The Great Forest of Jura had fallen silent.
Not the peaceful silence of nature.
But the uneasy stillness that followed a storm powerful enough to shatter the sky itself.
Mountains had been flattened.
Forests were gone.
Entire stretches of land had been carved open as if the world itself had been slashed apart.
At the center of the devastation
Two figures hovered in the air.
One radiated an overwhelming draconic aura.
The other…
Looked like he was having the time of his life.
High above them, a massive barrier shimmered across the sky.
An icy wall of power that sealed the battlefield from the rest of the world.
Maintained by two ancient beings.
The Scorch Dragon, Velgrynd.
And the White Ice Dragon, Velzard.
Both watched the battlefield closely.
Because if they didn't—
The clash between the two monsters below would reduce the entire continent to rubble.
Floating in the air, the Destroyer, Milim Nava, pouted angrily.
Her golden eyes burned with irritation.
She pointed down toward the new arrivals.
"You ruined it!!"
Her voice echoed through the barrier.
On the ground below, a red-haired man stood with his hands in his pockets.
A relaxed smile on his face.
The oldest and most powerful of the Demon Lords.
Guy Crimson.
Beside him, lazily leaning against a half-destroyed tree, was a blond man with drooping eyes.
Dino.
Milim crossed her arms.
"I was having fun!"
Guy chuckled.
"Yes, I can see that."
He glanced around at the destroyed landscape.
"…Quite a lot of fun."
Dino scratched his head.
"Yeah… fun is one word for it alright."
He gestured vaguely toward a mountain that no longer existed.
"The one mountain i liked there, has disappeared. I liked that mountain you know."
Milim huffed.
"Are you here to fight Guy?!"
Guy raised his hands casually.
"Relax."
"I'm not planning on interrupting."
Milim squinted suspiciously.
"Really?"
Guy nodded.
"Really."
He smirked slightly.
"You can keep playing."
Milim's eyes sparkled instantly.
"YAY!"
Then she paused.
"…Wait."
Her eyes narrowed again.
"You better not jump in."
Guy shrugged.
"I promise i won't jump in."
Dino sighed.
"Yeah, yeah. We're just spectators."
Milim stared at them for a few seconds longer.
Then she nodded.
"Fine."
Her attention turned back toward the sky.
Toward her opponent.
Floating upside down in midair—
Was a man casually eating a carrot.
CRUNCH.
CRUNCH.
He lazily glanced down toward the newcomers.
"…Oh, now this is great."
He waved the carrot like a greeting.
"We have company."
This strange being wore Loki's face.
But the grin stretched too wide.
The eyes sparkled with unrestrained mischief.
And the way reality seemed to bend around him…
Made even ancient dragons feel uneasy.
He spat the carrot out.
PHWOO!
The carrot spun through the air—
And exploded like a firework.
BOOM!
Sparkles rained down across the sky.
Dino blinked slowly.
"…Eh!?, What!?"
Guy smirked.
"Now that's Interesting."
Above them, the trickster straightened upright.
Then suddenly appeared sitting on an invisible chair.
He crossed his legs.
Pulled a massive cue card out of nowhere.
And flipped it toward the audience.
It read:
"APPLAUSE PLEASE."
He waited but no one clapped.
He sighed dramatically.
"Man what a tough crowd."
High above, Velgrynd glared down at Guy.
Her eyes burned with hostility.
"GUY CRIMSON!."
Guy looked up lazily.
"Yes Velgrynd?"
Velgrynd's aura flared slightly.
"You dare appear here after everything you've done?"
Guy tilted his head.
"Oh?"
"I've done many things."
"I'm afraid you'll need to be more specific."
Velgrynd's voice grew colder.
"Don't you dare play dumb."
Guy smiled faintly.
"Ah."
"That."
Velgrynd's power surged.
The air trembled with heat.
But Velzard calmly placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Calm yourself sister."
Velgrynd clicked her tongue.
"I forgot you are a dog of Guy."
Velzard's expression remained neutral.
"I will choose to ignore that comment."
