Chapter 1: The Winged Beasts Strike

 

 

 

Chapter 1: The Winged Beasts Strike

 

A few hours later…

“It’s nice to get some fresh air every once in a while, don’t you think?”

“It really is a nice change of pace.”

Alice and Seb made their way to the City of Mirrors, slowly but surely. They were in no particular rush—rescuing Jean was just a “side mission” after all.

Alice had it pretty easy. Monsters? Seb handled them no problem. Food needs? Seb had those covered as well.

“We’ve arrived, my lady.”

“Good, now we rest, then we look for a crowd. Where Hatta goes, the crowd follows.”

They parked the coach at a local inn and began wandering all over town. Soon after, they came across a large gathering in the town square.

“If demons can successfully invade a castle, just imagine what they can do to us! Here before you lay a whole assortment of items that’ll fend those pesky fiends off for dirt cheap! Get one while you still can!”

A curly-haired little misfit riled up the crowd while holding out his top hat. He was, in fact, older than Alice, despite how much younger his vest paired with shorts made him look.

The items—capitalizing on the fear in people’s hearts—sold like hotcakes. They completely sold out in a matter of seconds.

“Buncha suckers.” He scooped up some gold coins from his signature top hat, staring at them with glee. “I’d thank the Demon Lord myself, if I could.”

“About that…”

“A-Alice… Seb? What’re you two doing here?” he asked, whipping his head back.

“We’re looking for a certain someone named Hatta. You might be familiar with the name.”

“You mean me? Sorry, I’ve got places to be. Bye!” He tried to make a run for it, only to be cut off by Alice.

“Hear us out first.”

“Alright, alright. Quit glaring at me.”

Seb filled Hatta in on the situation now that he’d given up on running.

“Well, he does give even the hottest chicks a good run for their money, looks-wise,” Hatta said afterward, grinning and scratching his cheek.

“And that’s where you come i—”

“Nuh-uh. I want nothing to do with this!” he declared.

“You didn’t let me finish.”

“Nothing good ever comes out of your ideas, Alice.”

“Well, now you’re just being rude.”

“Oh really? Did you forget the time I almost got burnt to a crisp when we were harvesting dragon scales because you thought I’d make for a good shield? Or the time you used me as bait in that cave? I almost saw the light, Alice. The light! Or the time you—” He continued to rattle off all his grievances with Alice for what felt like an eternity.

❤❤❤

“I’M going to need both of your help, Hatta.”

“That’s still an easy ‘No’ from me. I wanna expand the business; I don’t have time to be playing your silly games,” Hatta continued to decline.

“I have a little something that might just interest you then.” Alice took off her necklace and handed it to Hatta, smirking. “It’s worth five hundred gold coins. That’s more than ten years of your life.”

The jewel-encrusted necklace shined brilliantly.

“…What’s the job?”

“I need you to help me take down the Demon Lord of the North.”

“…Wait, what about Jean? Aren’t you going to rescue him?”

“Jean could get turned into a girl and give birth to the Demon Lord’s child for all I care. What matters is the fact that he chose Jean over me. That I simply can’t forgive.”

Poor Jean. Pity for the prince washed over Hatta.

“Ideally, I’d like to introduce his face to my fist, treat him to a lead salad, chop him up into pieces and tenderize them into nothing. But that’d be a little too gruesome, so I’ve decided to settle for the classic punch-trample-condescending-stare combo!” Alice huffed.

“Are you crazy? This is the Demon Lord we’re talking about here, not some generic slime monster.”

“That’s where our boy Seb comes in. He can take on the Demon Lord, apparently. Provided it’s one-on-one.”

“Huh.” Hatta tilted his head in surprise, to which Seb responded with a courteous bow.

The screams of horrified townsfolk filled the town square not a moment later.

“We’ve got a monster on our hands!” someone screamed as a monster attacked people in the square.

“Seb, you can beat the Demon Lord as long as we clear out all the trash, right?”

“In all likelihood.”

Mere trivialities, such as the incessant screaming, did not faze the two in the slightest.

“Guys? There’s a monster trashing the place, you know,” Hatta pointed out.

“Who cares?”

“What do you mean who—actually yeah, you’re right. That mushroom thing looks mighty weak anyways.”

“Mushroom?”

Alice and Seb finally bothered to look at the chaos.

“Oh, that. It didn’t taste too good…”

“I’d say it tasted awful, even,” Seb agreed.

“You put that thing in your mouth?!”

“It didn’t taste anything like a mushroom. Strange, isn’t it?”

“It’s a mushroom monster, not a mushroom! Also, not only does that sound disgusting, you could’ve gotten poisoned, too!”

“No worries, Seb prepared it and force-fed it to some other monster first just in case.”

