Karla vs. The Demon
“What… is that?”
The noble soldiers and Temple Knights who witnessed the scene stood dumbfounded.
A bolt of lightning, suddenly shooting from the depths of the earth to the heavens, had struck the Crown Prince, and its aftershock alone had incinerated the young nobles.
And Crown Prince Elvan, who had stood at their forefront, displaying power truly like that of a Hero to defeat Karla—who had been possessed by a demon rampaging in the Royal Capital—was pierced by black thorns. From the parts where his skin peeled away like cracking bark, an inhuman form was revealed.
What was that thing?
Wasn’t it just like a demon?
“—Everyone!”
At that moment, the cracked “face” of Elvan, who was exposing his grotesque form, let out a voice that struck the ears of the confused humans.
“Attack this demon! That’s an order!”
Elvan’s peeling face was only half there, and his legs had also transformed into something monstrous, but the humans were shaken upon hearing the “voice” emanating from Elvan’s “face.”
Wasn’t that a demon? Had they been deceived by a demon and attacked a “human”?
However, those who heard Elvan’s “voice” and “saw” Elvan’s form could only perceive him as Elvan, even if he was a demon.
Unaware that this was the inherent characteristic of a “Doppelganger,” some of the bewildered individuals, despite thinking it wasn’t Elvan, ended up believing his words.
“…Ugh, uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”
One of the Temple Knights, one of the nobles’ private soldiers, driven by a terror welling up from within, lunged forward.
Demons mislead perception and guide psychology. Those who charged had, until moments ago, stood on the side of “justice,” guided by the collective euphoria of fighting alongside the Crown Prince to slay the demon, and had tried to strike down Karla without a shred of doubt.
But now, even as they realized “that was wrong,” they were psychologically guided into thinking, “if we don’t obey the Crown Prince here, we will become evil,” and, driven by fear, they once again turned their swords on Karla.
“You do amusing things, don’t you?”
But that was only possible because their hearts wavered. Karla, possessing a spirit far removed from that of a young girl, gave a faint smile at the sight of such people and, while rising from the rubble, unleashed her magic.
“—【Digvolt】—”
The electric shock, while pulverizing the corpses of the nobles still lying there, struck down the approaching knights and soldiers.
“Uoooooooooooooooooooooooh!”
However, even as their entire bodies were scorched by the lightning, several Temple Knights who broke through it closed in on Karla, their faces on the verge of tears.
Unable to admit that they, Temple Knights serving God, had been deceived by a demon, and perhaps thinking that if Karla disappeared, their own sins would also vanish—these knights, psychologically manipulated by such regret and guilt, threw themselves at Karla, risking their lives.
Due to their tenacity, the black thorns loosened slightly. In that instant, the thing that was Elvan, having slipped out of the thorns, gathered an immense amount of mana in its mouth, which gaped open wide enough to tear to its ears.
“Well done! —You humans.”
The mana unleashed from its mouth became pure destructive power, assaulting Karla. The mana turned into flames, incinerating the area. Seeing Karla disappear into the inferno, those present didn’t cheer, but let out sighs of relief, tinged with fear.
Indeed, obeying the Crown Prince’s words had been the right thing to do. A young lady like that, so demonic, couldn’t possibly be human. Therefore, surely, Elvan appearing like a demon must also be a mistake—they tried to convince themselves.
But—
“Wha—”
In that instant, the raging flames suddenly lunged at Elvan like a serpent, scorching half of his body as he dodged at the last second.
And from within the flames, Karla emerged, holding up the charred corpses of two Temple Knights like a shield. Only the mouth of the thorns that covered her entire body without a gap turned into a crimson crescent moon.
“…Ugh… Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
At that sight, the nobles’ private soldiers, momentarily jolted back to their senses, fled with their faces contorted in terror.
“We… are…”
The rational Temple Knights who couldn’t bring themselves to charge recognized the truth and fell to their knees. As Karla took a step forward, the flames enveloping her seemed to swallow and incinerate them.
“Damn yooooooooouuuuuuu!”
