Chapter 109 - Defy

"Ughh..." A loud groan escaped Belial as he stirred awake. Grogginess clouded his vision, and he blinked against the murky haze, finding himself on the dirt ground in a shadowy alley. Buildings loomed around him, their silhouettes oppressive in the dim light.

Turning his head, he noticed Mirias lying nearby, also beginning to stir. Her horns were visible, a sharp reminder of their shared demonic nature.

Without hesitation, he concentrated, masking his demonic features as he scanned the surroundings cautiously.

His eyes landed on Van, seated against the alley wall.

"Y-YOU!" Belial shouted, jolting upright. The sudden movement sent him stumbling as disorientation gripped him. He tripped and fell, cursing under his breath.

"F-FUCK. YOU BASTARD!!" he spat, struggling to his feet, swaying slightly as he regained his balance.

"Oh, you're awake? I'm relieved," Van said, his expression utterly deadpan, though he forced a semblance of concern onto his face.

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME! WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!" Belial snarled, his voice a growl as Mirias began to wake, groaning softly.

"I've been wondering the same thing," Van replied, his tone flat as iron, his face unreadable. "It took everything I had to drag you two out of there before I passed out myself."

"W-what the...?" Belial muttered, his confusion deepening as fragmented memories clawed their way to the surface.

He vaguely recalled Van saying something, the world plunging into darkness—and then, nothing but fainting.

"NO, FUCK THAT," he growled, pointing a trembling finger at Van. "I clearly remember YOU asking me something—something that made me faint!"

"Odd," Van said, his voice calm, detached. "I remember the same about you. Then the vision faded, and I found you both on the ground." His iron face betrayed no hint of emotion, his words carefully measured.

"M-mass..." Mirias murmured, her soft voice drawing both men's attention. "H-hypnosis, maybe...? But... no hypnosis humans have could ever affect someone like Lord Belial..."

"MIRIAS!" Belial barked, causing her to stiffen. "Quick, what do you remember before fainting?! I ain't buying this bullshit—I know what I saw!"

"I... I don't remember much... except... maybe..."

Van tensed as Mirias began to recount her fragmented memory.

"I remember seeing your back, Lord Belial. And then... darkness. Like the whole world was consumed by a dark fire."

"... Just me?" Belial asked, his voice quieter now, but still sharp with suspicion.

"Y-yes," she nodded. "I suppose I saw what this man saw—just from a different perspective," she added, gesturing toward Van.

A heavy silence fell between them, punctuated only by the faint sounds of the alley. Belial finally sighed deeply, dropping to the ground with a loud thud, his knees pulled up as he rested trembling fingers on them. A frown marred his face.

"Shit... scared the shit out of me," he muttered. Van caught the tremor in his hands, his gaze narrowing.

'Guess I really went overboard. Dumbass,' Van berated himself, his thoughts bitter. 'Only Magus could've had harem skills. Almost hurt your wife's relative over some stupid fear.'

Belial's voice broke the silence, trembling with something unreadable. "THIS... IS... SO..."

Van leaned forward slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

"FUCKING AWESOME!" Belial roared, his head snapping up abruptly. His expression was alight with enthusiasm, a broad, almost childlike grin spreading across his face.

"What...?" Van blinked, tilting his head in disbelief at the sudden shift. Belial's smile trembled with excitement, his energy almost infectious.

"The longer I stay in this place, the more I don't wanna leave. This place FUCKING ROCKS! First, everyone actually spat at me and cussed me out, and now someone so strong they actually made me faint?! OH FUCK, I WANNA FIGHT HIM SO BAAAD!!!" Belial giggled, rocking back and forth with unrestrained enthusiasm.

'Huh. To think demons sucking up to him hurt him this badly… Now he finds joy in all this?' Van thought, observing him closely.

'I guess he's more of a demon than Alicia—itching for a fight, hungry for a challenge. Add that to being deprived of any real opposition because of his lineage, and you get someone like him, huh...?'

"AND YOU!" Belial suddenly yelled, snapping Van out of his thoughts. His finger shot out, pointing directly at him.

"Me?" Van asked, startled.

"YEAH, YOU FUCKER. DON'T THINK I DIDN'T NOTICE!" Belial growled as he shot to his feet, towering over Van with an intense, almost manic energy.

'Damn it. Did he see through me after all?' Van thought, feeling his chest tighten.

"THE FACT THAT YOU FAINTED AFTER ME AND MIRIAS… YOU BASTARD, YOU MUST BE HELLA STRONG, HUH?! ADD THAT TO THE DWARVEN SHIT YOU'VE GOT ON YOUR ASS, YOU MUST BE SOME HOTSHOT, HUH!?" Belial's growling enthusiasm only seemed to escalate, his grin wide and unrelenting.

"A-ah..." Van stuttered, thrown off by Belial's sudden burst of energy.

"Since ya know I'm a demon, I'mma tell you my real name. It's BELIAL. What's your name?!" Belial finally asked, his gaze drilling into Van.

'Guess introductions are due.' Van exhaled, allowing himself to relax.

"Van. Van Hellix," he replied, offering a soft smile as he met Belial's piercing gaze.

"Holy shit..." Belial blurted out without hesitation.

"N-no way... It... It's him?!" Mirias stammered, her disbelief evident.

'I guess they know she's married to me. Is that why they came here, I wonder?' Van thought, gauging their expressions carefully.

"DUDE!!!" Belial shouted enthusiastically as he darted to Van's side. Without warning, he threw an arm around Van's shoulders and pulled him close, aggressively ruffling his hair with his fist.

