"So, regarding the giant sword mark that carved through the valley—you certainly went wild, Sir Nickelson," Varlog remarked as they walked side by side. "Intimidating us to such an extent when we came in peace—we couldn't help but kneel and apologize," he added with a casual smile.
As Varlog and Nickelson continued back to the platoon, the pegasus carried Cerille ahead, while Van and Yilla walked together behind them, with Liliac bringing up the rear.
"Hmph," Yilla began, nodding toward Varlog and Nickelson. "Varlog could take on a thousand of that human, yet he elevates him to this extent... I dislike it. I understand the need to appeal to him, but this is just..."
"... A form of boot-licking?" Van interjected, occasionally glancing back at the slash mark he had left on the valley.
"You read my mind," Yilla replied with a sigh.
"Well, flattery won't change their power levels," Van said flatly. "In the end, everyone in the demon realm knows Nickelson couldn't have done it," he continued, his eyes still fixed on the carved valley behind them.
"Besides... Nickelson and the rest of Magus's party are the strongest they have. They need some reassurance that someone strong is defending them," Van reasoned.
Yilla looked at Van intently, remaining silent.
"What...?" Van asked, catching her gaze.
"What are you looking at?" she inquired.
"Oh, just... taking in the scenery," Van replied dismissively.
'... Was that... really 31,000 points in strength?' he thought.
"I see. You seem different," she observed.
Van's gaze snapped back to Yilla. "How so?"
"You seem... aloof, distant; almost." she murmured.
"I don't know much about being aloof, but... a lot happened. I just realized how much I missed you all," he admitted with a deep sigh. "And... with how I left without a word... she's probably upset," he added, lowering his gaze.
"So, I'm a bit out of it."
'... Did he come so quickly because he expected her to be here?' Yilla wondered.
'She...?' Cerille and Nickelson thought, overhearing the conversation. 'Van Hellix met a demonic maiden that caught his fancy...?' Cerille mused, while her father raised an eyebrow, distracted from his talk with Varlog.
"It wasn't until I left that I realized just how much I miss her," Van continued, with Varlog smiling at his words.
"I... honestly can't stop thinking about her," he added with an awkward chuckle.
Unbeknownst to Yilla and Van, everyone had been listening in.
'Ho? Meaty found someone like that? Hmph, it must be some lowly slave she threw at him, considering he's a human... and what a human at that. No one would even glance his way, so it must be someone lowly they can discard, to keep him at bay. Has he begged?' Nickelson thought mockingly, momentarily forgetting Varlog and Van's affectionate exchange.
"Well, good," Yilla said flatly. "Because half the reason we're here is to bring you back. Master Varlog had a message from her majesty... for you," she added. "I don't think he'd mind if I told you," she concluded, as Varlog sighed from afar.
A spark lit up in Van's eyes as he shifted his attention to Yilla, while Cerille, overhearing, glanced back.
'A message from the Demon Lord to Van Hellix...?! What could it be...?' she wondered, as Nickelson's attention also snapped to them.
'Wait a minute,' Nickelson's mouth fell open, 'She... The Demon Lord has a message for Meaty... Surely, the demonic maiden that caught his fancy couldn't be...!!!'
"Her Majesty said 'Yes,' Van. She wants to marry you. And in case it wasn't clear, the display with that servant was just a performance," Yilla began, watching Van's eyes widen, almost ripping apart.
The image of Alicia in the arms of that demonic servant, which had lingered in the back of Van's mind, instantly shattered. All the doubts that had haunted his feelings and judgment were swept away...
Meanwhile, Nickelson and Cerille stood frozen, their expressions turning to stone.
'WWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAAATTTT?!??! THE DEMON LORD WANTS TO MARRY HIM!!!!?' Nickelson thought, nearly foaming at the mouth.
'Van Hellix... And the Demon Lord...!!!? H-how...' Cerille thought, forgetting to breathe.
"WHAT A LOAD OF NONSENSE!!!" Nickelson yelled, spinning around, his face contorting in disbelief. "WHAT SORT OF BAFFLERY ARE YOU SPEWING!!!? DO YOU TAKE US FOR FOOLS WITH A PRANK LIKE THIS!!!!?"
