Chapter 9: The Demon

Chapter 9:
The Demon

 

THE PRINCIPALITY’S main force traveled alongside the Sky Guardian. Within their flagship, an elderly knight—Vandel, formerly the Black Knight—took a knee before Hertrauda. His right arm was covered in some kind of black organic goo.

She spoke to him coldly. “I believe I already told you I wouldn’t grant your request yet.”

Vandel didn’t respond.

As the silence dragged, a key official standing beside Hertrauda stepped forward. “Lord Vandel, the kingdom will certainly come after our main force. We want you to fight alongside us.”

Hertrauda narrowed her eyes.

The Demonic Suit’s right hand… Ultimately, Vandel was the only one able to use it.

They had sacrificed over ten people trying to find someone who could effectively use the item. In the end, only Vandel had survived its parasitic bond. The skin on his arm had blackened like soot and was covered in small slits that occasionally peeled open to reveal gruesomely human eyes. Even now, they peered around the area, sometimes fixating on Hertrauda.

Vandel covered them with his opposite arm and apologized. “Pardon me. It seems I don’t have complete control. But, Your Highness, I beg you to give me permission to rescue your sister.”

“We already sent a rescue team. In the battle ahead, you may be able to have a rematch with the Fiendish Knight. Do you intend to run from that opportunity?”

If the kingdom meant to attack, the principality anticipated they would directly charge their main force. The kingdom had no hope of putting up a fight against the Sky Guardian. But the principality was also experiencing the same communication disruptions as their enemy. They had to remain on guard, as they had no idea if such an attack would truly come—or when. Leon’s return to the battlefield was considered the worst-case scenario. If that happened, Vandel was their only hope of stopping him.

“But I swear, I can save her,” said Vandel.

Hertrauda chuckled. “My sister does seem fond of you. And since we did send a rescue team ahead, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have you check on them—so long as you immediately report back.”

The aristocrat beside her tried to protest, but Hertrauda dismissed him.

Vandel stood. “In that case, I will set out at once.”

“We’ll prepare you the fastest airship available.”

“That’s unnecessary. My body—I mean, my Armor will be enough on its own. An airship would only slow me down.” He spun and left.

Beside her, the official dabbed at the sweat on his forehead. The old knight’s ominous arm frightened him, but even more frightening were Vandel’s bloodshot eyes. “So that arm of his is a Lost Item?” he said hesitantly. “A piece of a ‘Demonic Suit.’ It’s turned him into a monster, if you ask me.”

Hertrauda leaned back in her seat. “They say whoever uses it has to offer up their life in exchange for immense power. I never dreamed a day would come when we’d get to see one for ourselves.”

“Do you think he can beat the Fiendish Knight?”

“Of course. But regardless, we still won’t lose this war.”

Trude, I pray that you’re safe. Vandel is on his way to you.

 

***

 

The sky battle above the palace ended with the principality’s remaining forces retreating. Kingdom airships gathered slowly, and my friends, who’d returned from their regions with the ships I’d sold them, assembled on the Partner’s deck.

Raymond glanced down at the palace in dismay. “It’s in ruins.”

“No way to avoid that when the enemy attacks from the sky.”

“Can we actually win this? Look at how bad things are already. And that was only thirty ships.”

Everyone felt anxious, so I tried to encourage them. “C’mon, you guys don’t think I’d go into battle without a secret plan, right? I’ve got it all set up. Just you watch.”

Just then, a white, shining airship rose from its underground hangar and drifted in front of us. This was the royal family’s vessel, or as Luxion had dubbed it, the Weiss. He said the word meant white, which definitely fit.

Come to think of it, it seemed long past time for Luxion to explain to me what Arroganz meant. I bet whatever it means, it suits me perfectly!

“That ship is your hidden weapon?”

“It’s smaller than the Partner.”

“Does it have some super powerful missiles crammed on board or something?”

I couldn’t blame my friends for feeling underwhelmed; the Partner was obviously better equipped for battle. But the important thing about the Weiss was that Livia and Angie were on board. The Weiss required two people who’d affirmed their love for each other in order to exercise its true, amazing power.

