"Hey Grim, when you told my brother -it's the one with the sharpest fangs that wins- what did you mean by that?"
Sitting in the air with the Beast Swords circling around his figure, the question Vanica asked caused him to pause his image training.
Tilting his head to side, he answered by saying-
"It's the law of the jungle."
"The law of the jungle?"
Not really knowing how to explain it, he decided to put the focus on her so that she could better understand what he meant.
"Why did you become a devil host?" He asked.
"Huh?" She was somewhat taken aback by this question. "I thought we already went over this. Everyone in my family is one."
"So? Just because everyone in your family is one it didn't mean that you had to become one too?"
"I mean... It kind of did... I'd look weird if I was the only one who didn't."
"Vanica~" He chuckled.
-Didn't take you as the type to give into peer pressure." He grinned and descended.
"Hah." She laughed. "As if, I just saw the benefits of devil power and decided that I wanted some of it to."
"And what has becoming a devil host given you?"
"Power!" She proclaimed with her chest puffed out.
"Pfft- Power?" He laughed at her use of the word. "Oh Vanica, you don't even know what real power really is. The kind of power you're talking about... its fleeting. While I don't condemn what you've done to achieve it, you've unknowingly put a limiter on yourself."
"A limiter? What do you mean?" She frowned.
Smiling at her cluelessness, he took a seat on one of his hovering beast swords.
"You have two different magic attributes right? Yours and Megicula's."
"Mmm." She nodded.
"Now, which one would you say is stronger?"
"Megicula's obviously." She answered not understanding where he was going with this.
"And why do you say that?" He smiled.
"Because she's a devil duh."
"And that makes her magic intrinsically stronger?"
"Yes?"
"Then tell me, whose magic do you think is stronger, mine or Megicula's?"
Demon Slaying Magic vs Curse-Warding Magic
Pausing for a second, she took her time to think of an answer.
"Your magic?" She said unsure of her response.
"Are you sure?"
"I... think so..."
"Nah, you're not. But if you aren't sure about that, then why are you so sure that Megicula's magic is stronger than yours?"
"C'mon that's not the same!"
"Isn't it?"
"Of course not! Your magic is designed to kill devils!"
"So? By that logic, if you were able to beat me back in the Heart Kingdom wouldn't that make you stronger than Megicula?"
"I...I don't know!"
Seeing him laugh at her, her face turned bright red as she punched his arm.
"Stop laughing at me!" She pouted.
Evading her punch and sweeping her leg out from under her, he placed his hand on her back and caught her before she could hit the floor.
"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!" She blushed.
With their faces only a couple of centimetres apart, she could feel his hot breath tickle her lips as she stared deeply into his yellow coloured eyes.
"Y'know." He started. "Out of all the women I've ever met. You rank within the top three that I wouldn't mind raising a child with."
"A-A child!!"
"Mmm." He nodded and looked down at her lips. "Though we'd have to raise them spartan style."
'A child! He wants to have a child with me!'
"T-This is moving too fast! Shouldn't we- WAIT! What do you mean top three?! Who are the other two?!"
"Oh?"
*Grins*
"Jealousy looks good on you."
"Shut up and answer the question! Who else is good enough to catch your eye?"
Annoyed that she couldn't beat him up, she had to resort to pouting and faking her anger.
Finding her anger cute, he gave her a quick peck on the lips and dropped her.
"What the hell!!"
Amused by her reaction, he sat back on his swords and waited for her to get up.
Seeing the fury on her face, the corners of his lips curved upwards.
"Stop worrying." He chuckled not taking her anger seriously. "One of them has been dead for 60 years or something. Though she did come back to life recently. As for the other one... well she's a ginger. Apparently that's a drawback in and of itself. Oh! And the dead one did lose to the ginger one in a fight and now she's dead again."
"She killed her?!"
"What? No. Though it was a close fight apparently."
Frowning at that statement, she hesitated to ask the next question.
"How… strong are they?"
"Hmm? I'd say they're both stronger than the 70% you've shown me."
Hearing that, the frown on Vanica's face deepened.
"Are they-
"Devil hosts? Nope. They achieved their power through their own hard work."
"Their names." She whispered.
"What?" He teased using his hand to cup his ear. "I'm sorry but could you repeat that? I'm a little hard of hearing."
Knowing that he was doing this on purpose, her hands clenched into fists as a vein started throbbing on her forehead.
Gritting her teeth, she asked again.
"Their names. What are they?"
"Why do you want to know?" He grinned.
"No reason." She grinned back.
"Is that so."
"Mmm." She nodded.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Hah, well it's not like I have anything to hide."
-Mereoleona Vermillion and Princia Funnybunny. That's what their names are. Do what you want with that information.
"Mereoleona… Princia…" Repeating those names a dozen or so times, the look in her eyes suddenly hardened.
"Which one is still alive?"
"Mereoleona." He grinned.
Committing the name to memory, she left the room and headed towards the library.
Watching her leave, Grim couldn't help but compare the three women.
Unlike Mereoleona and Princia who had both put in the work to become as strong as they are, Vanica took the easy route.
Megicula's magic is stronger than hers? Who decided that? Did she even try to challenge that notion? Instead of sharpening her own fangs, she allowed them to wane and grow dull. She purposefully ignored her own potential in favour of a power that wasn't even hers.
Limitation breeds creativity.
Unfortunately, by having all that devil power, she was never limited and never learned how to make the best use of her power.
A shame really.
Hopefully the threat of a competitor will be enough to push her to greater heights.
Having finished manipulating Vanica into seeking out greater ways to get stronger while the gate of the underworld was still closed. Grim decided to visit the town beneath the castle.
'Time to meet the locals.'