Seb bowed.

“Is that really where you should bow?!”

“If you really want one, just say so already, jeez. There’s some left over in the coach; you can have them.”

“Were you listening to a single word I just said?!”

These two are going to drive me up a wall. I can’t do this. Hatta glanced at the necklace. But this is over ten years of work resting in the palm of my hand.

“If Seb goes down, I’m bailing.”

“Fine by me.”

And so, Hatta joined the party, unable to resist the allure of wealth.

❤❤❤

AFTER spending a night at the inn, the three replenished their food supplies and headed out north to recruit Hatta’s little sister.

“A coach, huh? Living the high life, I see. Well, maybe not Seb. I can’t imagine he’s having the time of his life.”

“Hey, Hatta, Haigha’s at the Mysterious Forest, right?”

“Yeah, she is.”

“She got her hands on a Boundary Stone, didn’t she?”

Hatta flinched, sweat dripping down his brow.

“Don’t even try hiding it from me. I know that this rare item, capable of deploying a barrier so powerful, even the Demon Lord himself couldn’t pass through, can only be activated with Holy Water—an ingredient only found in the Mysterious Forest.”

“You don’t plan on taking it from us, do you? We worked hard for that stone. Bundled with the Holy Water, that’s thirty gold coins we’re talking here.”

“Quit your whining. I’m offering more than ten times that. Anyway, how big is it? From what I understand, the bigger the stone, the larger the radius.”

“Twenty-meter radius big.” Hatta took the Boundary Stone out of his item bag and showed it to Alice.

“With this, we can set up the ideal one-on-one environment.”

“Oh, I see! You plan to trap the Demon Lord inside since no one can enter or exit the field so long as it’s active. Sounds like a no-brainer, now that I think about it. Beating the Demon Lord might be easier than I thought.”

“We’ll need healing magic to activate it. That’s where Haigha comes in. How fast can we get there?”

“A week, give or take.”

“Won’t do. Any other ideas?”

“Haven’t had a chance to use it myself, but we could try an alternate path through some monster lair I’m not too intimately familiar with. Wouldn’t take a day.”

“Monsters, hm? Seb, stop here. Let’s have an early lunch.”

Seb pulled over in a beautiful grass field and got straight to cooking.

“That right there’s the sound of a skipped breakfast.” Hatta was doing some light stretches when his stomach suddenly started growling.

“Want some?” Alice held out a plate. On it rested a most delectable sandwich.

“How oddly kind of you. Don’t mind if I—bleurgh! What’d you put in this?”

“Mushroom monster.”

“You WHAT?! Don’t feed me weird stuff, Alice!” Hatta’s cry echoed across the grass field.

❤❤❤

SEB’S exquisite cooking graced the freshly set-up folding table. They dug in and then transitioned straight into tea time.

“Any info on this supposed monster lair, Seb? I know you were listening in on our conversation.”

“I believe a Dodo nests there, not that I’ve seen it myself.”

The teacup stopped just before her lips upon the mere mention of one of the most dreaded monsters around.

“By ‘Dodo,’ you mean the one that’s the Demon Lord’s direct servant, known for being ripped, insufferable, and considerably powerful? We’re supposed to throw down with that thing?” Hatta interjected.

“Not necessarily. We could fight, or we could try beating it in a race.”

“A race?”

“A Dodo can supposedly run a hundred meters in a whopping five seconds. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, but it likes to flaunt the fact and, as such, will challenge anyone it meets to a friendly race, apparently,” Seb explained.

Alice suddenly grinned. “Sounds amusing. I didn’t know such a monster lived in my country. Looks like all that time spent running away from the slightest hint of danger wasn’t for nothing! It’s time to put those speedy feet to the test…Hatta!”

“Why me?! You’re just as fast.”

“I’m in a dress, Hatta. Or maybe you’d like me to take it off? You perv…”

“You’re the perv here! Actually, what about you, Seb? You look fast.”

“I don’t want that insufferable creature anywhere near me.”

“Sorry?”

“I said I must prepare for my bout with the Demon Lord.”

For a moment, Hatta felt like calling Seb’s bluff, but his survival instincts begged to differ.

“Use your head. You’ve got your trusty items to fall back on, Hatta.”

“G-Good point. I won’t lose any battle if I use those.”

“You’ve got this in the bag.”

“It’s just an overblown rumor anyway. A hundred meters in five seconds? Preposterous. You can do it, Hatta.”

The two sang Hatta’s praises, loathing the very idea of facing off against the insufferable beast themselves.

“Yeah, you’re right! Me and my rare super-speed shoes are gonna show that birdbrain who’s boss. Let’s get going.”

And so, they set out with a single goal in mind—recruit Haigha. Nothing was going to stop them, especially not some insufferable beast.