Varlog sighed, taking a step back with an awkward chuckle.
"... Is it really that shocking?" Yilla wondered aloud as she turned to Nickelson and Cerille.
Nickelson froze, staring into the maid's eyes, realizing there wasn't even a hint of jest in her expression.
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"I-Impossible... That... The Demon Lord and... HIM...?!" Nickelson murmured, looking back at the demonic group.
'That demonic servant mentioned... that half the reason they're here is to... pick him up... YOU MEAN TO SAY IT'S FOR THAT...!?' Nickelson thought, his eye twitching.
'Ah... dear Yilla, perhaps a bit thoughtless to mention this in such company...' Varlog mused.
'Oh well,' he shrugged.
"So, anyway, we're—"
"Sorry, Yilla," Van cut her off softly, his expression unreadable.
"I'm going to be a bit selfish. You've got things covered here for a bit, right?" Van said firmly, looking to the south.
Yilla sighed, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "... Sure. Master Varlog is reliable, so go ahead. Don't take too long, though."
In that moment, Van stomped to the rear, moving hastily towards Liliac.
"W-Wait a minute, Hellix, you owe some—!!!" Nickelson began to shout, only to be interrupted by Van's booming voice.
"BOY!!" Van shouted at Liliac, whose head snapped up. "Defend them from the blast!" he commanded as he strode past.
"Blast...?!" Nickelson called out in alarm, readying his sword. 'What blast...!? What is that bastard planning now!?'
"W-Wait...!! Mr. Hellix, my sword is still...!!" Cerille shouted, trying to remind Van that her sword was still strapped to his back from earlier.
"Oh dear. Just in case, everyone, gather behind me," Varlog called out cheerfully, though his eyes narrowed in seriousness as he turned to face the back, focusing intently on Van.
'That... That demon, Varlog... The second-in-command is making such an expression while looking at that bastard...! What is he planning!?' Nickelson thought, feeling an unsettling compulsion to follow Varlog's instructions.
Nickelson moved behind Varlog, signaling the pegasus carrying Cerille to do the same.
"Be back soon," Van said as he kneeled, tensing every muscle in his body.
"Van...?" Yilla murmured as she noticed Van freeze in place.
No burst of Aura, no sinister energy detected by Cerille or Nickelson.
Only the profound stillness of the world. The water ceased its flow, the birds fell silent, and even the breeze stopped whispering through the plains.
She watched as he knelt.
It was as if his very presence drained the life from the valley, pulling everything inward.
His muscles tightened, condensing to a degree that even Van himself might have found alien—had he the presence of mind to notice.
"I'm... coming...!" Van murmured, his gaze fixed ahead, every fiber of his being ready to launch forward...
... when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder.
"Here, use this," Varlog said, extending his other arm, holding out an object in front of Van.
Van's focus shifted to the item in Varlog's hand, his taut muscles slowly relaxing.
"A... teleportation stone? Varlog, don't you need this?" he asked.
"Just take it, Van," Varlog insisted. "I'd rather not have to explain another crater." He sighed, the firmness in his voice softened by a touch of weariness.
Without a second thought, Van grasped the stone, crushing it instantly.
"I'll pay you back," Van promised as his form began to fade.
"I'm sure you will," Varlog replied as Van vanished.
Turning back to the group, Varlog clapped his hands together. "Now then, let us continue."
"I am... too old for this..." Nickelson thought, still grappling with the reality of Van and the Demon Lord becoming a couple.
"My... sword..." Cerille muttered to herself. "You forgot to give it back..."
---------------------- A MOMENT LATER, BACK IN THE DEMONIC CASTLE ---------------------
Alicia sat at a table near her throne, alone in the vast throne room, scribbling on documents. Her eyes occasionally drifted to Van's ring lying beside her.
"Hahh..." She sighed, taking a brief respite as she lifted the ring, a small vase resting nearby.
Just then, the doors swung open abruptly.
