DEMONS ARENA PRACTICE

The demon Beleth is outside the Headquarters of the Demonic Guild, in the demon's arena, fighting with Alastair. Many lower demons flocked to see two high-ranked demons fight each other from the safety of the seats that surrounded the Demon Arena, protected by a powerful magic barrier that shields the spectators from powerful blows and magic done to each other by combatants in the Demon's Arena. A majority of the seats are filled with spectators. The Battle Arena is where demons and their allies fought seriously to hone their skills.

“Total Darkness Activate" Beleth chanted.The Demon's Arena grounds went dark. Beleth sped towards the location of Alastair while atop his pale horse, with a spear in his hand. Alastair at first fumbled in the darkness before he chanted a spell that allowed him to see in the dark. Alastair teleported at the back of Beleth. He lifted Beleth’s pale horse effortlessly off the ground and flung Beleth’s pale horse right above Beleth, who managed to teleport safely to the ground.Alastair teleported at the back of Beleth.

Beleth avoided Alastair’s attack, and he is about to thrust his spear into Alastair when Alastair pushes him back through telepathy.

“You forgot one thing there, Beleth. Ordinary weapons can't hurt me. And another thing, it seems you're holding back.”

"Oh really, Alastair? This spear here is dipped with holy water. Ever figured out why I wore gloves yet?”

Beleth replied as he lunged at Alastair, who teleported right at Alastair's back.

“You and your teleportation skill. Let's see if you can dodge my next move."

Beleth said.

Before Alastair could push him away through telepathy, Beleth summoned a group of undead musicians, whose music caused Alastair to stumble to the ground,

with his hands covering his ears.

" Music to the ears. The sound of terror. Screams and wailings of those you tortured. The scary sounds of creatures of the night that you forced them to listen to, when you're not enjoying yourself torturing them physically. How does it feel to go mad using your own attacks, huh Alastair? ”

Alastair just smiled throughout all the pain.

” Do you think I don't have a counter for this, Beleth? " He asked Beleth, who concentrated on the undead musicians. Alastair concentrated throughout the pain, and managed to push Beleth away through telepathy. Alastair chanted a spell that made him immune to sound attacks, and made the undead musicians vanish through his spells.

“You shouldn't have used reapers. What an obvious mistake.”

Alastair smiled.

” That was a good fight, Alastair.”

Beleth said as the two of them transformed back to their human forms.

“Right back at you, Beleth.”

When the audience witnessed that the fight was over, they dispersed and went about on their business.

Beleth clapped Alastair on the back, then put his arm on Alastair’s shoulder.

“Do you have something you planned to do today, Alastair? “

" Nope, Beleth. I got wind that the half-orc spy got cornered by Lilith. He's been a thorn on my side for as long as I could remember, so I gave Lilith the info on the half-orc

spy.”

"Why did you have to do that Alastair? You know he's one good spy, even if he’s downright annoying and arrogant.”

Beleth frowned in a disapproving tone, aghast that Alastair allowed Rebecca to threaten Inuk.

“Inuk the Clever is dangerous, Beleth. He knows our secrets. He's arrogant and hard to control. And besides, I already made arrangements to have him replaced by

someone who is just as good as him.”

Beleth is still cordial to the three, since he knew that Zelda, Lilith, and Hashioki belonged to the other faction. But he couldn't afford to do reckless actions. An enemy of the enemy is still a friend.

Look at Alastair's face. He thinks he's doing this for the preservation of the Demonic Guild, when what he's really doing is preserving his own skin. What a misguided demon.

Beleth mused, noting the look on Alastair's face, who walked beside him.

He pushed those thoughts away, and walked outside the gate of the main Headquarters of the Demonic Guild.

“Hello, Samael.”

He greeted the dark angel of death, who passed by him and Alastair.

"Oh, hello, Beleth. I trust your plot is going well?"

The angel of death called back to him, before going on his way.

