Location: The Royal Palace - Grand Dining Hall
Time: 8:00 PM
The doors to the dining hall were twenty feet tall, made of obsidian and gold.
Zest pushed them open effortlessly.
Raiden walked in. He was wearing a formal suit (forced upon him by Maria), but he had already discarded the tie and unbuttoned the top three buttons.
Behind him walked his "entourage": Mio (looking terrified), Maria (looking excited), Basara (looking alert), Yuki & Kurumi (looking suspicious), and Zest (looking professional).
At the far end of the table - which was long enough to land a plane on - sat Leohart.
He wasn't wearing a suit. He was shirtless, wearing a fur cloak and gold jewelry, eating a massive turkey leg like a barbarian king.
"Welcome, Glutton!" Leohart threw the bone over his shoulder. It shattered a vase. "Sit! Eat! Drink!"
Raiden sat at the opposite end.
"Nice place," Raiden commented, looking at the chandeliers made of glowing magic crystals. "A bit gaudy. But it smells like roast meat."
Servants rushed in, placing massive platters of food on the table.
Whole roasted Hell-Boars, mountains of spicy demon-vegetables, and rivers of wine.
"This is a Hell-Boar," Leohart pointed his fork. "Hunted it myself this morning. Its hide can stop a tank shell."
"Is that a challenge?" Raiden picked up an entire boar.
He didn't use a knife. He bit into the hide.
CRUNCH.
He tore through the "tank-proof" skin like it was crispy chicken skin.
"Good texture," Raiden chewed. "The adrenaline in the meat gives it a kick."
Leohart grinned. His aura flared - a blazing red inferno of Combat Spirit.
"Eat more! If you can't digest this, you can't digest my sword!"
Raiden's aura flared back - a deep, abyssal purple of Gluttony.
"I've eaten gods, old man. Your pig is just a snack."
The two auras collided in the middle of the table.
The air pressure dropped. The candles flickered.
Basara and Mio felt like gravity had increased tenfold.
"They... they're fighting with just their presence..." Yuki whispered, gripping her spoon until it bent. "While eating dinner."
Raiden and Leohart continued to eat at supersonic speeds, staring each other down.
Chomp. Gulp. Tear. Swallow.
Bones flew. Plates rattled. The servants were terrified to approach to refill the wine.
After ten minutes, the first course (three boars each) was gone.
Leohart wiped his mouth with his cape.
"Raiden," Leohart spoke, his voice serious now. "Why do you fight? You aren't a Demon. You aren't a Hero. You don't seem to care about politics."
"I fight because I'm hungry," Raiden poured himself a glass of wine.
"Hungry for food. Hungry for strong opponents. Hungry for things I haven't tasted yet."
"A simple desire," Leohart nodded. "I like it. I fight to prove I am the strongest. The Throne is just a chair. The title of Demon Lord is just a belt."
Leohart looked at Mio.
"Little Girl. Wilbert's daughter. Do you want the throne?"
Mio flinched, but she stood up. "I... I want to protect my family. If the throne is necessary for that, I will take it."
"Weak answer," Leohart scoffed. "But honest."
He looked back at Raiden.
"Lars told me you ate Zolgia. And the Gigas. And the Spirit Weapons."
"They were in the way."
"Be careful," Leohart leaned forward. "There are those in this castle who don't like 'Variables' like you. Or 'Usurpers' like me."
A servant approached Raiden with a golden decanter.
"Special Vintage, sir. Blood of the Abyss. Aged 500 years."
Raiden looked at the servant. The demon's hand was shaking slightly.
Raiden sniffed the wine.
[Gluttony Analysis]
[Target: Wine]
[Contents: Fermented Grapes, Mana, Neurotoxin (Grade S), Anti-Dragon Coagulant.]
Raiden smiled.
"Thank you."
"Raiden!" Zest intervened, stepping forward. "My sensors detect lethal toxicity levels. That wine is poisoned."
The room went silent.
Basara drew his sword. "Poison?!"
Leohart frowned. He looked at his own glass.
"So," Leohart growled. " The rats are scurrying."
The servant turned pale and tried to run.
Raiden grabbed the servant's wrist without looking.
"Leaving so soon? I haven't toasted yet."
Raiden raised the poisoned glass.
"To the chef," Raiden toasted the terrified servant.
He drank the wine. All of it.
Gulp.
The servant watched in horror. "T-That... that poison melts internal organs instantly! It kills Dragons!"
