Rischel (1)
【Ma-wang Castle Pandemonium】
『Strategy Meeting Room』
Clink—
"That's unexpected."
A handsome man with crimson eyes narrowed his gaze at the demon across from him as he lightly set down his teacup with a flick of his wrist.
"I had considered crushing Lukidusu once, but I never imagined you would step in personally."
The man swept back his bloodstained red hair and dropped a bead of blood into his teacup as he spoke.
"You never even pretended to listen no matter how much I pressed... I can't fathom what wind has changed your sails."
The leader of the Army of Terror, the Fear Devil, said this while eyeing the black demon opposite him.
"It was merely a matter of necessity."
"Necessity, you say..."
Black hair, black eyes.
And clad in black robes symbolizing the plague doctor.
Radiating an ominous aura, he met the Fear Devil's gaze and replied.
"Well, fine."
The Fear Devil, who had been wearing a meaningful expression at his curt response, soon turned his eyes to the tall man seated beside him.
A massive frame towering well over 190 cm, clad in savage attire that left his upper body bare.
And intricate tattoos densely etched across his exposed torso.
"Hmph! Why overthink it? We killed one of the Seven Powers—that's a win, ain't it?!"
True to his outrageous appearance, the War Devil slammed his massive hand on the table with a thud.
"We took down a top power! The troops' morale is sky-high! Time to ditch this boring standoff and charge!"
"Haha, impossible, 'War'."
"Whaaat!? Why not? If we all go out, those alliance scum won't stand a chance!"
"Then the other Seven Powers will move."
"Ha! Even better! No matter how many of those trash pile up, they ain't worth shit to me!"
—Pfft.
At that moment, a stifled chuckle echoed from across the room.
"...Whaaat?"
The heated atmosphere chilled in an instant as his eyes snapped toward the source.
"...Hey, what's so funny."
"Ah, my apologies."
Immediately after, a chillingly clear, melodic voice rang out.
The War Devil clicked his tongue loudly at the sensation that seemed to seize and shake his very mind.
"Cut the tricks, 'Darkness'."
"Ufufu, tricks? Such vulgar words."
He ground his teeth and glared at her, but she replied with leisurely poise.
Her hair was like finely ground obsidian, lustrous and black.
A black dress that clung to her voluptuous figure.
And a seductive expression that perfectly embodied the word "bewitching."
At first glance, she was merely a stunning woman ripe with allure—but the War Devil, knowing her true nature, spat rough words yet dared not bare his fangs at her.
"Well, I understand. It wasn't on purpose. What can you do about being weak?"
"Hah! More importantly, what was that laugh about?"
"Ufufu, sorry. Your joke was just too amusing; I couldn't help it."
"...!"
A thick vein bulged on his forehead as she openly laughed at his rebuke.
"It's funny, isn't it? You, who groveled before a mere Shadow King, now boasting victory against stronger Seven Powers. No greater joke exists."
"You bitch...!"
He'd barely restrained his rage out of deference, but her follow-up words ignited his aura reflexively.
"Fool."
Right then, a mocking remark slipped from the hitherto silent Death Devil—
Krunch—!
"Guhhh...!"
The War Devil's surging aura slammed him straight into the floor, blood gushing from his body.
As he thrashed wordlessly, a clear voice descended from above.
"Know your place."
"Guh, urk! Cough...!"
With those words, she slowly brought her finger to his back.
The moment her finger touched him, an impact incomparable to before crushed into his spine.
Every cell in his flesh, bones, and body screamed under the overwhelming pressure, twisting him as blood poured out.
"How dull."
Yet despite her words, War could make no move.
With space and his very body beyond his control, all he could manage was endless screams.
After an eternity of shrieking, a gesture from her seated him neatly back in his chair, pristine once more.
"...Hah!"
His twisted guts, spilled blood, and shattered bones—all restored in a blink—made his eyes quiver faintly.
A dream? No, that was definitely real. Then she rewound everything in an instant?
He knew because he'd endured it.
He'd been on death's door moments ago.
What the hell did she do? Resurrection? Healing?
Unsure of anything, his instincts screamed.
She'd used some godlike authority to make him whole again.
Meanwhile, the Fear Devil, watching it all, hid his trembling hand and thought.
Indeed, the Darkness Devil's prowess remains unmatched.
The only one here who'd witnessed her before, he assessed the scene more objectively than Death or War.
War took a fatal wound just now. Restoring him to perfect condition in a heartbeat...
A novice might call it healing, but Fear dismissed that.
The speed was unnaturally fast for any recovery.
Body and posture reset in the blink of an eye—too improbable for healing.
If anything, time manipulation. Reality alteration's possible too, but considering we sensed no discrepancy, time reversal fits best.
Whether true or not, grasping such a possibility bespoke absurd power.
"Idiot...!"
Death's face twisted sharply, having reached the same conclusion.
Though it was still better than War, half-dissolved in terror.
"Uh, um."
How much time had passed?
War, utterly broken since then, sat mutely minimizing his presence, while Darkness, now bored, toyed idly with her teacup.
With two of the four like this, Fear's gaze naturally shifted to Death—who showed zero interest in the meeting—prompting a quiet sigh.
Well, Death and Darkness were never cooperative to begin with.
Unlike Fear or War, who fought with their legions, those two operated solo far more often.
They barely managed their own forces.
Considering even other Heavenly Kings rarely fight alone, those two are abnormally strong.
Thus, the only one left to drive the meeting was the Fear Devil.
"Alright, let's continue the meeting."
Recognizing their short attention spans, he swiftly cut irrelevant topics and dove into the main issue.
"His Majesty the Demon King will move soon."
"Oh ho."
"Heh."
"Ooooh...!"
The Heavenly Kings' eyes lit up at Fear's bombshell.
"The Demon King moving already? Faster than expected."
"Hasn't it been long since His Majesty absorbed the power? Isn't it too soon?"
Fear nodded at the Death Devil's words.
By nature, a new Demon King spent years inheriting the previous one's full power to awaken completely.
Yet this generation's was a young one, born mere years ago.
Far too early for full inheritance.
"Agreed. Normally, inheritance completes in about two years, with stabilization soon after."
"But moving now?"
"Killing the Divine Spear probably factored in. With a Seven Powers shift, he likely expects chaos on the front lines."
But Darkness countered.
"Unlikely. The top tiers might react, but one bottom-ranker dying changes nothing."
"So His Majesty wouldn't move for that alone?"
"Exactly. Some other trigger. Any other incidents?"
"Well, the front's stalemated lately—no major events... Ah."
Suddenly recalling one, Fear gave an ambiguous look her way.
"Ufufut, something clicks?"
"Hm..."
It bordered on his own failure, hard to voice easily.
But ignoring her intrigued gaze took guts he lacked, so Fear explained his hunch.
"Hard to say for sure, but... probably Academy City."
"Academy City?"
"Yes. The spies I planted there were recently wiped out. Looks like they got their tails stepped on inside the city."
"Incompetent. Who were they?"
"Ricardo."
"Hm? He was decent at disguise and infiltration."
Listening quietly till the end, Darkness uttered one word.
"Intriguing."
"Darkness?"
"That Supreme Student Council President quashed the rampage in one go. True?"
"Likely. Can't confirm since all spies were captured, but multiple witnesses say he prevented the worst."
"..."
Her eyes gleamed rarely as she smirked, picturing the president who'd quelled the rampage instantly.