039. Butterfly Effect (2)
Magic points.
Pure, profound magic points of the highest caliber.
Drakson Dolph, seated upon the throne at the pinnacle, slapped his heavy haunches in shock as he awaited reports.
"Did you perhaps send another demon?"
Casey knew that wasn't the case, but he had to ask anyway.
It was at least the level of a High Demon.
"As if!"
It was an alien presence. Drakson was the Beast Demon King, and all the demons and monsters around him were his kin.
Their magic points never escaped his notice. But this one hadn't just slipped by—it had erupted out of nowhere.
"Then an intruder..."
"Who dares!"
Invading another Demon King's domain without prior agreement was taboo. To individualistic demons, territorial infringement was tantamount to a declaration of war.
Drakson bolted toward the first floor. Casey followed close behind.
"It must be one of the other two Demon Kings, excluding Ugar Demon King and Berze Demon King."
"Why exclude Berze?"
If anything, that bastard had the highest probability.
"During his summoning, no demons joined him except his adjutant Gordon. Even the monsters and privileges granted to the top graduate were stripped away. Not to mention all the magic points he earned..."
"He wouldn't have any demons to send even if he wanted to."
Berze was the most hostile toward Drakson, yet he'd been ruled out.
"If another Demon King truly sent a demon, I suspect it's Jason Demon King."
"Same here. That idealist Reina lacks the guts for this kind of stunt..."
At that moment, the crystal orb rang urgently.
It was Kwail.
"My lord, this is bad!"
"I've already sensed the High Demon. I'm heading there myself..."
"That's not the issue! The dwarf princess killed Ormus's prince! Enraged Ormus warriors are charging to kill the princess!"
Drakson's face twisted grotesquely.
"...What the hell..."
His mind froze at the incomprehensible situation. But he quickly assessed it.
"Stop them! The princess must not die, no matter what! If she's a corpse by the time I arrive, you'll answer for it."
"Understood! I'll protect her with my life!"
As Ormus warriors surrounded and pressed the dwarves, monsters ambushed from behind.
It was a completely unexpected strike, with all Ormus attention fixed on the dwarves.
What followed was a one-sided slaughter.
Kwaaaak—
Look behind! Block the monsters!
The encirclement collapsed amid screams.
"Princess, now's our chance!"
Volbov rallied the knights. The dwarves, scattered by the fierce assault, reformed a tight formation around the princess.
"Get out of the way. I'll carve the path."
"It's dangerous."
"If you lot were just gonna snivel from behind, I wouldn't have come."
Before they could stop her, Luize Berft charged ahead with her battle axe.
Kwaang—
Sword and axe clashed. The brute force sent the Ormus warrior staggering back two steps. But he couldn't fully dissipate the power, and the axe exploited the gap.
Kwajik—
Luize kicked away the corpse with its throat torn out. Twisting her axe, she deflected a blade aiming for a blind spot using a comrade as cover.
Volbov's sword pierced its heart.
"Are you alright?"
"Keep up. I'm picking up the pace."
She snorted.
"We've opened a path for the princess and dwarves to escape."
"Good work."
The battlefield was already rushing toward its end. The dwarves, led by Luize, had mostly extricated themselves, while most Ormus warriors became monster fodder.
"Let those ones live and send them off."
"Is that wise?"
"They'll serve as witnesses. Witnesses to the dwarf princess smashing their prince's skull."
Drakson had been shocked at the news of the second prince's death. But upon reflection, it wasn't so bad.
Because the killer was the princess herself, with plenty of witnesses.
The High Demon that cornered the second prince is the issue, but it didn't kill him. The surviving Ormus scum will testify well enough.
That could spark all-out war at best, covert conflict at worst. Bloodshed and death were quite the spectacle. And the magic points from hatred, murderous intent, fear, and terror would be plentiful.
But that wasn't the immediate priority.
"Where's the demon?"
Drakson scanned the surroundings swiftly. Yet the culprit that had stirred his massive bulk was nowhere.
The high-caliber magic points suggested at least a High Demon. But Drakson hadn't sent anyone here except Kwail.
"Apologies. By the time we sensed the magic points and arrived, it had vanished."
"You couldn't even find a trace?"
Kwail bowed his head.
What the hell is this guy...!
Beastkin had innately sharp senses that evolved with rank. A High Demon beastkin missed little. Their visual, tactile, and olfactory acuity was unmatched.
This is my domain, no less. Only a Demon King or a stealth-specialized High Demon could fool Kwail here...
"Where did it appear?"
"This way."
The ground was gouged, debris scattered.
