Nidhogg POV:
With those two still fighting, I was no idiot to assume that they'd ignore me. I just knew that I had the advantage of them not knowing about my new ability and allowing me to escape due to their ignorance. However, they might be powerful enough for it to not matter, and I'm one moment away from kneeling at their feet and kissing them.
As I was running, I felt an insane amount of power coming from one of the Demon Kings. Turning, I could see guy glowing with a violent swirling black mass of orange and black. From my insight to mana, I knew he was rapidly in taking mana and I knew the makings of a bomb when I saw one. More importantly, I was certainly within range of his attack.
I didn't want to risk using Garganta so close to them, but things definitely weren't in my favor to be making decisions like that, so I had to do what I had to. Without further hesitation, I activated Garganta to the human world.
A line appears before me, followed by a slightly annoying buzzing sound. The line separates with the buzzing turning into a sort of scream revealing a black void. My head slightly began to hurt trying to keep it open with the sheer weight of the energy contained within. Turning back, I see the female Demon King run back through her portal, confirming my suspicions that I do need to get out of here if a Demon King doesn't want to get hit by it. Turning back, I jump through the portal.
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The portal closed behind me, leaving me in a pool of nothing but darkness. I could feel as though there was a path laid out before me, leading me towards the exit. Beyond them, there was nothing but intense concentrations of mana.
My hunger couldn't take just looking at the mana around me, so I decided to test something out. I knew it was extremely dangerous for me to attempt to absorb the mana directly, but maybe I could absorb it though a secondhand source.
My mana fluctuates, as I activate Beelzebub, which releases waves of bugs fly towards the walls of mana. As soon as the bugs touch the mana, they instantly combust into little flames, most likely from mana overdose that I knew could happen to humans. The fact that it was happening to my bugs who were quite greedy when it came to consuming mana, was a testament to how potent the mana was here.
Seeing that all my bugs were destroyed, Beelzebub was cancelled, and I continued on. Unlike with Kumon, where there was a seemingly long corridor, using Garganta I was almost out of it within three steps. The buzzing sound happens again, and the portal opens once again. Stepping through it, I can tell that I'm certainly not in the human world and still in the demon realm. I sighed as I should have known that from experience, I most definitely was not going to end up somewhere I was supposed to.
I find myself in a room that's clearly a dungeon, not too different from the one I was summoned here in. The loose-fitting cobblestone floor was familiar along with the long burnt-out candles that somehow were still lit. I initially thought that I was still in the demon realm, but this was too similar to human architecture that I had to confirm it. Sure enough, the mana here was one that was uncanny to that of the demon realm. I was just in a place that was built by demons that resembled a human dungeon.
A noise behind me makes me jump, ready to defend myself. Turning, I see a huge ring of stone, radiating with orange runes. In the center was a demon that had the features of a monkey, held floating in place by orange lightning that came off the runes. His golden eyes were locked onto me, full of pity. I had missed this because I didn't sense it at all.
"Why are you looking at me like that when you're the one chained up?" I ask curiously.
"My apologies, it's just been too long since I've last had a visitor that I've forgotten how to hide my emotions." He says, bowing his head.
Hmmmmm. I couldn't confirm it because I was unable to sense mana from him, most likely due to the runes, but there was something definitely off about him. "Apologizing? Are you really a demon?"
He chuckles softly, "I should be asking you that. But never mind that, I've brought you here for a reason and we have roughly half an hour before Iros comes to this room." He explains, confirming my suspicion that he was the one guided me here. No doubt attempting to leave would result in returning here.
I briefly entertained the idea of attempting to consume him for his folly, but my instincts were telling me that any attempt to manipulate with the runes would send a signal to the creator who was no doubt Iros. While it was the first time hearing the name, I could reasonably guess that it belonged to the Demon King who had just blown-up seconds prior.
"I won't be so foolish as to compare myself to you, but at the very least, we can agree that we're....different, yes? To answer your first question, the reason I was looking at you like that was because I found it both funny and sad as to how history will always repeat itself. It's almost as if it's set in stone for these events to just loop."
If I could roll my eyes, I would. "You were saying something about getting to a point in the next 20 minutes."
He ignores me and continues, "The current four Demon Kings have been in power for almost two millennium now. Each at a point to hinder the other from ascending to the seat of Demon God. As it stands, their struggle will continue for a myriad." He now had my attention; this was good information.
"Every once in a while, there is always some demon who comes along with a powerful ability and threatens to join their ranks. I was the demon who tried before you." Yeah, I was fully invested now. I didn't dare interrupt him.
"It was when I was a mere Archdemon. I had just barely won a fight with another Archdemon over a mana crystal when another came out of nowhere. As I ran away from that fight, hiding in the ground like an insect, I begin to think. I began to ask the real questions. What makes demons so different appearance wise but have the same mentality? What causes us to have these abilities?
