Devin's POV

On what was a bright and sunny day, almost perfect, I met… the Angel of Reason. How did that happen?

As most things do, it began with a very close person. Okay, not that close, but still, hey, we aren’t strangers. They say that take your eyes off someone and you might miss the greatest developments of their life. Haha, unfortunately, whoever said that, why did you have to be right?!

All that effort, and for what?! He still got engaged to Angel~ while I wasn’t looking and he grew to become even more handsome. After leaving him, he also looks happier, though that taciturn face won’t reveal it. I know because, after all, I stalked him almost all his life. He’s my cousin too.

For years, I was waiting for the right opportunity to do something. Before that ‘right opportunity’ came, I made sure to shoo any pests that might come close to him. I stole all of his potential partners away from him and waited patiently. In the end, it was all for nothing since his father made his engagement official. Nobody could go against that man! He was just too scary!

Even after the engagement, I waited patiently because, stupid as I was, I thought that if I waited, the guy would catch my drift and come to me. Before I knew it, I had been waiting for almost seven years and that little shit had yet to step on my doorstep. Heck, that guy hardly visits home anymore. Despite this, his overprotective father says nothing about it. He seems to be living somewhere else and is very happy.

What finally got me off my butt was seeing the guy myself on his last visit home. On that day, reality hit me in the face with the force of three and a half magic bombs because, um… who was that~?!

Up until that point, I had only heard from others how much he’d changed, never actually getting a glimpse of him.

Reality did me really bad! Where was my openly wild freak of a hunk who looked capable of crushing grown men’s skulls with his bare hands? Did he also shrink? And, what’s with that face and aura?

That face…. the face of a tamed gentleman whose gaze sent shivers down the spines of anyone bold enough to look into his lavender-colored eyes, like the beast within would come out at any time and destroy you. His dark aura had mellowed out but did it get also more concentrated in lethality, and what was with that slight tinge of blood that surrounded it? That wasn’t there before!

Yes, my wild hunk of a killing machine had been replaced by a beast in gentleman hunk’s clothing, and who did I have to thank for it? That’s when I found it.

Looking at my beast and wondering what spurred forth the dramatic change, a servant answered me,

“Sir… um, that man is Kensuke! Apparently, he got engaged to the ‘Silver Chef Who Slew the Disasters,’ the VIP of the Battle Festival almost seven years ago. I even heard that he even lives with him now. That’s why we haven’t seen much of him since the night of the festival.”

The news shocked me. Actually, scratch that. It enraged me. What happened to my father helping me to win Kensuke’s hand in marriage? How come he’d been engaged for so many years and I had just been completely unaware of this? Unacceptable!

So, he got engaged to whom? The ‘Silver Chef’? I heard that guy’s pretty impressive, but probably not by much. I can probably take this guy! I am the son of a hero; I am very handsome. I charm people with my voice. This fiancé is doomed! I’ll just go there and have a look… then maybe a chat and I’ll have my Kensuke back in no time.

Fastforward to a few hours after that thought and……

I WAS WRONG!!!

 

So, after my little meltdown, I inquired more information by drugging it out of his sorry, overprotective father who was still regretting bringing the Silver Chef to the festival the year he lost his precious baby with some alcohol. Boy, did that Oni Spirit have a lot to say.

He told me all about Kenny’s new life, even the little house he owned together with his fiancé and friends and, hahaha, I visited! Talking about it now, I kind of both regret and don’t regret going there at the same time.

Now, let’s get back to the almost perfect sunny day where I met the ‘Angel of Reason’.

I came to the house Kenny, his friends and his fiancé had bought together, looking for, um, a ‘Dave’. Apparently, that’s the name of the guy I’m looking for. That name sounded familiar but I couldn’t really put my finger on it until days later.

Just so you know, this ‘Dave’ guy has the favor of the Dragon Empress, since I’m telling you this after it already happened. At that point, I remember thinking how uncreative his name was. He even sounded like my replacement. Devin, Dave. Don’t they sound similar?

