Chapter 27: New Record

I am the son of the Demon King. I am Mahdnus Amunskt Kayaus. I am the future Demon King, the venerable Demon Prince, the one who will rule above all life and death in eternal splendor! This has been known. Even if my father stubbornly holds his throne, this is known. Even if I’m attacking a human treasury for their currency, this is known. Even if those pecks from a surprisingly fast chicken hurt, this is known!

All of this is known as fact, and yet, despite this, an impudent girl has shown herself in front of me, and has dared to make me question my own existence! Who is she?!

She’s somewhat small, and she wears the garbs of any other peasant I’ve seen in these human lands. If one were to look at her in the middle of a town, she would blend in just fine. In any other timeline, I would have considered her an ant to be trampled. But she was hiding her true power. She's a crafty and dangerous individual who is hard to predict. Humans, when they see a demon, always react the same way. Fear, pride, confrontation, despair, all of these emotions invade their minds and cloud their judgement.

Demons are the highest peak of monsterkind, and I am the summit. If this girl knew who I was, she would be kneeling before just like all the human hostages in this treasury. I had already intimated them all with just a look, and was just about to grasp all of their riches. An entire legion of humans wouldn’t be able to stop me even if they tried! My father has told me this my entire life, and I have known this to be true.

Why then, am I seeing this truth shatter right before my eyes?

The girl was keeping up with my swordsmanship, which was surprising, but I could tell she lacked stamina. I also could tell that she relied on special clothing and some strange connections with her chicken familiars to bolster her abilities. If I simply eliminated those factors, I would win. Butchering a chicken or two would be mere child’s play. I tried to threaten her.

“What an insolent human, do you think this is a mere game? You fight well but your attacks are simple and weak. You will fall by my blade in the next 60 seconds.”

But the girl started speaking as if she knew everything about me. She called me a childish name like “Mr. Demon Prince” and proceeded to converse with me in a casual manner. This was beyond impudence, it was downright concerning. A human, knowing who I was? I wasn’t able to believe her claims that she deciphered who I was just from my appearance and dialogue. None of the other humans I have encountered have been this confusing. There has to be something about this girl that is different.

When I asked, she revealed herself as “Village Girl A”. Is that some sort of special title? She also called herself an “NPC”. Are NPCs some new, unknown force? The naming scheme hints at other members of her classification. Is the young man next to her part of the same group? Is he also an NPC? NPC has to stand for something, right? What sort of creatures are these two? If they maintain a human shape but are something else entirely, are they a subspecies, like elves?

I tried to probe more out of her through a method of vague suggestion.

“You speak of things neither humans nor demons know of, and with such a calm smile…”

The girl decided to ignore me and ask her questions instead.

“Anyways, here’s my question to you Mr. Demon Prince!”

She returned my statement back to me, and boasted that she could do better.

“Isn’t 60 seconds a little too long? I can finish this in half the time.”

Without any warning, the girl released an unfamiliar aura. Her stance had changed, the look in her eyes was more focused, and her smile held even more confidence than before. It was as if she decided she was done playing around. She was able to switch the tone of our confrontation in just an instant.

I’ve seen many foes change their mindsets in the middle of battle. Some lose their composure, but most become like Village Girl A. They draw out their inner power and dedicate all of their energy to the victory. It’s the mark of an honorable warrior. It seems this NPC girl has seen her own share of battles.

I have no qualms crushing a warrior’s honor and letting them roll around in the mud after their defeat. But I’m hesitant. This girl’s aura… How do I even comprehend something like this? It is completely unreadable!

That shouldn’t be possible! It’s a majestic purple, ebbing and flowing around her petite form. If I were in another situation, I would say it was beautiful. I can’t sense any magic power, or killing intent, or some other force emitting off it. It holds no concept and manipulates no element. Even when I scan her frame with my Demonic Eye, I see nothing. Do NPCs hold power over the very concept of “nothing” itself?! Or is the aura simply too powerful for me to perceive? I can spare no time to deliberate. I’ll have to win this faster than I thought.