Traces of fierce combat. And remnants of magic points lingered.
High caliber.
And not entirely unfamiliar.
Of course it wouldn't be.
Whatever the scheme, it was surely from another Demon King—and one who'd attended the Tower Harmony. One of their kin.
Not Berze or Ugar.
Berze had no High Demons under him, and Ugar wouldn't betray him.
And as Casey said, not like Reina Sordain. She wasn't the type for sneaky plays.
Her head was full of flowers, chasing ideals.
That left.
Jason Cockmond.
The False Demon King. The sly bastard who smiled behind a mask of courtesy before striking the back of your head.
They'd recently exchanged info and maintained decent relations, but Drakson didn't trust him.
If someone had infiltrated a High Demon, it was definitely Jason.
But why?
He wouldn't stir conflict without reason.
Trying to trap me?
Kill the princess and prince to frame a double murder? But Jason had no motive for that.
And reports say he didn't touch the princess. The Berft princess would cause more fallout than some Ormus prince...
Not the goal, then.
Drakson slowly tracked the magic points. But they cut off abruptly. Even he, a Demon King, couldn't easily follow; it was that covert.
"Ridiculous."
Drakson heightened all his senses to the extreme. He sniffed the air, felt its flow.
And detected a faint trail heading toward Mercon Mountain.
His mind flashed.
No way...?
Precautions upon precautions. Hidden as best he could. But nothing was perfect.
Jason might find out somehow. If he was after the phoenix corpse, snatching it while Drakson was distracted?
"Damn it all!"
The phoenix corpse was worth risking soured relations with other Demon Kings.
Demon Kings mingling was special in Alein; it wasn't their nature.
Drakson ignored everything and charged toward Mercon Mountain. Trees and rocks shattered in his wake.
That instant—
Kwaaaaaang—
The distant volcano erupted.
Pure, scorching mana scattered everywhere.
One step too late.
"Jason, you son of a bitch!"
Drakson roared.
The Demon King's magic points surged.
Vast and ferocious enough for Tartarus's heroes to sense.
"Huff, huff...!"
Ormus warrior Kar Chin clutched his throbbing shoulder as he ran. A trail of his blood stretched behind.
His head spun. But he gritted his teeth.
I have to survive.
He had to report to His Majesty the king.
That vile dwarf princess murdered the prince! Rip her limb from limb in kind!
Driven by vengeance alone, he fled.
He sensed he'd collapse upon spilling it all, never to rise—but it didn't matter.
As long as he could avenge, as long as he honored the prince's departed soul.
Swaek—
Thud—
A small whoosh became heavy impact.
A short arrow. The ground slammed his face. No—his body pitched forward.
"Kwaaaak!"
His leg throbbed. The arrow had shattered bone.
A shadow fell. Kar Chin looked up with trembling eyes.
It didn't fully block the sun. Short stature. A dwarf.
"Y-you bastards...!"
The air reeked of blood. He'd thought it his own until now.
Perhaps from fixating ahead. Now he saw what he'd missed.
The ground was red with gore. Limbs protruded from bushes.
"Ahh...!"
All Ormus warriors like him. The prince's guard, fighting together moments ago.
"Don't feel too hard done by. You came at us first."
He understood. And screamed.
"You damned stunted shits! Think this hides the truth? Aren't you afraid of heaven?!"
"Least you're not heaven."
Why...?
He scanned desperately. But no one.
Normally, heroes and mercenaries teeming, monster-slaying.
Why today of all days?
Injustice brought bloody tears.
Swaaaek—
A black arrow cleaved the sky.
Splat—
Kar Chin's consciousness snapped.
The dwarf knight dragged Kar Chin's corpse into the bushes, erased traces, and awaited the next prey.
Sometime later, twelve more Ormus warriors appeared—and met the same end.
"No more coming."
"Looks that way to me too."
Luize wiped blood from her battle axe.
"Keep your mouths shut. The second prince was killed by a demon. We fought to help but got wiped out."
"Yes. The battlefield's crawling with monster traces; can't hide that."
"Burn all bodies and withdraw."
"Yes."
The dwarves incinerated the corpses, buried the ashes.
"Lucky no people showed."
"Yeah. Usually heroes and mercs swarm. Good luck."
Luize said, then sliced her forearm.
"Princess!"
"This ain't realistic enough for total annihilation?"
"......"
The dwarf knights silently worsened their wounds, smeared blood and dirt.
"Let's go."
Only then, perfectly prepped, did they return to Tartarus.
"The Demon King broke the tacit agreement with rash action! Summon heroes at once and prepare for war!"
She realized it had all been utterly pointless.
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