Now back on track! So, I go there, knock on the door, some busty, sleazy girl dressed in very little opens the door. I tell her that I’m looking for Dave and she goes in to bring the bastard who stole my guy.

I was super wrong!

What showed up wasn’t some pesky fly I had hoped to swat away three seconds after meeting. I got a final boss, and a very intimidating one at that.

It was the first time I’d ever felt as threatened by someone else when it came to matters of love.

Dave was an angelic creature. He was not only possessed terrifying backing that triumphed my own, but also a silver-haired beauty with heterochromatic eyes that looked gorgeous. So, that’s where Kensuke’s odd lavender eyes came from; him! He exuded just the right amount of hotness and cuteness and the most noticeable and unforgettable feature of this Dave fellow was his aura.

His aura was so pure and unblemished that I had a hard time believing that there was anyone like that in the world. The angelic features this Dave possessed was enough to bring me to my knees that very instant and when Dave noticed me and spoke, I knew that this Dave had gotten me beat on all sides for the affection of Kensuke.

Why? This person was someone even I could fall for on the spot if I didn’t already have someone I was hunting. I was now sure about why Kensuke probably liked Dave. In my eyes, Dave was the personification of unquestionable beauty that I blushed when I answered his question about who I was. Ah, his voice sounded very soothing, almost hypnotic. So nice!

Yes, Dave was so powerful that I almost forgot my original objective. Luckily, I snapped out of his charm spell before it claimed my soul,

“You! Leave my Kensuke alone! Stay away from him!”

 

Narrator’s POV

“You! Leave my Kensuke alone! Stay away from him!” Marcel heard this Devin of an Oni command him. Now, what could have brought this on, he wondered. Did he do something to Kenny? He… was rightfully, very confused.

“Huh, what did I do?” He asked, clueless as usual.

The latter looked like he was in some type of trance before he answered,

“You snake! Give me back my Kenny! Break up your engagement with him and never speak to him ever again.” This Devin person said with a threatening gaze that seemed to hold some power at Marcel.

Unfortunately for him, his cat-like compulsion was nothing like the draconic ones he had to endure whenever he entered Alverona’s castle, so the attack had no effect.

Marcel tilted his head at angle, expressing his innocence and lack of knowledge regarding what the latter was talking about. Very cute, clueless expression!

Devin seems to agree to as he had a nosebleed that lasted over a minute. Marcel was put in a very awkward situation.

***

Multiple wipes later…

“You’re the fiancé of Kensuke, right?” He asked.

“Yes?” Not that he wanted to be, “Though, Kenny’s father was the one who decided that.” Marcel entered deep thought, reminiscing and looking very good doing it, while Devin just— This was about to get very, very awkward.

Examining Marcel, he realized something which immediately forced him to… break into tears, uncontrollable tears.

“Why did he also have to be a hero too? I thought I would at least win with that. He’s got even more compelling power than I do, [sob],” He thought as he stared further at this creature whom he could only be half off.

Despite having undergone the same transformation as Kenny’s current form and looking better than the former in his human form, Marcel was not only more beautiful and cool, clearly had more magic reserves than he did, had an enchanting aura, an ‘angelic presence’, commanded more charisma than he ever could and to step all over him, had a more than tolerable temperament. This was simply unfair!

Yes, Marcel, once again, brought another adult far older than himself to the verge of tears.

Oh, and here comes the classic monologue that people who meet Marcel always seem to enter when overcome when love interests and emotions are involved.

“I always thought that I had the best chance of claiming that guy for myself, but I lost before I even got the chance to win him over. Why is the world so unfair? I’ve done my best to keep everyone away from my Kensuke but, in the end, I lost… to an angel~!!!” He stood there, sobbing loudly.

Marcel… panicked! Seeing a grown Oni cry, it was the only response he could garner. Luckily, they lived in a peaceful, rich neighborhood where many didn’t actively try to hear other people cry in your house, so the man’s cries were mostly contained. Marcel still had to act though.

Looking at the pained man, the only thing Marcel could do was pick him up in his arms and take him to the bench beside the fountain for him to sit. It was so unexpected of a reaction that the Oni stopped crying for a moment to think.

