Chapter 2: A New Companion and the Dimension Beast

 

 

 

Chapter 2: A New Companion and the Dimension Beast

 

ALICE and the gang journeyed into the Mysterious Forest on a quest to recruit Haigha.

“We’re close, really close,” Hatta said, having healed his injuries with an item.

“Wonderful! Now let’s just hope we don’t miss each other because we took a different route,” Alice responded.

“Her stamina is beyond abysmal, remember? There’s a good chance we’ll beat her to the punch.”

“Good point.”

They managed to arrive at the forest entrance without a hitch.

“Footprints.” Seb noticed the second they disembarked the coach.

“Haigha’s footprints, judging by the size. Not that they’d belong to anyone else, since she’s pretty much the only one who ever comes here.”

“There’s only one set of them, and they lead into the forest. She must still be around here somewhere.”

“Let’s get cracking then.”

They followed her footprints when suddenly—they heard laughter. Alice looked around the area and came across…came across…

“Found her, Alice?”

“Don’t look. For your own good!”

Oblivious of what would come next, they followed her gaze, only to freeze up the second they saw…that.

“What’s that, Mr. Squirrel? Life’s going well? That’s nice. Me? Well, it could be going better, but it’s fine. The birdies and their beautiful singing help me forget. You can hear them right now if you listen closely. Oh, and there’s also Mr. Raccoon. He was so worried he came running to me, cute thing. I can return the favor too, you know, with my love magic!”

A lovely little bobbed-hair girl sporting a plain dress and robe sat there talking to animals.

Is it a forest spirit? Or maybe a monster trying to pass off as human? Appearance-wise, she bore a strong resemblance to Haigha, but they weren’t entirely convinced.

“Mr. Squirrel, wait for—ooph!” She ran right into the trio.

“Hey… Haigha.”

“Hatta?! Alice and Seb too?!”

“It’s okay, Haigha. I’ve already erased all my memories of you talking with squirrels, was it?” Alice reassured.

“I didn’t hear nothing about no ‘birdies’ or their ‘beautiful singing,’ no siree,” Hatta threw in.

“While I would’ve simply loved to see what this ‘love magic’ is all about, I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that bit,” Seb added for good measure.

“I…I…” Haigha took flight, red as a beet. However, her abysmal stamina allowed Alice to catch up almost immediately.

“Easy there.”

“Let go! Let go of me!”

“What’s gotten into you?”

Have some empathy, will ya, Alice?

A chill ran down Hatta’s spine from secondhand embarrassment.

“Please put me down…I’ll be good,” Haigha pleaded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I’ll just assume you’ve already collected the Holy Water. We’ll talk more at the coach.”

They returned to the coach, making sure to box Haigha in so she couldn’t escape along the way.

She just wouldn’t stop crying, which made Alice—yes, the Alice—feel a little uncomfortable, so she ordered Seb to make tea.

“Your tea is delicious, Seb.”

The tea made Haigha feel much better.

“I made sure it was to your liking.”

“It means a lot. Anyway, what’re you all doing here?”

“Did you know that the Demon Lord tried kidnapping me?”

Alice wanted to investigate the amusing previous matter further but chose not to, for fear of the waterworks going off a second time.

“I’ve heard rumors. But it seems they were just that—rumors. You’re right here, after all.”

“Not exactly. He did succeed…in mistakenly kidnapping Jean.”

“He what?! We have to go save Jean.”

“Who cares about Jean?! The fact that he didn’t kidnap me is the real issue.”

Poor Jean. Pity for the prince washed over Haigha.

“What’s the plan?”

“We tear the Demon Lord a new one. Seb here can beat him in a one-on-one.”

“Doesn’t the Demon Lord have bodyguards?”

“I’ve already thought of everything. First, we sneak into his castle and plant bombs in various locations. Then we make them go off all at once. His minions will go investigate, allowing us to break through with ease. Once Seb gets in close, you set off the Boundary Stone, trapping the Demon Lord inside.”

“I see— Why me?!” Haigha’s voice cracked from the sudden realization.

“You’re the only one that can do it.”

“What about Hatta?!”

“The Boundary Stone can only be activated by healing magic. Seb only knows offensive magic; Alice and I can’t use magic at all. That only leaves you.”

