"Are you sure you want to know? You could just beg me to protect you, and I might consider it," Calix said.
Nora gritted her teeth.
'This arrogant demon king…'
It was an enticing offer, though.
"Really?" She asked curiously. Then shook her head and patted her cheeks with her trembling hands. No. She should not let herself be swayed.
"Don't answer that. Just tell me why the demons are targeting me and you're keeping me alive." Her determination shone through in her words.
Calix thought for a moment. He had nothing to gain by telling her. Yet, when he looked at her shining pink eyes, he felt an uncomfortable pang in his chest.
"This is a story that no human knows of anymore. Do you still want to know?" He asked. This was her last warning. Nora gulped and nodded tensely.
"Long ago, in the era of the previous demon king, there was an awakened who could forge divine weapons with his flames. People called those flames as the Flames of Gehenna. Bright pink flames that could purge all evil, no matter how little. He killed the last demon king with a weapon he forged."
Nora gasped. Was he for real? Her powers were that overpowered?
"The vessel that contains that flame is just as equally precious. Every bit of flesh and bone is an elixir that could be used to enhance the powers of the demon that consume it. A mid ranking demon could easily jump to a higher grade demon with just your blood."
"What?!" She exclaimed. So the reason the demons were targeting her was to eat her? Nora shuddered. That's horrifying!
She glanced at the demon king. So the reason he hadn't killed her yet was because he was fattening her up to eat her later?
"Sir Calix," She called out hesitantly.
"Mm?"
"I eat a lot of sour and spicy unhealthy food. Salty food is my favorite."
Calix looked at her in amusement, wondering where her thoughts were going.
"What I mean to say is, I would taste very bad. Like trash." Nora indirectly told him to not eat her.
Calix wanted to tease the little lady, so he leaned forward towards her.
"But you look so appetizing." He really did mean that. He wanted to bite her plump cheeks.
Nora didn't react. She was busy thinking about something else. If her flames purified any trace of evil, why didn't it hurt the demon king? At first, she thought that her power was too weak, but Calix himself now confirmed that was not the case. Which only left one other conclusion.
She looked at Calix with shock, not knowing the dangerous thoughts swirling in his mind. Nora felt like she had stumbled upon yet another secret that she wasn't supposed to know. So she decided to forget it completely. She shouldn't really pry another person's life. Not when it has nothing to do with her.
Ah, she really was too smart for her own good. How pitiful.
A tap on Nora's forehead awakened her from the thoughts.
"What are you thinking so hard about? I am keeping you alive for you to forge me a weapon." Only at his words did she realize how close Calix's face was to hers.
Startled, Nora backed away from him. Calix frowned at that, but said nothing.
"You won't eat me?" She asked excitedly.
"I'm already the strongest person in the world. What use would you have to me as food?" He asked, laughter in his voice.
Nora let out a sigh of relief at that.
He laid down on the bed in a sultry pose, making Nora's heartbeat rise sharply.
"Why are you lying down here? Go to your own room now."
"You can leave if you want. I'll be staying in this room. Why? Are you afraid that I will eat you?" He asked, smirking. Her heart couldn't take the handsomeness coupled with that smirk, so she stood up to leave.
Calix thought she was going to his own room, so he let her be.
Nora hurried out and went to Arabella's room. The sight over there was not a welcome one. Carla was sobbing like she was the one attacked, and Arabella was trying hard to console her. Nora couldn't help but snort at the sight.
"Carla? Are you crying because you were afraid that I would die? How touching. It's okay, I'm still alive," Nora said, announcing her presence in the room. Carla immediately stopped crying and glared at her.
"It's all because you are not even a good bait! We haven't even caught the mid grade demon yet," She cried out.
"Carla. Be silent." Arabella ordered, not liking her rudeness.
"But sister she-" Carla fainted on the spot and Arabella rushed to catch her.
It was the handiwork of Nora, of course. Not able to handle her yapping any longer, she cast a weak spell to make Carla fall asleep for a few hours. Nora could only perform it on people weaker than herself.
Arabella looked at Nora with wide eyes. Nora just smiled at her.
"It's just a weak sleeping spell, Bella. I thought she wouldn't calm down anytime soon, but we would need to save our energy for the fight tomorrow," She said pitifully.
Bella nodded in understanding.
"That's true. Thank you, Nora."
At that moment, a sinister aura enshrouded the room, chills wrapping all around her body. Nora tried to step forward and catch Arabella, who tried to scream but fell down, not moving. She herself found it hard to move, as if bound by chains.
An eerie voice that sounded neither male nor female rang close to her ears.
"Did you think having that demon slayer near you would stop me?" It clasped her waist with one of its disfigured hands and grabbed her chin with the other.
It had to be said; it was quite a romantic pose if not for the fact the other person was an ugly demonic creature. Nora could feel it instinctively.
This was the mid grade demon that had escaped last time.