom!" She called out as she looked around, until she stopped in her tracks at a hidden door, pushing it open. "Are you busy?"

Yokubo was standing in front of a wine-colored cloth, which was twisting itself into a dress as she brushed her chin. "Oh?" She turned over at the sound of the doors slamming open. "Hello sweetie, I was just making an outfit for the party. Is there something you need?"

The demon princess blinked a couple of times, looking at the dress and then back at her mother, "a...ah... sorry." She cleared her throat. "I was just wondering if by any chance you know where Artemis-Chan is right now."

"Hmmm?" The Queen of lust turned her head to the side. "Knowing the boy, he is probably back in his lab, growling about those plans of his," She snickered coyly while she waved her hand dismissively. "Why so curious, my dear?" She leaned her head into her hand.

Hamette blushed a bit, her hands coming forth to her lap, twiddling her fingers. "O... oh, it's nothing, I was just curious if he was here... to help out with the party, you know."

Yokubo smirked, running a finger along her chin. "Is that so now, sweetie? And here I thought you were about to run after him like a lovesick mortal," She placed her hand on her cheek, shaking her head with a theatric tone.

"n...nooo," She puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms. Her tail swung behind her back before she wrapped it around her waist. "Maybe I just wanted to know where he is because I was interested in his plan." She muttered stubbornly.

"Oh, really?" The queen walked to her daughter, leaning towards her, placing her hands on her knees, and a wider grin spreading across her face. "And what part of his plan exactly is so interesting to you? Surely you remember every detail if you're so invested in it."

Hamette's eyes wide, she went silent for a moment, "Erm..."

Yokubo giggled, her head leaning into her other side. "Oh, you are absolutely adorable, my little princess," she said, placing her hand on top of her head. "I am sure that whatever your prince dearest is doing, he is perfectly capable of doing it on his own. Besides, he will most likely visit you again soon, so don't you worry your precious head about it," She added as she ruffled her hair between her horns.

The princess closed her eyes briefly when her mother patted her head. She puffed her cheeks as she opened them again. "I'm not a baby anymore mom," She muttered while crossing her arms.

"Hmmm," the succubus queen's expression softened for a moment. "That so? well how about we make a little deal?" she added as she bent over.

"A deal?" she repeated while tilting her head.

In response, Yokubo lifted her finger. "If, and only if you figure out what the scarlet-head boy is doing on your own, then you can do as you please to help him." She poked her nose gently. "But I mean it when I say on your own, you must not ask for any help from me, and you cannot call him directly.

Her wide, heart-shaped eyes blinked a couple of times, staring up into her mother's before she lit up a bit, nodding rapidly and clenching her fists. "It's a deal! I'll find out right away, you won't even notice mom!" She turned around right after, running out of the room and leaving a cloud of smoke in her place.

"My queen..." one of the subjects delivering cloths to the room spoke, "are you sure that is a good idea? The princess can be quite... manic when she sets her mind to something."

Yokubo exhaled, glancing back at the dress. "I made sure to tell her not to call the boy directly; without it, there is no way that she can find out what he is planning. It will most likely keep her occupied until his next visit."

Hamette ran back inside the room, pacing from side to side while she scratched the back of her head. "Come on.... come on think... You can do this, all you gotta do is figure out what the smartest... coolest... greatest demon in the world is planning." She muttered, starting to get lost in her daydreaming.

However, she snapped out of it just as quickly, huffing and slapping the sides of her head, "focus Hamette, focus!" She shook her head and looked around. "He was here a couple of minutes ago, so somebody must have heard something!" She nodded to herself as she pumped her fists.

Then, she hummed to herself as she looked to the other side. "Both, there is no way that mom lets anyone tell me... I gotta find a way to snatch it out of them," She whispered as she started to pace around once more. "Hmmm..." she narrowed her eyes in thought.

After a few more seconds of moving from one end to the other, she gasped, her head shooting up and her eyes lighting up. "I got it!" She brought two fingers to her mouth and let out a high-pitched whistle. "Asmoeros!"

