Tales of the Old World Demon Lord

Chapter 22– Demon Lord vs. Demon Lord

[Eternum Calendar 1971]

The lineage of ‘Fallon’, the one closely guarded secret that even Morgant himself had not known the answer to. Yet here stood a person of questionable origin that knew his secret? Though Morgant wasn’t the type of person who liked to let his emotions reflect on the surface, for this one time he had grimaced. ‘One step behind…’ he mentally noted down the disparity of the situation.

Witnessing his confused and uncomfortable expression was all Enrich required to understand each of their positions. Cold reading was as much a specialty of his as it was Morgant’s, and with it he knew he held the upper hand. A widened smile chuckling behind his façade, seeing the mysterious boy pinned down to the ground without any recourse, Enrich thought that it would take nothing short of a miracle to turn the situation around. If such a thing was even possible then even for him it would be hard to call this boy a ‘human’.

‘How does he know? No… they won’t tell me, not when they don’t have to’, Morgant tried to calmly assess the situation as he continued putting up a struggle against the robed figure on top of him. He knew that they wouldn’t talk because given the chance he would have done the exact same thing. There were very few situations where giving vital information for free to an opponent would ever be considered a logical move. The only times such were the case was when that information was either a lie, for leverage, deception or bait. He needed answers but there was no way to get it from this state; what was necessary was a way to equalize the playing field.

Morgant changed his focus, just a little to the left was another robed figure, much taller and more menacing. Covered in that shadowy cloak it was as though the darkness itself was backing Enrich, if such was the case then it was no wonder why Enrich was feeling so confident in himself. ‘Morgant was not the type of person to let his emotions reflect’… however there was one exception to that, it was when he could finally see the sliver of his own victory. This shadowy figure, this was exactly what was necessary, an equalizer.

‘If I don’t have any playable cards in my hand then all I have to do is steal theirs’, he was convinced of a way to turn everything around. Since there were no visual indications to when he used the [analysis] ability, all it took was a direct line of sight then he could do it as covertly as he wanted.

Enrich [Title: Emissary of Vertloch]

Age - 24

Race - Human

Threat Level - 147 (Low)

Affinity - Ice Element

Condition - Normal

Ailments - None

External Effects - None

His status had not changed since the last time, which was a good thing because it served as confirmation that this was in fact the genuine article. Since they knew about his identity it could only be fair that he was to know theirs. Focusing up his vision upon the idle shadowed figure he activated his ‘analysis’ ability once again. ‘Then let me peer into your true identity…’

Erendel De Signa [Title: Former Demon Lord]

Age - 267

Race - Incubus

Threat Level - 1457 (Highly Dangerous)

Affinity - Composite Element

Condition - Normal

Ailments - None

External Effects - Demon Lord's Blessing (Enhance Magic)

“Eh…”

Morgant let out involuntarily.

At this initial revelation all Morgant could do was lay still as he tried to comprehend exactly what kind of big fish he’s met. ‘Former Demon Lord, 1457, Demon Lord’s Blessing, Enhanced Magic… That surname… could it be Astaroth’s?’ Thanks to his naturally level headed nature and his [Enhanced Kinetic Vision] allowing him to process information faster he was able to come to grips with the reality of things quickly. The conclusion he had arrived at was that this person was most likely related to Astaroth, there was no doubt, if he had to be more specific it was possibly her father or something to that effect.

Just simply uncovering this person’s identity created more questions than answers, however this was exactly the step he needed in the right direction. It no longer mattered that Morgant was still technically behind in terms of the distribution of information, all he had to do now was ‘convince’ the other party that they didn’t have such an overwhelming advantage. Through Sovereign’s memory integration his acting talents had considerably improved, but not only that, he even got the chance to play his favorite kind of role; a villain. It was time to see if the Demon Lord himself could be outdone at his own game.

Lowering his head he sneered once more at the thought as he whispered to himself in the old world tongue.

“[Fortuna smile upon me… I’ve stumbled upon a worthwhile prey. Kukuku~]”

Seeing the former discomfort on his face disappear was not what Enrich had intended to pan out.

“What exactly is it that you find so hilarious about this situation?”

Cold sweat ran down his back, though Enrich didn't understand what Morgant had whispered to himself the fact that he was laughing wasn't a good sign. Doubts that he would've ordinarily filtered as a bluff started to occupy more and more of his minds. 'Could he be planning something? There's no way from that position...'

“Heh… what is it that’s so hilarious? If only you knew, which you definitely do not. Yet that is exactly what I find so humorous about it; aside from a few minute details surrounding the circumstances of my birth you know nothing else about me. By your own admission I was a ‘mysterious boy at the orphanage’, in other words an unknown. Despite that you continue to assume that I’m all out of hands to play… do you not find this funny?”

Enrich sighed as he stood up to give himself room from Morgant. Wryly scoffing at him he shook his head as he wrote him off.

