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The day before was horrible. Not only was she forced to play with that idiot Herold and that crybaby Birim, but she discovered that those didn’t even know what a demon lord was. Shortly after the whole incident, Herold's parents picked him up and they went home. Before that, Herold hugged her and Birim and told them that they were from now on his best friends. Birim returned to the arms of his father. Some kids approached Tia to play but she didn’t care for that. She was way to devastated. How in the world did this happen? She just sat there, staring at the action figure of the dark knight and agonized. That was not the great day she had imagined. Even if she had shown her power and established her position to those hero loving idiots, the shock about Herold actions and his behavior to her was tormenting her. And when her mother came to pick her up, she interpreted her state that she was sad that she couldn’t play with her new friend longer.
Tia sighed. “What is up, honey.”, asked her mother as she pushed her through the entrance of the kindergarten. “You will be able to play with your new friend again. Or are you worried that he won’t be there?”
“No, everything is alright.”, answered Tia with a tired expression. “Is that so. Ah, over there he is. Go and play, I will be with the other parents if you need anything alright?”
“Okay.” With slow steps Tia trotted towards Herold and Birim. She had to make it clear today. That Herold was nothing more than a little insignificant insect and where his place as such was. But there were not only the two boys but a girl too. And Herold and that girl seemed to be fighting. With curiosity, Tia fastened her steps.
“What's with you? Do you think you are some sort of hero or what? What are you, stupid?”, yelled the girl at Herold, while her long scaled tail hit the ground over and over.
In an instant Tia liked that girl.
“What? I just wanted to help you. You looked at us with pleading eyes since no one wants to play with you!”, countered Herold angry.
“What did you say? It’s not the other kids that don’t want to play with me! I don’t want to play with them since they are all stupid anyway. And there's no way I would look with pleading eyes. Stupid idiot!” The girl took a step away, flustered.
Tia could completely understand her. There was no one around here that was worth her time. Well maybe except that similar minded girl. Grinning from ear to ear, Tia approached them.
“That girl is completely right. You are stupid Herold and the kids here are all not worth the time.” Tia nodded assuring to give her words a stronger meaning.
“And who do you think you are, you dumb idiot? Barging in in our conversion without me giving you permission. You stupid idiot.”, scoffed the girl at Tia.
Tia's grin froze. What was that? Why did that girl just go full Rambo at her? Wasn’t see agreeing with that girl? And anyway, nobody has the right to bluster themselves up so much in front of the demon lord.
“What did you just say? Permission?”, she sneered. “If anything, you should gravel in the dirt I walk upon you disgusting worm. I am the great demo-”
“Let it go yellow. She is just a bad girl. Let's go elsewhere!”, interrupted Herold grimly. “What?”, asked Tia and that girl at the same time.
Yellow? What the heck. Her ears twitched. How could he? He had to be shown his place. Right here, right now.
“Fine then play alone you stupid idiot. You are all stupid!”, the girl shouted and tried to run away. She stumbled over her own feet and crashed hard with the ground. Her green hair, that was as long as she herself was, flinging in all directions. Herold jerked as he saw that and made a step forward. But the girl sat up fast, used her arm to wish over her purple eyes and turned around. The scales on her face had turned from light blue into a deep purple. “Stuuuupid!”, she yelled, jumped up and ran away.
Tia was dumbfounded with her mouth gaping open. Right at the moment where she wanted to yell at Herold, that girl went full moronic. She couldn’t believe that there was such a person and all her thoughts were washed away by her.
“What was that?”, asked Tia confused.
“Who cares. If she wants to be that way, I don't care. Let's go play already, green, yellow.” Tia's ears jerked again.
“Otey, what are we going to play?”, asked Birim, who had hidden behind Herold all the time, with a timid smile.
“Wait a moment. What is with this yellow crap? I am the great demon lord and not some idiotic ranger.” She made herself as big as she could right in front of Herold. Uneasy, Birim looked from Tia to Herold and back. But despite the tension, Herold laughed. “Ah right, your character. Sorry I completely forgot and your entrance right now was completely like yellows in the episode with the shark. Remember?”