Almost immediately afterward, a figure appeared in front of her door, a tall man in a dark purple tuxedo suit, horns on his head, and silver hair that reached his shoulders. "At your service, princess Yakedo."

This was Asmoeros, the family's butler, currently assigned to Hammette's whims from the moment she was an infant.

"Weeeeeell," she pressed her thumbs together while she leaned to the side coyly, her eyes looking to the other side innocently. "You listen to everything in the palace, right?"

The demon butler nodded, "Indeed, I do. Is there anything you need to know?"

"Kinda," She continued to twiddle her thumbs as she looked back up at him. "You see, Artemi-Chan was here a couple of hours ago, and I was wondering if you just happened to hear any itty-bitty details about what he was planning to do."

Asmoeros widened his eyes for a second, only to furrow them with a troubled expression. "Princess Hamette... you know that I can't just tell you that, that boy's plans are very dangerous to follow. And your mother said you couldn't get help to get that information."

"I can handle danger, I'm a big girl now!" She huffed as she glared at him, her tail lashing behind her. "Besides, you are my butler, so you gotta do what I say, so that means I would be finding out his plans on my own! See? I am also pretty smart!"

The demon butler stayed quiet, hesitating for a couple more seconds, looking to the side of his room, and lowering his head in defeat. "Very well then,"

"Yay!" Hamette cheered while she jumped and lifted her arms. She then rubbed her hands together, looking up at him expectantly. "Tell me! Tell me!"

"The scarlet-head boy spoke with the Queen for a bit when you were sleeping. It seems like he has set his sights on getting the keys to Nevermore's seal. He managed to convince her to give him hers before leaving." He stated, tugging his hands behind his back.

"Wait, what..." The princess's expression twisted in surprise. "How did he get Mom to give him her key?"

"Your mother told him that he didn't want you to follow him in his plans, he told her that he had no intentions to put you in danger, and that he would ensure that you would be safe no matter what."

Hamette stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, her face slowly becoming redder as she brought her hands to her face, her breath gradually turning into a huge, lovesick squeal.

Asmoeros stayed in place, already having covered his ears when he saw the princess's eyes lighting up at the mere mention.

"I knew it!" she placed her hands together. "Artemis-Chan must have looked so cool when he made the promised!" She squealed once more, her hands covering her scarlet face while she shook her head and kicked her legs uncontrollably.

A couple more seconds of delight later, Hamette slapped her head lightly. "Focus, Hamette! Focus!" She puffed her cheeks once more. "If he is looking for the keys, that means I can help him get at least one!" She clasped her hands together.

The butler's eyes furrowed in concern, "Princess Hamette, I don't believe that's a good idea. You may be royalty in the Jigoku, but the other lords might not be as comprehensive as your mother; this could be extremely dangerous."

"None of that!" Hamette wagged her fingers. "If Artemis-Chan can do it, so can I! I bet he already got a like 3 other keys, a single one won't be hard at all!"

"Princess," he brought his hand to his mouth, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "As much as it pains me to admit it. The scarlet-headed boy is no ordinary demon; even among royalty, he seems to have an unnatural ability to get people to agree to his terms... I'm sure that if he wanted to keep you away from his plans, it's because he knows it won't be safe for you."

"That's why I gotta do this!" she huffed as she pumped her fists. "I can't just be a drag every time he sees me, I have to show him that I can help him so he doesn't have to worry about me all the time!"

The butler opened his mouth to speak, yet at the sight of the princess's pleading and determined eyes, he could not find a word to respond. He closed it, his hands tightening behind his back before he exhaled. "At the very least, you should consider your options wisely."

Hamette nodded rapidly once more. "I will! That's why you're gonna help me here!"

"... very well then, that much I can do." he complied, taking a book out of his back and letting it fall on the bed, "The lord of greed is not an option, she and your mother have a history of not getting along, I doubt she will receive you with open arms."

"Okay...." She crossed her legs and tucked her hands on her lap. "What about Mister Satanael? I've seen Mom talk with him a couple of times.

"That... might be a bit too big for a start," Asmoeros opened the back, "let's try to think of something smaller."