"We all are dangerous, and work for our own ends Alastair. Admit it or not, you yourself are no different from the half-orc spy you plotted to have killed. You're a pot calling the kettle black. You just angered the Guild Master of the Necromancer Guild, and probably even Morrigan, buddy. VRMMORPG Fantasion is now a dangerous life or death game. You better watch out for spies of the Necromancer Guild, Morrigan's spies, and watch your back. Oh, and a quick reminder, You're doing this to save your skin, not to preserve the entire Demonic Guild. It's not wrong to look out for yourself in the game, as we all basically do it. Just don't delude yourself on why you're doing the stuff you do. Don't prattle at me again about how you're as influential as me. I wield twice the power and support you think you have. You'll do well to listen to my piece of advice, old friend. "

Beleth tapped Alastair twice on the shoulder, then he logged out of the game.

Beleth climbed out of his Game Administrator Gaming Capsule.

He stretched his back, massaged his joints, then unplugged the Gaming Capsule, turned off the lights of his gaming room,went out of the gaming room, and locked the door to his gaming room.

He went off to the kitchen to find something to eat.

The practice earlier got Beleth hungry. He noticed that Alastair’s fighting skill got better.

He tried hard not to dwell on what Morrigan had done to him, years ago when Morrigan usurped Beleth's position as a major influential pioneer of Tokyo Gaming Solutions.

He plotted to set Morrigan, Anubis and Hecate against each other, with the assistance of Alastair. He suspected that Alastair had ties with Lilith, who in turn had ties to both Zelda and Hashioki.

He could smell spicy boiling beef wafting from a stockpot in the open door of his kitchen.

“Hmm. Boiled beef with vegetables. My favorite. That was considerate of you, Luciano.”

"That's not cooked yet, Beleth. We only just set the electric stove to a low simmer. We know that you'll be hungry after a fight. We prepared sandwiches for you to munch on, while this is being cooked. Here.”

"Tell Emilia to set the electric stove to a boil. It won't spoil the meat. I made sure that the beef was soft and chewy when I bought it. Oh, and the way she places the spices one after another is too slow. A waste of time. She should have just dumped all those spices in, and sliced the vegetables to be put in in advance, or buy pre-sliced vegetables. She must also remember to put in the sour powder I bought to flavor soups. She must make sure the whole dish is spicy and sour when I taste it."

"But sir."

"No ifs and buts. I know that you and Emilia are currently studying at some fancy chef school here in Italy. Don't you dictate to me how to cook, Luciano. I know it well enough to do it myself. And I know you're poor, and you need funds to finish your schooling, so that's why I took pity on you and Emilia, and even gave you access to the Demonic Guild, as an elite player, through a backdoor. No need to call me sir, too. Don't anger me, Luciano, because if you do, I'm gonna make sure you'll end up back in that backward, dreary province of yours again, toiling as some common laborer who doesn't even own land in an olive farm. I'll even make sure you get expelled from that fancy cooking school you're so proud of being a student of. I own a majority share there, if you forget."

Beleth snapped, silencing Luciano.

Luciano, a handsome 21 year-old Italian wearing an elegant male butler's attire aaall in black, prepared a plate full of ham sandwiches, and a pitcher full of cold dragon fruit juice laced with honey.

“Where do you want to eat, Beleth?”

“Can you bring the food to the garden? [ could use some peace and quiet after the events that happened.”

Luciano, who did his research on demons, burst out laughing. “Ha-ha. That's funny. We're from the Demonic Guild, used to causing chaos, and basking in the destruction and fighting caused by all the chaos. To think I'd hear those words from

an arch-demon.”

“You think I did all this to cause chaos all for nothing, eh, Luciano? Make that remark that I just cause chaos wantonly and senselessly again, and I'll have you fed to Cerberus, the three headed dog of destruction owned by Anubis in-game. Not even your elite gamer status will save you from that hellish dog's jaws and sharp teeth, since you don't have the right equipment to defeat Cerberus. No Now, come with me, and bring those foods to the garden. "

Beleth’s sharp remark silenced Luciano again, and Luciano went to the garden to place Beleth's food on the garden table.

Beleth followed Luciano.

"Is there anything more I can do, Beleth? ”

” Nope. Now, run along, and do what you have to do.”

Luciano immediately turned around and left.

Beleth ate and drank in silence, admiring the peace and quiet for a change.