“All you do is bluff. If you wish to meet your end quickly, then come at me! Prove your worth, Village Girl A!”

“Gladly!”

The NPC girl launches at me, wildly swinging her metal claws once more. A low slash that arcs upward. Easily parried. A set of swipes near my torso. A simple set of dodges. What is this? This girl hasn’t improved her fighting in the slightest! Nothing about her approach has changed! We remain stagnant in our exchange, slashing and blocking all of each other’s attacks. If her strategy is to wear me down, I don’t understand why she went through all that previous bravado. Is the aura actually some sort of charge for an upcoming attack? I must remain vigilant.

“Woah, woops!”

“Aha, you fool!”

A simple slip and she’ll be done for! I’ll have her life! With more gusto than usual, I slash at her while she stumbles.

Except… I missed? Where did the girl go? Why am I swinging my sword into thin air?

“Haha, thanks for the assist, Emerald!”

“What?!”

“Ah, poor Mr. Demon Prince, if only you had your own chickens to synchronize with, then you would have enough help to have a chance of beating me!”

“Do not mock me! A mere human like you dares to believe they can toy with me?!”

If this NPC girl wants to show off with aura, then fine! I shall reveal the true extent of power! I dig deep inside me and harness the Demonic Devices that have ingrained themselves in my memory. I follow the mental pathways that have lead me to the Cardinal Desires time and time again.

Pride.

Greed.

Wrath.

Lust.

Gluttony.

Sloth.

And the one I wield most of all. Envy.

Envy for my father’s strength and my grandfather’s shining reign. Envy for the knights of the human world who wield sword techniques so effortlessly. Envy for the countless times I have tried to form relationships with my demonic peers, only to lose them to someone else.

The other six desires are simply decorations against an inner green malice. A murky, grimy feeling that powers all that I do. I will prove myself here in the human world, away from the suffocating eyes of my father, even if I must do so against an odd creature like the girl before me!

“I shall eradicate you!”

“Emerald!! If you grant me your power now, I’ll let you sit on my face three days in a row!”

Huh?

In the very moment I finally unleash my aura, the girl’s eyes, a brighter green than the envy I harness, meet mine. Wait a second, was she always so close? I closed my eyes for just a moment, what happened? What was all that shouting for? Who is Emerald?

My question is answered with a devastating uppercut to my chin. I had no time to process my situation before my jaw screamed out in pain. What happened to her claws? Why can’t I feel my feet on the floor?

…Pain? When was the last time I felt pain? Why can’t I move my body? The world is spinning…

“Haha! New record! That was like, 27 seconds, right Reuby?”

“Um… yeah. Did you… shatter his jawbone?”

“Eh? Surely not. He’s the Demon King’s son, a windup wind punch isn’t gonna do much to him. If he’s not up in a minute, I’ll give you permission to test that cursed drink you keep offering me on him.”

“Talon, it’s meant specifically for you. …Wait, the Demon King’s son?! You mean you were actually serious with that nickname?! How do you even know how to prove that?!”

“Huh? It was obvious. Were you not paying attention earlier?”

“I was actually more concerned with tending to the hostages. Speaking of, we should probably leave soon. The city guard will have our heads if -”

“Reuby, we still gotta rob the bank!! Look, this guy, Mr. Demon Prince here, I’m taking him with us. I have a feeling he’ll be useful. That usefulness starts now! We’ll all rob the bank together.”

Even in my dazed state, the whispers of their conversation continues to reach my ears. What is this woman talking about? What gives her the confidence to win against me, the heir to the world?

“Hey, Mr. Loser Demon Prince! If you’re done sulking, let’s get moving! Since I won, you have to listen to me, right? That’s how it works in your culture, right? You’re gonna help me for a little while. Don’t be too annoyed at me, okay?~”

Ahhh. I’ve found yet another thing to spite. The nerve of this girl.