Chapter 15 – Big Demon

In a time where demons dominated the other races, the son of their king was born.

A private room outside was filled with a hundred shadows that flitted from side to side restlessly, next to a man with white horns. The darkness was concentrated in a point that was rotating at an extraordinary speed. It compacted into a tiny point in the center that released a destructive air current.

A baby emerged from it, with two small black horns and red eyes. He sobbed and his body released reddish shadows. The man in large reddish clothing crouched down and rolled chains around him, with which he stopped expelling them. Standing, he raised his hands in an air of grandeur and exclaimed superiorly:

"Demon! There is no more suitable name for the future king! You who have been born of my power and who will surpass my greatness, remember these words in blood and soul! Whoa whoa whoa!"

It was the first thing the newborn heard and it resonated in the room.

"Your existence will make the earth shake! The humans will acknowledge defeat, the terotos will kneel before your presence, and the elves will envy your destructive power! As if you were a calamity, you will plunge them into despair: you will devour what we know and make this world, born of madness, reborn!" He lowered his hands melancholy. "You will achieve what I couldn't finish. Even if destiny doesn't want it, it is something we must fulfill… No!! You will definitely execute it! The day you are willing to give up your life, you must release the chains."

⸎

In a forest near a stone brick school, someone was beaten.

A pair of seven-year-old demon children were harassing another of their race; the defenseless man protected his face from the blows, and they took advantage of that to hit him in the abdomen. He had a simple white horn on the left side of him:

"Stop! Let me go!" he begged, crying.

Demon, who was the same age, was resting on top of a tree, reading a book. He raised his arm forward and two shadows of the body came into contact with the air and, like hoops, he trapped both bullies. He raised his hand and they floated away from the boy.

He was a prodigy who did not want to go to school: he was unfriendly and his aura brimmed with greatness; even so, both adults and children recognized his potential. Those his age did not control shadows, so they feared him, and his black horns set him apart from the rest.

Both children were paralyzed when they saw him. From the look, Demon seemed bothered; after pushing them away, he released them and they rose from the ground.

"Too much noise, let me concentrate."

Hearing his arrogant voice, they instinctively knelt down.

"Demon… We were just training…" one excused.

"That's true?" he asked the one who received the beating, but he remained silent. "What do you think if I train on you?" He threatened with an evil smile.

"Sorry, we're busy; class starts, l-we're leaving!" They left overwhelmed.

The child, worried, was still on the ground; his long dark hair covered half of his face.

"If you don't want to be bothered, stay close to me. I don't want you to ruin the mood again," Demon offered reluctantly; he nodded silently.

⸎

After a week, they often met. Demon spent his time climbing the tree with the same book, and the weak-looking child sat under it.

"…What do you read?" He asked scared, respecting Demon.

"I don't know," he answered without giving it importance.

"Why?"

"I don't understand anything." he raised her head to look at Demon between leaves. "No matter how hard I try, I can't understand a word." The boy opened his eyes wide and laughed, hiding his laughter with the palm of his hand. "What makes you so funny?" He asked annoyed.

"To think that the next leader can't read is so strange that I couldn't help it!"

"Are you making fun of me?" he reached out and levitated him up to he.

"No, I just found it curious."

"Besides, I don't plan to be! Why on earth would he continue the old man's work!? And, if that were not enough, he spends it in bed! I am strong, I will create my future, I will do whatever I want! Isn't it the same for the rest?" Still annoyed, he let him go and continued with the book.

He reflected on what he told him, even though he wasn't strong, he liked the idea of ​​creating his future.

"Do you want to read it that much? Do you want me to teach you?" he proposed to him.

"Can you do that?" Demon asked with an ego of superiority.

"Well… you'll have to do your part," he encouraged with a smile.

⸎

"And then, the brave sea warriors regained their territory. But the casualties they suffered that day would never be forgotten" Demon finished reading.

