Vol. 3 CH. 18 — A Demon Lord's Intervention and the Chaos Princess

PART #1

"Hmmm..... It's been a while since I left my castle. The annoying rat finally but to think I'd see the cursed legion again after so many years"

Outside the city, way past the towns and villages that was left burned and barren by monsters, a man clad in classy 18th century noble clothes was floating crossed legged in the air. In his hand was a cup of tea and plates of pastries floating around with him.

His blonde hair was swept back, flowing softly with the wind above 1200 meters up in the air and his shining pair of red eyes gleamed before the setting sun.

But that was not he was staring at. 

The inky black mud moving lively like slime was marching towards the direction of the Travestin Kingdom. Figures the formed and deformed groaned as they reached on forward as they moved.

1st Demon Lord of the Night, Vampire King Vlad.

The one who was known as the first ever Demon Lord to be born looked down with a mischievous smile on his face.

"That minx of woman, she told me to visit the wrong place. To think I'd be meeting with an old army that once crawled out from Shub–Niggurath's blood"

"My Lord, is there any reason why we came to this place?"

Another Vampire stood right behind Vlad as the Lord of the Night gazed down on the putrid slime enroaching the region. The trees slowly decayed and the grassed burned. The earth turned black as if a large shadow was being overcast.

The servant of King Vlad looked skeptical at the disgusting sludged moving forward slowly.

"I only came to check in a hero. I've heard he's quite the fighter"

Demon Lord Vlad took one sip of his tea and savored the light of the setting sun. Warmth slowly left his skin as the the orange sun sinking on the other side of the horizon. 

"Is this about what Lady Snow mentioned? About the hero that defeated Demon Lord Kakal?"

"Yes. I was thinking of checking him out. See if he would be willing to join under my rule but that sly ice woman told me a different place"

The 3rd Demon Lord had told Demon Lord Vlad about Kyoushiro. That was because heroes that bested a Demon Lord are beings that cannot be ignored. It wasn't for a bad reason like the Demon Lord would be scared of them. Rather, it was the opposite.

Demon Lord's sees Heroes as worthy opponents to test their current strength. As the Heroes are people blessed by the gods in order to defeat the Demon Lords, Vlad and the rest of 13 Demon Lords are always expecting a good fight from them.

Kyoushiro, who defeated Demon Lord Kakal, which was the annoying one of the bunch, was someone that received the attention of other Demon Lords. The Soul Eater, Demon Lord Vraheim as one of them. 

Although the strife between Demon Lords were just mere shows of battles that showcases their power to prove who was stronger, a fight between a Demon Lord and Hero was different.

For the 13 Demon Lords, it was their pride to face a Hero in battle.

"But I have heard that Lady Snow had already visited that Hero my Lord?"

"She did indeed. Annoying as that ice sprite may be, she moves far quickly than me. I'm sure she already made contact with him"

Just before Lady Snow left Vlad's caslte, she had mentioned visiting the hero once to see if he was worthy of battle. Just that, she didn't mentioned anything beyond that. Vlad had decided to visit the hero as well, thinking that the place he would be in was Travestin.

But he did not include the fact that Kyoushiro was pretty much a criminal in this Kingdom. Like that, instead of meeting the Hero, he was looking at an ancient legion that should have been lost in the closet of time.

Looking around this vast green land, the enroaching black mud was slithering underneath Vlad's feet. The sight of the cursed legion was enough to make the Demon Lord of the night to let out the milky way from his mouth.

The past memories of those creatures to him wasn't pleasant. As much as he wanted to, Vlad wished to see the murky sludge to disappear but right now.... it was impossible.

The thing leading those things couldn't be seen. I wonder which dullard chose to summon them to this world?–

Vlad showed a irritated scowl as he couldn't find the being leading the cursed legion. The most distinct part of the leader was that it was the only one having an eye on it's face. But he couldn't find it.

"Hmmmm....."

"What's wrong my Lord?"

