“Trouble follows trouble, I suppose...” she sighed. Between the escape of the fire dragon priestess and the disappearance of their Sleeping Beauty, all sorts of unforeseen events had been taking place. It was really starting to weigh on her. Beyond those issues, Gyria, whom she had sent to recover Tina, had failed to return, and the heart she had given the girl had somehow been destroyed. It was easy to see that things had gone far off plan.
Nonetheless, Analissia’s project to take over Estoll, at least, was going well. The organs of the state were completely under her control, and she was hard at work molding the kingdom to her liking. Things had been getting downright comfortable. If it had been up to her, she would have much preferred to forget about the war and focus her attention on developing the country. If she had just a decade more, she was confident she could build Estoll into a kingdom at least as grand as Sindoria.
But unfortunately, Analissia was in no position to refuse to invade.
“It simply isn’t enough,” she muttered. It never was. No matter what she did, the power she held was always lacking. She was buoyed about by the winds of circumstance, made to take orders from fools, and always afraid. But what could she do besides to obey, even as the one giving her instructions seemed to have taken leave of their senses? She needed more power. It made her want to scream.
“Goodness, Analissia. You seem out of sorts. Has something happened? You know you can always come talk to me.” Analissia heard a voice that sounded like cold water. She looked around, but she couldn’t so much as sense the presence of the one speaking to her. A snickering, childish laugh filled the room. She looked up and saw a small child floating in midair.
“Ah, Lady Scarlet,” Analissia said, doing her best to affect an air of calmness. “How long have you been here?” This floating child—or rather, this monster in a child’s skin—was Analissia’s superior.
“How long?” the thing asked in a child’s high, unbroken voice. “My, how long have I been here, I wonder!”
The impudence of this creature was quite vexing. If it were possible, Analissia would have simply killed the girl and turned her into yet another pawn, but she had far, far too little power for that. “Why must you toy with me?” she asked. “If you had announced yourself, I could have prepared you a welcome, you know.”
Lady Scarlet wore heels to disguise her height, but she was no more than 130 centimeters tall. Her hair flickered like bright flames, and her face wore a smile of supreme childlike innocence. She truly looked like a child, but twisted and uncanny. She bore no weapon, but her mere presence was so oppressive that it stole away Analissia’s breath and made her heart seize up in her chest. Among all the followers of the current demon king, she was the strongest, or perhaps the second strongest. The blood of the Lord of Calamity ran true in her veins. She was a genuine living example of an ancient demon.
The girl floated through the air, contorting her slender, lithe body as she pleased. “Oh, there’s no need. I’m just here to give you a...postoperative checkup, I suppose? But if something’s bothering you, I’d be happy to listen.” She paused. “Actually, I take that back. That sounds really boring.” She was such a moody child. Even the demon king had no real control over her, and she was Analissia’s direct superior. It gave Analissia a headache just thinking about it.
“But never mind that,” Lady Scarlet went on. “I hear little Rinoa was missing. I must say, I’m disappointed.” A note of darkness crept into her bright voice. Her smile didn’t falter for a second, but the eyes she regarded Analissia with were cold.
“I—” Unable to even breathe under the overwhelming pressure, Analissia struggled to find the right words to say. If she said nothing, she was certain that she would die. But the words she needed simply wouldn’t come.
“That device of papa’s was given to you under the assurance that you would release Rinoa and see her to safety. You really have let us down, haven’t you?” Lady Scarlet’s voice sent a shiver down Analissia’s spine. She leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Shall I break it, perhaps?”
Everything went black. Those words meant death itself. Analissia felt her head being torn from her body.
But it was only an illusion. “Gotcha!” Lady Scarlet said. “Just kidding! You don’t gotta look so scared, jeez!”
Suddenly, the tension let up. Analissia gasped for breath. “A-Ah! Haah... Haah...”
“Well, to be fair, I guess that was a bit of a threat. But you’re doing well, Analissia. Keep doing whatever seems right. Ah, but do make sure you find Rinoa.” With that, Lady Scarlet and her menacing aura vanished without a trace. Neither the windows nor doors had been disturbed, although on closer inspection, a number of sweets were missing from the table.
Reality seemed to be pressing in on Analissia. “Go to hell!” she screamed. Lady Scarlet was surely listening, but she just couldn’t hold in those words. “It’s still... It’s still not enough! But you’ll regret this someday! I will have what I desire—the world of my dreams!”
~ ‡ ~
“She just doesn’t get it, that girl...”
The yellow and blue light of the twin moons cast shadows that twisted and played in beautiful colors, illuminating the child flying through the air. She had scarlet hair that fluttered like flames, dancing around in radiant collars.
“She thinks I’m strong? She’s so upset that she can’t measure up to me? Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! What a joke!” Lady Scarlet knew full well that her strength amounted to very little compared to the true power of the ancient demons. “I suppose I can’t blame her for it, though. The poor girl never knew papa, after all.”
The Lord of Calamity was omniscient and omnipotent. He had a plan for every occasion and the strength to dispatch hordes of enemies with a smile on his face. His power was absolute. Overwhelming. So vast that to stand against it would be simple foolishness. His power was the envy of all.
Ah, and yet...
And yet, with all that power, he had struggled to protect even a single world. How could he not have, though, when that world had been full of so much senseless absurdity?
“But still!” the girl said. “Splitting up the continent like this is just nuts. Papa’s such a busybody! After two thousand years, he still treats me like a child. Idiot.” She sighed. Her form vanished into the darkness, her voice all that remained. “Rinoa must be off playing games somewhere, I suppose. If she doesn’t show up soon, I may have to pay auntie a visit...”