To Be A Prince of Hell

Chapter 3: It's Raining Demons

These guys are getting on my last damn nerve, Meliodas thought irritatedly. I just might kill them before this ends. "Come on, what are we waiting for?" Galand growled. "Let's just go down there and slaughter them all!" "We are here to find out more about this rebellious organization that wishes to bring down the King, are we not?" Fake-Gowther asked a bit redundantly. "It would be quite stupid to kill all of them. We wouldn't get any information that way."

"What are you trying to say, eh?!" Galand exclaimed. "Are you calling me stupid?!" Fake-Gowther looked up at him. "No. I am simply saying that your plan was stupid." "You disrespectful, pink-haired bastard!" Galand yelled. "I'll-" "Shut your stupid mouth," Meliodas snarled darkly. "Before they hear you." He opened his mouth to argue. "I am Galand, one of the most powerful warriors of the Demon Clan! I'm not afraid of some weaklings!" "I said shut up, you stupid scrap of metal! One more word and I'll rip you to pieces and melt that grimy armor of your's! You may be powerful, but you are nothing compared to me!"

"Let's try that out, then, Prince Meliodas," he said mockingly. Meliodas gritted his teeth. How dare this low-ranked~ He cut off his thoughts and breathed deeply several times. Then, he sighed and shook his head, calmed down a bit. "Your stupidity is outweighed only by your foolish pride." "Now, I believe he was calling you stupid. He said it three times, actually." Fake-Gowther chipped in. "You~!" Galand hissed, rounding on the other Demon. Before anything could happen, he collapsed on the ground, clawing at his chest.

Meliodas stood from where he had been kneeling and turned and walked towards his subordinates. The King had ordered them to go with him on this mission, something he hadn't known until they had showed up at the city gates, waiting for him. The King wanted to make sure that Meliodas didn't screw things up with his temper. But, it seemed that he underestimated Galand's temper, which was seriously pissing Meliodas off.

"I've set one of your organs on hellfire," he told the writhing Demon. "Don't worry, it's no where near your hearts. But continue to push me, and it'll be much closer next time." He let the lower Demon squirm a bit longer before putting the hellfire inside his body out. "Now, keep quiet and maybe you'll survive to annoy someone another day." He walked back to the rock he'd been sitting under and resumed watching the village below them, this time in blessed silence.

It was a small civilian village, mostly 5th and 6th, with the occasional 7th, Echelon Demons going about their daily lives. Children played, while their parents worked and earned a living. Others got drunk in taverns, arguing drunkly, before laughing the conflict off. All in all, seemingly a normal town. But, in this small, quiet town, lay a group of rebels plotting to overthrow the King. And those were the ones Meliodas was after.

He looked towards the sky. It was close to nightfall. The sky was turning from it's bright red, to a dark purple, a line of reddish-purple in the middle that freakishly matched Fake-Gowther's hair. The moon was already showing in the sky, full and burnished gold. The few stars popping up glowed like drops of blood in the sky. There wasn't many things that Meliodas enjoyed. Looking up at the night sky was one of them.

Meliodas sighed, leaning back against his greatsword, which he had stabbed into the stone to give him a backrest. We'll have to wait a little longer, he thought. Might as well get some rest. Of course, he didn't mean sleep. He only slept in his quarters, where he knew he wouldn't be attacked. He didn't trust these guys as far as he could throw–actually, he couldn't say that he trusted them as far as he could throw them. He could throw them a long, long ways away, so that saying didn't really work.

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Finally, night fell and it was time. Meliodas stood up, yanking his sword from the stone and resting it on his shoulder. "Get ready, you two. Time to go hunting." They rose, Galand wisely keeping his mouth shut, while glaring at Meliodas' back. Meliodas gave a small, slightly sadistic smirk when he felt Galand's irritation. That armored asshole had been driving him insane for the last three days. He was glad to return the favor, with interest.