Kinda makes me feel conflicted thinking about it that way, though. The way those two loved each other…where did that leave me?

“Hey, you’re looking pale. Everything all right?” Daniel asked, concerned.

“I’m fine. Hey, you know, once we’re done resupplying, I should explain what we’re going to—”

I broke off as something small and dark soared through the sky, straight for the palace. It smashed through one of the walls, leaving a column of smoke behind.

Panicked, I turned to Luxion. “What’s going on?!”

“Checking now.”

His reaction was slower than usual. This thing wasn’t at all like the Luxion I was used to.

“Get Arroganz ready,” I said. “I’m going out.”

“We are still resupplying and performing maintenance on Arroganz. Please wait.”

And he wasn’t remotely flexible.

I turned back at the palace, heart racing, as an uproar rose from within.

 

***

 

Having breached the palace, Vandel broke right into its heavily secured vault and stepped out with two items: the Magic Flute and his beloved sword. His sword was constructed of adamantius and was too large and unwieldy for anything but an Armor to use. Yet even though it towered over him, Vandel now carried it one-handed, his lips pulled into a lopsided grin.

“I came to get you, my friend. Although my real objective is the princess.” He rested the blade against his shoulder. As he turned to leave, several knights rushed in, blocking the door.

“Who are you?!”

“Lay down that weapon and surrender!”

“Who cares, shoot him!”

A kingdom Armor obstructed the hole Vandel had left in the wall, and the knights opened fire, thinking him trapped. But none of the bullets found their mark. It was as if some invisible barrier repelled their attacks…

Then the eyes on Vandel’s right arm flared open.

The knights reeled back. “M-monster! Fire! Fire!”

The kingdom Armor burst through the hole in the wall and reached for him, but Vandel easily sent his opponent reeling backward. He lifted his enormous sword, again with only one hand, and sheared through the Armor along with the knights. In the blink of an eye, it was over, and Vandel was staring down at their bisected corpses.

“Worthless whelps. Now to search for the princess.”

The eyes on his right arm shifted back and forth before focusing in a single direction.

“Ah, I see. That way.”

Vandel strode down the halls, cutting down any knights or soldiers he met along the way, until at last he made it to the room where Hertrude was kept. He burst through the door to find her waiting, safe and sound.

“Princess!”

All the eyes on his arm snapped shut.

“Vandel?! Why are you here? I just heard our preliminary assault failed.”

“They were pathetic,” Vandel said bitterly. “They couldn’t even save you, and they lost to those cowardly kingdom scum. Now, come, let’s take you home. Princess Hertrauda awaits you.”

“Really, Rauda?” Hertrude automatically accepted the Magic Flute he held out to her.

“Princess, stand back a bit.”

Hertrude stared in disbelief as Vandel’s right arm suddenly expanded. It swallowed him whole and reformed itself into a full suit of Armor. Its appearance resembled Arroganz, however, the ominous barbs studding it made it seem more organic than mechanic. It had wings like a bat and a barbed tail like a lizard. Rather than the hum of an engine, it pulsed with what sounded like a heartbeat.

“Vandel, don’t tell me you…used the Demonic Suit’s right hand?”

He had, in fact, used the same black Armor fragment she had shipped to the principality. Vandel could tell Hertrude understood the implications; tears trickled down her cheeks. Her sadness warmed his heart. Please don’t cry for me, Princess.

“Why would you use something like that?!” she sobbed.

Now one with the Armor, Vandel’s voice came out in a low rumble. “Princess, this is the last act of service a feeble old man can provide. Now, please come along.”

“You didn’t have to. I could end it all right now with this flute.” She squeezed it in her hands, her eyes on her feet.

“You mustn’t!” Vandel protested. “Princess Hertrauda has already summoned the other two Guardians. You’re the only hope we have left.”

A last tear rolled down Hertrude’s cheek, but she nodded. She knew the consequences of summoning a Guardian. When Vandel offered his left hand, she climbed onto it, and the two set off.

A number of kingdom Armors lay in wait for them, but—

“Kingdom whelps! You’re no match for me. Bring out the Fiendish Knight!”

