Chapter Four: Somnium And Orders Of Training.

"Do you believe me now?" Zerad asked slowly, making sure she wasn't overwhelmed by all of that. Of course the act he was performing now was just a lie, but a very convincing one.

Fumiko could only nod her head in acceptance. That was real, there were no cameras around the room to do that. And even if there was, would a person behind… all this, really choose Fumiko, of all people, to be here? The answer she came to was no. there was no way anyone would choose her.

Zerad decided to spread more lies into this story, while getting closer to her, so she would feel more comfortable around him. When he did move closer she didn't move away, a good sign for Zerad. "When I found you… you were terribly injured. I'm going to be honest… if i hadn't found you when i had, you would've died. But I'm glad I found and saved you, nobody deserves to die alone… betrayed… lied to…"

Fumiko looked up at the last sentence, shook out of her thoughts… What did this man mean? She had to remember to ask for his name later as well. "What do you mean?"

Zerad looked at her with an innocent look of confusion on his face. "I'm sorry, you'll have to specify what you mean." Zerad said as he titled his head in confusion.

"You said betrayed… lied to… what do you mean by that?" Fumiko asked again while she clenched her fists, a bit of anger boiling up within her.

Zerad looked at Fumiko in a little bit of shock. She was already using one of the powers of the Seven Orbs? She clearly wasn't using it consciously, but she was still using it. In fact, using it unconsciously could be considered a feat in itself.

But he put that in his mind for later and focused on the now. "I forgot you don't remember." he put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner as he squeezed it a little. "From what I had learned they had told you they would never leave you… they would support you no matter what…" He then let out a breath and spoke in a comforting manner. "But then when they learned you were powerless they threw you out, and injured you to leave you to bleed out slowly and painfully." Zerad spoke with anger leaking into his voice. "Those bastards." He gritted his teeth as he spoke.

Fumiko stared at him in a bit of disbelief, not because she didn't believe him because she did, but because people would do that to someone. Her anger was starting to get a bit out of control before Zerad spoke.

"Calm down. I know you're angry, I am too. But for now your anger won't get you anywhere." Zerad said sternly, while using a bit of magic to calm her down.

Fumiko let out a breath and listened to him, trying to calm down. "... sorry." she mumbled out.

Zerad only nodded his head before pulling Fumiko in for a hug. Fumiko fumbled around for a bit before her arms just stuck out at the sides. "W-what are you doing?" she asked as a blush came on her face from embarrassment.

"Hugging you." Zerad answered simply. "It's just a confirmation for you." he said before stopping for a bit, Fumiko listened intently wanting to know what he would say. "I just want you to know… I'll always be here for you… I'll never betray you or lie to you." He said as he hugged a bit together, while Fumiko could feel a bit of tears build in her eyes as she started to hug back. "You're safe with me, always." He said comfortingly.

Fumiko couldn't hold it back anymore and started to cry hard as she grabbed Zerad in a desperate hug. Her hands dug into him as her tears rolled down her face and went onto his clothes.

But she couldn't help it. Even with him just saying that made her feel safe around him. Like if she was with him, nothing could harm her. She felt invincible when he said that.

The hug lasted a while, with Zerad just whispering to her that everything would be all right while rubbing her back comfortingly. And this made Fumiko cry even harder. This was one of the first people to show her kindness all her life.

Eventually she calmed down enough to separate from Zerad and wipe her eyes herself. "Sorry… it's just your one of the first to be kind to me." She then bowed and said her thanks. "Thank you for healing me and taking me in. Although I don't remember it, I truly am grateful."

Zerad shook his head in denial. "No, there's no need to thank me. I'm just glad I could help you." He then smiled a bit nervously before speaking. "Although… there's something I haven't told you…"

"Yes?" Fumiko asked, peeking up a little.

"Well…" Zerad began awkwardly before sighing and speaking truthfully. "The truth is that… I'm a Demon Lord, more specifically a Demon Lord of Magic. And everyone else you'll see here is a demon of some kind."

Fumiko looked at Zerad in disbelief. He… was a demon? "But… aren't demons supposed to be… I don't know… evil?" Fumiko said awkwardly in a questioning way.

Zerad laughed her off. "No, that's only a stereotype of the old ways. Back then it was survival of the fittest, now we accept all demons." He then rubbed his neck a bit, which managed to ruffle his hair a bit. "But because of how things were back then, humans see us as evil and are constantly at war with us."

Fumiko listened but focused on one word. "War?" She asked questionably.

"Yeah." Zerad mumbled. "You were summoned as a hero to kill us demons, and in the end you would've killed me."

Fumiko could only stare in disbelief. They would want her to kill someone so kind? Why? There was nothing evil about him. Actually, on that note. "I don't think I have your name."

