Black and Mask III

The air crackled with arcane energy as Noir, a creature of demonic origin, stood unscathed amidst the roaring flames blasted by Shizue. The fire's heat licked around him, yet his dark aura remained intact, a barrier impenetrable to mortal flames. His lips curled into a contemptuous sneer, eyes glinting with dark amusement.

"Your flames have no effect on me," he taunted, his voice a chilling melody of scorn.

Shizue, her silhouette stark against the inferno she commanded, met his gaze with an unwavering stare. Her eyes, once wide with hope, now narrowed into slits of steely resolve. "Yes, I see that," she responded, her tone a calm counterpoint to the chaos around them.

"A superior spirit that identifies with you," Noir mused, his grin widening. "This is a bit of a hassle, but I can deal with it. Though, I think I'll toy with you before I kill you." His words hung in the air, a sinister promise.

"You can try," Shizue retorted, her voice a whisper yet carrying the weight of an unspoken challenge.

From the crowd, a hushed voice broke the silence, tinged with reverence. "She's amazing," someone whispered in awe. "I guess that's what the power of a champion looks like."

"Be careful!" another voice shouted, a note of concern lacing the urgent plea.

Undeterred by the demon's provocations, Shizue pressed on. "Who are you, really?" she demanded, her stance poised for another onslaught.

The demon's chuckle was a low rumble, echoing the dark depths from which he hailed. "Shouldn't you be more focused on your impending death? Knowing my origins will only bring you despair. Honestly, I don't think you can handle it."

"Just give up. It doesn't matter who I am and it certainly won't help you win this fight," Noir continued, his confidence unshaken.

"That may be true," Shizue conceded, her voice steady as a drumbeat, "but regardless, I can't allow you to run free. It's far too dangerous. So be warned, I'm about to get serious."

"How fun. You'll regret underestimating me," the demon replied, his smile twisting into a grotesque mask of delight.

"It's time to end this. Infernal Flame!" Shizue roared, her voice rising above the din as she unleashed a cataclysmic wave of fire upon the demon. The ground trembled as the torrent of flames surged forward, their heat distorting the air in a visible haze.

"Seriously? That was excellent," the demon mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as thick as the smoke that billowed around them. "You're quite remarkable. I never imagined that a mere human could harness such power. It's been a long time since I felt this sort of thrill."

"You are a demon. Unbelievable. I can't believe that fire attack didn't hurt him," Shizue muttered, her expression a complex tapestry of frustration and determination.

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," the demon replied, a grimace flickering across his face. "Your flame attack did hurt, and I'm actually in a fair amount of pain. But that's what makes this fight interesting. Now then, I think it's time that we end this game."

"What? Impossible!" Noir exclaimed, his composure shattering as Shizue's mask began to glow with an otherworldly light. "That mask… time compression? No, could it be… Infinity? I get it. Your mask suppresses time. To think there's a human who can use such an item… you are very intriguing."

"On that note, I think I shall take my leave for the time being," the demon said, his sinister smile returning as he prepared his departure. In a blink, he vanished into the ether, leaving Shizue and the onlookers in stunned silence, their hearts still racing from the intense confrontation.

.

.

.

Somewhere near the castle of Filtwood.

Noir, having just finished a duel with Shizu, materialized in the presence of the other demon, Satan, who had been summoned alongside him.

"That mask you encountered is quite remarkable," observed the demon with genuine interest.

"It is indeed remarkable," Noir agreed. "To think that an artifact capable of transcending time has found its way here."

"It must be quite beneficial for your research, good thing for you…" the demon remarked.

Noir chuckled softly. "Am I detecting a hint of sarcasm, Satan?"

"Not at all," Satan replied, his tone neutral.

Noir's laughter echoed again, this time more subdued.

"By the way, I'm entrusting that impulsive red demon to your care," Satan mentioned casually.

"Impulsive? Could you elaborate?" Noir inquired, his request tinged with mock curiosity.

"You know exactly what I mean," Satan responded.

Noir's chuckle was low and knowing.

"Satan continued, "He's made a good start, earning a name among the masses and creating a legend. He's been discerning in his consumption of humans, and over the past century, he's likely realized the varying magical qualities among them, seeking out those of higher caliber."

Noir nodded thoughtfully. "He might be trying to break away from Rouge's overbearing control, especially regarding his descendants."