"It is boring. I shall play around until the thing that leads this flood appears"

As soon as Vlad said that, he raised his right hand loftily. Then from his index finger, a pitch black sphere appeared. Surrounding it was a Corona of white flames and flickering in and out of existence inside were dark storming clouds.

Vlad the raised his arm to the sky and with a smile as though enjoying the view of looking down pitiful beings, he threw the sphere to the ground.

"My Lord.... that's a bit too much don't you think?"

The Vampire servant muttered as he watched the boulder size sphere of darkness slowly descends onto the middle of the cursed legion.

Then as the sphere touches the ground, the whole surrounding was swallowed in an explosion of light.

*Kiiiiiii–!!!*

The light ate everything greedily as it was alive. Seeing such thing, the 1st Demon Lord who have lived for longer than anyone else in this world grinned as the destruction of a piece of land made the sunset look it was nothing but decoration.....

–

"!?"

Vraheim, felt an immense power used somewhere within the country. The thounds of souls he gathered for the summoning were slowly being eradicated by the power he had sensed. Moreover, this power itself was familiar to him.

–Impossible!! What is that person doing here?!–

Vraheim was surprised beyond comprehension as he quickly realized the person who was destroying his immortal army. 

The well known recluse Demon Lord came out of his domain. Vraheim, who distinguished himself as a Demon Lord, couldn't remember the last time the 1st Demon Lord came out from his castle. Because out of all the Demon Lord in existence right now, 1st Demon Lord, Lord of the Night, King Vlad, was more powerful than any of all the Demon Lords combine.

The mere thought of the 1st Demon Lord being so near to him made Vraheim tremble in fright. However, that wasn't his concern right now.

*Kreeeee–!!!* Black chains spew out from underneath Princess Lucinda, wrapping her in a cocoon of chains. 

"Lucinda-sama!!"

Niya yelled out. She took out daggers from her magic storage ring held them between her ten fingers before throwing them to the chains.

*Pi-tang! Pi-tang!* The daggers fell uselessly on the floor after it hit the chains. 

"Danger!"

This time, Rea reacted. From the insides of her skirt, Rea pulled out two short shorts with jagged edge. She nimbly jumped onto the chains and used them as footholds then launched herself at the 13th Demon Lord.

"Seiiyaaaa!!"

"!?"

Unconsciously, Vraheim turned his head towards the little fox girl. It would be useless for physical attacks to harm him, he was in a corporeal form after all. However the shock from sensing King Vlad's power made him losen his nerves.

"Impertinent....!!"

Vraheim raised his bony hands to attack Rea. However, Queen Isabelle and King Verdik acted immediately.

"–«Blessed Water Rain»!!"

Purifying water rained down on Vraheim.

"Kh!?"

Vraheim groaned the pain his body was receiving from the pure water cleansing his dark undead body. It only took everyone an instant, when they heard Vraheim groaned from the Queen's attack, they recovered their nerves.

Gaius, who was been keeping watch of the Demon Lord's movement, waiting for a chance to attack and Leticia, what was thrown back by the pressure from the Demon Lord, both jumped for the attack.

None of then knew why the Demon Lord was thrown out of his nerves but thanks to that chance, the capable fighters made their move.

"–«Tempest Blast»!!"

King Verdik finished his chant and supported Queen Isabelle's magic. Gaius used Holy Magic – «Light Sword» and slashed at Vraheim's defenseless back. Leticia freezes Vraheim's feet with her Ice magic.

"Gaaaah!!?"

Everyone's attacks were effective.

"Damn...you!!!"

Vraheim shouted, his eyes blazing with blue flame shooting out from his orifices. Rea stopped her attacked and dodges away from Vraheim's hand. 

"Get everyone out right now!!"

Gaius shouted, slashing the dispersing body of Vraheim. The soldiers who heard Gaius's words quickly but clumsily ran over to the royal family and lead them out. Niya and Lea were being urged by the soldiers to leave as well but the chains have surrounding Lucinda has yet to disappear.

"Lucinda-sama....."

