We all stared at Cali for a few moments as the Arch Fiend grinned at us, her pink eyes brimming with amusement as she took in our reactions to both her action as well as her words, which came across as a surprise.
"Firstly, hands off my woman. Secondly, what do you mean you felt the Ka Fiend? Like nearby, or..?"
Snorting, Cali floated away and lazed near the top of the tent, looking down at us from up high as she answered "Firstly, I have a claim to her too - she's my one and only adorable little Culitst~! And secondly, I felt their energy and mana, a few grottos away. So no need to worry about that, you ravishing hunk~!"
Leone pressed herself closer to Jahi and tried to pull the nearby blanket over herself, while Anput just rolled her eyes and stared up at the Arch Fiend as she asked "Could you puff yourself away for a few seconds so we can put some clothes on? You might be comfortable speaking to people naked, but we aren't. Please and thank you."
"Well, since you asked so~ nicely, Miss Knotty~! Twenty seconds starting now~!"
Puffing away like Anput asked, Cali disappeared and allowed us to swiftly get up and grab some clothes, with Leone almost tearing hers with how quickly she superheated her body before dragging on the pants and tunic, which compared to the more languid approach we took made it all the more amusing when she pouted at us, trying to egg us on to move faster.
Jahi only pulled on some pants before leaning against the crate in our room, the blanket draped over her chest and allowing the Demoness to just lounge there, while I slipped on my underwear and a shirt, wanting to relax some more too.
"And~ I am back~! Oh, the variety~! What a sight, what a sight~! All of you are such~ delectable snacks that I want to take a bite out of... really, I wouldn't mind showing you all a thing or two~?"
Floating down towards the center, the Arch Fiend looked between us all before spinning around languidly, taking each of us in individually and trying her hardest to entice us all, only to sigh as I asked "How far away? Multiple grottos, or just a 'few'? And how strong did they feel? Like Orbias' level, weaker by a smidgen, or much weaker?"
"Well aren't you just full of questions~? Well, I don't mind since you defended my honor so valiantly earlier! Oh, how that made me swoon~! My own knight in shining armor~!"
The Arch Fiend's dramatic flair of her hands and tone of voice made me roll my eyes, though I did say "I wasn't going to just let her get mind broken by you, Cali. And she was also in the wrong..."
"Aw, I wouldn't of broken her THAT badly now... just sapped her of any will or desire for an hour or so and make her feel like a stranger trapped inside her own body the entire time~! Nothing too bad..."
The lightless look in her eyes as she said that made us all shiver, and I shook my head and replied "Just a single second of that was terrible, Cali. I can't imagine thirty seconds, a minute... let alone an entire hour. I think that would genuinely drive anyone crazy for a few days..."
Flashing a devilish, joyless grin at me, Cali floated around some more before taking a deep breath and saying "Oh yeah, the Fiend... right. Um, it's not that strong? A fledgling Ka Fiend, but I mean... if there are Fiends that should be worrying in battles it's them, since... well, that's what they were made for?
Tenacious, resilient, strong and stubborn all make for one hell of a warrior, and the longer it is allowed to linger around and hunt, the more power it gets. Like you all, if it can test out new ideas and hone its skills, it only gets deadlier."
"Fledgling? I though you said that rune was old? So how is it still a fledgling after all this time? Oh, and how does it compare to Orbias' exactly? That'd be nice to know..."
"Dearest Asmodia, surely you can comprehend that a few years is merely a drop in the bucket for how long a Fiend is able to live for, right? It's 'old' for you mortals, but nothing more than a fledgling to me. A sharp toothed, energetic cub that thinks it can hunt with the wolves... that's all it is. If you so desperately want a comparison, it's probably a fifth of Orbias' strength.
Including that pricks artifact that it relied so heavily on..."
Clicking her tongue, Cali drifted around before tilting her head at us as she added "Though remember, that prick was magic based, and this fledgling will be melee based. Different fighting styles, different pressures, different weaknesses. All of that means a different fight and different everything...
Even the weakest Ka Fiend has some serious power in its punch, so trying to defend against that would be a good start I guess... then there's the fact their skin is like leather, so their defense is high... honestly, they're a pain in the ass..."
Looking towards the ceiling of the tent, she tilted her head the other way as she murmured "Though, that can be fun too I guess..." before glancing back down at me as I asked "So besides being red and angry, is there anything we should know? Like are they honor bound like Ka'Honda is, or is-"
"No no no! Hell no. Ka'Honda is a unique bastard who follows their own set of rules; that's why they're so damn strong! No, this fledgling is a murder, and Ka'Honda is a warrior; they both kill, both fight and both love bloodshed, but the discipline is what makes the difference. Ka'Honda tempers instincts with intelligence, something that almost all Ka Fiends lack.
You're fighting an idiot with super strength, so plan accordingly... hah... all this thinking makes me tired~!"