"His strategy would be sound if it didn't draw so much attention," Satan pointed out.

"True, he remains a dependent, nonetheless," Noir concurred.

"As for me, this is where we part ways. I plan to retire and leave the underworld behind for good," Satan declared.

Noir sighed dramatically. "Ah, the bittersweet pang of a parent when their cherished child leaves the nest with a partner…"

"Since when did you become my parent? And shouldn't it be a son leaving?" Satan retorted.

"I've looked after you, and now that you're grown, you're leaving your old folks behind," Noir lamented.

"When did sending legions of demons to battle me count as parental care? And when did you become my family?" Satan questioned.

"You are my kin, and we are indeed family. I thought you understood that," Noir said, a hint of warmth in his voice.

"How often has that magic of yours gone awry, resulting in my hand exploding?" Satan recalled with a hint of exasperation.

"Such trivial matters… Demons recover, as you well know. And thanks to those incidents, your resilience is quite remarkable," Noir said, his laughter carrying a note of pride.

Satan's voice was resolute, "Right… I'm leaving right now, bye." And with those final words, he vanished

"Wai—" Noir's voice trailed off, his words catching in the place where Satan once stood.

A sigh escaped Noir, a mix of disappointment and amusement. "Ah, he left," he said to himself, a smirk playing on his lips. He had hoped for a few more moments of banter, a few more jabs to exchange.

"He does harbor some resentment towards me," Noir murmured under his breath, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Yet, there was a hint of respect and proudness in his tone, an acknowledgment of the knowledge of magic in Satan's earlier words.

"What he said about the mask… it will indeed propel my void magic to new heights," Noir mused, his amusement evident. The potential of such power was a thrilling prospect.

"Kufufufu," Noir's laugh echoed, rich and full of intrigue. "Another of my kin has ascended in power," he noted, pride lacing his voice.

He pondered the rarity of one reincarnated as a demon, an individual of many names, each carrying its own weight and history. "Fascinating," he whispered to himself.

Noir's gaze then shifted, settling on the majestic Filtwood royal castle in the distance. "It's time to honor the contract," he declared, even though the terms were not fully met. Noir then set forth to fulfill his end of the bargain, his figure disappearing as he moved to uphold his word.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, Shizu pondered the battle she had fought earlier. "We're lucky he decided to withdraw. There's no doubt he was holding back during our fight."

"Request? But who would employ such a powerful demon?" she wondered aloud, her mind racing.

"This is bad. Demon Lord Leon once told me about demons known as the progenitors. These demons are rather unorthodox, so they can be quite troublesome. Instead of a name, they're referred to by their signature color. The red progenitor is known as Rouge, the white progenitor Blanc, and the black progenitor is called Noir."

"Black... Noir. It couldn't be. What reason would he have to come here?"

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in," she called.

"Excuse me, His Majesty would like an audience with you. Would you please accompany me?" said a man who looked like a royal knight.

"Of course," Shizu agreed.

"You were truly magnificent in that fight earlier. I can't believe the demon turned tail," the knight said as they walked.

"I was fortunate that he did. In truth, I might not have survived otherwise," Shizu answered.

"There's no need to be modest. While it is a shame he managed to escape, we still have you here, and that's very reassuring," the knight commented.

Underground? Isn't this where the demon remains? I don't think I saw him in the reception hall. So, exactly how did he learn about my fight with the demon earlier? Shizu thought to herself.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Shizu. As king, I'm grateful that you would offer your life for this nation. That's a very grand gesture," the man in the king's outfit said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Shizu was confused.

"My, you're slow to catch on, aren't you? You must be feeling utterly exhausted after fighting that demon. That's why it would be prudent to sacrifice you now before you can recover," the man sneered.

"I see, this was all a conspiracy," Shizu said, her tone filled with concern and caution.

"Now you get it. Feel free to call me Orthos, as in the imperial knight who was hailed as a champion," the knight revealed himself to be the demon.

"That makes sense. You were never sealed away at all, were you? You were a demon and an enemy of mankind," Shizu concluded.

"What's more, I'm also the current ruler of this land," Orthos boldly stated.

"Your plan was to gather the best adventurers and eliminate them, passing them off as demons. Then you, a true demon, would gain more power. It would seem that the kingdom of Filwood is ruled by a horde of demons, and the king is nothing more than a puppet," Shizu said, catching onto the demon's plan.