A regretfully frown appeared on Niya's face as she pulled Princess Aria out of the corner then out of the room. Lea and Rea looked at each other then stood shoulder to shoulder. In both of their hands were jagged short swords capable of shredding even the toughest of bones.

"Hey! You kids run–"

"I shall.... not let... you!!"

Vraheim swatted Gaius away like a fly. Gaius flew outside the room and fell on the stairs leading down. Hurting his back, Gaius couldn't move from where he landed.

"Damn it!!"

Gaius cursed as he tried to push his body to stand. But then, the tower rocked as if being shaken from below. Cracks was forming on the walls then crumbling from the earthquake shaking the tower. It was there that Gaius rolled down the stairs to reach safety. After that, the top of the tower came crumbling down below......

PART #2

"Ugh... where...."

Lucinda woke up. However, she doesn't recognize where she was right now. It seems to be a large room filled with seats lined up in a row on top of a slope. A large shining canvas was right before her eyes with large red curtains at the sides.

Where Lucinda woke up was a Cinema. She doesn't recognize the place however she was familiar with the person sitting next to her.

"You fell asleep?"

It was Kyoushiro. However different from his usual self, this one seemed to be happy. He didn't bare the bloodthirstiness Kyoushiro often would let out instead, a calm and loving smile was being directed at her.

"Kyoushiro.....sama?"

"What's up? I guess the movie was too boring for you hahaha...."

Kyoushiro smiled wryly. 

It was a different feeling. Lucinda doesn't understand what was happening. She recalls being in the tower and facing the Demon Lord Vraheim along with the people that escaped from the sudden hoard of undead monsters but she woke up in a weird place where a different Kyoushiro was next to her.

Kyoushiro cleaned the popcorn on his lap and drank the remains of his juice before standing up. 

"Let's go. We can still have dinner right after this right?"

"Dinner?"

"Why do you look like you've seen a ghost? What? Do you want to head home already? We can go if you want"

Kyoushiro held out his hand and waited for Lucinda to take it. Lucinda reluctantly placed her hand on his and stood up. She then realized that she wasn't wearing her dress but the same clothes Mikoto and Minami wore when they were first summoned.

Short black checkered skirt and a blazer over her white uniform. Kyoushiro lead Lucinda by the hand and got out of the cinema. What Lucinda saw after that was something she never expected in her life.

There were saw many people walking around. All of them wore different clothes with different styles and almost all of them had black hair and eyes. Moreover, the counter where snacks and drinks were being sold were filled with people. Vending machines where being littered with guys with their friends having a drink after a movie and some couples were holding each other while smiling as they talked about how the movie went.

Stepping out of the cinema was more amazing than she thought. Tall buildings towered over, crowds of people crossing the streets and hundreds of cars honked and passed by as the stoplights link from red to green.

Above the blue sky, a plane flew by. As the two walked on and passed by an Electronic store, the Flat screen TV on sale were showing different kinds of shows. From an action scene to a drama. Then the news and then a commercial.

There were some people playing music on the streets and some were listening. Children the same age as Kyoushiro were going to arcades and karaoke bars after school. 

Lucinda just saw how different the world of the heroes' was compared to hers. Her eyes sparkled in curiosity, making her forget the world she was just in.

Kyoushiro then took Lucinda to a family restaurant where there was a family celebrating their child's birthday or some office worker had her head sunk in her laptop screen or some plain old couple eating after a date.

"Sorry Lucinda, I guess today's date wasn't that amusing huh?"

Kyoushiro apologize with a sorry filled face as soon as he sat.

"N-No... it's fine, Kyoushiro-sama"

"Haha, although I don't mind being called by that by you it's still been a while since you last call me that"

Kyoushiro smiled wryly as took the menu and pressed the order button on the table.

"Uhhmm...."

"Eh? You weren't hungry?"

"N-NO! It's fine! Let's eat!"

Lucinda panicked as she felt that Kyoushiro felt sorry again. Although she doesn't understand what was happening right now, for whatever reason, she knows how everything works here. She could even read the characters on the menu and even knew what to pick. It was as if she has been here her whole life.