The thing that was Elvan shrieked as it soared into the air, and Karla leaped up as if to pursue it.
Elvan swung an arm of its half-body, which had already turned into black mist, and a shockwave of mana swept away the roofs of nearby noble houses.
“—【Rock Blast】—”
Karla’s Level 5 Earth Magic met it head-on. Several rocks, their trajectories altered, pulverized the noble houses behind Elvan.
The two flew through the skies of the Royal Capital, needlessly spreading the ravages of war. Under the night sky, powerful mana clashed, blowing away numerous houses and sending people fleeing in panic.
Karla’s magic struck Elvan, and Elvan’s mana struck Karla. But in this exchange, remaining unscathed was impossible. While Elvan might manage, Karla, with her low stamina, should have been on the verge of death from even a single blow.
“Aha…”
Yet, Karla did not fall. Spitting blood from the corner of her mouth, her white face now free of the black thorns, she clashed head-on.
In a magic battle, the one with more mana wins; if mana values are equal, the one with higher skill wins.
Even so, despite possessing the infinite mana of 【Soul Thorn】, the output of a human soul is limited. With the demon’s mana and Karla’s skill, the two appeared evenly matched at first glance, but the fragile Karla should still have been at a disadvantage.
So, why was Karla fighting head-on?
The fleeing people watched the battle between “Crown Prince Elvan and the Thorn Witch,” filled with fear and despair. They were confused, unable to change their perception of why the monstrous figure looked like the Crown Prince.
But amidst the clashes, that perception was gradually beginning to crumble.
The moment Karla’s magic destroyed the body that was Elvan, and the last remaining piece of Elvan’s cracked “face” peeled off, the people’s eyes flew open as if waking from a dream.
“…Ah… It’s a demon, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
【Faceless Devil】【Race: Greater Demon】【Difficulty Rank 6】
【Mana Value: 3420/4185】
【Total Combat Power: 3838/4603】300 down
The people, seeing a Greater Demon for the first time, were overcome with terror. They fled indiscriminately, whether into collapsing houses or into flames, spreading the damage further, and Karla gave a thin, cold laugh at the sight.
Karla’s goal was to instill guilt in the populace. For that reason, she had shown herself fighting openly, without hiding. Anyone who had, even once during this battle, thought Karla was evil could no longer doubt.
With this, neither the Holy Church nor the factions trying to remove Karla from her position as queen consort would be able to make a move. If they did, the guilt-ridden populace would become their enemy.
“…Damn you!”
The demon, which had gained power through a simple contract—deceiving humans and being invited by them—lost strength when its true form was exposed to humans.
Still, the demon could not retreat. To retreat twice from a human it had once withdrawn from and sworn to kill could weaken its very existence.
The Faceless Devil contorted its face, trying to create a new “visage.”
In a magic battle, the one with more power wins; if mana values are equal, the one with higher skill wins… but that premise had just now crumbled.
Dark clouds completely obscured the moon in the night sky. With the swirling clouds in the heavens at her back, Karla pointed a fingertip at the Faceless Devil.
【Karla Lester (Count’s Daughter)】【Race: Human ♀】【Rank 5】
【Mana Value: 218/630】40 Up 【Stamina Value: 3/48】4 down
【Strength: 7 (9)】【Durability: 3 (4)】【Agility: 14 (18)】【Dexterity: 10】【Martial Arts Lv.3】
【Light Magic Lv.4】【Dark Magic Lv.4】【Water Magic Lv.5】1 Up 【Fire Magic Lv.5】
【Wind Magic Lv.5】1 Up 【Earth Magic Lv.5】1 Up 【Non-Attribute Magic Lv.5】
【Utility Magic x6】【Mana Control Lv.5】【Intimidation Lv.5】【Detection Lv.2】
【Abnormal Status Resistance Lv.2】【Poison Resistance Lv.3】
【Simple Appraisal】
【Total Combat Power: 1827 (Special Combat Power: 5239)】116 Up
【Divine Protection (Gift): Soul Thorn Exchange/Life Time】
“—【Thunderstorm】—”
“————————————————!?”