"Hmph, nevermind..." she muttered, her voice tinged with resignation. "Leave the extra batch of documents here; I'll review them later," she added, placing the ring back on the table.
'How frustrating. If only Van were here already so that I could—'
"DEMON... LORD...!!" Van's voice growled as he strode into the throne room.
"So that I could..." Alicia murmured, her eyes widening in disbelief as she slowly lifted her gaze.
"SO THAT I COULD...!!!" Her eyes flared with an intense fire as they locked onto Van's face. The desk beneath her began to melt; the documents crumbled to ash. Van's expression remained unreadable as he advanced slowly toward her.
"SO THAT I COULD CUT HIS HEAD OFF!!!" she screamed, her wings spreading wide as she launched herself at him with blinding speed, her claws unsheathed and aimed at his throat.
"YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!!! DIE A TRILLION TIMES BEFORE DARING TO FACE ME AGAIN!!!!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face as she clashed with Van, unleashing all her fury.
Van caught her arms just before they reached his face, halting her mid-air.
"I'm not in the mood to play anymore, Alicia," he stated firmly.
"WHAT, HAD ENOUGH TIME PLAYING WITH MY HEART?! GO AWAY!!! GO AWAY!!!" she screamed, breathing fire into his face as he held her steady; yet the flames did nothing to Van.
"GO AWAY...!!! GO AWAY!!!" she cried, her voice breaking as he kept her in place. "Do you have... ANY IDEA WHAT YOU DID TO ME?! YOU HUMAN SCUM!!! BASTARD!!!" she sobbed, glaring at Van, who stood firm, unwavering.
"I HATE YOU!!! YOU BASTARD, I HATE YOU!!! I SHOULD HAVE LAID WITH THAT SERVANT BEFORE YOUR EYES SO YOU WOUL—" she shouted, but her words were cut short as Van pulled her close, pressing his lips against hers.
"Mmfh...?!" she gasped, feeling the warmth of his lips against hers, the fury in her chest momentarily giving way to the unexpected tenderness of his kiss.
"Humph..." Alicia hummed again, tears welling up as she felt the warmth radiate from Van's lips. Her breathing gradually steadied, and her muscles began to relax.
A few seconds later, Van gently parted from her, his eyes meeting hers as he released her arm and tenderly caressed her cheek. "You don't mean that. I know you don't," he said firmly.
"Y-you..." Her voice trembled as she gritted her teeth, her face flushed a deep red. "You kissed me... so unceremoniously... in such an undignified, inexperienced, and unsightly way...!!! As punishment...!! I'll kill you...!! I am The Demon Lord...!!" she declared, gritting her teeth as she used her free arm to weakly hit his chest.
In that moment, Van stopped thinking and let his heart speak.
"Then behead me," he whispered, gently placing his fingers under her chin, guiding her to look at him again. "Kill me. Hurry up and mete out my punishment so that I can kiss you again after I die. And then, kill me once more so I can do it all over again. Kill me a trillion times if you wish. At the very least, this way, I'll get to kiss you a trillion times too," he said as he pulled her close. "... And perhaps then you'd forgive me for leaving so abruptly," he added, caressing her palm.
'Odd,' Van thought, 'saying such bold words, caressing her palm, looking into her eyes... kissing Alicia. I always thought I'd need to practice those things, considering I've never done them before. But... it feels natural.' He wondered. 'Like... it's just meant to be.'
"... Dumb... stupid... moronic... human... of course, I don't mean that...!!" she muttered, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Mean...? Mean what?" he asked softly.
"No one... can possibly take your place... You should know that by now...!!" she cried in frustration, hitting his chest once more. "So why did you leave me...!!?"
"I missed you...!! You imbecile...!" she sobbed, looking up at him, her voice breaking with a sniffle.
"... I was scared," Van began, meeting her gaze more intently. "And a lot of things happened... But shortly after I left is when I realized that I shouldn't have done that," he confessed, brushing his palm against her nape.
"You...!!!" she growled through gritted teeth, her face contorting in anger. "YOU...!!!" she roared.
In that instant, Van pulled her into a deeper kiss...
... to which she deepened herself.