"Good Evening."

The Goddess of Smiles and Happiness descended the grand staircase with an ethereal grace that seemed to defy gravity itself. Her presence filled the grand hall with a radiant warmth, contrasting sharply with the ominous storm raging outside. She was tall and slender, with a beauty of a goddess that transcend mortal understanding. Her skin glowed with a soft luminescence, casting a gentle radiance that illuminated the room. Her hair cascaded down her back in waves of golden sunlight, shimmering with every movement like liquid gold.

Her eyes were pools of endless warmth and compassion, twinkling with an inner light that seemed to hold the secrets of the universe. They sparkled with happiness, drawing you in like a moth to a flame.

The Goddess was adorned in flowing robes of iridescent silk, the fabric billowing around her like clouds in the sky. Each fold and crease seemed to dance with a life of its own, as if imbued with the very essence of joy and happiness.

Around her neck, she wore a necklace of gleaming pearls, each one a symbol of purity and innocence. The pearls glowed softly against her skin, adding to her celestial beauty.

Her voice was like music to the ears, a melodic symphony that echoed through the grand hall with a soothing resonance. It carried the warmth of a summer breeze and the gentle lilt of a babbling brook, washing over you like a wave of tranquility.

Ren and the others then turned their gaze towards Pamela on the side. It was truly a sharp contrast.

"W-What? What?! Why is everybody looking at me like I'm a failure?" Pamela complained, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"Pamela," the goddess called, her voice filled with cheerfulness, each word dripping with happiness. It was a voice that could melt the hardest of hearts and calm the fiercest of storms, imbued with the power to bring joy and happiness to all who heard it.

Pamela flinched. "Uh . . . H-hello there, Felicity. Long time no see."

Felicity's eyes twinkled as she smiled. "A long time indeed. I see that you're still finding your way as a minor god. But don't worry, it will come, you ascension to a major god will come. Just as it did for me."

Pamela forced a smile, her unease palpable.

While Iraelyn whispered to Ren and the others, her voice inadvertently booming in the hall. "She's rather boastful, isn't she?"

Felicity's eyes narrowed at Iraelyn, prompting Ren to step forward to explain the situation. Perhaps they could navigate this encounter without escalating tensions.

"Good evening to you too, Goddess. We're simply passing through and don't want any trouble. If you don't mind, we'll just take our friends with us and leave peacefully," Ren stated calmly, his voice laced with diplomacy.

Felicity didn't react immediately. Instead, she continued to descend the staircase gracefully, her smile never faltering as she approached the cage where Azazel and the others were confined.

"I don't mind . . . if you're mere souls, that is. But your friend told me that you're a mortal and the rest are . . . demons," Felicity stated matter-of-factly, her gaze shifting from Ren to the cage where Azazel was still laughing uncontrollably.

"Egh?!" Pamela flinched in surprise, her eyes widening in shock at the revelation. "D-demons?!"

No wonder they were strong and acted so brazenly. But if they were demons, then that meant . . . she had been aiding demons this whole time?!

OH NO!

Pamela's shoulders slumped as she collapsed to the ground, utterly deflated.

Her life was truly over now.

There was no saving her.

Ren shot a stern glare at Azazel, who seemed utterly unrepentant. "Get your act together. You're supposed to be strong. How on earth did you get yourself captured?"

Felicity chuckled in response. "Oh, don't blame your friends. My divine powers are so strong that demons don't stand a chance against me."

"Interesting," Iraelyn remarked, her claws flexing with anticipation. "Should we test how strong you really are?"

Felicity's smile faltered slightly as she faced Iraelyn, her expression turning more serious. With a wave of her hand, a melodious sound wafted across the hall and entered Iraelyn's ears.

In an instant, Iraelyn doubled over, clutching her stomach as laughter overtook her. "Y-you . . . what did you do to me?!"

"As long as you're in my territory, you're under my power and rule," Felicity stated calmly, her gaze piercing.

"This is bad," Elena whispered anxiously, her eyes darting between her companions.

Ren knew it too. They were in a situation where Azazel and the others were powerless against a Goddess. If it came down to it, they might not be able to fight the Goddess inside her own domain unless they could break the spell or nullify her control.

Ren rummaged through his thoughts, searching for a solution. There was an item he remembered, but it would come with a trade-off. "I guess I have no choice," Ren thought grimly.

If a battle broke out, he would have to use it. It was their only chance of way out from here.

"Damn it, if only I'm not in her domain," Iraelyn growled, attempting to fight the spell once more, but it proved too powerful, and she succumbed to laughter once again within seconds.

"Don't fight it, idiot. You'll just get exhausted," Desira advised, her smile belying the sternness in her tone.

"Then what are we supposed to do if we don't fight her?!" Iraelyn bellowed, her laughter ringing through the hall, echoing off the walls.

"Augh. You're the one laughing the most," Vivi commented with a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "My lips already hurt from smiling too much. Just make it stop."

"Mine too," Azazel groaned, rubbing his cheeks where the strain of constant laughter had taken its toll.

"Hey! Be serious here! We're about to die!" Elena shouted at the others, her voice cutting through the jovial atmosphere like a knife.

"At least we'll die laughing and happy," Malifira chimed in with a chuckle, her tone light despite the gravity of their situation.

"You! Be serious too," Elena growled, her frustration evident in her tone as she tried to rein in the group.