After they ordered and the food was taken over, the two ate happily. While Kyoushiro was gleefully telling how great the movie was, Lucinda was just smiling as it goes. Because she doesn't remember what they were watching before this.

What Lucinda remembered was that she felt her belly ached and everything went dark. She still recalled the Demon Lord that appeared before them.

Lucinda was getting worried about what's happening on the other side.

As soon as they finished eating, Kyoushiro's phone rang.

"Ah, sorry looks like Mom is calling"

"No, please answer it"

"Sorry, I'll go out for bit then"

Kyoushiro apologize for leaving her alone then went out of the restaurant. Lucinda saw Kyoushiro just stood outside the restaurant while talking on his phone. When the two met each other's eyes, Kyoushiro waved with a smile. Lucinda waved back before turning her head back to the front.

–Just what is going on? How come I am here?–

Lucinda was starting to question why this was happening right now.

"I see that you are not very affected by this"

"Eh?"

A girl suddenly appeared in front of Lucinda. The girl, had long hair and was even covering her eyes. She wore a sundress and pink shoulder bag on her right arm. 

"Uhmm...."

"It truly is amazing. The chains that connects both past and future that is"

Lucinda stared at the little girl suspiciously. She doesn't know who the little girl was and what she meant by what she said, however Lucinda knows that her current situation wasn't normal.

"Who are you?"

"My identity does not matter, what is important rather, it the thing inside you"

"Inside......?!"

Lucinda petted her belly but there was no lump growingly from there. The child she was bearing for half a year now, it wasn't inside her. An awful feeling of shock and anxiety enroached Lucinda's heart. 

Trembling from fear of the unknown situation she was in, Lucinda pulled the girl close.

"My child..... Where's my child!?"

"You need not to worry. It is just the same with the father of your child, she will be alright"

We're those words reassuring? Was it even alright to trust the words of a strange girl inside this fake world? Lucinda was getting even more worried by the second. Right now, she wished to find her child as soon as possible. No, even a second faster counts right now.

The little girl smiles and points outside. Following the girl's hand, Lucinda saw Kyoushiro. He wasn't holding his phone and talkies to someone, but he was being enveloped by a thick shade of chains coming from his feet.

"What is that?! Just is what is happening right now?"

Although she Lucinda failed to noticed, the whole restaurant right now was silent. Color itself was being drained like black and white canvas drawn only with charcoal. Everything was twisting and unraveling.

"You will find out soon"

As the little girl muttered those words, Lucinda's sight was robbed of it's light. The pleasant cool air she was feeling was long gone and that warm uneasy feeling of the air returned. The feeling of dirt sticking to her skin slowly came to her, strong air was blowing and her hair was dancing with the gust.

Soon after, Lucinda opened her eyes. The vast night sky filled with stars was right before her. Towering broken walls and ruined pillars emerged from her field of vision.

"Ugh.... where...."

Lucinda groaned while pushing herself up. Rea and Lea were lying unconscious next to her with broken weapons lying next to their small hands. 

Then when Lucinda looked in front of her, she saw a little girl bounded by pitch black chains and her blonde hair was flowing abover her head.

"That's....."

Lucinda couldn't feel the life in her womb anymore. However right before her was a child with the same hair color as her. Following where the chains lead was the Demon Lord struggle with his might, trying to get out of the chains 

"Damn you!! Unhand.....meeee!!!!"

Vraheim yelled out as his body flickered in and out of existence. It was as if something was being taken away from Vraheim's body.

"Gah.... damn it.... where did that came from"

A voice came talking from the rubble next to Lucinda. As the rubbles cleared with the person standing up from underneath, the face was the individual was revealed. Red hair and eyes, his appearance wasn't as grand and heroic as before with pitch black armor barely clinging to his body.

"Huh? Hahahaha, I didn't think I'd find you here of all places you majesty"

It was Taiga Kurosawa. For whatever reason, it seems that was buried under the pile of debris after the tower collapsed. There were visible injuries covering his body but nevertheless, he was as energetic as before.