“I am nothing like that. In no way am I a weak little idiot who can’t do nothing, like you!”, snapped Tia.
Herold's face froze. “Well, what if I am weak? I just need to become stronger. And I will. One day I will be a great hero! But aren’t you the same as me, anyway?”
“Heroes are weak. Heroes are idiots who can’t do nothing, except spouting nonsense and pushing their ideals onto the weak. They suppress those who want to really change the world. Those kids yesterday. That is what heroes are. Obnoxious bully's who cry the very moment it becomes hard. I am most certainly nothing like that, since I am the one great being, the one who will topple the world and unite it under my palm. I am the great demon lord!” Herold's eyes grew large and he made a noise like “Ohh.”
Tia grinned. He finally noticed the difference in there standing. He finally realized just how great she as the demon lord was.
“I am sorry.”, he said flustered. Tia nodded accepting. As long as he realizes what's what and grovels himself she can forgive him. She is not evil after all.
“I hadn’t noticed we were already playing.”
“What the?” Tia's proud expression fell apart. Was he really so dim or was he just too good minded? She couldn’t tell, no matter what. She had already forgotten, but he was the enemy.
“But what is the demon lord? You said that it is a great being with incredible power but I can’t really understand it.”, Herold asked her puzzled.
Tia had explained this to him and Birim yesterday but she was so shocked that she couldn’t get her thoughts together. But who cares if he didn’t understand, the real problem was his very being. There was no reason to make him understand what the demon lord is. Putting him into his place was what she needed to do.
“The demon lord is the greatest being. He can use every magic he wants with ease and rules over his people with incredible wisdom. Not like the heroes with brute force. In fact, he does not need super-strength or something like that. The demon lord has followers, an army, advisers and, most importantly, the heavenly generals. He is more than a King almost like a god. His number one goal is to unite the demon tribes and destroy the evil light races. They may have light in their name but this is what suppressors do. They present themselves as good and justified, while they twist all their evil doings as justice. A justice only they agreed upon. They call themselves heroes, sage’s, holy princess and all that crap. The demon lord has no need to whitewash his and his follower's existence. They all have great and glorified names but they are nothing more than suppressors, assassins or simple killers. There is nothing Hero like about them. If any, the demon lord should be hailed as a hero but since he has no need for it he isn’t. That is what he is. The bringer of salvation. The dim spark of hope that will turn into a beacon that will engulf this world. The bringer of peace to this world by shattering the concept of nations and nationality, deposing those unworthy kings and saving the world. I am that spark of hope. I am that great being. I am the demon lord.”
“Whoa, that is so cool. I didn’t understand half of it but how you said it was just great. So, in other words, the heroes are the bad guys in this game. They are fakers and we are kind of underground heroes, right.”, said Herold with beaming eyes. “Sort of, yeah?”, answered Tia confused. She was taken aback by his ability to gloss over of most what she had said. And did he just say it was a game? And did he count himself as her ally right now?
“So, I am then heavenly general red. This sounds really cool.” He got again uncomfortable close to Tia, his sparkling eyes mere centimeters from hers. “We.. well if you say you don’t wanna be a hero anymore and be my general, I guess that works.”, she said while taking a few steps back. Why does this guy always have to come so close? Had he never heard of personal space? He had scared her a bit with his over-motivation and eagerness and she had just answered in reflex. Him being her general was not something she really wanted but she couldn’t back down now. She had agreed after all, even if just in the spur of the moment.
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“Sure, so the kids from yesterday are the fake heroes and I’m no fake. I will never suppress people just because I don’t like what they are doing. I will only fight people if they harm others. I promise.” Herold put his fist on his chest. Tia sighed. She was now stuck with him, nothing she could do about that. The enemy became an unexpected ally. Nothing around that. But now she had to instruct and teach him the proper way of being a general. This was not a position someone like him could acquire just like that. But he was her first follower. Her only follower. And what is a demon lord without her generals?