“Perhaps if the situation had been slightly different I may have some inclination to believe those words. The kind of person you are, I know very well because I too am similar. However it is exactly because of that similarity I can understand your thought processes… A ‘bluff’, I would use the same tactics given the chance. The truth is simply that you really are out of cards to play.”

He wasn’t particularly wrong about that aspect; Morgant himself could feel that he and Enrich shared many of the same qualities. As Enrich had said, given the situation Morgant would’ve most likely done the same thing, however the difference came not from a dichotomy of ideals or nature but through experience. It was true the Enrich was much older than Morgant but just like that Sovereign had much greater insight than Enrich.

“You’re… not wrong but you are off. If you wish to continue believing in that then by all means; it only makes my job easier. However let me enlighten you about one thing, that is the ‘unknown’. It is both a very potent ally as it is an extremely dangerous force, so take that into account and I suggest you decide your next actions carefully.”

Like love struck lovers the two stared long and hard towards each other. Lost in contest, everything else in the background faded into nothing else as the moment seemed to drag onto infinity. They fought, not through violence or strength but with words and deception. That being said, out of the two, it was Morgant who had the considerably more relaxed expression and in truth it was him who was starting overturn the argument.

Enrich gazed down from a superior position and whispered with a cold smile.

"Is that so? Then you may try."

It was a tempting offer, not to mention it was one that Morgant couldn’t possibly refuse. There would be no way for him to regain a foothold of the conversation if he broke the fragile momentum of the conversation. He needed the impetus of this situation to proceed to the next step, which was to break free of their hold on him. Against an opponent with a threat rating of 1457 it was impossible or at the very least unlikely to emerge victorious; all variables had to be taken in cautiously.

The biggest obstacle in the way was the robed figure that continued to pin him down with their monstrous strength. Exploiting the properties of his own Enhanced Kinetic Vision’s ability to perceive time slower, he ran several simulations in his mind to see if there were any ways to overcome this hurdle. In a split second he was able to come up with numerous different methods however the real problem was what happened afterwards.

If the Demon Lord in hiding decided he wanted to join into the fray then all bets were off. Morgant needed to figure out a way to incapacitate all three opponents in a single move, if that was even possible. Time was also not on his side and every second wasted on thinking meant losing more and more control of the conversation. Once they ceased taking him seriously getting information out of them would only become that much harder. First impressions were very important after all and he couldn’t afford to mess this up.

Tilting his head to the left the unconscious body of Yvonne could be seen slumped over against a tree. With that all of the pieces fell into place as though one large puzzle had just completed itself. Morgant flashed a grin, one that chilled even Enrich to the bone.

“Kyah?!”

The hooded figure atop of Morgant shouted as they temporarily lost their grip on him. A sword had flown right towards them without warning, but it served as enough of a distraction to have the figure relinquish even a bit of their strength. Morgant had flung Yvonne’s sword towards his suppressor with his telekinesis, though his initial thoughts was that she would deflect it and not recoil away. In either case it was equally as effect so there were no complaints.

“[Overload].”

Morgant whispered to himself the name of another skill he had been hiding.

“[The use of the skill – ‘Overload’ is ill-advised. Do you wish to continue?]”

A computerized voice sounded from his head, speaking the words of the old world. He had heard this voice before when he was constructing the Gigandoll Power Frame with Ren. It was the voice of a limited assistance program installed onto the Gigandoll Power Frame. Its main role was to advice Morgant on the use of his equipment and abilities.

“[Do it!]”

Morgant shouted as everything seemed to come to a pause, although not really. The truth of the matter was that his mind’s processing abilities had been granted an extra boost as seconds turned into minutes. That being said, while his body also received a significant boost in terms of strength and speed it was not up to the level of his mental processing.

His body felt as though it were made of lead; there was a considerable amount of lag as his body tried to keep up with the orders being sent out by his brain. Still he was able to perfectly execute what he wanted to, if only due to the fact that his mental processes gave him enough time to manually think over every movement.

After successfully getting up from this prior position he turned around to see the aftermath. The hood of the robed figure flung open to reveal a timid looking pink haired girl that seemed strangely familiar. Her large, almost teary red eyes looking back at him with the fervor of an abandoned puppy, though it was not enough to penetrate his level headed nature.

Lilith De Signa [Title: Demon Lord’s Progeny]

Age - 27

Race - Succubus

Threat Level - 394 (Low)

Affinity - Close Combat Mastery

Condition - Normal

Ailments - None

External Effects - Demon Lord's Blessing (Enhance Strength)

Morgant grinned what he saw, ‘family of Demon Lords, how cute’. What emerged was a young woman of the demon race, a Succubus to be more precise. With small bat like wings, a thin black tail and two small horns to the side of her face, and though she were wearing a robe, considering what Astaroth wore Morgant could only consider what kind of gaudy clothes she had underneath. Though the most eye catching part was not any of her demonic race traits but with what was attached to her chest, or rather her chest itself. They almost appeared like they wanted to burst out at any moment.

