The Legend of the Flower Demon Lord

Chapter 13 - Beauty that can even break family bonds

Chapter 13 – Beauty that can even break family bonds

“And when the Demon Lord passed, whole lakes just disappeared and vanished into thin air. Only a dry waste was left in his wake.”

Excerpt from Collected Legends of the Great Demon Lord

The room was vast and mostly empty, yet elegantly beautiful. With no proper walls on one side, except high marble pillars that kept the marble ceiling up, the sun shone quite brightly and freely inside. With its gentle warmth caressing my skin, and a refreshed feeling of having done a job well done, I dusted off my hands and then comfortably stretched my arms upwards as I drank in the sunlight. 

“Ahh~! No better feeling in the world. He-he!”

Feeling so refreshed the smile on my face seemed like it would be made permanent, I looked back at the noisy bunch behind me.

“C-Ciel-sama! Are you okay?!”

With all his court ladies and squadron members fretting over him without knowing what to do, the War Ciel remained in the center of the dumb group of people, eyes spinning and body weak. He couldn’t move or think, and so stayed in pain as the people around him apparently couldn’t either.

“So dumb…Aren’t they gonna do something?”

I looked up, “Finally decided to make your appearance? You’re really good at running away, you know.”

Head popping up upside down from the wall-less section, Magnus hung there sneakily, “Of course! How could I get caught with you? I’m not as dumb as- Hey! Where are you going?!”

Pausing momentarily from my happily skipping stride, I turned back to face him with a wide grin, “Saving my life, of course!”

“…Can’t you ever let someone speak? And she’s not listening again…”

Humming happily to myself, I climbed up on the throne without anyone bothering me and grasped my fingers upwards as my face contorted in concentration, “This…seems…hard?”

Jumping up and down, my fingers desperately grasping at air, I tried my best!

“…Seriously, what are you doing?”

“…”

So concentrated my tongue even starting to stick out, I ignored him as I continued jumping desperately, “ Almost…almost…”

Bang!

“Got it!”

My fingers finally curling around the piece of paper, I smiled in delight before losing my balance and falling backwards.

“Ow…”

Then, with my legs up in the air and my vision upside down, I saw the two incredibly high doors busted open, the force used so great that the hard marble walls around it had started to crack where the door touched.

With panting breaths and tattered, burned clothes, Ezekiel exclaimed with tears streaking down his face, “ Ellieeeeeeee!”

Running at me with crying hearts and a wagging tail, I felt my body shiver as I immediately brought myself up and stepped out of the way. Crashing into a wall and tail still wagging in joy, the crying hearts were now looking back at me with indescribable happiness, “I’m so glad you are ok! I was so scared you would meet my pervert brother and…and…”

Just as he was wiping his tears of joy, Ezekiel suddenly spotted his brother’s stupid face from among the people still fretting about him without actually being productive.

“My Lord!! Are you okay? My Lord!! My-!”

The people cried and cried pitifully for their lord. One man in particular, the War Ciel’s personal attendant, was crying quite passionately when a hand appeared on his shoulder, and with great strength he was shoved aside and crashed into a wall.

Many walls were broken that day.

“You-!”

With great rage, Ezekiel’s dumb puppy expression had turned into a fierce warrior’s. The intensity in his eyes was enough to make any girl’s knees week (even some men’s) and his whole attitude and aura became commanding and…well, attractive. I had forgotten how hot he could be without me around…damn my looks! It was quite sad what I did to boys. It’s a curse, I tell you!

“What did you do to her?”

This time Ezekiel didn’t raise his voice, but the calm anger in his tone was quite deadly. His brother, who was quite slow at the moment, eyes spinning, momentarily noticed his situation hanging mid-air, and looked around franticly. Then, his face winced and he held his private region as he felt the pain.

Cold sweat trickled down his back when he felt the cold, deadly air, and he finally looked up to meet the glaring eyes that bore right through him, “L-Little brother?”

The once great man who sat upon the glorious throne, become nothing more than a rag toy as he was thrown around by his younger brother, crashing into wall upon wall…

“What did you do to my Ellie?! Huh?!”

Ezekiel now ran after his older brother, the latter never letting go of his painful private region as tears streamed down his face, “Why are you doing this to me…!”

Seeing the destruction happening around me, I calmly turned towards Magnus who was now looking at the situation quite helplessly at my side, “Shall we go?”

“Eh?” He looked taken aback, as he had been dazed by the crazy situation before him, “What about the map?”

I snickered, “He-he-he…” Then, bringing up the piece of paper in my hands, I asked cheekily, “You mean this?”

He looked at the paper blankly, then at me. It was as if he couldn’t comprehend anything anymore. That expression is quite nice! He-he-he!

“…Let’s go.”

Magnus looked like he was done with the world that day.

*

“…You know, sometimes I forget your friends are just as crazy as you.”

Magnus looked quite dumbstruck, and even more done with the world that day. Faced with the peaceful, crater filled grass field in front of the palace, a few burnt pieces here and there, and a happily picnicking duo of girls on a lovely checkered cloth, he didn’t understand anything anymore. What was common sense? Such a thing didn’t seem to exist.

I gave quite a proud smile as I saw Angie and Felly.

“Don’t you think so- Oi! Listen for once!”

Magnus screamed behind me, but I didn’t care as I ran towards the sunset and the two picnicking girls. They have water! Just when mine had run out! Ah~ Friends are the best! They are waving! Heeey, give me water! I happily exclaimed in my head as the most brilliant, blissful smile graced my lips and I waved back.

“…Yep, she’s still crazier though.”

Magnus sighed as if the weight of the whole world were upon his shoulders.