Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

"Repeat after me," his hand held forward on its own, the bygone hero stared directly at the soldiers slithering towards him from every crevice and corner. Even taking to the walls, some of the girls made sure he couldn't escape to the air with the wings they'd heard some of their partners mention.

"Tell me what I need to say now!" With the lamias inching closer with every second and his body out of his control, Amedith screamed at the top of his lungs right before the goddess took hold of his lips as well. "Armana do' tres-deatre, eliyeno'na Magus-un ambre!"

As the words left his lips, a surge of light emanated from Amedith's eyes, and by the time it slowly settled, the warriors were but inches from his face. Controlled like a puppet by the goddess, however, a second to him felt like forever, especially when it wasn't him but the goddess doing all the work.

Encasing his body in walls of light, Athenia separated the attacks from her chosen. The lamias kept trying to tear through the light walls, yet it only ended with either them or their weapons burning to a crisp. And as if that wasn't enough for humility, the walls began moving towards them, their edges stretching further and further to cover every gap they could use to escape.

"FUCK! WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE?!" Screamed the battalion leader, frustrated by just how inferior they made her feel. But her frustration didn't last long as the burning walls of pure light boxed them into a corner.

With nowhere left to hide, the lamias attempted to escape inside burrows just large enough for their bodies, however, once the entire room was swept by the walls, parts of them began sliding into those gasps and what followed next was the cacophony of Lamian screams as every single one of them burned alive.

"Wh-what did you do?" Back inside his head again, Amedith could feel a sharp headache coursing through his skull.

"Bending rules, something that has become a habit of mine as of late…" Keeping Amedith's nature as a magus a secret still, the goddess of mockery had eased him into his powers, although the mastery of casting spells without spending any mana was something he needed to master for himself.

The limiting factor to spell caster being insufficient mana rather than inability, if Amedith manages to master his potential as a magus then there would be no holy spell that he couldn't cast, even if that very spell was usually reserved for gods.

'That time's yet to come, and I would've preferred to let his potential lay dormant, but I doubt there's any helping it anymore.' Fearing that the other gods may hunt him to the end of the world, Athenia wanted to keep his powers lying dormant and thus had placed a seal that had kept his nature as a magus a secret from all.

"So where the hell is this girl you want me to rescue?" Pulling the goddess out of her thoughts, Amedith brought her attention back to the present.

"The dungeons, not far from here, just keep making your way underground," adhering to her orders, Amedith did just that. Moving deeper and deeper into the nest, he had to face more lamia warriors, but with no limit to his mana, dealing with them was a breeze. Although, his mana not draining at all, did concern him a little.

Chalking it up to be the goddess's influence, he kept moving forward until finally he arrived at the corridor at the end of which was the girl he was there looking for.

"Everyone else must be freaking out about where I went so this better be worth it…" Making his way towards the last cell with an open door, the bygone hero slowly stepped inside. Glancing up the grayish-silver frame of the horned giantess, his eyes frowned slightly.

"W-who are you?" Asked Liliyana, pulling her legs all the way back.

Even lifting herself on her feet, she glanced down at Amedith ready to kick him if required. But to her surprise, stretching his hand forward, he offered to help instead.

"You're coming with me, the goddess wills it," he murmured, his eyes staring into hers.

Baffled by his words, Liliyana's eyes frowned as well. Conflicted between trusting him, and her desire to be set free, she didn't know what to do. However, before she could answer, Amedith hurled swords of light at her binds and freed the faerie once and for all.

"The lamias are still rampant in this nest, and given your size you might not escape them without harm," although still confused as to why Athenia would have him free a devil-horned giant, Amedith decided to just follow her orders instead of worrying about anything. "Follow me, I'll take you safely outside."

Turning around to leave, a finger from the giantess tugged at Amedith's shoulder. Slowly the weight of the finger itself lightened, and by the time he turned around, instead of the fingers, Liliayan's hand was resting on his shoulder.

"Thank you!" Being trapped for as long as she could remember, the fae child could not help her tears. Wrapping her hands around Amedith, she cried out her heart. "I-I was trapped…I do-don't remember how long, so-so…Thank you! Thank you so much!'

Sobbing her heart out, Liliyana cried a while longer before eventually it was time for her to head out with Amedith. Leading her towards the exit, her savior thankfully didn't turn into any more enemies, although once outside he knew that the fight with the queen must've already started and soon enough the escaping lamias warriors would come rushing out the exit.

"Leave it to me, I guess?" Ready to intercept any and all serpents that exited the nest, Amedith patiently waited while the rest of the party was busy confronting the queen of Lamias.