"You know what he is, Derein. Even if he saved Arthur's life, that doesn't change his reality. He is a demon, and we confirmed it just now," Grok spoke, his words resolute.
"I will go and talk to him," Derein declared as she walked out of the tent, finding Anon examining his finger. She noticed the wound on his finger, decayed yet slowly healing.
"You are not a demon, are you?" Derein inquired.
"No," Anon replied.
"I knew it. The negative mana never shows physical effects on a demon's body. So, are you human?" Derein asked with a confused expression.
"100%," Anon answered.
"Then how did you manipulate the negative mana?" Derein pressed.
"I can't reveal my cards like that, can I?" Anon replied with a confident smile behind his mask.
Derein persisted, "Can you prove it to my partners that you are not a demon?"
"Why should I prove myself to anyone? The powerful one never needs to prove himself to the weaker once, does he ?" Anon retorted.
"Because we don't make friends out of the demon race," Grok interjected from inside the tent.
"Don't listen to him. He's just foolish. But if you prove today that you are human and belong to our race, no one in the future will point at you for being a demon," Derein reasoned.
"Well, let's see what kind of test you have for me." Anon said, turning around to face Derein.
Inside the tent...
Grok and Grad talked about the Little fight they had with Anon some moments ago.
"That's what I was wondering. How can he move so fast? Now I understand how he did that, because he is a demon," Grad spoke to Grok.
?ℎ? ?ℎ? ? ? ?
"Yes, demons are agile creatures," Grok concurred.
Derein re-entered the tent, holding three crystal balls in her hands. "Here you go," she said, giving one to Grok.
"What's this?" Grok asked, observing the shining words inside the crystal ball.
<Name: Unknown>
<Class: Mage>
<Race: Human>
"Hmm...? What is this, Queen Derein?" Grad inquired.
"This is verification that he is human," Derein explained.
"This... It can't be true. How can he be human? This has to be fake," Grok replied, his expression one of disbelief.
Anon re-entered the tent and looked at Grad and Grok, who were still staring at the crystal ball in astonishment.
"Well, let's prove if it's fake or not. Sir, will you place your hand on this crystal ball?" Derein requested, holding the crystal ball before Anon.
Without hesitation, Anon placed his hand on the crystal ball, and the same words as before appeared.
<Name: Unknown>I think you should take a look at
<Class: Mage>
<Race: Human>
"Are you kidding me? If he is a Human. How do you explain the negative mana control? It can only be manipulated by demons," Grad said, a perplexed expression on his face.
"Well, now it's changed. I changed it. Now all the demons and one human can control the negative mana," Anon asserted.
Silence enveloped the room as everyone contemplated Derein's words and the possibility that Anon was truly human.
"Now that your doubts are clear, why don't we clear up the debts?" Anon said, summoning his sickles of death.
"Oi, What are you doing?" Grok asked, recognizing the sensation from before.
"I have been polite for the past hour, but you crossed the line when you pointed your swords at me just a moment ago," Anon said, directing both sickles at Grad and Grok's faces.
Bloodlust started oozing out of his body.
"So what? I am the king, I can do whatever I want, and I am sorry for that, but you can't kill me for something like that," Grok stammered.
"Well, i will be sure to say sorry after killing you." Anon said as he moved the sickles closer to their necks.
"Sir, please put your weapons down. I don't think you want to do this on such a good occasion. Why don't you give them one last warning and i will manage the rest ?" Arthur suggested as he stood up from the bed and got dressed.
Anon lowered his sickles and spoke, "Listen, you attitude holders. I know you became kings after fighting many battles, but what will happen if I ask for a duel with you in front of your audience? Your soldiers?"
Neither of them answered and just continued to stare at Anon.
"Let me tell you what will happen, you guys will have to accept it, forcefully, because you can't say no to someone who challenged you in front of your audience. But once you accept it, you will get beaten down by me, brutally. Once your people, your soldiers, see that, they will lose faith in you. They will lose faith because you are not the powerful one anymore. It will be me," Anon said assertively.
"Are you threatening me?" Grok questioned as his expressions turned into a suspicious one.
"No, I am just telling both of you to be in your limits. You believe that with some handful of soldiers, you can win the world. But you don't know that I can crush them with just my right hand's thumb, so be careful next time you talk to me.
Threatening is something that one says but can't do; this is my promise: the next time you badmouth me, your son or daughter will be the next king or queen of your Continent.
I will be taking my leave now," Anon declared as he gave both of them a deadly gaze and walked out of the tent.
"Sir, wait," Arthur said, following him outside.
Suddenly Frank entered the tent from behind and saw King Grok and King Grad standing in one corner with uncomfortable expressions. "What happened? Sir Grad? Sir Grok?" Frank asked.
Both of them hurriedly left the tent from the other side.
"What happened to them? Care to explain, great Mother?" Frank inquired.
"Well, let's just say a guy we don't even know just showed his authority and threatened to kill the kings of two big Continents, without any filters in his words." the great mother explained.
"Let me guess, was it the guy in the mask ?" Frank asked with a smile.
"Yep."
"Knew it."