“Yes, but…if I set it off, I’ll get trapped inside with them.”

“Crawl into a corner and curl up in a ball. If anything bad happens, Seb’s got you. Don’t you, Seb?”

Seb quietly sipped on his tea.

“I’m not so sure about that, Hatta.”

“You’ll be fine. Here, have this.”

“A ward? It won’t do anything against the Demon—” Haigha noticed the inscription which read: Good Fortune. “How is this going to help me?!”

“Hatta accepted the offer. There’s no turning back now, Haigha,” Alice said with a cold smile.

Out of everyone, it was undoubtedly Haigha that got the short end of the stick. Seb was just doing his job, and Hatta was in it for the money, while she had no reason whatsoever to go along with any of it besides not making matters worse for herself.

“If it helps, the Demon Lord didn’t seem like the type to hit a defenseless girl,” Alice said in the least reassuring manner possible. “Now, onto more pressing matters. Seb, how long is it going to take us to get to the Demon Lord’s castle?”

“It will take us a few days if we head up north through Underland, assuming nothing gets in our way. But I highly doubt it’ll be that simple.”

“I see. Hatta.”

“Yeah?”

“Pull out your flying contraption.”

“What flying contraption?! If I had one, we wouldn’t be sitting here.”

“Unbelievable. Haigha.”

“Yes?”

“Make this coach invisible.”

“No can do.”

“Keep this up, and we’re going to need to have a serious discussion regarding your pay.”

Is she seriously considering docking our pay? Or is she just bluffing to keep us on our toes? Hatta and Haigha went silent, pretending not to hear that last part.

“Oh yeah, I should mention that Holy Water can’t be used immediately,” Haigha warned.

“Completely slipped my mind.” Hatta shrugged.

“Elaborate, Hatta.”

“Haigha has to imbue it with magic and wait about a month. Only then does it count as Holy Water. Otherwise, it’s just regular old water.”

“Can’t wait that long. Any alternatives?”

“Well.” Hatta grimaced. “The White Rabbit lives in a hut east of here. He’s got a pocket watch that can manipulate the flow of time. He…can get on my nerves sometimes, so I’d rather look for other alternatives.”

“Roasted rabbit for dinner it is then.”

“Are you trying to get under my skin?!”

“Rabbit stew’s fine too, jeez.”

“That’s not the issue!”

“There, there, Hatta. Alice is just fooling around. She doesn’t actually want to serve him for dinner. The White Rabbit is a good friend of mine; I’m sure he’ll hear us out. Let’s try and see what happens, okay?”

With the conflict settled, they set off in search of the White Rabbit, a pan and a pot mysteriously appearing right next to Seb.

❤❤❤

“I sure hope he’ll hear us out at least. Hmm? Are those…monsters?!”

The relentless attacks resumed almost as soon as they left the Dodo’s territory, and the fact that they were a moving target didn’t help. This wasn’t that much of an issue, however, as Hatta and Seb repelled them with ease.

“Agility buff, Sis.”

“There you go.”

“An attack damage buff, if you’d be so kind, Lady Haigha.”

“No problemo.”

Haigha’s various buffs were a great asset to the party, allowing them to clear the attacking monsters with even greater ease.

“This mouth ulcer’s killing me, Haigha,” Alice complained.

“I’ll fix you up in a jiff.”

“I got bit by some bug, and it itches real bad, Haigha,” Alice griped.

“Not anymore.”

And then there was Alice, who used Haigha’s powers for other purposes.

“I’m taking a nap. Wake me when we get there.”

“Sure, but how do you expect to fall asleep under these—” Hatta turned to Alice, who was already passed out. “—circumstances.”

“Some things never change, huh, Hatta?”

“Alice lives by her own set of rules. Also, do not, under any circumstance, draw anything on her face. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“Did you—” Haigha noticed Hatta’s thousand-yard stare. “Nothing, nothing.”

“Master Hatta, I see a hut up ahead,” Seb informed the siblings.

“That’s the one. Wonder if he’s there.”

They stopped by the hut to check if he was inside.

“Empty.”

“Look over there, Master Hatta.”

There he was, out in the distance, digging a hole in the ground. He planted a seed in the hole and hit a button on the pocket watch hanging from his neck. The seed matured into a magnificent fruit tree in the blink of an eye.

