Holy City Magic Academy.
Lilith was fast asleep.
She was sleeping soundly, a bit of drool hanging from the corner of her mouth as she hugged a pillow. She was curled up under the covers, with only half her head and a mess of white hair visible.
Then, she felt someone shaking her.
“Mmph... stop it...” Lilith grumbled, rolling over and burying her face in the pillow.
But the hand kept shaking her.
And it started shaking her even harder.
Lilith was finally shaken awake and opened her eyes blearily.
“Who is it...”
She rubbed her eyes. “Wait, don't I have a single room? Why is someone in here...”
As her vision gradually cleared, she saw the person standing by the bed.
Lilith jumped in fright.
Then she sat bolt upright.
“Veen?” she asked, looking utterly dazed. “What are you doing here?”
Veen didn't answer her question directly.
He cut straight to the point: “Orosius is back.”
Lilith: “...Huh?”
She froze for two seconds before the realization hit her.
“What?!” Her voice spiked. “He’s back? So soon?!”
“Plans never keep up with changes.” Veen shrugged. “He is currently sitting on the Demon King's throne, and he specifically asked to see you.”
Lilith opened her mouth to say something, but found herself at a loss for words.
What had she been doing for the past two months?
Eating, drinking, sleeping, slacking off in class, lying flat after class, and occasionally flipping through books in the library—but she had spent most of her time being a total slacker in her dorm.
In short, she had practiced, but not much. She wasn't ready at all!
“Now?” Lilith’s voice was a bit weak. “I... I’m not ready yet...”
Veen saw her nervousness.
“Don't worry. It’s just a meeting; it might not lead to a fight.”
Lilith stared at him for three seconds.
“You’re lying. It would be a miracle if we didn't fight.”
Veen smiled and didn't deny it.
Lilith took a deep breath, climbed out of bed, and began to change her clothes.
Veen turned around.
A minute later, Lilith was ready.
“Let’s go,” she said, her voice having regained its calm.
Veen nodded and raised his hand to tear open space.
Behind the crack was the familiar hall of the Demon Realm.
He looked back at Lilith.
“Let’s go.”
Lilith took a deep breath and stepped inside.
...
Demon Realm, Demon King's Palace.
The moment Lilith stepped out of the spatial crack, she felt a suffocating pressure.
She looked up toward the center of the hall.
There, sitting upon the Demon King's throne, was a figure she had never seen before.
He just sat there, one hand propping up his chin while the other rested casually on the armrest. His dark golden vertical pupils watched her calmly.
“Ah... the Demon King has returned,” Orosius spoke first. “Welcome, welcome.”
He clapped his hands, the sound echoing through the hall with a sarcastic ring.
Lilith said nothing.
She simply stood there, looking up at Orosius on the throne, her red eyes devoid of any emotion.
Just then, a figure jumped out from the side.
It was a Rank 9 demon, and he clearly looked like trouble.
He knelt on one knee before Orosius and spoke in a booming voice:
“Lord Orosius! I have long been dissatisfied with the current Demon King, Lilith!”
He pointed at Lilith, speaking with righteous indignation:
“As a demon, she issued orders forbidding attacks on other races. It is utterly absurd! Demons should act wantonly; we should conquer everything! Such weak behavior makes her completely unworthy of being the Demon King!”
He grew more excited as he spoke, spittle flying everywhere.
“Now that you have returned, you can lead us demons to the pinnacle! I am willing to follow you, overthrow this weak and incompetent Demon King, and rebuild the glory of the demon race!”
Having finished, he looked up at Orosius with an expectant expression, as if waiting for praise.
However, the hall was silent.
Squelch.
The demon's neck loosened, and his head parted ways with his body.
He froze for a moment, instinctively reaching out to hold his head so it wouldn't fall off.
Blood gushed through his fingers. His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
He slowly turned his head to look at Lilith.
Lilith was still standing in the same spot, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple of magic lingering on her fingertips.
That slash just now had been her doing.
Orosius watched this scene, his brow furrowing slightly.
Killing his subordinate right in front of him was a major insult, but he ultimately held back.
“I was simply cleaning house as the Demon King. That’s normal, right?”
She looked at Orosius, her red pupils showing no fear.
Orosius stared at her for a few seconds before suddenly laughing.
“Interesting.” He nodded. “It seems you aren't just a pretty face.”
He stood up, his tall frame casting a massive shadow.
“I won't bully you. I seek a fair fight. I will give you time to adjust your condition.”
He held up an index finger.
“One day.”
Then, he pointed toward the sky.
“Tomorrow, we will have a decisive battle in the void. That way, this world won't be destroyed by the aftermath.”
Lilith nodded.
“Fine,” she said, her tone calm. “When the time comes, I will end you.”
Orosius sneered.
“We’ll see then what a ‘Demon King’ like you is actually made of.”
With that, he sat back down and looked at Veen.
“Show her out.”
Veen bowed slightly, took Lilith’s hand, and tore through space.
The two of them disappeared from the hall.
...
Holy City Magic Academy.
The spatial crack closed.
Lilith flopped onto her bed and let out a long breath.
Veen could feel that her hands were still trembling slightly.
“Your Majesty,” he asked softly, “are you alright?”
Lilith took a few deep breaths and shook her head.
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice a bit raspy. “I’m just... a little nervous.”
Veen looked at her with a complex expression.
“Your Majesty, you should rest today. I will take you there tomorrow.”
Lilith nodded, then shook her head.
“No,” she said. “Let’s make it the day after tomorrow.”
Veen was stunned. “The day after tomorrow?”
“Mhm.” Lilith lay back on the bed and buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled. “I’m going to stand him up tomorrow.”
Veen: “...”
He opened his mouth to say something but found himself speechless.
Standing Orosius up?
“Your Majesty,” Veen said hesitantly, “isn't that... too risky?”
“What’s risky about it?” Lilith lifted her head from the pillow. “He said one day, but he didn't say it had to be tomorrow. Is there a problem?”
Veen: “...No.”
“Then it’s settled.” Lilith rolled over, turning her back to him. “I’m going to sleep. You can go now.”
Veen stood there, looking at the figure curled into a ball on the bed, and suddenly felt like laughing.
He shook his head, and his figure slowly faded away.
Rate on N.U.