This time, bolts of lightning, unleashed with her full power, rained down from the heavens, and the Faceless Devil, struck through along with the surrounding cityscape, let out a shriek.
『――Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!』
But, without being destroyed, the Faceless Devil that had escaped from the storm-charged sky fled in a certain direction.
“I wonder where it’s going.”
Karla once again pointed her fingertips towards its back. However, spotting something in that direction, Karla, while realizing its intentions, quietly lowered her hand.
She had no hesitation in burning that “insect.” Yet, Karla thought that role was not hers, and she laughed gleefully, blood trickling from her mouth.
“…I’ll leave it for you. Fufu.”
Karla murmured this to the one girl she acknowledged, then quietly turned her back.
The more threats plaguing the kingdom, the better.
So that one day, she could create the ultimate stage for a battle to the death with that girl—
“That would be more enjoyable, wouldn’t it?”
＊＊＊
『――――』
The Faceless Devil had been weakened by breaking its vow. However, in the place it was heading, a final means to overturn that remained.
Nasanitar, the devil’s pseudo-contractor—that human, mediated by the dungeon spirit, was a contractor but not its master. It had merely acted according to his wishes, all to tear away every last shred of his soul.
Even if he was now just a being lying in the temple, with only a sliver of life and soul remaining after having his blood, lifespan, hopes, and dreams whittled away by three high-ranking devils, devouring him should restore the devil’s power.
However, in front of the temple under construction, the Faceless Devil saw those who should not have been there.
“Ready arms!!”
Prince Amor, clad in armor, raised his voice high, and the elites of the Second Order of Knights, Amor’s faction, readied their anti-devil spears.
Two places over from him, a listless Elvan with a deathly pale face grimaced, and the “Saintess,” smiling as if sandwiched between the two, swung down her raised hand.
“Divine judgment upon the devil!”
With that voice, attack magic was unleashed from the priests arrayed before her, striking the Faceless Devil, which had frozen for an instant as if stiffened. The next moment, it was pierced by the knights’ spears, which utilized light Magic Stones.
The Faceless Devil, an aged individual, had no intention of losing to a mere hundred humans, even if it couldn’t win right now.
But the body that should have moved for that purpose stiffened, and as the Faceless Devil turned its gaze there, it saw the “white-haired maid” stationed behind the girl called Saintess sneering, and knew this was a trap.
『――You fiend――』
At that moment, attack magic was unleashed again, piercing the Faceless Devil.
Devils are not allies, even to their own kind. All beings other than oneself are “prey,” and that devil, having obtained a new contractor, betrayed their pact to monopolize Nasanitar’s soul and to make the Faceless Devil its prey.
—Kaka—
The Faceless Devil laughed as if in self-mockery at the end, then vanished, turning into black dust.
Confirming this, Amor looked back at the two. Saintess Licia, who nodded quietly, took the hand of Elvan, still pale-faced, and stepped forward before everyone.
“The devil has been vanquished! Blessings of victory upon Elvan-sama!”
At those words, cheers erupted from the priests and the Order of Knights, and voices praising the Saintess and the Crown Prince echoed through the Royal Capital at night.
“Now, El-sama, please respond to everyone. As the next ‘King’.”
“…Ah, yes.”
Elvan nodded at Licia’s words and responded by raising his hand with a strained smile.
Since when did it become like this?
Where did I go wrong?
Was this scene what I had sought?
These people who fanatically support me, who can do nothing but be swept along, unable to grow—what are they seeking?
The one who crossed Elvan’s mind, consumed by such thoughts, was not the girl before him whose hand he had taken seeking healing and salvation, but the red-haired girl who had always looked at him with such sadness.
I must say, it turned out rather strange.
I feel like something’s missing, so here’s a supplement.
The Faceless Devil’s thought induction had its range amplified due to the Incubus’s involvement. Because of that, the confusion was greater than during the castle incident.
Next time, perhaps it’s about time for Elvan and Clara’s story…