The Beast of Chaos
Ruko wiped the blood from his mouth while forcing himself back onto his feet. His ribs screamed in pain from the earlier beating Devilness gave him, and every breath felt heavier than the last. "Yeah…" he muttered while staring at her. "I'm definitely in a losing disadvantage." Devilness rolled her shoulders casually before sitting against one of the broken throne pillars. "Oh really? Is it over already? What a waste of time. Here I thought you would be strong enough to tear us to shreds, but it was a flaw on my part." Ruko coughed up blood onto the cracked floor. "Oh yeah? Why did you even come up with a statement like that? I don't even understand what you talking about." "Hm?" Devilness tilted her head slightly before smiling. "Oh, that statement? It because you aren't ordinary… just like me." The moment she said those words, a strange pressure washed over the throne room. Cold. Ancient. Heavy. Sweat slowly rolled down Ruko's face. For the first time since entering the castle… his instincts were screaming at him to stay alert. Devilness crossed her legs calmly. "So Ruko… who do you think gonna win? Your brother… or mine?" Ruko blinked from the sudden change in topic. Without warning, Devilness snapped her fingers. Create Earth. Stone rose from the floor before shaping itself into two chairs.
Ruko stared at them in surprise. "Please take a seat," she said casually. "I won't bite. Ever since I heard you destroyed many demons and fought three Devil King Generals, I started getting interested in knowing you." Ruko slowly sat down while holding his side in pain. "Okay… but why wanna know me? I'm just some ordinary character." Devilness looked offended. "Did you get a screw loose in your brain? I already told you we aren't ordinary." She leaned back into her chair. "Anyway, back to the conversation. Who do you think gonna win?" Ruko stayed quiet for a few seconds. He could tell something immediately. She had chances to kill him already. Multiple. Yet she didn't. That alone bothered him more than the fight itself. "Well… idk the outcome," Ruko admitted. "But Kazuma probably trying to trick the Devil King somehow." Devilness snorted. "And it probably fail halfway." Ruko smirked slightly. "True. But my brother have good creative with high luck, so the fight probably become some chaotic cat-and-mouse game." "Hah. Fair enough." Silence filled the throne room afterward.
The distant sound of explosions echoed faintly outside the castle. Then Ruko suddenly spoke again. "Devilness… can I ask two or three questions?" "Sure. This fight pointless anyway." Ruko scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Can I know your real name instead of calling you Devilness? That name sound kinda cliché." She froze slightly. That… genuinely surprised her. Then slowly, for the first time, her expression softened. "Ahem… my name is Kyouka Yasaka." She folded her arms proudly. "Known to devils as graceful, cold, refined, and deadly." Silence. Absolute silence. Kyouka slowly opened one eye. "…Why aren't you saying anything?" "Ahem." Ruko coughed awkwardly. "Well… your name describes you. Kinda." Kyouka looked away slightly embarrassed. "And your brother last name Yasaka too?" "Well I don't care whether he pronounce it Kyōichi Yasaka or Yasaka Kyōichi. Same shit." Ruko nodded slowly. "Okay then… second question." "What is it?" "How does the Devil King keep you hidden?"
The atmosphere instantly changed. Kyouka's smile vanished. "Don't pry into things that aren't your business." Ruko immediately felt the tension. "…Right." But something inside his mind suddenly clicked. Lumy. Fragments of an old memory resurfaced. (Lumy: it was a higher demon who killed my parents.) (Lumy: But the higher demon? Is stronger than the leader of demons and monsters?) His eyes slowly widened. The leader of demons… The Devil King. Then the higher demon Lumy feared… Ruko slowly looked toward Kyouka. "…It was her." Gulp. Ruko whispered softly. "Lumy… do you remember her?" The moment that name escaped his mouth—Kyouka disappeared. BOOM. Her hand grabbed Ruko's collar instantly and slammed him against the wall. The throne room cracked. "WHERE IS SHE?!" The pressure exploded violently. Ruko's pupils shrank. Sweat poured down his face. "Why should I care to tell you?!" Core Alloy activated instantly. Metal spread across his arms before forming twin daggers. CLANG.
He broke her grip and jumped backward. Kyouka's eyes narrowed toward the glowing core in his palm. "Ruko. Give her to me. Or else." "What're you yapping about? Why the hell would I hand Lumy over to you?" He lowered into a dagger stance again. Kyouka's face darkened. "You fucking prick. You have no idea what you got yourself into." She stepped forward—Then suddenly—A blinding white light exploded between them. BOOOOOOM. Something gigantic crashed into the throne room hard enough to send both Ruko and Kyouka flying backward several meters. Dust exploded everywhere. The castle shook violently. Ruko slowly looked up—and his entire body froze. A gigantic white beast stood before them. Its fur looked almost holy. Its crimson eyes glowed like blood moons. Its fangs were large enough to tear mithril apart like paper. Every breath from the creature distorted the air itself. Ruko instinctively stepped backward. Even Kyouka's face turned pale. "…Jah Blesto." The beast slowly raised its head. Then—HOOOOOOOOWL.
