"You...?"
[The Title "Demon King Candidate" is staring at you.]
"Why do you have that Title?" Zephyr asked, visibly shaken.
"What, this old thing? Mmm... It's my birthright, nothing more." Raven answered before letting out a sigh. "Even that little chick is a Probable Candidate, after all."
"You're... Is that why you interfered in his Test?"
Raven felt like laughing but didn't.
He was glad that Zephyr, now, seemed more open to conversation.
"I interfered because the Test had to be ended."
"I simply followed my General's instructions." Zephyr raised his Spear and Raven sighed internally. "When the Test ends isn't up to you."
"Oh, but it is. He might have lost control, but he did recover it afterward."
"After you knocked him out."
"Small detail. In any case, you were told not to use your Wind Magic. Yet, you did."
Zephyr stayed silent.
"He might not have noticed, but I sure did."
"You're saying that you were watching?"
"I was. The hole you made through the wall was a good spot from which to spectate."
Zephyr clicked his tongue.
'Why didn't I notice him...?'
"The fact that you didn't notice me proves that the Devourer was strong enough to occupy your mind fully."
"It still wasn't your place to-"
"You also forbade him from utilizing his Underlings."
"The General wanted him to fight alone."
"Alone, yes. Which means without the kitty cat and the other one."
Zephyr stayed silent for a bit.
It was true.
The Devourer's Underlings are part of his strength.
Additionally, the General hadn't specified whether fighting alone excluded Underlings born from a Magic Skill or not.
"I did what I thought best. And I'm not about to apo-"
"And you were right to!" Raven cheerfully declared. "You forced his Titles to awaken. You might not have followed your orders perfectly, but..."
Zephyr suddenly planted his Spear into the ground.
"Then that means I failed my Test, huh?"
"You knew about that?"
"Just a hunch. Can't expect to be let into Gaavah's Army without being properly tested. I didn't follow orders, so I-"
"You pass."
Zephyr's eyes narrowed.
"That's not your call to make."
"It is."
"So I pass... Even though I really shouldn't?"
"You can choose to look at it that way." Raven said with a smile.
Zephyr immediately started laughing out loud.
"So that's how it is with you, huh? Going around collecting favors? A true Devil. A true Demon King Candidate. Hahaha! I'm sure it's the same with the Devourer, huh? You tried getting him indebted to-"
Zephyr froze.
"Indebted to?" Raven asked.
Zephyr looked around.
eaglesnovɐ1,сoМ "Where is he?"
"Who?"
"The Devourer."
"Oh. Well I-"
"You're supposed to be his Guide. Or did you kill him? That must be it, huh? Two Demon King Candidates-"
Zephyr's words were interrupted by Raven's laughter.
"You would've killed him, right? Then don't worry about what happens to him now."
"Mm..."
The two stood silently for a bit.
"So you're a Demon King Candidate too."
"I am."
"How did that happen? Why wasn't I aware of that? Does the General know?"
"My birthright. No more, no less."
"Care to explain?"
Raven scratched his cheek for a bit.
He wanted to discuss something else, but quenching Zephyr's curiosity seemed like the right thing to do.
'Give and take. Give and take.' He thought to himself.
"Was the Vampire City a Kingdom, I would be Prince. As a Descendant of Dracula, I was born a Demon King Candidate."
"So unlike him, you deserve that Title..." Zephyr whispered.
"Well... Not much we could do about that Undead Lich. Way past its prime, it wanted to cease existing, but its loyalty to Gaavah didn't let it. Being thrown into that Dungeon to become food for the Devourer was simply a way to hit two birds with one stone. Nothing could be done about the Lich talking."
Raven purposefully said more than he needed to.
"Past its prime...? That would make it-"
"Yep. Very, very old. Apparently, it was also around during the time of the previous Demon King."
"Mm... That's why the Title stuck."
"Correct. A Title is only as strong as people recognizing it."
Zephyr thought silently for a moment.
"That kind of strength from his Title... It's-"
"Too much for a Title recognized by an Undead Lich, huh? Even though it was around during the Demon King's time, it's still too much."
"Then there are others who recognize the Devourer as a Demon King Candidate."
"Exactly."
"The question is... Who?"
Raven started walking in a certain direction.
Zephyr grabbed his Spear and did the same.
"Your General for one. Probably."
"Mm... That is possible."
The two walked for a bit.
"Recognition... An Undead Lich from ancient times and a General Of Gaavah's Army..." Zephyr thought for a bit. "I doubt that's enough."
"So do I."
"Then...?"
Raven remained silent.
Seconds later, Zephyr suddenly stopped.
"You don't think... It wouldn't be...?"
Raven nodded.
"Probably." His eyes narrowed. "Gaavah. The Demon Lord Of Pride... Recognizes him as such."
"Mm..." Zephyr stepped forward. "Wouldn't that pose a problem?"
Raven stopped and stared.
"How so?"
"A conflict of interests."
Chuckle-
"I have no intentions of fulfilling that Title's intention."
The two walked silently for a bit.
They made an unlikely pair.
Both would agree.
What had brought them together was...
"You said there was something you wanted to discuss. If that's all, I'll get going. I'm headed in a different direction."
"Already? Just when I started thinking that walking with you was nice."
Zephyr stood impassively, and Raven smiled.
"That Domain you cast, it was an interesting one. It healed him and got him back to top condition. Perfect for testing. Not so much for actual battle."
"Your point being?"
"It's the kind you would expect a Monster Hunter to have either."
Zephyr's eyes narrowed, and Raven was convinced he had caught something good.
"Its Name was interesting too. The Tyrs' Colloseum, right? They Tyrs'... The-"
Raven moved his head to the side, making just enough space for Zephyr's Spear to pass.
"Who are you? And what do you want?" The latter asked.
Raven smiled widely.
"So you are one of them, huh? The Tyrs." His blood started pumping faster. "You just got a whole lot more interesting, Zephyr."
