The Demon of the Holy Kingdom (2)
"……Blood redder than blood, blacker than darkness. Answer my prayer and reveal your form in this world……. Let the power of the apocalypse, burning for eons, dwell in my left foot……. Hyaap!"
"Blood redder than blood, blacker than darkness."
"Answer my prayer and reveal your form in this world."
"Let the power of the apocalypse, burning for eons, dwell in my left foot."
⟨ Black Flame Dragon ⟩
A girl shrouded in a tattered cloak mutters ominously while playing soccer. Her lines sound like a center forward striker, but she's actually a defender—stuck right by the goalpost, practically a squatter.
"Ah, sis. Move a little."
The six-year-old goalkeeper sniffles as he speaks, and the cloaked girl asks, "Where to? Over there?"
"No, out of the field. You're in the way of soccer."
The cloaked girl snaps back. "You said I'd get to be attacker next round! Why keep telling me to get lost?!"
"Sis can't play."
"Can't? Heh heh! You talking to me? To me, of all people?!"
The black-cloaked girl glances around, then smacks the goalkeeper kid on the head. Thwack! His eyes well up instantly.
"Waaah! Big brothers! This sis hit me!"
The kid wails, and the attackers up front turn their heads one by one.
"Hey, why'd you hit my little bro?"
"We let you play 'cause you begged, and you go nuts?"
"Defend properly. You closed your eyes when the ball came last time—that's how we scored."
"Keep sucking, and you're out!"
The kids surround the black-cloaked girl, laying into her. She starts huffing too.
"You know who I am!? Back in my day……!"
A voice cuts her off. "Boomer... ew..."
It was Hotse. Cliche and the rest of the crew follow right behind.
"Kii~ds... shoo~"
Hotse waves them off, scattering the kids.
"……?"
Spooked by the strangers, the kids bolt, leaving the black-cloaked girl alone in the alley.
"Heh heh, who're you lot? What's your business with me?"
Cliche answers her question. "You're the saint, right?"
The girl flinches at his words. "Wh-what're you talking about? No idea here."
AlphaGo chimes in from the side. "Beep! Saint. Feminine form of saint. Refers to a religiously holy woman. Also used for a woman who forgives and embraces not just hardships and trials, but even unforgivable acts like infidelity……."
"Ho ho ho, turn off AlphaGo Wiki. It spits explanations at the worst times."
Unicef covers AlphaGo's mouth, and Roin steps up last, asking AlphaGo, "You're the saint of Singmulgur, right? Matches the wanted poster."
WANTED: Saint of Singmulgur
Age: 15 | Reward: Generous
Report sightings to vigilante forces.
Roin shakes the wanted poster, but the black-cloaked girl shakes her head in denial.
"Heh heh! Wrong. I serve no god……. Only the supreme one before gods. I. Be. Lieve. In. My. Self. Alone."
Cliche nods at her words. "Wanted poster says the saint's 15."
Roin nods too. "They pay for tips on the saint. Could help diplomacy later."
With that, Cliche steps forward. "Come with us, saint."
The mood shifts regardless of the black-cloaked girl's protests. Hotse, Unicef, and AlphaGo surround her.
She starts chuckling. "Yare yare... Busted, huh."
She flings back her black hood. Long straight hair half black as midnight, half white as first snow. Her eyes match—one black, one white. A stunning beauty flashes an evil grin for all to see.
"That's right. I'm... Kira."
"……."
"Kira de Diablo! That's my name! Ahahaha... haw haw haw haw haw!"
Saint Diablo. That's her name.
Diablo slaps her forehead, cackling madly.
Thwack!—until a soccer ball smacks her from behind.
"Haw haw... Gah!?"
She whips around. The kids from earlier flip her off from the alley corner.
"Payback for hitting our bro!"
They yell and dash off with the ball.
"……."
Diablo trembles with rage. Black aura rises from her entire body—darker than Spider Queen Curequium's poison mist, pure jet black!
"Gasp!"
The ominous vibe makes Roin, Hotse, Unicef, and even AlphaGo flinch. Cliche steps back half a pace too.
Rumble rumble rumble...
The black aura coils into a long serpent shape, wrapping around her left arm and igniting black.
Diablo aims it at the fleeing boys and chants a curse.
"My fingertips stain black, my prayers deliver judgment."