“So what do you want to be?”, asked Herold Birim gleefully the same way he had asked Tia seconds before. Birim's eyes widened and he tripped backward.
Wait, that person can under no circumstances enter the demon lord army, thought Tia. She was about to declare that she wouldn’t let him in but stopped. She didn’t need just great beings. She also needed goons to do the dirty work. Someone that could be sacrificed if necessary.
“Ah, everything alright?” Herold raised an eyebrow while smiling and helped him up. “Ye, yes. Eveting alight.”, mumbled Birim. “So what do you want to be?”, asked Herold again, this time holding a bit more distance.
“How about goon number 1.”, proposed Tia. “What? That is just mean, Tia.”, said Herold reproachful. “How about general green?”
“No! And I mean seriously, look at him. There's no way for him to be a general.”, threw Tia in. For a moment Tia and Herold stared at each other, both glaring with the intention not to back down.
“No, I don’t want to be a genel, anyway. Bu, but an aviser pelhaps?”, said Birim. “Alright, then you are adviser green. This works, right?”, asked Herold towards Tia. But his tone of voice made it clear that was not a question but an ascertainment. Tia sighted in her mind. Herold and crybaby could call Birim an adviser for the time being. But she knew that his only worth was, if any, that of a goon. And who knows maybe he could really climb the ranks. Even if it was very unlikely.
“If you want to think that way, be my guest.”, said Tia finally. “But the name from the troopers are no good. Come up with ones befitting the role of your stand. Or I will give you some.”
“So, what's the first thing we do?”, asked Herold gleefully completely ignoring what Tia said. “Do we play with the toys or are we going in the yard playground and train some moves?” Herold threw a few punches into the air. “I, I would like playing with the toys.”, said Birim. But Tia shook her head.
“Herold is on to something, but not quite. The most powerful thing in this world is magic, not brute force. That's why you will learn that first.”
“Wait you can really do magic?”, asked Herold astonished. “Of course. Didn’t you saw me using it yesterday?”, wondered Tia.
“I only saw your back. But that is so cool. Tell me, come on tell me.” And again Herold jumped right in front of Tia, enthusiastically grabbing her shoulders. “Wha! Alright, calm down. Boy, the first thing you should learn is what personal space is?” Herold tilted his head a little in wonder. “It means don’t come too close all of the sudden.”, yelled Tia. Birim turned his head sideways and glanced at Herold. “I second this.”
“Hu? I, I am sorry?”, said Herold clearly not understanding what the problem was. Tia exhaled in an exhausted manner.
“Well, okay. First things first, magic is produced by mana. You use the mana in your body to create magic. Simple right?”, told Tia the two but both had confused mimes. “What is mana?”, asked Herold.
“Well, mana is mana, right? You simply bundle it and form it to what you want. See.” Tia stretched her hand out and a very small flame appeared on her palm.
The eyes of Herold and Birim sparkled. “Woah, magic! That is real magic! How cool is that!”, exclaimed Herold without holding his voice back. “How bitifull.”, admired Birim. “Well, of course, I am the demon lord after all.”, said Tia with a smug face.
“I’m gonna try it right now.” Herold put his hand right in front of his face and tensed up. But Birim glanced at Tia, his eyes flickering here and there nervously. “Bu, but how do y, you bundle mana? A, and how do y, you form I, it?” With a brow raised Tia stared at him. Didn’t she just show it? With a green-yellowish head, he looked at the ground. His arms were shivering and he seemed to get smaller by the second.
“Like this.” She produced the flame again. “I just see a flame appear.”, said Herold, breathing a little heavy. “Can’t you explain it better?”
Tia folded her arms in front of her chest and tilted her head in thought. A better way to explain magic, she thought. She thought that telling the steps and showing, would be enough to understand, but apparently, she had overestimated Herold. How could she make it even more simple than that? Maybe the best would be to just kick him out if he is so inept. Could he even learn anything the way he was? A sigh escaped her mouth. But she had said that she accepts him as a general and that she will teach him. A demon lord never goes back on her words. But how could she explain it any better?
