Scarlet

After meeting up with Red, we both rush through the sky straight towards Demon Isle in a large black fireball that doesn’t actually feel hot. Not even in the slightest.

When I asked why it wasn’t Amelia going with me, I was told that she was busy in the Arctic and since he was the representative for the humans during the bet – even if he didn’t do anything – he was responsible for coming with me to see it through. Which makes sense, even if I don’t really like the guy.

I look around at the many demons we pass over, each of whom that are actually able to keep up with is with their eyes bow to me as we pass. Which would’ve felt strange and awkward a year ago, but thanks to my time on Tartarus feels normal now.

There’s only so much bowing and scraping you can accept from people before you become numb to it after all.

“And there was a lot of bowing to you,” Tar comments offhandedly from his place in the in-between.

Yep. That there was.

We continue flying through the air with the two of us just floating in the middle of the fireball with nearly a meter in between us until we finally cross into the ocean. Then not too long after that we make it to Demon Isle. And despite being called Demon Isle, it’s actually not a half bad looking place. Rather tropical in a way. Nothing like Tartarus.

Also full of demons. But unlike Tartarus, the only demons on Demon Isle seem to be the sapient ones. Which is an interesting sight to see.

Kind of reminds me of a more civil version of the cities on Tartarus.

Come to think of it, I glance at Red and ask, “You’ve been to Tartarus before, right? What all did you do there aside from hunt demons?”

He looks at me, seemingly surprised that I actually spoke to him before he looks down again and says, “Run for my life.”

I blink at that answer, unsure of how to take it from the guy obsessed with fighting even more than some people I know.

“Did you just refer to yourse-” Tar starts but I cut him off by asking, “I thought you had Black and Purple covering your location from the Demon King?”

Red looks even more surprised by that until he seems to realize something and says, “The Demon King told you about that, did he?” And when I nod he just looks back down at the ground again and says, “Our time on Tartarus was a lot more complicated than just that. Will and Gabrielle both hid us from the Demon King’s sight, along with an entire continent. So it wasn’t hard for him to guess where we were.”

“Oh, so he was hunting you all down the whole time through the continent? But wouldn’t he have been able to find you pretty quickly just from running across the continent or moving between blood deposits?” I ask, genuinely curious about what went down. And Red seems inclined to answer me despite his rather sadistic and terrible personality. Something I kind of appreciate but also have no idea why he’s doing this.

“It’s possible he’s doing it to endear his son to you,” Tar points out, surprising me for a moment before Red looks at me again and mutters, “The Demon King really does just tell you whatever, doesn’t he…?” Likely due to my knowledge of Gramps’ skills. Then he shakes his head and faces forwards as he answers my question, “The five of us split up to go our own ways through the Southwestern desert continent, and even if he is fast enough to pass through the continent from one end to the other in just minutes, it doesn’t mean he’ll be able to search every last person. He would also be making it obvious what he’s doing if he tried, so it wouldn’t be that hard to hide when his magical senses are blocked.”

Oh. So that’s how they did it.

Probably a massive pain though, since they would’ve been on edge the entire time wondering if the Demon King was gonna suddenly charge through the continent at any moment in time.

“Of the five of us, your mother went to the Mesa of Illusions where she ended up meeting your father, and I went to the Oni Citadel and snuck into the oni’s hunting grounds just to check the place out,” Red says, sounding slightly stiff as he does. “Which is where I met a few oni and had some wonderful sparring matches with them.”

“Yes, my father still speaks of that to this day,” I suddenly hear another voice, one I recognize as Satan from the battlefield yesterday. And when I turn around, the fireball we’re in stopping immediately, I find Satan floating in the sky with his own black flame covering him, except not in the form of a fireball like Red. Although I get the feeling Red doesn’t need the fireball and is only using it to carry me. “Welcome, Your Highness. It is a pleasure to see you again.”

Meanwhile he just ignores Red. Which I find rather amusing.

At least, he ignores him until Red smugly grins at him and says, “Your father said I was more talented in hellfire than you were. His own son! How embarrassing.”

Satan immediately glares daggers at the man, making me briefly wonder if Red has too many screws loose in his head.

Then I remember that he does indeed have screws loose in his head, just like the other Knights.

Actually, now that I think about it, if he spent time with some of the oni on Tartarus, doesn’t that explain why he is as he is? Also, why didn’t the Demon King do anything about it?

I guess it’s possible the oni just never reported him. Or they may have never known who he was at that point. I don’t think the Knights had their Titles yet then after all.

My line of thoughts comes to a halt when I notice that black flames are literally leaking out of Satan and Red’s eyes as they glare at each other.

Yeah, I should stop them from fighting. It wouldn’t end well for Red when he doesn’t have another Knight backing him.