"You've made it! From not knowing anything to this in just a few weeks is surprising!"

"In the end it wasn't that big of a deal, I could do it with my eyes closed." Her ego was excessive; although extraordinary, the boy considered him foolish.

⸎

At the age of ten they polished their combat and survival skills. They specialized in manipulating their shadows and even moving between them, also to limit the movements of their prey; the most experienced used it as a double-edged sword.

The schools prepared them physically and mentally for coming conflicts.

"Demon, can you help me train?"

"Of course, I was starting to get bored; although being you I don't think you'll even touch me," he boasted, closing a book; from the tree, a shadow devoured him and appeared in front of him.

"Then I will win if I touch you." They smiled from the excitement of such a challenge.

After a gust of wind, they began the confrontation; Demon raised his hand sending shadows into the air that enclosed the boy in a ball.

"Won't you tell me we're done?" he asked mockingly, breaking the bubble.

Behind him, silently, a shadow rose.

"I didn't expect more from you! Catch you!" he turned with an evil laugh and redirected her shadow, trapping the one behind her as if he had anticipated it.

After that action, someone touched him on the shoulder from behind.

"I knew you would fall into my trap."

"Eh," he stammered as if he had made himself look like an idiot.

"Against another it would work, but I compensate for my weakness by strategy. You have to anticipate your rival to have at least a chance to win."

"Ah! Curse! I don't like to think!" he ruffled her stressed hair with both hands.

The boy put on a smile that turned melancholic.

⸎

At twelve years old, Demon lost his father, but it didn't seem to affect him.

His care was left to servants, and his future was already decided by his father from the age of twenty.

His arrogance made friendships impossible for him, the only one he could consider one was that weak-looking young man.

⸎

"I don't understand what you see in her, I wouldn't be with someone like her." As always, he was superb; they were both fourteen years old.

"It's something I can't explain in words… I like it…"

"I see," he replied arrogantly without seeming to care; he, who was born different, seemed to lack sexual attraction to others.

⸎

At the age of sixteen, he found the boy crying where they always met.

He approached her and asked her what was wrong.

⸎

On a medieval street, Demon was arguing with a couple:

"How dare you! Apologize or I'll kill you!" He rioted furiously, prostrating them with his shadow.

The thirty people around instinctively knelt when they heard him. Among them the young man approached to stop him, he was the only one whose voice stopped imposing on him.

"That's enough Demon, it's not worth wasting time on them!…"

⸎

That same night they went to a tavern and drank alcohol (one of the most popular, tasty and healthy of their race) to vent their sorrows.

"I will never offer my time to a woman again *hic*. Starting today I will invest it in a position to be close to you, when you are our leader I will support you: we will dominate the world so that our racial differences will end once and for all and, in that way, we will finally be free!" The young man was drunk after several drinks; Demon was sane:

"According to what I heard, in terms of military tactics, espionage and reconnaissance, you are the most outstanding; I would feel safe by your side," he mentioned with ego and to calm him down.

"Demon… If I were a woman, I would have fallen in love with you." he laughed and approached him to clumsily hug him.

"Hey! Stop! Don't even think about vomiting on me!"

The young man admired him and knew him more than anyone, he knew the goodness that his actions hid.

"I really hated her… Even though you helped me behind my back…" he revealed, on the verge of crying.

Although he was not interested in love, it helped him match him with the person he liked.

"What are you saying? It was just a coincidence, I was killing my time," he replied arrogantly.

The young man walked away melancholy.

"Hey, Demon, have you ever noticed?"

"Don't tell me more, are you going to say another idiotic thing?" he advanced with ego, taking a sip.

The boy laughed half-heartedly:

"I consider you my only and best friend, it is as if destiny had brought us together. If we put our names together, Big Demon would be formed; you are more powerful but more idiotic than me; however, with my intelligence I will raise you to be the best of all."

"Are you insulting me or praising me!? And in any case my name would go first!"

