Episode 13: The Devil Princess
“Fuhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!”
“Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!”
“Huh!?”
Demon Lord Hiraines noticed a “girl” laughing alongside him in his own realm and, startled, jumped back.
“Y-you!”
“Oh my, nice to meet you. I hope I’m not intruding.”
The “golden girl,” without a hint of tension, gracefully lifted the hem of her black dress embroidered with silver thread, displaying a cheerful smile that seemed to unsettle those who saw it.
“This is my personal subspace! How did you get here!?”
Hiraines, with a look of astonishment and caution, narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke to the black cat perched on her shoulder.
“Rinne, do you know this person?”
“[…I do not.]”
“Don’t mess with me, you two!”
Hiraines bared his fangs at the two who had suddenly invaded his personal subspace, pointing vigorously at the golden girl.
“Especially you! ‘Nice to meet you’!? Even if you try to deceive me with a human vessel, it won’t work, ‘golden beast’! Can you still say that after seeing this!?”
Hiraines lifted his rust-colored bangs, revealing his forehead to the golden girl.
“Oh, how cute.”
“It’s not cute!!”
On Hiraines’ forehead was a clear imprint of a “paw pad.”
“You, who crashed into me at high speed while I was relaxing in the demon world, suddenly punched me with your paw and then ran away!”
“…………”
“[Did you do such a thing, Eurushia?]”
The black cat gave a sidelong glance to the girl, who tilted her head as if she didn’t remember at all.
Hiraines felt momentarily soothed by the black cat’s attitude, but this “dark beast” was also quite troublesome.
In the vast demon world, Hiraines’ territory was adjacent to that of the “dark beast,” but there had been no conflicts, as the dark beast had little interest in territory.
Then, a high-ranking demon akin to the dark beast, known as the “golden beast,” appeared, causing the highest-ranking demons in the demon world to be on constant alert.
When the “golden beast” suddenly disappeared, the dark beast, who had never left its territory, began rampaging in various places, causing damage to Hiraines’ domain and even destroying one of the fellow Demon Lords, shocking the entire demon world.
Thinking it over, it was all the “golden beast’s” fault. Hiraines glared at this irregular demon that had appeared in the demon world.
(…Moreover, “Rinne” and “Eurushia”? When did they acquire names!?)
A named demon’s existence becomes significantly more stable, and their power increases.
Demons born in the demon world who naturally became powerful often missed the opportunity to be named and were usually destroyed by other high-ranking demons, but the ferocity inherent to the “beasts” didn’t allow for that.
The “golden beast”… Eurushia, even if she had obtained a name and vessel and became a true highest-ranking demon, Hiraines still held the upper hand in power. Even if Rinne had gained strength from acquiring a name, in the material world, where Hiraines had a vessel, he could maneuver more advantageously.
However, if these two joined forces, the outcome was uncertain.
Especially Eurushia, who, with a perfect human vessel, seemed to have transformed from a “beast” to a “devil,” was truly incomprehensible.
Concluding that fighting here was unwise, Hiraines spoke.
“…Very well. Eurushia, and Rinne. Welcome to my abode… I’d like to say, but how exactly did you get here? This is my labyrinth. Even for highest-ranking demons like you, it shouldn’t be so easy to reach.”
Among the highest-ranking demons, known as Demon Lords, there were differences in rank. To counter other high-ranking demons, Hiraines had made his personal subspace a labyrinth difficult to enter or exit.
Trying to appear as composed as possible, Hiraines brushed back his bangs and smiled.
“The paw pad…”
“That’s your doing!”
Though it was just a “mark,” for some reason, it wouldn’t disappear, prompting Hiraines to retort.
Eurushia, with a gentle smile, placed a hand on her cheek and looked puzzled.
“But, saying we couldn’t reach it… I was just walking straight.”
“[That’s just you, Eurushia. Even I would have taken time to get here if I weren’t on your shoulder. As proof, those four haven’t arrived yet.]”
“Oh, you’re right.”
Eurushia placed a finger to her lips and smiled gracefully.
For three highest-ranking demons—Demon Lord, Beast, and Devil—to gather in a space about a tenth the size of this world was unprecedented in history.