This ‘Dave’ looks delicate, but is not. So much physical power!

Marcel, meanwhile, took out a handkerchief and gave it to the Oni before asking him,

“Who are you?” He asked abruptly. This made Devin realize that he hadn’t introduced himself yet.

The man wiped his tears with the handkerchief the angel gave him before answering in a still-shaky voice, “Oh, sorry! My name… sob… is Devin. I am Kensuke’s very old cousin.”

“Aha, I see!” This was the only reply Marcel could muster. He wanted this to get somewhere, “So, what brings you to our house?”

Unexpectedly, the man burst out again, almost alerting the people inside doing various things,

“You stole my Kenny! Give him back!” He almost began crying again. Luckily, Kenny was with Allan at the Demon Lord’s castle, so he isn’t hearing this.

Marcel was getting even more confused, “Excuse me? Stole Kenny?”

“Yes, he was mine, then suddenly, he wasn’t, and it’s all because of you!” He sounded angry.

Unfortunately, the being known as Marcel lives only to get a rise out of people like him,

“From your words earlier, you seem to have just sat by and driven Kensuke into a state of loneliness by keeping everyone away from him, causing the silent and shy guy to retract further into his shell, then made no moves while waiting for him, a very silent and shy person, to do something, right?” Marcel almost rolled his eyes.

Great! Why does he have to be involved in someone else’s love drama when he’s still in the middle of processing his own? If only the Demon Lord would stop tormenting him with the dreams that pull him even further from humanity’s expectations of him. Hehe, has nobody told him that it’s his brai— Oh, never mind!

“No?!!” He almost smashed the bench with his hands, “I did something!” He was adamant.

“Yeah, sure!” Marcel was being sarcastic, “Then, did you ever show Kenny your affection? I’m guessing that we are talking about romantic feelings here, right?”

“Yeah! Sure I had!” He was even more adamant.

Marcel looked at him again with a determined look in his eyes and asked once again, “Really?” Strange… he looked different for a second there.

Under that determined look that seemed to suddenly shift the ambience around, Devin felt like he was being interrogated. He was forced to think through his answer and, unlike what he used to believe in his mind, he came up with an answer: ‘No’!

He didn’t look convinced, so he answered differently from his thoughts, “But, all that work… for what? I seem to remember pu—” He stopped abruptly. He didn’t want to go on anymore. He was rendered speechless by what he was about to say.

Marcel seemed to know exactly that,

“Pushing away the people who showed interest in Kenny and stealing their hearts instead?” Marcel somehow looked clueless and knowledgeable at the same time with his sure expression. It was strange!

Then, it hit Devin like lightning. Marcel… was right!

“I… have actually done nothing at all to impress or win over Kenny.” The vigor he once had seemed to disappear quickly and he began falling into depression.

“And why is that?” Marcel continued to interrogate him in a knowledgeable manner that definitely wasn’t there when this conversation began. Heck, if I may speak on his behalf, it was as if he knew exactly what he was doing. His mouth was moving on its own and his brain was agreeing with him.

“I-I… don’t know! It’s like— like I just always hoped that Kenny would fall for my charms eventually if left him to his own accord. I always thought that he would come to me one day. After all, I am a half-hero. I’m smart, I’m strong, I have a very bright future. Also, who can’t I get if I used my ‘hero charms’?” Devin used all the narcissistic ways for describing one’s self that was definitely not getting him the man he desired.

Marcel had to ruin his fun again by answering his rhetorical question,

“Um, an actual hero, maybe Guardians and Progenitors and certainly also people who really hate everything about you and—” Marcel stopped himself before he found a million targets that would not like Devin. He even had the guts to add, “Oh, should I continue?”

“That’s enough! You’ve made your point!”

Marcel smiled, “I’m glad! Oh, and will you tell me more about this hero charms you were talking about?”

