Demon of Omniscience - Laplace

        “Death is actually peaceful.”

        Laplace pondered, squinting at the azure sky with his golden eyes. Immersed in the static tranquility, he seemed to forget his life was fading. At that moment, Laplace was pierced through the heart by a sharp limb. Despite the fall, strangely he could not even hear any sound of landing.

        Then, someone lifted him up. Yet his own eyes were clouded, like being deprived of sight deliberately. Laplace could not get a clear picture of that person’s face nor hear what he said. Instead, he only remembered one thing——

        Grief.

        Laplace was haunted by grief that was sharper and more desperate than the physical pain.

        “...Right, the grief of being betrayed.”

        To escape from that soul-shattering sorrow, Laplace closed his eyes to let his consciousness sink into the quiet, solitary darkness. He knew death was knocking on the door already.

        However, this distant world of death soon started changing. Laplace was shrouded in the warmth of vitality, which began to heal his damaged heart and repair the pierced hole.

        Laplace was familiar with the source of this energy——Vorvadoss, one of the demons born from the origin like Laplace. The contradictory mindset Vorvadoss possessed was one of the few things that intrigued him.

        “Laplace, I’ll save you, at the expense of my life.” Vorvadoss whispered to his ears.

        “Don’t...I don’t need that.” Not yet free from death, Laplace was unable to speak, let alone stop Vorvadoss——He ripped his chest open to expose his beating heart and the embryo, which was the original form of their race.

        “Sleep, the loved Laplace. Observe in dreams. When you wake up again, the world shall fall for you.”

        “Stop it, Vorvadoss! No!”

        Vorvadoss got closer to Laplace’s face, trying to kiss him. However, he held that desire back. Vorvadoss stroked Laplace’s soft cheek with his long eyelashes, as a kiss that delivered his contradictory emotions.

        “By then, bring me the barren universe as I wish.”

        Then Vorvadoss crushed his embryo to drip some slimy fluid onto Laplace’s embryo on the left chest. Splendid lights were gathered to cover Laplace with translucent feathered wings.

        “No...don’t...don’t leave me!”

        “Vorvadoss!” Waking up from the nightmare, Laplace sat up and found himself trapped in a crimson, waxy cocoon. With a light tap, the cocoon cracked open.

        After a long slumber, Laplace felt perplexed as he came out of the breach. It was a resplendent palace with portraits hanging all round. It seemed to be a memorial hall.

        “Where...am I? My head...hurts…” Laplace, touching his aching forehead, walked out of the palace aimlessly. Yet a group of patrolling demon soldiers spotted and pointed their weapons at Laplace instantly.

        “Damned intruders! How dare you trespass on the palace!”

        “Surrender yourself!”

        Their ear-piercing roars had made Laplace’s head even more painful, resulting in a burst of fury.

        “...SHUT UP!” He glared at the soldiers with an intimidating bloodlust.

        The soldiers were completely taken aback as Laplace raised his head, for they had never seen such a captivating iridescence in their entire life, which unfortunately was also the final thought of those soldiers at the very last moment——Following Laplace’s order, the elements were turned into razor-sharp blades to cut them into half with precision. The soldiers did not realize their death until the body parted.

        Blood was splashed on Laplace, staining his body to ruby red. Yet he showed no care, mumbling like a lost, helpless child.

        “Vorvadoss...Where are you...come out...stop playing around…”

        Walking to the central hallway, Laplace had killed every single pursuing soldier under his chaotic mind.

        “No one’s here...but me...Why...why...I don’t want to...I——” As solitude was about to drive him mad, Laplace saw someone familiar at a chamber in the end of the corridor.

        Laplace’s desperate face was embellished by golden light, beautiful enough to take one’s breath. As he walked into the chamber, the demeanor and charm that he exuded had touched every present demon’s heart. They were all unable to react at the moment.

        Until a demon accidentally dropped a glass, making a sharp noise as it shattered. By that moment the demon soldiers began to shake off the drifted mind and surround the man standing ahead of the throne.

        “P-Protect the elder prince!”
        “Keep the intruder away from the prince!”

        However, soldiers' resistance was meaningless in front of Laplace. Without wasting time on those useless pawns, he waved his right hand to kill them all while maintaining a direct gaze at the man ahead.

        “Ah...so you're here. ” Eliminating the obstacles, Laplace came over to the man —— Baal the elder prince of Origin of Demons.

        Laplace put on a satisfied smile, so pure and innocent that stood a stark contrast to the bloodstains on him.

        Baal on the throne did not waver nor avoid, simply gazing at Laplace calmly.

        Laplace tipped his toes, hugging Baal's robust body like a spoiled child, and whispered as he leant his head on Baal's shoulder.

        “Vorvadoss, please don't leave...me...”

        After finishing the words, Laplace became limp as if losing all his strength. Baal, out of reflexes, caught him but felt shocked at his underweight. Glancing at his peaceful face, Baal knew that Laplace had just fallen asleep.

        “Your highness, please leave this intruder to us.” A general hurried the way in. When he tried to take Laplace away, Baal held him into arms and adjusted the posture for his better sleep.

        “Withdraw.” Baal commanded the general.

        “But he had killed our——”

        “I said withdraw.”

        “...Copy.”

        After the general's withdrawal, Baal held Laplace back to the sleeping room, washed him clean and carried him to the bed. Even so, Laplace was still deeply asleep like a baby.

        Baal leant close to him, close enough to feel his breath, but such an intimacy had awakened Laplace. Twitching his long eyelashes, Laplace opened his eyes slowly and saw Baal was on top.

        “You're...not Vorvadoss.” A moment later, he began to adapt himself to the situation after another long slumber. As his thoughts sort out, Laplace found that Baal was not the person who he longed for.

        “He's the smell of Vorvadoss...that's why I'd mix them up...” The utter disappointment sank his heart. In bad moods, Laplace questioned Baal with a frown, “who are you?”

        “It should be you to answer this question——” Before letting Baal finish his words, Laplace kicked into his stomach hard, broke a vase and slammed him to the wall.

        Before Baal got the time to stand up, Laplace was already on top of him.

        “I had a really bad day. Tell me honestly or —— Em?” Laplace put a pointy vase chip against Baal's neck.

        Suddenly, Laplace felt a sharp thing pressing against his chest —— Baal drew his blade to point at Laplace.

        “Killing me won't get you anything.” Baal acted calmly.

        “Oh, interesting. So you still resist even if you know I’m able to kill you anytime I want?” When Laplace grabbed Baal's blade, it melted miraculously.

        “He...used the power of elements to decompose the blade...” Baal raised his eyebrows.

        “Alright, I'll let you in my plan.”

        “It depends.”

        “You——” Annoyed, Laplace found that it was exactly what Baal hoped for, who's wearing a pleased smile.

        Laplace turned his face away and hid the anger. “To conquer the universe.”

        “...Are you serious?” Baal was stunned. Sniggering, Laplace contained his emotion to respond in a low voice, “Of course.”

        After a moment of silence, Baal burst into laughter.

        “HAHAHAHA! I love your plan. Pretty straightforward.” The last time he laughed that hard was many years ago.

        Therefore, Laplace and Baal reached a cooperation agreement. Also because of Laplace's participation, it became an opportunity for the demons to war on Continent Tarones in the future...