For a second he wondered why her threat level was only 394; considering her monstrous strength that number ought to have been higher. However in retrospection he was quickly able to deduce that ‘threat levels’ were not a reading of an opponent’s power but an indication of how much difficulty Morgant would have dealing with them.

‘Female, timid, enhanced strength; insecure, self conscious… valuable hostage’. His plan was to take her hostage from the get-go but her attributes and characteristics only made it that much easier. Using his psychokinesis Morgant summoned more stone rubble sharpened to make a stone bullet and pointed several of them towards his former captive, ‘Lilith De Signa’.

With that it was over. As he had set out to do, all three of the opponents were incapacitated in a single move. If they moved he’d go in for the kill on Lilith, and though the ensuing combat with the former Demon Lord would not be easy, it would at least be better handled than if all three had ganged up on him.

Morgant shot an extremely arrogant scoff towards Enrich as if to say ‘See? I tried’. It took Enrich a few seconds longer for him to register what had just happened but once he did his face had turned blue from a lack of oxygen. He had held his breath at what Morgant just accomplished, unable to even find the words to counter.

In an uneasy tone Enrich suggested to Morgant.

“Wait, stand down Morgant; you’re making a huge mistake. You don’t understand who exactly you’re dealing with, so stand down and we’ll explain everything to you.”

But to those words Morgant could only find endless joy. An admission of defeat from the man, who had skillfully planned out everything up to the point of pinning Morgant to the floor, but fell short. Of course in truth, despite what had all happened, he understood that they weren’t exactly the enemy here. He had understood the instant he had registered Erendel’s and Lilith’s surnames, what was actually happening was a test, of which Morgant had considered himself to have passed with flying colors.

Yet he wasn’t done yet, this was still only the orientation stage. They didn’t understand who they were really trying to test when they had set up this entire farce and it was Morgant’s job to show them exactly who. With a callous giggle, Morgant answered Enrich’s proposal.

“Hoh~ I don’t understand? Funny, because that’s not the way I see it. I believe I understand exactly who I’m dealing with, right? Lord Erendel De Signa.”

The winds of the forest stopped. Time itself appeared to have stopped. The rustling of leaves, the sound of insects, everything, had stopped. A pressure unlike anything exerted, not from anyone else but from Morgant. He turned his smiling gaze towards the shadowed figure; now that Enrich was defeated it was time for the next round.

The situation had been completely overturned. Back to step one, but from different starting points.

“You…”

The large shadowed figure of the Demon Lord stepped forward and gazed down at the boy who showed no signs of fear. A seven year old’s gaze contesting the Demon Lord’s, suffice to say it was not a very common sight.

“If I were to say, Lord Erendel De Signa, I think that it’s you guys who doesn’t get just who you’re dealing with. ‘Information’ is the name of the game here. It doesn’t matter how much power you possess, as long as I have more insight than you then nothing else matters. I will always find a way to win… Just like…”

Morgant trailed off as the air between the two became even more hostile to anybody that weren’t them. Both Erendel’s and Morgant’s eyes shifted to the side, towards Yvonne’s unconscious body. In the blink of an eye she stood up, her eyes glowing deathly red as the vampiric blood of her lineage coursed violently through her veins.

She howled a blood curdling sound as she dashed towards Morgant with speeds greatly surpassing her performance from before. Morgant barely had time to register it, if it had not been for his currently ‘overloaded’ state it may have even been impossible.

However she had stopped, just a few inches off Morgant’s face with her claws. Or rather Morgant had stopped her with ‘telekinesis’. Manipulating solid and inanimate objects were simple, however it was an entirely different story when it came to living beings. Since there were so many moving parts both in and outside to take into consideration it was almost impossible, of course unless ‘overload’ was used.

Even then a considerable strain could be noted in Morgant’s face as sweat dripped past his face. Once more Erendel’s and Morgant’s eyes met.

“Yes just like that. See? I could stop her because I knew you’d do that… And I also know you didn’t come here to fight… so I can… let my guard down now… Information really is… key.”

Blood started to pour out slowly from his nose, his ears and his eyes. The aftereffects of using ‘overload’ were now starting to take a toll on his body. Unable to support himself any further Morgant fell to the floor an almost passed out. He was somehow able to hold onto a small sliver of his consciousness, enough so that he didn’t fully become unconscious.

All of his powers were now deactivated and even his other commands such as [status], [analyze] or [inventory] refused to pop up. The stones slowly but menacingly rotating around Lilith had also ceased functioning and fell to the ground harmlessly. Seeing that she was no longer in danger Erendel also relinquished his control over Yvonne as she too fell on top of Morgant, squashing him down with her heavy armor.

Behind the shadowed robe a small but satisfied smile could be seen on Erendel’s face.

“Hmph… its seems that my daughter has chosen a rather odd man.”