Vandel soared through the air, holding Hertrude protectively in his left hand and swinging his enormous sword with his right. He cut down one enemy after the other as they made their escape. The Partner hovered in the distance, but Vandel passed it by; he had Hertrude, and getting her back to the main army was top priority.

“Fiendish Knight, I’ve taken back the princess!” Vandel grinned, imagining Leon gritting his teeth in frustration somewhere in the distance. “I’ll be back to settle the score with you soon.” And he sped off.

The kingdom sent no one after him.

 

***

 

The principality had stolen Miss Hertrude and the Magic Flute. And that rampaging black Armor looked familiar, but I couldn’t recall where exactly I’d seen it before. I crossed my arms and thought as hard as I could. It was driving me insane.

Nicks clapped me over the head. “Don’t sleep!”

“Ouch! I wasn’t!” I massaged my sore head as I took in the number of airships assembled around the Partner. My friends had come to my aid, thanks in part to the contracts they’d signed. Rows of ships dotted the sky above the capital, about two hundred in total. Many of them had rushed here from other territories at the behest of nearby regional lords.

My father fidgeted nervously. “Leon, you didn’t tell me you were commanding the whole fleet. What led to all of this?” He’d rushed back as well, only to discover I’d been promoted to commander-in-chief. I couldn’t blame him for being surprised.

“Eh, you know, one thing led to another and I just wound up being named supreme commander. These things just kinda happen.” I shrugged.

“No! These kinds of things don’t normally ‘just kinda happen’!”

Nicks shook his head in resignation. “So, how are we going to win? I already saw the monster from a distance. It’s ridiculously huge. Are we really going to be able to defeat it?”

I glanced over at the Weiss, the white vessel hovering in the middle of our fleet. “I don’t make a habit of getting into fights I can’t win. I’ve got a trump card.”

Father gave me a skeptical look. “Lady Angelica and Livia? You’re sending those two into battle? That’s ridiculous. You can’t. You love them, don’t you?”

Stop. I already feel uneasy enough as it is. But I shook my head. “They’re absolutely essential.”

He wasn’t entirely convinced, but he gave in. “You better protect them, then. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if they die.”

That goes without saying.

Nicks glanced at me worriedly. I shot him a smile. “I know.”

“Hold on just a minute,” Marie interrupted. “Why am I riding on this ship?”

“That’s obvious. The Partner will be at the front of the pack, charging the enemy. You’ll be our barrier. I expect you to pull your weight.”

To the temple’s dismay, we’d snatched—uh, I mean borrowed the Saint’s regalia items for Marie. She was going to make herself useful.

Nicks tilted his head. “Who is this girl? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before. Father, do you know her?”

“No clue. Who is she, Leon?”

“This girl?” I pointed my thumb at Marie. “She’s the Saint. She’s gonna be our shield.”

They wrinkled their noses.

“As your father, I’m ashamed you would ever think to use a girl as a shield.”

“Oh, shut it. I make use of whoever I can. Even if it’s my own parents. I’ll be working her to the bone, too.”

“You’re scum!” Marie glared at me.

I flicked her on the head before turning solemn. “You better work like your life’s on the line, because it is. If you hold up your end, I’ll do what I can to make sure they’re lenient with you.”

Marie cradled her head in her hands, tears beading in her eyes. “Clemency isn’t going to mean much if I die out here!”

“That’s not my problem! Suck it up and get your butt out there. Try to run and I’ll kill you. I don’t care if I have to chase you to the ends of this world to do it.”

She lowered her gaze in defeat.

Honestly, I really couldn’t think of any other way to get the temple to spare her. She was dead either way if we lost. Even if we won, she was still a criminal. At least if she fought like her life depended on it—which, again, it did—we could hope they would pardon her.

Just then, a squad of Armors landed on the deck, each painted a gaudy color. “Marie,” the red one called, “no need to be so anxious!”

I rolled my eyes. “Why are you guys here?”

The four pilots—Red, Blue, Purple, and Green—descended from their cockpits and gathered around Marie.

“I, Greg Fou Seberg, swear to protect you,” Greg said, voice swelling with confidence.