“Grr! I still can’t reach it? One last jump.”

Alas, the tree branches hung just a little too high.

“Ya ain’t climbing trees anytime soon there, pal. Find something else to harvest.”

“Long time no see, Hatta.”

“Hey, White Rabbit.” Haigha popped out from behind Hatta.

“Ha-Ha-Haigha?!” The White Rabbit started fidgeting, his face turning bright red. “This must be my lucky day. You can go now, Hatta.”

“Go where? I came to ask for a favor.”

“What favor?”

“Set this Holy Water’s internal timer about thirty days forward. That’s how long it’ll take for Haigha’s magic to fully permeate.”

“That’ll be five thousand gold coins.”

“Uh-huh.” Hatta furrowed his brow. “I’ll get the fruit down for ya. Now, make it snappy.”

“I’m a busy man; pay up or scram. I’m off to see the Red Queen once I fetch myself a bite to eat.”

“The Land of Cards’ queen?”

“Long story short, I’m busy assisting her, so I don’t have time to play your silly games. Although…if Haigha were to give me a big old hug, I might reconsider. Oh, and throw in a kiss on the cheek too for good measure.” The White Rabbit ogled Haigha, a shimmer in his eyes.

“Erm, how should I put this, no.”

“Wh-Why not?!”

“You’re just…an acquaintance.” That single remark had demoted him from friend to acquaintance in a flash.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit! Whatever, I’m late for a very important date anyway—” Alice nabbed him by the ears. “Release me at once!”

“Found dinner.”

“Dinner?! Wh-Who are you?!”

“Why, only the face of Wonderland, the blindingly beautiful princess Alice herself, of course. Do you not recognize me? Oh well, I’ll allow it. You don’t get to see talking rabbits every day, after all. Are you some sort of monster? Seb, prepare the fire.”

“Right away.”

“Haigha, help!”

Normally, Seb’s phenomenal prep speed would’ve been awe-inspiring. But to the White Rabbit, it only further inspired dread.

“Alice, that’s the White Rabbit we talked about earlier. He can help us.”

“He does have a pocket watch, now that you mention it.” She tried ripping it from his neck, yet it refused to come off.

“Ow ow ow, watch it! Only I can use this ultra-rare item—it’s merged with my body!”

“So, you’re cursed?”

“No?!”

“Who cares? All you need to know is that this can go one of two ways. You either do as you’re told and get mercifully boiled into stew, or you don’t do as you’re told, and we’ll be serving slow-roasted rabbit for dinner.”

“I get eaten regardless?!”

By this point, even Hatta, who got a little heated, and Haigha, who had recently demoted him to an acquaintance, started to feel bad for the White Rabbit.

“Enough’s enough. I think he’s learned his lesson.”

“Let him do his thing, Alice. That’s why we came here.”

“…Fine, but you better make it quick.”

“Okay, okay. Now put me down already. Also, could I maybe get a bite to eat? Anything, even the fruit from the tree, will do just fine.”

“Sure. Here, try this.” Alice held out a plate. On it rested a delectable sandwich.

“Don’t mind if I…bleurgh! What’d you put in this?!”

“Mushroom monster.”

“You WHAT?! Don’t feed me weird stuff!” The White Rabbit, genuinely concerned for his own well-being, caved into her demands.

Holy Water in hand, he pushed a button on his pocket watch. The Holy water took on a faint blue-ish shade, giving it a mystical vibe.

“Happy? I really need to get going to the Land of Cards now, or else the Red Queen’ll have my head.”

“Hold it. The Land of Cards borders Wonderland, and we enjoy friendly relations. It’s ruled by two queens—the Red Queen and the White Queen. It’s a peaceful land known for its tasty sweets… What happened?”

“The Red Queen’s favorite afternoon tea snack is a tart. She munches on them every day. Recently, someone’s been stealing all her tarts. They just seemingly vanish into thin air, with no perpetrator in sight. That’s where I come in. I was asked to find the criminal using my trusty pocket watch.”

“Tarts so good they’re worth stealing? Once we beat up the Demon Lord, let’s stop by the Land of Cards, Seb. I wish to try one too.”

“As you wish.”

Beat up the demon lord? The White Rabbit shook his head. No, I don’t want anything more to do with these people, he thought as he scrambled away, blissfully unaware of their future encounter in the Land of Cards.