"I can do that," she quickly responded, tapping her chin and humming to herself in thought, her tail absentmindedly moving from one side to the other. "I know envy lord is such a meanie, so of course not that... and I have no idea how to get the lord of Sloth's key... I think that only leaves..."

She snapped her fingers. "The lord of gluttony!"

"I suppose that would be right," Asmoeros rubbed his chin while he looked down at her. "Still, princess, dealing with a lord is not easy, no matter who it is. You should seriously consider it before you do anything."

She puffed her cheeks once more, "I am considering it! I have been considering since you told me!" she added as her tail lashed a bit faster.

The demon butler stopped on his tracks, raising his finger, yet he sighed shortly after, knowing that any other words he'd give would fall into deaf ears. "Well then, you must be careful, you know what your mother will do if she notices what you're trying to do."

"That's why she's not going to notice, I'm gone!" she pointed at him with finger guns. "All you have to do is not tell her I left."

Asmoeros tilted his head to the side. "And how are you going to prevent searching the house for you?"

Hammette clapped her hands. "Easy peasy!" she rubbed her hands together, making small sparkles of pink magic glow until they started to spin beside the bed, eventually forming into a duplicate of herself. "There you go! A perfect Hamette mirror, isn't that right, me?"

"You got it, me!" the replica lifted her thumbs.

He blinked in surprised. "When... did you learn to do that?"

She giggled a bit, brushing some of her hair behind her horns. "I may have sneaked into mom's secret spell book safe," she added as she looked back up at her butler. "It's perfect, though. Now all you have to do is not tell Mom that this is a clone, and we're all set!"

"Yeah!" the clone clapped her hands. "It's the perfect plan!"

Asmoeros looked in between them, his eyes darting from side to side. He took yet another breath. "I... will keep the secret."

"Yay!" Both Hamette and her replica lifted their hands in cheers. "Okay! Final step! All I gotta go is get to the gluttony ring!" she said as she looked up at him.

"Did you also learn transportation spells?"

"Only a little," she made a gesture with her hand as she giggled a bit.

He placed his hand on his head, running it along his face, simultaneously trying to gather his thoughts. "Just promise me one thing, Princess Hamette, promise that you won't accept insane deals. If the lord of gluttony asks you for anything that might compromise your safety, promise that you will deny and come back immediately."

Hamette's expression softened, and she looked down. "I ain't a baby anymore, you know... I'm going to be the queen of this place one day; I know this place isn't all hearts and rainbows."

"..." the butler closed his eyes, inclining his head into his shoulder. "You're so eager to grow up... that boy is a mighty dangerous influence on you,"

"Hey!" She pointed at him while puffing her cheeks. "What did I tell you about speaking badly about him!"

"Yes, yes, I understand," He smiled softly, opening his eyes to look back down at her. "Go ahead then, it won't be long before he comes back, you might just manage to surprise."

Hamette's face lit up, and she quickly nodded. At the same time, she nodded and pointed her finger down. "I'll be back before you know it!" Then pink sparkles came out of her hand, spiraling down and making a vortex on the floor of her room. Once it came into contact with it, a portal opened on the ground.

"Okay imma jump now, will come back as soon as I get the key, make sure mom doesn't find out about the clone, all right, bye!" she said rapidly as she waved her hands and then jumped into the vortex.

"Good luck, me!" the Hamette replica waved back as she watched her go.

Once the portal's light dissipated, Hamette found herself in a landscape filled with passages, bridges, and gates that seemed to form an internal system of halls.

Through them, packs of insectoid demons could be seen walking from one end to the other, others flying around, most carrying large pieces of food or even entire creatures from different realms.

She brushed her eyes a bit, her tail brushing behind her back slowly while she turned around to see an immense structure of grey and black matter, resembling a strange mix of a castle and a hive.

The grounds of the Gluttony ring.

"There it is!" She shook her head to center herself, then she stated to head into the structure.

She jumped into one of the many bridges, dusting off her uniform once she had made it inside the fortress, and then glanced up, a mountain of food and bugs piled up, multiple of them in fact.

And at the top, a small woman sat, with straight hair, numerous eyes, wings, and legs. An insectoid demon's head was on her head as she stared down at the figure walking inside her fortress.