The more questions I had, the more nothing seemed to make sense. But one thing was clear, I was not going to find answers remaining in the demon realm. I used my ritual to teleport to the human realm, and instead of consuming everyone for their mana, I began to study them.
It didn't take long for me to learn of the existence of the church. Took even less time to find out that they abhor everything about demons. Instead of hating them back, I instead needed to know why they felt this way. Due to my uncanny resemblance to humans allowed me to blend in enough that I actually lived amongst them for years without getting discovered.
I studied them for around ten years before the church came for me. I was prepared as I was surrounded by several Deacons to die right then and there. Until a Priest stopped them. He gave me an opportunity which I immediately took. I was to turn on my fellow demons and join the church"
I do my best to hide my disgust as he says this. I'd rather die than work with those fanatics. Much less spend ten years of my time studying them. I didn't need to know why I'm killing them, just that they needed to.
"So that's what I did for twenty more years. It wasn't that hard since that's what we demons instinctually did anyway. Twenty short years until I ascended to the rank of Demon Lord. Me, who pursued the truth, gained the ability to see the truth and how to get to it.
I immediately used my ability on the church, and what I saw was more frightening than all the Demon Kings combined. It was only for the briefest of milliseconds, but I could see that the church is backed by a powerful entity that I fear not even a Demon God can contest."
Interesting. "So, just what are you suggesting?"
"Once I found out, I immediately turned against the church, but I couldn't even contest their Archbishops, much less even fight the Cardinals. So, I after so many years I returned to the demon realm, looking for a way to ascend to Demon King to begin a conquest against the church.
Of course, I expected resistance from my fellow demons, but I wouldn't stop trying to convince them to stop their pointless conflicts with each other and join me against the church. I spent years here, trying to ascend while avoiding the Demon King's influence to no avail. I could see the truth behind ascending, but the act of doing it was beyond my power.
One day, I was carrying out a way to complete a task necessary for ascension, when I mistakenly wandered into an area where Iros was residing. Refusing to become one his minions, he imprisoned me down here until I changed my mind.
It was here that I remained, with an orb that absorbed my power, keeping me from seeing what was going on outside, until minutes ago, a Demon Lord came in and took it away, leaving me here. With it gone, I could finally see everything once again, and instantly saw you."
Ah, I was beginning to paint the picture. "Let me guess, you want me to release you, help you ascend to Demon King, and join your conquest against the church?" I ask skeptically.
"Yes, it is of dire importance to both the human and demon races that you do so." He says, and I can't help but laugh as I realize he's serious.
"If what you say is true, then you no doubt saw the truth behind me." I ask him.
"Yes, you come from a world much like our own, but manaless. Maybe such a world is what we need." He says in a sad tone.
That was a test to see if he was telling the truth, and he passed. Unfortunately, he saw the wrong truth.
"Alright, no one else could have possibly known that, so I can tell that you're telling the truth. I'll set you free." I tell him causing his entire demeanor to brighten up.
"Thank you, together, we can do great things."
Ignoring him, I activate Beelzebub, sending bugs towards the stone circle keeping him in place. Sure enough, as soon as the bugs touch it, they glow red and lets off a loud honking noise as they begin consuming the mana contained within him. I urge them to hurry up as I know I definitely needed to get out of here as soon as yesterday.
Fortunately, I could feel the containment loosening, allowing him to fight against it as well. With a grunt, the demon wrestles free as the containment circle crumbles behind him.
"Hah ha! You've made the right choice. You will not regret this. Now we have a minute to escape before he gets here."
The demon walks past me, and I don't hesitate for a second. With lightning-fast speed, I reach out, putting my hand through his chest, pulling out his mana orb. My bugs return to me, replenishing my mana and invigorating me as he chokes out in pain.
"But...why?" He manages to choke out through the blood.
"What do you mean? You've seen the truth behind me. You knew this was going to happen." Knowing I barely had a second l proceeded to not waste any more time, closing my jaws around his body as I consumed him. Not even finished, I activate Garganta, jumping through the portal as his tail slides down my throat.
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Iros POV:
I blinked after my little stunt to find that I had completely destroyed my town. Even though this wasn't the capital, it was still my pride of where I held my important things. No sooner than I think that I could feel someone tampering with one of my runes deep within the earth.
Panicking, I immediately teleport down there, to find the circle completely destroyed. Besides some blood on the ground, there was nothing here. So, this was her plan. Distract me as she made off with a good side project I was working on.
I suffered too many losses today, and it's not like I could blame that unusual demon for this one. This one was on me, but rest assured, I will be getting my revenge. Without sparing another glance, I teleported back to my palace to plan my next actions.