Yet, what was this “relaxed” atmosphere?
When three ruler-class highest-ranking demons gathered, the naturally generated demonic energy and miasma would corrupt the atmosphere, distort space-time, and turn the area into a second demon world, endlessly spawning mindless lower demons. yet even Geass, a mere human, has not yet died and kept his original form.
“By the way, Mr. Hirai.”
“Who is that!?”
Although Hiraines realized she was referring to him, he couldn’t help but retort. The gentle smile on Eurushia’s face shifted, exuding a slick, tar-like aura.
“Would you give that to me?”
“…This? Are you asking for something I’ve made a ‘contract’ with? Young demon.”
Eurushia pointed to Geass, who was on the verge of losing his mind, convulsing, and unable to even faint, surrounded by the three highest-ranking demons.
Hiraines couldn’t help but feel a bit amused by such a ‘normal’ reaction.
Regardless, a demon’s contract is absolute. No matter the reason, attempting to break it of one’s own will is self-denial for a demon, endangering their very existence.
If another demon tries to interfere, it signifies complete hostility until one of them is annihilated.
No demon is unaware of this. Especially among high-ranking demons, none would choose complete hostility against a Demon Lord like Hiraines.
And yet…
“That’s what I’m saying, monkey.”
The demon girl wore a delicate, flower-like smile.
At that ‘remark,’ Hiraines’s face twisted into his true ‘monkey-like’ form, and the ‘beast’ on the shoulder of the lovely ‘devil’ let out a quiet sigh.
In the next instant—
Hiraines and Eurushia simultaneously reached for Geass. Invisible sparks flew as their powers clashed, and Hiraines, grabbing Geass with one hand, leaped back.
Eurushia’s dress sleeve tore, and Hiraines, bleeding black blood from his cheek, smirked.
“As expected of the fastest in the demon world. But this time, I’ll claim ‘victory.'”
With that, the space around Hiraines distorted, and he vanished into a large, dark door with Geass.
“…He escaped.”
Even though I was faster… As I gazed wistfully at the tasteless door adorned with writhing skeletons, the black cat Rinne poked my cheek with his paw.
[Even so, he is a Demon Lord feared as a god in the demon world. An Archdemon would have been obliterated in that exchange.]
“Not experienced enough, huh.”
He’s indeed strong. If I hadn’t fought Rinne before, it could have been dangerous.
He’s existed as a Demon Lord for thousands of years, and some highest-ranking demons have been around for over a hundred thousand years. It’s truly an unbelievable world.
[Are you planning to pursue?]
“That’s my intention.”
[Don’t. We got here easily, but beyond that door is likely a different dimension. He probably manipulates space. Even a ‘devil’ like you, who traverses countless dimensions, might not return easily.]
As I checked my dress, which absorbed my magic and regenerated on its own, and stepped toward the large door, Rinne unusually offered advice.
“True…”
Not being able to return to our original dimension would be troublesome, but I feel strangely drawn to it. I hesitate to hand Geass over to him.
…Why is that?
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“Master!”
“Lady Eurushia!”
Hearing voices, I turned to see my attendants finally catching up. Even these connected to me took this long to regroup; it must be a truly troublesome space.
At least everyone is here without getting separated… Huh?
“Seems we have an extra person?”
“Apologies. On the way here, we found Master’s ‘belonging’ lost, so we retrieved it.”
Tina casually dropped the ‘person’ she had tucked under her arm in front of me.
How careless… but.
“Oh my!”
“…Eurushia…”
To think we’d meet in such a place!
“Isn’t it Sister Ataline! What a coincidence to meet you here!”
As I smiled like we had just run into each other after a long time, Sister Ataline glared at me, baring her teeth!
Oh my! How truly wonderful!
“Acting so unrefined will ruin your lovely face.”
“Shut up! So, you were involved with demons from the start! That beast becoming your ‘familiar’ is proof! You’ve been controlling it, haven’t you!”
“Did you come to such a dangerous place just to say that? Is this ‘love’?”
“Don’t joke around; admit your crimes!”
TLNOTE:
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