Hae No ō, the insect queen of the Gluttony ring

"Who dares to set foot on my home in my feasting time?"

"Umm," Hamette pressed her fingers together. "Hello, Miss No ō, I'm Hamette, Yokubo's daughter."

The insectoid demoness tilted her head. "What are you doing here, Yakedo princess?"

"I...u...uhhh" she felt her nerves suddenly acing up, her mouth curving clumsily before she shook her head and steeled herself. "Queen of gluttony, I, Princess Hamette Yakedo, have come because I want to make a deal with you to get your key to the nevermore seal!"

Hae raised an eyebrow, leaning her head into her shoulder. "What could you possibly want with my key to that seal?"

"Artemis-Chan needs it," She quickly responded, "You don't need to know what he needs it for, just that I am ready to do whatever you need to get the key, just name it!" She added as she pumped her fists close to her face.

"Oh?" one of her wing pairs buzzed behind her back. "Do share, princess. Did the scarlet-head boy send you here? Are you working with him now?"

The princess scoffed a bit, "You don't gotta know that!" She scoffed while she looked up at her with her hands on her sides and her tail shooting up. "I am getting the key because I wanna do it, and I am Jigoku royalty, and that means you gotta listen to me."

The insectoid queen hummed, the corner of her mouth arching while she looked down at her, her many legs clicking against the pile of food, her pointy fingers tapping against the insect head. "Are you bold enough to demand something from me? What a surprise... this could be fun..." she clicked.

"It ain't sounding funny to me," She huffed while glancing away and wagging her tail. "Do you wanna make a deal or not?"

"Oh, I think I do," She hummed as her wings buzzed and her fingers dug into the bug demon's head. "There is a special treat that I've had my eyes on for a long time, and I think you're just about the right demon to bring it to me."

"Well, you name it! whatever it is I'll have it in here no problem!" Hamette stated as she looked up at her with determination and decision on her eyes, her heart eyes shining faintly.

Hae smirked, her finger coming up to tap the side of her chin, buzzing through her teeth. "There is a... particular sweet treat, one that doesn't grow up anywhere in the Jigoku but one single place," She hummed as she lifted her finger. "It's a fruit, one of the most unbelievable natural candies that can ever grow in the realms."

"Umm..." She lowered her hands, holding her arms in. "Where do I need to go to get it?"

"The fruit grows in one of the forests of the Envy Ring; they call it the viper venom velvet apple," the gluttony queen started.

The demon princess squinted her eyes. "That doesn't sound sweet at all," she muttered while tapping her fingers on her arms.

The Insectoid demoness paid no mind to the young girl's mutters. "I've been trying to acquire one of those precious treats for years, but that bastard Yama refuses to let even one of them go; it's a miracle he hasn't become a fat fuck by this point." She hissed as her jaws opened a bit wider.

The young demon princess tilted her head. "So...you want me to steal it?"

Hao laughed, her jaws clicking louder and her wings fluttering, making a higher-pitched buzzing sound. "Oh dear, it's only stealing if you get caught, and besides, things like that can be forgiven for children... sometimes," She muttered the last part.

"What was that?" Hamette questioned while leaning forward.

"I say that you're a princess, so you have even more of a chance to get away from it, even if you get caught!" the gluttony queen chirped, clapping her hands. "Besides, you want the key, don't you? "

She looked down, her tail slowly flowing behind her. She let out a small sigh and shook her head once more, giving herself small pats on her horns. After that, she looked up at the queen and nodded. "Okay then! You got yourself a deal! I'll get the fruit, and you will give me the key!"

"Delicious!" she clapped her hands, the bug demons around the have clapping in unison, letting out clicking and buzzing sounds all around the area. "I will be waiting right here, Yakedo princess."

"You won't be waiting for long! I will get it before the end of the day!" She added, attempting to mimic a confident face while she pointed forward before turning around and making her way out of the hive castle.

Not without tripping on nothing and falling on her face, rapidly standing back up and running out of the place quickly, lowering her head, trying to hide her red face. Once she exited the structure, she took a small breath. "Okay... to the next stop then." She pointed down, creating a pink vortex and jumping through.