Tears streamed down Marie’s cheeks. “Y-you guys…”

“Don’t forget about me.” Chris removed his glasses and smiled at Marie.

“As long as we’re here, you have nothing to fear.” Brad swept a hand through his hair, striking his standard pose.

Finally, Jilk held a hand out to Marie. “Miss Marie, this time, we’ll be at your side. You aren’t going out there alone.”

“All of you, I…”

Before she could finish, another Armor touched down on the Partner’s deck—sparkling white with a blue cloak that billowed in the wind.

“I’ll be taking part in the battle as well!” the pilot declared from within the suit.

I squinted up at it. “Go home.”

The hatch to the cockpit opened, and a masked knight poked his head out. It was obviously Prince Julius. He was wrapped in a tight-fitting suit with a mask on his face and a cape fastened to his shoulders.

What in the world are you trying to pull? You look ridiculous. Stop. I’m getting secondhand embarrassment here!

“Who are you?” Jilk, Prince Julius’s foster brother and best friend, appeared to be genuinely caught off guard.

You’re kidding me. He’s just trying to be nice and act like he doesn’t know who it is, right?

Greg stepped in front of Marie, fully on guard. “Hey, Masked Dude, what are you here for?!”

I don’t believe it. I stared at them. They were all genuinely wary of Prince Julius.

Chris pulled out his sword. “Marie, step back.”

“What?” Marie stammered. “But that’s Juli—”

Brad conjured fireballs in either hand, ready to send them flying at a moment’s notice.

What’s wrong with you people?! That’s clearly Prince Julius!

Prince Julius hopped down from the cockpit, landing nimbly in front of his four friends. As he slowly stood to his full height, he said, “It seems you’re all curious about my true identity. For now, you may call me the Masked Knight.”

“Masked Knight?” Jilk whipped out his pistol and turned it on, let me reiterate, Prince Julius.

I groaned. I’m seriously about to cry over here.

“That’s right. I was moved by your passion and spirit! I will do what little I can to help—hey, wh-what are you doing? Viscount Bartfort, release me!”

“Shut up and get your butt over here, you big moron.” I threw my arm around his neck and yanked him away from the group so we could talk in the shadows, just the two of us. Once we were at a safe distance, I reached my hand out toward his mask, but Prince Julius slapped his hands over it. “Why did you come here, Your Highness?”

“Y-you’re wrong! I’m not the great and noble prince! There is a reason I cannot reveal my identity to you, but I will be participating in this battle as a normal knight. And I am absolutely not Prince Julius.”

Does he really think he can fool me? “Enough. Go home.”

“Hold on just a—Viscount Bartfort! Don’t you need as much fighting power as you can get right now?!”

I scrubbed my face. “Look, I can’t use some random dude I don’t know. Now, off with you.”

“W-wait! I—I suppose I have no choice but to show you the truth.” He peeled off his mask, revealing—shocker—himself. “I actually am Julius.”

“Yeah, I know. I recognized you even with the mask on.”

“What?!” He gasped. “But my disguise was perfect.”

“You really do think I’m an idiot, don’t you?”

“Fine, I’ll tell you, but this is just between us. I want to participate in the battle.”

“Exit’s over there.” I pointed.

Prince Julius threw himself at me, clinging to my shoulders. “Please! Let me fight with everyone!”

“It’ll be my fault if you get yourself killed out there!”

“That’s why I’m wearing a mask!”

How would a stupid mask keep you alive?! “Go home!” I snapped.

“No!”

Argh! If I drove him off, odds were he’d still charge into battle and just get himself killed. This good-for-nothing prince was going to be the death of me.

So what should I do with him? As I cast about for a solution, the Weiss caught my eye. That’s it! I’ll just have all these troublesome jerks gather in one place. If I put them on the Weiss, they can act as bodyguards for Livia and Angie. We’ve got our defenses concentrated there already, so they’ll have a good chance of surviving this.

Although if I put it like that, I’d get pushback all over again.

“Are you really serious about this?” I asked.

“Absolutely.”

“In that case, I’m going to put you in the most dangerous place possible.”

“At the front? Hah! Wise choice, Bartfort.”

