Silence rippled through the Demon Kingdom
The floating screen that projected the match flickered for a moment before the final announcement echoed across every plaza, hall, tavern, guard post, and castle tower.
"Rivel's side wins!"
Bastien's hand curled around the arm of his throne so hard it cracked. A spiderweb fracture spread beneath his grip as his jaw clenched.
A human.
A mortal with pathetic status.
Had just defeated an entire noble squadron... and Iratai.
They didn't even breathe.
And inside of Rivel's team castle-
Velmira shoved open the front doors so hard the hinges bent. She sprinted across the courtyard cape flaring behind her like wings.
"RIVEEEL!" Her voice boomed over the entire field as she shot toward the battlefield at a speed that made the round ripple beneath her feet.
She was ecstatic, so thrilled she couldn't stop smiling.
"He won! I told everyone he would win! I told them-!"
But the moment she reached the battlefield, her entire body locked up.
Her excitement died instantly.
Her eyes widened.
Her heart violently dropped.
Because there, lying on the ground, was Rivel, motionless, impaled.
Velmira's breath caught in her throat.
"...no."
She ran so fast she nearly tripped, sliding onto her knees beside him. Her hands trembled as she lifted his head into her lap.
"Rivel? Rivel! Hey! Rivel!! Wake up! We won! I mean you won! So wake up!"
No response.
She pressed her fingers to his neck.
Nothing.
Her pulse froze.
"...No. No no no-no!"
She grabbed the crystal lance still stuck through his abdomen and ripped it free with a scream of anger.
The lance shattered into dust between her fingers.
She stood slowly... shaking... and turned, her aura bursting outward like a storm.
Hashi and Sova, who were very clearly stuck in walls a few feet away pretended that they didn't see her and just looked away.
Velmira's eyes cut toward them.
They flinched so hard their horns rattled.
With a single punch, Velmira shattered the crystal wall imprisoning them. She grabbed both by their collars like misbehaving pets and dragged them forward.
Her voice was ice. "Who did it?"
Hashi and Sova extended their arms like synchronized performers and pointed at Iratai's unconscious body without hesitation.
Velmira dropped them.
Her footsteps shook the ground as she walked toward Iratai's limp form. He was barely breathing, but alive.
She crouched, pulled the sword from his torso, and placed two fingers on his neck.
A faint pulse.
Her eyes narrowed. A misty black aura, cold and ancient flowed from her palm into Iratai's body.
He jerked awake, eyes snapping wide-
Then immediately squeezed them shut the moment he realized who was kneeling over him.
Velmira's voice was low. Soft. Deadly. "Open your eyes... or I'll kill you right now in the most painful way I can think of."
Iratai's eyes flew open so fast he nearly broke his eyelids. "I-I-I'm so sorry, my Queen! I swear I didn't-!"
"Shut it."
He shut it.
Velmira turned her head slowly toward Rivel;s corpse like body. "Did you do it?" Her finger lifted slightly pointing directly at Rivel's motionless form.
Iratai's mouth opened... closed... opened again. He looked away, trying desperately to conjure a lie.
Velmira sighed. "I see." She stood. "Well... here's your punishment for using magic."
Before Iratai's mind could process the words-
FWOOOOM!
Flames erupted across his entire body. Black, purple, and silent.
He didn't even have the chance to scream.
His body disintegrated into charred, crumbling ash.
Velmira simply watched. Expressionless.
The air turned suffocating.
Soldiers from Rivel's team, those who had been sent to the castle returned slowly, while surrounding Bastien as he approached.
He looked rather angry, but when he saw Rivel's body, he smirked rather largely.
"Well, Well. See my Queen? You were warned about putting faith in such a weak human. Now look at what has happened. All of this could have been avoided if you'd simply listened."
Velmira didn't respond.
She didn't even blink.
Bastien kept talking, chest swelling with pride.
"You see, my Queen... all that is needed for peace is absolute control and force. Not some pathetic human who didn't know his place."
At this, Velmira finally looked at him. And she smiled. A soft, serene smile. "You're right."
Bastien's grin widened. "Yes! Exactly! You finally understand!"