"What are you saying!? Demon Big is meaningless!" He reproached threateningly, grabbing the collar of his shirt.

They both looked at each other with contempt and, after a few seconds, they laughed.

⸎

At the age of twenty he was promoted to leader. Next to him, three more demons who would be his right hand: among them, Big as the strategist.

He didn't know how he ended up there, he was upset that he hadn't been able to escape that fate.

⸎

Since his promotion, a couple of years have passed.

Big won the admiration of many for his intelligence and for the role he played in the war as a spy. He even had a female group of fans, but he didn't give them importance, he only cared about the leader and his friend.

"My lord, there is another dispute in the stone territory, we should push with all our troops or we will suffer too many casualties," reported the messenger kneeling in front of the Demon throne.

Big, thinking while standing in an elegant outfit, put his hand near his lip.

"Let's do that, it shouldn't be a problem."

"It would be easier if it were me, it would be over in a jiffy," Demon suggested; Big sighed:

"We can't risk losing our leader…" he protested as if he had said something idiotic.

"You can withdraw," he ordered, arrogant and tired of not intervening in any conflict.

The messenger did not get up from the ground.

"Anything else?" Big asked at his reaction.

"Yes…, a strange rumor has appeared…"

"What type?"

"The word is spreading that the elves will create a terrifying monster that will exterminate us… A red-horned creature more fearsome than a crazed Zomic."

"I'll keep it in mind. That was all?"

The messenger nodded:

"What should we do about it?…"

Big remained reflecting, looking askance at his friend.

"Ignore it, there is a possibility that it is a farce."

"Received."

The messenger left and Big continued to think about it.

"What if it is not?" Demon questioned.

"I should investigate, I will leave this afternoon."

"And why not send someone else?"

"Do you forget that we have sent everyone? The other commanders direct the battle from within; besides, I'm the only spy who takes his job seriously." he sighed tiredly. "I'll be back in less than a week."

"We should wait for this dispute to end and send them towards the elves."

"We cannot send them exhausted to another, it would be the end of us if they attacked us. If the rumor ends up being false, we would be in dispute and defenseless against them and other possible attacks. The other countries think that we have a large army, so they have not dedicated themselves to making a move; Apart from the fact that the elves would not gain anything by killing a demon, they would provoke a war that does not suit them."

"But going alone is risky."

"And you say that? After what you caused last time… And on the contrary, it will be easier to investigate incognito. Besides, nothing has ever happened to me, right?"

"Do what you want." Demon was always proud of himself and trusted him.

"I will return with what is necessary. And don't even think about intervening on your own!" he left the room, leaving Demon with the few guards they had.

⸎

A week passed and the dispute with the neighboring country ended.

One of the guards entered the throne agitated and knelt.

"My lord, at the entrance there was a message from the elves…" he reported terrified.

"Keep talking."

"They have declared war; next to the message was the corpse of the strategist Gran…"

"Impossible! Take me to his body!" Her eardrums screeched, he didn't believe what he heard.

They went to some crypts and stood in front of a cloth that covered the corpse.

"Here, my lord…"

"Go out and don't allow anyone to enter." he lifted the cloth when guards left; her limbs and head were separated from her torso as if he had been brutally torn off.

Nauseated, he covered his mouth with both hands; he felt upset, he couldn't accept reality.

…What was our last conversation? Why didn't I tell you to be careful? Why did I have to tell him that? How did you end up like this?…

It was natural for him to always be by her side.

He shouted furiously, it was heard in the vicinity, and the listeners knelt; he felt dizzy and put a hand to his head.

…Wait… What was Big like? Was he insecure? Was he shy? Was he cheerful? Was he crying?

An unbearable pain took over his forehead, he fell to the ground clutching his head.

…How was he?…

His head was about to explode, his memories with Big were becoming more and more confusing, and, enraged, he roared.