"I don't know if it's god send or whatever but I'll make sure to kill you to make that bastard Kagami know his place"

Taiga pulled himself out of the rubble. In his right hand a shrunk dagger from a bone of an animal was glowing ominously. The look in his eyes, it was like a predator walking towards his prey.

"Tai—!?"

A stinging pain stung on Lucinda's right ankle. It might have been hurt after the tower collapsed. Panicking, Lucinda turned around but Rea and Lea were still unconscious before her. So, instead of running away, Lucinda covers the two from Taiga and pointed her hands towards him.

Taiga smirked.

"Well now, what's this? Going to struggle? Because of you that my whole plan of becoming king of this place was shot. It would have been better if you had just chose me over that weakling"

The reason why Princess Aria chose to accompany Taiga was because Lucinda refused to come along herself. Although, she was the acting Queen for a short time, it was also her responsibility to take care heroes' needs while they were staying in Travestin a few months ago. 

It was also during that time that, while Lucinda was sending reports to Kyoushiro above everyone's movements was when Taiga was trying to make Lucinda his. That was one of the reasons why Lucinda didn't even came near Taiga in the first place after the heroes left to tend to other countries.

"........."

"Not talking? Well that just saves me the trouble of making you quiet"

Taiga's cold threats we're enough to make Lucinda shiver. However, there was no way she would back down against a low life that was only interested in stealing the power of others for himself. 

One step, two....three and as Taiga reached a suitable distance, Lucinda fired of her magic. A bright light orb shot towards Taiga. However easily dodged the measly attack by turning his head.

"Oi, oi.... what the heck was that about? We haven't started yet and you're weak already? I thought you were some powerful mage in this world but I guess that was a lie huh?"

Lucinda was indeed powerful. As a mage with Holy skill herself, she could probably the only one that could stop Vraheim which was an undead. However, right now was different. Her magic power was drained as if it was taken away. The Lucinda right now could barely even do something to protect herself.

"Well, like I give a damn anymore. I'm supposed to be the hero anyway but it looks like being a Demon Lord would be much better than being a hero"

Taiga shrugged his shoulder then gazed at the Demon Lord that was nearly out of the child's restraints. The power of a Demon Lord was amazing. Taiga experienced it himself. If only his skills were compatible with the undead.....

"Well then, let's get back to–"

*Krrriiii!!!!* Chains flew to Taiga's direction. Jumping away, Taiga managed to leave the place where the chains landed. It was right in front of Lucinda.

Taiga turns his head once more and glared at the child interrupting him.

"I don't know where that brat came from but she's a little annoying ain't she..."

Taiga changed his target from Lucinda to the child. It was then, Lucinda felt a bad chill ran over her shoulders. With her hand stretching out towards the child, Lucinda screams....

"Noooo!!!"

*Doooogsshhhh......* But her shout was cut off sort when something crashed into the rubble......

"My, my, I didn't think I'd see the pesky rat that tried to invade my land here of all places"

Above the moon lit sky was the 1st Demon Lord himself. Behind him was the servant vampire that chased after the Lord who went and visited the human lands.

Lucinda was caught off guard by the arrival of another Demon Lord.

"You!!"

Taiga glared at Vlad, pointing his sword at him. 

"Ahahahaha!! This I have not expect. To think even you, Vraheim would be in this kind of place"

However Vlad ignored Taiga and sneered at Vraheim. On the side, Vraheim glares back at Vlad, finally escaping from the chains wrapped around him.

"Grrrr......"

"Don't growl, you are an undead not a mutt. Your bones are better off for them anyways"

Vlad's smile widens as he watched Vraheim get more frustrated from his remarks. The 8 Demon Lords were not friendly with those Demon Lords that came after them. That was because, unlike Vlad and the Demon Lords up to the 8th seat fight each other for the sake of showmanship, the 9th up to the 13th Demon Lords were an eccentric bunch that wishes destruction of lives for their own amusement.