As long as she listens to my words she'll become dependent on my advice and then I could become her advisor then, when she comes to trust me so much I'll strike her down.
"All I need is a bit of force... and you shall be my first example of it," Velmira said sweetly.
"See? No- wait what-"
SHHHK-FWIP!
Bastien's head separated from his shoulders.
It flew into the air, spinning twice before landing on the ground with a muted thud.
A glowing magic sword hovered where his neck used to be.
Every demon soldier stepped back in unison.
Velmira turned her head toward them, raising her hand slowly.
Magic condensed in the air, crackling, humming.
Every demon dropped to their knees at once.
"S-settle down, your Majesty! W-We obeyed your orders! We listened to the human! PLEASE HAVE MER-"
Before they could finish-
"OW."
Everyone froze.
The magic dissipated instantly.
Velmira's eyes snapped toward the sound.
Rivel jolted upright hands clutching his stomach.
"OW! Ow ow ow ow. WHY does getting impaled hurt so much? I swear they make this look so easy..."
All demons, Velmira included, simply stared at him.
Rivel blinked at dozen terrified faces turned toward him.
"...What?"
Velmira tackled him.
Not gently.
Rivel fell flat on his back with a miserable groan.
"OW! WHY?! STOP DOING THA-"
"I SAID DON'T DIE!! AND WHAT DO YOU DO?! YOU GO AHEAD AND DIE!! IS IT FUN FOR YOU NOT TO LISTEN TO YOUR QUEEN!?"
Rivel tried peeling her hands off his cheeks.
"What are you TALKING ABOUT?!"
"You DIED, Rivel! You had a HUGE hole in you-"
She glanced down at where the wound should have been.
It was gone.
Smooth skin.
No scar.
No blood.
Nothing.
"Wait, what? But you were impaled by-"
Rivel finally pushed her off and stood, stretching his back.
"Yeah, yeah, crystal lance. I remember. Super painful. Honestly? Those anime min characters are such show offs. They are really able to do this and just shrug it off.
Velmira stared at him as if he had just personally rewritten the rules of magic. Then she grabbed his shoulders, shaking him again.
"Rivel... you're human, right? You're not undead? Or cursed? Or resurrected by some demonic ritual you forgot to mention to me?"
Rivel frowned. "Yes, I'm human. That's what I've always been. I can't exactly change species overnight."
Velmira looked at him.
Then at the air around him.
A purplish black mist swirled around his body, shifting shape, forming silhouettes of horns, wings, and claws.
A demonic aura so thick it disturbed the grass.
"Then which demon did you make a deal with before me?!" She demanded. "I've known you longer!"
Rivel threw his hands up. "I haven't interacted with any demons besides you! And the ones who tried to kill me today! That's literally it!"
"Liar! Then why is your aura reeking of pure demonic power stronger than mine!?"
Rivel paused. "What?" He looked down at himself. Saw nothing. Felt nothing.
Velmira checked his stats. "Everything is the same," she whispered. "Still pathetic. Absolutely pathetic."
"Okay, rude." Rivel muttered.
Velmira tapped her chin. "This is interesting... if you're telling the truth, then... well, let's just leave it be."
"LEAVE IT BE!?" Rivel shouted. "This is something that apparently brought me back to life! You said it was something more demonically stronger than you! How is this not dangerous!?"
Velmira waved him off. "If anything, you're more protected now. You look stronger."
Rivel paused. "...I look strong?"
"Yes."
"Perfect. I'm keeping it."
Velmira facepalmed.
Rivel's eyes drifted toward Iratai's charred corpse.
"Yeesh! What happened to him!?"
"Oh, punishment for using magic," Velmira said cheerfully. "Don't worry about it! You need to focus on celebrating your victory!"
"So we won... "Rivel chuckled weakly before collapsing onto his back again. "Cool. I'm gonna celebrate by sleeping."
Velmira knelt beside him, smiling softly. "Go ahead. You deserve it."
Nearby, Hashi and Sova who were holding a sleeping Dormire watched everything unfold.
Both shuddered violently. In perfect unison, they whispered-
"...Queen Velmira is terrifying."