Raiden swirled the liquid in his mouth. He swallowed.
His skin turned slightly green, then returned to normal.
"Tart," Raiden smacked his lips. "Strong tannins. And the poison leaves a tingling sensation on the tongue. Like pop-rocks."
[System Alert]
[Consumed: Anti-Dragon Poison]
[Resistance Increased]
[Mana Restored: 2%]
Raiden looked at the servant.
"But it was a bit warm. Next time, chill it."
The servant screamed. "MONSTER! DIE!"
He pulled a dagger hidden in his sleeve and stabbed at Raiden's neck.
At the same time, five "guards" around the room threw off their cloaks, revealing themselves as assassins from the Anti-Leohart Faction. They wielded crossbows loaded with Cursed Bolts.
"KILL THE USURPER! KILL THE ANOMALY!"
TWANG.
Five bolts flew at Raiden and Leohart.
Leohart didn't move. He caught two bolts with his bare hand and crushed them.
"Boring."
Raiden didn't move either. He opened his mouth.
[Gluttony: Snatch]
He caught the three bolts aimed at him with his mouth.
Crunch.
He chewed the metal tips.
"More iron," Raiden complained. "I wanted dessert."
The servant with the dagger struck Raiden's neck.
CLINK.
The dagger shattered against Raiden's skin.
Raiden looked at the servant.
His eyes glowed with the Golden Light of Lust.
"Kneel."
The servant froze. His knees hit the floor. He began to weep uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the sheer dominance radiating from Raiden.
Raiden stood up. He looked at the other five assassins.
"You interrupted the Demon Lord's dinner. That's rude."
Raiden's arm transformed into the Black Dragon Claw.
"Zest. Kurumi. Clean up the trash. But leave the leaders for me."
"Yes, Master!"
Zest moved like a blur, her combat knives flashing.
Kurumi spun her axe, grinning like a maniac. "Chop chop!"
Within thirty seconds, the assassins were subdued.
Leohart hadn't even stood up from his chair. He was drinking his wine (which wasn't poisoned).
"Ramsus's men," Leohart noted, looking at the crest on their daggers. "My brother is getting impatient."
Raiden picked up one of the assassins by the head.
"Hey. Where is the kitchen?"
"W-What?"
"I'm still hungry. And you guys ruined the main course."
Raiden's jaw unhinged.
[Unique Skill: Soul Terror]
He didn't eat the assassin. He just showed him the void inside his stomach.
The assassin saw infinite darkness. He saw the end of all things.
"IIIIIEEEEE!" The assassin fainted from sheer psychological trauma.
Raiden dropped him.
"Weak."
Leohart laughed, clapping his hands.
"Marvelous! You drink poison like water and break minds like twigs! Raiden, I like you!"
Leohart stood up.
"The Finals begin in two days. It will be Me vs. You. Don't lose before then."
"I won't," Raiden wiped his mouth. "Just make sure the next meal isn't poisoned. It ruins the palate."
Location: A Balcony above the Dining Hall
Ramsus, the masked brother of Leohart, watched the scene unfold.
"He survived the poison," Ramsus whispered. "And Leohart is amused."
Beside him stood a dark figure shrouded in bandages.
Chaos, one of the Four Demon Generals.
"That boy is a threat," Chaos hissed. "He is not just a glutton. He is a devourer of fate. If Leohart fights him... the energy release could destroy the capital."
"Then we must ensure Leohart is weakened before the fight," Ramsus turned away. "Activate Plan Rebellion. We strike during the semi-finals."
Location: The Inn
Time: Midnight
Back at the room, the adrenaline had worn off.
Mio was sitting on the bed, looking at Raiden.
"You... you really drank that poison for me? It was aimed at the 'Usurpers'."
"It was in my cup," Raiden shrugged, taking off his shirt. "Possession is nine-tenths of the law."
He lay down, pulling the blanket up.
"Besides. If I let you die, who's going to make curry?"
Mio blushed. She crawled into the bed (under the pretense of 'safety').
"Thank you... Raiden."
Maria jumped in on the other side. "Group hug!"
Zest stood guard by the door. "I shall monitor for gas attacks."
Kurumi slept on the rug with her axe, muttering about protecting her sister.
Raiden closed his eyes.
He could feel the Demon Realm shifting. The tournament was just a cover. A civil war was brewing.
"More chaos," Raiden smiled in his sleep.
"Chaos tastes like chocolate."