Zerad let out an 'oh' before speaking. "My name is Zerad, no last name." He then coughed into his fist before speaking again. "There was also something else I didn't tell you."

Fumiko paid interest to this. What had he not already told her?

"To save you… I had to give you some power." Zerad told her.

Fumiko looked confused before looking at her fist, clenching it and unclenching it. She didn't feel different.

Zerad knew what she was doing. Looking for differences in strength. It was natural. When people think of power, they usually think of physical strength, especially in this world. Because here, strength was power.

"You won't notice anything different about you yet. It takes a while." Of course that was a lie, she was already using her powers without knowing it earlier. "You'll have to train if you want to unlock your full potential." He then added something to sweeten the deal. "Although I know you don't remember, the humans did betray you. You could get stronger, get revenge against them."

Fumiko thought about it before asking a question. "Then what? You take control of the whole world?" She asked innocently.

Zerad got annoyed a bit by her question. As that it meant that she was blindly loyal, yet. But he also knew that she would trust his words at face value unless it was a bold faced lie.

"Believe it or not. Demons are more advanced than humans, in laws especially. Humans do whatever they want, destroying everything that gets in the way of something they want. If I get control, the world would be a better place." Zerad said with the voice of a leader. "If I came into power then what happened to you… will never happen to anyone else." Zerad said in a sweetly sick voice.

Fumiko thought about it, although she didn't remember it happening to her… it still did happen. And if she could bring Zerad into power by helping him… fighting for him, then she would. "When do I start training?" She asked.

Zerad paused for a second before speaking nervously and in a non threatening manner. "Really? You don't have to if you don't want to. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to."

Although he said that, on the inside he was smirking like a devil that had gained another soul. He had practically won.

Fumiko shook her head. "No, this is my choice. When do I start?" She spoke with conviction in her voice, making it clear she was dead set on this.

Zerad only sighed before speaking. "I'll set up a training session between you and one of the top knights I have." He said. "And after that I'll try and help you gain control over the powers that you have."

Fumiko nodded her head in agreement.

Zerad turned away for a bit, letting a full blown smile grow on his face. This was too easy. How someone as naive as her had survived as long as she had was a miracle. A miracle he was going to make use of.

He then played off turning away as coughing a little, before he turned around with a normal smile on his face in a dis alarming manner. "If that's all, there's some training clothes over in that walk in wardrobe." He informed her. Before getting up and heading towards the door.

"Wait!" Fumiko said before he left.

Zerad sucked in his breath as his grip on the door handle increased due to his frustration, with his eyes gleaming in a cold killer manner. But he let out his breath before turning around to her in an innocent curiosity, completely different from before.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Fumiko took a breath before speaking. "I just wanted to say thank you. I just can't say that enough. I'll try and help you anyway I can." She said strongly.

Zerad just let out a chuckle as his eyes closed on reflex. "That's it? I told you. It's okay." He then turned to the door before speaking again. "And remember, you'll always be safe with me. If anyone tries to hurt you I'll take care of them."

Fumiko nodded her and then Zerad left through the door.

He stayed close to the door before closing it immediately his face reverted form kindness into his usual look.

His face was stone cold as he looked at the maid waiting for him outside. "Get me a new clean suit… NOW!" He shouted at her seeing as she wasn't moving.

He wasn't worried about the girl hearing him. He had already taken preparations by making a sound barrier on the door so she couldn't hear them out in the hallway. He knew he was going to be angry when he left, but he didn't expect to be losing a suit because the girl couldn't control her mucus.

The maid hurried off as she ran down the hall in a hurry to get a new suit for Lord Zerad. She was going to pick the best one ever, making sure he was fit for any occasion.

He then turned to look at the two guards beside the door, his personal guards. And then the one who was guarding Fumiko, who was here even before he got here.

"One of you." He ordered as he pointed at his two personal guards. "Get me Meld Stronoff. I have a job for him." He ordered as one of the guards disappeared in a flash of speed.

While that was happening the normal guard who had rarely seen the Demon Lord this close was starting to sweat a lot.

Zerad clicked his tongue in annoyance as he threw his trench coat suit thing on the ground in disgust of it. He might have summoned this hero in plans of using her by manipulation, but that didn't mean he was willing to lower himself to allow her mucus to be kept on his clothes.

"Pick that up, destroy it somewhere. I'm not having something that dirty near me." He said strength as he then turned and walked to the window to look out of it, watching the time pass as he waited for Meld to get there.

While he was waiting he also couldn't help but think about what he said to her. All demons being accepted? Yeah right. The only thing that was accepted about them was that they would be cannon fodder.

While unknown to him behind him both guards just looked at the coat on the ground before the personal guard pointed at it and then at the regular guard and then pointed over his shoulder.

The regular guard could only let out a sigh at the menial task he was just given before doing it anyways. Picking up the jacket and walking away to give it to someone who could actually destroy it.