However, the onslaught of monsters only intensified the further they got.

“Is it just me, or is their number growing?” Faint traces of fatigue began showing in Hatta’s face as he bombarded the small-fry monsters with mini explosives, thinning them out in an instant.

“We must be close,” Seb said, mopping up the stragglers with remarkable ease.

“I get why no one goes through here. We need to move, fast.”

It appeared that even the weakest of enemies could pose a formidable challenge in large numbers. They just kept coming and coming without an end in sight, walling off the coach. The alternate path turned out to be even more arduous than expected.

Alice, meanwhile, was catching some Z’s, to absolutely no one’s surprise.

“Tch. Guess I’m forced to use it. What a waste…” Hatta pulled out a purple ward and stuck it to the coach. “It’s no Boundary Stone, but it’ll keep the weaker monsters at bay for at least thirty minutes. Let’s blow this joint.”

Seb took the reins, propelling the coach forward. The ward lasted just long enough for them to reach a most beautiful grass field.

“We got away, no thanks to a certain somebody.” Hatta looked at Alice and heaved a heavy sigh. “How can you still be sleeping? I’m sorry, but you’re just asking for it.”

He took out a pen and drew a mustache on her face. “Oh, right. Seb, can you really take on the Demon Lord in a one-on-one scenario? I mean, he has ‘Demon’ and ‘Lord’ in his name…”

“I got a chance to observe him at the castle. His magical aura was certainly nothing to sneeze at. But his type tends to underperform in close-quarter combat. So it shouldn’t be much of an issue.”

“Gotcha. Must be rough being Alice’s personal chew toy.”

“It’s nothing if not an honor.”

“Now speak from the heart.”

“I want to go home and rest.”

Poor Seb. Pity, this time for Seb, washed over Hatta a second time.

“If it goes south, I’m taking Jean as a human shield and getting the hell outta there, haha,” Hatta joked.

“Likewise.”

“…Seb?”

“Yes, Master Hatta?”

“…Forget it.”

The only person he wouldn’t use as a human shield is Alice, Hatta thought as he averted his gaze.

“Where’s that ominous presence coming from?”

“G-Gah! Y-You’re up, Alice?”

“It woke me up. Can’t you feel it? It’s hot.”

They disembarked the coach and surveyed the surrounding area to no avail.

Right when Alice figured it was just her imagination, a flock of winged beasts struck from above. They managed to dodge in the nick of time.

“What are those things?!”

“The Dodo’s minions, most likely. Ready, Master Hatta?”

“Ready. Let’s show ’em what we’re made of.”

Seb felled the winged beasts one by one, all while dodging their attacks. Hatta downed them one after another thanks to his trusty boomerang-dagger combo.

“I see you haven’t lost your edge,” Alice commented.

“You think? My whole shtick is being able to effectively utilize any weapon and any item there is. How else would I run an item shop? Though I will admit magic items aren’t my forte—and why are you just sitting around drinking tea?!”

“Seb seemed busy, so I made it myself.”

“That’s not what I meant! Why can’t you just— Whoa?!”

The ground shook under a tremendous weight. Something had fallen from the sky right into the middle of the flock, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake.

“Who dares stir trouble in my territory?”

The flock parted, revealing an insufferable, winged beast wearing a tank top.

“What unusual guests. The name’s Dodo, I serve the Demon Lord of the North. I also happen to run this joint. Now your turn,” he said as he approached.

“Alice, Seb, and that back there’s Hatta,” Alice replied, seemingly unfazed by the Dodo’s overbearing presence.

“Aliseb, Hatta… Sick names. What about you, girly?”

Aliseb? Was that supposed to be a failed attempt at humor, or is he really all brawn and no brain?

“You won’t tell me? Fine, be like that. What brings you here?”

“We seek your permission to cross into the Mysterious Forest.”

“No can do. One, I don’t even want to know what the Demon Lord’s going to do to me if I just let you through all willy-nilly. Two, I don’t take requests from humans. Pack your bags and leave. Or…if you’re feeling lucky, beat me in a friendly contest, and I’ll let you through.”

“Friendly contest?”

“See that tree over there?” He pointed into the distance. “Whoever gets there first wins. Or would you rather let our fists do the talking?” The Dodo put on a gun show no one asked for, his smug little face looking even more punchable than usual.

“One moment.”

“Sure thing.”

They huddled around Alice and began hatching a plan.

“I don’t want anything to do with brawn for brains over there. Hatta, sick ’em.”

“I’ll get his sweat all over me. Besides, if Seb can take the Demon Lord, he can take this guy easy.”

“I’m not touching that thing. Being near it is already pushing it.”