"Gladly retaliate against foes, repay hatred with hatred."
"O Great Demon King, place me at your side, raise me among the wicked."
"Those who shed others' blood shall shed their own."
"That is the devil's will... Heh heh! Blacken."
Meanwhile.
"Ho ho ho. That's not my will, though?"
Great demon Unicef just scratches her horn with a finger.
Ignoring the real demon's quip, Diablo—after ranting at her awhile—shouts vigorously.
"Go! Black Flame Dragon of my left arm!"
Boom boom boom BOOM!
Immense dark energy erupts from Diablo's body, sweeping the entire alley forward in a blink.
Cliche even backpedals from the ferocity.
Whoooosh!
The fierce storm engulfs everything—trash cans, gravel, laundry, and kids.
"No!"
Roin screams in horror.
Obviously, the kids caught in the black storm feel its effects instantly.
……But?
"Huh?"
The kids hit by the black storm collapse briefly, then pop right up. They stare at their bodies in confusion, tilting heads.
"Huh? My cold's gone?"
"The scrape from soccer earlier healed!"
"My finger from last week—it's fixed!"
For some reason, the kids in the black storm look even healthier than before.
Giggle gurgle—
Whatever, they swarm out of the alley. No trace of their prior hunger or illness.
"Damn it! Crap!"
Only Saint Diablo jumps mad.
"No way... You only know heals?"
Cliche asks, and Diablo groans, nodding. Her clenched fists shake with frustration.
"I wanna attack, but... the more I use power, the healthier enemies get……."
She calls herself a devil worshiper, but god's favor overflows from her. What divine power!
Unicef, Hotse, and AlphaGo chatter among themselves.
"Ho ho ho! So that's why she stuck to defense in soccer?"
"Nooo... that was... just... cuuz... she suuuucks... almost jumped in... myseeeelf... frustrating..."
"Beep! 0 goals, 0 assists. For real? Everyone, report!"
Diablo trembles, fists clenched at the jabs.
"Shut up! I tolerate god-bashing, but not me!"
She summons another massive black flame dragon on her left arm and fires at Cliche's group.
"Fine day for journals. Muddy nights. No, you devil! (No evil)"
"Purifying holy light!"
⟨ Holy Purge ⟩
Boom boom BOOM!
Same result. The massive dark storm swallows Cliche's whole group.
"Kyaaah!"
Roin shrieks amid the onrushing black gale.
But once engulfed, she feels her body revitalizing.
"Oh? Oh?"
Her dry desert-trek skin moistens, blemishes and spots vanish, coughs and dry eyes gone. Her eyes even enlarge a bit, nose perks up—packed with beauty buffs too.
The group each gets some effect.
"Beep! Chronic engine overheat fixed! Useless ActiveX and cookies gone! Battery charged!"
"Oh my? The wound from Cliche's hit before is fully healed! My magic circles feel stronger! Maybe 9th circle now?"
"Siiiigh~~~fire... can't fix baldness...? Spot baldness same~~but... hangover cure... daaamn good~~hehe..."
Meanwhile, "……."
Cliche inspects himself, mildly surprised. Facing so many powerhouses had worn him down a touch, but it's all gone.
'Dragon lands ahead... who knows how far...'
Cliche steels himself. "Join us."
Didn't they say noble healers and royal buffers? Heals and buffs welcome anywhere.
Cliche explains their situation to Diablo.
"……Heh heh! Dragons? Heading to your 'home'? Heh, how. Freakin'. Coooool... you are……."
Diablo seems to empathize.
But her answer? Negative.
"But I'll 'refuse'."
"Why?"
Cliche asks, and Diablo closes then opens her eyes.
"Singmulgur's in civil war now. Vigilantes vs. rebels."
"……."
"Heh heh! One scary guy's leading. Probably sieged the walls with troops hunting me. Even I, god's favorite, can't breach that iron wall……."
"Really? Getting in was easy."
"Eh-what? If you're not a patient, it'd be tough. How'd you...?"
Diablo asks, and Roin nearby inexplicably blushes tomato-red.
"Anyway. Getting out's way harder... They won't let me go……."
Diablo shows a new side. Head down, sulky face—pure ordinary 15-year-old girl.
Tap. A hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry."
Pink waves of hair. Pink-burning eyes. Cliche.