I woke up, in my bed again. My head was pounding. I felt like there were mice scampering around my brain in search of food. I couldn't hear myself think, I felt like every time I tried to, there was a sharp, high-pitched scream right in my ear. I could feel my sweat dripping down my face, and the cold towel on my head.
I didn't know what was going on. I felt like a chick still in its egg, waiting to be let out. I was floating between consciousness and sleep, completely unaware of my current actions.
----
(Author's Note: Punching Bag/Hothead/Naska Fellesin POV.)
What is this situation I am in now?
All I did was to see my rival, wanting to see what she looked like when she was weak and powerless (admittedly it was to make myself feel good) so why am I, out of everyone, in this situation?
I knew that my former fiance had a nickname for me. Punching Bag. Could she not think of a more inane name? Seriously. I am the perfect prince, I excel in every subject, I am known across my empire. Yet she dares call me Punching Bag?!
This. This was the reason why I always wanted to beat her. Knock down her high-and-mighty self. But right now... her high-and-mighty self was mumbling things about cookies and ham while hugging my waist like a little girl!
Somehow, this hurts my pride.
"Heyyy~ Punching Baggg~ I wanna punch you~"
I frowned and threw her arms off me and back onto the bed. "Get off me." I hesitated to try to hit her face, since my rival was sick.
But actually, was it a problem if I did?
I mean, that crazy girl might have been sick, but even if her physical body isn't working, her magic should be fine. (A/N: He didn't hear her declaration before.) So, I mean, I can still duel her.
No, I'm not using a handicap against her! I'm simply saying that... the tides would change. Just a little!
I moved my fist upward and pressed it down at breakneck speed. Expecting myself to hit her nose, I instead made contact with a frigidly cold, yet agonizingly hot, solid substance. I flew backwards and hit a wall with a thud before slumping to the floor.
"Heyyy~ haha, that's fun~ so it turns out I can... still use magic?" Her original airhead voice turned back to normal, and her glazed eyes regained her usual shine. She swung her head towards me before looking at her hands. "M-magic... I can use magic... new magic...?"
I could see her shifting, concentrating, before an ominous aura began to seep from her body. I shuddered. I wasn't able to move. I couldn't move. That aura... that aura was so powerful. I succumbed to the pressure pressing down on me and was pinned onto the floor. "The... Darkness... so much better than mine... it's so bright..." Her voice changed and made me shiver. "The Demon King... said I would succumb to it someday... but that's fine... I love this power..." Alice's eyes twinkled and glimmered before turning her eyes from her hands and to me.
"Hmmm... why don't I test it out?"
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(Author's Note: Alice's POV.)
I have finally awoken. I can... control my body again? My fever... it's gone. What? A fist is coming at me? Oh, whatever. I probably got my magic back too, I can just heal myself later and kill whoever dared to try and punch me.
...A barrier?
What is this? Why can I feel this strange energy coursing through me? Suddenly, a vision flashed through my brain and I clutched my forehead and frowned. "An insignificant knight, battling the, cough, Devil... was felled and made to become the new king... you... just like me... will succumb to the power of darkness..." Right. The last thing I remember was... battling that Demon King.
Then he said... oh, right! So I'm the new Devil now? Cool! Is that what this is? Uhhh, awesome! I don't really care about 'succumbing to the darkness' or whatever shit he said, but I think I already did, because my heart has already been won over by this magnificent power in my body! Damn, this is awesome!
Oh, look, my voice changed, too! I feel like I got a voice changer in my neck. Hmmm... the new Demon King, huh? Well, this ain't so bad. Hehehehehe...! I can't wait to try. "Hmmm... why don't I test it out?"
I reached my hand out to the shivering boy in front of me. He flinched, but it didn't seem like he could move to run away. Hmmm... his face seems familiar. Why?
...
...
...
No, I don't remember after all. What? I came out from a head-splitting fever, okay? You expect my mind to go fully online in, like, ten seconds? Geez, you're asking for too much.
I imbued the darkness in my veins to one single point on my forefinger. (A/N: Uhhh, I hate the word 'finger'. So... bleh... I hate it. Just thinking about the sound... the pronunciation... bleh.) A pattern, following the darkness channeled to my arm, was created. Lovely inscriptions dotted the black line, which felt vaguely familiar, but I paid no heed.