Her cold gaze moved toward Guy.
"He isn't here to fight."
Guy waved up at them cheerfully.
"See? Velzard gets it."
Velgrynd's glare sharpened.
"I don't like you."
Guy grinned.
"That makes two of us."
Guy finally turned his full attention toward the figure floating in the sky.
The grin on Loki's face widened.
He leaned forward.
"Hey Red."
Guy's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Red?"
Loki shrugged.
"You're red are you not."
"It seems appropriate."
Guy chuckled softly.
"I see."
"Then what should I call you?"
Loki thought about it.
Then shrugged again.
"Hmm."
"Handsome would do."
Dino snorted.
Milim burst out laughing.
Even Velzard blinked.
Guy simply smiled.
"…You're not Loki aren't you."
The grin widened further.
Loki leaned closer.
"Bingo."
Guy's eyes sharpened.
"You are his skill."
The figure clapped enthusiastically.
"Ding ding ding!"
A bell appeared above his head.
DING!
"Correct answer! You get full points."
He tossed confetti everywhere.
Milim giggled.
Dino muttered.
"…This guy is exhausting."
Guy ignored the antics.
"You're controlling his body."
The Manas shrugged.
"I am merely borrowing the body of my master."
He raised a finger.
"Important difference."
Guy's gaze grew colder.
"Return it."
Loki burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHA!"
He wiped a fake tear from his eye.
"Oh wow."
"That was good."
Guy remained silent.
Loki leaned forward.
"Wait, you serious?"
He grinned wickedly.
"Make me."
Guy's aura shifted. It was subtle but terrifying.
"You're not the true owner of that body."
The Manas stretched lazily.
"That's the truth."
"You're just a parasite."
The grin sharpened.
"Now that's just rude."
"You're just a skill."
Loki' eyes gleamed.
"And you're just a red-haired drama queen."
Milim burst out laughing again.
Guy ignored her.
"You know what will happen if he wakes up."
Loki's smile didn't fade.
"Oh?"
Guy stepped forward.
"You'll disappear."
Silence hung in the air.
Then—
Loki started clapping slowly.
CLAP.
CLAP.
CLAP.
"Wow."
He leaned forward with a wide grin.
"You're trying to provoke him."
Guy said nothing.
Loki tilted his head.
"You want him to hear you."
He tapped the side of his head.
"Wake up."
He lowered his voice mockingly.
"Fight for control."
Guy's eyes narrowed.
Loki burst out laughing again.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"You think that works on cartoon logic?!"
He suddenly appeared right in front of Guy.
Face inches away.
The grin vanished.
For the first time
His voice dropped into something darker.
"Before my master wakes up…"
"…I'll kill you first."
Reality distorted slightly around them.
Guy didn't move.
He simply smiled.
"…Good."
Milim floated down between them.
"HEY!"
Both looked at her.
She pointed angrily.
"You're ruining the mood again!"
Guy raised his hands.
"Relax."
"I said I wouldn't interfere."
Milim glared.
"You ARE interfering!"
Dino lazily raised a hand.
"Technically… talking isn't fighting."
Milim paused.
"…Hmm."
She looked back at Loki
Who was now juggling three miniature suns.
FWIP.
FWIP.
FWIP.
Milim's eyes sparkled again.
"Oooo!"
She pointed excitedly.
"Do that again!"
Guy sighed.
"Unbelievable."
Loki tossed the suns away.
They exploded like fireworks.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
He stretched dramatically.
"Alright."
He pointed at Milim.
"Round three?"
Milim grinned wildly.
"ROUND THREE!"
Velgrynd and Velzard immediately reinforced the barrier.
The sky trembled as their power expanded.
Guy stepped back beside Dino.
"Well."
Dino sighed.
"Here we go again."
Milim cracked her knuckles.
Loki pulled a giant wooden mallet out of thin air.
They both grinned.
Then—
The battlefield exploded with power again.
________________________________________
Support me on Patreon for 10 early chapters [Patreon.com/tenten100?]