“W, what do y, yo, you do exactly?”, asked Birim with a shy expression. “I m, mean before y, you bundle the m, mana and after?” Tia blinked at him. Before? After? She just did it. It was just like moving her arms, legs or tail. If she had to answer how she moved them the only answer she had was: “I don’t know.”
Tia fell on her knees. Her face was painted in agony.
“Woah! Tia, you okay?”, asked Herold shocked. How could it be that she didn’t know this? Wasn’t she the demon lord. She raised her head and looked right into Herold's eyes. “Nonono, look guys you do it like this, see? Like this!” Tears started to form at the edges of her eyes as she pleaded desperately for them to understand. One flame after the other appeared and vanished from her palm. “Hey, it’s okay if you don’t know. This isn’t anything bad!”, said Herold hectic. “We just have to learn it, right? No problem there. You think so too, right Birim.” In panic from seeing the girl in front of him welling up in tears, he threw a helpless glance towards Birim. “Wha? M, me? Ah, Y, yes?”, Birim answered, shocked that he had to say something.
That was too much. Blank eyes starred at Birim and Herold. Slowly Tia got to her feet. “See, everything is alright”, said Herold thinking her standing up was a good sign. But Tia turned around wordlessly and swayed towards a corner of the huge room. As she reached it, she crouched down facing the corner. Slowly she put her hand in front of her while she began mumbling.
“I’m just an idiot who knows nothing, just like the rest of them. There's no way I could be a mighty demon lord if even the crybaby points out my flaws. I should just go and give up. Who am I anyway? I am just a tiny insect who doesn’t know a thing. Why should anybody want to be my subordinate? I should just…”
In the reflexion of the glass, Tia saw Herold and Birim approaching with careful steps.
Speechless, Herold and Birim starred at her back. They looked at each other not understanding what was going on. With his eyes, Birim told Herold to do something, way too scared to utter even a single word. But Herold vigorously shook his head. “I know how to protect someone but I have no idea how to deal with crying girls. I had tried it and it ended in chaos.”, he whispered. Birim turned his head to the group of adults who were happily chatting. Herold took on a thoughtful expression for a bit but shook his head again. “That would make it worse. Have you forgotten her face yesterday when the Lady's came?”, hissed Herold. Birim’s eyes widened and he made a few quick steps away from Tia's back. A dead sight flew from Tia. Scared Herold spun his head around. “What kind of demon lord has subordinates that pity him? No one! I’m a failure of failures. Best thing would be if I never leave this place. This is the perfect place for someone like me. A corner where only dust settles…”, continued Tia to mumble with a defeated voice. Seeing that nothing had changed Herold let out a relieved sight but immediately after, his face became angry.
In the reflection of the glass two big figures approached. Birim starred at the figures wide-eyed and quickly turned around to Tia. “I, I, di, di, didn’t…”
“Tia honey, what's going on?”, asked her mother. “She is doing magic!”, exclaimed the other figure astounded. But Tia didn’t react and continued to ramble while mumbling. Her mother fixated Herold who became instantly stiff. “She wanted to tell us how magic works but couldn’t explain it and somehow she got sad.”, shot Herold out high pitched. “Ah, is that so.”, said Cirit and picked her daughter from the ground. With a sigh, she began to explain. “Sorry about this, but every time something doesn’t work as she wants it to, she gets like this. It takes some time for her to recover, so I think we go home for today.” Her last words were directed towards the caretaker who came with her. “That is alright. But I want you to tell her that magic is forbidden inside the kindergarten. Have you heard me?”, she pointed towards Herold and Birim. “Y, yes”, both of them exclaimed. A giggle escaped Cirit. “Oh, I will! She knows that she is not allowed to use magic. Seriously, I don’t even know where she has learned it. You two, I want you to stop Tiacia when she is going to use it. Magic is really dangerous for children. You can burn or freeze yourself and that will hurt, you know.”
Both of them nodded their heads vigorously.