--
Gloom shrouded the Demon God's face as he stared at the condescending expression on the stranger's face.
The fact that a human dared to blatantly show disrespect to him was upsetting. He could tell that the human boy was mocking him too, and that was just not something he could easily endure, especially not from a recently risen species like humans.
He personally thinks that this boy was acting too big for his britches...
However, he didn't last out despite wanting to. It's all because this person managed to get this close to him without raising any alarms. Of course, that act amounts to something. The boy could've killed him for fuck's sake! Yet the fact that he's here, comically offering him drinks instead of fighting him, signifies that the boy wasn't taking him seriously at all.
Whatever means this boy had surely wasn't simple. He did manage to catch the Demon God, of all people, off guard.
The Demon God then shifted his gaze to his son, who's been trying to pierce the invisible barrier that trapped him in with his spear. He's been failing miserably at it, though. The Demon God could see the mounting panic and dread creeping up on his son, and the remnants of the curse were eating it all up for nourishment.
'Get a hold of yourself, child. I raised you better than this.'
His father's voice resounded in his mind, causing him to stop his actions. He looked at his father's expression and saw the solemn strictness in it.
The Demon Prince took a deep breath and calmed himself. The good thing is that his father was able to communicate with him somehow. The bad part is that it seems that he couldn't get out of this prison either, because if he could, he would've already.
They heard the human boy whisting a tune while steeping some tea leaves. He looked completely out of place and strange, yet he doesn't seem to care at all. Whether he knows that the Demon God could communicate with his son or not was completely unknown from his expression.
'Go out and take the lead of our men. I'd do it, but you already know that I can't. I'm counting on you, child.'
'Remember, do not hold back. Rid yourself of any arrogance. You're not dealing with some ignorant natives of a small planet. They've grown too strong.'
'This is war, child. This is a battle for survival where only one side survives in the end. Make use of any and every tool we have to ensure our victory.'
'We must pass this tribulation or else we will be no more.'
The words of the Demon God shook the prince to his core. He felt the burden falling onto his shoulders, making him suffocated. Yet at the same time, he knows that he doesn't have the leisure to pause and digest these new responsibilities he has.
And so, with heavy steps, he turned his back and marched away from the throne room to take charge of the situation outside.
Seeing his only child leave, visibly pressured by the responsibilities that were dumped on him out of nowhere, caused the doom and gloom on the Demon God's face to be richer. Somehow, it almost seems that he's emitting them himself with how strongly he felt it.
"As for us taking the initiative to wage war upon you..."
The Demon God's pupils suddenly constricted as he felt a breath near his ears. He froze on his throne; his entire body siezed up and couldn't move a single muscle.
From his peripheral vision, he saw the golden-eyed stranger leaning close to him with a bored expression. His low and vaguely threatening voice hammered on his heart.
"...should I interpret that in an offensive way? I mean, if you people suddenly descended on our planet to destroy and plunder, it's called salvation. But if we do it against you, it's an invasion."
The human leaned closer and whispered, "That doesn't seem fair, no?"
He couldn't speak. He, the so-called Demon God, was rendered tongue-tied and frozen on his throne due to the absolute terror and alarm he felt just now.
It's not like he's distracted. Since the very first time he laid his eyes on the boy, the Demon God was primed for battle. With so much as a wrong twitch of the boy's muscles, he will strike him down where he stood.
Yet even with him being on guard, the human boy manages to breach the space between them without him knowing. He couldn't even sense the movement at all. How was this possible?
Cedric straightened his back and casually walked down the steps. He once again sat at the bottom, at the same exact spot where he sat previously.
"I actually find this hillarious."
"You told your son to shed the arrogance he had and forced him to take us seriously. Yet, here you are, sounding delusional about your real status."
"Just so you know, you're my prisoner. Stop sounding all high and mighty. The moment you failed to escape this imprisonment is the same moment it was proven that you're incapable or resisting anything I want to do to you."
Cedric calmly took a sip of his tea and continued:
"Despite your words, you just can't get rid of your disdain against us simply because it's in your nature to do so."
"It's funny to hear it coming from a bunch of creatures branded as 'Space Pirates' by the alliance. Being unknown or a primitive race sounds way better, if you ask me."
That little tidbit of information was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The fact that he heard the words 'Space Pirates' and 'alliance' being uttered by someone who belongs to a primitive race meant this man isn't simple at all.
He obviously knows more than he's letting on. Hell, this might as well mean that he's somehow aware of the existence of the Divine Council or even had a connection with them.
If it's the former, that would be fine. But if it turns out to be the latter, then they're absolutely fucked.