Became a Demon with Pregnancy System-Chapter 111: He’s a coward

Apollo chuckled softly. "Let’s just say your father and I go back a long way. Unfortunately, he’s a coward—he never accomplishes anything worthwhile. Unlike me, who intends to shape the future."

His cold eyes slid toward Elias, who was leaning heavily against Hazel’s side. "Your friend is persistent, I’ll give him that, but he’s no match for me. Now be a good girl and step away from him, or I’ll kill him outright."

Elias bared his teeth, even as blood loss made his vision waver. "Hazel, don’t listen—"

"Elias, hush!" Hazel pleaded. She could see his injuries were too severe for him to keep fighting. "You can’t push yourself any further."

Apollo gave a sardonic smile. "You see, Hazel Ross, the fortress snail I helped nurture is nearly complete. It’s ravenous. Once it fully awakens, it will devour anything in its path—human or beast. But you...you are the key to refining it into something greater. My master plan demands that you remain alive...for now."

Behind him, the Fort Snail radiated blinding white light, an almost holy glow.

The deep rumble of its roar reverberated through the atmosphere for the first time since its emergence, an unsettling combination of angelic brilliance and monstrous cacophony.

It had begun to feed on the legions of Avalon Lake demons that swarmed into its interior, each one assimilated into its mass, fueling its metamorphosis.

Farther off, Perola and Laura Adams—revealed to be Fallen Angels loyal to Hazel’s father—did everything in their power to slow the swarm, but tens of thousands of beasts flooded the snail, unstoppable in their mania.

White rays beamed from the snail’s shell, so bright they seared the storm clouds overhead, giving fleeting glimpses of a starless sky beyond.

Suddenly, Hazel pressed trembling fingers to her temples. Pain spiked through her mind, like shards of glass digging into her skull. Memories poured in—fragments of a childhood hidden behind a magical blockade. She remembered the silhouette of a man bending down to pick her up. She remembered a gentle, paternal smile that always felt just out of reach.

"It hurts!" she gasped, her voice quavering. "Something...something’s eating at my mind. It’s...a worm?" Her amethyst eyes darted wildly. "A Forgetting Worm...?"

Apollo’s grin widened, apparently delighted by her agony. "Yes, the leftover gift from your dear father," he taunted. "A cunning trick to seal away your potential. That worm has been dwelling in your mind for years, stunting your powers—and your memory."

Elias clenched his jaw, pain mixing with anger. "You...did you plant that worm?"

"Not me," Apollo clarified, a smug lilt to his voice. "But I knew it was there. And now that Hazel’s forcibly retrieving her sealed memories, the worm will fight to keep her in the dark. If she loses this internal battle, it’ll kill her."

"Hazel!" Elias tried to steady her, but the throbbing in his own wound made him stagger. "Hang on. Luke’s coming. He’ll—he’ll get us out of this."

Apollo gave an indifferent shrug. "Luke? Ah, you must mean the demon wolf causing a commotion nearby. It doesn’t matter. Even if he shows up, he can’t break the fortress snail’s bond with me. Or stop that worm from devouring Hazel’s consciousness." He paused, letting the storm’s thunder accentuate his statement. "Face it. You’re out of time."

Hazel’s vision blurred. She sank to her knees, the Elf Wings faltering, barely keeping her from collapsing altogether. Distantly, she heard Perola and Laura Adams cry out as the snail unleashed another blinding pulse, and a legion of new demons were drawn in. The creature was feeding, evolving. The fortress snail’s roar rose again, forcing the air to vibrate with a deafening, resonant hum.

"N-no..." Hazel gasped. Her chest tightened. It felt like her brain might explode from the surging collision of locked memories and the worm’s lethal defense mechanisms.

Apollo watched with detached amusement. "Soon, the snail will achieve its true form, and with it, my plan will come to fruition. But first—" He fixed his predatory gaze upon Hazel. "Let me expedite the process."

Raising one hand, he summoned swirling strands of blackish magic. They coalesced into needle-like rays, each aimed at Hazel’s trembling figure. "Let’s test whether your father’s meddling can stop me from claiming my prize." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Elias refused to leave her side, even as the toxic points of dark energy loomed. "Hazel, block it! Summon your spiritual magic—anything! Don’t give in!"

But Hazel’s mind reeled from the worm’s assault. Her usually radiant purple eyes were dull, half-lidded as she fought simply to remain conscious. It felt as if she was grappling with multiple foes: the pain of her lost memories, the worm’s attempt to devour her mind, and now Apollo’s black spears of magic. She could barely raise her hands.

A moment later, the dark rays hurtled forward at lethal speed.

Crash!

Suddenly, a tremendous mass of black fur interposed itself, slamming down from above with enough force to crack the stone beneath.

Golden flames flickered around the newcomer’s body. Luke, in partial wolf-demon form, roared a challenge, repelling Apollo’s conjured magic with a sweeping strike of one monstrous claw.

The swirling black needles shattered like glass upon impact, dissolving harmlessly into sparks.

Elias exhaled in relief. "Luke...!"

Luke towered above them, still seething with the leftover energy from his battle with Sierra Ling. His eyes glowed a fierce red beneath the storm’s gloom. "I’m here," he said, voice tinged with otherworldly resonance. "Sorry for the wait."

Apollo arched an eyebrow. "Well, you certainly know how to make an entrance. No matter." He casually brushed an invisible fleck of dust from his sleeve. "The snail is awakening to a higher stage, and I have no time to dally with you. I need Hazel alive—but if you get in my way, I will break you."

Luke set his jaw, forging a protective stance over Hazel and Elias. "You can try."

Within Hazel’s throbbing head, the presence of the Forgotten Worm thrashed violently. Each heartbeat hammered her battered psyche, clashing with lost memories.

She felt Luke’s protective aura wash over her, a momentary shield against the swirling forces outside.

Even so, she could scarcely think straight.