The pink glows soon dissipated, giving way to a dark blue sky. Once Hamette's eyes adjusted to the light, she turned her head down, spotting a whole landscape of deep blues and pitch blacks, from seas to rudimentary towers and wood bridges connecting them.

The Envy ring.

The demon princess took a small breath, nodding to herself and taking a step forward. She made her way down the hill she was currently standing on, climbing until the base, where she found the edge of the rainforest. "It must be in there!" She took a step to run forward, but just as she did so, a dark vortex opened in the forest, causing her to yelp and her tail to shoot up.

The demon princess quickly hid behind a tree, her eyes glancing back to see Artemis coming out of the portal, the red head boy looking around and dusting himself off. "So this is the Envy ring... where is that old man?"

Hamette pressed her head on the tree, her hand covering her mouth to muffle her squeak while her tail coiled around her leg, not wanting to give any signs of her presence.

The bicolor eyed young demon glanced around, turning towards the rainforest. He stared into the vegetation for a couple of seconds. However, he turned around and took steps in the opposite direction.

She held her breath, not daring to look back until her ears stopped picking up the sound of his footsteps. Once they were no longer discernible, she peeked her head from the tree. She didn't see him there anymore. "Phew." She let out a long exhale as she came out of the tree.

"What is Artemis-Chan doing here?" She held her head in puzzlement, then her eyes widened at a realization, "Ah, of course he is here, he must be looking for the envy ring's key! Aaahhh, dummy, dummy, why didn't I think of that!" She huffed while she pulled on her hair, causing her to wince a bit.

"Ow..." she released her head, "Okay, calm down, Hamette, you can still do this! All you gotta do is take the fruit without him noticing you, he is going to be at the palace after all! You can totally do this!" She nodded to herself and entered the jungle.

While she ventured further inside, she noticed that the vegetation thickened with each step, not just trees, but bushes and branches spread all around the ground. "Hmmm... where would I be if I were a super rare fruit..."

Suddenly, a creak echoed, causing her to yelp and jump back, her tail standing up straight behind her back while she held her hands up in defense. "S...stand back! I have spells, and I'm not afraid to use them!" she shouted.

Yet instead of words, the response came in the form of a large, blue paw coming out of the bushes. A large feline creature emerged, its fur thick and dark blue, its stripes a lighter azure, its belly with traces of black, its claws white, and its eyes green.

Hamette gasped, her eyes becoming wide and sparkling. "Oh my god is a huge kitten!" she exclaimed, rushing towards the large creature, her eyes glowing as she started to pet it with her hand.

The feline tensed, opening its mouth to hiss, but its mouth shut as soon as her hand reached behind its ear, causing it to purr and lean its head further into it, tapping its paws on the ground and flapping its tail against the ground.

"Awwwww, you're a good kitten! Yes, you are!" she cooed while she held her hand on her chin, her fingers brushing back and forth on its head while she giggled happily at the sight. "Oh, I know! You can help me! You must know a lot about this place!"

The feline creature tilted its head, its paw still patting the ground, looking up at her with a puzzled expression, its tail brushing through the dirt, the air at its nose making its whiskers vibrate.

"I am looking for a fruit, a very special fruit that only grows here!" She continued to brush her fingers behind its ear. "They call it the umm... what was it..." Her tail came up to scratch her temple. "Oh, right! Viper Venom Apple! You know where a Viper Venom Apple is, big Kitten?"

The wide blue feline puffed air out of its nose, then moved its head away from her hand, turning around and bending over, its tail wagging while its hands patted towards the direction it had come from.

Hamette's mouth opened in a "oh" before she turned her sight between the way and the big feline, "You mean they are over there?" She questioned with wide eyes, shortly after she smiled widely and clapped her hands. "Perfect! I knew you could help me! Let's go!" She pointed forward and started marching.

Shortly after, she noticed that there weren't steps behind her, causing her to stop on her tracks with a small "Ah." Then, she turned toward the feline with an embarrassed expression, "Can you... Take the lead, pretty please?"