❤❤❤

WITH the White Rabbit gone, they resumed their journey to the Demon Lord’s castle.

“It’s getting late. I suggest stopping by a nearby town.”

They stopped by a town at the foot of a hill, per Seb’s suggestion. They parked their coach at a local inn and began wandering all around.

“I could eat a horse.”

“I’ve got just the thing for you, Hatta.”

“No thanks. I don’t want your mystery food.”

“What’s the ‘mystery’ about this? It’s just an onion.”

Alice held out what seemed like a normal onion.

“Three things. First, why? Second, where did you get that? Third, who eats a whole onion by it…self?” Upon closer inspection, the onion appeared to be moving. “I knew it!”

“Mouthwatering, isn’t it?”

“Put it back where it belongs!”

“Well, aren’t you a picky one? I’m sure Haigha’ll appreciate it more.”

What do I do now? The onion looked up at Haigha with puppy-dog eyes.

“Run, little buddy, run!” Haigha, spotting an opportune moment, set it free.

❤❤❤

“IT’S been too long!” Hatta charged headfirst into the bar, the rest following shortly after.

Having regularly sneaked out of the castle to go on adventures with Hatta and Haigha, Alice was accustomed to bars. She went up to the bartender and put in her order like it was second nature.

“How’d you manage to slip out that easy anyways?” Hatta asked. “The entire place must’ve been in mass hysteria… You used that to your advantage, didn’t you?”

“I prepared a decoy too. But even then, I’ve got maybe seven to ten days at most before the jig is up. It used to be so much simpler back in the day, before they tightened security.”

Whose fault do you think that is? Hatta thought, the words stopping short on his tongue in fear of her wrath.

“Those were the days all right. Like that time you pushed me off a cliff, or that time you pushed me into a running river, or that time you pushed me headfirst into a wall, or that time you…you…” Hatta suddenly started feeling sick to his stomach.

“I know your plans for the Demon Lord, but what about Jean? You do plan on rescuing him, right?” Haigha asked to be sure.

“I’m a little conflicted. On the one hand, if he gets turned into a girl and marries the Demon Lord, I get the throne and a foothold in the demonic legion. On the other, it’d be an admission of defeat, and I can’t have that, now can I?”

I wish I hadn’t asked. Haigha dug in, falling silent.

“I’ll sleep on it. For now, let’s just focus on the task at hand—treating the Demon Lord to a knuckle sandwich, courtesy of yours truly. I’m counting on you, Seb.”

“I want out.”

“Once more, if you could.”

“You can count on me, my lady.”

Will they ever stop? Hatta and Haigha thought.

❤❤❤

AFTER spending a restful night at the inn, they set off for the Demon Lord’s castle. They were constantly on edge, ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat. Yet there was little of it to be seen.

“Not a lot of action, huh, Hatta?”

“I don’t like it. It’s quiet…a little too quiet.”

“I caught this little guy, though.” Alice held out the onion monster from the day before.

“Again, really?”

“It was hiding in the coach. You can have it, Haigha.”

“I think…” Haigha took a good look at it. “I think it’s scared, Hatta.”

“Scared? It’s just shaking.”

“That’s its magic waves oscillating. Alice, were there any others?”

“Only him.”

Seb suddenly stopped. “It appears we’ve been going in circles, my lady.”

“No…” Haigha burst out of the coach, onion monster in hand. “No…”

“Something wrong?”

“This isn’t right. I can’t hear the birds or the bugs, anything. It’s not just quiet; there’s no sound. This little guy only came with us because he couldn’t find his way back home.”

“So, we’re the only ones here?” Alice examined the inconspicuous grass field, and, just as Hatta said, it was completely devoid of sound.

“Look over there.” Seb pointed at a pretty young boy, clad in shorts and a cat hoodie, dancing.

“Isn’t that Cheshire, Seb? The boy Dodo mentioned?” Alice asked.

“In all likelihood.”

“You’re gonna have to clue me in here,” Hatta interrupted.

“Right, you were passed out. He basically said something to the effect of ‘Don’t go near that dimension manipulating freak; once he pulls you in, he never lets go.’” The boy kept on dancing, ominously. “Looks awfully young. It’s your time to shine, Haigha.”

