On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

My eyes find their way to Velucan. His being here means that Antares is untouched. Just as I expected, Luxibrae had never intended to attack Antares and wanted to only focus on Lysimork. His presence equally brings great news and bad news. As the most rebellious Demon King's General, after all, Velucan won't attend a meeting unless it concerns the future of the Kingdom.

When I realize I have been standing like a stumped idiot for three seconds, I tear my eyes off Velucan and scan the other Demon King's Generals. I already know Jovenus, Lemius, and Bacchus; so, I eye the other three Demon King's Generals in interest.

Our Kingdom has four Demon Generals and three Monster Generals. The only Demon General I haven't met is Holcio Cefrus. He is now standing before me, observing me with his feral eyes. His unkempt golden hair extends to his waist, enhancing the savage vibes he is giving off. To further support his wild aura, he has a muscular stature.

On his side; a beautiful, sharp-jawed woman stands. She has pale skin that will make you think she is a living corpse, which is not wrong. This is Alvina, the Sixth Demon King's General who is a Ghoul. She was originally a human. She became a Ghoul because she dwelled too much in death, as every Ghoul does. She is cursed by death but given the ability to drain someone's life.

On Alvina's right is an eagle-headed man with a lion's tail. He is the Fifth Demon King's General, Tiatus, who is a Gryphon, one of the Monsters that is as rare as a Mythical Beast. He wears the least armor among the Generals, so you don't have to make an effort to make out his slightly hairy chiseled figure. He may look the most vulgar, but he has the calmest aura.

"We have been waiting for you," Holcio remarks with a faint guttural sound. "My Liege says we can't meet him without you. You sure took your time."

To his credit, Holcio still behaves civilly despite his irritated look. I can't help furrowing my brows lightly as I wonder what Ilschevar means by his action. He was the one who told me to meet him whenever I deemed fit. Why is he forcing the others to follow my schedule? He is intentionally sparking enmity between us.

"I am very sorry. I didn't expect My Liege to expect me to meet him with the Demon King's Generals."

"Even if you don't, you are very bold to make our King wait," Tiatus chimes in.

"Now, now, everyone. You are making Warrior Layland uncomfortable," Alvina says softly in a placating manner. She then smiles at me and whispers, "They are irate because they have to stand here for ten minutes. In other words, they are lazy bums. You don't need to feel guilty for making them wait."

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I nod my head lightly and hum in appreciation. Holcio and Tiatus turn their heads at Alvina, shooting her an offended look. She pays no mind to it and merely suggests we immediately meet Ilschevar. Everyone agrees, so we walk together.

During the walk; Lemius, Jovenus, Velucan, and Bacchus gather around me, earning quirked eyebrows from the rest of the Generals. The four Generals are extremely curious about God as they haven't met him. They also want to know how I pulled the Dragons to my side and how I forced God to retreat. They are viewing me too highly, so I spend most of my words explaining that what I did was not as amazing as they thought, which they don't accept.

Except for the always raucous Velucan, the three Demon's Kings listen to my 'story' quietly. They will make some faint remarks from time to time which goes completely unheard because of Velucan's loud remarks. By the time I stop recounting what I did, Holcio and friends are facing their heads toward me. Their eyes gleam in interest as mine meet them.

Despite their apparent interest, none of them says a thing to me. They remain silent even though they are keenly listening to our conversation. When we are already before the throne room's door, we cease our conversation. Every one of us is anticipating what Ilschevar has to say. I would have known it if he didn't also gather the Demon King's Generals.

Thud!

The door opens by itself and we take that as a cue for us to enter the throne room. The room is exceptionally well-lit today. Of course, my attention is drawn only to the beautiful creation standing beside Ilschevar's throne. I can hear people calling me a simp, but is it wrong for me to admire my lover? Of course, it is not.

I stop staring at Valeria when I stop a few feet before the throne. I turn my gaze to Ilschevar and shoot him an inquiring look as I bow. The Demon King merely smirks, asking me to expect it with his gaze. As I expected, he is up to no good.

"Do any of you know why you are summoned here?" he asks, earning a resounding 'no' from us. "Very well. Per what I informed you, a Demon Kings Summit will be held in half a year. I summon you here to tell you that I already have someone to bring with me. That someone is our raising star, Layland."

Everyone's gaze immediately turns to me. Their gaze is intense, but none of them contains enmity. I can sense a slight displeasure, but they don't show any intention to question Ilschevar's decision. They don't think I am qualified for the role but are fine with it.

"Of course, summoning you here to tell you that will be a waste of time." Ilschevar smiles. "This Demon Kings Summit will be different. You can challenge Layland for his chance to go to the Demon Kings Summit if you don't deem him fit for it."

Everyone's eyes light up. I am immediately bombarded by ferocious Mana pressure whose sole purpose is crushing me to death. No matter who it is, everyone is eager to replace me. Even Velucan is pressuring with his Mana, which is quite surprising. Here I thought none of them was interested in going to the Demon Kings Summit.

"No, forcing Layland to give up his spot won't do it." Ilschevar chuckles. "I need you to find and challenge a Demon King Candidate to a fight. You will immediately get the spot if you win your match against the Candidate."

"What if more than one of us manages to beat a Demon King Candidate?" Alvina points out.

"A Demon King Candidate can't fight their fellow to win the spot."

Silence descends upon the room as soon as Ilschevar finished those words. All of us look at each other with sharp gazes. Ilschevar's words have confirmed something: there is a Demon King Candidate among the Demon King's Generals. Naturally, finding the Candidate among them is easier than finding a Candidate among the hundreds of thousands of Warriors.

Ilschevar is a clever bastard. He doesn't only force his Generals to do their best but also pushes the Demon King Candidates to up their sneaking game. The game might end up with no one ever figuring out who the Demon King Candidate is. However, that will only happen if no one challenges me. If one of them does, my identity as a Demon King Candidate will be exposed.

In the case of the Candidate among the Generals, the said Candidate's identity will not be exposed regardless of the result of their fight with one of the Generals. In the end, everyone will still wonder if the winner is a Candidate winning against a General or a General winning against a Candidate.

That is not the case with me. Ilschevar has made it clear that forcing me to give up my spot won't be the way to get it. The moment a Demon King's General challenges me as a Demon King Candidate, I will be forced to accept the challenge. Since my identity has been exposed, I will have one choice: win. If I lose, my worthiness as a Candidate will be questioned.

This game is extremely disadvantageous for me.

"I will give you 170 days to bring me the person you suspect to be a Demon King Candidate and challenge them to a fight before me. The person you suspect to be a Demon King Candidate won't have to confirm whether they are one or not. My validation of the result should be enough indication," Ilschevar exclaims.

"Supposed you are challenged by your fellow while already having someone suspected to be a Demon King Candidate, I will confirm whether the person you suspect is a Candidate or not. If they are, you can immediately take Layland's spot." Turning to me, he continues, "You can defend your position by fighting the General who wins a fight against a Candidate."

Ilschevar flashes me a smile that only I can see. He is not threatening me, but the point he is striking across is terrifying: "Get stronger or get chewed!" While the others are busy hunting for the Demon King Candidate, I have to work my butt off. My chance of not getting called out is dismal. Losing my spot to a General will be just the beginning. Soon, I will lose my life to my fellow Candidate.

My gaze hardens and my Mana pressure spikes. It surprises the Demon King's Generals, prompting them to retract their Mana.

"170 days, huh? It is not long in any way but enough."

I will put every General and Candidate beneath my feet in 170 days.