The way he grinned from ear to ear made me want to punch him, but I suppressed the urge. “Don’t be stupid. The key to this battle is the Weiss—the royal family’s ship. We’re going to use it to defeat that ridiculously huge monster. Thus, the enemy is most likely to target it.”

Prince Julius’s expression turned grim.

If I put Marie on board as well, I’m sure he’ll fight to the death to defend the ship. “Marie will be there as well. It’ll be dangerous. Do you have the guts to do this?”

He readjusted his mask, a smile spreading across his face. “Leave it to me, Supreme Commander!”

I am so, so glad you’re so, so stupid.

Unfortunately, this meant sending Marie away from the front line, but I could stomach that if it meant her gang of dumbos would go with her.

“All right, then off to the Weiss with you.”

“Yes. You won’t regret this!” Prince Julius paused. “Uh, by the way…I kind of jumped from my cockpit without thinking. Is there any way for me to get back up there?” He glanced up at his Armor, puzzling over how to climb back in.

What an absolute blockhead.

 

***

 

Livia and Angie stood on the Weiss’s bridge, gaping at the entity before them.

“Um, Lux…?”

A round, white robot with a blue eye floated in front of them, a perfect replica of Luxion aside from its color scheme and its voice, which, while still robotic, was decidedly feminine.

“I’m afraid not. No, I will be your new ‘familiar,’ as you call it. I have been charged with controlling this ship.”

Angie’s eyes widened. “You can do that?”

“Oh, the vessel’s a bit of an older model, but we’ve added some improvements, so yes. With me on board, you won’t need a crew.”

As such, the Weiss would be operated by a robot, much like the Partner. The only ones on board were therefore Livia, Angie, and their bodyguards.

Livia’s hands ghosted over the robot’s exterior. “And your name is?”

“Oh, now that’s a problem. Calling me by a serial number would be terribly dull. Why don’t you refer to me as Cleare?”

“May we address you as Cleare then?” asked Angie.

“Address me however you wish. I will do my utmost to protect you. Sourpuss though Luxion is, he certainly has taken a liking to you two.”

Angie stared down at her feet.

Cleare tilted forward slightly, puzzled. “Is something the matter, Angelica?”

“Is there any way we can meet with Leon? If we just set off right now, I won’t be able to tell him how I feel.”

“How you feel for the master, hmm? Very well. I’ll connect us.”

“Huh?”

A digital feed abruptly projected in midair, displaying Leon. He stood beside a strange masked man.

“Leon!” Livia gasped.

“Leon, um…I…” Angie struggled, uncharacteristically shy.

“Hmm? What’s this?” The masked man shoved Leon aside and leaned in until his face took up most of the feed.

“Excuse me, strange man, we would appreciate it if you moved,” Livia sniffed.

“What is with that outfit?” Angie wrinkled her nose. “A strange mask, and a pretentious cloak, a spandex suit on top of that? Are you some manner of pervert? Step aside and let us speak with Leon!”

The masked man’s shoulders slumped, but he disappeared from view. Leon returned, looking exasperated. He cleared his throat, eyes awkwardly darting back and forth between Livia and Angie. “Uh, ah…so what did you want?”

Livia clasped her hands to her chest. “We want to speak with you!”

“I have to do a briefing soon, but I can talk as long as you keep it short.”

Good. He was willing to listen. Angie took a deep breath and steadied herself. “It’s about what happened before. You see, I wanted you to know—”

“Hey, where did that masked knight go?” Greg cut in. “I need to see his face for myself or—hmm? What’s this thing?” His face took up the entire projection.

A vein bulged on Angie’s forehead, but Jilk, Brad, and Chris soon joined Greg. They all waved at Angie and Livia.

“This is amazing. You can see the other person’s face and hear their voice.”

“We’ll be heading your way soon, so just wait a bit longer.”

“Marie will be coming along as well, so make preparations for her arrival.”

Face red with indignation—they’d interrupted to make demands for Marie?!—Angie slammed her fist through the projection. “Get out of the way, all of you! We’re talking to Leon!”

Static ran through the image, and then it flickered and faded.