“W-Why me?!” Haigha blurted out, choking on her own spit.

“Kids should play with kids.”

“We’re the same age!”

“I’m clearly the grown-up here.” Alice puffed out her meager chest.

“I—” Haigha took in her washboard-flat chest, at a total loss for words. “I don’t know anything about dimension manipulation.” She sighed.

“Do you, Seb?”

“Not a thing. Catching Cheshire and asking him ourselves seems like the best course of action. Would you happen to have the right tool for the job, Hatta?”

“I’ve got a net and some rope and— Speak of the devil.”

“I’m Cheshire, and who might you be?” The boy examined their faces and put on an innocent smile.

“Alice. We’d like to pass through here.”

“Knew it. I’ve heard many great things about you, Alice. Like how you beat the Dodo at his own game and how you—” Cheshire faded into thin air, appearing right in front of her. “Boo!” Alice didn’t so much as flinch. “Hahaha, I like you. Wanna play?”

“We don’t have time to be playing games.”

“Oh, come onnn! Don’t be like that. Remember, you’re in my dimension now. If you wanna escape, you’ll have to ca—” Alice reached out to grab him, only for him to vanish. “Whoa! That almost scared me. You have some amazing reflexes.”

“Tsk.” Alice clicked her tongue, annoyed by his lighthearted demeanor.

“There’s no time limit. You either catch me, or you don’t. Your call.”

“If we don’t, we’ll be stuck in here forever. We’ll handle this,” Hatta said.

Haigha and Hatta frantically chased him around using everything they had. Despite this, they were unable to so much as graze, let alone catch Cheshire. He’d disappear right as they were about to catch him and teleport to a different location every time.

“What’s the matter? Calling it quits already?”

“Seb,” Alice called him over, having rationally analyzed their situation. “We’re going to tire out at this rate. Think of something! Anything!”

“Anything?”

“Anything.”

“Your wish,” Seb bowed, “is my command.” He started setting up a folding table and some chairs seemingly out of nowhere. Suddenly, it was tea time. “Care to join us, Cheshire? There’s cookies.”

“Don’t mind if I do!” Cheshire pulled up a chair and began wolfing down cookies.

“Got ya now!” Hatta got the drop on Cheshire, or so he thought.

“Don’t bother,” he said, disappearing and reappearing. “So long as you think before you act, you’ll never lay a finger on me.”

Alice and Seb enjoyed their tea, paying no mind to Cheshire’s boasting. Hatta and Haigha just looked on in awe at what was happening.

“May I ask you a question?” Once everyone’s minds were at ease, Seb initiated his master plan.

“Shoot.”

“What’s your type of girl?”

“The cute, reserved type. I really like those.”

“Go on.”

While Cheshire was busy yammering on and on, Seb called Hatta and Haigha over and whispered something to them.

“Gotcha.” Hatta pulled up a chair in front of Seb and started drinking tea.

“Understood.” Haigha sat down right next to Cheshire and also started drinking tea.

Was Seb trying to lull Cheshire into a false sense of security? No one knew.

“How about the girl sitting right next to you? Is she your type?”

Haigha gazed at him with a big old smile on her face.

“She’s cute. Definitely my type.”

Haigha’s cheeks took on a slight tinge of pink. She appeared to be quite fond of the compliment.

Seb then gestured to Hatta.

“I almost forgot. You know how the Demon Lord kidnapped the princess?”

“Didn’t get to see it for myself, but I’m his direct servant, so of course, I do. All those rumors about how cute this princess was had him completely hooked.”

Alice’s cup froze, the corners of her lips rising, the tension in her face relaxing.

“Yeah, about that. He mistakenly kidnapped her brother instead.”

“Her brother? There’s no way he couldn’t tell them apart.”

“I mean, she’s right here if you need proof.”

“You mean her?” Cheshire asked, gazing at Haigha’s beautiful smile. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“No, no. Her.” Hatta pointed at Alice, her cup shaking.

“She’s cute too. But the death stare is a little off-putting, not to mention the…killing aura? Oh sorry…are you a dude?”

The cup shattered in her hand. Alice approached Cheshire, a black aura enveloping her. Hatta and Haigha ducked out immediately.