I grasped the boy's head below me, hard. I heard something shatter, and soon, black mist engulfed the boy. Huh?
An ear-shattering scream was heard from below. It was filled with agony, pain, sadness, disdain. I watched the process in interest, like a child watching its new toy function for the first time. The mist drew closer to the boy's body. Condensing and encasing his fair skin. The screams grew louder. Oooh! Wow! Cool! I pressed down harder and soon, the screams grew so loud I couldn't feel my eardrums anymore.
Damn you, just shut up already! I moved my other hand to his mouth and clamped it shut.
Soon, the mist dissipated. I caught a clear glimpse of the boy in front of me.
His eyes were hollow, hazy, dull. His body was covered in black, intrusive veins. His clothes were ripped and melted, and his mouth... oh, his mouth... it looked brutally mutilated.
Looking at the poor, grave sight gave me a clear sense of excitement. I felt the dark sparkles in my eyes grow more intense and started panting with blushing cheeks. "Ahahahaha! Being the Demon Queen is awesome!"
----
The people who I called filed into the room. They completely ignored the butchered, black oozing out corpse and were more focused on making sure that no one else tried to touch me. Such weird people.
I looked at Al who was holding my hand and looking quite down. He seemed disappointed. When I asked him what the problem was, he responded with a vague, 'When you're awake, I don't get to touch you, Sister...' I don't get it, he's touching me right now, I have such a weird little brother, he says such inane things.
"Ahem. I have an important announcement." I stood atop my bed and looked down to speak. "Hmmm... how should I say this?"
"Okay, first off, I think I killed Prince Naska." I gestured towards the corpse which they all ignored before. Lukewarm reactions rippled in the people around the room, consisting of, 'oh well, one less rival', 'I don't really care, though', and 'oh, this might start a war, what a pain to deal with'.
Seeing as the croud wasn't roaring in joy or anger, I decided to continue. "Second off, I'm hungry."
This caused quite a stir. Some fainted, while some were panicking. The worst ones, though, were the Others who took off their shirts and said, 'Do you want to eat me instead?' while pushing their toned abs towards me.
Bleh, men are the worst.
"And for my final announcement, I'm the Demon King."
"ALICE! IS THAT TRUE? ARE YOU REALLY?! GAHHH, I LOVE YOU! COME TO MY TOWER, WE'LL RUN SOME TESTS, THEN YOU CAN MARRY ME!" A rando popped out of nowhere and started hugging and swinging me around.
Oh, not rando. Sorry, that's offensive to randos. It's just Selen.
Wait, he loves me? Selen loves me? AHHH, KYAAA, DOKI DOKI! MY HEART GOES BADUMP! KYAAA! STARRY EYES AND BLUSHING CHEEKS! KYAAA! HOLDING MY HAND TO MY CHEST! ...And all that lovestruck shit. Hahaha, got you. I was just kidding.
"Yup, I'm the Devil now! Also, Selen, you're a pedo, get away from me." I channeled the demonic energy to my left hand and pushed him away. Oops. I think I killed him.
<Master, at your service.>
Oooh! Is that telepathy I hear?
A gray-haired black-eyed man appeared in front of me. Teleportation?
<Master, at your service.>
Is this telepathy?
<Yes. I can communicate with you via telepathy. I am also bound to you now, and can teleport to wherever you are. After all, you are my master.>
I frowned. I didn't like the idea of someone reading my thoughts and stalking me wherever I went. ...It'll be a quick death. I'll just hit him, then he'll die. No pain. Sorry, bro. I threw a punch, imbuing it with demonic aura, but I couldn't. My punch bounced off and I was propelled backwards. I hit the floorboards with a crash, breaking the wooden ground and falling to the floor below.
Damn. So I can't kill him? Great.
<It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Alice. My name is Miro Alazan, your personal attendant from now on~>
"You could've asked me why I broke your heart~ You could've told me that you fell apart~ But you walked past me like I wasn't there~ And just pretended like you didn't care~ I don't know why I run away~ I'll make you cry when I run away~ Take me back 'cause I wanna stay~ Save your tears for another~ Save your tears for another day~ Save your tears for another day~"
I started singing out of the blue, lying on the marble floor with my black hair splayed out around me, surrounded by debris from breaking the wooden floor, with empty eyes.