No one wanted a fight, not because it was unwinnable but because the Dodo was just that annoying.

“Hundred-meter dash it is then. Seb, what are our chances?”

“Low. Judging by his magic aura and confident demeanor, I think it’s pretty fair to say the rumors were true.”

“What about Hatta’s shoes?”

They redirected their gazes to Hatta’s super-speed shoes, which looked like an ordinary pair of shoes with wings slapped on the sides.

“How do they work?”

“Put simply, they make you twice as fast at the flick of a switch. You’ll tire out quick, but that doesn’t really matter for short distances.”

“And your top time?”

“A whopping twelve seconds.”

“Even with the shoes, we have no shot at winning,” Seb concluded.

Assuming the rumors were true, one’s top-time had to be under ten seconds to even stand a chance at winning.

“Find a way to win, Seb. I don’t care how, just find one.” Alice came out with a seemingly impossible demand.

“Ask and you shall receive.” Seb bowed, entirely unconcerned, and went over to the Dodo to begin negotiations.

“Done yet? I can race all three of you at once. If at least one of you beats me, I’ll let you pass.”

“I appreciate the kind gesture, sir. May I also signal the start of the race, if it pleases you?”

“Go ahead.”

“One moment, please.” Seb set Hatta at the starting line, positioned Alice behind him, and gave her a hand mirror. “We’re ready.”

“Start it whenever.”

And so, Seb’s insidious plan was set in motion.

“Switch them on.”

“Done.”

“And you, Princess Alice, please look at yourself in the mirror.”

“Why? Is there something on my—” Alice noticed the drawn-on mustache. A black aura consumed her as she crushed the mirror into pieces, shaking uncontrollably.

“Hmm?” Hatta turned around.

"Die… Die… Die… Die… Die… Die."

“N-Now hold on a se—”

“Start!”

The Dodo sprinted off, with Hatta following shortly after.

“GET AWAY FROM MEEEEE!”

Just like that, he overtook the Dodo with Alice in hot pursuit.

“Kill… Kill… Kill… Kill… Kill… Kill…”

“HEEEEELP!” Despite his record-smashing speed paired with the super-speed shoes, Hatta could not, for the life of him, shake her off. Alice and her high heels had ascended into godhood!

The two blew right past the tree, disappearing into the horizon.

“A-Are you guys human? Mustache girl just flew past with the visage of a bona fide demon,” the Dodo mumbled in awe.

“I ask that myself sometimes.” Seb gave him a soft look.

You’re the least human of the bunch. The Dodo quivered in fear.

❤❤❤

ALICE returned thirty minutes later, dragging Hatta’s borderline lifeless body behind her.

“Forgive me… Forgive me…” he kept repeating. He was, of course, unconscious.

Alice tossed Hatta into the luggage trunk. She then wiped off the mustache and fixed herself up.

“Permission to pass?”

“Granted. Also, there’s something I should tell you. One of the Demon Lord’s direct servants, Cheshire, assumes the appearance of a cute young boy. If you happen to meet him, turn around and run. Run till the cows come home! Cheshire can manipulate dimensions at will, and once he pulls you in, he never lets go.”

“Sounds fun. But I’m afraid I must bid you adieu now.”

And so, they were back on the road. The Dodo’s minions went quiet, allowing them to progress peacefully. For now, at least.

Alice indulged in some black tea in celebration of their most recent victory and everything going according to plan—minus Hatta’s life-threatening injuries, of course.

 

❤❤❤

MEANWHILE…

“Put me down, please. I won’t run away again, I promise,” Jean pleaded from the Demon Lord’s arms.

“My cute little princess is blushing again. How precious.”

“I’m not a princess!”

“Rest assured, so long as I walk this earth, no human will lay so much as a finger on you.”

“Eh?” Jean’s heart skipped a beat, followed by immediate self-hatred.

Eventually, the Demon Lord lowered him down. On a coach, surrounded by minions, sitting next to the Demon Lord himself. Escape was not an option.

Unable to do anything, Jean looked up at the Demon Lord.

Is the wind too strong? His beautiful, straight gray hair is a mess. What a waste.

“Hold still.”

“Why are you touching my hair? Stop it.”

“I’m fixing it for you. Relax.”

Jean’s face got awfully close to his, causing the Demon Lord’s heart rate to spike.

Why is my heart trying to escape from my chest?! I’m a Demon Lord. I won’t fall for some human. I only kidnapped her to secure offspring. That’s all there is to it.

“Much better. Take better care of yourself; it matters.”

“Am I less of an embarrassment to you now?”

“Eh?” The surprised look on Jean’s adorable, innocent face cut deeper than any sword.

The Demon Lord averted his gaze, desperately trying to collect himself, unaware that what he was feeling was none other than love.