Chapter 44: Who will be the Demon King and who will be the Prince?
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Aura rejected him instantly, without a trace of hesitation, leaving Ash stunned for a long moment. Placing his hand on his forehead, he thought it over before lowering his gaze:
"I mean..."
"What's the matter?" Aura replied, resting her chin on one hand, her gaze lazy and entirely bored.
"Even if you're going to refuse, couldn't you be a bit polite about it? You remember everything else I teach you, so how come you forgot the concept of 'euphemism'?"
"That's nonsense. Why should I act like those hypocritical humans? I'm a demon, after all."
"Right... I distinctly remember mentioning something about kissing feet and all that nonsense..."
"—That's the essence."
"Ah... alright, fine, let's leave it there for now... we'll revisit it later..."
Her unexpectedly serious and resolute response made Ash's mouth twitch slightly. He took a deep breath, barely holding back his desire to retort.
Then, as if exhaling all his frustration, he took a long breath and finally calmed down. "Aura, I think you misunderstand. I don't expect you to help me for nothing. Even among siblings, debts should be settled properly, right?"
"Besides, we're not actually related."
"...Don't ruin the mood with that kind of talk right now."
"Oh? Now you're here, asking for help and trying to talk about feelings? Have you forgotten how you treated me before?"
"Trying to appeal to the rebel kid with love?"
"Sorry, I didn't catch that." Aura's malicious smile deepened. "Ash, would you mind repeating that?"
"Alright... I admit my faults as the older brother. Please forgive any offense. Just give me another chance—I want to be a good brother this time."
"You're saying that while sitting on my throne?"
Aware that Ash needed something from her, Aura looked at him, a slight smirk as she gestured toward the throne's armrest beneath him.
"Ahem..." He cleared his throat, then stood up, smiling softly. "Better?"
"Dear idiot, how exactly do you plan on being a good brother?"
"Well..." He paused, slightly taken aback, then used his sleeve to wipe the part of the throne he'd just touched. "Like this?"
"I didn't ask for a cleaning job—I asked for an apology."
"I'm sorry. I'll be gentler next time."
"Next time?!"
"No, no, just kidding..." He chuckled as he wiped the already clean surface, then took a step back with a grin. "So, Aura, my dear sister, what do you think of my proposal?"
"Terrible."
"...Will you pledge your loyalty to the Demon King?"
"As if. Do you even know who I am?"
"So..."
"—Are you out of your mind? That guy—the Demon King—has ruled for over a thousand years. He must be at least two thousand years old, likely dating back to the mythological era. He's a monster among monsters. To someone like him, we who are merely a few hundred years old are nothing more than babies. And you want to challenge him for the throne?"
Aura's expression turned toward him, concern in her gaze, as though she were on the verge of asking outright: Are you an idiot? If you are, don't drag me into your doom.
"True, technically speaking, but..."
"But what?"
"I'm preparing for the day the Demon King dies."
"...Are you serious? Is there even anyone who can take down someone like that?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" He met her skeptical gaze with a rare, unwavering seriousness.
Aura stared at him for a long time before he suddenly leaned back on the throne, tilted his head, and raised the corner of his mouth, revealing his signature smile:
"If that's really the case, there's room for negotiation. But before that—shouldn't we first discuss who will be the Demon King and who will be the Prince, right?"
"Need I say more? The prince must be you."
"And why?"
"Because I'm better than you."
"Haha~ We haven't seen each other for five hundred years, and while you haven't grown taller, you've certainly grown more arrogant." Aura held her chin in one hand, crossed her legs in high spirits, and her smile immediately mixed with a spark of competitive spirit:
"Other matters can be discussed, but on this… well, it's the same as always—it should be decided by force. Any objections?"
"I have no objection. Whoever wins will be supported unconditionally. I'll even let you gather the Undead Army, so don't complain if you lose. How about that?"
"Ahh... of course!"
"...But before that, I have one question. What if I end up destroying too many of your undead troops? You won't be asking me for compensation, will you?"
"If you think you can, then go ahead! Today… I'll definitely avenge my past humiliations and make you kneel at my feet!"
Aura slammed a fist onto the armrest, speaking in a heroic tone filled with determination, resolved to compete with him and return every grievance she had suffered.
...
To prevent Aura from cheating if she lost, Ash naturally chose to let her assemble her troops properly.
Standing behind her army at the castle gate, Aura looked at her own leaderless army, already thinking about what she would do first after claiming victory.
In the war between the Demon King's army and humans, she had seized opportunities to gather a force of thousands of handpicked elite soldiers. With such a vast army, her victory seemed certain.
She even started to worry that winning might feel too easy, robbing her of the thrill and sense of accomplishment.
After all, defeating Ash and becoming the master had been her greatest wish for years. Thinking he'd died had almost become her deepest regret.
"But... Ash seems to have regressed. He used to be more cunning, but now... huh?"
Aura, still yawning, stopped mid-sentence.
As her undead army surged forward, Ash showed no fear in the face of overwhelming numbers.
Just as the soldiers' swords were about to reach him, he bent his knees slightly, and with an unnatural shift in gravity, every headless soldier, along with the gravel and sand on the ground within a hundred meters, floated into the air, completely immobilized.
And then, in the next moment...
BANG—!!!
With a deafening boom, the ground cracked open, dust flying in all directions, as Ash's figure disappeared from the spot and shot up into the clouds in an instant.
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SOME POWER STONES WOULD BE APPRECIATED, THANKS.