…I… Who am I?…

⸎

Sitting on the throne, the commanders awaited his orders:

"What should we do with the declaration of war?"

…What would you respond and how?…

"Annihilate the elves," he ordered timidly.

"My lord…, that is crazy…"

"Who do you think you talk to!?"

The commander who was kneeling in front of him lowered his head unable to reply. They knew that he had gone crazy, but they were obliged to obey him.

"Understood…"

…If he were next to me: "We can't lose you, don't go." Would he say something like that? Should he wait sitting here until it's all over?…

⸎

It was close to midnight. With her clenched fist resting on her cheek, she read her first book.

"My lord, our army… was annihilated by a single unit…" reported a messenger who rushed in as if he had seen the unimaginable.

Outside the castle there were rumblings and cries of agony, one of the guards entered:

"My lord, the elves have teleported the monster in front of our castle!"

"Interesting. Evacuate the survivors and move away from the city. I'll take care of him," he replied arrogantly and with a touch of shyness.

"Yes my lord!" A shadow rose over both of them and they disappeared.

…Man, I never thought I would release these things… Big, will you be witnessing me?

As he freed himself from them, the sounds of suffering and breaking glass came closer and closer. Her body expelled reddish bubbles that released shadows of the same color.

Behind the door, the monster roared; His shout broke the lanterns in the room one by one, leaving it in darkness; he cut the door and entered.

"Finally we meet… Were you looking for me? Let me introduce myself. I am Big Demon! Tell me your name, I will need it for the pedestal on which I will place your head."

The humanoid-looking creature roared; in that immense darkness, their reddish horns in the shape of cat ears and radiant golden precious stones at the tip of both tails stood out.

"Good name, perfect for a monster like you."

With one lunge, it approached him and, with incredible speed, extended its tail towards his head.

Demon, without moving a muscle, moved some reddish shadows at the same speed, stopping them in the air plus half of his body, leaving him motionless.

"You have finished? Lower your head, monster!" he exclaimed with unmatched arrogance.

He backed away in an act of kneeling before it, but it didn't work against the creature.

Demon moved his head back to dodge; from his left, in a shadow, his remaining tail sliced ​​through his nose and hit his right horn, breaking it in half.

Despite showing no signs of intelligence, it sent one tail as bait to attack head-on, and hid the other behind the body, submerging it in the shadow and attacking by surprise.

"Go dead!" he swore angrily; he pointed her arm at him, sending two reddish shadows that looked like spears: one pierced her left arm, causing her to bleed and roar like what she was. He raised her arm to the same height as his chest, and several reddish shadows cornered the creature.

In the act of avoiding Demon's next actions, and having half his body immobilized, he moved his tails with difficulty on the ground to crawl and enter the shadows.

"Are you planning to hide!?"

The reddish shadows, as if it were the ground itself, lifted Demon up; he raised his hand to the ceiling and countless shadows gathered, enclosing themselves in a blood-colored bubble.

From the shadows it struck its bubble with its tails, but it could not scratch it and they were repelled.

"I'm going to destroy everything! Behold my best attack, creature!"

…With this ability, I may even destroy the world; It doesn't matter… I will make you pay for your crimes, no matter what price I have to pay.

The monster raised and increased the intensity of the light from its tails with an unmatched power that would blind anyone for several minutes.

"It's useless, even if you make the shadows in this room disappear, my shadows won't do it, they snatch and are generated from my vitality, you can't do anything to me!"

Demon's thoughts slowed the offensive as he remembered his friend.

And at that moment, the monster's tails crossed his chest from behind; he expelled blood from her mouth and glanced behind him with difficulty.

"Haha… I thought you were a monster…, but that's too short… Damn!" He uttered angrily with his last breath; he moved her hand towards him and was shocked when he saw that his own shadow did not respond to him.

The monster entered its bubble like a normal shadow and roared. To finish, he broke it in half and controlled the bubble by breaking it into pieces.