“Even if you’re a dude, don’t think you can catch me that ea—” Alice picked up a knife and jabbed it into him without any windup time. “Whoa?!” Cheshire managed to teleport behind her in the nick of time. Alice slowly rotated her neck back a hundred and eighty degrees. “Eek?! Y-You’re the princess?!”

“Indeed, I am… Now, let me stab you!”

“You meant ‘catch,’ right? Right?!” Cheshire vanished, utterly horrified.

“Got you now!” Alice caught him by the throat the second he reappeared.

“W-What kind of beast are you?!”

“Silence, dinner. I’m trying to think of all the different ways I can cook you.”

I need to get outta here, fast. Cheshire shook off her grip, vanishing far, far away.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

“AAAHHH!”

Every time he reappeared, Alice was there, standing right in front of him in typical horror fashion.

“I give, I give! Help, please!”

“I thought I just heard something. Must be my imagination.” Seb paid no mind.

Hatta and Haigha stared at Seb all teary-eyed, their voices whisked away by sheer horror, urging him to do something. The two felt a sharp pang of guilt for blindly going along with his idea, seeing what Alice had become.

“Fine, if you insist.” Seb went up and embraced Alice. “Cheshire said you’re cute, my lady. He spoke highly of your defiant stare, your dignified aura. It was the Demon Lord that spoke horrible, horrible things about you. You’re the most beautiful there is.”

“You could’ve told me earlier.” Alice regained her cool, the black aura fading.

“Mind sending us back home?” Her pretty smile rivaled that of Jean’s, but all Cheshire felt was a mixture of dread, horror, and fear.

“Yes, miss!” Cheshire lifted his dimension, returning them back to their world. The other three just stood there, unable to move.

“Quit loafing around, you two! Let’s get a move on. Oh, and Cheshire, mind telling us the fastest path to the Demon Lord’s castle?”

“The Demon Lord’s castle? Okay, okay. Stop glaring. You’ll want to pass through the Ridge of Illusions. The name just speaks for itself, really. For that, you’ll need the Poem of Jabberwocky—a spellbook presently in the hands of the Red Queen. This should shave two days off your journey.”

“Thanks. Seb, to the Land of Cards.”

“Understood.” Seb changed course northwest to the Land of Cards.

Can’t you take on the Demon Lord yourself? The words stopped at Hatta’s and Haigha’s mouth, never to be uttered.

 

❤❤❤

MEANWHILE, Alice’s kidnapped older brother had reached the Demon Lord’s castle after taking the shortest path there.

“Wow! I thought your place would be more angsty. Well, the outside is a little like that, but the inside is amazing!” Jean’s eyes lit up at the sight of the surprisingly gorgeous interior.

“I’m glad to see it tickled your fancy, my princess.”

“How many times must I tell you? I’m not the princess!”

The Demon Lord picked up a glistening bird statuette and handed it to Jean, their fingertips lightly brushing together.

“It’s modeled after a monster of legendary status, famous for making the lives of a certain group of heroes a living nightmare. It’s worth every bit of its weight in gold.”

“So cool!”

“You can have it, if you’d like.”

“Really?! You shouldn’t have.” Jean burst into a smile, melting the Demon Lord’s heart.

“Thank you so much. I promise to take good care of it.”

“I promise to take good care of you too.”

“Eh?” Jean hung his head in embarrassment, his cheeks turning red.

Between the Demon Lord’s sickly sweet remarks and Jean acting less and less like a guy, it was clear that the two’s relationship deepened, slowly but surely.

“Let me give you a quick tour of the place.”

Jean followed the Demon Lord through a hall decorated with all sorts of famous paintings.

“Even I know all these. Are those originals?”

“Only the splendor of the real thing can truly capture my essence.”

“Can we stay just a little longer, please?”

“Do as you please.”

Jean stood absently by the wall, utterly entranced by the breathtaking art, when suddenly, an old light came crashing down on him.

“Eek!”

“Watch out!”

The Demon Lord flew in and knocked it aside as it was about to crush Jean. He put his arm out to regain balance, pinning Jean against the wall in a miraculous turn of events.

“Are you hurt?” he asked with genuine concern in his voice.

“I, erm, I’m fine…I’m fine.” Jean couldn’t bear to look him in the face, his heart racing.

Why does this keep happening?! You’re a guy, Jean. Remember that. Jean agonized over the Demon Lord’s masculine charm.