The feline looked at her blank-faced, before adopting something akin to a deadpan expression. It let out a small growl and shook its head before walking past her and moving on, which she hurried to follow.

The demon princess rubbed her chin, "Hmmm... you know if we're going to be friends, then I think I need to give you a name..." She closed her eyes in thought. "Are you a girl or a boy?" she questioned, only for the demon feline to hiss in confusion.

"Oh, right," he kneeled down, making drawings of symbols on the mud, one of eggs and the other of seeds. "I think this is how they had it on the books," She mumbled as she wiped the mud from her finger.

"Which one are you!" She smiled widely at the feline figure while her tail pointed at the drawings.

The feline figure tilted its head, its eyes darting between the drawings. After a brief consideration, it lifted its paw and tapped on the egg picture.

"So, you're a girl, just like me!" She grinned as she pointed at herself. "I have the perfect name for you then, I'm going to name you Lazuli!"

Upon hearing this, the feline demon let out an approving noise, her claws scratching on the ground at the same time. Her tail wagging behind her rear back, then she roared in cheer.

She smiled more, her eyes lighting up, "I knew you'd like it! Come on, Lazuli! We have a fruit to search for."

Lazuli stepped ahead, guiding the demon princess through the thick paths of the jungle, the sounds of buzzing of vocational bugs or steps of smaller creatures mixed in with the distant flow of a river, yet the scenery remained peaceful thanks to the large feline's imposing figure, smaller demons getting out of the way as soon as they saw her.

That was until they reached a tree taller than Hamette's eyes could discern, yet the branches all bore the same kind of fruit growing out of the dark jade wood. They were round and as big as a soccer ball; their skin was emerald green with black spots; their stems were white and in the form of snake fangs.

"That has to be it!" Hamette whispered in a breathless tone. "Let's go get it!" She took a step, but Lazuli got on her way. "Huh?"

The feline pointed her head at the tree's base, causing Hamette to drop her gaze, seeing that there was a large, scaly tail wrapped around it, her eyes following to find it was attached to an enormous, hellish, dark green viper. "...ah," the princess's voice dropped in volume but rose in pitch at the same time.

"I... I guess that's why they called it the viper venom apple," She spoke with her hands over her mouth. "It looks very scary... No, Hamette, you can do this!" She steeled herself, shaking her head.

She raised her head, "The lowest branch is still very high... I need a way to climb up there without touching its tail...hmmm," her hand graced upon Lazuli's paws. "Hey... I got an idea."

Lazuli made a small noise as she gazed at her in puzzlement.

Hamette placed her hand on her head, her palm brushing against the blue fur. "Lazuli, can you do me a favor? Let me link up with your core." She whispered, closing her eyes.

A pinkish glow started to come out of her hand. In response, Lazuli closed her eyes, leaning into the princess's palm. When it dissipated, Hamette's hands and feet were replaced by blue striped paws with sharp claws coming out of them. She had fangs and a fluffier tail, as well as ears coming out of her head.

"Ah!" she whispered with a wide smile, "I did it! All that practicing paid off!"

Love magic: transformation link.

Lazuli's pupils dilated at the sight, but Hamette quickly placed her finger over her mouth. "Shhh girl! Shhhh! Remember we have to be quiet!" She muttered, to which the feline lowered her head.

After she nodded, Hamette turned her head up. "Okay, let's do this!" she pumped herself up, climbing on top of Lazuli and bending her knees. She jumped to the tree, managing to latch onto it just a few inches above the snake's tail, her claws clinging firmly and her tail shooting up to avoid even the smallest brush.

She sighed, moving up the tree with cautious steps, her claws digging through the wood bit by bit while she felt the snake's sleepy breathing against hers, causing her to shudder ever so slightly, but she pressed on, getting higher and higher the more she reached up.

Soon enough, she made it to the branch, clinging to the tree trunk with the claws on her feet and left hand as her right hand reached for the nearest apple, her fingers stretching for the thin stubs connecting it to the tree, her teeth gritting ever so slightly.