“It’s this mysterious charm that heroes have that compels people to do their bidding, sort of more powerful than a very charismatic person’s influence on people but also not as crude as straight-up brainwashing. You could say that it’s this suggestive drive for influencing people. You could probably make people jump of a cliff if they think it’ll make you, a hero, happy. Think of it as making people obsessed with everything you think about the world.

“From what I know, only high-ranked individuals can resist it but there are cases where one tends to give in eventually the more a hero asks for something. Sometimes, even heroes fall under each other’s charismas since it’s so powerful. Learning about it will do you no good at this stage. I am the son of the 3^rd brother of the Oni Leader and a warrior hero; a hybrid of an Oni and a hero and I inherited this charisma of heroes, although far less potent than that of normal heroes. I’m still sure that I can get Kenny if I just sit back and wait. I’m also on the verge of becoming a High-Oni, with three out of four stages of my evolution already completed. Kenny will definitely fall for my charms if I still waited though.” He almost bragged about his achievements. Marcel wasn’t very impressed though as he almost rolled his eyes in annoyance over hearing the same thing again.

“Listen here, big guy!” He drew Devin’s attention back to him, “Why don’t you try taking the initiative for once?”

“What? But Kenny’s your fiancé!”

“Only if he chooses to be! He’s more like a very good friend who doesn’t talk to me. If he was to maybe fall in love with a narcissist like you and wish to cancel his engagement with me, what can I do about it?” Marcel said nonchalantly.

Devin finally seemed to understand what Dave was getting at, “So…”

“Yes, make your standing and wishes clear, then fight for it with all you’ve got. If you lose; well, you had a long run. There’s always another guy out there to stalk and bother when you love again. To summarize, love isn’t fair at all and though the one who falls first does indeed lose, it’s up to you to make sure you get back on an even field by making whoever tormented your poor heart fall even deeper for you.” Marcel’s mouth moved without permission again. And yes, all the words said made sense and he agreed with them. If only he thought to apply that wise piece of knowledge to the Demon Lord, but who knows? Maybe he already has a plan of his own.

“So, underhanded tricks—”

Marcel seemed to know what he was thinking again, “…will only take you so far. Even a fish caught in a net will find a way to escape if left long enough to figure it out. Point is, Kenny will disappear someday and you won’t know what hit you when that time comes. Oh… wait! That already happened! Pff—” Marcel almost laughed at Devin again. The latter was almost too deep in thought to not notice.

Devin slapped Marcel on the back. Not as payback, though,

“I get it! But damn, I’m shocked by your clear and simple way of explaining what I need to do that I’m motivated to try again; this time, really trying. Hey… how are you so good at giving advice regarding love matters? Also, where did you get that motivational advice from, Dave?”

“Trust me. I’m asking myself the same question as we speak.” Marcel said, wallowing with his thoughts.

Where the heck did that come from? He asked himself. And just like that, Marcel returned to normal. Very strange!

“You’re an angel! Thank you! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!” He said, wrapping Marcel in a tight, powerful bear hug that made Marcel feel queasy. Also, was it just him or is he being suffocated in body heat? These Oni are just too big and hot, and by hot, I mean temperature hot. Devin feels like at least, 50 degrees. Yikes!

And so, finally, Devin understood why maybe Kensuke might have fallen for Marcel, which, spoiler alert, is just his imagination. This ‘Dave’ guy was an angel, and a very reasonable one at that.

Spoiler alert: Kensuke’s eyes does lie elsewhere, not with poor Devin, but, let him have his fun!

After receiving what he thought was excellent advice, Devin went back home to make plans on what to do with a determined gaze that would only look forward, like dead straight on the target and not on the things on the road. All you need to know is that Marcel/Dave had this strange feeling that Kensuke wasn’t going to have it so easy anymore when he met Devin.

Ah, guess what? Kensuke in the Demon Lord’s castle with Allan, had shivers run down his spine. He thinks so too.

With the disturbance that is Devin now out of the way, Marcel went back into the house to the workshop, continuing to be instructed by Shalia on alchemy. As much as he wouldn’t like to enjoy being worked like the elven princess’s alchemy cauldron, he does so, this one’s on him. Good luck, Marcel! Good luck, Devin!