The sound shattered windows across the castle. Cracks spread through the throne room. Outside the castle, adventurers, Crimson Demons, Axis Cultists, and demons alike all stopped moving from the sheer pressure of the howl. Far away inside the collapsing dungeon—Kazuma and the Devil King froze. "What the hell was that?!" Kazuma shouted. The Devil King's face lost all color. "No… no it can't be…" "Why the hell are YOU scared?!" "…Jah Blesto…" That moment of distraction was all Kazuma needed. His eyes sharpened instantly. "Well well… seems the Devil King got distracted by something stronger than our fight." Kazuma raised the manatite. "It your loss." The Devil King's eyes widened. "KAZUMA SATOU—" "EXPLOSION!" BOOOOOOOOOOOOM. The dungeon collapsed completely. Back in the throne room, Jah Blesto slowly approached Kyouka. She trembled slightly before remembering her brother's words. (It doesn't matter how powerful your opponent is. Stand your ground.) Kyouka steadied herself. "I'm not scared of you… dog."
She carefully reached out. The beast lowered its head. It didn't attack. Kyouka's eyes widened. Then she smiled happily while petting its fur. "Ohohoho… so you on my side." Jah Blesto slowly turned toward Ruko. Growl. Ruko's instincts screamed danger. "Kyouka…" he muttered carefully. "What the hell IS that thing?" She grinned. "It means you about to die." "What kinda cult bullshit answer is that?" Kyouka ignored him. "How about this instead? Join my side. Become my husband-slave… or just slave." Silence. "…What the bumbo–rasclat yah chat bout?" "Get it through your thick head. You might survive better with me than how your old world treated you." The moment she mentioned his old world—Everything changed. Ruko's face lost all expression. The air around him became cold. Even Kyouka felt chills run down her spine. "…Take it back." "Hm? Can't hear you." Ruko slowly clapped his hands together. Softly. Almost no sound. "Yew." [Yew: Finisher / First Stand activated.]
The atmosphere warped. Ruko slowly raised his head. "Kyouka, you sonuva bitch… I said take it back." Kyouka's instincts screamed danger. "Jah Blesto!" The giant beast charged instantly. Ruko raised one arm upward— Then swung it down. [Half-Out Release activated.] BOOOOOOM. A violent burst of energy exploded from his body. Jah Blesto got blasted backward several feet. Shock crossed Kyouka's face. "Yew activate phonk." [Yew: activated phonk — India Dernière.] The phonk exploded throughout the throne room. Heavy beats. Aggressive rhythm. The fight resumed instantly. Beat. Ruko dashed forward using Haste. Beat. Kyouka formed black spears from darkness magic. Beat. Ruko slid beneath them with Slide Slash, cutting upward with twin daggers. CLANG. Kyouka blocked using a black-bladed sword formed from mana. Their weapons collided repeatedly in sync with the music.
Ruko kicked off a pillar—Wind Breath redirected his movement midair—Triple Attack. Three consecutive sword strikes forced Kyouka backward. "Ohhhh now THIS more like it!" Kyouka laughed while firing cursed black lightning. Ruko immediately cast Reflect. The lightning curved away and destroyed part of the ceiling instead. Jah Blesto lunged from the side. Ruko switched weapons instantly. Core Alloy reshaped into spear and shield. CRASH. The beast's jaws slammed into the shield hard enough to shatter nearby stone. Ruko gritted his teeth. "THIS DAMN DOGGY HEAVY!" He used Power Slash directly into Jah Blesto's jaw. The impact pushed the beast back slightly—but not a single scratch appeared. Kyouka appeared behind him instantly. Two-Handed Sword. SLASH. Blood exploded from Ruko's shoulder. He countered with Freeze Gust. Icy wind exploded outward. Kyouka dodged gracefully while smiling.
"You really ARE stronger than my brother." Ruko used Blasting Magic point-blank. BOOOOM. Smoke exploded everywhere. Then—Kyouka's fist emerged through the smoke and slammed into his stomach. Ruko coughed blood violently. Before he could recover—Jah Blesto struck him from the side. CRAAAAASH. Ruko got smashed through multiple walls before slamming into the ground outside the throne room. The phonk slowly ended. Silence returned once again. Ruko lay inside a massive crater. Broken. Bleeding. Breathing heavily. Kyouka walked toward the edge slowly, blood dripping lightly from her arm. "So he really was holding back earlier…" She stared down at him quietly. "And I was wrong. You ARE stronger than my brother." Jah Blesto stood beside her completely unharmed. "But compared to me…" Her crimson eyes glowed faintly. "You still nothing." Ruko stared upward silently. His body screamed in pain. And deep inside—he realized something terrifying. His rage had blinded him. And that mistake… might have just cost him everything.