She could feel sweat falling from her forehead, her eyes darting back at the snake for tiny moments, trying to make sure that she wasn't waking up the titanic reptile. She almost slipped, holding with both hands on the branch and using her tail to cover her own gasp, the noise still making the snake's eyelid twitch, making her blood run cold.

The demon princess's eyes shrank, her body going completely still aside from her hands gripping the branch. The snake let out a small, muffled hiss before lowering its head again, its breathing resuming a steady rhythm. Hamette exhaled in relief against her tail, unwrapped it from her tail, and looked back up. She let go of one hand, carefully pressing her claw against the stub.

Soon enough, it separated, making her eyes light up, a smile growing on her face as she held down her other hand to hold the apple, only a second later realizing that she had completely let go of the three. "Ah." As she plummeted to the ground, she held onto the apple to make sure it wouldn't break.

Lazuli made a lunge to catch her, the princess landing on her back. The moment the feline landed, her claws made a loud snap with her contact with the branches, causing both her and the princess to freeze.

Slowly, they turned their head, seeing as the snake's eyes stared down at them, its tail uncoiling for the tree as its tongue slithered out of its mouth. Its pupils shrank as the sun as they saw the apple. Then it opens its mouth wide, letting out a demonic hiss.

Both Hamette and Lazuli tensed at the horrible sound, the princess wrapping her tail around the Apple as she held onto the large Feline, who turned around and began running as fast as it could.

The trees parted behind them, the snake slithering after them, its mouth wide open and its tongue darting out in an attempt to reach the fruit.

Hamette pulled her tail away, huffing at the snake. "You already have tons of these, you meanie snake! You can spare one!" She glared back at it as she stood on Lazuli's back.

The snake only hissed louder at her, smaller demonic snakes coming out of its mouth and charging at them, causing the princess to yelp for a moment and swipe her hands wildly in defense, cutting them into pieces, much to her own surprise. "Oh wowie! These are actually very sharp!"

The snake slammed it's head against the ground, making it shake while it got just a tiny bit closer to them, causing Hamette to jump back with a tiny yelp, "A...ah! Lazuli we gotta go! Just keep going I'll get us other of here!" she said, clenching her hand, gathering mystical pink energy on it.

In the distance, a pink portal started to form, making Lazuli's eyes widen, her tail rising as she started to pick up her pace, rushing with all her might. At the same time, the snake kept hissing and snarling at them, letting out an army's worth of snakes around them, surrounding them completely, and starting to form a curved wall around them.

"Don't stop lazuli!" Hamette exclaimed, "We can do this, trust me!" She added, pressing on, holding her hands out.

Lazuli made a small growl of response, running faster until they reached the forming wall, leaping forward with all the force it could muster and extending its claws out.

And then, the feline and the princess burst out of the snake copula, their claws held out in unison as snakes flew in every direction, both of them jumping into the portal, which promptly closed as soon as they crossed.

Back on the gluttony wring, Hamette panted heavily, laying her head down on the back of the feline who was just as exhausted as her, falling on her stomach in the middle of the bridge they had landed on.

"We did it..." She muttered, the claws and tail dissolving from her with a small glow, her hands quickly catching the apple on her hand. "We did it!" she beamed, getting off the large feline, patting her head with her free hand. "Oh, we did it! Just wait right there, Lazuli! I'll be right back!" She turned around and started to rush inside the hive castle.

Inside, Hae was sitting on her throne-like pile, her fingers picking at the remaining flesh left on a skull, her legs swinging in boredom against the edge. When she heard footsteps, some of her eyes glanced towards the entrance.

"I got it! I got it! I got it!" Hamette shouted as she raced towards the throne, holding up the apple as soon as she reached it. "I told you I was going to get it today, look at it!"

The insectoid queen's eyes dilated as soon as she saw it, her wings fluttering as she came down to take a closer look, her hand coming to feel the fruit's skin. "That sweet aura... oh, it's unmistakable." She looked back at Hamette. "Well, you truly stuck to your word, princess, and I respect that."

Hamette smiled proudly, nodding to herself. "I sure did!"

"A deal is a deal then," the gluttony queen took the apple, flying back to her seat and snapping her fingers. After that, a key with hive patterns appeared right before Hamette. "Just as we agreed, your price."