"YOU'RE MY BROTHER-IN-LAW! FUCKING SHIT!!! YOU ACTUALLY GOT THAT STUCK-UP-BUT-CUTE COUSIN OF MINE TO MARRY YOU?! DUDDDEEE!!!" Belial cried out, his manic laughter echoing through the alley.

"Ah, haha..." Van chuckled awkwardly, deliberately leaning into Belial's rough treatment to avoid revealing anything about his strength.

'He and Alicia are polar opposites. One gets enraged easily, the other gets excited just as quickly... Cousins, huh?'

"So you're Alicia's cousin?" Van asked casually, enduring the hair-ruffling.

'ALICIA!? T-To call the Demon Lord by her first name…! Such audacity… even if they're married...!!' Mirias thought, alarmed. 'Such informality should be reserved for family only! This... this ought to anger Lord Belial...!!'

"YEAH, BROTHER—I'M A-L-I-C-I-A-'S COUSIN!!! YOU HEAR THAT, MIRIAS?!" Belial shouted gleefully, his horns gleaming as they appeared in his excitement.

'Ah?'

"THAT BASTARD HAS THE GUTS TO CALL THAT SCARY DEMONESS BY HER NAME! AHAHAHAHAHA! I GUESS WE'RE BROTHERS NOW, HUH?! SORRY ABOUT MY BEHAVIOR EARLIER—YOU'RE GONNA GET A FUCKTON OF THAT IN THE FUTURE, LITTLE BITCH!" Belial cackled, his enthusiasm infectious.

Mirias sighed deeply. 'I guess it doesn't bother Lord Belial…'

"Oh, and since we're gonna be so close..." Belial said suddenly, his tone shifting as he locked eyes with Van. His face was alight with excitement, but there was an edge to his expression.

"Fight me. I wanna see the color of yer blood, bitch. While you're my brother now, you called my cousin so casually... I wanna see if you're worthy of that." His voice dropped to a low growl, his excitement brimming with challenge.

"You can't refuse."

A chuckle tugged at Van's lips, though he managed to stifle it, leaving only an amused smirk as he met Belial's gaze evenly.

'... He's just adorable, isn't he?' Van thought, his eyes briefly flickering with amusement.

"Sure," he said, standing and squaring up to face Belial.

'What…?! NOW?!' Mirias thought, her worry evident as she glanced between them.

"But later," Van continued, his tone calm. Mirias exhaled in relief.

"... What...?" Belial growled, his smirk shifting into a grimace, his eyes narrowing in frustration.

"I ain't taking that shit. Come and fight me. I don't care if we have to walk five days to a secret location—we're fighting fucking now."

"No," Van replied firmly, turning slightly. "I've got things to do first."

'I need to let Ami know I'm alive. And talk to the girls—tell them everything. I won't run from it anymore. I already decided,' Van thought as he stepped toward the alley's exit.

"You weakling FUCK. Then I ain't accepting you as my brother," Belial spat, his voice sharp and cutting as Van's back remained turned.

Van paused mid-step but didn't look back.

"You're stepping on tradition now," Belial snapped, his tone growing harsher. "Walking away from a fight offer from a demon? That's my fucking limit here."

'Tradition? Since when did Lord Belial care about that—?' Mirias wondered, confusion and unease swirling in her mind.

"If you walk away now," Belial interrupted her thoughts, his tone venomous, "I ain't ever seeing you as someone worthy of her. Even if you come crawling later. You hear me, you little shit?!"

Van let out a deep sigh, his head turning briefly to meet Belial's gaze. His eyes burned with intensity.

"Luckily," Van said, his voice steady but sharp, "I only care a little bit about what you think." He squared his shoulders, locking eyes with Belial.

"I will be with her. She will be my woman—whether you approve or not. I've got things to do before I satisfy your curiosity, things that are just as important to me as fighting me is to you." His words carried a quiet strength.

"What's that...?" Belial growled, his expression unreadable, his tone a low rumble.

"If you can't accept that," Van continued, his voice unwavering,

"then I won't accept you either."

With that, he turned forward again, walking out of the alley without another glance.

A heavy silence settled between Mirias and Belial, who remained rooted in place, his eyes still fixed on the alley's exit.

"Such… audacity!" Mirias hissed, her fist trembling with rage. "Lord Belial, if you wish, I could contact everyone—this… this act of insolence shall not go unpuni—"

"Shut up, Mirias," Belial muttered, his voice low but commanding.

"... My Lord?" Mirias asked, dumbfounded, her voice tinged with confusion as she stared at his back, seeking an answer.

"That fucker passed my test," Belial said, his tone brimming with satisfaction. Mirias tilted her head in confusion, stepping around to face him.

What she saw made her pause—a broad smile spread across his face.

"My cousin's worth more than just some shitty customs and our religion. She needs someone who can defy even me. If he couldn't even do that, then he's just another tool, like the rest of you fucks," he spat, his words laced with conviction.

"..!" Mirias's eyes widened as understanding dawned on her.

'I see. That's why Lord Belial brought up the demons' fighting tradition, despite never caring about it in the slightest. It was a test of his resolve,' she thought, her gaze shifting to Van's retreating figure.

'Van Hellix, huh?'

"HEYYY!!! YOU CRAZY FUCKWAD!" Belial suddenly roared, striding after Van with his usual brashness. "WAIT THE FUCK UP! WHERE WE GOIN', THEN?!"

He called out, his voice booming, while Mirias sighed yet again, reluctantly following after him.