“Ah?!” Livia glanced at Cleare, alarmed, but the robot merely moved its eye from side to side as if shaking its head.

“Unfortunately, the communication network continues to be disrupted, so our connection was severed.”

“W-was it my fault?” Angie asked.

“No, it’s been like this for a while,” said Cleare.

Livia hung her head, disappointed. Angie reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. We’ll definitely tell him how we feel.”

“You’re right.”

“Oh my, how passionate you girls are,” Cleare said, tone turning playful. “I can see why they say this is true love. Now, come…it’s about time for us to depart.”

Livia faced forward. “That’s quite the sight.”

Over two hundred airships began pushing forward, ready to challenge the principality in a decisive battle.

“Unfortunately, it is largely a jumbled mass of ships unable to coordinate due to the communication interference. We may have the numbers, but it will be a miracle if we win under these circumstances,” said Angie.

“A miracle? Knowing Leon, he’ll pull it off.”

“True. I can’t help but expect the impossible from him.”

“It appears the battle will take place over a large lake,” said Cleare. “The water comes up directly from the ocean in a pillar connected to the underbelly of the continent.”

Livia pressed a hand to her chest. “We’ll be battling above a lake?”

Angie nodded. “Most aerial battles take place over bodies of water. That way if anyone goes down, there’s a possibility of survival.”

Livia still shook her head. “That will pollute it terribly.” All of the waste from the battle would fall into the lake, and the contamination would cause no end of trouble for anyone who depended on that water to live.

“This is a battle of life or death. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury to worry about such things.” Angie squeezed her hand. “But I promise, once this is all over, we can help with restoration efforts.”

 

***

 

A small vessel launched from the Partner, at the head of the fleet, and made its way toward the Weiss. It carried Marie and four of her lovers, as well as the Masked Knight.

I was now alone on the deck. Thick clouds gathered in the distance. We were less than a day away from clashing with the principality’s forces.

“We have an ace up our sleeve,” I told Luxion’s shell of a body. “Although I didn’t really want to bring those two onto the battlefield.”

I had a number of regrets, wondering what I could have done differently. Maybe if I had used Luxion to gather information sooner, I could have kept the story line from becoming this distorted. Maybe I would have realized sooner that the principality had another princess and another Magic Flute. Then I might not have needed to become the commander-in-chief. Maybe none of this would have happened. As it was, we were so out of sync with the story that our only option was to meet the principality in a full-on battle. I didn’t know if I’d even really helped where I was.

“Ah… Wait a minute.”

That mask Prince Julius wore—I remembered it now. From the game. But I was positive it had been worn by a different character. They’d been quite striking, though I never had figured out their true identity. It certainly hadn’t been the prince. They’d been really theatrical, but despite that, quite strong. An interesting tidbit, I supposed…but it didn’t seem particularly relevant at present.

“Still, I didn’t expect the prince to join the battle wearing a mask.”

 

***

 

Back at the palace, the king rummaged through his secret room.

“I-It’s not here! My disguise is gone! And the key to my custom-made Armor has disappeared as well. Who could have done this? Mylene? Oh, I bet it was that witch!”

As Roland raged, Mylene came padding into the room behind him. “Have you seen Julius?” she asked.

Roland swung around, panicking to see her in his hidden room. “Julius?! H-he’s not here! W-wait, why aren’t you surprised?”

Mylene glanced about his secret room with an expression of supreme disinterest. “Oh, this? I’ve known for a while. Not that I’ve bothered to learn what you keep in here. More importantly, I’m looking for your son.”

“You knew about this?” Roland demanded. “I—I had no idea you… Ah, at any rate, I don’t know where the boy is. Probably sulking in his room.”

Mylene shook her head. “He’s not, that’s why I came to ask you. The two of you are so very similar. I worry he’s going to get himself into another mess.”

Something horrible suddenly occurred to Roland. “Does…does Julius know about my secret room?”

“Of course. He told me about it when he was little.”

Roland flew out the door.

Mylene chased after him. “What’s wrong?!”

“Julius! That idiot stole my disguise and my Armor!”

Her face paled. “Why do you even have something like that?!”

“Because it’s heroic! Obviously!”