The princess's eyes sparkled even more, bouncing a bit in place and then taking it quickly and bowing her head. "Thank you so much miss Hae, it was a pleasure working with you!" She exclaimed before rushing away from the entrance.

The queen simple snickered as she leaned her head into her shoulder. "The youth these days..."

The lust ring palace.

A portal opened in Hamette's room, from which the princess quietly pushed Lazuli inside, looking around for a couple of seconds. "Okay... I think the coast is clear." She whispered.

"umm.... About that," Hamette's clone tapped her fingers together.

Only a second later, Artemis came out of the clones Shadow, crossing his eyes and narrowing his eyes in slight irritation. "Hamette, can you explain to me what in tarnation you were doing away from your ring?"

Hamette tensed, lazuli growling at the scarlet-haired boy, only for her to get in front of her. "U..umm you see..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that a creature of the envy ring?"

"I... yes," She sighed and dropped her head. "I went to the gluttony ring because I wanted to get the key there to help you out, so Miss Hae sent me for a fruit, and I kinda got into the forest to get an apple and ran from a big, mean snake."

Artemis' eyes went blank for a second. "What..." he stood up, walking towards her, his emerald draconic eye glowing a bit. "What.... were.... You.... thinking!" he shouted, throwing his hands out, making her shrink and squirm.

"Do you have the most MINIMAL idea how dangerous the Envy Ring's jungle is? You got lucky that a giant snake is the only thing you found! What, no, all circles made you think it was a good idea to steal from her! What if you got hurt there? What if the Envy lord saw you! Do you even know how distress I was when I found out you weren't in here!" his voice kept rising in a mix of anger and stress, his expression upset in a way she hadn't seen before.

Yet the princess's attention was completely drawn to his last sentence. "Y...you were worried... for me?"

Artemis froze, his eyes going wide. "N...no..." he stammered, an unusual gesture from him. "No, don't you dare make this about that."

Too late, Hamette was already smiling from ear to ear, her face red and her eyes shining. In a second, she jumped at him, squealing and nuzzling his face. "Eeeeeeeeee! I knew it! I knew you cared about me!"

He tensed, his face growing red while she growled, "Stop that this instant, I was merely concerned in a way any decent person would!" He protested, but his attitude betrayed his words.

"It's okay, Artemis-Chan! I was super careful and even made a new friend!" She gestured towards Lazuli, who was calmed down and licking her paw. "Plus! I got the gluttony key! Lookie!" she said as she brought the key up to him.

Artemis stopped midsentence, his eyes setting on the key in amazement. "Fascinating..."

Hamette's face reddened, her smile became even softer and warmer, "hehehe... I have a few surprises too, you know." She pushed the key into his hands. "Here, I know you will have amazing plans with this."

He blinked for a moment, feeling his face warming, before he snatched the key with a bashful scoff. "I... must admit, I may have let my concerns for your safety... underestimate you, so I MIGHT have to reconsider your participation in my plans...if you are going to insist on being a part of them."

She gasped, "For real!?"

"This does not mean you can just go off on your own," he crossed his arms, "If you want to help me, you will have to talk about it with me directly, got it?"

Hamette nodded frantically, "Of course! A hundred percent!" She threw her arms around his, pulling him into a tight hug. "Soooooo.... Did you get the Envy key?"

"Tch..." the scarlet-haired boy rolled his eyes. "If you must know, yes, I managed to strike a deal with the Envy lord, not that he didn't make it agonizing."

"Oooh, I wanna hear more!" She said, backing away and leaning into a sleeping Lazuli. "Tell me all about it!"

"Do I have to?" he muttered.

"Pretty please? You said you were going to let me help you! So now you gotta let me know!" She huffed, crossing her arms.

Artemis let out a groan, lowering his head and ending in a small grumble. "Fine... I suppose I need some rest anyway."

"Yay!" She clapped her hands.

'Well, look at who's all soft and listening all of a sudden,' Kuro snickered.

'Ah, young love is truly precious,' Goliath chuckled.

'I truly despise you both,' Artemis growled.