"I watched your fight earlier through the minister's eyes. While the demon you fought was powerful, he ended up being a disappointment. Your mask, though, now that intrigues me. It seems to be very valuable, which means I should like to own it. I will drink your blood, devour your flesh, and ultimately, I shall make your power my own. Doesn't that sound nice?" Orthos said, his tone dripping with arrogance.

"Don't make me laugh," Shizu prepared to fight.

"Oh, please. Without your magic at full strength, you're practically helpless. You fool, you can't possibly win," Orthos laughed.

"This would have been better if I had a chance to prepare, but I have no choice," Shizu said, taking a battle stance.

"Well, it seems you have some strength left. If you can injure me, then you must be even stronger than the Silver Wings. So, you were the one," Orthos said happily, relishing the challenge.

"Yes, indeed. Though they both escaped before I could finish them off. For you, I shall make things much more difficult," Orthos continued.

"Did you know there are a few different ranks among the demon race? I'm the legendary class, which you would call a greater demon general, also known as an archdemon. Do you understand now? As a man-made hero, the voices of this nation's people are what give me power, and that power is what afforded me a name, thus allowing me to become a named being on my own terms. Exactly like that Supreme Being who reigns at the top," Orthos proudly revealed his identity.

"Wait, what?" Shizu was astounded; a named demon would be even more difficult to handle.

"It's nothing a human like you needs to worry about," Orthos said, smiling.

The demon then struck Shizu powerfully, blasting her away. She quickly regained her footing.

"This is pathetic. And here I thought you were supposed to be an almighty champion. A pity. You should have let Ifrit out to play for a bit, even though all it would really do is prolong your death," Orthos sneered.

I'm out of magic, but Ifrit still has some strength left. If I let it rampage, it should be enough to defeat even an archdemon, Shizu thought as a last resort.

"Giving up so soon? If you're strong enough to do me harm, then it would be disappointing for you to die at the hands of this weakling," a mysterious voice suddenly said.

"It's you!" Shizu exclaimed, recognizing the voice as Noir's.

"It's my policy to always keep my promises," Noir said, throwing the head of the royal guard to the puppet king.

"The night captain? How?" the minister was flabbergasted.

"Our knights are renowned for their unrivaled abilities," said the fake king.

"I'd hardly call their abilities unrivaled. Lesser demons aren't that strong. Then again, it's apparent that you and I have vastly different standards when it comes to power," Noir dismissed the claim.

"You may be a powerful demon, but there's no way you are a match for the three of us. After the Conqueror of Flames, you're next. Just you wait and see," Orthos underestimated the being in front of him.

In a flash, Noir's claws stabbed through Orthos' body.

"Impossible! But how?" Orthos said, confused and refusing to accept reality.

"We have the protection of the greater demon general himself," shouted the false king and the minister.

"That's enough of your squealing, pig. I didn't think that he had actually left the castle grounds, but I never expected he'd be hunting the demons in disguise," Noir said, decapitating both the false king and his minister with one slash.

"Don't get cocky because you killed my puppets. It'll take more than that to defeat an archdemon," Orthos proclaimed, powering up.

"A lower demon like you could never possibly—" Orthos was cut off as Noir choked him by the neck.

"Who's the lower demon, exactly? For a dependent of red, you're quite overconfident. That's why you can't judge how powerful your opponents are," Noir said calmly yet creepily.

"No! Impossible! You can't do this. Please, my lord!" Orthos pleaded for his life.

"You have disgraced yourself by aligning with these lower lifeforms. You don't deserve to live anymore. I think I shall destroy your soul. That way, there's no possibility of you ever being revived," Noir simply stated.

"No!" Orthos's very being was destroyed, completely eradicating the demon.

After that, all the demons in the kingdom of Filwood were purged. The deaths of the king and minister were proclaimed to be the work of a demon named Black, and the records indicated that Shizu was the champion who destroyed the demon.

"Now, as long as you keep your story straight, it will save me the trouble of having to come after you in the future," Noir said to Shizu.

.

.

.

The Next Morning,

"What was the deal with that demon named Black anyway?"

"I think we're better off not knowing. If you say so. It's like people always say: ignorance is a blessing or whatever, right?"

"Well, I'm heading in this direction. Take care of yourself, Shizue."

"I will. Until we meet again."

"Well, then, perhaps one day someone will be able to handle that demon better than I did."