While the Titan king and Armor King were always at each other's throats, the rest couldn't be said the same.

"Fumu"

Vlad nods his head while looking around. Seeing Lucinda and the child producing chains, his attention switched from Vraheim to them. 

"Hmmm...... This is a first. I'm feeling a faint power of a Demon Lord yet you two don't seem to be one"

"......."

Lucinda held her breath, trying to not much move an inch from where she stood. The fear making her body tremble was due to the appearance of the most powerful Demon Lord in existence. Vampire King Vlad, or common known as the Demon Lord of the night. The first Demon Lord, which Lucinda's ancestors that have fought in the past.

Records about him have been passed down but not much of them remained after ages of of different rulers. What's more, Demon Lord Vlad doesn't leave his domain much unlike most Demon Lords, making the records they had once lose their credibility.

In the present days, the 1st Demon Lord was more like a fairytale now since no one has seen him since hundreds of years ago.

"No matter. I care not for the lives of humans after all. I only came here to see the hero named..... Kyoushiro Kagami? Was that right?"

"Yes my Lord"

"So, if he is here present him to me. I came to see if he is worthy of being titled as a hero"

Vlad was looking around. His purpose was none other done the person who slayed Demon Lord Kakal. That was because, after centuries past, there have never been a hero that could fight against a Demon Lord and lived. Although the heroes of the past were powerful, they were naive. 

Sparing the lives of their mortal enemies just because they find them pitiful after their battle was far beyond stupidity. Because of that, most of those heroes died a helpless death from the same Demon Lords they've spared.

In this world, the sides of Heroes and Demon Lords have already been established.

"He's not here"

"Oh?"

Suddenly, Gaius got out from the rubble. It seems that, he survived the tower's collapsed and made it out alive by making his sword cover him from the debris. Vlad turned towards the one armed man and tilted his head.

"He is not here you say?"

"Yeah, I don't know where he is but he's not here at the moment"

Gaius knows that Kyoushiro and the other heroes fought against a Demon Lord recently and that they survived after defeating him. Such news didn't really mattered to the Travestinians as the news of a Demon Spawn killing his own kind was basically nothing new to them.

Vlad sighs and descends down on to rubble along with his servant. But just as he did, sharp tendrils shot out from under the rubbles and attacked Vlad.

"Annoying little pest"

*Snap* Vlad flicked his fingers and petrified the whole Spears of black tendrils in an instant.

*Guryaaaaaaaaaah!!!!*

A deathly screech came bellowing from under the rubble. The servant vampire, who remains nameless, let out a sigh and shot a white blazing ball of flames at the entity hiding underneath them.

*Dooooommm!!* The rubble burns as it explodes. Melting rocks and dirt altogether in an instant.

"Good work. That thing won't be crawling out anymore"

"Thank you my Lord"

The last sign of the cursed legion of Shoggoth was easily burned to nothing. At the sight of such thing, Vraheim retreated back in fear.

"Damn you.....!!!! Vlaaaaad!!!!"

"Hahahahahaha!! Pitiful undead! You've just wasted a very powerful army in this kind of place!!"

As Vraheim screamed, countless skeleton soldiers emerged from the ground. Dressed in armors from both past and present, with weapons from all shapes and sizes, this was the army of the Soul Eater, the one who devoured death and the one who controls the dead.

"Lord of the Dead – «Call of the Dead»!!!!"

An army of countless undead soldiers. Rushing out like an ashen flood. The clattering noise of armors and bones, the rubbling of the Earth, the call to summon his army was activated. Gaius leaped to protect Lucinda, Rea and Lea. Taiga was forced to face another horde on his own.

Demon Lord Vlad grinned in ecstasy.

"An army for an army! Let me enjoy my first time in a while travel back outside! Vraheim!!"

The sky turned red. With the moon shining behind the King of Vampires slowly turning into a pearl of blood. The power between the 1st Demon Lord and the 13th Demon Lord, to those who were watching the scene unfold, it was like the very end of the world.